Wed 12th March, Quarter-Finals:       

17.30  [3] Lee Beachill (Eng) v Joey Barrington (Eng)
18.30  [2] James Willstrop (Eng) v [6] Alex Gough (Wal)
20.00  [8] Renan Lavigne (Fra) v Alister Walker (Eng)
21.00  [4] Peter Barker (Eng) v [7] Cameron Pilley (Aus) 
 

Tue 11th March, Round One, Part Two:       

[7] Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt Davide Bianchetti (Ita)                              11/1, 11/1, 11/5 (32m)
[4] Peter Barker (Eng) bt Daryl Selby (Eng)                                         11/7, 11/6, 11/4 (46m)

Alister Walker (Eng) bt  [1] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)             3/11, 11/5, 4/11, 11/7, 11/7 (53m)
[8] Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt [Q] Jesse Engelbrecht (Rsa)             11/5, 12/10, 9/11, 11/8 (53m)

Day Two roundup from Alan Thatcher

Chit Chat

Day ONE Gallery

Head to Head

[7] Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt Davide Bianchetti (Ita)           11/1, 11/1, 11/5 (32m)

Cameron cruises into semis

Cameron Pilly cruised through to the quarter-finals, taking advantage of an opponent who was struggling with his movement due to having to play in a pair of borrowed shoes, having left his own back home in Brescia ...

Right from the start Davide Bianchetti was struggling to get to any of the little boasts and drops that Cameron was putting in, and having found a winning formula the tall Australian wasn't about to change plan.

Davide found his feet a little more in the third, recovering from 4/1 to trail just 5/4, but Cameron was able to raise the pace enough to stretch out the lead again.

Davide showed his frustration a couple of times, but in a muted manner by his standards, he knew he wasn't going to win this one ...

"It's good to get on the glass court, and I can't complain about a match like that to start with.

"It's a pity, we never played before and it could have been a good match, but Davide only had a few minutes warmup in a borrowed pair of shoes and that's never going to be easy.

"I played a couple of boasts and short shots early on and saw he was struggling to get forward, so I kept on doing that when I could.

"I've played about seven tournament in a row already this year, it's just a question of staying fresh, staying well, and it seems to be going ok so far ..."

[4] Peter Barker (Eng) bt Daryl Selby (Eng)
                   11/7, 11/6, 11/4 (46m)

Barker back on song

Although the recent tally was one-all, Peter Barker was well up in the overall head to head statistics between these two Essex team-mates, and tonight he improved that stat further.

Peter took an early lead in all three games, and that set the tone for the match - Peter on top, Daryl trying his hardest to keep up or catch up, but never quire getting there.

It wasn't for the want of trying, that's for sure, Daryl came close to reducing the deficits in the first and second games, but Peter pulled away again both times.

After his blip at the Nationals due to injury, Peter looks back in the form that has taken him into the world's top ten, and in the end had too much for Daryl today.

"He was just a better player than me today, I just didn't have enough to stay with him like I usually can. Not sure I did too much wrong, but he kept the ball tight, didn't give me any chances and didn't make many mistakes.

"I've been playing well, so I'll just put it down as one of those days to write down to experience. I'm not too down, I've just lost to someone who's in the top ten and he's playing well ..."

"I had a bit of a lapse with my injury at the Nationals, but I'm over that now, I thought I was playing well there, and I'm keen to do well.

"The body's feeling good, t's no coincidence, you ask James and the other top guys, you have to prepare yourself for tournaments like this, trying to keep yourself in the best possible shape ..."

Alister Walker (Eng) bt  [1] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
            3/11, 11/5, 4/11, 11/7, 11/7 (53m)

What a win for Walker

The best win of his life, by far that's what Alister Walker achieved here tonight as he put out top seed and world number three Gregory Gaultier in a pulsating five-game match in front of a packed house at Canary Wharf.



Two of Walker's recent matches spring to mind - the demolition job John White did on him in Bermuda, and the fright he gave James Willstrop in the semis of the British Nationals last month.

At the start it looked like the Bermuda nightmare might be revisited as Gaultier looked sharp and crisp as he took the firs game with ease. But the young Englishman clearly learned from that experience, and came back to take the second, aided and abetted by a few early tins from the Frenchman.

He paid the price in the third as Greg regained the lead, but the skill and determination Alister showed in the final two games - with the crowd on his side all the way of course - earned him a tremendous win.

