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Paddy 'Whack' West of Ireland Open 2012
03-08 April, Galway, $10k |
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08-Apr, Final:
[2] Mark Krajcsak
bt [1] Joe Lee 11-4, 11-3, 11-2 (45m)
Kajcsak takes
Paddy Whack title in Galway
Edwin Brennan
reports
As the final curtain was ready in Galway the finalists took to the
court to bring to an end a fantastic week of squash. The tournament
seedings went to plan as the top 2 players met in the final and were
ready to do battle.
The pros were introduced to the waiting crowd with Mark Krajcsak,
the 9 time tour winner and arguably the more experienced of the pair
taking to the court first quickly followed by the number 1 seed
English man Joe Lee. An air of anticipation surrounded the start of
play with the on looking crowd keen to see a close match. It was
presumed that Lee would be the fresher of the pair having won his
first round game 3-0, the quarter-final 3-1 and yesterdays
semi-final 3-0 where as Krajcsak had a 3-0 win followed by a 3-2
battle and a 3-1 victory over Irish man Gaskin last night.
As play got under way it was very clear from the beginning that
Krajcsak was fully prepared and hungry to add another trophy to his
collection. He started like a bullet train setting a high pace from
the strike of the first ball. Both players worked hard in the early
stages rallying up and down the wall with a mix of attacking volleys
and beautiful drop shots. Lee struggled to find his form as Krajcsak
never allowed him time on the ball to try and change the pace.
A short first game resulted in Krajcsak taking the lead by winning
11-4. Into the second and Krajcsak started where he left off, he
stood firm on the T and volleyed everything attacking at every
opportunity. Lee was outclassed in the second as Krajcsak won 7 out
of the first 8 points in the second game. He kept his foot pressed
firmly on the peddle and didn’t let up, winning 11-3.
The third and what was to be the final game saw Lee start quite well
he tried to keep the rallies going and look for the opportunity to
attack but Krajcsak had different ideas. With the score tied a 2-2
Krajcsak changed the tempo once again and went for some beautiful
cross court winner which paid off. He won 9 straight rallies and
powered home a 3-0 winner – 11-4 11-3 11-2 in 45 minutes.
The score line however is deceiving as Lee to his credit tried his
best to get on top but at the end of the long rallies Krajcsak
always had one shot better. It was a master class by Krajcsak and at
the end as he rose his arms with pride the crowd joined him in
celebration of his 10th tour title. He was then presented with the
Paddy ‘Whack’ Walsh trophy which was presented by David Walsh, son
of the late Paddy ‘Whack’.
 “You
know it’s pretty funny because earlier in the week I said it wasn’t
my day but today was the opposite because I played really close to
my best. Somebody from the crowd just told me I only made 2 mistakes
the whole match. I don’t think that Joe played badly I think I had
the answer today and I was full of energy, I was really fresh and I
was surprised because I spent nearly twice as long as him on court
this week.
"My legs were heavy yesterday but my girlfriend gave them a massage
last night and that help a lot. I really enjoyed my time in Galway
it’s a lovely small city which has some great restaurants. Today was
special for me as it’s my 10th tour title.
My coach – Colin White is from Ireland and it gives me win an extra
special feel. I am looking forward to him coming back to Budapest
and getting on court with him again. I still feel that I can push
harder and work to reach my best which I believe I have in me. “
Mark Krajcsak
With that, the long week was over
after 101 matches and 345 games the curtain falls on yet another
very successful tournament. The standard of this year’s competition
and the close battles it brought especially in the earlier rounds
was far superior to previous and it’s onwards and upwards from here!
Before I sign off I would like to give a special mention to our most
generous sponsors – the Garavan family.
They have a longstanding connection to the event and to Paul and the
Garavan family we say – Go raibh mile maith agat (thank you very
much)! Finally and last but far from least a big thank you to my
right hand man – Jim Hynes. He does so much work behind the
scene that goes unnoticed and only I will know the full extent of
his extraordinary commitment to the event but trust me it’s
incredible!
