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27-Jan-08, Final:
Razik banks Calgary title
Canadian number one Shahier Razik beat Majid Khan of Pakistan
in Sunday's final Sunday to win the $15,000 Talisman Energy Bankers
Hall Club Pro Am title.
Razik, who was runner-up in last week's Comfort Inn Open in North
Vancouver, beat Khan, who had progressed to the final from
qualifying, in four close games to take the first place prize of
$2,600.
 "It
was a tougher match than I would have expected from him, he got
better and better as the match wore on."
"I had to slow the pace down after losing the second, but in the end
the entire match just went back and forth. At the end he made some
crucial mistakes and I was able to capitalize on them."
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 Talisman Energy Bankers Hall
Club Pro Am
2008
Calgary, Canada, 22-27 Jan, $15k |
Round One
24 Jan |
Quarters
25 Jan |
Semis
26 Jan |
Final
27 Jan |
[1] Shahier Razik
(Can)
11/4, 11/8, 11/5 (38m)
[Q] Martin Knight (Nzl) |
[1] Shahier Razik
11/3, 11/6, 11/2 (37m)
[6] Bernardo Samper |
[1] Shahier Razik
11/7, 11/5, 11/5 (53m)
[Q] Arturo Salazar |
[1] Shahier Razik
11/9, 9/11, 11/8, 12/10
[Q] Majid Khan |
[6] Bernardo Samper
(Col)
12/10, 11/9, 11/5 (42m)
[Q] Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) |
[3] Shawn Delierre
(Can)
11/13, 11/7, 11/8, 13/11 (100m)
[Q] Arturo Salazar (Mex) |
[Q] Arturo Salazar
11/9, 7/11, 11/4, 11/4 (51m)
[7] Amr Swelim |
[7] Amr Swelim (Egy)
11/6, 11/1, 11/6 (24m)
Keith Pritchard (Can) |
Yasir Butt (Pak)
11/7, 8/11, 11/9, 11/9 (50m)
[8] Jorge Ferreira (Mex) |
[8] Jorge Ferreira
9/11, 11/8, 11/9, 13/11 (49m)
[4] Matthew Giuffre |
[8] Jorge Ferreira
11/3, 8/11, 8/11, 11/7, 11/9 (68m)
[Q] Majid Khan |
Wade Johnstone (Aus)
11/7, 11/5, 5/11, 11/7 (44m)
[4] Matthew Giuffre (Can) |
Chris Gordon (Usa)
11/7, 14/16, 3/11, 11/8, 11/1 (85m)
[4] Ritwik Bhattacharya (Ind) |
Chris Gordon
11/7, 11/7, 11/9 (41m)
[Q] Majid Khan |
[Q] Majid Khan (Pak)
11/9, 10/12, 11/2, 2/0 rtd (41m)
[2] Bradley Ball (Eng) |
23-Jan, Qualifying Finals at
Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) bt Jason Delierre (Can)
11/6, 11/5, 5/11, 11/4 (42m)
Martin Knight (Nzl) bt
Andrew Mcdougall (Can) 11/7, 11/5, 11/3 (50m)
Arturo Salazar (Mex) bt Graeme Wilson (Nzl)
11/4, 11/0, 11/5 (21m)
Majid Khan (Pak) bt Tyler Hamilton (Can)
11/6, 11/3, 11/3 (23m)
22-Jan, Qualifying Round One:
Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) bye
Jason Delierre (Can) bt
Jaymie Haycocks (Eng) 11/9, 9/11, 15/13,
11/4 (65m)
Andrew Mcdougall (Can) bt Kelly Shannon (Can) 11/5,
11/7, 3/11, 9/11, 11/8 (52m)
Martin Knight (Nzl) bt Philip Nightingale (Eng)
11/7, 13/11, 11/6 (52m)
Arturo Salazar (Mex) bye
Graeme Wilson (Nzl) bt Dave Glass (Can)
11/6, 11/6, 9/11, 11/7 (46m)
Tyler Hamilton (Can) bt
Michal Reid (Can)
3/11, 11/9, 5/11, 11/4, 11/5 (58m)
Majid Khan (Pak) bye
2007 Event
2006 Event
2005 Event
2004 Event
Official Site
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26-Jan-08, Semis:
Top seed to face qualifier
in Calgary Final
Bob Ballinger reports
Semi Final action saw one great see-saw battle of a match and
another with an expected and immpresive result. First up was the #8
seed from Mexico Jorge Ferreira going against unseeded qualifier
Majid Khan from Pakistan. The first game was all Khan as he caught
Ferreira often with his holds/flicks and took it fairly easily 11-3.
