20/04/2008
IRISH OPEN
White & Lengthorn-Massaro In Dublin British Double
Men's Draw
Women's Draw
Reports
Irish
Open 2008
Men's Draw
Dublin, 14-19 April, $25k |
Round One
16-Apr |
Quarters
17-Apr |
Semis
18-Apr |
Final
19-Apr |
[1] John White (Sco)
11-8, 10-11 (1-3),
11-10 (2-0), 11-9 (51m)
Julien Balbo (Fra) |
John White
11-4, 9-11, 11-7,
11-5 (37m)
Tom Richards |
John White
11-3, 9-11, 9-11,
11-7, 11-3 (72m)
Alex Gough
|
John White
11-9, 8-11, 11-4,
5-11, 11-8 (75m)
Azlan Iskandar |
[5] Julian Illingworth
(Usa)
11-9, 11-10
(4-2), 11-7 (52m)
[Q] Tom Richards (Eng) |
[4]
Alex Gough (Wal)
11-6, 11-5, 1-11,
11-5 (46m)
[Q] Rob Sutherland (Wal) |
Alex Gough
11-6, 11-10
(2-0), 11-9 (64m)
Aaron Frankcomb |
[7]
Aaron Frankcomb
(Aus)
11-7, 11-8, 11-9
(52m)
Arthur Gaskin (Irl) |
Jon Harford (Eng)
11-9, 11-5, 3-11,
11-6 (57m)
[8] Liam Kenny (Irl) |
Liam Kenny
11-5, 9-11, 11-4,
11-7 (66m)
Azlan Iskandar |
Azlan Iskandar
5-11, 11-7,
11-10 (5-3), 11-2 (66m)
Adrian Grant |
[Q] Romain Tenant
(Fra)
11-8, 11-9, 11-1
(28m)
[3] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) |
Stacey Ross (Eng)
3-11, 11-6, 5-11,
11-6, 11-9 (58m)
[6] Kashif Shuja (Nzl) |
Kashif Shuja
11-7, 11-10 (2-0),
11-3 (37m)
Adrian Grant |
[Q] Nafiizwan Adnan
(Mas)
11-5, 11-7, 11-7
(37m)
[2] Adrian Grant (Eng) |
15-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
Romain Tenant (Fra) bt Barnardo Samper (Col)
13/11, 11/6, 11/3 30m)
Tom Richards (Eng) bt Shaun Le Roux (Eng)
11/4, 12/10, 11/3 (25m)
Rob Sutherland (Wal) bt Joshua Greenfield (Nzl)
4/11, 11/6, 11/4, 11/4 (34m)
Nafiizan Adnan (Mas) bt Ben Ford (Eng)
11/9, 11/7, 6/11, 8/11, 13/11 (90m)
14-Apr, Qualifying Round One:
Barnardo Samper (Col) bt Peter Emanuel (Ngr)
11/4, 11/2, 11/5 (22m)
Romain Tenant (Fra) bt Gilly Lane (Usa)
13/11, 4/11, 8/11, 11/7, 11/9 (70m)
Tom Richards (Eng) bt Niall Rooney (Irl)
11/3, 11/5, 11/5 (21m)
Shaun Le Roux (Eng) bt Robbie Temple (Eng)
11/7, 8/11, 11/8, 5/11, 11/5 (74m)
Rob Sutherland (Wal) bt Steve Coppinger (Rsa) 11/8, 5/11, 6/11,
11/7, 12/10 (68m)
Joshua Greenfield (Nzl) bt Tony James (Aus) 12/14,
11/7, 4/11, 12/10, 11/6 (50m)
Ben Ford (Eng) bt Rory Byrne (Irl)
11/1, 11/5, 11/1 (20m)
Mohd Nafiizan Adnan (Mas) bt Derek Ryan (Irl)
9/11, 11/7, 11/7, 11/1 (55m)
|
Irish
Open 2008
Women's Draw
Dublin, 14-19 April, $25k |
Round One
16-Apr |
Quarters
17-Apr |
Semis
18-Apr |
Final
19-Apr |
[1]
Vicky Botwright (Eng)
9-6, 9-0, 9-3
(38m)
Aisling Blake (Irl) |
Vicky Botwright
9-7, 9-0, 4-9, 9-3
(50m)
Samantha Teran |
Vicky Botwright
9-7, 9-3, 9-3
(39m)
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro |
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro
9-1, 0-9, 9-6,
2-9, 10-8 (67m)
Alison Waters |
[8]
Samantha Teran
(Mex)
9-3, 9-6, 9-5
(43m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng) |
[3]
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng)
9-2, 9-2, 9-2
(22m)
[Q] Elise Ng (Hkg) |
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro
9-6, 9-4, 9-0
(37m)
Isabelle Stoehr |
[7] Isabelle Stoehr
(Fra)
9-2, 9-0, 9-4
(25m)
[Q] Fiona Moverley (Eng) |
[Q]
Delia Arnold (Mas)
9-7, 9-5, 2-9,
9-7 (65m)
[5] Annelize Naude (Ned) |
Delia Arnold
9-4, 9-4, 9-3
(27m)
Madeline Perry |
Madeline Perry
9-6, 9-4, 6-9, 9-6
(55m)
Alison Waters |
Sarah Kippax (Eng)
9-4, 7-9, 4-9,
9-4, 9-3 (64m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) |
Lauren Briggs (Eng)
10-8, 10-9, 9-0 (56m)
[6] Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) |
Jaclyn Hawkes
9-0, 9-7, 9-1 (30m)
Alison Waters |
[Q] Vicky Hynes (Eng)
9-0, 9-0, 9-5
[2] Alison Waters (Eng) |
15-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
Elise Ng
(Hkg) bt Lauren Selby (Eng)
9/2, 9/7, 7/9, 7/9, 9/5, (75m)
Delia Arnold (Mas) bt
Joelle King (Nzl)
9/5, 10/8, 9/0 (40m)
Vicky Hynes (Eng) bt Laura Mylotte (Irl)
6/9, 10/8, 7/9, 9/7, 9/0 (61m)
Fiona Moverley (Eng) bt Celia Allamargot (Fra)
10/8, 10/8, 9/10, 9/1 (56m)
14-Apr, Qualifying round one:
Elise Ng (Hkg) bt Belen Etchechoury (Arg)
9/2, 9/4, 9/5 (30m)
