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Endurance
World Open Bermuda 2007 Squash Championship, 25-Nov to 01-Dec
Final:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
bt [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6
(42m)
Shabana Celebrates World Open
Hat-Trick In Bermuda
 Following
an impeccable display of near faultless squash on an all-glass
court at the Fairmont Southampton Resort in Bermuda, Egypt's
world number one Amr Shabana beat France's Gregory
Gaultier, the world No3, in straight games in the final of
the Endurance World Open Squash Championship to become only
the fourth player in history to lift the world title for a
third time.
The triumph marks
Shabana's 20th PSA Tour title and, after lifting his fourth
successive PSA Super Series trophy in under five weeks, it
also his extended his unbeaten run to 20 matches.
Second seed
Gaultier, who only 24 hours earlier had been in devastating
form to crush England's world No5 Nick Matthew in straight
games, took a 4-1 lead in the first game.
But it turned out
to be the only lead the 24-year-old from Aix-en-Provence had
in the match as left-hander Amr Shabana took control of the
encounter, playing a succession of sensational winners to
record his historic 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 victory in 42 minutes.
Shabana's
brilliance could not have been better demonstrated than by the
championship-winning rally in which Gaultier played a
seemingly irretrievable shot - which the Egyptian miraculously
returned before smashing the ball out of the Frenchman's reach
to clinch the title.
"I came to
Bermuda three years ago and was blown away," the new champion
told the packed and passionate crowd of near capacity 1,400
spectators - from the island's total population of 60,000!
"This is the perfect model of how squash tournaments should
be."
 Complimenting
the hosts, led by Tournament Director Ross Triffitt, Shabana
later told journalists: "With organisers like Ross, there's
no reason why squash can't become a major sport."
In paying tribute
to his opponent, Shabana said: "Greg is a true champion. But
I was able to stop him today. In the second game, I played
like a dream. You can only play like this once in your life."
When asked if he
had thought he could win the four titles in a row that he did
- the World Open preceded by the Saudi International, Qatar
Classic and Hong Kong Open since the end of October - the
Egyptian replied: "When I am seeded one, I try and win each
match at a time - and then when I get into a run, I try and
keep winning.
"I don't think I
have ever played as well as today," added Shabana. "To beat
Greg after the way he has been playing this week - he beat
everybody 3/0 - I had to play the best squash of my life.
 "And,
of course, he beat me in front of my home crowd in Egypt in
the World Open last year," Shabana recalled.
It was a downcast
Gaultier who tried to find words to describe his feelings: "I
am very disappointed, to be sure. But I felt heavy, almost
overweight, after the first four points - and just couldn't
move, even though I tried to push myself.
"He played so
well tonight - and in the end I just didn't know what to do.
I tried hard and didn't want to give up. But it just wasn't
my day.
"Maybe I was
putting too much pressure on myself. I will just have to
refocus.
"But I will get
this trophy soon - that's for sure," added the Frenchman who
was celebrating his 25th appearance in a PSA Tour final.
Semi-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
bt [3] David Palmer (AUS) 11-6, 3-11,
11-5, 11-5 (67m)
[2] Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) bt [7] Nick Matthew (ENG) 11-6,
11-4, 11-8 (58m)
Shabana & Gaultier To Contest
Bermuda World Open Final
Egypt's world
number one Amr Shabana will face France's Gregory
Gaultier, the world No3, in Saturday's final of the
Endurance World Open Squash Championship in Bermuda
after despatching their opponents in convincing style in the
semi-finals of the flagship $175,000 PSA Tour event at
the island's Fairmont Southampton Resort.
 Favourite
Shabana won the opening game against Australia's David
Palmer, but the defending champion from New South Wales
delighted the enthusiastic crowd by taking the second for the
loss of only three points, to draw level.
But 28-year-old
Shabana, also a former world champion, reasserted his
authority on the match to force errors from Palmer and
eventually claim an 11-6, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5 victory in 67
minutes.
"To beat David in
the semi-finals of the World Open is a great achievement -
particularly in front of a crowd like this," said left-hander
Shabana, winner of the title in 2003 and 2005.
"David is a
legend and a good player. He's won everything - he's so
professional.
"If I can play
just as well tomorrow as I did tonight, I think I have a good
chance of winning."
