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Results & Reports Courtesy Of Edwin Brennan
Final
Finals day in the Garavan’s West of Ireland Open. The club
was alive with atmosphere from early the morning in anticipation of the day’s
matches, which did not disappoint. The main final of the afternoon was preceded
by the men’s ‘A’ final in which Galway’s own John Rooney played the very
experienced Derek Ryan, Rooney was the clear favourite going into the match. In
a hotly contested final, lasting well over an hour it was Rooney who emerged
victorious.
The number 1 seed Simon Rosner took on American Gilly Lane
in the day’s main event, the young American was hungry to follow up on his
success in the semi final. It was Rosner who controlled the pace from the start
making Lane work extremely hard for each point. Rosner took Lane on a tour of
the four corners of the court forcing him into making several errors. This
initial pressure gave Rosner the 1st game on an 11-5 scoreline. He
maintained this pressure in the second game never allowing Lane to find a rhythm
or impose himself on the match. Rosner raced to a comfortable lead in the 3rd
game building up a 9-2 lead, but Lane galvanised and played like a man possessed
and came back to make the score 9-7 but Rosner dug deep and saw out the match to
claim his first PSA world tour title.
Rosner-“I’m delighted to claim my 1st PSA
title. I’ve been in the final 3 times before and have been searching for my 1st
win for a long time so I will always have great memories of Galway. It was an
awesome tournament with great organisation and I would like to return in the
future.
The final was a great match and I was really pleased
with the way I played, he made a couple of unforced errors that allowed me to
move ahead. Even when I was 9-2 up in the 3rd he never stopped
fighting for every point, he came back to 9-7 in that game as he never gave up.
A lot of thanks go to my coaches and my parents for
their support over the years.”
Lane-“I was happy with the way I played this tournament
and its great to get my game back on track, I wish I made less errors in the
final but I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. Great credit to Simon
for the way he played today and I felt it was a good match. I’m going to Dublin
next week for the Irish open so I love Ireland!
Thanks to the tournament director and to the rest of his
team for another great event the club was very welcoming and hospitable toward
all the players which was greatly appreciated by all the players. I’m looking
forward to coming back next year and hopefully going one step further.”
Over all the event was a resounding success, the weekend
was thoroughly enjoyed by all players and supporters who help contribute to the
exciting and lively atmosphere around the club. Galway Lawn Tennis Club was
delighted to have such a high class event in the club with many people
expressing their intention to return next year. Huge credit must go to the
events generous and long standing sponsors ‘Garavan’s Bar’ who’s continued
support of the tournament makes this enjoyable weekend possible year after year.
We are already looking forward to next year’s event which
we plan to make even better and build on the success of the last 3 years.
Now on to the sponsor’s bar for the real main event…
Semi Finals
Rosner-“First match of the tournament that I have won in 3,
it was important to keep my concentration, he was increasing the pace in each
game and played some brilliant shots, especially from the front. The match was
played at such a high pace that he also made a lot of mistakes. I have done a
lot of work with my coaches-Wael and Wagdy el Batram which has helped me deal
with the fast pace. I was happy to get through 3-0. I have played Gilly a number
of times and feel confident for the final tomorrow and will hopefully get my
hands on the trophy, this is my fourth final and I hope to claim my first
victory.”
Lane-“Really happy to get to the final, I haven’t had many
good results in the last month but I was able to get a good start and go 2-0 up,
Arthur came back strong in the 3rd and manage to take it, I had to
dig deep, concentrate and fight for every rally, and I was delighted to win 3-1
not letting it go to a 5th. I am working alot on my game with Tommy
Berden, Lucas Buitt and Floris Millaert and it’s really paying off”
The semi finals of the Garavan’s west of Ireland open got
under way this evening, first on court was the German number 1 seed and a South
African Clinton Leeuw. Rosner got on to the better start opening up a nice lead
in the first game, he made very few errors but had to work hard to see of his
opponent. He continued pressuring Clinton by controlling the ‘T’ and volleying
as much a possible, this high pace didn’t suit Leeuw, who made several errors
leaving his opponent to the claim the second game. As the match went into the
third game Leeuw looked tired from his earlier match and didn’t have the legs to
keep up with his fresher German opponent. Rosner won the match 3-0, 11-7, 11-8,
11-5 in 45 minutes.