The fifth became a bit of a battle, especially in the front left corner where many rallies were played out, many decisions made by the referees, but in the end it was a no let to Gaultier as Walker pushed the ball back down the same wall that made the crowd erupt ...

"He was in front of me all the time in the first, I knew I had to find a way to handle the pace. In a way that match against John in Bermuda was good for me, if you haven't been through that sort of experience you don't know how to handle it.

"So I came out for the second, slowed it down, chipped a few balls and managed to get back into it.

"I paid for that effort in the third, but in the fourth I think he was tired. Then the fifth, it was the crowd that carried me along all the way ... thankyou London!

"I've played a few of the top ten guys, played well but not managed to win any, which would really do my ranking some good, so this is my best win ever, by far ..."

Well done 'bro .... says sister Alister's sister Alison

[8] Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt [Q] Jesse Engelbrecht (Rsa)
             11/5, 12/10, 9/11, 11/8 (53m)

Jesse enjoys it ...

The last match of the evening was an entertaining affair, with Renan Lavigne salvaging French pride and setting up a quarter-final with his compatriot's conqueror.

But qualifier Jesse Engelbrect made him work for it. After a fairly comfortable first game for Renan Jesse found his game and some typical deft flicks took him to 10/8 game ball. He couldn't capitalise on that, but continued in the same vein to take the third, the fast and furious rallies keeping the crowd well entertained.

He had his chances in the fourth too, did Jesse, but Renan has been around a little longer and he held on to cement the win. "I enjoyed every minute of it," said Jesse at the end. The crowd, with more than a few Jesse supporters in it, did too ...

"He's improved a lot over the last year, and once he got going he was causing me problems - he doesn't swing, he just goes ching, ching' and it's in the nick, a bit like Rodney Eyles, and I always seemed to be on the back foot.

"I played really loose at times too, and when I did he'd just put it away. I had to dig in, it was important to win the second, that was crucial, and I almost lost my lead in the fourth.

"I'm disappointed fro Greg, obviously, but also pleased for Ali, he works very hard. I could hear the crowd cheering while I was warming up which must have helped him.

"I'm not thinking of French revenge tomorrow, I'll think about my match first ..."

Monday 10th, Bottom Half ...

Mon 10th March, Round One, Part One:  

[6] Alex Gough (Wal) bt [Q] Mohammed El Shorbagy (Egy)  11/5, 11/8, 4/11, 3/11, 11/5 (67m)
[2] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [Q] Mark Krajcsak (Hun)                         11/6, 11/7, 11/9 (30m)

[3] Lee Beachill (Eng) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (Eng)                                   11/8, 11/5, 11/4 (37m)
Joey Barrington (Eng) bt [5] Olli Tuominen (Fin)                      11/6, 6/11, 12/10, 11/8  (68m)

                             Day One Roundup from Alan Thatcher
  

WELCOME

[6] Alex Gough (Wal) bt [Q] Mohammed El Shorbagy(Egy)
     11/5, 11/8, 4/11, 3/11, 11/5

Gough overcomes age gap

There's 20 years separating them, and it took a lot of that accumulated experience for Alex Gough to overcome Egypt's latest sensation tonight.

The Welshman kept his young pretender on a tight leash for the first two games, limiting Shorbagy to the odd flashing attack as he took a two game lead.

The Egyptian's winners started to pay dividends in the third though, as Shorbagy went out to a quick 5/1 lead. Half the court lights went out at 8/3, and although Gough took the first point on the resumption that was his lot for that game.

It was the same story in the fourth - confidence high, Shorbagy was getting the better of some well-crafted rallies and he usually had a winner to finish it off.

But Gough made sure the fifth was tougher, keeping the ball deeper and the rallies longer, and slowly but surely he drew Shorbagy's sting, drawing away in the second half of the game as the Egyptian found the tin much more often than the nick.

Shorbagy will learn from this, that's for sure ... and Alex will pay for it - "I need you, but I've got so many problems I don't know where to start!" he said to Sylvan the physio straight after the match ...

"I controlled him well at the start, but then I stopped hitting the ball to the back and he got more confidence - his forehand is just lethal, although he made quite a few errors on the backhand.

"The break for the lights didn't do me any good at all, I was so stiff when I went back on, I lost my focus and you get a bit all panicky, not knowing what to do when that happens.

"Beach was good, helping me get it back in between games and getting stuck in to win the fifth.

