Qualifying Complete In $70K San Francisco Netsuite; Willstrop, Matthew, Gaultier, Shabana In Action Tonight
from DailySquashReport.com
October 19, 2011 - Four qualifiers emerged Thursday from a tough 16-man field and will join the $70,000 PSA Netsuite Open main draw that kicks off Friday night with the world's top-three ranked players in action.
Jay Prince files this report:
Blistering Pace Rules the Qualifier Finals in the NetSuite Squash Championships
In the evening’s opening match of the NetSuite Squash Championships at the San Francisco Bay Club, New Zealand’s World No. 45, Martin Knight, ramped up the pace to put an end to Siddharth Suchde’s (India) hopes of reaching the main draw. The last time the pair met in a PSA event was in 2011 at the National Capital Open where Knight needed four games to advance to the second round. Tonight, Knight responded to Suchde’s relentless attacking to win in three games, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.
Fast-paced play seemed to be the recipe for success at the Bay Club, when Frenchman Gregoire Marche followed Martin Knight’s lead in his four-game win over Matthew Karwalski of Australia. Marche took the early two-game lead, marked by relentless shot-making and inspiring retrievals, but Karwalski made things interesting by responding with his own remarkable court coverage and high tempo to take the third. The night belonged to Marche, however, who dove for balls repeatedly in the deciding fourth game.
The evening’s longest match took place at Stanford University where England’s Chris Simpson and Australian Ryan Cuskelly traded the first two games. Featuring blistering pace and fabulous use of the four corners, both games were nip and tuck until 7-7. With the match in the balance to start the third game, Simpson and Cuskelly were determined to give no quarter, punishing each other with brutally long exchanges—until Cuskelly appeared to run out of steam when trailing 8-4. In the fourth, Simpson started strong while Cuskelly lost a step, dropping the game in just three hands. Seventy-six minutes later, Simpson was into the main draw.
Scotland’s Alan Clyne, World No. 29, punched his ticket into the main draw by upending Pakistan’s Aamir Atlas Khan in four games, 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 11-3. The 45-minute affair was dominated early by Clyne with tight drops that forced Khan to rush loose re-drops and croscourts that Clyne was able to cut off and drive to punishing length. After securing the opening game, Clyne was forced to regain control when Khan took an early lead in the second with excellent length and drops that hugged the side walls. The third game was a battle from the outset, but Khan finally captured the game with a mix of shots to the front and back court. But at 2-all in the fourth, Khan hit the proverbial wall, succumbing to a 9-point onslaught by Clyne who take the game, 11-3.
RESULTS: NetSuite Open Squash Championships, San Francisco, CA
Qualifier Round 2:
Martin Knight (NZL) bt Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 61min
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-5 60min
Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 76min
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 11-3 45min
First Round line-up:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO)
[8] Alister Walker (BW) v [5] Amr Shabana (EGY)
Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Nicholas Mueller (SUI) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
[4] Peter Barker (ENG) v Hisham Ashour (EGY)
[6] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v [Q] Chris Simpson (ENG)
[7] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q] Martin Knight (NZL)
[WC] Julian Illingworth (USA) v [2] Nick Matthew (ENG)
MAIN DRAW
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