Qualifying Finals:
Adrian Grant (Eng) bt Shahier Razik (Can)
15-8, 15-10, 13-15, 17-15
Olli Tuominen (Fin) bt Mark Chaloner (Eng)
15-8, 15-11, 15-12
Graham Ryding (Can) bt Paul Price (Aus)
15-9, 8-15, 15-11, 15-8
Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Simon Parke (Eng)
11-15, 15-7, 15-9, 15-8
Grant outlasts Razik
Colleen Turner reports
It took a staggering 2 hours and 5 minutes for Shahier Razik of Canada to go down, but down he went. A total of 54 calls slowed the action somewhat, but overall it was mostly routine play. Razik offered up two good games at the start, up 8-9 in the first and 10-all in the second, but Adrian Grant brought on all he had, and though both were getting tired a couple of good swings from Grant took the match. Hope he has something left for John White-hot in tomorrow night's final first round match.
Ah, the power of youth ... and Olli Tuominen has it in spades. Mark Chaloner's skill stopped the young upstart short on a number of occasions, but a series of unforced errors ultimately cost Chaloner the match. Olli is playing well, but can he present a real challenge to defending US Open champ David Palmer who is well aware that he could be the first to ever win back-to-back championships?
Paul Price looked strong, but the persistent Graham Ryding wouldn't let up through four hard-fought games. Ryding was consistently assertive and even when Price would move ahead, as high as 12-4 in one game, the charming Canadian would outplay the potential rock star. That said, is Ryding ready to face the strong and aggressive 8th ranked Karim Darwish of Egypt?
Simon Parke looked awesome for the first 23 minutes of tonight's match with Nick Matthew. Unfortunately, he ran out of steam for the next 43 minutes. The speed of the four game match speaks to the courtesy each player extended
each other (heck, there were only 15 calls), but when push came to shove, the young Matthew turned up the gas and England's favorite son, Simon Parke was cooked. Matthew now faces Ong Beng Hee.
Today's qualifying matches took place at the Boston Racquet Club in Boston and Harvard University's Barnaby Courts, Harvard Murr Center, in Cambridge, Mass. Tomorrow's afternoon matches take place at Squash Busters facility @
Northeastern University. All evening matches take place @ Symphony Hall.
Exit Parke, stage left
England's Simon Parke, four-times a finalist and champion in 1999, crashed
out at the final qualifying stage in Boston.
The former world No3, fighting back to the top of his game following ankle
surgery, looked awesome at the start of his match against compatriot and
fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew. However, the 31-year-old ran out of steam
over the next 43 minutes as the rapidly-improving Matthew, aged 23 from
Sheffield, took control of the encounter to register an 11-15 15-7 15-9 15-8
victory.
It was a sad exit for Parke who beat both Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power to
clinch the title four years ago, then reached his fourth final the following
year.