 Later,
second seed Gregory Gaultier took on England's Nick Matthew,
the No7 seed who upset fourth-seeded compatriot James
Willstrop to claim his first appearance in a World Open
semi-final.
The Frenchman
stunned the crowd with an almost error-free display as he
pushed his English opponent all over the court. Matthew
nullified a 3-0 lead in the first game to draw level at
five-all, but Gaultier won five points in a row to reach game
ball, which he converted at the second attempt.
The 24-year-old
world No3 from Aix-en-Provence built up a 9-0 lead in the
second game before Matthew caressed a drop shot into the nick
to win his first point. But again Gaultier clinched his
second game ball to move 2/0 ahead.
At 5-1 up in the
third, Gaultier twice slipped during a stunning rally - on the
first occasion recovering to extend the pressure on Matthew,
and only on the second failing to stop the underdog from
capitalising!
The pair
continued to trade points until Gregory clinched the match
11-6, 11-4, 11-8 after 58 minutes to reach the final for the
second successive year.
 "It's
a great feeling to be in the final for the second time in a
row," Gaultier told the crowd. "I know Shabana will be tough
- we've played four times this year and it's two-all. We'll
see what happens tomorrow."
The Frenchman
then took the microphone from the MC's hands, and looked
across at his disconsolate opponent: "Thanks to you Nick.
He's a great guy - we're good friends. Sorry, but maybe next
time it's yours."
Matthew admitted
that Gaultier was "just too good".
"Sometimes,
you've got to hold your hands up and say you been outplayed.
He made it tough for me in the first game.
"Well into it, I
looked at the scoreboard to see what the score was - and it
was 5-5, and we'd been playing for ages. I made a few crucial
errors in the game which didn't help," explained the
27-year-old from Sheffield.
"He just
outplayed me in the second - he just didn't put a foot wrong.
I thought it could have been my night tonight. I tried to
blitz him. But I'm proud of my efforts - I made him work
hard. It's certainly the best he's ever played against me.
"It'll be a great
final. He's going to be tough to beat."
Quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
bt [5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 10-11 (0-2), 11-6, 11-10
(2-0), 11-5 (64m)
[3] David Palmer
(AUS) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (41m)
[7] Nick Matthew
(ENG) bt [4] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4
(60m)
[2] Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) bt [6] John White (SCO) 1-10 (2-0), 11-6,
11-5 (55m)
Matthew Upsets Willstrop To Join
Top Three Seeds In Bermuda Semis
 Nick
Matthew upset higher-seeded
England team-mate James Willstrop in the quarter-finals
of the Endurance World Open Squash Championship in
Bermuda to join the top three seeds in the semi-finals of
the flagship $175,000 PSA Tour event at the island's
Fairmont Southampton Resort.
Perhaps slightly
off his game after surviving two successive 90-minute matches
in the previous rounds, fourth seed Willstrop never seemed to
hit his stride. Looking sharp throughout, seventh seed
Matthew won all of the long, hard rallies - and by the third
game was in complete charge.
"I've got nothing
but respect for James," said the 27-year-old from Sheffield
after his 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 victory in 60 minutes. "We had
some very tough rallies, and I don't know how I managed to win
them all. Games can really turn on those rallies. I think
the fact I was a little bit fresher than James helped me. I
just started working with a new fitness coach, Mark Campbell,
and it's paying off."
 World
number six Matthew will now face Frenchman Gregory Gaultier,
the second seed ranked three places higher. Gaultier also
only need three games to get the better of Scotsman John
White, beating the US-based sixth seed
11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-5 in 55 minutes.
But it was no
easy stroll for the No2 seed. White came out with fierce
determination in front of a strongly partisan crowd and gave
it all he had - and then some! The first game was a humdinger
of a battle with Gaultier edging ahead until score tied at
8-8, then Gaultier hit two uncharacteristic tins to give
White two game ball chances that he was unable to convert.
Gaultier won four points in a row to take the first game.
The second game
stayed close until 6-6,when Gaultier hit his stride and
rattled off five unanswered points for a 2/0 lead.
It was surely
match over, but White showed why he has a reputation as one of
the great players of the game. He simply refused to concede
as the two exchanged the lead until 6-6 when White finally
began to show signs of fatigue. At 8-5 up, Gaultier ran White
to every corner of the court during an unbelievable rally in
which the Scot retrieved the impossible time and again. When
he finally lost the rally, an exhausted White received an
ovation from the crowd. Yes, he then went on to lose the
match but to Bermuda squash fans he ended a true winner!