The final match of the day was the second semi final
between Gilly Lane and Irishman Arthur Gaskin. Again Gaskin drew a large crowd
to the centre court in Galway and they were treated to a very competitively
fought match. In the opening exchanges it became clear that both players were
quiet evenly matched, both in terms of skill and in hunger to win. Gilly seemed
to settle the quicker of the two and quickly settled into a rhyme that enabled
him to construct some brilliant rallies which allowed him to quickly establish a
2-0 lead. Gaskin regained his composure in the third game by moving further up
the court and taking the ball earlier which left Lane constantly on the back
foot. Gaskin took an early lead which he didn’t loose at all in the 3rd
game which he won 11-9. He carried on with this strategy in the early parts of
the 4th game going 4-3 up, Lane realised he had to change his
approach and took the initiative of a Gaskin mishit and went on the offensive
with all guns blazing for the next 9 points which he won consecutively to claim
his place in the final against the number 1 seed Simon Rosner.
Tomorrows final between the top 2 seeds promises to be an
evenly matched contest, with both players already expressing their desire to
claim the coveted ‘Paddy Whack Walsh’ trophy.
Quarter’s complete in Galway
The first match of the morning
session was between Clinton Leeuw and Joe Lee. This was the closest match on
paper as both players were fighting for their spot in the semi final. Lee got
the better start of the two, racing to a 1-0 lead. Leeuw fought Back in the
second finding his form taking the game 11-3. He showed his consistency in the
match by taking the next game by the same margin. Lee tried his best to fight
back in the fourth, but Leeuw dug deep and claimed his spot in the semi final
for the second year running.
Leeuw – “Joe is a different
calibre player then last nights opponent, I was more focused this morning, he
played well at the start and I was nervous, after losing the first game I
changed tactics which put Joe under pressure and he made mistakes, I just needed
to keep focused. Joe is a good player but I got through with a few lucky bounces
and calls.”
Rosner – “Outside of the third
game I played alright when I let my opponent get a rhythm, which was the same as
yesterday, I won the last game 11-1 which was a good confidence booster. I have
played Clinton a few times, in league and PSA, and have won each time, but they
are always tight, so I expect a hard match with him this evening.”
Gaskin – “A tough match, I started
well but he got going in the middle of the second and I couldn’t read his
forehand shots, I had an energy drop in the middle of the third and he played
some good shots when I was loose. I tried to tighten up in the fourth, but it
was anyone’s game. I’m happy to get through and I’m looking forward to the semi
finals tonight.”
Next up on the centre court was
the number 1 seed Simon Rosner, his opponent was Rene Mijs, the Dutch qualifier.
Rene has been impressive in his games so far, but seemed to meet his match in
his higher ranked opponent. The first game started off close as did the second
with the players trading points through out. Rosner lost focus in the middle of
the third game and Mijs took the opportunity and capitalised on this, taking the
game 11-5. Rosner re-grouped quickly for the fourth game and shut his opponent
out easily taking the game 11-1.
A large crowd had gathered to
watch the next match of the session, the eagerly anticipated match between Romam
Tennant and Irish man Arthur Gaskin. In the first two games Gaskin looked the
hungrier of the two, pouncing on each loose ball in his path. He served up a 2-0
lead in 30mins. Gaskin seemed to tire as the match progressed into the third
set, with the French man, just returning from a lay off due to injury, playing
with more resolve and winning on a score line of 11-8. Gaskin, the Irish number
4 was being expertly coached between games by his national team mates John
Rooney and Derek Ryan. This seemed to steady Gaskin who played a more controlled
game in the 4th, the advice paid off as the pressure increased on
Gaskin who found himself defending a game point, but dug deep to take the
closest of games on a scoreline of 13-11.
