Three seeds and a qualifier through the quarterfinals

Posted on April 14, 2018 by Mithun Mukherjee

Mario Yanez Tapia (MEX) bt. Anthony Graham (ENG) 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6
Faraz Khan (USA) bt. Mark Fuller (ENG) 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 16-14
Angus Gillams (ENG) bt. Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt. Syed Hamza Bukhari (PAK) 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-4

Match reports by Ben Pitfield, Photos by Bill Lampeter

Mario Yanez Tapia bt. Anthony Graham 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6
In this match-up, crowd favourite Yanez Tapia came out looking a bit sluggish against the British Graham, who was up for it with his mother — or at least a woman who looks a lot like his mother — in attendance. Graham used this sluggishness to his advantage and took the first game in and around 11-7. It was at this point that some younger members of the crowd began to seriously wonder whether Graham’s coolness was an act, or whether he was a zombie. Young GVC player Mark buried his head in his father, Ilya’s, shoulder and said, “please dad, don’t let the extremely relaxed man get me!” Which made everyone laugh, except for Anthony of course, who was pretty chilled about the whole thing. Yanez Tapia came out firing in the second and, subsequently, the third and fourth and ground Graham off the court in a gutsy showing, their second face-off in 3 weeks.

Faraz Khan bt. Mark Fuller 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 16-14
Some people have said to me that Faraz Khan’s game is reminiscent of a beautiful painting, each brush stroke placed just so in a calculated illumination of an emotional idea. Like a Picasso, or perhaps a late Rembrandt. None of those people, however, saw this match. This match was a grinding, greasing, gesticulatingly wild affair. Fuller was able to push the American into four and had an opportunity at 11-11 to get more, but, alas, it was not to be and he lost.

Angus Gillams bt. Leonel Cardenas 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
In number 1 seed Angus Gillams’ second match of the tournament the crowd was given a real treat, as he beat 2017 US Junior Open Champion Leonel Cardenas of Mexico in three games. Despite that scoreline, the match was not wrought or brought withot some dramatic moments, especially given some truly creative refereeing by local amateur and Jonathan Power impersonator Leonard Mohr, who was seen at one point in the third game on court, demonstrating to the players what appeared to be proper forehand length technique. In this bought, the veteran Gillams used his extremely cutty strings to sashimi chop the young challenger.

Bernat Jaume bt. Syed Hamza Shah Bukhari 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-4
If ever there was a man — nay, a legend! — so compelling as the story of Bernat Jaume in this tournament, I’ve yet to hear it. In the first round he took out country man Hugo Varela in a dramatic and fantastic four sets, which set him up to take on the Ponytailed Pakistani in the quarters. This match, I believe, was firmly decided by the play of the Spaniard in the front left corner hitting cross-court lobs, a shot for which Syed could find no answer. If my guess is as good as any, Bernat won in four games.

Bernat and Hugo getting all the applause

Posted in 2008

Get in on the Action

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Mithun Mukherjee — No Comments ↓

For the TENTH year in a row, get ready for world class professional squash right here in Rochester with the 2011 Rochester Proam, a Challenger 5+ event on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world tour.

When: April 18th-23rd 2011 (See entire schedule)
Where: Lyman Squash Courts, University of Rochester (Get directions)
Who: Led by #1 seed US pro, Gilly Lane ranked #53 in the world, another rockstar cast of lightning fast squash professionals from Egypt, Zambia, Paraguay, Mexico, England, France, Canada, Australia and Denmark. (See who’s coming to town.

Participate: The Amateur City Championships, For multiple skill levels including a separate women’s division, Apr 15th-17th (Details & Signup)
SUPPORT: All matches are free to the community, we do not charge for tickets so please support this long-standing squash tradition in Rochester by making a TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution online via credit card or Paypal, in cash or by check.
HOST: Get to know an international professional athlete by hosting a player at your home during their stay in Rochester.)
Past Events: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

Stills from the 2010 ProAm (Photos by Paul Schwartz and Robert McDavid):

Posted in 2008

Look who’s coming to town

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Mithun Mukherjee — No Comments ↓

The deadline for PSA signups has now passed and it looks like yet another strong draw this year. Led by #1 seed US squash pro Gilly Lane, currently ranked 53 in the world, here’s the world class cast of international pro squash talent that is expected to entertain Rochester this April. Get ready Rochester!

COMPLETE LIST OF PLAYERS IN MAIN AND QUALIFYING DRAWS

Posted in 2008

Final: Hamza is the 2008 Rochester Pro Champion!

