Photo by Bill Lampeter
It was a long, exhilarating night of squash with some thriller 5 set matches lasting almost until 11pm. Two qualifiers (including one Yellowjacket team member) proceed to the quarterfinals tomorrow.
Lewis Walters bt David Baillargeon 11-9,13-15, 11-7, 11-7 (80m)
Chris Binnie bt. Albert Shoihet 7-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (36m)
Eric Galvez bt. Ahmad Alzabidi 7-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-5 (47m)
Syed Hamza Shah Bukhari bt. Michael McCue 6-11, 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4 (95m)
Josue Enriquez bt. Neil Cordell 6-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-2 (55m)
Mauricio Sedano bt. Jonathan Maloney 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 (30m)
Ryosei Kobayashi bt. Faraz Khan 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 (56m)
Amaad Fareed bt. Tomotaka Endo 11-2, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (53m)
Photos by Paul Schwartz:
Binnie vs Shoihet
(Match report by Jesse Cramer)
Two clashing styles met in this battle of larger-than-average squash players, with the attacking, arrhythmic Canadien Albert Shoihet facing off against the steady, volleying Jamaican Chris Binnie.
Game 1 showed why unorthodoxy can sometimes be the best strategy. Binnie came out and played normal squash, and therefore was completely caught off guard by Shoihet’s flicks, drops, and steady stream of unexpected shots. Although the game finished 11-7 to Shoihet, it never even felt that close.
But, for the rest of the match, Binnie showcased how the “classic style” of squash has gained its name. The tall Jamaican dominated the T, volleying everything passing near his expansive wingspan. Shoihet was relegated to digging shots out of the back corners of the court, which is simply not a sustainable pattern of play. Even when Shoihet would string together a cluster of high-pressure shots, Binnie would fall back on tight shots and lobs to regain control. The match never seemed close again, and Binnie cruised in games 2 through 4 11-3, 11-2, 11-3.
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