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Meersquash Heroes Open 2009
16-18 Jan, Hoofddorp, Netherlands

18-Jan, Finals:
Hindle and Kippax
triumph in Hoofddorp
Tommy Berden reports

Top seeds Bradley Hindle and Sarah Kippax triumphed in the MeerSquashHeroes Open 2009 in the Dutch city of Hoofddorp.

Hindle, the 28-year old Australian, fought off a fantastic performance by ‘local hero’ Piedro Schweertman to claim the second PSA title of his career. The world number 70 dropped the first against his powerful Dutch opponent, who was playing his maiden PSA final, but came back strongly to win the next two games for the loss of a handful of points.

Schweertman didn’t give up though, taking fourth to force the match into a decider and looking the likely winner. But in the fifth it was Hindle’s turn again as he raced away from the half-way point of the game to secure a well earned victory after 61 minutes.

In the women’s event Kippax fully deserved to be crowned champion. After moving through the draw with relative ease, disposing of Carrie Hastings, Lotte Eriksen (7) and Orla Noom (4), the 25-year old from Halifax was in complete control of her final match against compatriot Emma Beddoes for the first two games.

Beddoes started strongly in the third, but Kippax staged a mini comeback from 6-0 down to register a straight game win over a very dangerous opponent.

It was Kippax’s seventh WISPA title of her career, and remarkably three of them have come in the Netherlands -  Sarah having already proven the strongest during the Pepsi Enschede Open in 2006 and 2008.

Dutch Pro Circuit

The finalists with Michel Bezuijen, head of the Sports Council of Haarlemmermeer

Meersquash Heroes Open 2009
16-18 Jan, Hoofddorp, Netherlands, $4k

11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (23m)

[4] Orla Noom

11/5, 11/6, 14/12 (30m)

[3] Emma Beddoes

11/13, 8/11, 11/7, 11/7, 11/9 (63m)

[2] Manuela Manetta

16-Jan, Qualifying:
 
Melissa Meulenbelt (Ned) bt Lisette Eschweiler (Ned)  11/5, 10/12, 11/7, 11/5 (33m)

11/9, 11/13, 11/4, 11/6 (59m)

[3] Gary Wheadon

9/11, 11/5, 11/4, 9/11, 11/6 (61m)

[5] Piedro Schweertman

13/11, 11/8, 14/16, 11/7 (55m)

[2] Jaymie Haycocks

16-Jan, Qualifying Finals:
Michael Fiteni (Mal) bt Andrew Birks (Eng)               11/9, 13/11, 11/6 (31m)
Stephen Siveter (Eng) bt Michael Ernst (Ned)            11/5, 11/3, 11/4 (20m)
Jamie Mathews (Eng) bt Richard Birks (Eng)   11/6, 2/11, 13/11, 11/5 (39m)
Rory Pennell (Eng) bt Martijn Kock (Ned)          8/11, 11/8, 11/9, 11/1 (41m)

Round One:

Michael Fiteni (Mal) bt Guido Ploem (Ned)                11/2, 11/3, 11/7 (20m)
Michael Ernst (Ned) bt Mitchell Kries (Ned)               11/9, 11/9, 11/8 (36m)
Jamie Mathews (Eng) bt Robin van Leeuwen (Ned)   11/6, 11/4, 11/4 (24m)
 

18-Jan, Men's Semis:
Schweertman surprises to
keep local interest high

Piedro Schweertman delighted a packed home crowd in the semi finals of the MeerSquashHeroes Open 2009 with an impressive win over Jaymie Haycocks.

The 25-yeard old Dutch international and the second seeded Englishmen put on a tremendous display of fast paced and entertaining squash which featured an array of winners from both players. At the end of the day it was Schweertman who proved stronger at the crucial points, even though he squandered five match points in the third game against his higher ranked opponent.

The Dutch ace regrouped though in game four to secure a notable scalp and reach the first PSA final of his career.

Schweertman will now face Australia’s Bradley Hindle after the tournament favourite fought off a spirited challenge from Gary Wheadon, seeded third.

The pair split the first two games and seemed poised for a real marathon match, but from the start of the third game Hindle stepped up a gear. The tired looking South African couldn’t follow and had to concede to the Dutch based ‘Aussie’ after 59 minutes of entertaining squash.

The men’s climax will be preceded by the women’s final, which will be an all English affair this afternoon after Sarah Kippax and Emma Beddoes moved through last night in contrasting fashions.

17-Jan, Women's Semis, Men's Quarters:
All-English women's
final in Hoopddorf
Tommy Berden reports

Top seed Sarah Kippax reached the final of the MeerSquashHeroes Open 2009 in the Dutch city of Hoofddorp. The event’s favourite put on an impressive display of controlled squash against Dutch star Orla Noom, who never seemed to settle into the match. The 25-year old from Halifax raced through the match to give herself a shot at a seventh career WISPA title. Impressively the world number 31 collected five of them (out of 5 finals) last year.