The last quarter final was next up
and contested by the American number 2 seed Gilly Lane and Spaniard David Vidal.
A tough physical match was etched out a hot centre court, with both players
needing to play very precise squash to finish the rallies.
Lane-“Long, hard game, courts are
really bouncy and I got lucky in the 2nd game and went 2-0 up, I got
tired in the third and David went ahead, I came back well and won it in the
fourth. I am happy to get further in the tournament this year and am looking
forward to the semi final against Arthur this evening.”
1st ROUND REPORT
The main draw of the Garavan’s West of Ireland Open got
under this evening with 8 first round matches on 2 courts. The club got
noticeably busier this evening as a graded event with 70 players joined in
alongside the main event. The club is also hosting a badminton tournament with
over 80 players so as you can well imagine there is a great atmosphere around
the place much to the sponsors delight.
The opening match of the session was between Clinton Leeuw and Joan Lezaud
Clinton only arrived this afternoon so had very little time to prepare. But he
got the better start of 2 players as Lezaud made several errors allowing Clinton
to build up an early 1-0 lead. He continued playing well into the second also
taking this one 11-6. Leeuw lost focus in the third and allowed Lezaud back into
the match where he took the game 11-5. Leeuw regained control in the 4th and
managed to see off his opponent in 3/1 in 42min.
Leeuw – “Just arrived so not the best preparation and was a bit tired! I was
happy to get through in 4 games. He didn’t start well and made to many errors in
the beginning. I tried to box him out of the game from then on”
Roman Tennant and Andrew Birks took to the court next. Tennant wasn’t very sharp
to start off with, Birks sensed this and immediately slowed down the pace to put
Tennant off. Tennant seemed to find his feet as the match progressed and
gradually steadied his game. This was the longest match of the tournament so far
which didn’t work in Birk’s favour after 2 tough matches already.
Tennant – “This was my first match in 6 months after an injury lay off. I was
tense for the first 2 games until I relaxed and found a rhythm. I will play
better tomorrow!”
Joe Lee took on Neil Hitchens in the next match. Hitchens had a tough match this
morning and needed to recover quickly if he was going to put it up to Lee. This
is exactly what he did by making the best start slowing the pace down to allow
himself time on the ball. Lee picked up the pace as the match progressed and a
tired Hitchens couldn’t keep up and Lee ran out the 3/1 winner in 47min.
Lee – “I made a very slow start, he slowed the pace which didn’t suit me, he
played very constructively and played better Squash than me but he didn’t have
the legs! AS the match went on I felt more confident and was happy with the
win.”
Irish favourite Arthur Gaskin made a welcome return to Galway and set his sights
on claiming a first West of Ireland open title. His opponent in the match was
English man Lewis Walters. Lewis has played the West of Ireland each year since
it became a PSA event. Gaskin seemed to struggle early on with the warm courts
but settled down and controlled the pace. He didn’t let Walters find a rhythm
and Walters struggled to keep up with Gaskins consistency and ran out a 3/0
convincing winner.
Gaskin – “I am delighted to be back in Galway. I have only missed 2 West of
Ireland’s since I was 14. It’s great to have it as a PSA event again and get to
play on home soil. As for the match, the court was very warm so I tried my best
not to make any mistakes; I’m looking forward to the rest of the event.”
Chris Truswell the events number 8 seed took on the qualifier Rene Mijs. Mijs
was looking to continue his fine form after coming through two rounds of
qualifying. Rene continued this form continuing to cause upsets as he beat his
higher ranked opponent 3-1.
Mijs –“Happy to win again, it was a tough match I was 1-0 up and the 2nd game
was very tough which Chris won. The third game was easier as he was physically
more tired than I was. He struggled to keep up with the pace and I felt
confident in the 4th, I was delighted it didn’t go to 5!”
This was a close match which seemed to go on for a long time. Both players were
trying hard to get used to the warm conditions and the long rallies. It was
Vidal who seemed to control the match from the start. But it was no easy win for
the Spanish number 5 seed.
