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Qualifying Finals:
Scott Handley (Eng) bt Tom Richards (Eng) 11/9,
11/8, 11/13, 11/13, 11/3 (59m)
plays Lavigne
Jan Koukal (Cze) bt Stacey Ross (Eng)
14/12, 10/12, 11/7, 11/3 (53m)
plays White
Alex Stait (Eng) bt Aaron Frankcomb (Aus)
11/8, 11/5, 9/11, 11/7 (70m)
plays Matthew
Chris Ryder (Eng) bt Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
11/5, 11/4, 11/8 (52m)
plays Gough |
Three
Englishmen through ...
Two matches at each of Sheffield's premier clubs were to decide the final
main draw places for the 2007 Mamut English Open, and in the end it would
be three Englishmen and one Czech who claimed those spots.
First up at Abbeydale was Scott Handley against fellow-Englishman
Tom Richards. Handley looked in control in the first two games,
establishing decent leads which although Richards closed he couldn't
complete the comeback. The youngster was to get the better of the next two
games though, winning both on extra points to set up a decider.
Whatever he was doing right in that spell, it soon stopped in the fifth.
Scott was attacking more fiercely now, hitting low hard winners and
forcing errors from Richards' racket. He quickly established a winning
lead and never looked like losing it.
Then it was the turn of Stacey Ross and Jan Koukal. The
Englishman was steadier at the start – he led throughout the first, but
some careless errors cost him the game on extra points. Stacey took the
second, but from then on the Czech seemed to find his feet, ran down
everything that Ross could throw at him, and by the end Stacey looked to
be running out of ideas.
Meanwhile, over at Hallamshire two more Englishmen made it through.
Alex Stait recorded a fine win over Australia's Aaron Frankcomb,
and Chris Ryder made it a bad day for the Aussies as he beat
Ryan Cuskelly in straight games.
The draw for the main round saw Handley pitted against Renan Lavigne,
Koukal drew John White, Ryder got Alex Gough and last out of the hat was
Stait to face local favourite Nick Matthew.
Ryder had expressed a preference for the Welshman – "I didn't do myself
justice last time I played him, I'd like another crack" - and let's face
it, after drawing David Palmer, Ramy Ashour and Gregory Gaultier in his
last three qualifications he probably deserved a little luck!
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 "I
didn't play too badly, but he played well in the middle of the match.
"You have to get a good length on this court, which I was doing, but then
you fall asleep for a bit, lose a run of points and suddenly you're
struggling.
"In the fifth I just decided to be more aggressive when I got in front,
hitting it hard and past him. I felt good physically, especially after a
five-setter yesterday, so I'm looking forward to a good match tomorrow."
 "It took me a while
to find my length, I haven't played on a glass court for a long time so it
was difficult to find my rhythm.
"Physically I'm fine, not tired at all, I was getting stronger and
stronger as the match went on, and in the end I just picked up more balls
than him, which started getting to him mentally.
"I just wanted to make sure I didn't give it to him, that he'd have to
work for it if he was going to win …"
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Comprehensive home interest
in qualifying finals
There will be domestic interest in all four qualifying finals of the Mamut
English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council, after five Englishmen came
through the first qualifying round in Sheffield.
Qualifying is being staged simultaneously at the Abbeydale Park and
Hallamshire squash clubs - leading to the main draw which takes place for
the first time at the English Institute of Sport
Surrey's Stacey Ross headed the qualifying draw - and comfortably
beat fellow Englishman Shaun le Roux, from Yorkshire. The 34-year-old from
Sutton will now face Czech number one Jan Koukal for a place in the
main draw.
Another Surrey player pulled off a notable upset: Tom Richards,
back in action after a six-month knee injury layoff, defeated Leeds-based
Jon Harford, ranked 40 places higher in the world. Richards now faces
fellow countryman Scott Handley, from Oxfordshire, who took five
games to get the better of young Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet.
Manchester-based Alex Stait also secured an upset to earn a place
in the qualifying finals. The 28-year-old from Gloucester, ranked 85 in
the world, despatched Hungary's world No63 Mark Krajcsak to set up a clash
with Australian Aaron Frankcomb.
England's World University champion Chris Ryder will also take on
an Australian for a place in the main draw. The 27-year-old from
Wolverhampton beat Nottinghamshire's Eddie Charlton and will now face
Ryan Cuskelly, from New South Wales, in the qualifying finals.
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Malcolm Willstrop Preview
Abbeydale's Glass Court
Festive at Hallamshire |
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Mamut English Open
2007 - Qualifying Draw |
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First Round, Thu 13th |
Finals, Fri 14th |
Stacey Ross (Eng)
11/0, 11/5, 11/5
Shaun Le Roux (Eng) |
Stacey Ross
14/12, 10/12, 11/7, 11/3 (53m)
Q
Jan Koukal Q |
Jan
Koukal (Cze)
11/9, 11/7, 6/11, 11/8
Yann Perrin (Fra) |
Scott
Handley (Eng)
11/7, 8/11, 11/7, 4/11, 11/8
Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) |
Q Scott Handley Q
11/9, 11/8, 11/13, 11/13, 11/3 (59m)
Tom Richards |
Jon
Harford (Eng)
11/1, 8/11, 11/7, 11/8
Tom Richards (Eng) |
Mark
Krajcsak (Hun)
11/5, 11/7, 11/9
Alex Stait (Eng) |
Q Alex Stait Q
11/8, 11/5, 9/11, 11/7 (70m)
Aaron Frankcomb |
Aaron
Frankcomb (Aus)
11/3, 11/9, 11/7
James Snell (Eng) |
Ryan
Cuskelly (Aus)
12/10, 11/6, 5/11, 10/12, 11/6
Adam Fuller (Eng) |
Q Chris Ryder Q
11/5, 11/4, 11/8 (52m)
Ryan Cuskelly |
Chris
Ryder (Eng)
11/5, 11/5, 11/6
Eddie Charlton (Eng) |
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H = Hallamshire A =
Abbeydale |
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• TODAY • SEMIS • QUARTERS • Round ONE • Qualifying • Videos • |
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