Posted on April 6, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Ahmed Hamza bt. Patrick Chifunda (6-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9)

These finalists need no introduction to Rochester. Between Patrick and Ahmed, both have already been here a total of eight times – three for Ahmed and five for Patrick.
As for the final, the excited Rochester crowd could not have asked for a better scoreline.
For the Egyptian from Alexandria, this was his maiden PSA tour title success, which makes it that much more special. He promises to return next year to defend his title.

VIDEO (by Paul Schwartz) – Chifunda-Hamza in the final:

Final match report by Eric Hernady:

Patrick Chifunda vs Ahmed Hamza in the 2008 Rochester ProAm Final

Patrick Chifunda vs Ahmed Hamza in the 2008 Rochester ProAm Final06-Apr-2008 12:54, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.5, 50.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 1250

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As many now know Patrick and Ahmed have a long history of closely contested matches. One reason rests in the differing styles each plays. Neither conforms to the otherâ€™s style while relentlessly trying to impose their game on the other; this lends itself to exciting squash often going a full five games. This match was no different.
The opening game was played at a frenetic pace at times, which Patrick clearly favored. His fitness and attacking shots served him well jumping out to an early lead. Ahmed was a step slow and unable to match Patrickâ€™s tempo. Patrick was able to dominate the center of the court and slip in a few crosscourt kills to put an exclamation point on the first game.
Ahmed adjusted his game a bit in the second by playing better length and taking advantage of loose balls that his tight length created by attacking to the front. This game was marked by scintillating retrieval and reflex shots by both players. This was the game that electrified the crowd and got everyone into the match. Patrick was unable to answer without making several unforced errors that kept Ahmed ahead by a point or two throughout the game. Ahmed also slowed the tempo and frustrated is opponent slightly and took the second. This was a glimpse of things to come.

In the third game Patrick reaped the rewards of the high tempo he maintained in the first two games of the match. Ahmed was visibly tired and tried to delay and create let situations, but Patrick would have none of it. Patrick was again pushing Ahmed to the back of the court with good length and volleying anything coming across the court, and ultimately forced errors from Ahmed. He ran away with the third game 11-5.

Playing more desperate squash, Ahmed picked up the pace with penetrating straight lengths along with some appropriately timed boasts to keep Patrick off balance. As both players pressed the pace, fatigue crept in to cause more physical contact and stoppages, which clearly favored Ahmed. Although Patrick steadied his game and played more basic squash to cut down on errors and tire Ahmed, it was not enough to counter Ahmedâ€™s opportunistic crosscourt kills and tight drop shots. Once again these two would have to go to the fifth game to decide a winner.

The players played cautiously in the final game neither one wanting to make mistakes or open the court to their opponent. Both played medium pace up and down both walls to keep rallies neutral with some drops thrown in for variety. The score was always within two points as the game wore on. Everyone was on the edge of their seat with each long rally. Late in the game Patrick decided to pick up the pace again and moved Ahmed around the court with dying length balls to the back wall and short kills to the front. Patrick drew even at 9-9 and it looked like he had finally broken through and Ahmed would fold, when he tinned a ball giving Ahmed match ball. Ahmed sensing victory did not take long to capitalize, when on the next rally he hit a short straight kill that Patrick could not reach. As always they produced a memorable match and one certainly worthy of a final match. Congratulations, Ahmed!

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Semifinal action

Posted on April 5, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Semifinal 1: Patrick Chifunda bt. Lekgotla Mosope (7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4)
by Zee Shaan

Qualifier to semifinalist – Lekgotla Mosope

Qualifier to semifinalist – Lekgotla Mosope05-Apr-2008 11:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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The Rochester crowd was treated to an all-African semi-final tonight. The two gladiators in the squash arena were Patrick Chifunda from Zambia, the #1 seed and Lekgotla Mosope from Botswana, who earned a spot in the semi final by emerging victorious in the qualifying rounds and then upsetting the #4 seed, Fernando Lopez.
The unranked Mosope, making his PSA tour debut, grew up playing squash in Botswana following the ranks of other successful squash professionals from the continent such as Lefika Ragontse and his opponent, Chifunda.
The first game saw Mosope come out of the gates with guns blazing. He got off to a great start scoring four unanswered points before Chifunda gave proof of his presence on the court by registering his first point on the board. Mosope displayed his attacking skills and had Chifunda on the back-foot for most of the game and weaved some magic as well with some volley crosscourt backhand nicks in reply to respectable serves by Chifunda. A few tins by Mosope let Chifunda back in a little bit but Mosope closed it out 11-7 when Chifunda tinned at 10-7.
Chifunda stayed on the court throughout the 2 minute interval and kept practicing his touch shots. As expected, Chifunda started in an entirely different gear as compared to the first game and though Mosope was hanging with him till 6-6, Chifunda raced to eleven.