"It was a tough
game," acknowledged the 24-year-old from Aix-en-Provence. "I
had to keep the ball away from him. He's very tall and very
fast. It's not easy. He was hitting the ball so hard it's
not easy to control. I just had to keep it good and tight.
Tomorrow is going to be tough. I've won the last three
against Nick but this is the World Open."
 The
other semi-final will pitch favourite Amr Shabana, the
world number one from Egypt, against third seed David
Palmer, the defending champion from Australia.
Shabana face
fellow former champion Thierry Lincou, the fifth seed
from France. The first game was close all the way, with both
players a little tentative at times. Lincou had two game
balls at 10-8 but Shabana levelled before Lincou edged ahead
and took the game 12-10. Errors made the difference. In the
second game, Shabana started to find his touch, retrieving
well and growing in confidence.
Level at
five-all, Shabana pushed ahead to 10-6 and played a brilliant
reverse boast to win the game. The third game was squash at
its best with both exchanging the lead to 10-10 and this time
it was Shabana who finished it 12-10. He raced ahead in the
fourth to 5-0 and always looked in command despite a spirited
but brief comeback by Lincou - Shabana eventually winning
10-11 (0-2), 11-6, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 in 64 minutes.
"I had to play to
my maximum, 110%," conceded the favourite. "It was extremely
tough, really hot today. I was very intense in the 1st game
- hit n' run - and he hit hard and low. It was tough to hit
shots. Halfway through game two I figured out what to do. I
changed my game plan, slowing it down, then hit hard and low
when I had the opportunity.
"You have to
counter your opponent," explained the 28-year-old from Giza.
"Today I felt good. I love playing here in Bermuda. I've been
here three or four times now and the crowd is so smart; they
really understand the game."
 Palmer
faced Welshman Alex Gough, the only unseeded player to
reach the last eight. The tour veteran - who celebrates his
37th birthday next week - had reached the quarters after
upsets over eighth seed Lee Beachill and ninth seed
Wael El Hindi.
Palmer started as
he intended to continue, dominating the centre of court,
keeping Gough pinned at the back of court as much as possible,
then forcing him forward, with a mix of power and finesse. At
the start of the second game, Gough won the longest rally of
the match - to much applause from an appreciative audience.
But he paid for it later in the game as Palmer rattled off
seven consecutive points. Gough never gave up but never
looked to be in contention.
"Shawn (Moxham)
and I prepared for this match concentrating on my game not my
opponent," said Palmer after his 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 victory in
41 minutes.
"He's a
confidence player as he's shown all week. I didn't want to let
him in tonight. I wanted to stay on top and I got sharper as
the match went on. Now I've got to take it up another notch
for Shabana. I've got to come with a game plan tomorrow. I'm
defending champion, and if it goes well I hope to still be
there after tomorrow."
2nd round (bottom half of draw):
[7] Nick Matthew
(ENG) bt [Q] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-6, 11-9,
11-7 (46m)
[4] James
Willstrop (ENG) bt [12] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 3-11, 9-11,
11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (91m)
[6] John White (SCO)
bt [13] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 7-11, 11-5, 7-11,
11-10 (3-1), 11-6 (76m)
[2] Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-4, 11-8,
11-4 (26m)
Willstrop Survives Second Marathon In Bermuda
For the second
time in successive rounds, England's James Willstrop
came back from the dead in the Endurance World Open Squash
Championship in Bermuda to overcome his opponent in
a five-game marathon in the flagship $175,000 PSA Tour
event at the island's Fairmont Southampton Resort.
The fourth seed
battled to a 93-minute win over Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema
in the first round - then again recovered from two games down
in yesterday's second round to beat Egypt's 12th
seed Mohammed Abbas 3-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 in 91
minutes.
"It was almost a
carbon copy of my last match," said Willstrop, the 24-year-old
England number one from Yorkshire now in his third World Open
quarter-final. "I started rusty and he was really on his
game."
 Abbas,
the 12th seed from Cairo, started strongly, keeping
Willstrop on the move, hitting a better length and killing the
ball at every opportunity. Willstrop was struggling to get
into the groove, but halfway through this first game he showed
true sportsmanship when awarded a let by the referee to the
surprise of Abbas. Willstrop came off court to explain that
he was asking if Abbas's ball was down, not for a let. The
ball was judged good, and the let was cancelled. The
spectators cheered his honesty.
