EventEngine Pro Squash 2002


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Last updated 09/10/2002

Parke - Casteleyn in the Cards      [Qualifying Draw]

By Martin Bronstein in Boston

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SMASHING START

Dated: Sept 10 , 2002 ©2002 SquashTalk.com

Nice thing about plastic is it doesn’t shatter when you drop it. The ASB technicians learnt this the hard way today when one of the back-wall sheets of glass smashed into a thousand pieces as it was being shipped into Symphony Hall. This was part of a brand new court, owned by WISPA and making its debut for the US Open, so you can be sure this accident has started a few ulcers.

Squash Court Takes Shape in Symphony Hall. Glass stacked up in background in front of the stage (photo © 2002 Ron Beck)

According to one spokesman there are spares for every other wall – but not the back wall. There are now men with worried looks running around Massachusetts looking to beg, borrow or steal a piece of glass from another squash installation. As New England, and Boston in particular, is the hotbed of squash in the US with new installations going up weekly, its is fairly safe that a replacement sheet will be found in time for Thursday’s first matches.

TOP TWO QUALIFIERS DROP OUT
The qualifying draw was made in the Harvard Club and,with the absence of the top two qualifiers, Amr Shabana of Egypt, and Paul Price of Australia, Nigerian lucky Odeh, who works in New York, and Imran Khan from Chicago got their chance at the big time. American champion Damian Walker -a local exception – also failed to show giving another American,Beau River, a chance to test his strength. He drew Canadian number two Graham Ryding and will be counting each point he gets from him.

Australian Dan Jenson, coming back from two years of injury, got a tough draw in Finn Olli Tuominen, a very fit and very determined player who has brought off some major upsets. Jenson is the more accomplished squash player, so it will be his fitness that gets the big test.

Simon Parke, who won this tournament two years ago beating Jonathon Power and Peter Nicol on consecutive days – and there are not many players around who have done that - should have no trouble beating American David McNeely but will have his work cut out in the second round when he will almost certainly play Stefan Casteleyn, which should be one of the best matches in the qualifying rounds.

At the bottom of the draw Nick Taylor should be too tough for Shahier Razik, the Canadian number three and then will have to deal with Del Harris
You want predictions?: Ryding, Renan Lavign of France, Casteleyn and Taylor. But I’ve been wrong before.