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Tennyson
West Fog City Open
2004
23-26 Sep, San
Francisco, USA, $10k |
26-Sep, Final:
[3] Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt
[2] Shahier Razik (Can)
11/5, 11/8, 4/11, 6/11, 11/9 (90m)
Pilley Takes Tennyson West
Title In San Francisco ...
In the longest match of the
tournament, Australia's Cameron Pilley collected his seventh
PSA tour title with a five-game victory over Canadian Shahier Razik.
Pilley started the match in aggressive mode, attempting more winners
than in previous matches, and the tactic paid off as Razik, continuing
his mainly defensive play, was caught out as Pilley raced to a
two-love lead.
Than Canadian stepped up the pace in the third, drawing errors from
Pilley which allowed him to peg a game back and then draw level after
a fourth game that started with long rallies but saw Pilley make
errors going short as the game progressed.
Razik continued to dominate a tired-looking Pilley in the fifth,
opening up an 8/5 lead, but the Australian found the energy from
somewhere to claw his way back into the match, reaching match-ball at
10-9 with another great forehand drop shot winner.
After six lets Pilley finally took it 11/9 with a cross-court nick
into the forehand corner to become the first Fog City Open champion.
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Cameron Pilley
photo from Squash Australia |
Tennyson West Fog City Open 2004 |
1st Round
Thu 23rd |
Quarters
Fri 24th |
Semis
Sat 25th |
Final
Sun
26th |
[1] Rodney
Durbach (Rsa)
11/10, 11/10, 11/6 (52m)
[Q] Sam Miller (ENG) |
Rodney Durbach
11/10 (4-2), 5/11, 11/5, 11/7 (66m)
Eric Galvez |
Rodney Durbach
11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 11/5 (66m)
Cameron Pilley |
Cameron Pilley
11/5, 11/8, 4/11, 6/11, 11/9 (90m)
Shahier Razik |
[6] Lee Drew
(Eng)
8/11, 5/11, 11/6, 11/9, 11/3 (80m)
Eric Galvez (Mex) |
[3]
Cameron Pilley (Aus)
11/6, 11/7, 5/11, 11/4 (58m)
Chris Walker (Eng) |
Cameron Pilley
11/5, 11/9, 11/10(2/0) (71m)
Jean-Michel Arcucci |
[5]
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra)
7/11, 7/11, 11/9, 11/6, 11/3
Raj Nanda (Aus) |
[8] Liam Kenny
(Irl)
11/5, 11/3, 11/5 (29m)
[Q] Christopher Gordon (USA) |
Liam Kenny
11/5 11/5 11/10 (3/1) (49m)
Ian Power |
Liam Kenny
11/10(4/2), 11/6, 11/4 (53m)
Shahier Razik |
Ian Power
(Can)
9/11, 11/4, 11/9, 11/8 (64m)
[LL] Beau River (Usa) |
[Q] Wade
Johnstone (AUS)
11/9, 11/7, 11/7 (31m)
Matthew Giuffre (Can) |
Matthew Giuffre
10/11(0/2), 11/8, 11/2, 11/2 (48m)
Shahier Razik |
[Q] Jose
Angel Becerril (MEX)
11/8, 10/11(1/3), 11/9, 11/10 (2/0)
[2] Shahier Razik (Can) |
Qualifying Finals:
Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt Ben Gould (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-7,
8-11, 11-5
Sam Miller (ENG) bt Alexandre Muller (FRA) 11-5, 11-10 (4-2), 11-10
(2-0)
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt Mark Allen (ENG) 6-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7,
11-1, 11-7
Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Beau River (USA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
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Reports |
25-Sep, semis:
[3] Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt [1] Rodney Durbach (Rsa)
11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 11/5 (66m)
[2] Shahier Razik (Can) bt [8] Liam Kenny (Irl)
11/10(4/2), 11/6, 11/4 (53m)
Pilley Pounces on Durbach
In San Francisco
Australia's third seed Cameron
Pilley took out top-seeded Rodney Durbach in the
semi-finals of the Tennyson West Fog City Open at San Francisco's Bay
Club.
