Greg Park Wins the Howard Davis Memorial Hardball Tournament by Paul T. Chan
Greg Park, tournament chair Paul Chan, and Matt Dominick
February 21, 2017
– The Howard Davis Memorial Hardball Tournament--honoring the former US
Squash President--was held this past weekend at the Greate Bay Tennis
and Racquet Club in Somers Point, New Jersey. The Tournament uses
the Austral ball, which was designed by handball enthusiasts to allow
the thrill of hardball play on international courts.
In the finals of the Open Divisions, local club pro and SDA touring
professional Greg Park captured first place prize money by beating Matt
Dominick, the former University of Rochester star, in three
games. (Two years ago, Gilley Lane, one of the highest ranked
American ever on the professional squash tour, defeated Park 15-12 in
the fifth game.)
The Open final was played at a blistering pace. The rallies were
long and intense, usually ending in a player not being able to keep up
the pace of the final shot. In front of a packed and enthralled
house, Park’s court sense and power helped him prevail over the speedy
and tricky lefty Dominick. Even though the match went just three
games, everyone was treated to a tremendous display of great hardball
squash.
At the Champions Dinner, Park said, “The points were amazing, with the
fast pace of the ball challenging the reflexes and creating
split-second shotmaking decisions. This is surely the future of
hardball squash on the wide courts!”
In the Open consolations, Doug Hiltner of Margate, New Jersey, beat Tim
Dearney of New York. In the finals of the 50s Division, Gary
Yaeger of Philadelphia, the many-time national hardball age group
champion, beat local standout Anthony Canuscio in five games.
Yaeger had defeated Paul Chan of Atlantic City in a five-game semifinal
earlier.
To get FREE Austral balls, contact Bryce Harding at BryceHarding53@gmail.com.
Reminder: The Hardball Circuit
ends with the Hardball Nationals on February 24th – 26th at the Merion
Cricket Club, just outside of Philadelphia.
