Delierre Beats Wagih, Salazar Over Gordon In North American Open First Round Qualifiers from DailySquashReport.com
Posted February 18, 2012
Howard Harding Reports:
Home hopes were dashed in the
Davenport North American Open when Christopher Gordon failed to advance
through the qualifying competition of the second PSA World Series
squash event of the year.
The New York-born US number two was beaten in straight games by
talented Mexican Cesar Salazar in the first round of the qualifying
draw at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond.
Following his 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 victory in just 28 minutes, Salazar now
meets Mathieu Castagnet of France in the qualifying finals - which will
be played on the glass court across town at the Westwood Club.
Castagnet took 66 minutes to beat fellow Frenchman Julien Balbo 7-11,
11-6, 11-2, 11-6.
In another battle lasting the same time, another French competitor Yann
Perrin lost to Kamran Khan of Malaysia. Khan's 14-16, 11-9, 11-2, 11-8
win takes the 21-year-old from Kuala Lumpur into a qualifying final
against Siddharth Suchde.
UK-based Suchde, a 27-year-old Indian from Mumbai, scored a notable
first round win when he beat in-form Pakistani Yasir Butt - runner-up
in last week's Windy City Open in Chicago - 12-10, 11-3, 11-5.
Top qualifying seed Martin Knight of New Zealand meets Matthew
Karwalski of Australia, and No2 seed Omar Abdel Aziz of Egypt faces
Olivier Pett of England.
Pett, the world No66 from Sussex, scored an impressive domestic success
when he upset fellow countryman Robbie Temple, ranked six places
higher, 11-6, 13-11, 11-3.
Qualifying finals line-up:
Martin Knight (NZL) v Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
Shawn Delierre (CAN) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Siddharth Suchde (IND) v Kamran Khan (MAS)
Chris Simpson (ENG) v Zac Alexander (AUS)
Adrian Waller (ENG) v Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) v Jan Koukal (CZE)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) v Olivier Pett (ENG)
First Round Qualifying Results, $115,000 North American Open - Richmond, Virginia