The pair traded points in a tight first game before Pilley eased away
to take the lead. The Australian took a 6/3 lead in the second before
Durbach pegged him back to level the match, but Pilley regained
control to take the next two games, avenging his defeat by Durbach in
January's Virginia Pro championships.
In the final Pilley meets Canada's second seed Shahier Razik,
who ended Irishman Liam Kenny's challenge in straight games.
25-Sep:
Top Three Through
In Tennyson West
The top three seeds all won through to
the semi-finals of the Fog City Open in San Francisco, joined by
Ireland's eighth seed Liam Kenny.
Top seed Rodney Durbach fought off a spirited challenge from
Eric Galvez, saving a game ball to take the first on a tie-break and
losing the second before comfortably taking the last two to clinch a
semi-final spot. Durbach had played Galvez a couple of times recently,
and had his strategy worked out: "Not to play too fast, especially
across the court as Eric is very quick and lifting the ball. Playing
consistent to the back and wait for Eric's mistakes."
The South African meets Cameron Pilley in the semis, the
Australian beating Jean-Michel Arcucci in straight games, benefiting
from many errors from the Frenchman's racket. "I was glad to get
through in 3," said Pilley. "I was trying to play more attacking shots
as I haven't done so in the last few tournaments."
The second semi-final sees Canada's second seed Shahier Razik
meet Liam Kenny, both enjoying relatively quick matches to make the
semis.
24-Sep:
Walker Bows Out
In San Francisco
England's veteran Chris Walker, the former world number four,
failed to make an impact on his return to PSA action, going down to a
four-game defeat to Australia's third seed Cameron Pilley at
the Bay Club in San Francisco.
"Chris hasn't played PSA for a while so I
tried to keep the ball tight and keep him moving to tire him out, but
slowed the game down too much, losing the third game. Increasing the
pace again in the forth gave me the forth game and the match," Pilley
told Dominique Chiquet after the match.
Pilley meets Frenchman Jean-Michel
Arcucci in the quarters.
Top seeds Rodney Durbach and Shahier Razik made it
safely through to the quarters, although Razik was made to work hard
as he squeezed past Brazilian qualifier Jose Becerril in four
close games.
The USA's top junior Chris Gordon failed to improve on his
qualification success, losing out in straight games to Liam Kenny.
"I was shooting short too often from the back of the court without
preparing the rallies long enough and was too slow on the ball," said
Gordon.
Christopher Gordon's squash education
continues
at the Berkshire Open in October.
23-Sep:
Gordon Leads Local
Interest In San Francisco
New York-born teenager Christopher Gordon gave a boost to the
Tennyson West Fog City Squash Open in San Francisco by becoming the
only American to reach the first round of this new PSA Tour event in
the USA.
The 18-year-old, who led the USA undefeated in the recent World
Junior Team Championships, beat higher-ranked fellow American Beau
River 11-6 11-9 11-6 in the qualifying finals and now takes on
Ireland's eighth seed Liam Kenny in the first round.
19-Sep:
Bay Area looks forward
to top squash ...
The newest event on the PSA circuit, the $10,000 Tennyson West Fog
City Open, to be held at the San Francisco Bay Club from
Sept. 22-26, will bring top players to compete in the Bay area for the
first time.
“San Francisco’s appearance as a venue on the PSA tour is long
overdue,” said Mark Allen, SF Bay Club head squash coach. “The
players want to come here and this September I hope we can offer them
a fantastic tournament experience.”
Chris Walker, former World #4 and current US national boys’ team
coach, will be among the top players showcased in the championship.
Top seed is South Africa's world number 28 Rodney Durbach, with
Canada's Shahier Razik, ranked 31, seeded to meet him in the final.
Organizers believe that hosting a successful PSA squash tournament
could result in bringing the North American Open to San
Francisco in 2005.
100 percent of proceeds from the Tennyson West Fog City Open will be
donated to select Bay Area nonprofit organizations that support
disadvantaged youth, as part of the “Giving on the T” philanthropy
program. The program, established by SF Investment Bank Tennyson West,
in partnership with the San Francisco Bay Club, has generated
commitments of more than $100,000 in donations that will be given to
the East Bay College Fund, Joy of Sports Foundation and Save the
Children literacy programs in the Central Valley.
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alanbrz@yahoo.com
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