Patrick Chifunda – No. 1 seed

Patrick Chifunda – No. 1 seed05-Apr-2008 11:40, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Undoubtedly, whoever won the third game would be in a commanding position in the match. The players knew this all too well and fought off each other’s ferocious attacks to stay in rallies which they had no right to stay in. Each kept the other in check until 8-8 and then Chifunda flew away with two winners to hold game ball. Mosope was not to be denied so easily and with the help of a stroke and a tin from Chifunda after a captivating rally, the match witnessed its first tie-break. 10-all the electronic scoreboard displayed at the top of the front wall and the crowd braced themselves for the moments to come. Chifunda displaying why he was the no.1 seed, played these points carefully and sensibly. He created his first down the line winner by playing the tightest of drops in the front forehand corner, which Mosope did very well to get to and then after another long rally, he played a forehand reverse boast as such lightning pace that Mosope saw it after it had bounced thrice. Game 3 to Chifunda 11-10 (2-0).
At this point, the match stood 50 minutes old, which is a testament to the consistency of quality these players displayed for the crowd. Unfortunately Mosope couldn’t gather himself to sustain this high quality in the 4th game and went down convincingly as Chifunda really picked up the pace and started going for all kinds of winners from all over the court. He wanted to close the match out and everyone in the crowd knew it. To his credit, he carried out his plan well and with the help of a few consecutive tins from Mosope at the middle stages of the game, ran away with the 4th and thus final game with a score of 11- 4, with the total duration of the match being 59 minutes.
These players competed in the true spirit of the game as there were no arguments with the referee (only four calls during the entire match, out of which only two were strokes) and the respect they held for each other on the court was there for everyone to see. Such a delight to watch such a quality match in the presence of the enthusiastic Rochester squash fans.

Semifinal 2: Ahmed Maged Hamza bt. Andrew McDougall (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)
(by Thomson Chew)
The second semifinal of the evening went quickly to Ahmed Maged Hamza of Egypt. He won 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4) over Andrew McDougall of Canada. Ahmed controlled the game with patience and with several put-away shots that nicked in the front right corner. In game one the points started going to Ahmed quickly due to several rails that got away from Andrew and a few unforced errors from Andrew trying to end the point too close to the tin. Ahmed held on to the first game despite providing Andrew with the opportunity to tie the game at 5-5. He continued to stay patient with each rally and let Andrew create the opportunities for him to place the ball out of Andrewâ€™s reach.

Game two saw a focused Andrew pressure Ahmed more and force him to hit some loose shots. Andrew used his front left drop to push Ahmed forward and then placed his retrieval deep into the opposite back corner. At 5-1 it looked like Andrew was heading to a good lead over Ahmed until a few long points started going Ahmedâ€™s way. He pulled up to 5-5 thanks to a some unforced errors from Andrew. Both players exchange points up to 8-8 where Ahmed took it to 11-8 with his nicks and excellent length on the left side rail.

The momentum started with Ahmed in game three and did not stop until the end of the match. He gained a strong lead to 7-1. Both players put on some fantastic rallies that involved fully extended retrievals and well placed volleys and drop shots. Ahmedâ€™s â€œextra longâ€ reach allowed him to stay relax and to pull many balls from behind him back into play. Andrew had a difficult time getting the hot ball to settle down which taxed his patience and wore him down eventually. Ahmed closed the game out 11-4 and earned his place in Sundayâ€™s finals.

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

The “Am” in the ProAm – Rochester City Tournament

Posted on April 5, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

The amateurs got a piece of the action as well. With four divisions and close to sixty entrants its been a full house at the Genesee Valley Club and the University of Rochester courts everyday beginning Wednesday through the weekend.

