EventEngine Pro Squash 2002
Reports
Schedule
Draw
Qualifier
Qualifying
report 1
Qualifying report 2
Daily Reports:
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Evening
Monday
Semis
Finals
Photos:
1st Round
Quarters
Semis
Finals
Players
Historical results
The 2000 US
Open
The
1999 USOpen
Tickets
Tickets
Online
Web
advertise
Last updated 01/10/2002
US Open First Round Evening
- by Martin Bronstein
Stefan Casteleyn Regains his Touch!
SQUASHTALK
TODAY
WISPA
Vassar
NAO
Doubles
WISPA Greenwich CT
WISPA Rye NY
RECENT
EVENTS
Junior
Mens Worlds
Men's World Open
US 5
Man Teams
Weymuller
US Open
CURRENT
CONTENT
Hall of Fame
News Index
Club Links
Gear Links
E-boast Newsletter
(sign up now free)
The
Memorial US Open - 1st Round, Evening Session
January 6, 2001 Back Bay, Boston, MA--
Martin Bronstein reporting from the Boston Sheraton
CASTELEYN IN PRICE BREAKTHROUGH
 |
| Casteleyn's Creativity was too much for Price's power. photo © 2002 Debra Tessier. |
Finally, after some not too uplifting matches, we had a genuine upset when Belgian Stefan Casteleyn, world ranked 30, knocked out Australian Paul Price, ranked nine. It was no fluke either, with Casteleyn matching the gifted Aussie in all parts of the court to remind us that a) he was once in the top ten, and b) he trains with Jonathon Power. At the end of the three games the total point score was 47 -42 in Casteleyn's favor, mathematical proof of the closeness of the contest, which, also included (sadly) far too many referee's decisions.
Price tends to be a bit of a misery on court and regardless who he plays there is always some cause for haranguing the referee. Casteleyn can also get into some puzzling diatribes, but as usual it got them nowhere and the referee/appeals referee system worked well enough to come up the right answer. When they weren't arguing, they played some fine attacking squash and made sure the four corners of the court were used extensively.
Casteleyn made the mistake of hitting backhand crosscourts when front left and Price was always standing in the middle ready to smack the ball away for a winner. I wanted to shout 'down the wall' but we journos are supposed to be unbiased. Price led most of the first game but Casteleyn kept fighting to send it into overtime and was awarded a stroke at 16-all to give him the first game, much to Price's fury who was still arguing while Casteleyn was on his second bottle of water. It was nip and tuck in the second with Casteleyn just nosing ahead to 14-13 when he was once more awarded a stroke for the game.
Price was not the happiest man in the house and came out breathing fire in the third to go to a 7-2 lead, which is usually the point when the lesser ranked player goes down the tube. Not our Stefan, who buckled down and tied it up at 7-7. Price was seriously worried and his error count rose. When he slammed the ball into the tin with his bazooka forehand to put Casteleyn into an 11-9 lead he let out a cry of anguish, recognizing how many easy points he had given up. They were all even at 12-12 but Casteleyn edged ahead to win 17-16, 15-13, 15-13 in 59 minutes, the longest match of the day.
NO STROKES OF GENIUS FOR POWER AND
HARRIS.
 |
| Power looked in shape, but a bit sloppy with the racquet. photo © 2002 Debra Tessier. |
Mind you, other matches seemed longer. Jonathon Power was far from his best in beating an off form Del Harris in a 50 minute match that was remarkable less for its skill than the number of strokes awarded. I lost count after 20 and most of them were due to loose balls from both players, who whined to the referee rather than correct the error of their ways. Power won in three and said he was nervous because the last time he played Harris he lost. (But the time before that, in Hurghada, he wiped the floor with him). Or maybe Power wanted to look bad to fool Nicol. Or something. With our friend from the North, you never can tell.
RYDING TO VICTORY
 |
| Walker came out flat against Ryding's offense. photo © 2002 Debra Tessier. |
Graham Ryding chalked up a second Canadian victory in beating old man Chris Walker (sorry Chris, you are half my age). This wasn't the Chris Walker who got to the final of the British Open last year and he seemed lacking in both enthusiasm and ideas. Ryding was steady and unflappable and I felt he played only as well as had to, perhaps saving himself for his next match - he plays countryman and friend Power, a man who he has not beaten in five years, if my memory serves me.
OLLI'S FOLLY
The eighth match of the day (that was a L-O-O-O-O-NG day) had a vigorous Mark
Chaloner smacking some uncharacteristic winners against Finland's Olli Tuominen
to win in three. Olli, a newcomer to the top twenty, is young and will learn
very quickly that too many errors put you on the plane home very early. He
is dogged, determined and fit and once he gets rid of his high error rate
he will climb even further. But today he made life easy for Chaloner who now
plays Casteleyn in the quarters.
[ Draw] [also afternoon session report]
