English Quartet Survive First Hong Kong Hurdle
by Howard Harding
Golan-Tuominen, photo courtesy Steve Cubbins
15 November 2011 - England team-mates Nick Matthew, James Willstrop, Peter Barker and Daryl Selby came through today's first round of the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open - but claimed their places in the last sixteen of the seventh PSA World Series squash event of the year in contrasting styles.
In an early match on the opening day of the 25th staging of one of the most popular events on the PSA World Tour, third seed Willstrop brushed aside fellow countryman Jonathan Kemp 13-11, 11-6, 11-5. The 24-minute win extended the world number three's career-long unbeaten Tour run over Kemp - but avenged Willstrop's shock defeat by the left-hander in the British National Championships nine months ago.
In the day's final encounter, top seed Nick Matthew continued where he left off after clinching his second successive World Open title in Rotterdam earlier in the month by despatching New Zealand qualifier Martin Knight 11-6, 11-4, 11-7.
But both Barker and Selby were taken the full distance as they battled against lower-ranked opponents in Hong Kong. Sixth seed Barker faced Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw.
The world No7 from London twice had to fight back from behind against fellow left-hander Anjema, ranked 11 in the world, before finally emerging triumphant 7-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 after 87 minutes.
And Selby, eager to make up for disappointing results this month in the World Open and Macau Open, fell two games down to Indian star Saurav Ghosal after leading 5-0 in the first. But the world No12 from Essex dug deep and ground down his opponent to win 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 in 66 minutes.
Selby now faces Matthew for a place in the quarter-finals, while Barker takes on Australian Cameron Pilley and Willstrop the rejuvenated Finn Olli Tuominen.
Pilley removed the only Hong Kong interest in the men's draw with a four-game win over the well-supported Max Lee. The 23-year-old Hong Kong national champion gave the crowd brief hope by taking the third game convincingly - but the tall Australian soon put paid to that, winning 11-2, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 in 44 minutes.
Tuominen was the first player through to round two following a straight-game win over qualifier Borja Golan. Tuominen started at his usual ferocious pace, and although the Spaniard matched it at times, he suffered from too many unforced errors, particularly at the start of the third as he, much to his own annoyance, virtually gifted the Finn a 5-0 lead and there was no coming back from there.
Julian Illingworth, the sole US competitor in the championship, put in an impressive performance against Gregory Gaultier, winner of the last World Series event in Qatar. The record seven-time US national champion took the third game convincingly, but fifth-seeded Frenchman Gaultier closed out the match after 65 minutes, winning 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3.
RESULTS: PSA World Series Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong China
1st round (top half of draw):
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (41m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (66m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (35m)
[5] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 (65m)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 7-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (87m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Max Lee (HKG) 11-2, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 (44m)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [Q] Borja Golan (ESP) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (45m)
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 13-11, 11-6, 11-5 (24m)
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