PSA: Golan wins 128-minute marathon in Dayton semis

Golan Upsets Mosaad To Make Dayton Final

10 November 2012

RESULTS: PSA International 35 EBS Dayton Open, Dayton, Ohio, USA

Semi-finals:
[4] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 15-13 (128m)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3 (59m)

By HOWARD HARDING

In a dramatic semi-final lasting more than two hours, fourth-seeded Spaniard Borja Golan upset favourite Omar Mosaadin five games to make the final of the EBS Dayton Open, the PSA World Tour International 35 event in its ninth year at the Dayton Squash Center in Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Mosaad, the world No11 from Cairo and a finalist in last week’s PSA International 75 Abierto Mexicano de Raquetasin Mexico, twice led the world No18 from Santiago de Compostela.

But 29-year-old Golan, a former world No10, was determined to maintain his unbeaten Tour record against the younger Egyptian and held his nerve to close out the match 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 15-13 after 128 minutes.

“It was crazy stuff with a packed house,” said tournament promoter Charlie Johnson. “Incredible points, but Omar seemed a bit flat when it really mattered and Borja has played inspired squash all week.”

A disconsolate Mosaad told his Twitter followers later: “More than 2 hours I lost my match against Borja Golan 3.2 15.13 i am frustrated ”

Golan, now celebrating his 36th final on the PSA World Tour, will face second seed Alister Walker.

The world No12 from Botswana brought to an end the brave run of Ryan Cuskelly, the unseeded Australian who ousted his higher-ranked compatriot Cameron Pilley to reach the semis.

“Alister Walker finally won a match in under five games,” exclaimed Johnson. “He went overtime to win game one, fought hard to keep control and win game two, saw game three go to Cuskelly due to a lapse in concentration, and then Walker poured on in to win 11-3 in the fourth – winning seven straight rallies to take the match.”

The 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3 victory in 59 minutes takes the New York-based 30-year-old into his 12th Tour final.

Interestingly, Golan’s 128-minute semi-final was the second longest match of his Tour career. And his longest, a 131-minute battle for the Berkshire Open title in the USA only seven months ago, was against Walker!

Quarter-finals: Cuskelly Cracks Pilley In Dayton Upset

9 November 2012

RESULTS: PSA International 35 EBS Dayton Open, Dayton, Ohio, USA

Quarter-finals:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (42m)
[4] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-1, 11-8, 11-3 (37m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 (89m)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 4-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7 (68m)

Ryan Cuskelly earned his first ever win over compatriot Cameron Pilley when he beat the Australian number one in the quarter-finals of the EBS Dayton Open, the PSA World Tour International 35 event in its ninth year at the Dayton Squash Center in Dayton, Ohio, USA

Cuskelly, the US-based world No34 from New South Wales, has twice before faced Pilley on the Tour – and in both cases fellow New South Welshman Pilley, the world No17, came away with 3/0 wins.

But it was left-hander Cuskelly’s day in Dayton: the unseeded 25-year-old twice resisted comebacks by third seed Pilley before triumphing 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 after 89 minutes.

“Bad day at the office today. Out in the quarters,” tweeted Pilley later. “Looking forward to HK and Qatar already!!”

Cuskelly will now face second seed Alister Walker, the world No12 from Botswana – also based in New York – who survived his second five-game battle in succession when he ended French qualifier Gregoire Marche‘s run 4-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7.

In the opening match of the day, Egypt’s top seed Omar Mosaad beat Mathieu Castagnet 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 in 49 minutes after a 15-minute delay when an accident gave the Frenchman a severe cut to the lip in the fourth game of the closely-contested match.

“Castagnet came back on court down 8-10 match ball to compete, won an incredibly long rally but then succumbed to lose 9-11,” explained tournament promoter Charlie Johnson. “A local doctor and friend of squash then took him to hospital and got his lip stitched up and brought him back to the club. The Cincinnati/Dayton squash community is close and it was great to have the support on hand.”

