DARE Santa Barbara Squash Open, from Squash Player

D.A.R.E. Santa Barbara Open 2003
25-28 September, Santa Barbara, USA, $11k

28 Sep - FINAL:
Final:
[1] Paul Price (AUS) bt [2] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
16-17, 15-10, 15-8, 17-14 (82m)

Price Powers To
Santa Barbara Title
Australia's Paul Price claimed his second PSA Tour title of the year when he beat Malaysia's Mohammad Azlan Iskandar in four games in the final of the DARE Santa Barbara Squash Open in California, USA.

While Price, the 27-year-old world No20 from Melbourne, was celebrating his 16th appearance in a PSA final, it was only the 21-year-old Malaysian's second - and his first led to victory in the Kuala Lumpur Open in his hometown earlier in the year.

The second seed took the opening game after a tie-break - but top-seeded Price was strong throughout the match, taking ball very early and controlling the "T". Iskandar produced some excellent shots, with great retrieving, but was erratic at crucial times.

The Malaysian led 14-11 in the fourth game, but the more experienced Price ultimately prevailed to win 16-17 15-10 15-8 17-14 in 82 minutes - and claim his ninth career PSA title.

DARE ???
The event is a fundraiser for the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.

It always features some of the top Men's Professional players in the world, and has resulted in over $300,000 being donated to DARE directly from the first 8 years of the event.

Santa Barbara Open 2003
1st Round Thu 25th	Quarters Fri 26th	Semis Sat 27th	Final Sun 28th
[1] Paul Price (Aus) 15-7, 15-8, 15-5 Robert Graham (Eng)	Paul Price 15-10, 15-10, 15-13 Jan Koukal	Paul Price 15-5, 15-13, 14-15, 15-8 Ben Garner	Paul Price 16-17, 15-10, 15-8, 17-14 Azlan Iskandar
[8] Alex Stait (Eng) 11-15, 15-4, 15-11, 15-13 Jan Koukal (Cze)
[4] Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra) 13-15, 15-4, 15-6, 15-13 Shawn Delierre (Can)	Jean-Michel Arcucci 13-15, 15-5, 14-15, 15-10, 15-4 Ben Garner
[5] Ben Garner (Eng) 11-15, 15-8, 15-2, 15-6 Peter Barker (Eng)
[6] Laurens Anjema (Ned) 15-13, 15-7, 13-15, 15-7 Liam Kenny (Irl)	Liam Kenny 15-10, 15-10, 15-6 Lee Drew	Liam Kenny 15-6, 15-13, 15-4 Azlan Iskandar
Dylan Bennett (Ned) 15-9, 12-15, 15-4, 15-8 [3] Lee Drew (Eng)
[7] Mikkel Korsbjerg (Den) 10-15, 13-15, 15-9, 15-12, 15-8 Scott Fitzgerald (Wal)	Mikkel Korsbjerg 15-6, 11-15, 15-11, 15-9 Azlan Iskandar
Mark Heather (Eng) 3-15, 15-5, 15-7, 15-6 [2] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)

RESULTS & Reports

27 Sep - Semi-Finals:
Top Seeds Reach
Santa Barbara Final

Top seeds Paul Price, the world No20 from Australia, and Mohammad Azlan Iskandar, the world No36 from Malaysia, will meet in the final of the DARE Santa Barbara Squash Open in California, USA.

Favourite Price, a former British Open finalist from Melbourne, dropped his first game in the tournament in his 15-5 15-13 14-15 15-8 defeat of England's fifth seed Ben Garner.

Second seed Iskandar, by contrast, registered his first straight games win in the event in his 15-6 15-13 15-4 dismissal of unseeded Irishman Liam Kenny.

While both finalists are seeking their second PSA Tour titles of the year, London-based 21-year-old Iskandar, from Kuala Lumpur, boasts the distinction of never having lost a PSA final.

27 Sep - Quarter-Finals:
Kenny Continues To
Conquer In California
Unseeded Irishman Liam Kenny maintained his winning ways in the DARE Santa Barbara Squash Open by upsetting England's third seed Lee Drew in straight games in the quarter-finals in California, USA.

Born in Perth, Australia, Kenny reached the last eight after removing sixth-seeded Dutchman Laurens Anjema - then dismissed Drew 15-10 15-10 15-6 to set up a semi-final clash with second-seeded Malaysian Mohammad Azlan Iskandar, who beat Denmark's 7th seed Mikkel Korsbjerg 15-6 11-15 15-11 15-9.

While his older brother Tim was suffering in Spain, fifth seed Ben Garner caused a minor upset in Santa Barbara by defeating France's fourth seed Jean-Michel Arcucci 13-15 15-5 14-15 15-10 15-4.

Garner junior will now face Australia's top seed Paul Price, who ended unseeded Czech Jan Koukal's run with a 15-10 15-10 15-13 victory.

26 Sep - 1st round:

Kenny & Koukal Cruise
To Santa Barbara Quarters
Irishman Liam Kenny and Jan Koukal from the Czech Republic caused upsets on the opening day of the DARE Santa Barbara Squash Open in the USA to take up unexpected places in the quarter-finals.

Australian-born Kenny dismissed sixth-seeded Dutchman Laurens Anjema 15-13 15-7 13-15 15-7 to earn a last eight clash with England's third seed Lee Drew, who also took four games to overcome a Dutchman, Dylan Bennett.

Koukal's reward for his 11-15 15-4 15-11 15-13 victory over eighth-seeded Englishman Alex Stait is a quarter-final encounter with top seed Paul Price. The Australian defeated England's Santa Barbara-based Robert Graham 15-7 15-8 15-5.

2002 Event

Santa Barbara Open, 03-06 Oct, USA, $12k

Willstrop wallops Drew in D.A.R.E Open
It was an all-English final in the D.A.R.E. Santa Barbara Open in the USA, with top seed James Willstrop taking the title with his third successive victory over English Opposition.

Final:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [4] Lee Drew (ENG) 15-12, 15-9, 15-10

Semi-finals:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [3] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 15-4, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10
[4] Lee Drew (ENG) bt [2] Mikkel Korsbjerg (DEN) 15-13, 17-14, 11-15, 15-10

Quarter-finals:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [7] Andrew Whipp (ENG) 15-9, 17-16, 15-10
[3] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt [8] Ian Power (CAN) 15-8, 15-4, 15-8
[4] Lee Drew (ENG) bt [5] Mika Monto (FIN) 15-12, 15-5, 15-3
[2] Mikkel Korsbjerg (DEN) bt [6] Peter Pastijn (BEL) 15-7, 15-13, 15-11

1st round:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bye
[7] Andrew Whipp (ENG) bt Fabian Kalaitzis (GRE) 12-15, 15-7, 15-6, 15-13
[3] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Jason Jewell (USA) 15-10, 15-6, 15-4
[8] Ian Power (CAN) bt Martin Dzur (CZE) 15-7, 15-6, 15-6
[5] Mika Monto (FIN) bt Robert Graham (ENG) 15-10, 15-11, 15-13
[4] Lee Drew (ENG) bt Duncan Walsh (ENG) 15-4, 15-10, 15-6
[6] Peter Pastijn (BEL) bt Alex Stait (ENG) 5-15, 15-12, 8-15, 15-13, 15-7
[2] Mikkel Korsbjerg (DEN) bye