16 Draw Tournament Page

MILO SA Challenge 2002
Pretoria, RSA, 17-20 October, $35k

20-Oct
Palmer beats White in thriller
Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria

Final:
[1] David Palmer (Aus) bt [2] John White (Sco)
9/15, 15/12, 15/12, 9/15, 15/12

After 96 minutes of gruelling squash, top seed, David Palmer of Australia, emerged as the 2002 Milo SA Challenge champion at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria today. It was a roller coaster ride for the 26 year old Australian, who had also needed five games to subdue the nuggety Welshman Alex Gough in a drama filled semi-final yesterday.

White's semi-final, in contrast, had been a damp squib as Joseph Kneipp (Aus) was forced to withdraw because of a pulled muscle when trailing 12-15 3-8. The first game of the final was a scrappy affair with both Palmer and White making a number of errors. A fluid mover, always on his toes, White, the second seed, took the game comfortably 15-9 and led 5-2 in the second.

Deeper tighter drives by Palmer saw him serve at 11-7 but with accurate volleys complemented by devastating low cross courts, White crept to 10-11 and 12-13. Palmer re-gained the hand-in, winning the game 15-12. Hitting the ball more crisply, White again dominated the play in the third game and led 9-2, but on going for winners, he tinned a number of balls allowing Palmer to level at 9-all and eventually the game 15-12.

Although at times scrambling the ball back, Palmer led 9-6 in the fourth game and seemed on track to his first title in South Africa. White, suddenly re-energised, astutely used deception to wrong-foot Palmer -ranked No 3 in the world - a number of times. With a stunning tight backhand down the wall, White pocketed the game 15-9 to level matters at two games each. White again took a 5-3 lead in the decider as Palmer found the tin. Two unforced errors by White let Palmer back in the picture but he could not capitalise on the situation. A string of killing cross-court nicks had White lead 12-8 - three points away from victory.

Playing percentage squash with safer higher loping strokes Palmer forced the second seed into making errors and 7 consecutive points later it was a relieved Palmer who clinched the match on his first match point. The final played by two gentlemen of the courts delighted the capacity crowd.

The Milo Open final - an event for South African players - was a bittersweet triumph for second seeded Adrian Hansen who defeated top seed Greg la Mude in four games. In the SA National final in August, Hansen was forced to withdraw when leading 9-7 0-2 as he pulled a hamstring giving La Mude a walkover.

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Draw & Results
Reports
2001 Event

Pic: Leon Botha (BEELD)

The glass court in the
Menlyn Park shopping centre

More photos from
Leon Botha, BEELD

RESULTS & Reports
Final Photos courtesy Leon Botha (BEELD)

