Sun 18th, Final:
[2] David Evans (Wal) bt [1] Joey Barrington (Eng)
      15-9, 15-1, 15-12 (48m)

Evans takes Salt Lake title
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

The highly anticipated matchup between the defensive game of Joey Barrington (fitness, retrieving, patience) and the offensive game of David Evans (deception, attacking, precision) did not live up to the expectations of the Salt Lake squash fans.

Barrington's road to the finals had taken a toll on his legs. He was obviously struggling as the match opened. Evans' great command of the racquet and his ability to hide his shots made Barrington work hard throughout the opening stages of the match. To his credit Barrington stayed close and tied the game at 4-4, but Evans slowly started to separate himself and took a 7-4 lead. After one hand-out that brought Barrington to 5-7, Evans broke loose with a series of beautiful lengths followed by soft drops to gain a commanding advantage 13-5.

Barrington dug deep and displayed the retrieving and hustle which he has displayed throughout the week. His effort was rewarded with a few mistakes from Evans and allowed him to close the gap to 9-13. It was not enough, however, as Evans finished the game 15-9.

The second game was all Evans as Barrington's attempt to come back in the first left him nothing for the second. Evans showed no mercy as he continued to hold his shot, forcing Barrington to come to a complete stop, before executing a precise drive to good length or a drop volley. Evans finished the game 15-1.

The final game mirrored the first with Barrington staying close at 3-4 only to see Evans race to an 11-3 lead. Once again, Barrington admirably battled back to 10-13 and finally 12-14. With the crowd wanting more and urging Barrington to push the match to a fourth game, Evans finished the match with a forehand drop for a winner.

Evans now joins Shahier Razik (2001 and 2003) and Simon Parke (2002) as champion of the Squashworks Salt Lake City PSA Open. There were good crowds throughtout the week. Not only were people watching the professionals, but all six courts at the club were being used for the 2004 Krispy Kreme Challenge amateur tournament as well. Plans are already underway for next year.
 

15-9, 15-1, 15-12 (48m)

David Evans

15-9, 15-11, 13-15, 15-2  (65m)

David Evans

 
<sub>Qualifying:

Finals, Wed 14th:
Andre Holderegger (SUI) bt David Phillips (CAN): 15-9, 15-8, 15-6 (40m)
Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt Chris Gordon (USA) 12-15, 9-15, 15-8, 15-12, 17-16 (109m)
Kumail Mehmood (PAK) bt Jose Angel Becerill (MEX) 15-9, 15-4, 15-6 (43m)
Ben Howell (ENG) bt Dylan Patterson (USA) 12-15, 13-15, 15-12, 15-13, 15-8 (65m)

1st round, Tue 13th:
David Phillips (CAN)   bye
Andre Holderegger (SUI) bt Lefika Ragonste (BOT): 15-6, 15-6, 15-9 (38m)
Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Shahid Khan (ENG): 11-15, 15-17, 15-7, 15-6, 15-5 (72m)
Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt Imran Khan (PAK) 15-13, 10-15, 15-6, 15-9 (64m)
Kumail Mehmood (PAK) bt Craig Bennett (Local, Salt Lake City) 15-8, 15-8, 15-4 (25m)
Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt Simon Pickering (ENG) 10-15, 15-12, 15-6, 15-4
Dylan Patterson (USA) bt Rob McFadzean (USA): 15-7, 15-11, 14-15, 14-17, 15-4 (62m)
Ben Howell (ENG) bt Sam Waltman (Local): 15-2, 15-3, 15-6 (22m)</sub>

Sat 17th, Semi-Finals:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [5] Mark Heather (ENG)   15-12, 16-17, 15-6, 15-9  (83m)
[2] David Evans (WAL) bt [4] Bradley Ball (ENG)  15-9, 15-11, 13-15, 15-2  (65m)

Barrington & Evans
in Salt Lake final
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

Joey Barrington displayed his superior fitness and court coverage as he outlasted Mark Heather. The end of the second game proved to be the critical stage of the match. Heather, using his beautiful backhand volley drops to work Barrington front to back, pushed out to a 14-10 lead. But Barrington held his ground and would not let Heather win the game easily. The rallies became brutally long with Heather seemingly winning each rally with well-timed and well-executed shots only to see Barrington make a great get and reset the rally. Slowly Barrington climbed even at 14-14 thanks to several mistakes from Heather as he cut his margin for error even finer in an attempt to finally win the game. Heather steadied himself in time to force a 16-16 tie and it was Barrington who made an error to lose the game on a lob that sailed out of play.

