SquashTalk >Cathay Pacific 2002, Hong Kong, China > Qualifying Report

Cathay Pacific 2002

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SquashTalk reports from Hong Kong with Colin McQuillan

Tournament reports last updated 28-aug-02 1:36

• 2002 Cathay Pacific Main Draw

Hong Kong Aug 26th - None of Hong Kong's home stars made it through the qualifiers for the main draw of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open.

In fact, with Hong Kong boasting more than 700 courts, and with the first mainland China player historically entered in the event, there was not a single Chinese player in today's qualifying finals.

CHINESE FORTUNES
Lui Qi Wen of China lost in the first qualifying round to England's Nick Taylor, who went on to beat Australia's John Williams 15-6 15-12 15-9 in a 64 minute qualifying final to draw Stewart Boswell, another Australian, in the first round tomorrow. Pretty tough luck on Qi Wen. He might have hoped for a slightly less competitive introduction to the world scene than the highly committed Taylor. Lui, an experienced top-level badminton player, has made the switch to squash in hopes of representing China at the Asian Games later this September in Korea.

Abdul Faheem Khan, Hong Kong long established top player, who in the past has been good enough to stop an injured Jansher Khan in the first round proper, went out yesterday 15-4 15-7 15-14 to Dan Jenson, the former top ten Australian who is said to have signed for a comeback season with Duffield in the England National Squash League and who went on today to defeat Egypt's Wael El Hindi 15-12 11-15 15-14 15-8 in a 64 minute qualifying final to earn a first round encounter with Thierry Lincou, the fifth seeded Frenchman who last year put out Peter Nicol in the first round and went on to meet David Palmer in the final.

Vincent Cheung went down to Gregory Gaultier of France in the first qualifying round, Vincent Wu went to Graham Ryding of Canada, Wong Wai Hang to Peter Genever of England, Roger Ngan to Tommy Berden of The Netherlands, Dick Lau to Nick Taylor of England, Anson Kwong to Wael El Hindi of Egypt, and Chad Sunde to Renan Lavigne of France.

TOURNEY PREVIEW
The seedings suggest Nicol is in line for another win here this week, but the draw is particularly demanding. He gets the elegant Omar El Borolossy of Egypt in tomorrow's first round, followed by either David Evans or Joe Kneipp and then the victor between John White and Lee Beachill, assuming they get through their first round qualifiers.

The qualifiers, however, have thrown up particularly strong opposition. Canada's Graham Ryding came through a 45 minute qualifying final at the Hong Kong Squash Centre 15-10 15-11 15-8 against Peter Genever of England to meet White, while Beachill meets Mohammed Abbas of Egypt, the 15-7 15-12 12-15 17-14 winner of a 56 minute clash with Nick Matthew, another Englishman.

POWER'S HALF
The bottom half of the Hong Kong draw is dominated by Power, the second seeded Commonwealth Games champion, who has immediate left-handed opposition from England's Paul Johnson in a first round that some might see as a more suitable quarter -final standard. Paul Price of Australia is Power's next scheduled opponent, but Price has drawn England's relentless Stephen Meads from the qualifiers which could mean, at the very least, that the Australian goes in against Power more tested than he would care to be.

Then Power is scheduled to face the winner between Lincou and Alex Gough, the Welsh champion, but Gough has drawn the fast improving Adrian Grant of England for the first round and Lincou will face Jenson. Grant put out the Dutch Champion, Tommy Berden, 13-15 15-6 15-11 15-4 from a 75 minute qualifying final and Jenson, returning from long injury problems, showed as said considerable form to reach the main draw. In the other bottom half quarter, Belgium's Stefan Casteleyn defeated Gregory Gaultier of France 7-15 15-10 6-15 15-8 15-4 in 60 minutes to reach a first round match against Australia's Anthony Ricketts, and Renan Lavigne of France defeated Farukh Zaman of Pakistan 15-7 15-14 17-14 to reach England's Mark Chaloner. Power's greatest threat, though, is likely to come from the presence in that quarter of the defending champion, David Palmer of Australia, with only Pakistan's Shaid Zaman to deal with in the first round and then the winner of Amr Shabana and Olli Touminen in the next, 2002 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Hong Kong Squash Centre

Qualifying Finals Results:
Stefan Casteleyn (Bel) bt Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 7-15 15-10 6-15 15-8 15-14 Stephen Meads (Eng) bt Nohd Azlan Iskander (Mas) 15-5 15-9 15-10
Graham Ryding (Can) bt Peter Genever (Eng) 15-10 15-11 15-8
Adrian Grant (Eng) bt Tommy Berden (Ned) 13-15 15-6 15-11 15-4
Nick Taylor (Eng) bt John Williams (Aus) 15-6 15-12 8-15 15-9
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bt Nick Matthew (Eng) 15-7 15-12 12-15 17-14
Dan Jenson (Aus) bt Wael El Hindi (Egy) 15-12 11-15 15-14 15-8
Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt Farrukh Zaman (Pak) 15-7 15-14 17-14

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