Vidal – “A tough first round match. Both of us struggled to get used to the
court. We were trying to keep the ball low and hard, I tried to slow the pace on
the backhand as it was his weak point. I kept getting the basics right and he
made a number of errors at key points in the match.”
Next up was the tournament number 1 seed Simon Rosner who took to the court
against Scottish qualifier Stuart Crawford. Crawford looked tired from his
earlier matches and the fresher Rosner controlled the pace. It was a tight 1st
and 2nd game which Rosner won; Crawford fought back in the 3rd and managed to
win it. But Rosner uped the tempo and moved ahead winning comfortably 3/1 in the
end.
Rosner – “It was a tough first round match which is good as it allowed me to get
prepared. It was a very close first and second. In the third it was 5-5 and I
lost concentration and he took it. I came out fighting in the forth and I kept
the pressure on and managed to win quite comfortably. Happy to get through and
looking forward to my match tomorrow.”
Gilly Lane the number 2 seed took on Eddie Charlton. This was a close match from
the off and neither player gave the other any cheap points. Eddie was tiring as
the match progressed and after an injury break in the 2nd game he came back and
lost the game to go 2-0 down. Charlton never returned to the court after the
second and shook his opponents and conceded the match due to an injury.
Lane – “Happy to get through. Eddie was playing well and unfortunately he
couldn’t finish the match. Looking forward to my match tomorrow. I’m happy to be
back to Galway this year. I got to the quarters last year and I’d like to get
further this year.”
QUALIFYING REPORT
The qualifying finals of the Garavan’s West of Ireland Open
got under way this morning, with 8 players vying for 4 spots in the main draw.
The first game of the session was between French man Johan
Bouquet and Stuart Crawford. Bouquet opened up a 7-2 lead in the first game
however after a number of errors, Crawford managed to capitalise on Johan’s
mistakes and level the game. He continued his good form and took the first game
11-8. He kept his good form going in the second set where the players traded
points through the game but Bouquet was becoming increasingly frustrated and
Crawford edged ahead again. In the third set Johan seemed t give up a small bit
and Crawford built up a commanding lead and he never looked back emerging a 3/0
winner in 34min.
Crawford – “I didn’t play my best squash but my
concentration was good and I managed to stick to my game plan which is rare for
me these days. The 2nd game was crucial, he got to game ball first
but I managed to stay focused and won the big points. Don’t mind who I get in
the main draw but I would like to avoid Simon.”
Next on the centre court was Andrew Birks and Rory Pennell.
Pennell never looked to settle in this match and looked physically drained from
his game last night. Birks kept the rallies going trying to grind his opponent
working him hard and forced him to make lots of errors. In the third game Birks
raced to a 10-3 lead as Pennell seemed to have nothing in reserve. Birks won the
game 11/5 and was a 3/0 winner overall.
Birks – “Rory was tired from his match last night; I
kept the ball deep and played accurate squash. I won the 1st
convincingly but he fought back in the 2nd and I kept the pressure on
and didn’t look back. I would like to avoid the top seed in the main draw but
not pushed either way”
Jakob Drinberger and Rene Mijs took to the court next.
Mijs was on top from the start and he never allowed Drinberger to get any
rhythm. Mijs continued his sharp and accurate squash from last night and forced
the errors from Drinberger.
Mijs – “A comfortable 3-0 win, which I don’t get often.
I played at a good level throughout which is pleasing. I have to play another
match this evening. I hope not to get the top seed, but I hope to play well
whoever I get. Happy to be in the main draw!”
The final match of the session was between Neil Hitchens
and Bart Ravelli. This was the longest match of the afternoon. Neil started well
in the first game where he controlled the pace. In the second Neil built up an
8-2 lead but made a number of unforced errors allowing Bart back into the game,
he took the second and from then on it was a battle between the two. Hitchens
managed to regain his composure and ran out the 3/1 winner.
Hitchens – “I started off playing well, but in the second I
was 8-2 up and I don’t know how I lost that game. It was going to be tight from
then on. I was disappointed not to win 3-0 but I will have to recover quickly
for my match this evening.”
Edwin Brennan
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