Heather may have won the battle of the second game but in the process of struggling to finish off the game he ultimately would lose the match. Barrington's superior fitness proved the difference as the fourth and fifth games were not close.

David Evans showed the brilliant form of a former world #3 and British Open Champion. Evans' ability to hold his shots until the last second and then to hit precise and accurate shots forced Ball to come to a complete stop and then get going again and retrieve to all four corners. Ball was up to the challenge and used his low hard drives into the nick to end many rallies of his own. Although up 2-0 in games and clearly in control, Evans seemed to lose concentration at 8-5 in the third game when he was not given a stroke on a ball he he thought was a clear decision. This loss of concentration sparked Ball to go on a run of points and take a 11-8 lead. Evans steadied himself and tied the score at 11-11 and 12-12, but Ball was able to finish the game 15-13.

Evans, annoyed with himself for losing his concentration in the third game, came out very focused and attacked Ball from the beginning of the fourth game. He pushed the pace by taking the ball early and took advantage of Ball's weary legs. The game was over early as Evans took a 12-1 lead and closed the game 15-2.

Fri 16th, Quarters:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt (8) Eric Galvez (MEX)  15-12, 15-9, 12-15, 15-13  (105m)
[5] Mark Heather (ENG) bt [3] Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) 17-14,11-15,15-12,15-12  (62m)
[4] Bradley Ball (ENG) bt [7] Phillip Barker (ENG)  15-10, 15-10, 15-8  (49m)
[2] David Evans (WAL) bt (6) Matthew Giuffre (CAN)  15-9, 15-6, 15-4  (33m)

Evans joins the English
in Salt Lake Semis
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

The semi-finals of the Squashworks Open will feature three Englishmen and a Welshman.

The opening match of the evening proved to be, not only the longest, but also the most exciting with Joey Barrington outlasting Eric Galvez in 1 hour 45 minutes. Both players are great retrievers and extremely fit; however, in this match at least, Barrington was simply more steady and made fewer errors than Galvez. The rallies were long and brutal with both players hitting to good length and seemingly content to grind out the match. Galvez was usually the first player to play an offensive shot which resulted in quick bursts of drop, counter drop, then lob and finally back to good length. As the rallies lengthened Galvez took more and more chances which resulted in some spectacular hard-nick winners; yet, too often, Galvez found tin or opened the floor for more punishment. These two players obviously have a healthy respect for each other and the crowd enjoyed their emotion and certainly their tremendous passion and effort displayed throughout the match.

In the second match, Stefan Casteleyn (a crowd favourite due to his earlier successes in the Squashworks Open where he has reached two finals only to lose to Shahier Razik in both 2001 and 2003) played well enough in the first game to have captured an early lead in the match. He was up 10-7, 12-10, then 14-13, but Mark Heather kept in the game through lengthening his shots and getting a better handle on Casteleyn's deceptive swinging style. The first game went to 14-14 and Casteleyn called for a three point tie-break. Heather jumped on the opportunity and closed the first game 17-14. Showing his incredible racquet skills and veteran savvy, Casteleyn battled back from his first game defeat and pushed a 9-9 tie in the second game to 12-9 and finally 15-11 victory. It was clear, however, that Casteleyn was labouring harder than Heather. Like Galvez in the first match, it was usually Casteleyn that lost patience and tried offensive shots that more often than not found tape. Heather's steady play carried him through to semi-finals and a match with Joey Barrington.