Photos by Paul Schwartz:

05-Apr-2008 14:58, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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05-Apr-2008 10:45, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Nick Greaves-Tunnell05-Apr-2008 13:25, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Chris Fennell in the 5.005-Apr-2008 14:03, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Cam Conley vs Patrick Harris05-Apr-2008 13:21, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Yohay Wakabayashi in the 5.005-Apr-2008 14:39, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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05-Apr-2008 14:59, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Patrick Harris05-Apr-2008 13:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Chris Fennell vs Mark Mijangos in the 5.0 draw in 200805-Apr-2008 14:18, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Eric Hernady in the 5.005-Apr-2008 14:15, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Cam Conley in the 4.005-Apr-2008 13:20, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Quarterfinals recap

Posted on April 5, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Patrick Chifunda bt. Salvador Martinez (11-8, 5-11, 11-1, 11-9) [By Ryan Evans]
The match was high-energy all the way through, with both players really pushing forward. Chifunda controlled the tempo early on, but Martinez hung tight. They traded points throughout the first game, with Chifunda coming out on top after a couple of nicks. Martinez bounced back in the second game, using his incredible touch to even the match up. Chifunda returned with a vengeance in the third, pushing the pace and keeping Martinez on his heels. The fourth game was hotly contested, with a number of argued lets, but Chifunda again edged Martinez out to take the match 3-1.

(Photos by Paul Schwartz)

Michal Reid vs Ahmed Hamza05-Apr-2008 12:12, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Michal Reid vs Ahmed Hamza05-Apr-2008 12:17, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Match to McDougall05-Apr-2008 12:53, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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I didn't do nothin'! Chifunda vs Martinez05-Apr-2008 11:22, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Hamza vs Reid05-Apr-2008 13:06, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Patrick Chifunda stretches vs Salvador Martinez05-Apr-2008 11:27, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Move! Chifunda vs Martinez05-Apr-2008 11:45, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Ahmed Maged Hamza05-Apr-2008 12:37, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Fernando Lopez lining up vs Lekgotla Mosope05-Apr-2008 11:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Patrick Chifunda – No. 1 seed05-Apr-2008 11:40, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Andrew McDougall vs Arturo Castillo05-Apr-2008 12:05, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Qualifier to semifinalist – Lekgotla Mosope05-Apr-2008 11:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D200, 2.0, 50.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 1000

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Quarterfinal results:
Patrick Chifunda bt Salvador Martinez (11-8, 5-11, 11-1, 11-9)
Lekgotla Mosope bt. Fernando Lopez (11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6)
Ahmed Hamza bt. Michal Reid (8-11, 8-11, 10-5, 10-4, 10-6)
Andrew McDougall bt. Arturo Castillo (11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6)

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Friday night social – Meet the Players

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

The Rochester squash community had a chance to “meet the players” off the squash courts at a fun Friday night social at the Behringers’ basement sports bar. (Photos by Karen Behringer)

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04-Apr-2008 21:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 22:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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At the bar with Jacques Swanepoel and Graham Bassett04-Apr-2008 21:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:21, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 22:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 22:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:50, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:22, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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The Mexican Contingent and Pamela Frame04-Apr-2008 22:40, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Salvador and Cole Behringer04-Apr-2008 23:24, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Swanepoel, Hamza, Bassett hangin' out04-Apr-2008 21:51, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 22:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Salvador and Cole Behringer04-Apr-2008 23:24, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Salvador Martinez striking a pose04-Apr-2008 23:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Salvador and Karen Behringer04-Apr-2008 23:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Zarcone, Smethurst, Smrcka04-Apr-2008 21:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Joe Millman eats a lot doesn't he?04-Apr-2008 21:25, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Navin Samarasinghe and Andrew McDougall having a good time04-Apr-2008 21:51, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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04-Apr-2008 21:51, Canon Canon PowerShot SD550, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec

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Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Round 1 review

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

By Martin Heath

After a successful qualifying day, the 3 local University of Rochester players put up strong resistance for the seeded players in the first round. The popular, energetic and highly athletic 1st seed Patrick Chifunda showed his match experience against “local boy” Hameed Ahmed. Hameed controlled most of the rallies, though the retrieving ability, counter attack and deception of Chifunda proved too much for Hameed to control for the duration of the match, Chifunda pulling through in a tough 3-1 battle.
Will Newnham also put up stern resistance against 4th seeded Fernando Lopez from Mexico. Lopez fits with the Mexican tradition of great basic game, strong movement and a dogged determination, a combination that was to prove too tough for Newnham in the long run. Lopez clinched a close 2-0 lead, and while Newnham fought back to win the 3rd game with some killer dropshots, fell short physically in the 4th game to the searching, moving strategy of the Mexican player.
Jim Bristow came into the tournament as a wildcard and with high expectations, though didn’t rise to the occasion against 3rd seed Quebecer Michael Reid. Reid used his Power-esque terse technique and attritional strategy to test Bristow’s ability to take control. Unfortunately Bristow didn’t come with his typical controlled game, and didn’t really find his rhythm, not applying enough pressure to break Reid’s resolve, Reid coming through to the quarter finals with a relatively straightforward 3-0 victory.
With all eight quarter finalists impressing in their own ways, it seems impossible to predict a winner on Sunday, though there are sure to be some great matches to come.