Palmer beats White in thriller Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria Final: [1] David Palmer (Aus) bt [2] John White (Sco) 9/15, 15/12, 15/12, 9/15, 15/12 After 96 minutes of gruelling squash, top seed, David Palmer of Australia, emerged as the 2002 Milo SA Challenge champion at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria today. It was a roller coaster ride for the 26 year old Australian, who had also needed five games to subdue the nuggety Welshman Alex Gough in a drama filled semi-final yesterday. White's semi-final, in contrast, had been a damp squib as Joseph Kneipp (Aus) was forced to withdraw because of a pulled muscle when trailing 12-15 3-8. The first game of the final was a scrappy affair with both Palmer and White making a number of errors. A fluid mover, always on his toes, White, the second seed, took the game comfortably 15-9 and led 5-2 in the second. Deeper tighter drives by Palmer saw him serve at 11-7 but with accurate volleys complemented by devastating low cross courts, White crept to 10-11 and 12-13. Palmer re-gained the hand-in, winning the game 15-12. Hitting the ball more crisply, White again dominated the play in the third game and led 9-2, but on going for winners, he tinned a number of balls allowing Palmer to level at 9-all and eventually the game 15-12. Although at times scrambling the ball back, Palmer led 9-6 in the fourth game and seemed on track to his first title in South Africa. White, suddenly re-energised, astutely used deception to wrong-foot Palmer -ranked No 3 in the world - a number of times. With a stunning tight backhand down the wall, White pocketed the game 15-9 to level matters at two games each. White again took a 5-3 lead in the decider as Palmer found the tin. Two unforced errors by White let Palmer back in the picture but he could not capitalise on the situation. A string of killing cross-court nicks had White lead 12-8 - three points away from victory. Playing percentage squash with safer higher loping strokes Palmer forced the second seed into making errors and 7 consecutive points later it was a relieved Palmer who clinched the match on his first match point. The final played by two gentlemen of the courts delighted the capacity crowd. The Milo Open final - an event for South African players - was a bittersweet triumph for second seeded Adrian Hansen who defeated top seed Greg la Mude in four games. In the SA National final in August, Hansen was forced to withdraw when leading 9-7 0-2 as he pulled a hamstring giving La Mude a walkover.
Semi-Finals
Palmer to meet White in Milo final Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria Top seed David Palmer of Australia will clash with Scotland's John White, the second seed, in the final of the MILO SA Squash Challenge with a purse of $35,000 at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria at 2.00pm on Sunday. The semi-finals played on Saturday provided fireworks but not in the line of play. Australia's Joseph Kneipp, who had been in sparkling form in the quarter-final and who had a number of wins in previous encounters against the tall Scotsman White, was forced to retire when trailing 12-15 3-8 because of a pulled muscle. Palmer, ranked 3 in the world, eventually edged through in five games against the unseeded Welshman Alex Gough but it was a day which the Australian would like to erase from his memory. A highly motivated Gough, ranked 18, demonstrated his natural flair as both players fenced with each other trying to gain supremacy and in the process demonstrated a wide range of strokes. Gough held game point at 15-14 but Palmer clinched the game at 17-14. The second game saw Palmer take control and win it against a seemingly out of touch and tired opponent 15-8. A number of uncharacteristic unforced errors by Palmer saw him lose the advantage from a 10-6 lead in the third game to trail 13-14 with game ball to Gough. Out of frustration Palmer hit the ball in the air which connected with the lights resulting in a shower of white powder floating on to the court. After a phone call to Gawain Briars of the PSA under whose auspices the tournament is run, the ruling was conduct point against Palmer which gave the game to Gough. After a 15 minute break while the court was cleaned, play resumed and Palmer, although making a number of unforced errors held his first match point at 14-10.Desperate retrieving by the nuggety Gough saw him save five match points taking the game 17-14 to level matters at 2 games all. The final game again witnessed a downhearted Palmer make a string of errors but he managed to keep control and win the decider 15-9 against a frustrated Gough.
Quarter-Finals