In the third match, Bradley Ball played his usual up-tempo high energy game with lots of hard low drives and crisp drop shots. Parker's excellent footwork and court movement allowed him to stay with Ball but in the end he lacked the offensive game to counter attack Ball. Eventually, Ball wore him down and closed the match in three games.

The final match saw David Evans break away from a 9-9 tie in the first game to race to a 15-9 victory. The other two games followed the same pattern; unfortunately for Giuffre, the Evans "break" came progressively earlier. In the second game, Evans extended a 6-6 tie into a 15-6 victory. And, in the final game, a 4-4 tie became a 15-4 victory.

Evans looks sharp and so does Ball. The semi-final between the two tall and experienced pros should be very entertaining.

Thu 15th, First Round:
Seeds Sail Through
In Salt Lake City
The battle for places in the quarter-finals of the Squashworks Salt Lake City Squash Open proved to favour the favourites as all eight seeds survived on the first day of action in the Utah state capital.

Only England's top seed Joey Barrington needed more than three games to overcome his first round opponent. Pakistan qualifier Kumail Mehmood displayed an excellent array of shots in the first game but Barrington's quickness and overall fitness lengthened the game to his advantage. Even though Mehmood won the first game, he was clearly labouring at the end while the world No40 from Somerset continued to bound around the court without showing any signs of weakness. After 61 minutes, Barrington advanced through to the last eight in a 13-15 15-6 15-7 15-8 scoreline.

The favourite will now meet Mexican Eric Galvez, the No8 seed who defeated English qualifier Ben Howell 15-11 15-8 15-13 in 43 minutes. Galvez used his quickness to the front court and his Mexico City-trained altitude lungs to outlast Howell. The last time Barrington and Galvez met was in March's Ontario Open, where the Englishman prevailed in a two-hour five game classic.

At the other end of the draw, second-seeded Welshman David Evans faced Canada's Shawn De Lierre. Salt Lake City squash fans were anxious to see this match because of Evans's experience and impressive accomplishments (a British Open Champion and former world No3) - matched up against De Lierre's youth and charisma. The 22-year-old Canadian was in Salt Lake City last year and put on a great display by qualifying for the event only to lose in the quarters.

Evans, however, never allowed De Lierre any room to display his shot-making ability. The experienced Welshman used his length to volley balls and keep De Lierre in the back which in the end seemed to dishearten the Canadian. Despite two tight first games, the match ended emphatically 15-10 15-12 15-3 in Evans's favour.

Evans now plays another Canadian, sixth seed Matthew Giuffre in the quarter-finals.

Qualifying Finals:
Chifunda outlasts Gordon
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

Salt Lake squash fans witnessed two excellent matches in the final day of qualification play, as Andre Holderegger, Ben Howell, Patrick Chifunda and Kumail Mehmood all progressed to the main draw.

Chifunda, from Zambia, outlasted talented American teenager Christopher Gordon 17-16 in the fifth game. Gordon won a highly competitive first game 15-12 where the three point margin of victory was the biggest lead of the game. He also took the second game by breaking away from a 6-6 tie and finishing the game 15-9. Chifunda's lightning speed and mobility was hampered by a sore back and yet he continued to show his trademark speed and hard-hitting style. Clinging to a 9-7 lead in the third game, Chifunda broke away to take a 14-7 lead and gained confidence when he finished the game 15-8.

Between the third and the fourth game, Chifunda solicited help in "popping" his back into place. This little bit of chiropractic magic seemed to help Chifunda as he moved with more quickness and speed in the fourth to win 15-12.

The fifth game was a classic. Both players played very conservative squash with deep tight length; each seemed reluctant to attack. Neither player could push a lead further than two points. Gordon did have the advantage at 13-11, and then match ball at 14-13; but Chifunda scrambled to tie 14-14.

With the crowd giving the players an enthusiatic cheer of encouragement, the players commenced to play three extra points. Again Gordon took the early advantage 16-14 on a beautiful drop that clung to the sidewall. Chifunda got to the ball but could not scrape it off the wall. However, on the next rally, Gordon made an unforced error on a volley drop. Chifunda then tied the game at 16-16 and finished the match with a precise forehand volley drive off a loose Gordon cross-court.

