Boswell Joins Palmer In Canberra Last 16
by Howard Harding
9 August 2011 - Stewart Boswell made it two Australian men into the second round of the Viridian Australian Open when he downed India's Saurav Ghosal in straight games in today's second day of first round action in the third PSA World Series squash event of the year in Canberra.
Boswell edged Ghosal in a tight first game before easing away with the next two to take the match 14-12, 11-2, 11-5 in 48 minutes.
The 33-year-old Boswell grew up in Canberra and delighted the home fans with the emphatic win to join Australian number one David Palmer in the second round.
However, the four-time champion will have to step up several gears before facing second-seeded Egyptian Ramy Ashour, who downed Malaysian qualifier Ivan Yuen in the last match of the night.
"It's pretty good, it's nice to have some support," said Boswell - winner of his country's premier title in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2009 - about playing in Canberra. "Normally it's for the other guy when I'm overseas, I was glad to get through at least one round this year, that's a start."
Earlier Australian number two Cameron Pilley bowed out at the hands of classy Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, while Englishman Peter Barker was too steady for Hobart's Aaron Frankcomb, winning 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
Gaultier was in blistering form as he downed world number 14 Pilley 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
"It was maybe the worst draw I could get for the first round," said Gaultier, the world No6 from Aix-en-Provence. "But I was in really good shape and moving well, finding my length, I was really patient and I managed to play a little bit faster than him."
Frankcomb had the sixth-seeded Barker in trouble at various times throughout their match, but couldn't maintain the pressure when it counted.
"Aaron has beaten players ranked above him, but he hasn't always been consistent in the past and I'm sure he'll tell you that's what he's working on," said London left-hander Barker. "So on this court in front of his home crowd I knew I had to be ready."
England's fourth seed James Willstrop put on a display of superb squash as he downed fellow countryman Chris Ryder 13-11, 11-8, 11-0, declaring later he played almost the perfect match.
"I played some great squash, it was really good on my part, and he really didn't do a lot wrong," said the 27-year-old Yorkshireman. "It was just one of those bizarre games but I got on top early, I enforced myself physically and I got a bit of momentum there at five-love, and his head dropped a bit, because when you're two-love, five-love down, it makes it very difficult.
"But 11-0 in the third game wasn't a just score, but for me to put in a game like that is just great."
Willstrop has flown under the radar this year with most of the attention on fellow countryman Nick Matthew and Egypt's Ramy Ashour.
"I believe that I can beat either of them - of course all the attention's going to be on them because they are number one and two in the world, but I don't go round thinking there's any kind of hierarchy. I feel I'm on level terms with them. I just have to do it more consistently."
Willstrop now faces Scotsman Alan Clyne, who continued his recent climb as he reached the second round of a platinum level tournament for the first time with an 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 win over Malaysia's Muhd Asyraf Azan.
Clyne won the first game easily, then came back from 8-2 down in the second, before running away with the third against a disconsolate Azan.
"I managed to get onto the pace pretty quickly in the first game because on the glass court you need to be positive and get the ball in short and I thought I did that really well," said the Edinburgh-based Scot.
"I thought it was quite crucial when I came back, when you're 8-2 down you can relax because you think the game's going to be finished - but once I got a few points I thought if I could get that one it could just be the turning point, and it proved to be."
England's Adrian Grant came from two games down to overhaul German Simon Rosner 2-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8.
Rosner played superbly in the first two and half games and had chances to bring up match points, but Grant, the world No18, ranked 12 places higher, clung in and eventually turned the tables on his younger opponent.
"I was very tentative in my movement and my swing to begin with," Grant said. "It is the first tournament I've played since an injury so it's been over three months since I've played. I was a bit nervous and felt tight inside the body, but fair play to Rosner, he's a big guy who really crunches the ball and he just didn't let me settle in.
"In the third I went in with nothing to lose and just tried to free up mentally and physically."
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan joined fellow Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in the second round when he beat Dick Lau from Hong Kong 11-7, 11-4, 11-3.
RESULTS: PSA World Series Viridian Australian Open, Canberra, Australia
1st round (lower half of draw):
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 13-11, 11-8, 11-0 (37m)
[Q] Alan Clyne (SCO) bt [Q] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (40m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 2-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (76m)
[5] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 (64m)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (57m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt [Q] Dick Lau (HKG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (34m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 14-12, 11-2, 11-5 (48m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 (22m)
2nd round line-up:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Julian Illingworth (USA)
David Palmer (AUS) v Tom Richards (ENG)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Max Lee (HKG)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO)
[5] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Adrian Grant (ENG)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) v Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Stewart Boswell (AUS)
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