12/10/2006
BALTIMOOR SQUASH CUP
Barrington Battles To Baltimore Booty
Tournament
Baltimore Squash Cup,
Baltimore, USA
Final:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 (58m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Wade Johnstone (AUS) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 (28m)
[Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Rob Sutherland (WAL) 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 (35m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Luke Margan (AUS) 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 (50m)
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt [4] Raj Nanda (AUS) 6-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 (65m)
Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt [Q] David Phillips (CAN) 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6 (54m)
[Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [2] Ben Garner (ENG) 11-1, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8 (56m)
1st round:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 (70m)
[Q] Luke Margan (AUS) bt [8] Ian Power (CAN) 11-5, 11-1, 6-11, 11-7
[4] Raj Nanda (AUS) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-7, 10-11 (2-4), 2-11, 11-4, 11-8
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt [5] Nicholas Kyme (BER) 11-10 (3-1), 3-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8
[Q] David Phillips (CAN) bt [7] Paul Davis (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-1
Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt [3] Laurent Elriani (FRA) 11-8, 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9
[Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [6] Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Ben Garner (ENG) bt Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6
Qualifying finals:
Luke Margan (AUS) bt Andre Holderegger (SUI) 11-9, 11-5, 11-10 (2-0)
Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt Amr Ramzy Swelim (EGY) 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 5-11, 11-9
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4
David Phillips (CAN) bt Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
Barrington Battles To Baltimore Booty
Joey Barrington earned his status as top seed in the Baltimore Squash Cup when he beat qualifier Chris Ryder in the all-English final of the PSA Tour event in the largest city in the US state of Maryland .
The match was closer than the scoreline suggests, the three games lasting just under an hour. All the rallies were well-contested, the ball being moved around accurately with nice changes of pace from both players before 26-year-old Barrington, from Somerset, clinched his 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 victory in 58 minutes.
"Joey’s superior consistency proved to be the difference between the finalists, with Ryder’s error count growing under constant pressure from the tournament favourite," explained newly-installed club professional Ben Garner. "His play has improved as the week has progressed and he hasn’t dropped a game since the first round, fully justifying his status as the event's top seed."
Despite the disappointment of losing in the final, Ryder – the recently-crowned World University champion - will be delighted with his efforts in Baltimore, having progressed through the qualifying competition, the final being his sixth match of the week!
Barrington's triumph marks his fourth PSA Tour title – and his second in the USA this year after winning the Oklahoma City Open trophy in July.
English Winner Beckons In Baltimore
Joey Barrington and Chris Ryder will contest an all-English final of the Baltimore Squash Cup after earning convincing straight games victories in the semi-finals of the PSA Tour event in the largest city in the US state of Maryland .
Barrington, the top seed from Somerset , looked sharp in his quick-fire win over unseeded Australian Wade Johnstone, who looked weary having twice overcome the seedings in five-game battles earlier in the week.
The 26-year-old favourite was getting onto the ball early and kept Johnstone behind him and under constant pressure as he swept to his 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 win in 28 minutes.
The success marks Barrington 's 13th appearance in a PSA Tour final – and his fourth this year in North America .
Ryder, a qualifier who is also 26, was equally impressive as he emerged victorious in the battle of the surprise semi-finalists against unseeded Welshman Rob Sutherland. With his confidence high after a recent run of good form, the World University Champion dominated the match with his speed around the court and excellent racket skills.
Ryder's 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 victory in 35 minutes takes him into his eighth Tour final.
Barrington Shines Through In Baltimore
Friday the 13th proved to be unlucky for the higher-ranked players in the Baltimore Squash Cup as, for the second day running, upsets abounded to leave only one seeded player – England's top seed Joey Barrington - left in the semi-finals of the PSA Tour event in Baltimore, USA.
In the most dramatic match of the day, unseeded Australian Wade Johnstone fought back from two games down to defeat compatriot Raj Nanda. It was a contentious match, with the referee heavily involved, but Johnstone - who coaches at the Meadow Mill club in Baltimore - eventually emerged victorious over the fourth seed after surviving a fourth game tie-break, with the final score 6-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 after 65 minutes.
England's Chris Ryder continued his run of good form with a four-game victory over the club professional Ben Garner. Ryder, a qualifier who recently won the World University Championship, got off to a flying start and established a two-game lead before fellow Englishman Garner, the No2 seed, got into the match.
However, the 26-year-old from Berkhamsted kept his composure to secure an 11-1, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8 victory after 56 minutes. In the semi-finals Ryder will face Welshman Rob Sutherland, who won a tight contest against Canadian qualifier David Phillips.
The sole remaining seed in the event is Joey Barrington who won a long three-game match against qualifier Luke Margan. The rallies were generally well-contested, but the difference came from the Australian's higher error count – Barrington earning the only straight games win of the day, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 in 50 minutes.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) v Wade Johnstone (AUS)
[Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) v Rob Sutherland (WAL)
Seeds Slide In Baltimore
It was not a good day for higher-ranked players in the first round of the Baltimore Squash Cup, with no fewer than five of the eight seeds falling at the first hurdle in the PSA Tour event in Baltimore, USA.
Laurent Elriani led a comprehensive French collapse. The No3 seed went down 11-8, 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9 to unseeded Welshman Rob Sutherland – who goes on to meet David Phillips, a Canadian qualifier who dismissed Australia's No7 seed Paul Davis 11-4, 11-7, 11-1.
World University Champion Chris Ryder continued his run of recent good form with a surprisingly comfortable three game victory over fifth seed Julian Balbo, of France.
This guarantees an English semi-finalist as Ryder now faces Ben Garner, the newly-installed head squash professional at the Baltimore Country Club who beat his predecessor Lefika Ragontse 11-6, 11-7, 11-6.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) v [Q] Luke Margan (AUS)
[4] Raj Nanda (AUS) v Wade Johnstone (AUS)
Rob Sutherland (WAL) v [Q] David Phillips (CAN)
[2] Ben Garner (ENG) v [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG)
Chifunda Chases Baltimore Glory
Zambia’s Patrick Chifunda caused the biggest upset for the second day running – and was also involved in the longest match of the session – when he claimed a place in the main draw of the Baltimore Squash Cup in Baltimore, USA.
There was a multinational look to the final day of qualification matches. Eight different nationalities were represented and the four players who made it through to the main draw come from four different continents!
Chifunda, formerly Baltimore-based, scored a memorable 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 5-11, 11-9 victory over Egypt’s Amr Ramzy Swelim in 70 minutes. The Zambian will now face England's top seed Joey Barrington in the main draw.
After a closely-fought first game, England’s Chris Ryder – the recently-crowned World University Champion - completed a relatively comfortable 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 victory over Frenchman Yann Perrin.
Canadian David Phillips showed excellent hold and deception to overcome the retrieving skills of Mexico's Jose Angel Becerril 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 - before Australia’s representation was secured with Luke Margan netting an 11-9, 11-5, 11-10 (2-0) victory over Switzerland's Andre Holderegger.
Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) v [Q] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM)
[8] Ian Power (CAN) v [Q] Luke Margan (AUS)
[4] Raj Nanda (AUS) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[5] Nicholas Kyme (BER) v Wade Johnstone (AUS)
[7] Paul Davis (AUS) v [Q] David Phillips (CAN)
[3] Laurent Elriani (FRA) v Rob Sutherland (WAL)
[6] Julien Balbo (FRA) v [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG)
[2] Ben Garner (ENG) v Lefika Ragontse (BOT)
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