30-Mar, Finals:

WSA/BSPA Women’s Final:

[2] Tory Temple-Murray (Eng) 3-1
[1] Carrie Ramsey (Eng)   11/2, 11/4, 12/14, 11/8 (48m)

PSA Men’s Final:

[1] Shaun Le Roux (Rsa) 3-1
[3] Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) 11/7, 11/8, 7/11, 11/3 (56m)

Tory takes Tyneside Title

After the graded event finals it was on to the main attractions at the Northumberland Club in Jesmond, first up the WSA/BSPA women’s final, between two former European Junior Champions.

Second seed Tory Temple-Murray was off to a flying start, 10/0 up before top seed Carrie Ramsey got a look in. Tory took the opener 11/2 and a 5/0 lead in the second helped her to take a two game lead 11/4.

Carrie came back into it in the third, which went point for point to 9-all. Carrie had the first game ball opportunity, Tory had one match ball at 11-10, but Carrie reduced the deficit 14/12 much to her own relief.

A decider looked on the cards as Carrie led 6/3 in the fourth, but now it was Tory’s turn to regroup as she powered through to 10/7, taking the title 11/8 on a stroke.

"She was giving me lots of shots to volley in the first two games and I was just loving it," said Tory. "She really tightened up after that though and it was pretty tough, I was glad to finish it in four."

Top seed triumphs

The men’s final also saw one player get off to a good start, this time it was the top seed who established an early lead, Shaun Le Roux leading 10/3 before Mahesh Mangoankrt pulled a few point back but Le Roux took the lead 11/7.

The young Indian was making it tough though, and even though Le Roux opened up an advantage in the second, taking it 11/8, he was having to work hard.

From 7 all in the third Mangaonkar put in some crisp winners to reduce the deficit 11/7, but Le Roux was quickly back on top in the fourth, taking a 7/1 lead and closing out 11/3 to take the title in just under the hour mark.

”I got a good start but he fought back well,” said Le Roux, after claiming his ninth PSA title .

“I managed to get in front again in the fourth, I think he was feeling the effects of last night’s long match.

”“I enjoy playing here and it’s good to see this event becoming a full PSA tournament, I hope it continues to grow year on year.”

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A Final

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11/7, 12/10, 11/4 (38m)

[5] Geoffrey Demont

 11/7, 11/8, 7/11, 11/3 (56m)

[3] Mahesh Mangaonkar

11/13, 8/11, 11/6, 11/3, 11/3 (102m)

[2] Kristian Frost

26-Mar, Qualifying Finals:

Christophe André (Fra) 3-0 James Earles (Eng)          11/5, 11/4, 13/11 (28m)
Dan Hockburn (Eng)  3-2 Phil Bull (Eng)    12/10, 11/2, 5/11, 3/11, 11/5 (38m)
Carlos Cornes (Esp) 3-0 Ben Grindrod (Nzl)                 11/6, 11/4, 11/2 (23m)
Lance Beddoes (Nzl) 3-0 Nick Mulvey (Eng)                 11/8, 11/7, 11/9 (43m)

25-Mar, Qualifying Round One:

Lance Beddoes (Nzl) 3-0  Jamie Todd (Eng)                     11/3, 11/3, 11/7 (19m)
Nick Mulvey (Eng) 3-0 Jonathan Geekie (Sco)                  11/1, 11/8, 11/7 (22m)
Phil Bull (Eng) 3-0 Dan Wareing (Eng)                             11/5, 11/4, 11/6 (19m)
Dan Hockburn (Eng) 3-0 Robert Downer (Eng)                  11/6, 11/6, 11/9 (30m)
Carlos Cornes (Esp) 3-1 Chris Van Der Salm (Nzl)  10/12, 11/5, 11/7, 11/8 (45m)
Ben Grindod (Nzl) 3-0 Courtney West (Aus)                      11/6, 11/8, 11/6 (31m)
Christophe André (Fra) 3-0 Cai Younger (Eng)                  11/4, 11/4, 11/8 (22m)
James Earles (Eng) 3-0 Matt Hardy (Eng)                         11/7, 11/2, 11/9 (23m)

11/9, 11/3, 11/3 (23m)

Taylor Flavell

11/2, 11/4, 12/14, 11/8 (48m)
 

[2] Tory Temple-Murray

11/2, 11/6, 11/3 (19m)

[2] Tory Temple-Murray

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29-Mar, Semis:

Semi-finals evening of the Northumbria Open at the Northumberland Club kicked off with the women’s WSA/BSPA event, with top seed Carrie Ramsey coming from 6/8 down in the first to complete an ultimately comfortable 11/9, 11/3, 11/3 against Australia’s Taylor Flavell.