The next two though were so close with both players taking control
for a few minutes only to have the other player take it back.
Ferreira managed to get his efficient movement working for him and
his effortless manner of play was starting to perhaps frustrate Khan
at times.
Despite being down in the middle stages of both those games the
likeable Mexican played the big points better than Khan as took each
of them by an 11-8 count. In the fourth game neither player let the
other get too far ahead until Khan broke free from 7-7 with some
timely angles and tight drops to take the game 11-7. In the final
game there was not much at all to separate the two players as each
of them took turns trying to get more than two points ahead. Khan
looked to be in control when he went up 9-6 but Ferreira dug in and
caught up to 9-9; a stroke call for Khan gave him match ball and he
took the match on the next rally winning 11-9. The packed crowd
again gave the players a long long applause for the efforts of both
players.
Next on was the top seed and world #21 Shahier Razik going against
the qualifier from Mexico Alberto Salazar. Salazar had managed to
create quite a buzz amongst the players and spectators throughout
the week here with his play on court and the results that went with
it. Razik on the other hand had been quite clinical thus far as he
had progressed through his first two rounds with not much
resistance.
A great matchup on paper with the 30 yr old "veteran" and current
Canadian champion against the young upstart professional from
Mexico! The first few rallies were a classic feeling out affair as
both players were content to get into the match with long long
exchanges of drives to length with the odd dropshot thrown in. Razik
was already showing early though that he was going to dictate things
and Salazar really had no answers. A very patient and controlled
game from Razik as he took the opener 11-7 in 21 minutes.
The second and third games were virtual carbon copies of one another
as Razik took both of them by identical 11-5 scores both in 14
minutes, and the match in three straight games
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25-Jan-08, Quarters:
Upsets continue
in Calgary
Bob Ballinger reports
Quarter final action at the 2008 Talisman Energy Bankers Hall Club
Pro-Am saw the upset trend of earlier rounds continue as three
higher seeded/ranked players went down to players below them in the
world rankings.
Mexican qualifier Arturo Salazar continued his fine run here in
Calgary as he took out #7 seed Amr Swelim of Egypt 3/1 in 51 mins.
Before another packed lunchtime crowd Salazar dazzled the spectators
with his speed and retrieving abilities. Although after splitting
the first two games with Swelim there was some thought that perhaps
the magic was starting to wear off for the relative newcomer to the
pro circuit. The third and fourth games dispelled those thoughts as
he won those quite handily.
Perhaps a little further energized by his country mate's win, #8
seed Jorge Ferriera was next up and knocked out 2006 champion and #4
seed Matthew Giuffre of Canada in four games. There was not much to
separate the two players as they split the first two games. In the
third the Canadian Giuffre started very strong and seemingly took
control of the match as we went up 9-2 by playing error free
pressure squash. But the effects of the constant retrieving by
Ferriera and long rallies started to tire Giuffre. Amazingly
Ferreira went from 9-2 down to winning that game 11-9 all in one
hand. The fourth game was back and forth with both players staying
even with one another before the smooth efficient Mexican finally
prevailed 13-11 to secure a second Mexican semi final berth.
Pakistans Majid Khan (like Salazar) had come through the qualifying
rounds to reach this round against the very likeable and determined
American Chris Gordon. Despite being ranked 23 spots lower than
Gordon, Khan was in control of this match for the most part and
moved on with a straight games victory.
So three matches with each of them having victories by the underdog
as we went into the final match of the night with world #21 Shahier
Razik going against world #64 Bernardo Samper of Columbia. On paper
this seemed like it could be a match that could go on for a bit as
both players are steady and patient out there with great movement
and retrieving skills; all of which are needed with the altitude and
lively courts here. But Samper could never really get into a real
groove in this one which is due in large part to Razik's play, and
the match was done in 37 minutes 11-3,11-6,11-2 to Razik.
