Top Seeds Adrian Grant, Alister Walker Advance In $25K Pittsburgh Open
by Steven Baicker-McKee

November 17, 2011-

Adrian Grant beat Jaymie Haycocks 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in 33 min.  The number one seed lived up to his billing in the first round, playing almost error free squash.

Henrick Mustonen beat Stephan Galifi 11-7.11-5. 11-6 in 29 min.  Running off points in chunks of 6 and 7 in a row, Mustonen was too much for Galifi tonight.

Cambell Grayson beat Scott Arnold 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 in 44 min.

Shahier Razik beat Arturo Salazar 11-7, 11-5, 6-1 (retired) in 21 min.  Razik had no trouble putting away Salazar, who was slowed by an injury that forced him to retire in the third.

Cesar Salazar beat Eric Galvez 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 in 35 min.  In a match between 2 very quick players, Salazar was the quicker, and he was able to retrieve enough of Galvez's attacking shots to score a comfortable win.

Ryan Cuscully beat Olivier Pett 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5. 11-4 in 74 min.  In a match that had the crowd gasping and applauding, Cuscully was able to hang on and win against Pett.  Cuscully and Pett played this match in all four corners of the court, with one player hitting a nick and the other still managing to scrape the ball off the floor and keep the point alive, almost nothing separated these two for most of the match.  Unfortunately for Pett, he seemed to tweak a hamstring injury in the middle of the match, and Cuscully was able to control the final 2 games.

Chris Simpson beat Joel Hinds 12-10, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6 in 65 min.  Hinds got up 10-7 in the first, only to see Simpson put together a string of outright winners to come back and win the game 12-10.  Hinds then got up in the second again, this time 10-6, only to see Simpson put together another string of winners and tie it at 10.  This time, Hinds was able to refocus and close out the game 12-10.  Losing those two leads seemed to shake Hinds' concentration, though, and after Hinds won the first 3 points of the third, Simpson won 8 of the next 9, to take an 8-3 lead and then to close it out 11-4.  The fourth game was close most of the way, with Simpson leading 7-6 before winning the final 4 points to take the match.

Alister Walker beat Amr Kalifa 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 in 78 min.  In the last match of the first round, it looked for a bit like we might see the first significant upset.  Young Egyptian Kalifa was playing strong Egyptian style squash, mixing up low hard drives with attacking shots into the nick.  Kalifa was up in the first game 6-1 and 9-8, but the experienced Walker came back to win.  Kalifa then built another 6-1 lead in the second, and this time held on to win 11-8.  But the first two games seemed to wear Kalifa down, and the experience, skill, and fitness of Walker came through in the next 2 games, where the veteran seemed in control.

RESULTS: PSA International 25 3 Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open, Pittsburgh, PA

1st round:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
Henrik Mustonen (FIN) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 (29m)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (44m)
[3] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX) 11-7, 11-5, 6-1 ret. (21m)
[4] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4 (74m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt [Q] Eric Galvez (MEX) 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [Q] Joel Hinds (ENG) 12-10, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6 (65m)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) bt Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 (78m)

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
[3] Shahier Razik (CAN) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
[4] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) v Chris Simpson (ENG)


Here are the results from the qualifier finals:

Jaymie Haycocks beat Robbie Temple 12-10, 11-3, 11-1 in 31 min.  In the first match of the qualifier finals, Robbie Temple, the highest seeded qualifier, lost to fellow Brit Jaymie Haycocks.  The first game was a real battle, lasting 20 minutes with neither player up by more than 2 points throughout.  Haycocks worked hard to keep up with Temple’s constant volleying and drops, and pulled out the game in overtime when Temple hit a couple of tins.  In game 2, however, Temple looked like he tweaked an injury, and even after taking injury time did not look like the player from the first game.

Joel Hinds beat Peter Creed 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 in 52 min.  The second match was a rematch of one two years ago, when Joel Hinds came through the qualifier to win the Pittsburgh Open.  Hinds met Creed in the qualifier finals in 2009, with the same result in 2011.  Creed’s speed kept him in every point, but in the end Hinds’ accuracy proved too much.

Eric Galvez beat Scott Arnold 12-10, 11-9, 3-11, 11-9 in 72 min.  In the third match of the qualifier finals, Galvez’s shot making prevailed over Arnold’s precision drives.  The first two games were long, close battles, with Galvez expending a lot of energy to win both.  Arnold jumped out to a big lead in the third, and Galvez decided to save his energy for the 4th.  The last game was another back and forth match, with some extremely exciting points in which both players showcased their quick feet and hands.

Olivier Pett beat Marwan El Shorbagy in a walkover.  El Shorbagy, who had sustained a hamstring injury in Dayton, was unable to compete, advancing Pett to the main draw.

Here are the results from the first round of the qualifier:

Robbie Temple and Marwan El Shorbagy advanced with byes.

Olivier Pett beat local player Alex Reynolds, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 in 40 min.

Joel Hinds beat local player George Satler 11-3, 11-2, 11-5 in 30 min.

Eric Galvez beat local player Steve Baicker-McKee 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 in 30 min.  This was a tight back and forth match at the outset with tight rails and volley nicks, with Galvez pulling ahead 3-2 in the first.  After that, it was all Galvez as he toyed with Baicker-McKee, sending him from corner to corner.

Scott Arnold beat Raphael Kandra 11-9, 10-12, 11-2, 11-8 in 42 min.  This was a very exciting back and forth match, with Kandra attacking and Arnold countering with hard drives and redrops.  Kandra went up 9-2 in the first game, only to have Arnold rattle off 9 straight.  The second was back and forth, with Kandra capturing the game in overtime.  Arnold dominated the third, but Kandra came back strong in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.  But Arnold regrouped to even things at 7 all, then went on to close it out.

Jaymie Haycocks beat Arshad Burki 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 in 28 minutes.  This match was a contrast in styles, with Burki’s shot making and Haycocks’ court coverage and accurate length.  Today, Haycocks came out on top.  Game 2 was a real battle, with Burki leading 6-4 when Haycocks tallied 6 straight to lead 10-6 before closing it out 11-7.  Haycocks then jumped out to an 8-0 lead in game three, and closed it out 11-4.

Peter Creed beat Robert Downer 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 in 34 minutes.  In a rematch of the contest in Dayton last week, Creed and Downer squared off again.  Creed’s speed and court coverage proved too much for Downer, and Creed was able to repeat his victory from Dayton.





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