The Englishman
began to show his class in the third game as he edged ahead
and began to increase in confidence. At 10-5 game ball he
lost four consecutive points - but finished it off in style
after a crowd-pleasing rally.
The outcome still
remained close through the fourth although it was clear that
Willstrop was 'slowly but surely' taking charge of the
match. He cruised through the decider to earn his popular
win - dampened only by the fact that the glass floor was a
constant problem in Bermuda's humid conditions.
 "I'm
thrilled that I'm through and to be playing tomorrow. The
floor though was a real problem. We both sweat a lot and at
times it was almost unplayable," said Willstrop.
His next opponent
is England team-mate and fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew,
the No7 seed who also beat an Egyptian, qualifier Omar
Mosaad 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 in the first match of the session
on the spectacular all-glass court housed in a massive marquee
with seating for 1,400 spectators.
"These were tough
conditions," said Matthew, from Sheffield, afterwards. "In
that humidity, it was hard to even hold your racquet, never
mind your footing. The floor is playing true; it's just the
sweat. You need to make sure you're stepping up at the right
time. I could have done a little bit more to stretch him and
get a better lead. That's what you have to do against the
better players. Tomorrow night it really fires up and,
hopefully, I can play at the next level."
The other
quarter-final decided by the last two second round matches
will pitch France's second seed Gregory Gaultier,
runner-up last year, against Scotland's John White, the
sixth seed who was the beaten finalist in 2002.
White twice had
to come from behind to oust Malaysia's 13th seed
Mohd Azlan Iskandar 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-6 in
76 minutes.
"If Willstrop v
Abbas was a nail-biter, this was as close and exciting as it
gets," said event spokesman Roger Sherratt. "White had
great support from a highly partisan crowd because of his long
association with Bermuda. He was never in contention in the
first game, but gave his supporters something to cheer as he
came back to win the second."
 Their
joy was short-lived when Iskandar took game three, and raced
to an early 3-0 lead in the fourth. It was all even at 8-8
but, after taking the next point, Iskandar sent White to all
corners of the court in a vain attempt to save match point.
10-8 for Iskandar and one point needed to proceed to the
quarters. This was a crucial time in the match and a
highlight of the whole evening as both players threw
themselves around the increasingly slippery floor. A series
of brilliant rallies saw White save two match balls despite
going down full length as he tripped over an outstretched
Iskandar for a let call. At 10-all, Iskandar inextricably hit
two consecutive tins to concede the game.
White played at
his best in the decider and never looked to be in trouble as
he claimed his popular victory.
 "I
had it under control - from the last point!" joked White
later. "Physically, I felt okay. It was just the change of
pace. I hadn't played at that pace for some time. He's
quick, he takes the ball early and he was on his game
volleying everything. Once I slowed it down he started
hitting tins, like at match ball for him he hit two easy
tins. In the fifth I got some rallies going and let him make
the mistakes. I think it was the change of pace that did it
for me."
In the final
match of the day, Gaultier cruised to an 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 win
in just 26 minutes over unseeded Egyptian Hisham Mohd
Ashour.
"If I want to be
fresh in the later rounds, I don't want to waste time," said
Gaultier, succinctly. "I really wanted to finish it off as
quickly as possible. I feel fine, very fresh. I stay
focused. Tomorrow is another match," added the 24-year-old
world number three from Aix-en-Provence.
2nd round (top half of draw):
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
bt [10] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 8-11, 11-4, 11-2, 9-11,
11-4 (65m)
[5] Thierry
Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-10 (2-0),
11-5, 11-5 (32m)
[3] David Palmer
(AUS) bt [11] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-10 (2-0),
11-7, 11-9 (59m)
Alex Gough (WAL)
bt [9] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 11-1, 7-11,
11-4, 11-7 (73m)
Gough Battles On In Bermuda
Unseeded Welshman
Alex Gough continued his 'giant-killing' exploits in
the Endurance World Open Squash Championship in
Bermuda when he despatched Egypt's No9 seed Wael El
Hindi to reach the quarter-finals of the flagship $175,000
PSA Tour event in the island's capital Hamilton.
