Videos of USOpen 1999

Ticket packages

Website advertising

Schedule

Draw

Qualifier

Match-by- match comments

Preview

Players

Media

Historical results

Recent results

The 1999 USOpen

Site updated on 02/08/2000

October 28-November 3 2000 at the Harvard Club, Boston MA USA
The SG Cowen US Open Pro Squash Championships

Qualifier Day 2: Chaloner beats Beachill, Walker loses a heartbreaker to Boswell
Qualifier completed draw

Qualifier Day Two. The Harvard Club, Boston MA. Oct 28 2000, by Ron Beck © 2000 Ron Beck

The climax was to be Lee Beachill, the rising young British Pro, against Mark Chaloner, the veteran British pro who is always on the verge of moving up. Beachill, though, was too undisciplined for the controlled,attacking game plan from Chaloner, and he was put away in four un-suspenseful games.

While the tournament court was erected bolt-by-bolt in historic Harvard Hall, eight qualifiers battled it out for the four main draw positions.

The qualifier is always a desperate, sudden-death affair, but this year's US Open qualifier seemed particularly special, with former top-pro Chris Walker trying to make his way into yet another marquee event main draw, recent top ten players Casteleyn and Ryding trying to regain positions in that elite group, and a number of up and coming British pros.

The battle of the day took place downtown at the University Club, where Chris Walker, just off of a six week round-the-world tour, hoped that once again Boston would be the catalyst to raise his game; but Stewart Boswell came from behind to eventually tire Walker out and sneak out a 15-12 fifth game victory.

Graham Ryding seemed to be rolling along, as expected, against Peter

Ryding looking confident against Genever (above), Chaloner (in purple) puts the squeeze on Lee Beachill (in Black) photos ©2000, SquashTalk, Ron Beck

Genever, who had scored an unexpected straight game victory against Rodney Durbach the previous evening. But after two strong games, Ryding allowed Genever to begin to dictate the play, and on the strength of strong fitness and frequent play to the front, Genever took the third. With Jonathon Power in his corner, Ryding refocused his game plan and came into the fourth game with authority, taking a decisive 15-7 final game.

Lee Beachill didn't seem sure what to do against the relentless attacking game from Mark Chaloner. Chaloner again and again moved Beachill to the front with a combination of boasts and drops and combined that will some impressive retrieving to deprive Beachill of the chance to move into the main draw this time.

Chaloner kept relentlessly to this game plan, while Beachill produce increasingly desperate counter-drops and inaccurate length.

Results second qualifying rounds:

Nick Taylor def Stefan Casteleyn 15-11, 7-15, 15-5, 15-5
Stewart Boswell def Chris Walker 12-15, 11-15, 15-3, 15-9, 15-12
Graham Ryding def Mark Chaloner 15-12, 15-11, 11-15, 15-7
Mark Chaloner def Lee Beachill 12-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-6