"He's good though, so strong at just 17, a future world champ for sure."

  

"I was very nervous at the start, my first match on a glass court in a professional event ...

"I started playing better in the middle, but he's so experienced, in the fifth I knew he was very tired, but I still couldn't win because he was hitting shots that I just couldn't read.

"But it's a great experience for me, I'll go back and work on a few things with Jonah now ..."

[2] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [Q] Mark Krajcsak (Hun)
                 11/6, 11/7, 11/9 (30m)

James settles in

It was just about the sort of match the defending champion would have wanted - testing, plenty of questions to answer, but not a gruelling first-rounder that takes it out of you for the rest of the tournament.

Krajcsak started well, taking a 5/1 lead in the first, but once Willstop found his mark (no pun intended) he reeled the Hungarian in fairly quickly. Same in the second - 4/1 for Mark before James found his range again. The rallies throughout were fairly short, bot making a few errors and going or relatively early winners.



It was an even start to the third, Mark making his run from 6-all this time, forcing James to up the pace again from 6/9 down. He did, a despairing dive from the Hungarian couldn't prevent James from reaching match ball 10/9, and one more rally and it was all over.

"I feel great, I love coming to play here in London, I always feel pretty comfortable out there.

"My concentration maybe wasn't there at the start of the games, but he came out pretty quickly, especially in the first, and I had to push hard to make him hurt a bit before I could take the lead.

"It was concentration again in the third, and I did well to come back, I didn't want to spend any longer on court than I had to.

"I felt pretty good, I just hope I can keep that going for a few more days ..."

  

"He played very quickly, he made a few errors too but he played well when he had to.

"I wanted to keep the rallies short as I was feeling the effects of my long qualifying match, but I really enjoyed it, it was a great experience to play someone like James in a venue like this."

[3] Lee Beachill (Eng) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (Eng)
              11/8, 11/5, 11/4 (37m)

Beachill still the Master

He may not be quite the veteran that Alex Gough is - "there's no way I'm playing until I'm 37, that's just stupid" - but although Lee Beachill has just hit 30 he is still, in his own words, tough to beat on his day.

He wasn't at his smooth, deceptive peak today, but he was near enough to keep Chris Ryder on a tight enough leash for pretty much three full games.

Chris was in there - 6/5 in the first, 6/5 again in the second, but when he needed to Lee tightened up and pulled away, plenty of well-contested rallies, but generally one winner.

"I'm playing well at the moment, but the transition from two hard qualifying games on plaster courts to taking on a world class player on glass is just too much.

"My length wasn't good enough, and I wasn't pleased with my short game either. I've played him a few times in Yorkshire league and got closer than that, so I'm disappointed not to do a little better really.

"That backhand of his  you don't know if it's going short or long, and then all of a sudden it's gone and you've had it.

"I enjoyed it though, and it was nice to have a bit of support from Hertfordshire here ..."

"I've been getting better more quickly than I would have expected after my operation, I did well at the nationals which gave me a lot of confidence.

"I'm moving much better and that part of my game felt good out there today.

"I'm enjoying my squash these days, and I'm looking forward to having a go at some more of the younger players coming up the rankings ..."

Joey Barrington (Eng) bt [5] Olli Tuominen (Fin)
     11/6, 6/11, 12/10, 11/8 (68m)

Joey toughs it out

This always promised to be a tough match, and so it proved. Compere Alan Thatcher prepared the crowd for a late night as he introduced the players, and if the first two games were somewhat shorter than you might expect, the last two certainly lived up to the billing.

This match featured the tough, long rallies that had been somewhat missing from earlier matches, and in the end it was Joey's extra determination that won the day ....

"It was quite a physical match, not a Lee Beachill precise game, but Olli plays at such a high pace, you have to try to to neutralise him.

"So not the prettiest match, I was rushing a bit at the start but thought I played well and I'm very pleased to win."

"I should have started better, I just wasn't doing anything. I've been playing well and I felt good going into the match but it just didn't work out today ..."

Barrington Bursts Into
Canary Wharf Classic Quarters
Roundup from Alan Thatcher & Howard Harding

Unseeded Englishman Joey Barrington produced the first upset on the opening day of action in the ISS Canary Wharf Classic when he despatched Finland's fifth seed Olli Tuominen in a brutal first round battle in the 5-star PSA Tour squash event in its fifth year at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, London.

