Howard Harding,
reporting for the PSA and WISPA.
by
Howard Harding, 26 Jan 2002
All content
© 2002 Howard Harding,
photos: ©
2002 Debra Tessier
A WORLD OF 101 LETS
ONG OUSTED IN OPENER
Seventh-seeded Malaysian Ong Beng Hee crashed out of the first round of
the $72,000 CSFBdirect Tournament of Champions in New York, beaten 15-12,
15-8, 15-14 by unseeded Australian Anthony Ricketts to become one of two
seeds to fail to survive the first day's play in the first PSA Tour Super
Series event of the year.
The 80-minute defeat was Beng Hee's second disappointment caused by the world No18 from Brisbane in just over a month. The world No7 from Penang lost his Malaysian Open title to Ricketts in December, and has now failed to build on his Swedish Open title win only two weeks ago.
Ricketts now faces a qualifier, after Egypt's Wael El Hindi maintained the momentum of winning the El Ahly Open in his hometown Cairo ten days ago to upset England's 15th seed Paul Johnson 15-12, 13-15, 12-15, 15-11, 15-11 in a 102-minute marathon - a match also notable for the 102 lets that were called!
The
longest match of the opening day, however, was claimed by the all-English
battle between 11th seed Chris Walker and qualifier Nick Taylor. Left-hander
Walker, at 34 the oldest competitor in the event, edged to a 12-15, 17-16,
15-10, 13-15, 15-11 victory in 104 minutes.
The win gives Walker his first meeting with world No2 David Palmer since he faced the Australian in last year's British Open final - where the Englishman became the first qualifier ever to reach that stage of the sport's most prestigious event. In New York, the second seed overcame compatriot Joseph Kneipp 15-6, 9-15, 15-10, 15-7 in 80 minutes - which included a 10-minute halt in proceedings while Kneipp, a qualifier, attempted to stop the bleeding to a cut above his eye caused by the handle of his opponent's racket.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS 2002 First
round (Bottom Half of the draw)
Wael el Hindi (Egy) bt Paul Johnson (Eng) 15-12, 13-15, 12-15, 15-11,
15-11 (95 Mins) Anthony Ricketts (Aus) bt Ong Beng Hee (Mal) 15-12, 15-8,
15-14 (62 mins)
Lee Beachill (Eng) bt Omar Elborolossy (Egy) 15-8, 13-15,15-13,15-9 (61
mins)
Jonathon Power (Can ) bt Simon Parke (Eng) 15-7, 15-5, 15-9 (50 mins)
Paul Price (Aus) bt Amr Shabana (Egy) 15-10, 15-7, 15-6 (31 mins)
Chris Walker (Eng) bt Nick Taylor (Eng)12-15, 17-16, 15-10, 13-15, 15-11
(104 mins). Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt Peter Genever (Eng) 15-11, 15-5, 15-9.
(39 mins)
David Palmer (Aus) bt Joe Kneipp (Aus) 15-5, 9-15, 15-10, 15-7. (94 mins).
