Phillips Causes Only Qualifying Surprise In Canberra
by Howard Harding
6 August 2011 - Englishman Alex Phillips caused the only real surprise in today's first qualifying round of the CSR Viridian Australian Open in Canberra when he ousted the higher-ranked Australian Jamie McErvale to make the qualifying finals of the third PSA World Series squash event of the year.
The 23-year-old from the Isle of Wight started well, then had to hold off a determined comeback from McErvale, ranked almost 100 places higher, to win in five games 13-11, 11-7, 1-11, 4-11, 11-4.
Phillips said that four weeks of tournament play in Australia in the lead-up to the Open had helped him to win against the 20-year-old Queenslander.
"I've done four other tournaments and played lots of squash," said the world No 273 in only his first year as a member of the Professional Squash Association.
"It's exactly what I needed to prepare for matches like this - keeping my concentration for the whole match rather than just one or two games.
"I was lucky to get the first I think, but he came back at me. I stopped doing my game plan and he came back in the third and fourth.
"I made sure in the fifth that I got better length and actually controlled the match rather than hitting it too hard and running around like a headless chicken."
Phillips now takes on Dick Lau, the world No87 from Hong Kong who earned an impressive 11-8, 11-3, 11-1 winner over Japan's Ben Takamizawa Harris.
"I've got nothing to lose tomorrow," Phillips said. "I've got a day to prepare for it, so I'll just give it all I've got."
Melbourne's Rex Hedrick registered the first win of the 2011 tournament when he beat New Zealander James Skiffington 11-2, 11-1, 11-1.
He now takes on Alan Clyne after the Scotsman was handed a first round bye.
"It was a really good way to start, just getting that first win and giving yourself the chance to qualify for the main draw," Hedrick said.
"I've played James before and I've seen him play a lot - it was a match I should have won so it's good to get the first one out of the way.
"I started solidly and stayed on top of him.
"It's a very tough match tomorrow against Alan Clyne. He's ranked 40 in the world and he's a really good player so I'll have to be on the ball from the start."
New Zealand's Kashif Shuja had mixed feelings after seeing off local Canberra hope and former tour player Tim Manning 11-6, 11-8, 11-8.
"I've known Tim for 18 years - we used to train a lot when we were both in Sydney," Shuja said.
"I catch up with him whenever I come back to Canberra, and it's good to see him still playing. It's good for local squash, and he's still playing pretty good.
"He's just a little bit off the pace because he doesn't play full time anymore."
Joining Shuja in the qualifying finals were fellow Kiwis Campbell Grayson and Chris Lloyd.
Grayson plays Malaysia's Ivan Yuen while Lloyd faces Queensland's Zac Alexander, an impressive 11-5, 11-3, 11-9 winner over fellow Aussie Josh Cardwell.
RESULTS: PSA World Series CSR Viridian Australian Open, Canberra, Australia
1st qualifying round:
Alan Clyne (SCO) bye
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-2, 11-1, 11-1
Alex Phillips (ENG) bt Jamie McErvale (AUS) 13-11, 11-7, 1-11, 4-11, 11-4
Dick Lau (HKG) bt Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-1
Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-2
Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Roman Svec (CZE) 11-8, 11-8, 11-3
Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Timothy Manning (AUS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8
Max Lee (HKG) bt Bradley Hindle (MLT) 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2
Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Joseph Watts (NZL) 11-1, 11-6, 11-4
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4
Chris Lloyd (NZL) bt Joshua Southwell-Nobbs (AUS) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6
Zac Alexander (AUS) bt Josh Cardwell (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-9
Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 11-8, 13-11, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt Justin Beard (AUS) 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 11-7
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 13-11, 11-7, 11-2
Martin Knight (NZL) bye
Qualifying finals line-up:
Alan Clyne (SCO) v Rex Hedrick (AUS)
Alex Phillips (ENG) v Dick Lau (HKG)
Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) v Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
Kashif Shuja (NZL) v Max Lee (HKG)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
Zac Alexander (AUS) v Chris Lloyd (NZL)
Wade Johnstone (AUS) v Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
Martin Knight (NZL) v Raphael Kandra (GER)
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