Sweet Home Chicago Open Daily Update - September 16, 2008
Contact: Erika Skorupskas or Ryan Kuntz, Healy & Schulte, Inc.
Phone: 312/765-8770
E-mail: eskorupskas@healyandschulte.com
World No. 12 Peter Barker Upsets World No. 5 David Palmer to Take the Inaugural Sweet Home Chicago Open Crown
Underdog Routs Favorite in Straight Games on His Way to the Championship
By: Kim Tunney
The battleground was laid between England's Peter Barker and arguably Australia's most celebrated player, former World No. 1 David Palmer, during Tuesday evening's Championship Match in the all-glass court at 401 N. Michigan Avenue. The fiercely-competitive match, which pitted youth against experience, certainly wasn't without controversy. In fact, Palmer contested the referees. call in the second game of the final of the Sweet Home Chicago Open.
Before last night's match, the two had played only one PSA match against each other at the 2007 World Open in Bermuda. To appreciate how far the 24-year-old Barker has come since then, he lost in 2007 in the second round 10-12, 7-11 and 9-11 in 59 minutes. Last night, the tables were turned, as Barker defeated Palmer 15/13, 11/9, 11/2 in 53 minutes.
Barker defeated the veteran Palmer using basic squash strategies. In game one, Barker worked the ball high on the front forcing Palmer deep to retrieve deep primarily on the backhand side of the court (Barker is left-handed). Barker kept the ball straight, and together with the good length, effectively reduced Palmer's attacking game, despite the tie-breaker in the first.
"I should have won the first," admitted Palmer after the match. "I felt like I was in control; but just a bit stiff and sore." In the semi-finals on Monday night, Palmer defeated John White in a grueling four-game match.
Barker stayed focused playing one point at a time. "I tried to stay focused, controlled and relaxed," explained Barker, whose court demeanor was steady and confident despite the sustained pressure from Palmer.
In the second game, Barker continued to move well absorbing every shot Palmer delivered. Recent training with coaches Paul Carter and Peter Nicol enabled Barker to concentrate on better court movement, and the pay-off for the hard work was evident during Tuesday's evening's match. Barker's intensity and focus persisted. At 10-9, Palmer hit a forehand that just grazed the tin. "That was a bad call," said Palmer, who continued to argue the point with the referee long after Barker had assumed the game's outcome and walked off the court.
Palmer, the 2006 Windy City winner and three-time British Open Champion, was down two games and got off to a slow start in the third, with Barker taking the first five points. Palmer needed to make quick headway against Barker who, despite a bad patch of errors, cruised to 11 points taking the game and the match.
As Barker thanked the sponsors during the awards ceremony, he indicated that the Sweet Home Chicago Open is now his favorite venue. " It's the best tournament I've ever played. I love playing in America," he exclaimed. And the fans enjoyed having Barker and the professional players here as well to demonstrate their excellent squash on our world-class sporting stage.
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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