Now to end as I always do – it’s off the Garavan’s for the real main
event!
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 West
of Ireland Open 2012
03-08 April, Galway, $10k |
Round One
05 Apr from 17.00 |
Quarters
06 Apr |
Semis
07 Apr |
Final
08 Apr |
[1] Joe Lee (Eng)
13-11 11-8 11-9 (45')
Sebastiaan Weenink (Ned) |
[1] Joe Lee
6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
Dylan Bennett |
[1] Joe Lee
11-3, 11-1, 11-7 (34')
[3] Rasmus Nielsen |
[1] Joe Lee
11-4, 11-3, 11-2 (45m)
[2] Mark Krajcsak |
Dylan Bennett (Ned)
11-7 11-8 11-7 (35')
[Q] Alex Phillips (Eng) |
Ben Ford (Eng)
1-11 12-10 15-13 11-7 (82')
[Q] Alex Ingham (Eng) |
Ben Ford
13-11, 11-4, 11-8
[3] Rasmus Nielsen |
[3] Rasmus Nielsen (Den)
11-6 11-5 11-13 6-11 11-6 (75')
Aqeel Rehman (Aut) |
Stuart Hadden (Irl)
11-5 11-4 11-6 (27')
[4] Steve Finitsis (Aus) |
[4] Steve Finitsis
9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 18-16, 11-7 (110')
[Q] Arthur Gaskin |
[Q] Arthur Gaskin
11-5 11-8 9-11 11-2
[2] Mark Krajcsak |
[Q] Arthur Gaskin (Irl)
11-3 11-5 11-7 (25')
Fred Reid (Can) |
[Q] Mark Fuller (Eng)
8-11 11-13 11-3 11-5 11-9 (79')
Chris Truswell (Eng) |
[Q] Mark Fuller
9-11, 11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6 (65')
[2] Mark Krajcsak |
Lucas Serme (Fra)
11-9 11-5 11-7 (40')
[2] Mark Krajcsak (Hun) |
04-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
Mark Fuller (Eng) bt Antoine-Camille Petrucci (Fra)
11-6 11-3 11-5 (33')
Arthur Gaskin (Irl)
bt Robbie Downer (Eng)
11-8 11-7 11-4 (45')
Alex Ingham (Eng) bt
Johan Bouquet (Fra)
11-9 11-2 11-8 (45')
Alex Phillips (Eng) bt
Reuben Phillips (Eng)
7-11 11-3 11-9 11-7 (32')
03-Apr, Qualifying Round One:
Mark Fuller (Eng)
bt
Rory Pennell (Eng) 8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 7-11,
12-10 (65m)
Arthur Gaskin (Irl) bt
Nathan Lake (Eng)
11-4, 11-2, 11-3 (32m)
Johan Bouquet (Fra) bt
Keith Moran (Irl)
11-1, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6 (40m)
Reuben Phillips (Eng) bt David Haley (Wal)
12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (58m)
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07-Apr, Semis:
Down to the final in Galway
Edwin Brennan
reports
The semi-finals of the 2012 Paddy ‘Whack’ Walsh got under way
earlier this evening with the top 3 seeds along with qualifier and
Irishman Arthur Gaskin all doing battle for a place in the final.
The two winners moved one step closer to achieving their ultimate
goal – winning!
With the graded section safely under way and plenty of activity
around the clubhouse all day there was a great sense of anticipation
ahead of the semi-finals. As the crowd filter into the main court
the first match took to the court.
Joe Lee the number 1 seed did battle against Rasmus
Neilsen the number 3 seed. On paper the match looked as though
it would be a tight tussle however Lee had different ideas. With an
change up in gear compared to last night’s match Lee started at a
very high pace and was prepared for the opening very long rallies.
It became clear early on that the tight match that was expected
wasn’t going to materialise as Neilsen struggled to find his game
giving Lee the early lead after an 11-3 first game.
