24-Oct, Final:

[2] Jonathon Power (Can) bt [5] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
       11/6, 11/10 (2-0), 11/10 (2-0) (56m)

Power wins at last

After three semi-finals disappointments in the last month when he was top seed, Canada's Jonathon Power finally got back to winning ways when he beat France's Gregory Gaultier in the final in Budapest.

Power took the first comfortably, but needed tie-breaks in the next two games to clinch the title without dropping a game.
 

• Draw & Results
   
• Reports
   
• En Français

Gregory Gaultier reports from Hungary ... "Nevertheless, I was mighty proud to get to the final, I got some of my confidence back, and I hope that I’ll do well at the British Open next week…" More

Gregory Gaultier

11/6, 11/10 (2-0), 11/10 (2-0) (56m)

Jonathon Power

Jonathon Power

  Qualifying:

  Finals, 20-Oct:
  Davide Bianchetti (Ita) bt Jonathan Kemp (Eng)  11/6, 5/11, 11/10 (3-1), 11/7 (70m)
  Peter Barker (Eng) bt Jan Koukal (Cze)  11/2, 11/2, 11/2 (30m)
  Ben Garner (Eng) bt Joey Barrington (Eng)  4/11, 11/10(3-1), 11/10(3-1), 7/11, 11/8 (90m)
  Shahier Razik (Can) bt Alister Walker (Eng)  2/11, 11/9, 11/8, 11/6 (50m)

  1st qualifying round:
  Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bye
  Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-4, 11-6, 11-7
  Peter Barker (ENG) bt Sandor Fulop (HUN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-2
  Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Alex Stait (ENG) 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-9
  Ben Garner (ENG) bt John Rooney (IRL) 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4
  Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Andras Torok (HUN) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8
  Alister Walker (ENG) bt Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 11-8, 11-1, 8-11, 11-0
  Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Lee Drew (ENG) 9-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-10 (5-3), 11-8
 

Gregory Gaultier on his week in Budapest ...

Hi Framboise,

How are you ? Here is some news from the Hungarian Open…

When I came back from the States, I felt a bit tired. On top of which I didn’t feel right over there, I was not playing well, it was all a bit worrying really.

I was quite happy to spend a bit of time in France to recover before starting the Hungarian Open.

As Renan [Lavigne] already mentioned, the tournament was extremely well organised, and the superb glass court was probably the best I've ever played on.

Two days before the tournament, I trained twice with Jonathan Power, to try and get some rhythm.

First round, I had to play Renan, I won 3/0, but the match was really close indeed, from start to finish. Luck played its part in me taking the second game, and I thought the 3rd would never finish. I had to work pretty hard…

In the quarters, I was meeting Nick Matthew, who won our last two meetings, and it was time for me to put the record straight!

Once again, the match was extremely hard from start to finish. I cracked up a bit physically in the third, he was up 2/1, but I found my second wind, and was able to take the initiative again.

I had to play very tight, very often, he was expecting me to cross court in order to attack with his lethal forehand volley.

Every time he would bring me forward, I had to cross court wide and hit very hard to prevent him from volleying, that's how I succeeded to fix him a few times. And I had to give it all in the 5th to make the difference…

In the semis, I played Adrian Grant. The match was a bit up and down, except for the first two games, which were solid enough. I won the 3rd easily, he took the 4th, (I have to admit I let that one go a bit, to try and recover).

In the 5th, the rallies were very tiring, when he would bring me forward, he would try and guess my fixations. He counterattacked with some super shots, and I had to keep on the rallies until he got weaker physically. Another very tiring match.

In the final, I then played against Jon, who had won all his matches in three. I knew I had a slight chance, as I do know his game better now.

The first game was close, even if the score doesn’t say that much, 11/6, where the rallies were of high intensity, using the four corners.

In the second, I slowed down the pace, got a game ball, but couldn’t seize the opportunity.

In the last game, again I got two game balls, I was working him hard combining lobs and drops, he was starting to suffer a bit, but he didn’t let go, and finally got the match.

Nevertheless, I was mighty proud to get to the final, I got some of my confidence back, and I hope that I’ll do well at the British Open next week…

See you soon,   
                          Greg Gaultier
 

The glass court in Budapest

En Français

23-Oct, Semi-Finals:

[5] Grégory Gaultier (Fra) bt [8] Adrian Grant (Eng) 11/9, 9/11, 11/3, 2/11, 11/7 (69m)
[2] Jonathon Power (Can) bt [6] Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 11/10 (2-0), 11/8, 11/9 (49m)

Power makes a final ... at last

Canada's Jonathon Power clinched a straight games win over Australia's Anthony Ricketts in the semi-finals of the Nissan Hungarian Open in Budapest to secure his first appearance in a PSA Tour final for almost a year. The No2 seed from Montreal will face fifth-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who overcame England's Adrian Grant in five games in the other semi-final.

Playing in his fourth PSA Tour event this month in which he was seeded to make the final, Power is at last celebrating a semi-final victory - after exits at this stage in the St Louis Open, Motor City Open and last week's Cleveland Classic.