So the semis feature two seeds and two qualifiers.....top seed Razik
will try to find a solution that his fellow Canadian team mates
could not as he goes against Salazar in what should be a very
exciting match. And the number 8 seed Ferreira will try to put an
end to the impressive play of Khan in what should also be a great
match.
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24-Jan-08, Round One:
Upsets continue
in Calgary
Bob Ballinger reports
The upset wave which started in the qualifying rounds continued in
the first round of play in the main draw. And as a result the
second, third, and fifth seeds have all now been put on the
sidelines of the sixth annual Talisman Energy Bankers Hall Club
Pro-Am squash tournament.
With matches in the main draw again split over the lunch hour and
the evening, there was a lot of interest and buzz for the very first
match at high noon between #3 Shawn DeLierre of Canada and
the young Mexican qualifier Arturo Salazar. With a jam packed
feature court crowd amazed at the attacking and retrieving skills of
both these players, it was Salazar who prevailed in four games. The
100 minute match is one of the all time great first round matches
here and perhaps also one of the all time great matches period on
this court! The overflow crowd gave a long and much deserved round
of applause as both players left the court. DeLierre said later on
that he felt his play was very good in this match and that Salazar
matched him in every avenue of the match where neither player had
very many errors of any sort. The downfall of the Canadian national
team member perhaps would be his inability to hold leads of 8-5 in
each of the third and fourth games.
Its not often that when the second seed is eliminated it's
overshadowed by another match but the events of #2 seed Bradley
Ball of England being knocked were much different. Arriving from
Vancouver where he had to withdraw from his semi final match there,
Ball was in a lot of uncertainty throughout the days leading up to
this match about the condition of his knee. It was evident early on
in the match that the hard hitting Ball was virtually on one leg as
Majid Khan of Pakistan tried to put this to his advantage.
Khan who came through qualifying here took the first game narrowly
11-9 and was 10-6 up in the second. But a very very determined Ball
dug in and escaped with a 12-10 second victory but that burst took a
lot out of his knee. Khan moved Ball around with relative ease to
take the third 11-2 and after a long exciting rally at 2-0 in the
fourth Ball put his hand out accepting defeat due to the injury. A
very appreciative crowd applauded the very professional player that
Ball is and with disappointment and uncertainty echoing in his
voice, Ball said he hopes this is not severe as it seems to be
because he has a very busy few months of events planned.
The other seeded player to lose in the opening main round was the #5
seed, India’s Ritwik Bhattacharya who was eliminated by the
young American Chris Gordon in five games. The two big men of
course took a lot of the court space out there and this resulted in
a lot of work for the referee’s in this match. Bhattacharya appeared
to have the match comfortably in his control after taking the third
game 11-3 to go two games to one up but a determined Gordon won the
fourth 11-8 and he took a quick big lead in the fifth and never
looked back to claim his quarter final berth.
Canadian number one and tournament top seed Shahier Razik was
able to avoid the upsets of his fellow seeds as he dispatched the
very likeable Kiwi Martin Knight in three straight games.
Razik took only 38 minutes to win this match but he will surely have
a longer and tougher test in the next round with sixth seed
Columbia’s Bernardo Samper who beat Malaysian qualifier
Nafiizwan Adnan in three games.
Other matches saw Canadian Keith Pritchard lose to #7 seed
Amr Swelim in straight games; young Jorge Ferreira of
Mexico uphold his #8 seed status with a four game victory over
Yasir Butt of Pakistan; and 2006 champion Matthew Giuffre
of Canada beat the dangerous Aussie Wade Johnstone in four
games.
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23-Jan-08, Qualifying
Finals:
Canadians crash in Calgary
Bob Ballinger reports
With three Canadians playing in different matches of the final
qualifying round, the odds looked good of having further national
content in the main draw. But as it turned out all hopes were dashed
as each of them were eliminated.
Perhaps the best chance looked to be Andrew McDougall going
against New Zealand's national team member Martin Knight.
Knight's patience and international experience over the last year
may have been the difference though as he prevailed over McDougall
in three straight games which took 44 minutes to finish. It was a
good effort from McDougall though as he felt his match was alot
better than his first round victory. For Knight it is finally a spot
in the main draw of this event as he has failed to accomplish that
in his previous efforts here......his reward though being top seed
Shahier Razik.