Lauren Selby (Eng) bt Birgit Coufal (Aut)
4/9, 9/7, 8/10, 9/6, 9/1 (68m)
Delia Arnold (Mas) bt Luz Etchechoury (Arg)
9/3, 9/0, 9/2 (26m)
Joelle King (Nzl) bt Olivia Blatchford (Usa)
9/1, 9/0, 8/10, 9/0 (26m)
Vicky Hynes (Eng) bt Kerri Shields (Irl)
9/3, 9/1, 9/4 (22m)
Laura Mylotte (Irl) bt Olga Ertlova (Cze)
9/4, 9/1, 9/1 (28m)
Celia Allamargot (Fra) bt Tanya Owens (Irl)
9/5, 9/1, 9/6 (23m)
Fiona Moverley (Eng) bt Orla Noom (Ned)
9/5, 9/2 rtd (21m) |
Reports
White & Lengthorn-Massaro In
Dublin British Double
Two thrilling five-game finals brought the 2008 Cannon Kirk Homes
Irish Open Squash Championships to a resounding climax at
the Fitzwilliam Club in Dublin - with Scottish favourite
John White winning the men's $25,000 PSA Tour title and
England's third seed Laura Lengthorn-Massaro claiming the
$25,300 women's WISPA World Tour crown to make it a British
double for the second year in a row.
John White, the US-based Australian-born former world number one, was
playing London-based Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar, who is
almost a decade his junior.
White reached the 32nd Tour final of his career after
despatching Welshman Alex Gough, the defending champion, in a
marathon five-game semi-final - while Iskandar fought back from a game
down to upset England's second seed Adrian Grant in the other
semi.
The Scot won the first game of the final easily enough, although his
lethal "kills" were not functioning quite as well as usual, with
Iskandar chasing the most impossible of balls.
The Malaysian deservedly got the edge in the second game, but it
looked as if White was on his way to victory when he wrapped up the
third game for the loss of just four points. That was to
underestimate Iskandar's determination as he gave as good as he got in
the fourth game, often leaving the older man sprawling.
With the match finely-balanced at two games each, Iskandar took three
points for a 6-3 lead in the decider before a brilliant couple of
kills by White put him back in the match. When White evened the match
at 8-8, Iskandar clearly disagreed with the call and let out an
anguished howl. White showed no mercy, mopping up with next three
points - and with it the match 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8 after 75
dramatic minutes.
"I don't know what happened at eight all, but whatever it was, I'm
glad," said world No15 White in accepting the Cannon Kirk Trophy - and
the 13th PSA Tour title of his career.
Equally close was the all-English women's final between
Lengthorn-Massaro and No2 seed Alison Waters - the pair's first
meeting since contesting the British National Championship
final, won by Waters, in February.
Underdog Lengthorn-Massaro had the edge in the first game, taking full
advantage of a series of unforced errors by Waters to win for the loss
of just a single point. Londoner Waters replied by wrapping up the
second in a whitewash in just eight minutes.
The third game proved a marathon, with service changing hands
frequently before Laura reclaimed the lead. Waters was on top in the
fourth, and drew level.
In the decider, Waters pulled away to a 7-4 lead but Massaro clawed
her way back into the match to put her in touch when Waters earned won
her first match ball. Dogged resistance from Massaro found her
regaining serve, evening the scores and then going ahead after a
saving a second Waters' match ball.
With the match finely-balanced, Massaro finally then converted her
third match ball to win 9-1, 0-9, 9-6, 2-9, 10-8 in 67 minutes.
"This was my third time playing Alison this year, so I'm glad at last
to have won!" said a delighted Lengthorn-Massaro after celebrating the
fourth WISPA title of her career.
It was the new champion's second upset in the event, after beating
Lancashire and
England team-mate Vicky Botwright, the top seed, in the
semi-finals. The other women's semi also saw the end of local star
Madeline Perry's bid to win the crown for a fourth successive
years.
