10/11/2007
BALTIMORE CUP
El Halaby Battles To Baltimore Success
Baltimore Cup 2007
06-11 Nov, USA, $10k |
Round One
08
Nov |
Quarters
09 Nov |
Semis
10 Nov |
Final
111 Nov |
[1] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col)
11/8, 11/8,11/1 (22m)
Josh Greenfield (Nzl) |
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
11/7, 11/5, 8/11, 11/8 (47m)
Jacques Swanepol |
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
7-11, 11-3, 11-5,
11-4 (60m)
Yasser El Halaby |
Yasser El Halaby
7-11, 11-1,
11-2, 9-11, 11-4 (70m)
Julian Illingworth |
Tony James (Aus)
3/11, 8/11, 11/6,11/5, 12/10 (65m)
[Q] Jacques Swanepol (Rsa) |
Yasser El Halaby (Egy)
11/9,11/8, 11/4 (35m)
Patick Chifunda (Zam) |
Yasser El Halaby
11/6, 11/4, 11/4 (35m)
Arturo Salazar |
Ryan Cuskelly (Can)
11/7 11/7, 11/4 (50m)
[Q] Arturo Salazar (Mex) |
[Q] Reggie Schonborn (Rsa)
11/9, 11/6, 11/7 (38m)
Wade Johnstone (Aus) |
Reggie Schonborn
11/7, 11/9, 10/12, 11/6 (55m)
Bernardo Samper |
Bernardo Samper
11-9, 11-8, 8-11,
11-3 (55m)
Julian Illingworth |
Ben Garner (Eng)
11/9, 9/11, 11/8, 11/8 (50m)
Bernardo Samper (Col) |
Ryan Donegan (Usa)
11/6, 11/5, 13/11 (50m)
Laurent Elriani (Fra) |
Laurent Elriani
11/6, 11/7, 11/4 (43m)
Julian Illingworth |
[Q] Morten Sorensen (Den)
11/3, 11/5, 11/8 (44m)
[2] Julian Illingworth (Usa) |
El Halaby
Battles To
Baltimore Success
Egypt's Yasser El Halaby captured the
Baltimore Squash Cup in a thrilling final of the $10,000 PSA Tour
event at Baltimore Country Club in
Baltimore,
USA.
It was a
topsy-turvy match, and one which held the capacity crowd enthralled. After
losing the first game to
USA's
Julian Illingworth, the third-seeded Egyptian came storming back to take a
2/1 lead against an increasingly despondent looking second seed.
However, the American would not give up without a fight - and the fourth game
turned into a classic. Towards the end of the game, there were some superb
rallies, with both players attacking and retrieving in equal measure.
Illingworth won the game, but the effort took its toll and El Halaby always
looked the stronger in the fifth, deservedly winning the title 7-11, 11-1, 11-2,
9-11, 11-4 in 70 minutes, having beaten both the top seeds.
The triumph marks the third Tour title of El Halaby's career - and his third of
the year.
Seeds Progress In
Baltimore
The top
four seeds progressed through to the semi-finals of the Baltimore Squash Cup,
but they were made to work for their places in the last four of the $10,000
PSA Tour event at Baltimore Country Club in
Baltimore,
USA.
South African qualifiers Jacques Swanepoel and Regardt Schonborn
both tested their higher-ranked opponents. Schonborn and Bernardo Samper,
the fourth seed from
Colombia,
were team-mates while studying together at Trinity - and their familiarity with
each others games was obvious.
There were some excellent points and the match was played in a superb spirit but
Samper emerged the victor 11-7, 11-9, 10-11 (0-2), 11-6 in 55 minutes - and now
faces
US
champion Julian Illingworth for a place in the final. |