One hour and forty-nine minutes of exciting squash and Chifuna had his ticket to the main draw. Gordon is excited to have his first PSA match victory in his pocket and a tough five-game lesson for the teenager as well.

The final match of the evening saw another five game match with American Dylan Patterson taking the first two games 15-12 and 15-13 against England's Ben Howell. Patterson was confident and Howell was in trouble as Patterson took a 12-9 lead in the third game. At that point, Howell made a series of beautiful drop shots from a variety of positions on the court which allowed him to win six straight rallies and the game 15-12. This clearly changed the momentum of the match. Howell continued his creative play in the front court with every drop from Patterson being followed by a re-drop from Howell or a feathery cross-court flick.

The fourth game was tight throughout but Howell prevailed after a short injury break to claim the game 15-13. The fifth game was Howell's all the way as he finished the game and the match 15-8. Patterson, like Gordon, gave a nice effort for American squash.

Qualifying round one
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

The fourth running of the PSA Squashworks Open is under way in Salt Lake City, with England's Joey Barrington and Wales' David Evans top seeds. The draw also features US National Champion Preston Quick, US Pro Champion Stefan Casteleyn, and Mexican Champion Eric Galvez, with players from eleven countries in all.

The three best matches of the first round of qualification all involved Americans or players based in the United States.

Christopher Gordon, the U19 national champion, stormed back from a 0-2 deficit against England's Shahid Khan to claim his first victory in a PSA event. Gordon, who skipped college to train for the pro game, showed tremendous stamina and grittiness in overcoming Khan. He overcame a 11-14 deficit in game two only to lose 17-14; yet, he stayed poised and patient and really took control of the match in the third game as he raced to an 11-4 lead. He duplicated this early push in each of the next two games and opened the fourth game 7-0 and the fifth game 9-2. These big leads proved too much for Khan as he dropped the last three games 15-7, 15-6, 15-5.

Dylan Patterson, who graduated from Harvard in 2003, seemed to have his match with Rob McFadzean under control as he won the first game 15-7, and was ahead in the second 13-6, but a series of mental errors coupled with McFadzean's steady play closed the gap to 10-13. Patterson was able to finish the game 15-11 but he had to work very hard. McFadzean stayed close throughout the third and despite facing two match balls was able to squeak out the third game 15-14. The fourth was the same type of game with McFadzean tying the match 17-14; yet, unlike Gordon, McFadzean faded in the fifth and Patterson claimed the match 15-4.

The final match of the evening proved to be the most entertaing with the hard-hitting and speedy Patrick Chifunda of Zambia battling the smooth and quick Imran Khan of Pakistan. Both of these players currently reside in the U.S: Chifunda in Washington D.C. and Khan in Philadelphia. The contrast of styles with Khan's touch and quickness off the "T" matched against Chifunda's power and court coverage made for some amazing points. Chifunda's fast playing style was perfect for the high-altitude speed of the Salt Lake City courts. Despite breaking several balls throughout the match, Chifunda finally prevailed.

Preview:
Four-up for Salt Lake City
Craig Bennett reports from Salt Lake City

Squashworks and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are pleased to announce the $10,000 Squashworks Salt Lake City PSA Open  from July 13-18, 2004.

This tournament marks the fourth consecutive year that Salt Lake City has hosted the men’s PSA world tour. Twenty-five players from eleven different countries are coming to compete not only for $10,000 in prize money but also coveted PSA world-ranking points.

Some players of note who are coming this year: top-seeded Joey Barrington from England (Barrington is the son of the legendary champion Jonah Barrington who won the prestigious British Open six times, 1967-1973), second-seeded David Evans from Wales (Evans was the 2000 British Open Champion); Stefan Casteleyn from Belgium (Casteleyn is the best player who currently lives in the U.S. having just won the U.S. Pro Championships in Los Angeles); Eric Galvez from Mexico (Galvez is the Mexican National Champion and one of the most exciting players on tour); and, Preston Quick from the U.S. (Quick from Denver is the current U.S. National Champion).