Betteridge Trophy 2003
13-16 Nov, Mamaroneck, New York, USA, $10k

 16-Nov, Final:
[1] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [2]Chris Walker (ENG)
     15-3, 15-8, 15-7, (35m)
 
Azlan denies Walker in Mamaroneck
Mike Callaway reports

The first game of the match was the crucial game in the 3-0 victory of number 1 seed Mohd Azlan from Malaysia. The game started slowly with neither player taking control but at 11-12 down Azlan took the next three points & despite saving one game ball the first game was won in thirteen minutes.
 
Azlan kept the pressure on Walker in the second game who looked to have spent his energy when defeating Stait in the quarter finals & Harms in the semis. If the Walker drop was not tight to the side wall, Azlan was able to hold Walker & flick the ball cross court to Walkers backhand which he was unable to retrieve.
 
The third game followed a similar vein but despite the calls for Chris to make another famous come back from his loyal supporters today was not his day, with Azlan winning 15-7.
 

Azlan receives the trophy from
sponsor Terry Betteridge

15-3, 15-8, 15-7, (35m)

Chris Walker

Qualifying:

Finals:
John Rooney (IRE) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 15-5 12-15 15-3 15-13
Karim Yehia (EGY) bt Morten Sorensen (DEN) 15-12 13-15 15-9 15-9
Rafael  F Alarcon (BRA) bt Ben Howell (ENG) 11-15 10-15 15-5 15-11 15-13
Raj Nanda (AUS) bt Amir Mansi (EGY) 15-4 15-14 15-13

First Round:
John Rooney (IRE) bt Chris Gordon (USA) 15-8 15-3 15-7
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 14-17 17-15 15-13 15-12
Morten Sorensen (DEN bt Beau River (USA) 17-15 17-15 15-11
Karim Yehia (EGY) bt Matt Jenson (AUS) 15-10 15-8 6-15 15-10
Ben Howell (ENG) bt Liam Nolan (IRL) 15-6 15-9 15-5
Rafael F. Alarcon (BRA) bt Dylan Patterson (USA) 10-15 15-8 15-9 14-15 15-4
Amr Mannsi (EGY) bt Shahid Khan (ENG) 15-8 15-12 15-12
Raj Nanda (AUS) bt David Barnett (ENG) 15-11 15-8 15-8

15-Nov, Semi-Finals:
[1] Mohd Azlan Askandar (MAS) bt [3] Mike Corren (AUS)
     15-9, 16-17, 15-5, 15-11
[2] Chris Walker (ENG) def [4] Lars Harms (SUI)
     12-15, 15-12, 15-7, 15-7

Top seeds reach Trophy final
The top seeds in the Betteridge Trophy will meet in Sunday's final, both players were tested at times but experience told in both matches.
 
In the first match Corren came back from 12-14 down to take the second game 17-16 but showed little resistance in the third as Azlan won 9 points in a row to go from 6-5 up to take the game in a single hand & comfortably taking the fourth game.
 
In the second semi final Walker looked slow to the front & struggled to turn as he lost the first game 15-12. The second game was close till 12 all when Walker look the last 3 points to win that game as Harms made too many errors to keep the pressure on Walker, who won the next two games with ease.

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14-Nov, Quarter-Finals:
[1] Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [6] Peter Genever (ENG) 13-15, 15-6, 10-15, 17-15, 15-3
[4] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [Q] Rafael Alarcon (BRA) 15-12, 15-12, 15-10
[3] Lars Harms (SUI) bt [8]Gavin Jones (WAL) 15-11, 15-8, 15-5
[2] Chris Walker (ENG) bt [8] Alex Stait (ENG)  15-9, 15-13, 12-15, 11-15, 15-14

Top seeds taken the distance
Mike Callaway reports
The top two seeds in the quarter final matches were taken the full distance, with Chris Walker saving one match ball at 13-14 in the final game before finally winning after Alex Stait had set one.

Walker hade been up 13-8 in the fifth until Stait pulled back winning the next 6 points, but was unable to take advantage of either of the last two points against the experienced Walker, who was determined not to lose to his younger opponent.

Number one seed Azlan from Malaysia came back from 2-1 down in games & 14-13 in the fourth against Peter Genever before winning that game 17-15 & easily taking the fifth 15-3 against the 2001 winner Genever.

The semi-finals take place at 5pm & 6pm at Westchester Squash in Mamaroneck & the final at 6pm on Sunday.

13-Nov, First Round:
The only seed to lose in the first round of the Betteridge Trophy in Mamoronek was Australia's Cameron Pilley, who lost to Brazilian Rafael  Alarcon.

Welshman Gavin Jones was taken the full distance in a superb display of squash, played in an excellent spirit before defeating Pakistan's Kumail Mehmood, a former Pakistan national champion now coaching at Sportsplex in Stamford.

Second seed Chris Walker had too much experience for Westchester's Mark Heather defeating him in straight games, and top seed Azlan Iskander was similarly untroubled by Irishman John Rooney.