|
|
|
South Australian Open 2010 |
|
Interview with Mike
|
Video from ABC Adelaide
20-Jun-2010:
Corren breaks record in
Adelaide
Andrew Dent reports
Mike Corren claimed a record 27th Professional Squash
Association title when he beat top seeded New South Welshman
Matthew Karwalski in four games 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 to
win the South Australian Open in Adelaide on Sunday.
The 36-year-old Corren now heads the list of current players
with the most titles, moving one ahead of countryman David
Palmer and Egypt’s Amr Shabana.
His win on Sunday on his home court was even more impressive
as he injured his leg during a local competition in Adelaide
on Tuesday and struggled to take the court for his first
match on Friday.
“I had some serious treatment on Friday and on Saturday I
was pretty zonked – one leg was useless and because I was
overusing the other leg to compensate, that one seized up as
well,” he said.
“Honestly, at the start of the tournament I thought there
was no way I could win and I expected to go out in the first
round. By rights I should have lost the quarter-finals to
Josh Cardwell and then I scraped through the semi-finals
against Rex Hedrick.”
Corren, who won his first tournament in Hong Kong in 1996,
happily admits his achievements in the game cannot match
those of players like Palmer and Shabana, but said winning
even one squash tournament was a major achievement because
of the physicality of the sport.
“There are some pretty good players going around who’ve
never won a PSA tournament,” he said. “So to win my 27th, on
my home court, when I’m not feeling right physically – it’s
a pretty good feeling.”
The women’s final was won by Queenslander Lisa Camilleri,
who edged second seeded New Zealander Kylie Lindsay in a
five-game thriller 11-2, 4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12.
World number 39 Camilleri has now won three Women’s
International Squash Players Association tournaments in a
row, bringing her total number of WISPA tournament wins to
nine. She won Australian Squash Tour titles in Darwin and
Perth in the past month, but her match today was by far her
toughest.
“I was feeling in my warm-up that something was wrong – my
timing was out,” she said. “I just couldn’t focus and Kylie
took advantage. She’s a very steady player -- she slowed it
down and put pressure on me and things got really hard.
“The fifth game was really tight so I was just happy I could
tough it out.”
Both Corren and Camilleri now head to Melbourne for the
Victorian Open, which will be held at the Melbourne Sports
and Aquatic Centre from July 2-4.
The Australian Squash Tour culminates in the Australian
Open, to be held in Canberra from August 9-15.
Video from ABC Adelaide
Men's Final:
2-Mike Corren (SA) bt -1-Matthew Karwalski (NSW)
11-7,
11-8, 3-11, 11-6
Women's Final:
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 2-Kylie Lindsay (NZL)
11-2, 4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12 |
| |
19-Jun-10:
Top seeds to fight out SA Open
finals
Andrew Dent reports
Top seeds Matthew Karwalski and Mike Corren will fight out
the men’s final of the South Australian Open in Adelaide
after both prevailed in tough semi-finals on Saturday.
Karwalski ended the fairytale run of local veteran Jason
Mudge when he beat the 37-year-old in a five game epic 11-8,
8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, before Corren overcame tenacious
Victorian Rex Hedrick in four games 11-2, 13-15, 11-7, 11-7.
The women’s final will also be a battle between the two top
seeds with Queensland’s Lisa Camilleri up against New
Zealander Kylie Lindsay.
Camilleri, who won recently in Darwin and Perth, kept alive
her bid for three main tour titles in succession when she
saw off Melbourne’s Melody Francis in impressive style 11-7,
11-6, 11-3.
She takes on Lindsay, who came from two games down to beat
Melbourne teenager Sarah Cardwell.
The 18-year-old Cardwell, daughter of Australian great Vicki
Cardwell, looked heading for an upset when she took the
first two games, but the Kiwi proved steadier over the
closing stages to win 9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3.
However, most of the focus on Sunday will be on the men’s
final, where Corren will be aiming to win his 27th
Professional Squash Association title on his home court.
If Corren can overcome Karwalski he would become the leading
title winner among current players on the PSA tour.
