The 2011 Rochester ProAm men’s final came down to the two players that performed consistently throughout their main draws. Wade Johnstone (Australia) and Alfredo Avila (Mexico) survived over 90 minutes of squash the previous evening. They won their semifinal matches in front of a packed gallery and found themselves face to face on the University of Rochester court at 12 noon Saturday.

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Game 1:
After their introductions the players initiated their match with steady pace and conservative shooting. After over two minutes of back and forth rails and cross courts Alfredo pumps his shot into the tin to give Wade the first point of the match. The second point followed the same pattern as the first with Wade placing steady shots around the court but Alfredo hits a winner to tie the score 1-1. Alfredo shows his skills on the next point as he crushes an overhead into the nick to make it 2-1. An error by Wade on his back court boast adds another point to Alfredo.
Finally, Wade takes advantage of a loose shot by Alfredo and hammers it into the rail for a winner. Another long rally at 4-2 Wade starts working the boast to force Alfredo into more diagonals and catches him leaving a weak return that Wade drops to the front left corner to win the point. An error by Alfredo gives Wade 4-4 tie. The pace of the shots is picking up with each player pushing each other deeper into the back corners. As Wade uses his boast, Alfredo shows his flexibility as he stretches for each shot to keep it in play. Wade plays a poor shot to give Alfredo a 6-5 lead. A great drop and counter drop sequence in the front right wall ends with Wade hitting good length to get it out of Alfredo’s reach.
Wade goes up 7-6 on another loose shot by Alfredo. Wade continues to roll and at 10-6 he puts the finishing touch on his drive and closes the first game 11-6.

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Game 2:
The second game starts quickly with Wade getting to 3-1 on two tins by Alfredo. It doesn’t take long for Alfredo to catch up with his deceptive rail and an error by Wade. At 3-3 both players are using their shots to put pressure on each other. Alfredo appears to be getting the better of it by forcing Wade to retrieve boasts and scramble toward the back walls. Wade starts lobbing more but Alfredo is up to the challenge by playing them in the air and forcing Wade to use more energy to retrieve them. At 5-4 Alfredo picks up another point from Wade’s tin. This is followed by another missed drop shot and a second one as Wade tries to end the points sooner. The score is 6-4 with Alfredo showing confidence in his shooting. Wade gets a stroke from Alfredo, but the game swings back to Alfredo as he goes 8-5 with a low cross court winner.
The crowd is enjoying the non-stop retrieving by Alfredo as he scrambles around the four corners of the court. A great point ensues with both players retrieving their opponent’s shots well. The point ends on a stroke given to Wade. The score goes to 9-7 with Alfredo gaining the win on two more tins by Wade. The game ends 11-8.

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Game 3:
Alfredo is back on the court first after the break. His win is giving him more confidence against the more experienced Wade. Despite the confidence Wade goes 2-1 in the first 2 minutes. Both players trade tins and Alfredo gets to 3-2, then 4-2 after another tin by Wade.
Both players continue to deploy the back court boast and front wall drops to move each other around. Alfredo continues to look energized despite Wade’s efforts to force him into tougher retrievals. The score is 5-5 and Alfredo holds his own on a cross court return that he hits tightly down the rail for a winner. The next point finds Wade diving for a back wall shot. He stays in the point for two more shots before Alfredo hits a winner that is out of reach. Wade fights back to 7-7, but he tins another potential winner to give Alfredo the lead again. The game ends on three errors from Wade and concludes 11-7 in Alfredo’s favor.

Game 4:
The 2-1 lead sets up the extra pressure on Wade to get a lead on Alfredo. He gets help from Alfredo who tins the first two points. If it is nervousness it does not last long. Despite a 0-3 situation, Alfredo fights back to 3-3. Wade pumps a shot into the tin to give the lead back to Alfredo 4-3. The back wall retrievals are becoming tougher on Wade. He finds himself down 7-3 after only five minutes of play.
A great point starts with the players using all four corners multiple times with great retrieving by both players. Wade tins the last shot to give Alfredo a look at closing out the match at 10-3. Wade wins the next three points and appears to be making his way back into the game, but he does a shot that lands in the tin to end the match in Alfredo’s favor 11-6. Alfredo wins his first Rochester Pro Am 3-1.
Both players received a standing ovation for the great play and for the week of exciting matches that they participated in. The Rochester squash community hopes to see both players again, either back here or progressing in one of the other PSA tournaments.

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Alfredo Avila bt Erik Tepos Valtierra 13-11, 12-10, 9-11, 20-18 (101m)
Wade Johnstone bt Eddie Charlton 7-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (90m)

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The second set of quarterfinals saw Australian Wade Johnstone overcome Gerardo De Paul Garcia who has had a long week battling through qualifying rounds to reach this stage.
Canadian Dane Sharp, with a set of heavy legs from the previous night, succumbed to second seed Eddie Charlton.

