21/11/2011
PITTSBURGH OPEN 2011
Walker Powers To Pittsburgh Prize
Pittsburgh
Open 2011
15-20 Nov, Usa, $25k |
Round One
17 Nov |
Quarters
18 Nov |
Semis
19 Nov |
Final
20 Nov |
[1] Adrian Grant (Eng)
11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
[Q] Jaymie Haycocks (Eng) |
Adrian Grant
11-8, 11-8, 11-1
(48m)
Henrik Mustonen |
Adrian Grant
11-7, 11-5,
8-11, 11-7 (75m)
Shahier Razik |
Adrian Grant
11-7, 6-11, 11-4,
15-17, 11-2 (100m)
Alister Walker |
Stephane Galifi (Ita)
11-7.11-5. 11-6 (29m)
Henrik Mustonen (Fin) |
Campbell Grayson (Nzl)
11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (44m)
[LL] Scott Arnold (Aus) |
Campbell Grayson
11-7, 11-8, 11-7
(56m)
Shahier Razik |
Arturo Salazar (Mex)
11-7, 11-5, 6-1 (rtd) (21m)
[3] Shahier Razik (Can) |
[4] Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5. 11-4 (74m)
[Q] Olivier Pett (Eng) |
Ryan Cuskelly
11-8, 11-4, 11-6
(40m)
Cesar Salazar |
Ryan Cuskelly
12-10, 12-10, 11-3
(55m)
Alister Walker |
Cesar Salazar (Mex)
11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
[Q] Eric Galvez (Mex) |
Chris Simpson (Eng)
12-10, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6 (65m)
[Q] Joel Hinds (Eng) |
Chris Simpson
12-10, 12-10, 11-3
(55m)
Alister Walker |
Amr Khaled Khalifa (Egy)
11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 (78m)
[2] Alister Walker (Bot) |
Walker
Powers To Pittsburgh Prize
Alister Walker
earned Botswana its second international squash title in a week
when he upset top-seeded Englishman Adrian Grant in the final of
the 3 Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open, the PSA World Tour
International 25 event in its third successive year at Rivers
Club in Pittsburgh, USA.
Based
in England for much of his life until the beginning of this year,
Botswana-born Walker made his international debut for England in the
European Team Championships in April 2009 - in a team which also
included Grant.
But,
after moving to New York in January this year, the 29-year-old world
No20 switched his allegiance to the country of his birth in June - and
last week won Botswana's first professional squash title at the
Dayton Open in Ohio.
"The
final matchup of the top two seeds lived up to its billing," said
Pittsburgh Open promoter Steven Baicker-McKee. "In game one, the players
started conservatively, with long rallies up and down the wall. Walker
made fewer errors and carried the game."
Grant
levelled after the second, but second seed Walker regained the lead
after the third.
"But
Grant proved why he is world number 17 in game four, ramping up his
energy level to match Walker's," continued Baicker-McKee. "Grant started
attaching more himself, and jumped out to a 6-2 lead. But Walker came
charging back to knot it at six-all, and things stayed close from there
on.
"The
pace of play was so frenetic that Walker broke strings on five rackets
during the 37-minute game!
"Walker had match ball at 10-9, then Grant had game ball at 11-10, and
so on until Grant won the game 17-15. The marathon game seemed to take
something out of Grant, however, and Walker dominated the final game."
After
his 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 15-17, 11-2 triumph in 100 minutes, a delighted
Walker said: "It was a great final and rounded up two weeks of good
performances for me.
"It's
an honour to make a difference for the squash and sports community back
home in Botswana.
"I'd
like to thank Dave Hancock and Richard De Vito for their support in
keeping me going to back up these events."
With
five PSA World Tour titles now to his credit, Walker heads for Kuwait
where both he and Grant will compete in the inaugural Kuwait PSA Cup,
the eighth PSA World Series event of the year, from 23-29
November.
Top
Seeds To Play Pittsburgh Final
Top
seeds and former England team-mates Adrian Grant and Alister
Walker will contest the final of the 3 Rivers Capital Pittsburgh
Open after surviving tough semi-final clashes with the other two
seeded players in the PSA World Tour International 25 squash
event in its third successive year at Rivers Club in
Pittsburgh, USA.
Grant,
the favourite from London, held off a determined challenge from
top-ranked Canadian Shahier Razik, needing 75 minutes to overcome
the No3 seed 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7.
After
world No17 Grant took the first two games, Razik - ranked 14 places
lower - came back strongly in the third to reduce the deficit.
"Razik
stayed close in game four through 8-7, and a fifth game looked like a
real possibility," reported tournament organiser Steven Baicker-McKee.
"But Grant closed out the match with two ungettable drops and a Razik
tin."
Left-hander Grant will be celebrating the 28th PSA World Tour final of
his career - and his third of the year.
Second
seed Walker - who switched his allegiance from England to Botswana, his
country of birth, at the beginning of the year - faced Ryan Cuskelly,
the fourth seed from Australia, in the other semi.
"Cuskelly knew he did not want to rally with Walker, so he attacked the
corners, and Walker counter-attacked with re-drops and drives,"
explained Baicker-McKee. "The first two games were knots at 10-all, but
Walker won the next two points both times. Walker then upped his game
for the third, and won handily."
The
New York-based 29-year-old's 12-10, 12-10, 11-3 victory takes Walker
into the ninth PSA Tour final of his career - but his second this month
after winning the Dayton Open in Ohio last week.
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Walker
Fights Off Khalifa In Pittsburgh
In the
longest match of the day, experienced second seed Alister Walker
held off a determined challenge from Egyptian teenager Amr Khaled
Khalifa to reach the quarter-finals of the 3 Rivers Capital
Pittsburgh Open, the PSA World Tour International 25 squash
event in its third successive year at Rivers Club in
Pittsburgh, USA.
Walker, the world No20 from Botswana fresh from his title success in the
Dayton Open in Ohio last week, fought back from 1-6 down to take
the first game.
Khalifa, the 18-year-old former world junior champion from Cairo, built
another 6-1 lead in the second, and this time held on to draw level.
"But
the first two games seemed to wear Khalifa down," said tournament
organiser Steven Baicker-McKee. "The experience, skill, and fitness of
Walker came through in the next two games, where the veteran seemed in
control."
Walker's 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 victory in 78 minutes takes the
29-year-old through to the quarter-finals where he will face Chris
Simpson, a 12-10, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6 winner over fellow Englishman
and qualifier Joel Hinds.
English favourite Adrian Grant cruised into the last eight after
despatching compatriot Jaymie Haycocks, a qualifier, 11-5, 11-4,
11-5.
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