Patrick Chifunda bt. Hameed Ahmed (11-9, 11-2, 10-12, 11-4)
Salvador Martinez bt. Jacques Swanepoel (11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8)
Fernando Lopez bt. Will Newnham (11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Lekgotla Mosope bt. Armando Olguin (11-6, 11-3, 11-4)
Ahmed Maged Hamza bt. Jason Delierre (14-12, 11-9, 11-7)
Michal Reid bt. Jim Bristow (11-7, 11-3, 11-9)
Arturo Castillo bt. Navin Samarasinghe (11-7, 13-11, 11-4)
Andrew McDougall bt. Joe Millman (11-5, 11-2, 11-3)

(*We’re lucky to have Martin’s insight on tonights matches*)

Photos from Round 1 by Jonathan Davis:

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04-Apr-2008 00:44, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 23.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:25, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 23.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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05-Apr-2008 00:15, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 22.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:52, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:29, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 20.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 00:07, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 22.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 800

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04-Apr-2008 23:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 4.0, 24.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 4.0, 24.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:15, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 4.2, 26.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 1600

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05-Apr-2008 00:24, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 4.0, 24.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 00:19, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.5, 19.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 1600

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03-Apr-2008 23:15, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 5.6, 48.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 3200

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04-Apr-2008 23:58, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 1600

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05-Apr-2008 00:17, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 23.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 23:29, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 20.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 1600

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03-Apr-2008 23:20, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.5, 19.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 3200

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04-Apr-2008 23:25, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 23.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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05-Apr-2008 00:12, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 22.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 00:07, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 22.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 800

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04-Apr-2008 23:28, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 20.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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04-Apr-2008 00:29, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 20.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 800

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04-Apr-2008 23:24, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 3.8, 23.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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05-Apr-2008 00:23, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D40X, 4.0, 24.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 1600

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Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Day 1: Qualifiers complete

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Gavin Lee Perrett in action against Will Newnham

Gavin Lee Perrett in action against Will Newnham

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The first round of the qualifiers began this morning with Dan Roberts and Lekgotla Mosope overcoming University of Rochester squash team members #5 Yohay Wakabayashi and #6 Edwin Goncharuk respectively in straight sets.
Two other locals, UR#1 Hameed Ahmed and UR#4 Fred Reid squared off against each other with Hameed prevailing. In the final match of the morning, Gavin Lee Perrett fought a strong battle against local Will Newnham (UR#3) but eventually losing 3-1.

Gavin Lee Perrett vs Will Newnham

The final round of the qualifiers played out in the evening session with both UR locals, Hameed Ahmed and Will Newnham carrying through to the main draw.
Ahmed quickly went 2-0 up against Bruno Vega but Vega came back strong in the third and almost kept it going until Hameed’s racquet skills got the better of him.
Will Newnham and Maxym Leclair played out the longest match in the qualifiers, almost an hour. The first two games were neck-to-neck and could have gone either way with each going to 15-13 in favor of Newnham. In the third, Newnham surged ahead to 11-2 to take the match.

Lekgotla Mosope and Graham Bassett started off with a closely contested first game which eventually went to Mosope 12-10. It looked like Mosope had the upper hand in the second game but Bassett had an opportunity in the third at 8-4 up. Mosope consistently dug back to eventually win the match.

Finally, the #1 qualifier seed Jason Delierre beat Dan Roberts 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 to earn a spot in the main draw.

Pictures from Qualifiers Round 1 (morning session) by Paul Schwartz:

Gavin Lee Perrett

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UR local Yohay Wakabayashi in action

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Will Newnham stretches against Gavin Lee Perrett

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Fred Reid

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Gavin Lee Perrett in action against Will Newnham

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Hameed Ahmed

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Fred Reid vs Hameed Ahmed

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Qualifying finals:
Jason Delierre bt. Dan Roberts (11-6, 11-7, 11-7)
Lekgotla Mosope bt. Graham Bassett (12-10, 11-4, 11-8)
Will Newnham bt. Maxym Leclair (15-13, 15-13, 11-2)
Hameed Ahmed bt. Bruno Vega (11-3, 11-6, 12-10)

