07/02/2011
BLUENOSE CLASSIC 2011
Iskandar Claims Bluenose Classic Crown
Bluenose
Classic 2011
01-06 Feb, Halifax, Nova Scotia, $50k |
Round One
03 Feb |
Quarters
04 Feb |
Semis
05 Feb |
Final
06 Feb |
[2] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
11-2, 11-5, 11-7 (49m)
[Q] Nafiizwan Asnan (Mas) |
Azlan Iskandar
11/9, 11/8, 4/11, 11/9 (49m)
Nicolas Mueller |
Azlan Iskandar
11-6, 11-5, 11-3
(44m)
Gilly Lane |
Azlan Iskandar
11-8, 8-11, 11-9,
11-7 (53m)
Hisham Ashour |
Borja Golan (Esp)
11-9, 3-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6 (69m)
Nicolas Mueller (Sui) |
[Q] Shawn Delierre (Can)
11-9, 11-13, 11-5, 11-3 (75m)
[Q] Gilly Lane (Usa) |
Gilly Lane
11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (33m)
Mohamed Abbas |
Mohamed Abbas (Egy)
11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 (73m)
[4]
Shahier Razik (Can) |
[3] Hisham Ashour (Egy)
13-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 (58m)
Chris Ryder (Eng) |
Hisham Ashour
11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (44m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez |
Hisham Ashour
14-12, 11-9,
14-12 (72m)
Julian Illingworth |
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col)
) 8-11, 15-13, 11-6, 11-5 (101m)
Aaron Frankcomb (Aus) |
David Phillips (Can)
11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (23m)
Julian Illingworth (Usa) |
Julian Illingworth
11-7, 11-7, 14-12 (65m)
Laurens Jan Anjema |
[Q] Martin Knight (Nzl)
11-6, 11-6, 11-1 (41m)
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) |
Iskandar
Claims Bluenose Classic Crown
Malaysia's
Mohd Azlan Iskandar claimed the second biggest title of his career when he
beat Egypt's Hisham Mohd Ashour in the final of the Bluenose Classic,
the PSA World Tour International 50 squash event in its sixth year at
St Mary's University in Halifax in the Canadian province of Nova
Scotia.
It was the
pair's sixth Tour meeting in the last six years, with the 28-year-old from Kuala
Lumpur boasting a 4/1 lead. But third seed Ashour has enjoyed the best phase of
his career since their previous clash in March 2009, and now boasts a
career-high world No17 ranking - just four places below Iskandar.
After the
first two games were shared, second seed Iskandar moved ahead after winning the
third.
"To start game
four, it was all Iskandar as he quickly mounted a 6-2 lead as Ashour's
aggressiveness was causing many of his shots to clip the tin," said event
spokesman Jon Boody. "Over the next three points, Ashour was awarded a
stroke and hit two off-speed backhand winning drives to pull within one point at
5-6. A crosscourt slam from Iskandar put the score at 7-5.
"The next two
rallies were dominated by Ashour to tie the game at 7-all. With the score even,
Iskandar took control of the game as his unrelenting retrieval abilities
contributed to long rallies over the next four points which ended in a front
left corner kill shot and three Ashour balls into the tin."
Iskandar's
11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 victory in 53 minutes gives the Asian champion the 14th
Tour title of his career - but his first in Canada.
Iskandar &
Ashour Dash US Hopes In Nova Scotia
Hopes of the
first all-US Bluenose Classic final in Canada were dashed when both
Julian Illingworth and Gilly Lane crashed out of the semi-finals of
the PSA World Tour International 50 squash event in its sixth year at
St Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Lane, a
qualifier from Philadelphia, made his breakthrough in the previous round when he
ousted highly-rated Egyptian Mohammed Abbas, a former world No13.
But the
25-year-old world No66 was unable to reproduce his giant-killing prowess against
second seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar - though it took the world No13 from
Malaysia 44 minutes to beat the US number two 11-6, 11-5, 11-3.
"Early in the
third game, Lane appeared to have tweaked something in his left leg and began
limping around with a painful expression," explained tournament spokesman Jon
Boody. "Iskandar sensing control, brutally moved Lane around the court with
tight drops and pounding drives. Lane scrambled about retrieving, digging, and
even diving at a couple of balls to sustain the rally, but it was doing little
to either tire Iskandar or present an opportunity to score any points.
"Iskandar
scored eight unanswered points to close the game 11-3 and the match 3/0."
Unseeded
Illingworth, winner of a record six US national titles, removed top-seeded
Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema in the previous round in his maiden win over
the world No11.
The New
Yorker's next opponent was Hisham Mohd Ashour, the third from Egypt who
is enjoying the form of his life. Illingworth, ranked 40 in the world, pushed
world No17 Ashour to two lengthy tie-break games - but it was the 28-year-old
from Cairo who ultimately emerged triumphant after 72 minutes, winning 14-12,
11-9, 14-12.
Illingworth
was full of praise for his Egyptian opponent: "His length is really good, his
width, his cross-courts," explained the 27-year-old afterwards. "He hits all
those flashy winners, but he sets them up with good width."
US Stars In
Bluenose Breakthrough
US squash
stars Julian Illingworth and Gilly Lane pulled two of the best
results of their careers in the Bluenose Classic in Canada to claim
unexpected places in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 50
event in its sixth year at St Mary's University in Halifax, Nova
Scotia.
Unseeded
Illingworth, winner of a record six US national titles, had never before beaten
Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the event's top seed and 2008 champion, in
four previous Tour meetings.
But the
27-year-old from New York played the game of his life to beat world No11 Anjema
11-7, 11-7, 14-12.
And Gilly
Lane, a qualifier from Philadelphia and the lowest-ranked player in the
draw, earned the first semi-final slot after upsetting Egypt's Mohammed Abbas.
The 30-year-old from Giza, a former world No13, is mounting a major comeback
drive after being out of action for almost a year with a foot injury.
It was the
pair's first Tour clash, but after the first game was nip-and-tuck through to
six-all, Lane pulled away and ultimately clinched his surprise 11-9, 11-8, 11-4
win after 33 minutes.
Lane, ranked
66 in the world, now faces Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the No2 seed from
Malaysia who defeated fellow countryman Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-2, 11-5,
11-7.
Third seed
Hisham Mohd Ashour, a 28-year-old from Cairo who is making rapid strides up
the world rankings, claimed his anticipated place in the last four after
conquering Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Ashour will
face Illingworth in the pair's third Tour meeting since December 2006 - with the
head-to-head tally currently standing at one-all.
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