Top Two move into semis ... Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria Top seed David Palmer meets Alex Gough and second seed John White will clash with Joseph Kneipp in the semifinals of the Milo SA Challenge to be played at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria on Saturday. For all four it will be a case of deja vu as Palmer succumbed to Gough in the second round of the 2002 British Open in April and White bowed out to Kneipp in the quarterfinals of the Memorial US Open in January. For the South African spectators starved of squash at this level it will be a feast of spectacular squash if the quarterfinals played on Friday are anything to go by. Palmer eventually tamed the young Egyptian Karim Darwish 15-13 17-14 15-7. The talented former World Junior champion, Darwish impressed as he led 12-7 in the first game but the lanky Australian gradually reeled in the points, taking the game on his first game point with a delicate floating backhand drop. Palmer seemed to coast to 10-6 and 13-7 in the second game but then went walkabout allowing Darwish 6 consecutive points to level at 13-all and again at 14-all. Taking the safe option Palmer called three and won the game 17-14. Against a tired opponent the top seed with a penchant for pulling at his shoes won the third game comfortably 15-8. The equally lanky White was always in control in his encounter with Egyptian Wael El Hind, a qualifer, winning in straight games. Fourth seed Mark Chaloner was a further seed to be ousted as an extremely focused Kneipp, despite a lapse in the second game, was in complete control dictating the pattern of play with a wide array of strokes. The Gough/Parke quarterfinal was a crowd thriller as both players, using every stroke in the book, played a game of cat and mouse. It was Gough who dictated the pattern of play sending Parke scurrying around the court, clinching the match on his first match point with a stunning backhand drop.
First Round
Seeds Crash in first round Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria It was not a day for the seeds at the first round of the MILO SA Squash Challenge being played on the all glass court at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria with four - Thierry Lincou (third), Martin Heath (fifth), Omar Elborolossy (seventh), Amr Shabana (eighth)- all being bundled out unceremoniously. Qualifier Wael El Hindi, the 21 year old Egyptian, having lost the first game 10-15 to fifth seeded Martin Heath raced through the second 15-6. The third was a tussle with El Hind concentrating more on his opponent than the ball but it was the Egyptian who edged through at 15-14. Heath took the fourth easily at 15-7 to level at two games all and seemed to have control of the match. At 4-3 in the decider, El Hindi started demonstrating his natural ball skills, pocketing 8 consecutive points to lead 12-3. Although Heath won the next point there was only one player in the match, with the Egyptian needing only three more points to clinch his place in the quarterfinals where he will meet second seed John White. England's Simon Parke was the next qualifier to upset the seedings. Playing controlled attacking squash he allowed third seed Lincou no latitude winning through in four games. Parke now meets unseeded Alex Gough of Wales. The mercurial Welshman, who represented the then Transvaal at the annual Jarvis Cup a few years ago, turned in a sparkling display against the tall Egyptian Elborolossy, the seventh seed. Although the Egyptian, ranked 14 in the world, won the second game 15-12 he had no answer to Gough's attacking play losing nine consecutive points in the third game which the Welshman cantered through at 15-2. A number of enforced errors by Gough at the beginning of the fourth game saw the seventh seed lead 7-2 but thereafter there was no stopping Gough who took the game and match at 15-9. Twenty one year old Karim Darwish had little difficulty in winning his encounter with the eighth seed fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana who had no answers to Darwish's play succumbing meekly in three games. Australians David Palmer the top seed and sixth seeded Joseph Kneipp registered straight games victories over Belgium's Stephan Casteleyn and France's Renan Lavigne respectively while Lars Harms (Sui) had to retire suffering from food poisoning when trailing 8-15 8-15 against fourth seed Mark Chaloner (Eng). South Africa's only representative in the 16 man draw, Rodney Durbach last year's runner-up had his hopes dashed by the in-form second seed John White of Scotland. In an entertaining hard hitting encounter Durbach ran out of legs bowing out in four games.
Qualifying