Into the second game it wasn’t much different. Lee started very
strong and worked Neilsen around the full court while controlling
the centre. He quickly gained a 4-0 lead before Neilsen got his
first and only point of the game before Lee regained serve and after
7 straight points and 11 minutes Lee was ahead 2-0. The crowd were
hoping that Neilsen would rally round and put up a fight in the 3rd
and Neilsen to his credit did his best but in the end Lee always
looked the strongest of the pair and always looked likely to win in
3, which he did. Lee moved into the final with a very comfortable
3-0 win – 11-3 11-1 11-7 in 34 minutes.
The second semi-final saw 9 time Hungarian champion Mark Krajcsak
against one time Irish champion Arthur Gaskin. Gaskin who has
had a tough path to the semi-final having started in the qualifying
round on Tuesday found himself the still standing and raring to go
as the match got under way. A large local crowd gathered for the
match and were willing Gaskin on from the start, which had to be a
help to the Irishman. As always with matches of this level the
opening game always has more than its fair share of long and
punishing rallies.
Krajcsak, I’m sure, wanted to keep the pace high and rallies long
keen to exploit any fatigue Gaskin may have been suffering from.
However Gaskin looked quite fresh considering. Krajcsak dictated the
pace early on and worked Gaskin extremely well playing a combination
of very tight drops and lovely lengths. This combination worked very
well for Krajcsak and he claimed the first 11-5. The second game was
the longest of the match and Gaskin fought hard and continued to
chase every ball and stuck close to Krajcsak throughout but was
unable to gain the upper hand. Krajcsak won the game 11-8 and doubt
crept in to the crowd that Gaskin would be come back from the
deficit.
However a relaxed looking Gaskin re-emerged after the break and a
glimmer of light appeared as he started to believe he could claw his
was back. After a tight opening few points Krajcsak had a 9-6 lead
before Gaskin got some lucky bounces including a dodgy nick off the
serve levelled things up. Gaskin then gained the upper hand and took
the 3rd 11-9 as he was spurred on by the crowd, who were anxious to
see a contest.
The final game was more of a one sided affair as Krajcsak came out
fighting and upped the pace again pressing ahead of Gaskin. He
quickly gained a 5-0 lead before a tired Gaskin claim his only 2
points of the game. Krajcsak attacked again and 5 more points in a
row was more than enough to give him the match and his spot in the
final. The final score 11- 11-8 9-11 11-2 in 65 minutes.
Tomorrow’s final will see that top 2 seeds clash to get their hands
on the Paddy ‘Whack’ Walsh trophy. It promises to be a close
encounter with seemingly little between the two pros.
Stay tuned for the final instalment!
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06-Apr, Quarters:
Gaskin makes Galway semis
Edwin Brennan
reports
With a busy night ahead as the graded section joins in tonight and
the annual Good Friday Badminton tournament there was no space in
the club car park from early this evening. Those who made it along
to the first match of the evening have a nice treat in store as a
cracker of a match started us off on the main court tonight. First
up was Arthur Gaskin against No. 4 seed Steve Finitsis.
Arthur Gaskin v Steve Finitsis
1st game – It was a very close game, both players couldn’t
be separated. Some extremely long and punishing rallies took their
toll early on. Points frequently with 100+ shots were hammered out
mid-way through the first. Finitsis had an answer for every shot
Gaskin and he did some incredible retrieving and made Gaskin earn
every point. One or two tight shots with lucky bounces were all that
separated the pair as Finitsis took the 1st 11-9.
2nd game – The second game started off again with the same pattern
of long rallies except for a few classic cross court volley nick
winners. Frequently after extremely long rallies they would end in a
let and the point replayed. Mid-way in the second the players were
again tied but several unforced errors by Gaskin allowed Finitsis
take a narrow lead. Finitsis controlled the ‘T’ excellently and
worked Gaskin around the court. As the centre court crowd grew it
became clear that whoever had the most steam would advance to the
semi-finals. Neither player showed signs of tiring except for the
few errors. It was tight all the way and at 10-10 Finitsis attacked
forcing Gaskin to play difficult shots which ultimately allowed
Finitsis to play the winner. He took the game 12-10 but only just!