Second seed Tory Temple-Murray then beat Northumberland's own Sarah Dowson 11/2, 11/6, 11/3 to set up the expected final.

The first men’s semi-final pitted top seeded South African Shaun Le Roux against  Frenchman Geoffrey Demont, the Frenchman who caused a minor upset in beating fourth seed Peter Creed in the quarters.

The players were smiling as Le Roux found four rolling nicks in the first five points, and although it became more serious after that, the early lead was enough to see Shaun home 11/7 in the opening game. The second was tough all the way, Demont generally a point or two ahead, but he couldn’t convert a 10/8 advantage as four points in a row doubled Le Roux’s lead 12/10.

Both players had been getting a little agitated with the referee’s decisions during the second game, Demont more so, and when Le Roux established a quick lead 5/1 in the third the Frenchman’s challenge faded as the top seed advanced to 9/2 before taking the match 11/4.

”Those nicks early on gave me a nice little cushion,” admitted the winner, “I had a lead in the second but started going too short and he got ahead. I managed to regroup and save that game and carried on in the third.”

Mashesh's Monster Comeback
 
In the second semi Mahesh Mangaonkar completed a phenomenal comeback from two games and 5/1 down against second seed Kristian Frost, finally winning after 102 minutes of intense play.

The young Indian made a good start , but the Dane settled into the match and worked his way back from 3/9 to 8/9, with the rallies becoming longer ad tougher. Mahesh got two game balls as Frost tinned, but couldn’t capitalise as Frost took a long opener 13/11.

Frost always had the slight edge in the second, but the rallies were brutal and the stoppages frequent - it wasn’t until over 50 minutes of play that the Dane went two nil up 11/8.

After 72 minutes it was two one, Mangaonkar recovering from a 5/1 deficit to pull a game back 11/6.

The young Indian was in command now, although Frost never, ever, gave up, and it still took another 30 minutes for Mahesh to take the final two games 11/3, 11/3, but there was only going to be one winner.

”I had a good lead in the first and got a bit complacent,” he admitted,” I was going for shots instead of working him like I had been.

"I got back to a more solid game, making him work hard, and even though I lost the second I could see he was getting tired. So I kept on keeping it straight, putting in working drives, working volleys, and it paid off.”
 

28-Mar, Quarters:
Demont dashes into the semis

On a busy evening at the Northumberland Club in Jesmond which saw the start of the BSPA/WSA women’s event and the graded events alongside the PSA quarter-finals, top seed Shaun Le Roux was the first player through to the semi-finals with a solid straight-game win over Frenchman Jean Lezaud.

”It was quite tough at the start of each game,” said the South African, “but I got into my stride and I felt I was playing better than yesterday so I felt pretty comfortable at the end of each game.”

The second match was, on paper, the closest of them all, and so it proved on court as fifth seed Geoffrey Demont overcame fourth seed Peter Creed in an entertaining 68-minute four game tussle. The Frenchman took the first 11/6 and led 10/6 in the second, but Creed fought back to level 13/11. The Frenchman was again in the ascendency in the third, regaining the lead 11/4.

The fourth was close all the way, the crowd being entertained and bemused in equal measure by Demont’s sporadic discussions with referee Lezaud, in French of course! Demont got a first match ball at 10/9, and managed tro take the match 14/12 on this third.

”I played very well compared to yesterday,” said Demont. “I had a good feeling in my racket and I played at a good pace from the first point to the last, which surprised him I think. It’s a good win for me, I enjoy playing here and I’m taking pleasure from playing which is the important thing.”

Third seed Mahesh Mangaonkar got the better of the third quarter-final, a match against Nathan Lake that featured ferocious hitting from start to end. The Indian led 10/6 in the first before finishing it off 11/8 with a boast that squirted out of the nick, then came from 5/9 down in the second, saving three game balls on the way to doubling his lead 14/12.

The fearsome pace at the end of that game had to take its toll, but not until Lake had taken a 5/1 lead in the third. Mangaonkar kept up the pressure, levelled at 6-all and although Lake fought to the end it was the Indian’s game 11/6 after 48 tough, tough minutes.