Less than two
weeks short of his 37th birthday, Gough ousted
England's eighth seed Lee Beachill in the first round -
and now, in his tenth appearance in the championships since
1996, is celebrating his first time in the last eight since
1998.
 "That's
awesome - it has to be one of the best results of my career,"
Gough told
www.squashsite.co.uk
after his 11-1, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7 upset in 73 minutes.
"I'm loving it at
the moment. If anything, I'm more professional than in my
early career. I have to do everything a bit more properly,"
continued the 2006 British Open O35 champion.
"I just can't
give it up at the moment - it's like a drug, and I get so much
support from the other guys. I'm on about my third generation
of them - and this is the best!"
Gough will face
title-holder David Palmer on Thursday for a place in
the semi-finals. The third-seeded Australian was stretched
for almost an hour by England's Peter Barker before
beating the No11 seed 11-10 (2-0), 11-7, 11-9.
"I expected a
tough one tonight," conceded the 31-year-old former world
number one from New South Wales. "Peter is one of our future
stars for sure. He's physically good and has lots of
attacking ability. I felt a little bit flat at first; he put
me under pressure, but after the first game I was pretty much
on top. I tried to nullify his strengths and keep him in the
back of the court. Point by point I kept it together and he
made mistakes."
 Earlier,
Egyptian favourite Amr Shabana, the world number one,
recovered from a game down to beat Australia's tenth seed
Stewart Boswell 8-11, 11-4, 11-2, 9-11, 11-4 in 65
minutes.
Shabana is
looking for his fourth successive PSA Tour title success after
winning the Saudi International, Qatar Classic
and Hong Kong Open in the space of two weeks!
"My body's fine
but it's not easy," admitted the 28-year-old from Cairo.
"These days there are no easy matches. He (Boswell) is a top
player for sure. I think he's a champion after two years
off. He has a big reach and I kept playing to his strengths
in the first - not playing deep enough.
"I let my guard
down a little in the fourth; started to play casual and he got
the lead. I felt okay in the fifth. When you play lots of
matches you stay cool, you don't panic. I'm not as mentally
fit as I need. When you get tight matches you play better
later. I'll come back better and stronger for the
quarter-final."
 Shabana,
winner of the world title in 2003 and 2005, will face 2004
champion Thierry Lincou in the quarter-finals after the
fifth-seeded Frenchman beat English qualifier Jonathan Kemp
11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 11-5.
"This tournament
proves there are no easy games," said the 31-year-old from
Marseille after beating the Englishman who ousted 15th seed
Ong Beng Hee in the first round. "I felt pretty strong
and confident and played at a high pace.
"I knew I really
had to focus at the end of the first game. That would have
given him a real boost. I'm happy with my game and I'm really
enjoying being here in Bermuda," added Lincou.
Outstanding 2nd round line-up:
[7] Nick Matthew
(ENG) v [Q] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[4] James
Willstrop (ENG) v [12] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[6] John White (SCO)
v [13] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
[2] Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) v Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
1st round (bottom half of draw):
[Q] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [14] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 1-11,
11-4, 11-9, 11-4 (38m)
[7] Nick Matthew
(ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-1, 8-11, 11-6,
11-2 (69m)
[12] Mohammed
Abbas (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
[4] James
Willstrop (ENG) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 10-11 (0-2),
8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (93m)
[13] Mohd Azlan
Iskandar (MAS) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 10-11 (1-3), 11-6,
9-11, 11-3, 11-6 (75m)
[6] John White (SCO)
bt [Q] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
Hisham Mohd
Ashour (EGY) bt [16] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 4-11,
11-8 (45m)
[2] Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-4, 11-7,
11-0 (41m)
Willstrop Tested In Bermuda World Open Opener
Fourth seed
James Willstrop claimed his place in the second round of
the Endurance World Open Squash Championship in
Bermuda - but the England number one was stretched to the
limit by unseeded Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema before
prevailing in five games in the first round of the $175,000
flagship PSA Tour event in the island's capital
Hamilton.
 Willstrop,
with two PSA Tour title wins to his credit this year, played a
lacklustre first two and a half games - while Anjema, playing
tight and deceptive squash, constantly moved his taller
opponent around the court, twisting and turning him.
The 24-year-old
world No21 from the Hague took the first two games and totally
dominated early exchanges in the third to rush to a 5-0 lead.
