Esso Flanders Open 2000

RESULTS & Reports
Qualifying Finals
DEFENDING CHAMPION PARKE ELEVATED TO 2nd SEED AS NICOL WITHDRAWS England's defending champion Simon Parke has been elevated to second seed in the $57,500 SG Cowen US Open Squash Championship - which began in Boston, USA, today - following the withdrawal of top seed Peter Nicol, the world No1 from Scotland. Nicol pulled out of this month's British Open with a stress fracture of the lower shin - but further tests have now revealed the injury to be a less serious inflammation of his tendon. "Whilst I have now been on court for the first time since just before the British Open, the shin is still slightly painful, so I felt I needed further rest before returning to competitive action. I am disappointed to miss the US Open, but very much hope to back for November's Florida Open," said Nicol. Nottingham-based Parke, the 28-year-old world No3 from Yorkshire, is expected to meet Canada's top seed Jonathon Power in the final on Friday - in a repeat of the 99 climax when the Englishman claimed his first PSA Tour title since 1995. Parke faces another Canadian, qualifier Graham Ryding in the opening round, whilst Power also meets a qualifier, Australian Stewart Boswell. Unseeded Welshman David Evans makes his PSA Tour debut as British Open champion in this week's US Open - and faces England's sixth seed Del Harris in the first round. The pair met two days after Evans' remarkable triumph earlier this month in Birmingham - in an English National League battle in which the Welshman was downed in straight games. Qualifying finals: Nick Taylor (ENG) bt Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) 15-11 7-15 15-5 15-5 Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Chris Walker (ENG) 12-15 11-15 15-3 15-9 15-12 Graham Ryding (CAN) bt Peter Genever (ENG) 15-12 15-11 11-15 15-7 Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt Lee Beachill (ENG) 12-15 15-7 15-8 15-6
First Round
1st round (1st day): [1] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [Q] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 15-6 15-7 15-6 David Evans (WAL) bt [6] Del Harris (ENG) 15-12 15-8 15-6 [4] Paul Johnson (ENG) bt Thierry Lincou (FRA) 15-13 15-11 15-11 [8] David Palmer (AUS) bt [Q] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 12-15 17-16 15-12 17-15 2nd day: [5] Martin Heath (Sco) bt Anthony Hill (Aus) 15/9 7/15 15/11 15/13 [3] Ahmed Barada (Egy) bt John White (Sco) 15/8 15/11 15/11 [7] Peter Marshall (Eng) bt [Q] Nick Taylor (Eng) 15/11 11/15 15/9 15/14 [2] Simon Parke (Eng) bt [Q] Graham Ryding (Can) 15/5 10/15 15/10 15/10 MARSHALL WINS US OPEN OPENER England's Peter Marshall, the former world No2 from Nottingham, made up for his disappointing show in last month's British Open by beating compatriot Nick Taylor 15-11, 11-15, 15-9, 15-14 in the first round in a match which lasted almost two hours. The world No8's reward is a second round encounter with defending champion Simon Parke, his Nottingham compatriot who overcame Canadian qualifier Graham Ryding 15-5, 10-5, 15-10, 15-10. World No4 Ahmed Barada was in fine form as he crushed Scotland's John White 15-8, 15-11, 15-11 in just 45 minutes. The Egyptian now faces a further Scot Martin Heath, the fifth seed who defeated Australian Anthony Hill 15-9, 7-15, 15-11, 15-13. BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION EVANS MARCHES ON ... David Evans, the 26-year-old world No11 who earlier this month became the first Welshman to win the British Open, continued his ascendancy in Boston when he upset fellow Briton Del Harris, the 6th seed, 15-12 15-8 15-6 in the first round of the $57,500 SG Cowen US Open Squash Championship. The victory, revenge for the Welshman's league loss to the Englishman two days after his British Open triumph, takes Evans into Wednesday's second round against top seed Jonathon Power, the Canadian world No2 who ended Australian qualifier Stewart Boswell's run with a 15-6 15-7 15-6 dismissal. English qualifier Mark Chaloner stretched 8th seed David Palmer to the limit and took the opening game, but eventually lost 12-15 17-16 15-12 17-15 to the Australian who goes on to face another Englishman Paul Johnson, the fourth-seeded left-hander who beat France's Thierry Lincou 15-13 15-11 15-11.
Quarter-Finals
HEATH UPSETS BARADA IN QUARTERS Scotland's Martin Heath overturned a two-game deficit to upset third-seeded Egyptian Ahmed Barada 14-15, 13-15, 15-9, 15-5, 15-1 in the quarter-finals of the $57,500 SG Cowen US Open Squash Championship at the Harvard Club in Boston. It was a rich reward for the 27-year-old Edinburgh-based world No6 from Oban who, in his last meeting with the Egyptian in the Super Series Finals in London, had to concede the match when ahead after injuring his foot. In his first appearance in a US Open semi-final, fifth seed Heath will face defending champion Simon Parke, the world No3 from England who despatched his Nottingham compatriot Peter Marshall 15-9, 15-8, 15-6. The other semi-final will feature England's Paul Johnson, in his first US Open semi since 1994, and Canada's top seed Jonathon Power, a finalist for the past three years. Left-hander Johnson, 28, from Bromley in Kent, came back from 2-1 down to overcome Australia's David Palmer 15-7, 11-15, 11-15, 17-14, 15-13 in more than 100 minutes. 1997 champion Power, the 26-year-old world No2 from Toronto, ended Wales' British Open champion David Evans' run in the event with a 15-6, 15-9, 15-12 victory. [1] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt David Evans (WAL) 15-6, 15-9, 15-12 [4] Paul Johnson (ENG) bt [8] David Palmer (AUS) 15-7, 11-15, 11-15, 17-14, 15-13 [5] Martin Heath (SCO) bt [3] Ahmed Barada (EGY) 14-15, 13-15, 15-9, 15-5, 15-1 [2] Simon Parke (ENG) bt [7] Peter Marshall (ENG) 15-9, 15-8, 15-6
Semi-Finals
Jonathon Power bt Paul Johnson 15/7 15/9 15/7 Simon Parke bt Martin Heath 15/12 17/16 15/8 Jonathon Power and Simon Parke, the top seeds, set up a repeat of the 1999 US Open final with convincing 3-0 semi-final victories over, respectively, Paul Johnson and Martin Heath. Power always had too much attacking guile for Johnson, who was caught out of position at the end of the rally time and time again. Power raced to early leads in each game and never relinquished that control. Defending champion Parke had to work harder for his 3-0 victory though, as Heath pushed the Yorkshireman hard in the first and even harder in the second before eventually running out of steam in the third.
Final
POWER GAINS REVENGE TO TAKE US OPEN TITLE [1] Jonathon Power bt [2] Simon Parke 15/3 11/15 15/12 15/12 Canada's Jonathon Power claimed to US Open title at the Harvard club in Boston, beating defending champion Simon Parke 3-1 in the final. Power raced to an early lead in the first, with Parke letting the last few points go to save himself for the second. The Englishman took a tight second, but Power went 2-1 ahead. At 7-5 to Parke in the fourth one of Power's shoes fell apart, and he was forced to borrow a pair from Egypt's Ahmed Barada. Parke extended the lead to 10-5, but Power quickly got accustomed to his new kit, levelled at 10-10 and closed the game out 15-12 to take the title.