15-Oct: Durbach the lone home survivor Reports courtesy SAPA from Pretoria England's Simon Parke, Lars Harms (Sui) and Wael El Hindi (Egy) had no difficulty in disposing of Glen Kenan (Aus), John Argyle (RSA) and Glenn Whittaker (RSA) respectively in straight games to take their allotted places as qualifiers in the first round of the MILO SA Challenge on Thursday at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. It was the clash between South Africa's Rodney Durbach, ranked 23 in the world, and the 2002 National champion Greg la Mude to provide the fireworks. Presently based in London Durbach, who captured the Brazilian Open in March, allowed a nervous La Mude only two hand-outs in the first game winning the game 15-3 in 4 minutes. But this proved to his detriment. La Mude, gaining in confidence, proceeded to match the former National champion in every department of the game. Points seesawed with Durbach holding game point at 14-13 but with a killing crosscourt drive La Mude levelled at 14-all. Durbach held a second game point at 16-15 only to see La Mude again win the point at 16-all and win the game 17-6. Dictating the pattern of play, La Mude took a commanding 6-0 lead in the third game. Both players entertained with a wide array of attack and defence as points progressed to game point at 14-13 in La Mude's favour. Durbach levelled at 14-all but La Mude in kamikaze fashion called one and with a devastating cross court nick took a 2 games to 1 lead at 15-14. Fortunately for Durbach, La Mude wilted under the sustained pressure and his terrier like retrieving in the previous three games took their toll as Durbach, last year's runner-up, raced through the next two games 15-4 15-8 to be the only South African in the main draw. The draw for the qualifiers slots in the main draw sees Simon Parke play third seed Theirry Lincou of France, the defending champion: Harms meets 4th seeded Mark Chaloner (Eng): El Hindi faces fifth seed Martin Heath (Sco) and Durbach has the unenviable task of playing second seeded John White of Scotland, the second seed. Wed 16 Oct, Qualifying Finals: Rodney Durbach bt Greg La Mude 15/3, 16/17, 14/15, 15/4, 15/8 Simon Parke bt Glenn Keenan 15/4, 15/7, 15/7 Lars Harms bt John Argyle 15/2, 15/7, 15/8 Wael El Hindi bt Glenn Whittaker 15/11, 15/6, 15/9 Ranked 23 in the world, Rodney Durbach, together with three other South Africans, Greg La Mude, Glenn Whittaker and John Argyle have taken their places in the final qualifying round of the MILO SA Challenge to be played at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre , Pretoria from 13:00 on Wednesday 16th October. A product of Pretoria Boys High, Durbach who is presently based in London, will clash with the 2002 South African National, champion Greg la Mude. La Mude raced through the first game 15-4 in his first round encounter with 17 year old Dylan Bennett of the Netherlands. Points seesawed in the second game as the talented teenager tried to dominate play but he was unable to counter attack the nuggety play of the South African allowing La Mude to pocket the second game 17-15 and waltz through the third 15-6. England's Simon Parke was too experienced for Wits Student Gareth Schnehage winning in straight games. Parke now meets lefthanded Glenn Keenan of Australia, who in an entertaining match disposed of Paul Atkinson, also in straight games. RAU student John Argyle advanced to the second round via a hard fought tussle with England's Jago Nardelli to take his place against Lars Harms of Switzerland, ranked 41 in the world. Harms registered a straight games victory over South African Craig Wapnick, a former national champion, who has returned to Johannesburg after a 3 year working stint in London. Second seeded Wael El Hindi of Egypt, ranked 30 in the world, maintained relaxed control of his match against Gauteng's Mike Tootill. El Hindi now meets Glenn Whittaker, ranked 2 in South Africa. Whittaker trailed 6-11 in the first game against the 2002 World Masters 40-44 champion Trevor Wilkinson before taking control and winning the game 15-11. A similar pattern followed in the second game as Wilkinson led 9-4 but again Whittaker fought back to take the game 15-13 while in the third game it was Whittaker who held a commanding lead at 12-8 only to see Wilkinson claw back to 11-12. Whittaker, however thereafter needed only 3 more points to put him through to the final qualifying round. Craig van der Wath, the top seed in the Milo Men's Open for the top South African players which starts on Friday 18th October has had to withdraw because of a dislocated shoulder. Lazarus Chiluyfa takes his place in the event. Tue 15 Oct, Qualifying first round: Rodney Durbach (Rsa) bye Greg La Mude (Rsa) by Dylan Bennett (Ned) 15/4, 17/15, 15/10 Simon Parke (Eng) bt Gareth Schnehage (Rsa) 15/12, 15/6, 15/11 Glenn Keenan (Aus) bt Paul Atkinson (Rsa) 15/12, 15/4, 15/7 John Argyle (Rsa) bt Jago Nardelli (Eng) 15/9, 15/12, 15/6 Lars Harms (Sui) bt Craig Wapnick (Rsa) 15/9, 15/9, 15/12 Glenn Whittaker (Rsa) bt Trevor Wilkinson (Rsa) 15/11, 15/13, 15/11 Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt Mike Tootill (Rsa) 15/12, 15/13, 15/11