3rd game – A new game and a new shirt for Gaskin as he re-entered
having a serious uphill struggle on his hands if he was to have any
chance to claw back into the match. A string of early errors didn’t
help his situation. But Gaskin to his credit didn’t give up and
played like a relaxed man with nothing to lose. That approach
allowed him a 6-3 lead before Finitsis regained composure and
battled back to level the game 6-6. Gaskin pressed ahead once again
and built up a 9-7 lead that he managed to capitalise on to take the
3rd 11-7.
4th game – Into the 4th and Gaskin seemed to get a second wind
chasing every ball down early on. But Finitsis looked far from
finished and still managed to control the majority of rallies which
seemed to be the strongest part of his game. Both players struggled
physically and Finitsis gained the upper hand with a 9-4 lead and
looked to be a dead cert to close it out. Gaskin though battled and
battled and after a string of mistakes from Finitsis and some gutsy
shots from Gaskin the players were level at 9-9. Finitsis got his
first match ball at 10-9 but Gaskin hung in there. After a total of
5 game balls from Finitsis and over and back for the serve, it was
Gaskin who took the game 18-16 to level things up.
5th game – The 5th game and the decider was always going to be a
battle of mental and importantly physical endurance. The 100+ shot
rallies seemed to be a distant memory as both players, who were
obviously tired opted for calling lets instead of playing the ball.
They were both inseparable until 7-7 where a tired Finitsis made 2
crucial mistakes to allow Gaskin a 9-7 lead. Finitsis got a cramp
during the following rally which gave Gaskin a 10-7 lead and that’s
all he needed to finish the remarkable comeback and advance to the
semi-finals.
It was an unfitting end to what was otherwise a brilliant match. The
rallies, the pace and the shots were incredible and the crowd were
amazed by both player’s skill and stamina. After 110 minutes Gaskin
emerged a delighted winner.
Arthur – “It was a tough game. Even when I lost the first 2 I didn’t
think I played that badly, I made a few too many errors. I tried to
up my game in the 3rd and not make any mistakes and then in the 4th
it was nip and tuck. He was 9-4 up so I just relaxed and made it as
tough as possible for him and managed to hold out. In the 5th it was
anyone’s but I had a bit more gas in the tank and got through.
Really happy and thanks to my coach – Hadrian Stiff – for help me
with my game plan for today and I stuck to it.”
Ben Ford v Rasmus Neilsen
Next up on the main court was the very experienced Ben Ford who took
on number 3 seed Rasmus Neilsen. After the marathon match that
preceded their encounter they were late starting. The first game was
very close in the early stages where Ben gained a slight lead of 7-4
before Neilsen re-grouped quickly to take 6 points on the trot to
lead 10-7 giving him game ball. Ford showed some of his class and
skill that the home crowd have come to love and battled back to
10-10 however Neilsen always seemed to have that little bit more and
won the opening game 13-11. From there it was plain sailing for
Neilsen as a tired looking forward who had a classic game the
previous night struggled to keep up with the Danish man. Ford to his
credit did his best to battle on but Neilsen was just to good on the
night and won 13-11 11-4 11-6 in 30minutes.
Neilsen – “I’m happy to get through in 3 obviously Ben is a good
player he is tricky to play. He played some good shots in the first
so I was happy to win that tight game. He had a tough match
yesterday which probably helped me a lot. So, I’m looking forward to
the semi’s tomorrow. Playing Joe Lee, we have played a few times so
I think it will be a good match and we will see how it goes
tomorrow!”
Joe Lee v Dylan Bennett
The number one seed Joe Lee took on Dutchman Dyaln Bennett in the
3rd match of the evening. Bennett got off to a great start racing to
claim the first game 11-6. Lee looked a bit worried but then as the
game entered the second he settled and found his rhythm. He
controlled the centre of the court and began to work his opponent
very well clocking up point after point along the way. He levelled
the match taking the second game 11-6. More of the same from Lee in
the 3rd as he justified his number 1 ranking by claiming the third
11-9. The fourth and final game was quite tight in the early stages
with Bennett still battling to remain in the match but at 6-6 Lee
upped the pace and stayed on serve right the way to the end claiming
his spot in the semi-final.