World No5 Willstrop gradually clawed his way back and once he
started to gain confidence the match developed into a classic.
Both players went for their shots, and both played some
astonishing rallies, much to the delight of spectators who
applauded just about every rally.
After winning the
third 11-8, the Yorkshireman still faced an uphill battle as
the two struggled to take command of the fourth. At 9-9, they
played a sensational rally, won by Willstrop - who breathed a
sigh of relief when LJ hit the tin after their next rally to
even the match.
 By
then Anjema was beginning to show the strain of having been so
close to a major upset - and Willstrop enforced his dominance
to go through to a 10-11 (0-2), 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-3 win in
a 93-minute encounter described as 'easily the match of the
tournament so far'.
"I was in a mess
- he had me all over the place. Mentally it was absolutely
brutal," said 24-year-old Willstrop. "We now have a massive
crop outside the top 10 who are a real threat and LJ is one of
them. I'm proud to have come through because mentally it was
one of the hardest matches in the first half of the season.
I'll be very happy to take the day off tomorrow, then I need
to tighten up a bit and come back on Wednesday."
Two Egyptian-made
upsets earlier in the day leave the second round without
Finland's 14th seed Olli Tuominen and England's 16th
seed Adrian Grant. After easily winning the opening
game against
Omar Mosaad,
Tuominen tumbled out of the event as the Egyptian qualifier
romped to a 1-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 upset after 38 minutes.
Londoner Grant allowed the older brother of absent Egyptian
star Ramy Ashour to claim an
unexpected place in the last sixteen as Hisham Mohd Ashour
beat the Englishman 11-7, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8 in 45 minutes.
"I've been
looking for a good win for the last year - I lost to Shabana
in five, to Ramy in five, to Beng Hee in five and to Wael El
Hindi," explained 25-year-old Hisham later. "I also lost to
Adrian in five in Detroit. He's a really good player and he
can run you all around the court. Today I was confident;
playing well and retrieving well."
 After
his Finn win, 19-year-old world No33 Mosaad said: "This was a
great win for me and brings up my rankings, maybe now I go to
the top 25. In the first game I couldn't play in sync. In
the second I played to the back and began to play shots with
more confidence. In the third it was so quick because we
volley everything. I don't know what happened to Olli in the
fourth. I know I played well."
Scotland's
US-based John White made an emphatic return to the PSA
Tour in his first match outside the US since April when he
powered to a straight games win over English qualifier
Alister Walker.
The No6 seed totally dominated and showed all of his
awesome power, hitting winners from every angle before winning
11-8, 11-4, 11-5 in 33 minutes.
"I've
had a big break the last few weeks, but I still have my
fitness," said 34-year-old former world number one White.
"It's a matter of work on court. I went for my shots and it
seemed to work. I'm hanging around - for another day at
least!"
1st round (top half of draw):
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9
(54m)
[10] Stewart
Boswell (AUS) bt James Stout (BER) 11-5, 11-3,
11-4 (25m)
[5] Thierry
Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Julian Illingworth (USA)
11-5, 11-3, 5-11, 11-0 (42m)
[Q] Jonathan Kemp
(ENG) bt [15] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4
(49m)
[3] David Palmer
(AUS) bt [Q] Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5
(24m)
[11] Peter Barker
(ENG) bt [Q] Bradley Ball (ENG) 8-11, 11-8, 11-10
(3-1), 11-5 (76m)
Alex Gough (WAL)
bt [8] Lee Beachill (ENG) 4-11, 11-8,
5-11, 11-4, 11-5 (74m)
[9] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Eric Galvez (MEX)
9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (3-1) (99m)
Kemp Captures First Seed Scalp
In Bermuda World Open
 On
the opening day of main draw action in the Endurance World
Open Squash Championship in Bermuda, it was English
qualifier Jonathan Kemp that caused the first upset
when he defeated Malaysia's 15th seed Ong Beng
Hee in the first round of the $175,000 flagship PSA
Tour event in the island's capital Hamilton.
The Opening
Ceremony had all the pomp and ceremony that the tiny British
colony could muster, with a Proclamation from the City of
Hamilton Town Crier, stirring music provided by the
Band of the Bermuda Drum Corps - and Bermuda's Premier and
Minister of Tourism, Dr The Hon. Ewart F Brown formally
declaring the Championships open.
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