DLJ Direct Tournament of Champions
New York, 23~28 Jan 1999
Results & Draw | Get the VIDEO2000 event
Held in New York's famous Grand Central Station,
the $70k event attracted the top 24 men in the world.the Final - 28 Jan
Canadian World Champion Jonathon Power won the first major event of the new season, capturing the Tournament of Champions title in New York. He was pushed all the way though, by second seed Ahmed Barada, and dropped his first games of the tournament as he went 2-1 down, losing the third 16-17. After winning the fourth, he then had to come from 5-9 and 11-13 down in the last to complete a 15-12 13-15 16-17 15-7 15-13 victory. Power, winner of the Tournament of Champions title when it was last staged in October 1996, again beating Nicol in the last four, conceded after this year's final: "I made too many mistakes in the last game, but I knew I had more juice than Barada. I thought he was running out of legs - I was also pretty dead." Barada admitted he was tired, but happy with his game. When asked how he read Power's game so well, the Egyptian acknowledged: "I have been watching videos." Power and Barada are seeded to contest the final of the Flanders Esso Open, which takes place in Antwerp, Belgium, from 10-13 February.
Semi-Finals - 27 Jan
Jonathon Power repeated his World Open victory over Peter Nicol in the Tournament of Champions, but this time took only 3 games in a one-sided semi-final. From 9-5 up in the first Nicol crumbled, scoring only 10 more points to Power's 40. "It wasn't because I had harder matches during the week than he did that I lost, it was just the way I felt on the day. It was a poor performance by me," said Nicol. Power said "I have been doing a lot more training since winning the world title, so my fitness is higher than before. If I can win the final I should not be too far off becoming world number one."The other semi-final was a much tougher affair, with Ahmed Barada taking 100 minutes to dispose of Paul Johnson. Barada was looking very tired towards the end and was warned for time-wasting in the fifth. With Power not having dropped a game so far, the odds look to be on for Power to repeat his World Open demolition of Barada ...
Quarter-Finals - 26 Jan
Peter Nicol earned a chance of revenge for his defeat by Jonathon Power in last month's World Open final, although Power had much the easier ride through to the semi-final. Power's comfortable win over Byron Davis meant that he has now conceded only 52 points in nine games and three matches. He might have liked a hard match in preparation for the showdown, but although he didn't get one, Nicol certainly did. He needed nearly an hour and a quarter before he won 15-13 17-16 15-12 against Simon Parke, saving three game balls in the second along the way. "It was good that I did because those three hard games were perfect for me," said Nicol. "I'm not tired now but four games may have been too much."
With Ahmed Barada and Paul Johnson contesting the other semi-final, it means that for once all four top seeds have survived. Johnson needed five games to get past a resurgent Del Harris, but Barada came through comfortably against Alex Gough with a straight games win. Gough became annoyed at the end of the second game, throwing his racket hard enough to break it and earn himself a conduct stroke to start the third game with. In the other match, Harris almost demolished the court when he slammed into the back wall, causing a delay as the door had to be adjusted to allow it to close.
2nd round - 25 Jan
Del Harris beat former world champion Rodney Eyles 3-2 securing his most important win since helping England capture the world team title in 1997. Injury and a long run of poor form have seen Harris drop out of the top 20, but against Eyles he looked to be back to hjis best. Afterwards Harris claimed that Eyles had resorted to gamesmanship. "I let a couple of things get to me," admitted Harris. "He hit me with the ball twice which frustrated me as it was done on purpose. There were also comments he made on court, which was just gamesmanship. I know him off court quite well and for a while it cost me my concentration." Harris now meets fellow Englishman Paul Johnson. The world's top two, Nicol and Power, both moved comfortably through to the quarter-finals, just one game away from an eagerly-awaited semi-final clash. Australia's Byron Davis caused the first seeding upset of the day on the all-glass court erected in America's world-famous railway station, twice coming back from behind to defeat Scotland's world No6 Martin Heath 15/17 15/10 8/15 15/13 15/2. Heath said afterwards: "I never liked the court, or perhaps the new yellow ball is heavier - it comes fast off the wall and then stops. I never got into a rhythm," he conceded.