Mark Krajcsak v Mark Fuller
The final match of the evening was between the two Marks’s. Mark
Fuller the English qualifier and Mark Krajcsak the Hungarian number
2 seed. On paper you would have thought it would be an easy one for
Krajcsak but it seemed as though Fuller had different ideas.
Krajcsak appeared to struggle at the start mainly due to the fact
they were delayed in starting because of the long matches before
them. Fuller though had no such problem and played some fantastic
squash and didn’t appear to show any signs of fatigue after last
night’s 5 setter. He capitalised on Krajcsak’s under preparation and
won the first 11-9.
Krajcsak recovered well though going into the second and certainly
found his stride as each point progressed. The second and third were
quite quick matches with Krajcsak winning both comfortably 11-5,
11-4. The 4th and Fuller was again on the comeback trail and made
Krajcsak battle for all points. They were neck and neck throughout
the game but Fuller, like last night, made his comeback and forced
the game to the deciding 5th set.
Krajcsak started the strongest of the pair and called upon his
experience to battle to keep Fuller at bay. Once he strung together
a batch of winner he took a commanding lead and that would prove to
be enough to see him though and secure his semi-final spot.
Mark – “It was a long day; I had to play the last match this
evening. They were delayed due to the long matches that were on
before us. I was sitting for a few hours watching the matches and I
think mentally I was a bit drained. When we did get on court it was
a little bit to start with, I think he played really well and I
didn’t expect that. He played his best tonight and I was really
ready for that. I didn’t play close to my best at all but I think
when I saw that I could easily lose I started to be there mentally
and find my tactics and work him a little bit harder. I needed to
push myself because today just wasn’t my day”
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05-Apr, Round One:
Main draw begins in Galway
Welcome back to the Galway for the sixth instalment of the Paddy
‘Whack’ Walsh West of Ireland Open. With the main draw decided and
the successful qualifying players safely into the main event the
race to get their hands on the Paddy ‘Whack’ cup is underway. This
season we are delighted to have increased the prize-fund to $10,000
and a challenger 10 event, which is double that of last season. A
lot of preparation has gone into this year’s tournament and we are
raring to go this season.
The qualifying rounds provided some very entertaining and high
quality matches, every players was battling to stay in the event and
avoid the dreaded early exit. The local crowd were delighted with
the progress of the sole Irish man, Arthur Gaskin, he showed great
strength in the early rounds but a tougher test awaits him as he
enters the main draw.
This evening there are 8 first round ties on 2 courts we will do our
best to give you a flavour of all the matches.
Joe Lee v Sebastiann Weenink
Getting the action underway on the main court was the number 1 seed,
Joe Lee. He took on Dutchman Sebastiaan Weenink at 17.00. The
opening game was very close at the start both players were playing a
good combination of shots searching for each other’s weak points.
There were some good rallies throughout with both players playing
some very tight shots from both the front and back of the court. The
boast was used to great effect throughout for both Lee and Weenink.
In both the first and second game it was Lee who got off to the
better start but mid-way through each game Wennink made a comeback
with some brilliant attacking shots using his reach to his
advantage. However Lee who looked physically stronger managed to
close out the first 2 games strongly. In the third game Wennink made
the better start racing to a 6-2 lead before Lee steadied himself
and got a good run of points to level it a 8-8. Wennink didn’t give
up and volleyed everything forcing Lee to fight for the 3rd game
which he did taking the decider 11-9. Lee justified his number 1
ranking and moved into the quarter finals looking strong.
Lee – “Thought I had a solid start to the tournament. Felt I felt in
control for the most part. He had spells where he took control and
made me feel uncomfortable. He used his reach to put me under
pressure by volleying. At the end of each game I managed to work him
around the court and felt physically strong.”