It took Spain’s fourth seed Borja Golan only 37 minutes, the night’s shortest quarter-final match, to despatch EgyptianMarwan El Shorbagy and move on to the semi-finals, where he will face Mosaad.

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [4] Borja Golan (ESP)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)

Marche Marches Through In Dayton

8 November 2012

RESULTS: PSA International 35 EBS Dayton Open, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1st round:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Zac Alexander (AUS) 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 14-12 (49m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-13, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (108m)
Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Aurangzeb Mehmund (PAK) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (40m)
[4] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 (30m)
[3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 9-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-6 (43m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 (52m)
[Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (34m)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [Q] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 9-11, 7-11, 11-0, 11-7, 15-13 (88m)

French qualifier Gregoire Marche claimed an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the EBS Dayton Open after upsetting England’s Chris Ryder in the opening round of the PSA World Tour International 35 squash event in its ninth year at the Dayton Squash Center in Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Ryder, a former World Universities champion and once ranked 33 in the world, is now 32 years old and slipping down the rankings – whilst 22-year-old Marche, who had to battle for 76 minutes to topple Canadian Shawn Delierre to make the main draw, is in the early stage of his career and regularly taking experienced scalps.

And since the draw was made, the Frenchman has overtaken Ryder in the PSA world rankings. The new world No40 was keen to prove the computer correct – and did so in his 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 dismissal of the world No48-ranked Englishman to become the only qualifier to progress.

Marche will now face defending champion Alister Walker, the second seed from Botswana who had to come back from two games down to overcome Mexican qualifier Cesar Salazar 9-11, 7-11, 11-0, 11-7, 15-13.

“It was the 88-minute final match of the night between Alister, last year’s EBS champion and world No13, against qualifier Cesar, the world No52, that thrilled the packed crowd,” said tournament organiser Charlie Johnson.

“Salazar had looked strong in the qualifying draw and continued his quick and aggressive play tonight and took Walker to a place that few top athletes can return from,” Johnson continued. “Salazar was quick, Salazar was accurate, Salazar anticipated and he hit nicks almost at will. After the first two games, Walker found himself down two games and facing a quick exit from Dayton.

“With a change of strategy, changing the pace, lobs from the front instead of drops, and better shot selection, Walker got himself back in the match winning the third game 11-0.

“Now down 1/2, the second seed had some soul searching to do. Salazar needed a rest in game three, the change of strategy had worked, but with a 1/2 deficit, Walker still faced a challenge and although Walker was playing well, Salazar seemed to have an answer for every question on the court. What would game four produce?

“It was almost a repeat of game two except this time Walker won. Salazar continued to try to “shoot” to victory and who can blame him as he’d played two matches prior to meeting Walker tonight. The tin, however, proved to be his enemy in this game as he had to risk the volley short from the back of the court due to fatigue. At the end of this game where now Walker had battled back from 0-2 to 2-2 veteran players sitting with me spectating said ‘he’s done’ – meaning Salazar………far from the truth.

“After being down 0/2 in games, now two-all, Walker made some really bad unforced errors in game five to find himself down 1-8 in the decider. Turning to the glass back-wall at this point, he seemed determined to believe he could come back and you could see it in his eyes. Salazar, playing like a true champion all night, sensing this might be his moment to break into the elite tried to close.

“What happened over the next 13 minutes is the most intense fifth game of squash I’ve ever seen,” said Johnson. “Walker faced four match balls before he won 15-13!”

Egyptian favourite Omar Mosaad took 49 minutes to take care of business against Zac Alexander of Australia, winning 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 14-12 in the first match of the evening.

But Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet‘s victory over Campbell Grayson of New Zealand took 108 minutes – with Grayson taking the opening 40-minute first game!

World No36 Castagnet clinched victory 11-13, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 – and will now face Mosaad for a place in the semi-finals.

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[4] Borja Golan (ESP) v Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
[3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) v [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA)

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