To complete the semi-final lineup second seed Kristian Frost ended the run of qualifier Christophe André in three games, all of which were far from easy as the big Frenchman pushed the world #57 all the way, only fading in the last handful of points.

”I knew it was going to be tough,” admitted Frost, “I played him in a $5k final in Israel, he’s such a good player and people tend to underestimate him because of his size. I’m in the tournament now!”

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The Creed Coaching manual

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26-Mar, Qualifying Finals:



Day two of the Northumbria Open at the Northumberland Club in Jesmond saw four matches to decide qualification for the main draw of the PSA $5k event.

First up was a real ’little ‘n large’ matchup between Yorkshire’s James Earles and Christophe André.

The big Frenchman stormed through the first two games 11/5, 11/4, Earles struggling to combat his opponent’s reach and power. A 6-1 start in the third offered hope to the Englishman, but it wasn’t to be as André powered back, levelled at 9-all, then saved two game balls before taking the match 13/11.

Having beaten one Winchester man yesterday, (Robbie Downer) local lad Dan Hockburn faced another one tonight in Phil Bull in a match that was akin to a Creme Egg - hard at both ends and soft in the middle.

Hockburn edged a tough opening game 12/10 then eased through the second 11/2. The third and fourth went quickly Bull’s way 11/5, 11/3. The decider was well-contested, but Hockburn always had a point or three advantage and from 7-5 he reeled off four point in a row to close out the match 11/5.

”Taking the first was crucial and that helped me to a good start in the second,” said the Hartlepool lad. “He came out attacking in the third and fourth - I’m not used to playing on the lower tin it does make a difference! I think he got a bit tired in the fifth thankfully, so I’m pleased to get through to the main draw.”

Dan’s reward is a match against second seeded Dane Kristian Frost.

The growing crowd was entertained in the third match by the lively Spaniard Carlos Cornes, who eased past New Zealand’s Ben Grindrod 11/6, 11/4, 11/2 displaying some athletic movement and spectacular shotmaking along the way.

”The first match is always tough, so I was pleased to win last night and I was much more relaxed an looking forward to playing tonight,” admitted Carlos. ”I’m happy with how I played, it’s always good to get a three-nil win.”

Kiwi success came in the final match of the night as Lance Beddoes - over in the UK for a few months training in Bristol and Pontefract - got the better of three close games against Nick Mulvey.

From 7-all in the first, 7-all in the second and 8-7 in the third Beddoes found the extra push to complete a 11/8, 11/7, 11/9 win that pits him against second seed Kristian Frost in the main draw.

”He stayed with me all the way through each of the games,” said Beddoes, “but I attacked a bit more at the finish and he gave me just enough loose shots, but it was tough.”

STREAMING & REPLAYS

Trick shots from Carlos


Day Two GALLERY

25-Mar, Qualifying Round One:
Locals bow out in
Northumbria Open Qualifiers

The PSA $5k Northumbria Open got underway at the Northumberland Club in the Jesmond suburb of Newcastle with eight qualifying matches, three of which featured local players experiencing their first PSA matches.

Juniors Jamie Todd, Dan Wareing and Cai Younger all came up against older and more experienced opponents, and although none managed to take a game, they will surely be better prepared for their next PSA ventures.

”That was a bit hard,” admitted Dan after his match with Winchester’s Phil Bull, “he just had too many shots, much better than any I have, and he seemed to know where I was going to put the ball every time!”

”But I enjoyed it, and it gave me a few pointers about how much I need to improve and what areas I need to work on,” sentiments no doubt shared by his fellow juniors as they lost out to Christophe André and Lance Beddoes.

There was a local winner though in Dan Hockburn, who made the draw by virtue of his ranking and turned in a fine performance to beat Robbie Downer, ranked over 100 places above the Durham lad, in straight games.

”I’d never played Robbie before,” admitted Dan, “so I just tried to keep it short and straight and it seemed to work although he might have been a bit tired after his birthday yesterday!"

In other matches there were wins for Kiwi Ben Grindrod, England’s James Earles and Nick Mulvey, and in the last and longest match of the night (of course), Spain’s Carlos Cornes.

LIVE STREAMING

Trick Shot from
last-minute callup Chris VDS

Day One GALLERY

Cornes conquers Chris