The second match of the lunch time session featured the exciting
youngster Arturo Salazar of Mexico against Graeme Wilson
of New Zealand. Salazar was too fast and too steady and basically
just too good in all areas on this day as he beat Wilson in 21
minutes by an 11-4, 11-0, 11-5 score.
In the first evening match Canada's Jason DeLierre did not
get going as he did the night before and as a result went down to
the potentially solid Malaysian player Nafiizwan Adnan in an
error filled four game match.
The final match of the night saw the last Canadian hope go down
relatively quietly as Pakistan's Majid Khan was just too
solid for the promising young Tyler Hamilton beating him in
three straight games in just 23 minutes.
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22-Jan-08, Qualifying
Round One:
Upsets dominate opening day
Bob Ballinger reports
The first round of qualifying saw five matches in total and of those
only two of them went according to the current world rankings.
New Zealand’s Graeme Wilson started the upsets with a
relatively routine 3-1 victory over the higher ranked Dave Glass of
Canada in 46 minutes. Fellow Kiwi Martin Knight, who played
for New Zealand in the recent world team championships in India,
took out England’s Philip Nightingale in three straight games
proving his world ranking was perhaps accurate in respect to
Nightingale's.
An all Canadian and in fact all Calgary battle saw Andrew
McDougall at 139 in the world ranks narrowly defeat Kelly
Shannon in five games despite having a two game lead on Shannon and
also being ranked 150 spots higher than the talented Shannon.
In the first evening match former junior star Jason DeLierre
of Canada played very steady in a well played 3-1 victory over his
higher ranked opponent Jaymie Haycocks of England. In the final
match of the night another all Canadian battle saw the impressive
Tyler Hamilton defeat the higher ranked Michal Reid in a see-saw
affair that went five games.
So onto the final round of qualifying where Wilson, Hamilton, and
DeLierre will have their work cut out for them as they take on the
top three seeds while McDougall and Knight will square off together
in what would appear to be a potentially tight match.
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Preview:
Six up for Bankers Hall
Club Pro Am
Bob Ballinger reports
The Talisman Energy Bankers Hall Club tournament is being held
January 22-27, 2008 and is hosted once again by the beautiful
Bankers Hall Club in downtown Calgary, Alberta.
This is the sixth year for this popular PSA event and the past
winners are Borja Golan from Spain (2003), Cameron Pilley from
Australia (2004), Tommy Berden from Netherlands (2005), Canada’s own
Matthew Giuffre (2006) and Daryl Selby from England (2007).
The tournament is once again part of the Canadian Squash Circuit
which has events in Vancouver, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal,
Halifax, as well as here in Calgary.
This year's event has Canada’s Shahier Razik seeded in the #1
spot. With a current world ranking of #21, Razik will making his
first appearance at this tournament. He is no stranger to Calgary
though as he is the current Canadian champion, claiming that title
in Calgary this past May.
The 2007 season was a busy and successful
one for Razik as he played in 17 PSA events and matched his highest
ever ranking which is where he currently sits at #21. He also was a
part of Canada’s national in the World Team championships this past
December in India.
Second seed is this event is England’s Bradley Ball who comes
into the tournament sitting at #34 in the world ranks. A
tremendously exciting player to watch he achieved a career high
ranking of #23 in July 2005 before the injury bug started to hit him
for most of 2006. But in 2007 he began to re-assert himself on tour
and played in 20 PSA events to bring his ranking back to where it
sits now.
Canadian interest in the event will not only come from Razik but
also from two other members of Canada’s current national team, as
Shawn DeLierre (#3 seed) and Matthew Giuffre (#4 seed)
will look to make their way past the top two. Both players have
played this tournament many times and Giuffre is the only top seed
of this tournament to ever win it, which he did in 2006.
Local interest in the Men's PSA event will be led by former Canadian
Junior champion Keith Pritchard from Calgary who was given
the tournament’s wild card entry into the main draw which will give
him valuable ranking points as well as experience at this level of
play.
Starting into his third full year on the PSA circuit he
currently sits at #175 and will no doubt have his work cut out for
him in this event. Other Canadians competing in the qualifying event
for one of four main draw spots are Andrew McDougall, Ian
Power, Dave Glass, Michal Reid, Tyler Hamilton,
and Kelly Shannon.
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