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  2004 DAYTON OPEN

SQUASHTALK TODAY

 

Semifinal Action in Dayton
by Charlie Johnson, Jan 16, 2004,© 2004 Squashtalk
Mohammed Abbas ended the phenomenal run of qualifier Rodney Durbach (Photo: © 2004, Debra Tessier). 

A capacity crowd was on hand to night to watch the semi-final matches of the $40,000 EBS Dayton Open. The crowd of sponsors & patrons packed the gallery and a large overflow crowd of spectators, augmented by some of the 125 amateur players on hand to play this weekend in the Revenge of the Baby Boomers age group & skill level tournament, watched the match on a live simulcast in our club lounge.

In the first semi-final match of the evening, qualifier Rodney Durbach of South Africa came out strong against unseeded Mohammed Abbas of Egypt and took the first game 15-13 in a 21 minute battle. Both players were using all the court and the huge crowd was loving it. The intensity of play was the same in the second game but the tide started to turn and Abbas won the second game 15-13 in 14 minutes. The toll Durbach's earlier round matches took on him was evident as Abbas pushed through the third game 15-6 in 11 minutes and finished off the match in 7 minutes with efficiency, winning 15-3 in the fourth.
#1 seed Karim Darwish was too strong for Graham Ryding this evening.
(Photo: © 2004, Debra Tessier). 
In the second semi-final of the night, Egypt's Karim Darwish started strong against Canada's Graham Ryding. Darwish applied persistent pressure to both the front & back of the court that never allowed Ryding to really get on track. After 12 minutes, Darwish had one the first game 15-7 but in the second, Ryding tried to make a go of it but lost that game 15-11 after 17 minutes. The 13 minute final game went to Darwish 15-9.

While all of the above action was going on, 45 first round matches of the Revenge of the Baby Boomers Squash Championships were happening at the same time. The Dayton Squash Center has been the site of many successful tournaments in the past, but nothing of the scale of this year's event and this increased popularity is due no doubt to the attraction of the PSA event. Many of the participants in the "Boomers" tournament "stepped up to the plate" and were patrons, helping to sponsor the EBS Dayton Open. The proceeds from this event go to benefit the work we do with our junior squash program, the Dayton Challenge, and because of this support, 85 new juniors are now playing squash this season and 18 of our "tournament players" (graduates from last year's Dayton Challenge) will travel to Detroit at the end of the month to compete in the DeRoy Squash Championships.

The "All Egyptian" final tomorrow at the Dayton Squash Center should be quite a show-down as both of these talented players seemed poised to break into the upper echelon (top 5) of the world professional squash tour. With all the patrons & sponsors (who have made this great week of squash possible!) now thoroughly "hooked" on squash, and the additional 125 amateur players, from all over the 4 regions of the United States and Canada, on hand for the Baby Boomers tournament, this fabulous Squash facility will be filled to capacity. A dream that started 5 years ago will be reaching reality: Squash in Dayton Ohio is recognized around the country & the world.

Dayton Squash is cooking!!! Come smell the aroma!

Questions about squash & the Dayton Squash Center, contact Charlie Johnson at 1-800-22-1143 or charlie@cjsquash.com.


Semi-final round results of the $40,000 EBS Dayton Open

Karim Darwish (EGY)(1) bt Graham Ryding (CAN)(3) 15-7, 15-11, 15-9
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Rodney Durbach (RSA)(q) 13-15, 15-13, 15-6, 15-3

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