Qualifying Round 1:
Jason Delierre – Bye
Dan Roberts bt. Yohay Wakabayashi (11-4, 11-4, 11-5)
Graham Bassett – Bye
Lekgotla Mosope bt. Edwin Goncharuk (11-5, 11-7, 11-6)
Will Newnham bt. Gavin Lee Perrett (11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6)
Maxym Leclair – Bye
Hameed Ahmed bt. Fred Reid (11-8, 11-5, 11-7)
Bruno Vega – Bye

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Amateur draws are up

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Please contact Hugh Higgins (hugh_higgins at urmc dot rochester dot edu ) for match times.
Due to the large size of the draws, some matches will begin on Wednesday night.
(Wednesday, Thursday, Friday matches at the Genesee Valley Club, 421 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 – Map. Saturday/Sunday semifinals/finals at University of Rochester)

Division 3.0/Beginner – Main Draw (Matches begin Wednesday night)
Division 3.0/Beginner – Consolation Draw

Division 3.5 – Main Draw (Matches begin Wednesday night)
Division 3.5 – Consolation Draw

Division 4.0 – Main Draw (Matches begin Wednesday night)
Division 4.0 – Consolation Draw

Division 5.0 – Main Draw (Matches begin Thursday night)
Division 5.0 – Consolation Draw

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

The stage is set

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Stills from the 2007 event
As we roll into tournament week and the pros begin to trickle into town, there is a lot to look forward to.
The UR team members will need all the home support they can get so don’t forget to look up the schedule and be there.
FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY:
Also on Friday, come out and “Meet the Players” after the first round of the main draw. The festivities begin at 8:00pm at 850 Highland Ave (the big green house at the corner of Highland and Clinton Ave. with the coolest sports bar in the basement) and is open to all players (pro and amateur), their hosts and spectators. A big thank you to the Behringers for the warmth and hospitality they have extended to the squash community. Food and drinks from On the Rocks, Mt. Hope Ave.

CITY TOURNAMENT DRAWS:
If you’ve already signed up for the city tournament, the draws will be posted on the website on Tuesday April 2nd. And if you haven’t, the signup deadline is March 31st. So sign up now!

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Announcing the Main Draw

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

With a little more than two weeks remaining, the main draw for the 2008 Rochester Pro-Am has been announced. As per PSA rules, the qualifier draw will be picked the morning of Wednesday, April 3rd.

Former longtime UR coach Peter Lyman
& Patrick Chifunda at the ’05 Rochester ProAm Patrick Chifunda(ZAM), a Rochester regular ranked #127 is returning this year as the #1 seed. Patrick is a squash professional based in Virginia and has played five out of the last six Rochester Pro events. Westchester based squash pro, Ahmed Hamza(EGY) is another familiar face who will be returning again this year. Others in the “no-strangers-to-Rochester” category are Andrew McDougall(CAN), Michal Reid(CAN), Fernando Lopez(MEX), Armando Olguin(MEX), Arturo Castillo(MEX) and Joe Millman(ENG).

Besides the strong Canadian and Mexican contingents, there will be a diverse array of young and upcoming squash talent on display from Sri Lanka, Botswana, Spain, Guatemala, Ireland, England, and South Africa.

The new and improved UR squash team also command a strong presence with a wildcard (Jim Bristow) in the main draw and five of the remaining Yellowjackets (Hameed Ahmed, Will Newnham, Fred Reid, Yohay Wakabayashi, Edwin Goncharuk) in the qualifier as locals.

So here is the schedule – come out, support your favorites and if you don’t have any yet, you will by the time this tournament is over. Experience professional level squash right here in Rochester!

And if you want a piece of the action, don’t forget to sign up for the amateur city tournament!

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

The final cut

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Mithun Mukherjee

Final player list has been announced – check out the final cut. This year, besides our own international squad of varsity players, the Rochester Pro will see players from Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Botswana, Guatemala, England, Sri Lanka, France, Spain, Ireland and Pakistan. Please contact us if you would like to host a player, there a few spots left. (Learn more about hosting a player.)

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments

Coming soon in 2008!

Posted on December 16, 2007 by Mithun Mukherjee

On April 3rd-6th 2008, Rochester will be witness to the seventh installment of the Rochester Pro tournament. Th tournament has been scheduled a couple of months later than the usual January time on purpose to allow our player guests to sample Rochester in relatively better weather in April. The tournament is currently registered and sanctioned on the PSA calendar and we’re looking forward to having a host of international pros come back to Rochester.

Posted in 2008, All Tournaments