White Boosts Chances of #1 Position

by Howard Harding
All content © 2003 Squashtalk

Dec 17, 2003

White Whips Rooney, Kneipp advances

[complete second round results]      [also read: Round three matchups]

Scotland's No 2 seed John White beat his Nottingham club-mate John Rooney in straight games in today's (Wednesday) second round of the $170,000 Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship in Lahore, Pakistan, to guarantee a position in the January 2004 world rankings ahead of the current world No1 Peter Nicol, a shock second round loser on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old world No2 defeated Irishman Rooney 15-13 15-6 15-12 to make the last sixteen - but may have to reach Sunday's final in order to be certain of claiming the coveted world No1 crown for the first time.

White will next face Australia's 11th seed Joseph Kneipp, who needed 66 minutes to overcome Welsh No1 Alex Gough 15-7 15-12 10-15 15-7. The Australian-born Scot is scheduled for a semi-final meeting with fourth seed Thierry Lincou, one of his two rivals for the next world No1 ranking. The Frenchman, currently ranked five in the world, today beat Egypt's Omar Elborolossy 15-9 15-12 15-7 - but must reach the final to have the chance of wresting the pole position from White.

After a dismal day showing on Tuesday, English players mostly excelled in today's second round clashes. Eighth-seeded Yorkshireman Lee Beachill brushed aside the challenge of Spanish No1 Borja Golan 15-5 15-7 15-6 in a mere 26 minutes. The Qatar Classic champion now faces his English National League club Manchester/Pontefract team-mate Nick Taylor, the 23rd seed, who upset

Canada's No14 seed Graham Ryding 15-12 15-6 15-9.

Another Yorkshireman Nick Matthew also caused a notable upset when he came back from 2/1 down to beat sixth seed Ong Beng Hee. Matthew, ranked outside the world top twenty, defeated the Malaysian 15-13 10-15 3-15 15-12 15-5 in 67 minutes.

Dutch champion Tommy Berden became the only unseeded player to reach the last sixteen - but was made to work hard for his win by Pakistan's last remaining player in the tournament. Arshad Iqbal Burki, a 19-year-old qualifier from Peshawar, took the first two games - but the more experienced Berden forced his way back into the match to succeed 12-15 10-15 15-6 15-13 15-9 in 106 minutes.

The final match of the day provided an upset for France as 25th seed Renan Lavigne defeated sixteenth-seeded Englishman Mark Chaloner 17-16 15-9 13-15 15-10 in 71 minutes. Lavigne, the world No30 from Montcerf, goes on to face Chaloner's compatriot Nick Matthew.

WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship, Lahore, Pakistan

2nd round:
[25] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [16] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 17-16, 15-9, 13-15, 15-10 (71m)
[19] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [6] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 15-13, 10-15, 3-15, 15-12, 15-5 (67m)
Tommy Berden (NED) bt [Q] Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) 12-15, 10-15, 15-6, 15-13, 15-9 (106m)
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [18] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) 15-9, 15-12, 15-7 (49m)
[23] Nick Taylor (ENG) bt [14] Graham Ryding (CAN) 15-12, 15-6, 15-9 (45m)
[8] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 15-5, 15-7, 15-6 (26m)
[11] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt [17] Alex Gough (WAL) 15-7, 15-12, 10-15, 15-7 (66m)
[2] John White (SCO) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 15-13, 15-6, 15-12 (36m)