In tomorrow’s final Kippax will face Emma Beddoes after the third seeded English girl completed a great comeback against Manuela Manetta. The Italian ace took a two game lead against the 23-year old from Nottingham, but it wasn’t enough to deny the world number 40 victory. Beddoes gradually clawed her way back in the match and kept her nerves cool at the end of a very tense fifth game to move into her second straight WISPA final. Last month Beddoes proved victorious at the Le Sport Open 2008 in Wales to claim her second title.

The men are down to the last four players in their PSA Satellite event. Top seed Bradley Hindle overcame India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu in straight games. It was far from easy though for the Dutch based Australian. The ‘Aussie’, ranked 70 in the world, had his work cut out by his fast and promising opponent, but the favourite proved steadier at the end of three highly competitive games. Hindle will now take on third seed Gary Wheadon after the South African disposed of English youngster Neil Cordell in four games.

The second men’s semi final will feature an Englishman and a Dutch player. Jaymie Haycocks, seeded second in the club where his brother Jason Morris is the head coach, completed a Beddoes-like comeback from two games down against Dutch international Rene Mijs, saving two match balls in the third en route to a 77 minute win. Piedro Schweertman resisted a spirited performance by wildcard entrant Frank Hartkoren, securing straight-games win to reach the semi final stage of a PSA event for the third time in three months.
 

Dutch Pro Circuit

17-Jan, Women's Quarters, Men's Round One:
Rogers crashes out as
other seeds move through
Tommy Berden reports

Dutchmen Frank Hartkoren caused a major upset in the opening round of the men’s event of the MeerSquashHeroes Open 2009 as he defeated South Africa’s Mark Rogers, seeded fourth, in a marathon match.

The 21-year old, playing in front of a packed crowd at his home club, needed five games and exactly one hour to see off his much higher ranked opponent to move into the quarter finals in which he will face compatriot Piedro Schweertman. The number five seed dropped the first game against Rory Pennell and was also made to work hard in the next three by the Englishmen, before moving through to a match with Hartkoren.

All other seeded players booked their place in the last eight with relative ease, although Jaymie Haycocks and Rene Mijs each dropped a game against respectively Jamie Mathews and Michael Fiteni.

The women’s event moved one step closer to its climax during a busy afternoon in the Dutch city of Hoofddorp. Tonight’s semi finals will feature the top four seeds with Sarah Kippax (1) taking on Dutch ace Orla Noom (4) and Emma Beddoes (3) facing Manuela Manetta (2).

Kippax (against Lotte Eriksen from Norway) and Noom (against Maud Duplomb from France) both lost the first game in their quarter final matches, but recovered to move through to the final four. In the other half of the draw Beddoes proved too strong for French girl Celia Allamargot, while Manetta defeated Lauren Selby in straight games.

16-Jan, Women's Round One, Men's Qualifying:
Seeds shine in Hoofddorp
as Dutch bow out

All seeds moved through to the quarter final stages of the women’s event during the MeerSquashHeroes Open 2009,   a WISPA Tour 4 championship in the Dutch city of Hoofddorp.

It wasn’t plain sailing for all of them though, as only three out of the eight matches were decided in straight games. Top seed Sarah Kippax recovered from a game down against compatriot Carrie Hastings before securing a spot in the quarters against Norwegian Lotte Eriksen, who also had to fight back from a first game loss against Jenna Gates.

Dutch ace Orla Noom, seeded fourth, delighted the enthusiastic crowds at her home club as she dispatched of the young and talented French player Laura Pomportes in straight games. In tomorrow’s quarters the number 41 in the world will now face another French girl, Maud Duplomb, after the eighth seed beat Kerri Lancaster three games to one.

In the bottom half of the draw local interest ended, when Milja Dorenbos, Dagmar Vermeulen, Milou van der Heijden and Melissa Meulenbelt were all knocked out in the opening round. Dorenbos went down fighting to Celia Allamargot (7-11 in the fifth) and 18-year old van der Heijden gave fifth seeded Lauren Selby a real scare, eventually succumbing after four hard fought games. Vermeulen had to admit defeat against third seed Emma Beddoes, while top seed Manuela Manetta had too much firepower for Meulenbelt in her first match since suffering a back injury at the end of last year.

The men’s main draw will commence tomorrow after qualifying rounds were concluded today with three ‘surprise’ results. Michael Fiteni, Rory Pennell and Jamie Mathews all upset the seeding with wins over, respectively, Andrew Birks, Martijn Kock and Richard Birks. The trio will be joined by Englishman Stephen Siveter who knocked out Michael Ernst from the Netherlands in three straightforward games.

Australian Bradley Hindle heads the seeding list in the PSA Satellite event. Jaymie Haycocks is seeded second, while South Africa’s Gary Wheadon and Mark Rogers are expected to reach the semi finals.
 

Dutch Pro Circuit