Steve Finitsis v Stuart Hadden
Finitsis hit some great winners and a heavy length. His holds made
it difficult for hadden to settle into a rhythm and gradually wore
him down. He really made his opponent work really hard for every
point. The court was hot and both players took time to get used to
the conditions but once they settled it was a surprisingly close
match. Hadden fought hard but Finitsis was just too strong and too
experienced.
Stuart – “if i’d chopped 33 nicks in a row i’d have probably won ;)
great event thanks to Ed for running it and Garavan’s for sponsoring
it”
Steve – “Physically I felt alright going into the match. The ball
was bouncy so I had to find a length early. Stuart is a really good
player and made me move and work to get the ball. After getting more
comfortable with the court I found a rhythm. I’m happy with the
performance, credit to Stuart. Looking forward to my quarter final
match”
Dylan Bennett v Alex Phillips
Phillips played good attacking squash and held leads in the first
game but Bennet responded strongly hitting some great nicks to
recover from a 5-0 deficit. The second game was neck and neck all
the way to 8 all but Bennett’s experience showed and he closed out
the game in style. The third was the same story as the end of the
second with Bennett just having the extra shot. Phillips put up an
impressive performance against a well established player who has
been in the top 100 for some time
Dylan – “The 1st game I was down 6-0 in 2 minutes, physically I was
prepared but mentally I wasn’t. I switched on and won 11-8. In the
2nd/3rd games I had some bad starts, he is a good player with great
racket skills but I don’t think he believed he could take a game.
I’m just back from a torn hamstring injury so it’s good to get some
match practice. Playing Joe, the top seed, tomorrow. The pressure is
on him. It’s my first time playing him so I will see how it goes,
but I play more freely when I don’t have pressure on me.”
Arthur Gaskin v Fred Reid
Next up on the main court was Arthur Gaskin flying the Irish flag
against Fred Reid who made the trip from Canada. It was a short
match with the players quite close for the first five or six points
in each game then Gaskin surged ahead. In the first the players were
level at 3-3 before Gaskin raced ahead going from 3 straight to 11.
Reid made a lot of errors which Gaskin to his credit capitalised on
and made Reid work for the few points he did win. Reid didn’t look
100% on court but showed glimpses of why he is ranked where he is
but producing some cracking shots along with great deception. In the
end Gaskin came through an easy winner 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 in 25
minutes and moves onwards to the quarter finals!
Arthur – “I was a tricky one, he is hard to read and has some lovely
shots. I stuck in all the rallies, kept it tight and upped the pace.
He made a lot of mistakes. I’m nice and fresh and looking forward to
tomorrow!”
Ben Ford v Alex Ingham
The longest match of the tournament took to court 1 at 19.00. It was
pupil v teacher as Alex Ingham took on his coach the very
experienced Ben Ford. Ford has always been a crowd favourite in
Galway where they have witnessed many long battles and incredible
comebacks. This evening was no exception. It was always going to be
a tight game as both players know each other so well and would it be
youth or experience that would prevail?
Ingham got off to a flier in the first game and no sooner had the
door to the court been closed it was open again after a extremely
short first games which Ingham one 11-1. Ben quickly re-grouped and
started to find his rhythm in the 2nd but Ingham wasn’t giving him
anything easy. It seemed as though Ingham was in control of the
whole match but Ford’s experience along with slowing down the pace
and questioning refereeing decisions meant that Alex found it
difficult to keep a continuous momentum. This helped Ford throughout
the second and third games – both of which he won 12-10, 15-13
respectively.
Ford’s experience, especially on the big points saw him take the
lead but in credit to Ingham he gave nothing away easily and made
Ben work for every point. In the 4th it was another close start with
both players hitting some brilliant shots in some incredibly long
rallies. Ford inched ahead at 7-7 in the 4th and kept a cool head
along with a cracking cross-court volley nick on match ball to take
the match in 4!”
Ben – “I think I was very lucky. He was pretty much in control of
the whole match but when it got to the big points I was on top. I
felt good physically but just couldn’t hit the ball where I wanted
it to go, it’s normally the other way around. I can only get better
tomorrow as long as I recover physically. To all the people I coach
– that’s the definition of winning ugly!”