The 36-year-old, who says he will keep playing until he
feels he can no longer compete at a top level, won
tournaments in Perth and Kalgoorlie over the last month to
move alongside fellow countryman David Palmer and Egypt’s
Amr Shabana on 26 victories.
However, Karwalski was missing from the past two tournaments
and he brings a power game that can trouble the shot making
and court craft of Corren.
Corren will also be hoping he can recover from gruelling
day’s play where he was forced to five games before beating
Josh Cardwell in the quarter-finals in the morning and then
beating Hedrick in four in the afternoon.
Mudge, the ex-touring professional, had made it three upsets
in a row when he beat third seed Nathan Stevenson in the
quarter-finals, before pushing Karwalski all the way in the
semis.
While Corren has a winning record over Karwalski, the New
South Welshman won their last encounter at the non-tour ACT
Open in April.
Men's Quarter-finals:
1-Matthew Karwalski (NSW) bt 7-Jacob Alexander (Qld)
11-2, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6
Jason Mudge (SA) bt 3-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) 11-7, 11-4,
5-11, 11-4
5-Rex Hedrick (Vic) bt 4-Justin Beard (SA) 8-11, 11-2, 11-3,
8-11, 11-7
2-Mike Corren (SA) bt 6-Josh Cardwell (Vic) 11-4, 8-11,
7-11, 11-6, 11-4
Semi-finals:
1-Matthew Karwalski (NSW) bt Jason Mudge (SA) 11-8, 8-11,
9-11, 11-8, 11-7
2-Mike Corren (SA) bt 5-Rex Hedrick (Vic) 11-2, 13-15, 11-7,
11-7
Women's Quarter-finals:
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 8-Jane Kennedy (NSW) 11-5,
11-6, 11-6
3-Melody Francis (Vic) bt 7-Tamika Saxby (NSW) 8-11, 11-8,
11-7, 11-6
4-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) bt 6-Maggy Marshall (Tas) 11-8, 5-11,
11-5, 11-9
2-Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt 5-Samantha Davies (Qld) 11-5, 11-6,
11-8
Semi-finals
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 3-Melody Francis (Vic) 11-7, 11-6,
11-3
2-Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt 4-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) 9-11, 10-12,
11-7, 11-7, 11-3 |
|
| |
|
|
18-Jun-10:
Veteran Mudge cuts swathe
through SA Open
Andrew Dent reports
Veteran South Australian Jason Mudge showed that experience
counts for a great deal on the squash court as he demolished
two younger players on his way to the quarter-finals of the
South Australian Open in Adelaide on Friday.
The 37-year-old ex-touring professional ousted eighth seeded
Queenslander Peter Taylor 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 in the first
round before downing South Australian junior Ben Werchon
11-6, 11-0, 11-2 in the second. Mudge will have to hope his
body recovers in time to play third seeded Queensland Nathan
Stevenson in Saturday’s quarter-finals.
Stevenson was also impressive in his 11-4, 13-11, 11-4 win
over fellow Queenslander Jason Mcervale, while top seed
Matthew Karwalski and the second ranked Mike Corren both
cruised into the final eight.
Karwalski beat Adelaide’s Ross Hewitt 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 while
Corren, aiming for his 27th title on the Professional Squash
Association tour, beat young New Zealander James Skiffington
11-6, 11-4, 11-8.
Top seed Lisa Camilleri stayed on path for her third main
tour title in succession when she beat fellow Queenslander
Emily Stack-Masula 11-0, 11-4, 11-5. Camilleri faces a tough
quarter-final against New South Wales’s Jane Kennedy, who
was a former top junior in South Africa before moving to
Sydney and taking out Australian citizenship.
The women’s quarters feature two tantalising clashes between
the future stars of women’s squash in Australia - third seed
Melody Francis (21) from Melbourne takes on 17-year-old
Tamika Saxby of Coffs Harbour, while Victorian Sarah
Cardwell (18) is up against Maggy Marshall (20) from
Tasmania.