Seeds Survive In
Dublin
The top four seeds have safely negotiated routes through to the
semi-finals of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open - with
defending women's champion Madeline Perry now solely leading
local interest after beating Malaysian qualifier Delia Arnold
in the quarter-finals of the $25,300
WISPA World Tour
squash event at the Fitzwilliam Club in
Dublin.
Perry produced a stunning display to claim her place in the last
four. After a shaky first round display, the world number 14 looked
much sharper as she eased past
Arnold 9-4, 9-4, 9-3 in just 27 minutes.
The Banbridge girl is going for her fourth successive Irish Open title
- but is up against it this year with England's
Vicky Botwright,
currently ranked eighth in the world, in
the draw.
Top seed Botwright, however, was made to work in her quarter-final,
before beating Mexican Samantha Teran 9-7, 9-0, 4-9, 9-3 in 50
minutes - the longest women's match of the day.
Perry, who is fighting back to form after sustaining a serious head
injury late last year, will gain confidence from her quarter-final
display - and having been ranked as high as six in the world. The
31-year-old fourth seed will hold no fear as she faces second seed
Alison Waters from
England.
In the last match of the day, British national champion Waters beat
New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes 9-0, 9-7, 9-1.
Liam Kenny,
the last remaining Irishman in the other draw, bowed out of this
year's championship after losing to Malaysian third seed Mohd Azlan
Iskandar. Kenny, ranked 54 in the world, put in a very
respectable performance against the current world number 13. The pair
shared the first two games, producing some gruelling rallies and
excellent drop shots.
After winning the third game, Iskandar finished out the match to take
it 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7 in 66 minutes. The Malaysian will now face
England's second seed
Adrian Grant
in the semi-finals.
Defending champion Alex Gough also looked in good nick as he
beat
Australia's Aaron Frankcomb in
straight games to book his place in the semi finals. The Welshman
will face Scotsman John White
after the top seed defeated
English qualifier Tom Richards 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5.
Tom Richards Takes Quarter-Final Place In
Dublin
England's Tom Richards claimed a
notable upset in the first round of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish
Open when he beat fifth-seeded American Julian Illingworth
in straight games to reach the quarter-finals of the $25,000
PSA Tour
squash event at the Fitzwilliam Club
in Dublin.
Remarkably, the only upset in the women's
WISPA World Tour
event also saw the exit of the fifth seed as Malaysian qualifier
Delia Arnold beat higher-ranked Dutch opponent Annelize Naude
9-7, 9-5, 2-9, 9-7.
Richards, 21, from
Surrey, battled for 51 minutes to earn
his 11-9, 11-10 (4-2), 11-7 victory over four times US National
champion Illingworth. Richards will now take on top seed
John White,
the former world number one from Scotland who beat Frenchman Julien
Balbo 11-8, 10-11 (1-3), 11-10 (2-0), 11-9.
In the women's event, top seed and world number eight
Vicky Botwright
outclassed
Ireland's Aisling Blake. The Galway girl put up a good fight
in the opening game, losing out 9-6, but her English opponent eased
through the next two to take the match 9-6, 9-0, 9-3.
Defending champion Madeline Perry endured a shaky start to her
title defence as she edged past
England's Sarah Kippax in a tight five game match. At two one
down in games, the Irish number one looked as if she might make a
surprise early exit - but the fourth seed from Banbridge showed her
experience to take the fourth and fifth games to win 9-4, 7-9, 4-9,
9-4, 9-3 and book her place in the quarter finals.
Vicky Vanquishes Local Hopes In Irish Open Qualifiers
Irish hopeful and world number 45 Laura Mylotte suffered a
surprise defeat to crash out of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open
at the final qualifying stage of the WISPA World Tour squash
event in
Dublin.
Up against
England's Vicky Hynes, the 32-year-old from Galway carried a
weight of expectation in front of her home crowd at the Fitzwilliam
Club. The pair could not be separated for most of the match and
it was destined for a deciding fifth game.
However it was Hynes who proved the stronger and coasted through the
final game to record a 6-9, 10-8, 7-9, 9-7, 9-0 in 61 minutes.
England's Fiona Moverley, Malaysia's Delia Arnold and
Hong Kong's Elise Ng also won their final qualifying matches to
earn a much sought after place in the main draw
In the men's $25,000 PSA Tour event qualifying finals, Welshman
Rob Sutherland defeated New Zealander Joshua Greenfield
4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 to set up a first round clash with compatriot
Alex Gough, the title-holder and fourth seed.
Sutherland is joined in the main draw by fellow qualifiers Romain
Tenant of France, Englishman Tom Richards and Malaysian
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan.
Scotland's John White, the world number 15, is top seed in the
men's event and faces Frenchman Julien Balbo in the opening
round.
In the women's draw
Ireland's Madeline Perry will start as number four seed as she
attempts to win her fourth successive Irish Open title. Now world
number 14, Perry is up against it this year after dropping down the
rankings recently. English pair Vicky Botwright and Alison
Waters, seeded one and two, respectively, head up a strong field
in this year's event.
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