Bailey
glad to be back on court.
Howard Harding,
reporting for the PSA and WISPA.
by
Howard Harding, 27Jan 2002
All content
© 2002 Howard Harding,
photos: ©
2002 Debra Tessier
Nicol Nips into Next Round
Nicol Nips Into Next New York Round Defending champion Peter Nicol made
swift work of his opening match in the $72,000 CSFBdirect Tournament of
Champions, beating Pakistani qualifier Mansoor Zaman 15-6, 15-6, 15-11
in just 36 minutes in New York. "It's great to back in New York," said
the world No1 and world champion from England as he moved into the second
round of the largest professional squash event in North America. The former
Scot meets an unexpected opponent in the last sixteen after unseeded Canadian
Graham Ryding upset 13th seed Alex Gough 15-11, 15-13, 15-14 in 69 minutes.
It was the Welshman's second successive first round exit in a PSA Tour
event since claiming his national title for the first time at the beginning
of the month. British interest is already guaranteed in the semi-finals
after Welshman David Evans, England's Del Harris and Scots John White
and Martin Heath all survived first round encounters on the second day
of action in New York - with only Evans requiring more than three games
to overcome his opponent, Canadian 'lucky loser' Shahier Razik. In the
opening day of action in the Arader & O'Rourke-sponsored women's event,
in which players are competing for the Weymuller Cup, England's unseeded
Natalie Pohrer caused one of two upsets when she dismissed seventh-seeded
Australian Natalie Grinham 9-1, 9-2, 9-0. "Rachael gave me the wrong tactics,"
said the losing Natalie of her higher-ranked sister (who is not playing
the New York event.) "She has been holding out on me! But Natalie was
really putting me under too much pressure." US-based Pohrer, the former
world No4 who has already claimed one WISPA title this month after returning
to the circuit following a six-month layoff, now faces third-seeded compatriot
Linda Charman-Smith who defeated Danish qualifier Ellen Petersen 9-2,
9-3, 9-0. England's Tania Bailey was the other seed to fall, beaten 9-4,
4-9, 0-9, 9-1, 10-8 by 16-year-old Egyptian qualifier Omneya Abdel Kawy.
"It was only my second match in six months," said the former world junior
champion afterwards. "The good news is my knee was fine - but the bad
news is that I need more match practice. Another month and I'll be back
to where I was."
[view the men's draw] [view the women's draw]
RESULTS: CSFBdirect Tournament of
Champions, Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA 1st round:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [Q] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 15-6, 15-6, 15-11 (36m)
Graham Ryding (CAN) bt [13] Alex Gough (WAL) 15-11, 15-13, 15-14 (69m)
[6] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [Q] Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) 15-5, 15-9, 15-10
(50m)
[10] Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt Kareem Darwish (EGY) 17-15, 15-10, 15-13 (68m)
[3] John White (SCO) bt Rodney Durbach (RSA) 17-16, 15-8, 15-12 (46m)
[16] Del Harris (ENG) bt [Q] Stephen Meads (ENG) 15-10, 15-3, 15-5 (45m)
[8] David Evans (WAL) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 15-10, 15-5, 12-15, 15-13
(60m)
[14] Martin Heath (SCO) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 15-9, 15-8, 15-9 (39m)
Arader & O'Rourke Women's Tournament
of Champions, New York, USA 1st round:
[1] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-3, 9-5, 9-0
[5] Suzanne Horner (ENG) bt [Q] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 6-9, 6-9, 9-4, 9-7,
9-1
[3] Linda Charman-Smith (ENG) bt [Q] Ellen Petersen (DEN) 9-2, 9-3, 9-0
Natalie Pohrer (ENG) bt [7] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0
[6] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [Q] Annelize Naude (RSA) 3-9, 9-10, 9-2, 9-2,
9-3
[4] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-4, 10-8, 9-2
[Q] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [8] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-4, 4-9, 0-9, 9-1,
10-8
[2] Carol Owens (NZL) bt Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-3, 4-9, 9-3, 9-1
