Home Heroes Tumble as Stars Light Up Kent Open
by Alan Thatcher
May 9, 2013 - Kent trio Ben Ford, Steven London and James Evans crashed out of the $10,000 PSA Challenger 10 SE Leisure Kent Open at The Mote Squash Club in Maidstone.
Veteran Ford, 37, came close to taking the second game off No.2 seed Jonathan Kemp but the effort clearly took its toll as he lost the final game 11-0.
Kemp meets Declan James, who overcame London after losing a marathon opening game 14-16.
Young qualifier Evans, roared on by a packed gallery at his home club in the county town of Kent, found the gulf in quality too much to handle as he fell to former champion Chris Ryder.
Following two straight-games victories in qualifying, the Invicta Grammar School head boy started brightly with a flurry of winners before Ryder took control in ruthless fashion.
Twice a champion at The Mote, Ryder will be hoping the crowd will be on his side as he bids to maintain his unbeaten record at the club in the quarter-finals when he faces top seed Adrian Waller.
The 6ft 3in Waller was in outstanding form in front of England's national coach Chris Robertson as he dispatched fellow Londoner Reuben Phillips in just 27 minutes.
Equally impressive was another Londoner, No.3 seed Joe Lee, who beat Devon's Michael Harris in straight games and now meets Frenchman Yann Perrin.
Wild card Joel Hinds, from Birmingham, sprung a major surprise when he ousted No.4 seed Henrik Mustonen but the Finn was suffering from a heavy cold which hampered his movement in a physically taxing contest.
Hinds faces Yorkshire qualifier James Earles, who finished strongly to beat Pakistan's Adil Maqbool 11-7 in the fifth game.
The Kent Open is sponsored by SE Leisure, Craft Insure, Shepherd Neame, The Mote Squash Club and Harrow Rackets.
PSA World Tour Challenger 10 SE Leisure Kent Open
At The Mote Squash Club, Maidstone, Kent, England
First Round:
1 Adrian Waller (Eng) bt (Q) Reuben Phillips (Eng) 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (27 mins)
Chris Ryder (Eng) bt (Q) James Evans (Eng) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (28 mins)
(Q) James Earles (Eng) bt Adil Maqbool (Pak) 6-11, 11-4, 11-3, 6-11, 11-7 (46 mins)
Joel Hinds (Eng) bt 4 Henrik Mustonen (Fin) 11-9, 13-11, 11-9 (46 mins)
3 Joe Lee (Eng) bt Michael Harris (Eng) 11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (33 mins)
Yann Perrin (Fra) bt Carlos Cornes Riberas (Esp) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 (30 mins)
Declan James (Eng) bt Steven London (Eng) 14-16, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 (57 mins)
2 Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt (Q) Ben Ford (Eng) 11-6, 12-10, 11-0 (25 mins)
Quarter-Finals
Waller v Ryder
Hinds v Earles
Lee v Perrin
Kemp v James
Website: www.motesquash.co.uk
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