Illingworth & Delierre Into Ontario PSA Semis, Razik Upended
by Mike McCue
April 19, 2012 - Quarterfinal play began with third seed Chris Simpson taking on Peter Creed, who had a good win last night over Eddie Charlton. Creed found good length and width right away, taking the first game 11-6. The second was close in the early going, but Simpson maintained the same level while Creed faltered slightly in the business end of the game with some untimely tins. The third was a similar story; Simpson steady, Creed sometimes brilliant but sometimes impatient. Simpson earned two matchballs in the fourth at 10-8 and had a clear winning opportunity with a backhand volley drop at 10-9, but tinned it to give Creed hope. He regained composure and squeezed out the final two points to fulfill his seeding.
Shawn Delierre engaged Ben Coleman in the usual long rallies with plenty of lets, but the young Englishman hit several winners and held the lead at 10-9. Shawn's experience shined through as he extended the next few rallies and took an important 1-0 lead. The second was close throughout and obviously crucial to Coleman's hopes of causing an upset. The Canadian won that game as well, then seized control in the third as Ben's impressive run in Sudbury came to an end.
The upset of the tournament came when Charles Sharpes took out defending champ and #2 seed Shahier Razik. Sharpes was on the attack for the whole match, staying in front of Razik and consistently hitting severe low kills. Razik does revel in this defensive role, but Sharpes never faltered mentally or physically. Charles held leads at 9-4 in both the second and third, and this gap proved too much for Razik to peg back. This was certainly the best win (ranking-wise, at least) of Charles' young career.
The final match of the evening was arguably the most entertaining. Top seed Julian Illingworth looked like he might overwhelm Clinton Leeuw with accurate volleys and straight hitting. Leeuw quickly adjusted to the pace and hit some great counter-attack winners to claim the first game 11-5. The next three games were all close, with both players' superb athleticism on display. Illingworth's accuracy and efficiency eventually made the difference as Clinton tired slightly and fell behind the pace. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the South African's total commitment as well as the class of Illingworth.
Quarterfinal results, 2012 $15,000 Northern Ontario Open
(1) Julian Illingworth (USA) bt (Q) Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 5-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 (50m)
(3) Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (72m)
(4) Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt (Q) Ben Coleman (ENG) 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 (45m)
Charles Sharpes bt (2) Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (42m)
DRAW
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