Sweet Home Chicago Open Daily Update - September 11, 2008
Contact: Erika Skorupskas or Ryan Kuntz, Healy & Schulte, Inc.
Phone: 312/765-8770
E-mail: eskorupskas@healyandschulte.com
Top Seeds Prevail In First Round Matches
U.S. Player Illingworth Advances to Quarter Finals
Sweet Home Chicago Open Continues Play
In Glass Court on Michigan Avenue
By: Kim Tunney
After a moment of silence to honor those who perished on September 11, 2001 match play continued at the Sweet Home Chicago Open, the nation's first outdoor glass court event. The weather held nicely, although humid, with overcast skies keeping the sunlight off the court for tonight's first set of round of sixteen matches.
#1 tournament seed David Palmer worked 17-year-old Carribean champion Alain Mudeen up and down the court to win the first match of the evening. Palmer looked relaxed testing the side walls with boasts to see how the court played. It was to his liking.
Mudeen who studies at the American School in Cairo kept up with Palmer as the wild card player for the event. After the match Mudeen admitted that "I'm not a British Open champion just yet," referring to Palmer's multiple wins. But with practice and determination, his day will come.
US superstar Julian Illingworth now ranked #38 on the PSA tour continued his run up the ladder progressing to beat Ireland's Liam Kenny in three. Illingworth started strong in the first game leaving Kenny behind holding only four points, Kenny pushed in the second game managing seven points by working the front of the court on the drop and cross drop. Leaving it to be done in the third, Kenny pushed but was no match for Illingworth who claimed the third game victory 11-5.
Julian Illingworth (left) plays Liam Kenny (right) in first round main draw
F&M (Franklin and Marshall) Head Coach and PSA World # 19 John White showed patience and skill defeating Egyptian-born Yasser el Halaby who, while attending Princeton University from 2002-2006, won the intercollegiate squash championships an unprecedented four times in a role.
However, that accolade alone was not enough to stop White from beating him in four which attests to the performance level differences between men's collegiate squash in America and the professional squash world tour.
Yet with that, John White felt his match was just "all right". White, who is one of the hardest hitters in the game, has been known to hit balls clocked at 172 miles per hour; a world record.
John White (left) plays Yasser El Halaby (right) in first round main draw
"The court takes a good length," referring to the feel of the ball off
the court wall. "It sticks to the sidewall so my drops were working
tonight." A perfectionist on the court, White admitted that, "the court
rewards you for good squash", referring to strategies that work an
opponent around the four court corners using rallies that require waiting
for the right opportunity to advance a winning shot. White has a rest
day tomorrow before facing the USA's number one player Julian Illingworth
(PSA #38) on Saturday at 6:00 pm. Ireland's Arthur Gaskin who
qualified just last evening for admittance into the main draw left
everything on the court against #7 seed Daryl Selby from England. Both
the first two games were tight with Gaskin earning nine and eight points
respectively. In the crucial third game, Gaskin pulled a muscle yet
fought valiantly through several points in the third never giving up until
caught down at 11-5.
Daryl Selby (left) plays Arthur Gaskin in the first round main draw
Selby, the
25-year-old from Harlow in Essex, moves into the first round on Saturday.
A former junior national champion in England, this was the first time he
has faced Gaskin on in a world tour match.
Thursday, September 11 Results:
David Palmer beat Alain Mudeen 3-0 11/4, 11/7, 11/7 (21 minutes)
Julian Illingworth beat Liam Kenny 3-0 11/4, 11/7, 11/5 (40 minutes)
John White beat Yasser El Halaby 3-0 11/8, 11/7, 6/11, 11/9 (37 min)
Daryl Selby beat Arthur Gaskin 3-0 11/9, 11/8, 11/5 (46 min)
On Friday, September 12:
Mark Heather plays Peter Barker at 5:00 pm
Shaun Le Roux plays Shahier Razik at 6:00 pm
Steve Coppinger plays Hisham Ashour at 7:00 pm
Shawn Delierre plays Olli Tuominen at 8:00 pm
IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE MATCHES WILL BE MOVED TO LAKESHORE ATHLETIC CLUBS, 211 NORTH STETSON, 312-616-9000.
Tournament Details:
Date: Wednesday, September 10 . Monday, September 15, 2008
Location: Pioneer Court on Michigan Ave. , between the Tribune Towers and the Chicago River
About Sweet Home Chicago Open
The Sweet Home Chicago Open is the nation.s first-ever professional squash tournament to be held outdoors in an all-glass court, located in front of 401 North Michigan Avenue in Pioneer Court , between Tribune Tower and the Chicago River . Presented by Lakeshore Athletic Clubs, the Sweet Home Chicago Open is sponsored by Zeller Realty Group, Caledonian Fund Services, SmithBucklin and The Fairmont Chicago. This open-to-the-public event will feature many of the world.s top-ranked players as the newest stop on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and U.S. Squash Association tournament series.
For more information, or to view a complete list of the players expected to compete, please visit www.sweethomechicagoopen.com. For all media inquiries, please contact Ryan Kuntz at 312-765-8770 (office)/317-850-7264 (mobile) or via e-mail at rkuntz@healyandschulte.com.
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