PSA: Le Roux shakes El Shorbagy in Canary Wharf qualifiers

March 16, 2013 - 4:54pm
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Joel Hinds loses a game as he takes too long to replace a shoelace. Picture by PATRICK LAUSON

Canary Wharf Classic

Qualifying competition, Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club

(1) Alan Clyne (Scotland) beat Joel Hinds (England) 12-10, 5-4 (conduct game), 11-6 (45 mins)

(5) Jonathan Kemp (England) beat Robbie Temple (England) 9-11, 11-8, 11-3, 14-12 (65 mins)

(2) Gregoire Marche (France) beat Chris Ryder (England)  12-10, 5-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6 (85 mins)

(4) Adrian Waller (England) beat Tim Garner (England) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (29 mins)

Shaun Le Roux (RSA) beat (3) Marwan El Shorbagy (Egypt) 11-6, 13-11, 11-5 (43 mins)

(7) Mohamed Ali Anwar Reda (Egypt) v Olivier Pett (England) 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (73 mins)

(6) Joe Lee (England) beat Eddie Charlton (England) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (34 mins)

(8) Henrik Mustonen (Finland) v Kristian Frost Olesen (Denmark) 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7 (58 mins)

 

South African Shaun Le Roux halted the hopes of world junior champion Marwan El Shorbagy joining his brother Mohamed, the No.3 seed, in the main draw of the Canary Wharf Squash Classic.

Le Roux, the 26-year-old based in Yorkshire, won 11-6, 13-11, 11-5 in 43 minutes of constructive, intelligent squash.

His diligent approach paid off as he made nonsense of the gap in the rankings. The 19-year-old Egyptian, El Shorbagy, is ranked 33 in the world, 27 places higher than his opponent.

But it was Le Roux who dictated long periods of the match as he clinched a place in the qualifying finals against another Egyptian, world No.48 Mohamed Ali Anwar Reda.

The 23-year-old from Cairo hit back from 2-1 down in games to beat England’s Olivier Pett in 73 minutes of high-quality squash.

Pett will be kicking himself after surrendering a 5-2 lead in the fifth game.

Rising French star Gregoire Marche also fought back from a similar position to beat England’s Chris Ryder in the longest battle of the day, lasting 85 minutes.

Marche meets Finland’s Henrik Mustonen, who won a Battle of the Baltic against Denmark’s Kristian Frost Olesen.

The biggest controversy of the day occurred when England’s Joel Hinds was penalised for taking too long to change a broken shoelace.

Having lost the first game 12-10 to Scottish number one Alan Clyne, Hinds was trailing 5-4 in the second when he took more than five minutes to find a replacement shoelace and referee Malcolm Whiteley awarded a conduct game against him.

Hinds lost the third game as Clyne booked a place in the finals against Jonathan Kemp, who won an all-England clash 14-12 in the fourth game after a 65-minute match.

Two Londoners, Adrian Waller and Joe Lee, are battling for a place in the first round after straight-games victories.

Waller overcame promoter Tim Garner, who stepped in after Australian Ryan Cuskelly withdrew through illness, and Lee was too sharp for Eddie Charlton.

Qualifying finals

2pm: Clyne v Kemp

2.45pm: Marche v Mustonen

4.30pm: Reda v Le Roux

5.15pm: Waller v Lee

Tournament website: www.canarywharfsquash.com


Greg Marche in action against Chris Ryder. Picture by PATRICK LAUSON

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