Men's First Round:
Jason Mudge (SA) bt 8-Peter Taylor (Qld) 11-3, 11-4, 11-6
Ross Hewitt (SA) bt Sunil Seth (Qld) 11-13, 9-11, 11-9,
11-6, 11-6
Alex Grayson (NZL) bt Cameron Deehan (NSW) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6
Second Round
1-Matthew Karwalski (NSW) bt Ross Hewitt (SA) 11-6, 11-5,
11-5
7-Jacob Alexander (Qld) bt Chris Lloyd (NZL) 11-8, 11-5,
11-6
3-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) bt Jamie Mcervale (Qld) 11-4,
13-11, 11-4
Jason Mudge (SA) bt Ben Werchon (SA) 11-6, 11-0, 11-2
5-Rex Hedrick (Vic) bt Alex Grayson (NZL) 11-8, 11-8, 11-4
4-Justin Beard (SA) bt Joseph Watts (NZL) 11-4, 11-9, 11-13,
11-8
6-Josh Cardwell (Vic) bt David Fumpson (SA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4
2-Mike Corren (SA) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-6, 11-4,
11-8
Women's First Round:
Stephanie Wighton (SA) bt Rebecca Bergamin (SA) 11-9, 13-11,
11-8
Second Round
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt Emily Stack-Masula (Qld) 11-0,
11-4, 11-5
8-Jane Kennedy (NSW) bt Iritana Gray (NSW) 11-5, 11-1, 11-2
3-Melody Francis (Vic) bt Alma Kushartanti (SA) 10-12, 11-5,
11-2, 11-8
7-Tamika Saxby (NSW) bt Alyssa McInerney (SA) 11-3, 11-5,
11-3
6-Maggy Marshall (Tas) bt Moana Gray (NSW) 11-5, 11-6, 9-11,
11-7
4-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) bt Selena Shaikh (Vic) 11-2, 11-5,
11-7
5-Samantha Davies (Qld) bt Bonny Wu (SA) 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
2-Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Stephanie Wighton (SA) 11-5, 11-4,
13-11 |
| |
Corren goes for record
in home town Open
Andrew Dent reports
Adelaide’s Mike Corren will be aiming to create a
slice of squash history when he lines up in the South
Australian Open at the South Adelaide Squash Centre this
weekend.
Corren’s victory at last week’s
Golden Open in Kalgoorlie moved him to 26 titles on the
PSA tour, equal with fellow Australian David Palmer and
Egypt’s Amr Shabana as the current players with the most
titles.
He can claim that honour all for himself if he wins his
second South Australian Open title on Sunday.
“It’s not something I think about all that much, but yeah,
it would be a good feeling to get the record in Adelaide,”
the 36-year-old said.
After years living and training in various countries around
the world, Corren returned home to Adelaide earlier this
year when he was granted a scholarship with the South
Australian Academy of Squash (SAAS).
He said he was in better shape physically than he had been
in years, which meant his age didn’t really play a factor in
tournaments.
And he said he went into this week’s tournament with a home
court advantage.
“I train there every day – I’m fairly relaxed about
everything at the moment, but I always lift for a PSA
tournament.”
Corren is second seed for the SA Open behind New South
Welshman Matthew Karwalski but the draw has been far
kinder to him than Karwalski.
He probably won’t be greatly challenged until a semi-final
showdown with either Justin Beard or Rex Hedrick,
whereas Karwalski will have to get past top Australian
junior Jake Alexander and third seeded Queenslander
Nathan Stevenson.
Former tour player Jason Mudge has also entered and
is in Karwalski’s half of the draw.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s Lisa Camilleri will be
shooting for three WISPA titles in a row in the women’s
event.
Top seed Camilleri won WISPA tournaments in Darwin and Perth
and is a hot favourite to win in Adelaide.
“I’m pretty confident – the girls in the draw are much the
same as in Perth and Darwin so I’m hoping for the same
result,” she said.
The world number 39 said she was wary of likely
quarter-final opponent Jane Kennedy, who is playing
her first tournament on the 2010 Australian Squash Tour.
“Jane’s very experienced and quite fit, so I won’t be able
to take her lightly,” she said.
The first round begins on Friday morning, with the finals
scheduled for Sunday.
|
Interview with Mike
|
|
