The rain on Saturday in Chicago broke an all-time, one day rainfall record of seven inches.  Flash flood advisories continued on Sunday, which forced the quarterfinals indoors at Lakeshore Athletic Club’s Illinois Center location for the Sweet Home Chicago Open. Spirits were not dampened, however, because the pros put on a spectacular display of talent including one seeding upset.

Number two seed Peter Barker played measured, moderately paced squash, moving effortlessly around the court beating Canada’s Shahier Razik in 39 minutes. Barker forced Razik side to side; up and down the court with ease, playing what some might call ‘’classic‘’ squash. London-based Barker was very pleased with his performance, “I played a traditional English game; strong and determined,” Barker quipped after the win. “I thought Peter played very solid tonight," Razik stated.  "There were no openings.”  Razik was slow to start each game.  Like many North American-based pros, Razik is using this event and the next in Baltimore as a warm up to the World Open Squash Championships in Manchester.

If the Barker vs. Razik match up was classic, what followed were four games of rock’em, sock’em squash between David Palmer and Daryl Selby, with the first and third ending in a tie-breaker.  The three ref system, in place during the quarter-finals, was well used. 

Dead nicks and cross court volley nicks were just some of the shots in both player’s arsenal.  In the first, Palmer repeatedly found the tin on multiple forehand boasts. Then Palmer’s error rate dropped in the second, as he won the next two leaving Selby shorthanded after 91 minutes of play.

Every U.S. fan in the audience hoped that they had come to watch USA’s Julian Illingworth slay giant John White throughout the first 114 minutes of the best match of the night.  Illingworth won the second and fourth games staying steady throughout.  “It was frustrating, fun and scary playing him,” a philosophical Illingworth admitted as he analyzed the match. 

Illingworth normally plays an attacking style, but said, “I had to play more defensively since John attacks well, and if I’d won the third, I would have won the match.”  Illingworth played the ball straight and at a moderate pace much of the match, taking White’s attacking game away.  “At 7-all in the fifth I hit the tin, and at 9-all was another big error.”  Illingworth lost after 115 minutes of play.

White, not willing to pass the baton to the next generation, felt there were “short balls I didn’t read well that caught me off guard.  Julian played well in the fourth.  I give him full credit.”

In the final match of the evening, sixth seed Hisham Ashour varied the pace successfully against third seed Ollie Touminen to win in four.  Helsinki’s Touminen, who prefers playing a fast-paced game, was hampered by Ashour’s constant directional and pace changes.  Ashour upset the seedings and earned a berth in the semis.

Semi-final action is planned outdoors on the glass court Monday evening, pitting fellow Aussies David Palmer against John White on the top half of the draw and Hisham Ashour against Peter Barker on the bottom.

Sunday, September 14 Quarter-Final Results:

            Peter Barker beat Shahier Razik 3-0 11/ 4, 11/6, 11/3 (39 min)

David Palmer beat Daryl Selby 3-1 12/14, 11/2, 12/10, 11/8 (91 min)

John White beat Julian Illingworth 3-2 11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 1/11, 11/9 (115 min)
Hisham Ashour beat OllieTuominen 3-1 6/11, 11/2, 11/9, 11/9 (42 min)

 

On Monday, September 15:

David Palmer plays John White at 6:00 pm

Hisham Ashour plays Peter Barker at 7:00 pm

After a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, match play continued at the Sweet Home Chicago Open, the nation's first outdoor all-glass court event.  The weather held nicely, although humid, with overcast skies keeping the sunlight off the court for the evening’s first set of 1^st round matches.

David Palmer, #1 tournament seed, worked 17-year-old Caribbean champion Alain Mudeen up and down the court to win the first match of the evening.  Mudeen who studies at the American School in Cairo kept up with Palmer as the wild card player for the event.  After the match, Mudeen stated, "I'm not a British Open champion just yet," referring to Palmer's multiple wins. 

U.S. superstar Julian Illingworth, now ranked #38 on the PSA tour, continued his run up the ladder progressing to beat Ireland's Liam Kenny in three.  Illingworth started strong in the first game leaving Kenny behind holding only four points.  Kenny pushed in the second game, managing seven points by working the front of the court on the drop and cross drop.  Leaving it to be done in the third, Kenny pushed, but was no match for Illingworth who claimed the third game victory of 11-5.  Illingworth now advances to the quarter final matches, to be held on Saturday, September 13.

F&M (Franklin and Marshall) Head Coach and PSA World #19, John White, showed patience and skill in defeating Egyptian-born Yasser el Halaby who, while attending Princeton University from 2002-2006, won the intercollegiate squash championships an unprecedented four times in a row. 

However, that accolade alone was not enough to stop White from beating him in four, which attests to the performance level differences between men's collegiate squash in America and the professional squash world tour.  Yet with that, John White felt his match was just "all right.”  White is one of the hardest hitters in the game and has been known to hit balls clocked at 172 miles per hour – an all-time world record. 

"The court takes a good length," said White, referring to the feel of the ball off the glass court wall. "It sticks to the sidewall so my drops were working tonight."  A perfectionist on the court, White admitted that, "the court rewards you for good squash,” referring to strategies that work an opponent around the four court corners using rallies that require waiting for the right opportunity to advance a winning shot.

White has a day of rest on Friday before facing the USA's number one player Julian Illingworth (PSA #38) on Saturday at 6:00 pm.

Ireland's Arthur Gaskin who qualified just last evening for admittance into the main draw left everything on the court against #7 seed Daryl Selby from England.  Both of the first two games were tight with Gaskin earning nine and eight points respectively.  In the crucial third game, Gaskin pulled a muscle yet fought through several points in the third, never giving up until caught down at 11-5.

Selby, the 25-year-old from Harlow in Essex, moves into the first round on Saturday.  A former junior national champion in England, this was the first time he faced Gaskin in a world tour match.

Thursday, September 11 Results:

David Palmer beat Alain Mudeen 3-0 11/4, 11/7, 11/7 (21 minutes)

Julian Illingworth beat Liam Kenny 3-0 11/4, 11/7, 11/5 (40 minutes)

John White beat Yasser El Halaby 3-0 11/8, 11/7, 6/11, 11/9 (37 min)

Daryl Selby beat Arthur Gaskin 3-0 11/9, 11/8, 11/5 (46 min)

 

On Friday, September 12:

Mark Heather plays Peter Barker at 5:00 pm

Shaun Le Roux plays Shahier Razik at 6:00 pm

Steve Coppinger plays Hisham Ashour at 7:00 pm

Shawn Delierre plays Olli Tuominen at 8:00 pm

 

IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE MATCHES WILL BE MOVED TO LAKESHORE ATHLETIC CLUBS, 211 NORTH STETSON, 312-616-9000.

Tournament Details:

Date: Wednesday, September 10 – Monday, September 15, 2008

Location: Pioneer Court on Michigan Ave., between the Tribune Towers and the Chicago River

For more information and the daily schedule, please visit www.sweethomechicagoopen.com.