Mark Fuller v Chris Truswell
At the same time as Alex and Ben, Chris Truswell and qualifier Mark
Fuller began battle in what would turn out to be a hard slog and
closely fought match. Unfortuantely I didn’t see too much of this
match as I was on the other court but the parts I did see were very
impressive. Chris controlled the first 2 games and took a 2-0 lead.
Mid-way through the second Mark found his shots and started to look
a lot more comfortable on the ball and was unlucky not to take the
tight second game.
Mark didn’t look back from there and came on in the third looking
very confident and at ease. He won the third quite easily 11-3 and
the fourth was no different winning that 11-5 to bring it down to
the deciding fifth set. Chris tried to rally round but Mark was
growing in confidence with every shot and dictating the pace all the
way through. They did however remain neck and neck until 9-9 in the
5th when Mark pulled out some brilliant shots including a
cross-court volley nick on match ball to win in 5!
Mark – “I think I got progressively better as the match went on. I
found my length in the 2nd and I was unlucky not to sneak that game.
In the third and fourth I just go on top of him, I was up the ourt
hitting a good length and felt almost in complete control for those
games. In the 5th I was just a bit of a dog fight at match ball I
hit a lovely cross court nick which goes in about one in every ten
but it just happens to be the one.”
Rasmus Neilsen v Aqeel Rehman
Last onto the main court was number 3 seed Rasmus Neilsen, in search
of his first win in Galway against 5 time visitor Aqeel Rehman. The
first 2 games it looked like it would be plain sailing for Neilsen
as Aqeel struggled to find his form. He did however seem to improve
as the match went on and began to put pressure on Neilsen. It looked
like it would be too little too late though as Neilsen at 2-0 and
9-6 up looked like he would come through in 3 however Aqeel didn’t
give up and ran every ball done with his incredible fitness he
clawed back to claim the 3rd 13-11.
Neilsen looked shocked coming into the fourth and perhaps was
already planning his next round battle when Aqeel came back and
suddenly Rehman had evened the score board at 2-2. In the fifth the
higher ranked Neilsen shook out thoughts of the previous 2 games and
out the pressure on from the start. He controlled the ‘T’ and move
Aqeel around each of the 4 corners showing why he is the higher
ranked. Neilsen closed out the game and with that claimed his first
victory in the West of Ireland!
Rasmus – “Well I’m really happy to get my first win in Galway. It
was a tough match I was 2-0 and 9-6 up and thought I actually had it
won but he’s a good players and he came back strong and I was
struggling so I’m really happy to go through 3-2 and hopefully I’ll
do better tomorrow. Looking forward to playing Ben tomorrow, it will
be a good match I think”
Mark Krajcsak v Lucas Serme
The very experienced Mark Krajcsak took on Lucas Serme in the final
match of the evening. In what was a tactical match from the start,
both players were prepared for the long rallies that would follow
and neither player was prepared to give the other and easy points.
Serme started very strongly in each game making Mark work in the
early parts. Even though Serme hung in for every point it was Mark
who managed to put the ball away in the middle part of each game and
that was enough to give him a comfortable lead putting Serme on the
back foot each time. Mark looked very strong overall and certainly
is a player to watch as the rounds progress.
Mark – “That was the 1st time I played against Lucas. I have seen
him play before so I was expecting a tough game, I know that he is a
talented skilful player so I had to be prepared for long and
tactical rallies. It was a pretty fast and a good game. I had to
defend a few time to stay in the ralliesand hard to fight really
well to stay ahead. I played well over all, I didn’t make to many
mistakes and he made a few unforced errors. I think I was only
better tactically and in the crucial points I didn’t make any
mistakes and I’m happy with the win”
All systems go for tomorrow as the graded section begins (as if
there wasn’t enough to do already). The standard of play in the
early round is far superior than in previous years and with the four
seeds still standing it’s all the play for!
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