The 28-year-old from Glastonbury in Somerset played a solid tactical game against the world No16 from Helsinki, concentrating on keeping the ball tight down the backhand wall of the all-glass court at East Wintergarden. A simmering contest was littered with stoppages caused by bodily contact and both players seemed constantly on the brink of stepping across the boundaries of acceptable physical behaviour.

Ultimately, the quality and accuracy of Barrington’s disciplined approach paid dividends as the son of squash legend Jonah Barrington clinched his 11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8 victory in 68 minutes to book a place in the last eight against fellow countryman Lee Beachill.

Yorkshireman Beachill, the third seed, overcame some fierce resistance from fellow Englishman Chris Ryder in an earlier first round clash. Qualifier Ryder, the Herts No1 who is based at Wolverhampton, gave as good as he got for much of the match but Beachill’s quality shone through when it mattered most.

The first game was level pegging until Beachill turned the screw and stepped up his game. Ryder competed willingly in some long and punishing rallies during the second game but it was usually Beachill who had the final say. The pattern continued in the third and former world No1 Beachill concluded a comfortable 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 victory in 37 minutes.

Ryder admitted the transition from club courts to the glass court at Canary Wharf was a tough one to make.   "It’s a big step up from playing on traditional plaster courts for two days in qualifying to playing on the glass court," said the reigning World University champion. "It takes a while to get your line and length and someone like Lee is one of the best in the world in that department.”

Beachill said: “I am happy to be back on court so soon after my recent operation and making the final of the National Championships in Manchester was a real bonus. My long-term plan is to keep the body in good shape and to continue challenging the younger guys for as long as I can. I’m not worried about being world No1 again but as long as I’m playing well and competing then I shall be more than happy. But I shall definitely not be playing when I’m 37 years old like Goughy. That’s just crazy!”

In the opening match of the day, teenage squash sensation Mohamed El Shorbagy produced an electric performance to rattle sixth seed Alex Gough. The 17-year-old Egyptian fought back from two games down to take the game to a fifth - but the Welsh veteran regained control to clinch victory after 67 minutes.

Shorbagy began in nervous fashion and the 20-year age-gap was evident as the vastly experienced Welshman forced his young opponent into a string of errors.

Shorbagy suddenly shed his nerves and began to find a rhythm. He maintained his composure to win the third game despite a brief hold-up when the court lighting failed. The Egyptian’s confidence was soaring and he powered his way through the fourth game with a succession of dazzling winners.

The crowd were willing him to continue in that vein but the lights went out on his bid to cause a shock result as Gough regained control in the fifth game, wrapping it up 11-5 as a tired looking Shorbagy struck the tin too many times.

A relieved Gough said: "He is a future world champion for sure.  I have played him before, so I knew what to expect.  e's got phenomenal talent and he's also got a lot of guts, and that's the main thing."

Shorbagy, a student at Millfield School in Somerset, revealed that his coach, squash legend Jonah Barrington, had offered him some sound advice earlier in the day. He said: "He told me not to play junior squash and I was very happy with how I played against such a very experienced opponent as Alex. He is a fine player and I am very happy with how I played on the glass court. This is a fantastic experience for me and I am sure I can learn a lot from it."

Reigning Canary Wharf champion James Willstrop played with all the flair, composure and confidence of a man on top of his game. The second-seeded Englishman looked relaxed and enjoying his work as he dealt solidly with the challenge posed by determined Hungarian qualifier Mark Krajcsak to win in straight games.

Krajcsak started strongly and led 5-1 in the opening game before the Yorkshireman began to impose his authority and won 10 of the next 11 points. Krajcsak again led 4-2 in the second before Willstrop took control.

The England number one's flair and love of the adventurous was evident as he delighted the crowd with his shot-making in the third game, but Krajcsak refused to roll over and put together a run of five points to lead 9-5. However, he was not allowed another entry into the scorebook as Willstrop tightened up, regained control and reeled off six points in a row, winning several points with outrageous flicks and feints that were beyond the reach of the diving, acrobatic Krajcsak.

Willstrop said: “I am very happy with the way I am playing at the moment. Winning four important tournaments in such a short space of time is a wonderful feeling.

“This is certainly the best phase of my career and I hope it continues for the next few days.”

Krajcsak said: “It is always a pleasure to play guys like James. He is such a fantastic player. I had a tough match yesterday in the qualifying final and someone like James makes you work incredibly hard to try to stay in the game.”

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