1st round - 23/23 Jan
Canada's new world squash champion Jonathon Power gave New York commuters little time to appreciate his talent as he ripped through his first round opponent in the $70,000 DLJ Direct Tournament of Champions, staged on an all-glass court in the US city's world-famous Grand Central Station. The first round was dominated though, by a controversial refereeing incident at the end of Ahmed Barada's match with Anthony Hill. During an ugly, physical match with two five-minute breaks for injuries, referee Tony Hands had warned both players for playing the man rather than the ball. At 14-13 to Barada in the fifth, marker Barry Faguy awarded a stroke and the match to Barada and both players disappeared from the court as spectators began to mill around. Hands over-ruled the decision though, insisting that a let be played, and had spectators removed and both players brought back on court. Barada finally won the match - on a penalty stroke!
DLJ Direct Tournament of Champions |
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1st
Round |
2nd
Round |
Quarters |
Semis |
FINAL |
| [1] Peter Nicol (SCO) 15/1 15/11 15/11 John White (SCO) |
Peter
Nicol |
Peter
Nicol 15-13 17-16 15-12 |
Peter Nicol 15-10 15-4 15-5 Jonathon Power |
 Jonathon
15-12 13-15 16-17
Ahmed
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| David Evans (WAL) 15/8 17/14 15/12 Chris Walker (ENG) |
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| [8] Simon Parke (ENG) 15/12 15/13 10/15 6/15 15/10 [Q] Lee Beachill (ENG) |
Simon
Parke 15-5 15-4 12-15 11-15 15-4 Derek Ryan |
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| Derek Ryan (IRL) 17/15 15/9 10/15 15/9 [Q] Juha Raumolin (FIN) |
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| [3] Jonathon Power (CAN) 15/2 15/2 15/8 [Q] John Williams (AUS) |
Jonathon
Power 15-8 15-4 15-9 Rodney Durbach |
Jonathon
Power 15-8 15-6 15-5 |
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| [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) 10/15 15/7 15/8 15/10 Mark Cairns (ENG) |
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| [5] Martin Heath
(SCO) 15/11 15/10 15/10 Nick Taylor (ENG) |
Martin Heath 15-17 15-9 8-15 15-13 15-2 Bryon Davis |
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| Byron Davis (AUS) 15/11 15/9 7/15 15/10 [Q] David Palmer (AUS) |
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| Graham Ryding (CAN) 15-5 15-13 15-6 Del Harris (ENG) |
Del
Harris 16-17 15-6 15-4 13-15 15-8 Rodney Eyles |
Del Harris 12-15 15-12 15-8 9-15 15-6 |
Paul Johnson 15-10 7-15 17-14 14-17 15-8 Ahmed Barada |
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| [7] Rodney Eyles (AUS) 15-9 8-15 15-10 15-13 [Q] Tim Garner (ENG) |
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| Amjad Khan (PAK) 15-17 17-15 15-8 15-11 [Q] Stewart Boswell (AUS) |
Stewart Boswell 16/17 15/13 15/9 15/10 Paul Johnson |
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| [4] Paul Johnson (ENG) 15-5 9-15 15-6 15-7 Paul Price (AUS) |
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| Alex Gough (WAL) 15/5 15/11 15/4 Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) |
Alex Gough 3-1 Dan Jenson |
Dan Jenson 15-9 15-10 15-4 Ahmed Barada |
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| [6] Dan Jenson (AUS) 15/9 15/5 13/15 15/6 [Q] Amr Shabana (EGY) |
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| Mark Chaloner (ENG) 12/15 6/15 15/5 15/7 15/12 Omar Elborolossy (EGY) |
Omar
Elborolossy |
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[2]
Ahmed
Barada (EGY) |
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| TV Coverage: ESPN 2 February 15th 2pm-3pm | ||||