Ricketts, the Sydney-born sixth seed, is fighting back to full fitness after a seven-month lay-off this year following knee surgery. But in his second clash with the Canadian this month, the Australian forced the first game into a tie-break before Power claimed the early advantage by winning the first two points.

Sensing victory, Power went on to wrap up the match 11-10 11-8 11-9 in 49 minutes to secure his third straight games win in the event, and his first appearance in the Hungarian Open final since winning the title in 1997.

Gaultier was fully stretched in the semi-final in the top half of the draw. The 21-year-old European Champion from Aix-en-Provence led after the first and third games, but on both occasions eighth seed Grant pulled level - in the fourth game allowing the Frenchman just two points.

But after 69 minutes, Gaultier claimed his 11-9 9-11 11-3 2-11 11-7 win and his third appearance in a PSA Tour final this year.

22-Oct, Quarter-Finals:
Grant & Gaultier in Budapest Upsets

Englishman Adrian Grant reached the semi-finals of the Hungarian Open in Budapest with a hard-fought win over top seeded Egyptian Amr Shabana. Grant fought back from 2-1 down to win in a fifth-game tie-breaker after 76 minutes. Having beaten the then world number one Peter Nicol in Hong Kong, Grant has now added the scalp of the world champion to his trophy cabinet.

In the semi-final Grant meets Gregory Gaultier, who caused a minor upset when the Frenchman got the better of England's third seed Nick Matthew in five games. Gaultier took the first, but had to fight back after falling 2-1 behind to the world number five. Fight back he did, to secure a semi-final place after 79 minutes.

The victory was a reversal of their previous meetings this year, when Matthew beat Gaultier in the Windy City final and in Hong Kong.

Power Cruises On
In the bottom half of the draw Australia's Anthony Ricketts continued his return to action after an extended layoff with a straight games win over Olli Tuominen, the in-form Finn.

Ricketts meets second seed Jonathon Power in the semi-finals after Power completed a second successive quick win, bypassing Mohammed Abbas in just 26 minutes.

Power has fallen at the semi-final hurdle in his last three tournaments, in St Louis, Detroit and Cleveland, but will be looking for a repeat of his quarter-final victory over Ricketts in Detroit as the Canadian aims to move back up the world rankings.

21-Oct, First Round:
Shabana tested in Budapest

Egypt's Amr Shabana progressed to the semi-finals of the Nissan Hungarian Open in Budapest, but after taking a 2-0 lead the world champion needed five games to overcome Italy's qualifier Davide Bianchetti. Shabana faces a quarter-final against Adrian Grant, who won his all-English duel with Peter Barker.

At the other end of the draw second seed Jonathon Power needed a mere 15 minutes to dismiss Hungarian wildcard Marton Szaboky, and meets Egyptian Mohammed Abbas.

Third seed Nick Matthew won his all-English match against Mark Chaloner, and now meets Gregory Gaultier, who won his all-French tussle with Renan Lavigne.

Fourth seed Joe Kneipp was beaten by Olli Tuominen, the Finn who is enjoying a fine run of results, reaching the Motor City Open final two weeks ago. Tuominen meets another Australian, Anthony Ricketts, in the quarter-finals.

20-Oct, Qualifying Finals:
Ben betters Barrington
in Budapest ...

Final qualifying for the inaugural Nissan Hungarian Open in Budapest featured English players in each of the four matches, and one all-English marathon.

The shortest match of the day saw Peter Barker score an easy win over Czech Classic champion Jan Koukal 11/2 11/2 11/2 in 30 minutes to earn a match against Adrian Grant in the first round.

At the other end of the scale, Ben Garner and Joey Barrington to exactly three times as long to decide their match. Barrington took the first before Garner edged ahead with two tie-break games, Barrington levelled, but after 90 minutes it was Garner who won the day. He faces seventh seed Mohammed Abbas in the main draw.

Italy's Davide Bianchetti beat Jonathan Kemp in four games to set up a match against top seed Amr Shabana, and Canadian Shahier Razik also too four games in beating Alister Walker. Razik now meets Australia's sixth seed Anthony Ricketts.

World Champion Shabana is seeded to face Canada's Jonathon Power in the final. After missing the US Open through injury Power has failed to progress to the final in Detroit, St Louis and Cleveland despite bei9ng top seed for those events, and will be keen to get back to winning ways. He faces local wildcard Marton Szaboky in the first round.

Shabana and Power
top Hungarian Draw

The inaugural Nissan Hungarian Open has drawn a strong field, with world champion Amr Shabana seeded to meet Canada's mercurial Jonathon Power in the final.

In Shabana's top half of the draw it's English and French opposition, with world number five Nick Matthew and world number eleven Gregory Gaultier, unluckily drawn to play compatriot Renan Lavigne in the first round, the main threats.

Power faces, on paper, a slightly easier route to the final, with Australians Joe Kneipp and Anthony Ricketts, along with fellow Canadian Graham Ryding, the main contenders.

Final qualifying promises some epic matches with strong English representation. Italy's Davide Bianchetti faces Jonathan Kemp, Peter Barker takes on the in-form Czech champion Jan Koukal, Alister Walker meets Canada's Shahier Razik while Ben Garner and Joey Barrington feature in an all-English match. Qualifying results