Tomorrow promises a great couple of semifinals and the crowd has been building everyday at the University of Rochester courts!

Quarterfinal results:
Alfredo Avila bt Gilly Lane 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 (90m)
Erik Tepos Valtierra bt Patrick Chifunda 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2 (73m)
Wade Johnstone bt Gerardo De Paul Garcia 11-2, 11-9, 12-10 (45m)
Eddie Charlton bt Dane Sharp 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (40m)

Video by Michael Kuklik:

Eddie Charton vs Dane Sharp (Games 1-3)

Wade Johnstone vs Gerardo De Paul Garcia (end of Game 3):

Wade Johnstone bt Lewis Walters 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 (45m)
Match report by Will Newnham

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It’s the eight o’clock matches and the spectators have gathered in anticipation for the Walters and Johnstone match. Both players started the match off finding good length and width, with Wade getting the better of the first few exchanges. Wade started dominating the T on more of a consistent basis towards the end of the first, edging it 11-8.

Walters got off to a better start at the beginning of the second game. Taking a 6-3 lead over Johnstone. Clearly the advise from Charlton, his Nottinghamshire training partner and life friend, must have paid. Johnstone took the next two points with some tight drops shots to the backhand corner, and appeared to be taking control of matters. Johnstone asks for a let, but is denied by the referee, 7-5 to Walters. Both have been rallying back and forth, working hard for it, but Johnstone’s patience helps him fight back to an 8-8 dead heat. The rhythm changes in the last few points with Johnstone finding a bit more variation that seemed to have Walters running from corner to corner, second game to Johnstone 11-8.

Walters takes the first point of the second with an immaculate drop shot to the backhand, clinging it to the wall. Two unforced errors from Johnstone and Walter’s looks determined on fighting back, 3-0 Walters. A long rally at 4-1 is ended by a backhand straight volley nick from Johnstone, bringing Johnstone back in the game, with a score of 4 -2. A tight ball on the forehand wall by Walters, forces a loose shot by Johnson. Stroke to Walters, much to Johnstone’s dismay, 6-3 to Walters. Walters, is now attacking much more and constantly placing the ball in all for corners, Johnstone is on the run, while Walters applies the pressure, 8-4 Walters. Both players are now in full flow and Johnstone gets it back to 8-8 with some attacking squash. A game ball to Walters at 10-9, is denied by Johnstone after a long and tiring rally. Johnstone takes the next 2 points to secure the match in the tie break (2-0), 3-0 Johnstone.

Photos by Paul Schwartz:

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Final draw for tomorrow’s matches.

Video by Michael Kuklik:

Justin Todd vs Dave Letourneau (Games 1-4)

Omar El Kashef vs Joe Chapman (Games 1-3)

Gerardo De Paul Garcia vs Geoffrey Demont (Final game)

Photos by Michael Kuklik:

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The evening began with the focused Adam Perkomaki trading points with the lightning fast Jonathan Ramos with Ramos eventually prevailing.
Rochester locals Benjamin Fischer and Joe Chapman edged their teammates Will Newnham and Hameed Ahmed respectively in strongly contested games.
Another Rochester player Oscar Lopez entered the qualifying draw as a reserve local due to a last minute withdrawal and faced a stiff challenge from fellow countryman Gerardo De Paul Garcia with Garcia forcing just one too many errors out of Lopez in a keenly contested match.

The last two matches of the night were the longest with Canada’s Justin Todd battling Scotsman Lyall Paterson in 5 games. On the other court, an equally competitive battle ensued with USA’s Graham Bassett stretching Canadian Dave Letourneau to five games.

Jonathan Ramos (MEX) bt. Adam Perkomaki (USA) 14-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)
Beni Fischer (SUI) bt. Will Newnham (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)
Joe Chapman (BVI) bt. Hameed Ahmed (FIN) 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3 (48m)
Omar El Kashef (EGY) bt. Maxime Blouin (CAN) 11-9, 13-11, 11-7 (39m)
Gerardo De Paul Garcia (MEX) bt. Oscar Lopez (MEX) 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9 (53m)
Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt. Matt Domenick (USA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
Justin Todd (CAN) bt. Lyall Paterson (SCO) 10-12, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (80m)
David Letourneau (CAN) bt. Graham Bassett (USA) 11-9, 13-11, 14-16, 3-11, 11-4 (60m)

Photos by Paul Schwartz:

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COMPLETE LIST OF PLAYERS IN MAIN AND QUALIFYING DRAWS

Hard to believe that it’s been a decade since Squash Rochester has been bringing professional squash to Rochester.
So mark your calendars for the TENTH consecutive edition of the Rochester ProAm. If you haven’t already, read up a bit on the event’s rich history.

As usual, on the cards this year will be an exciting lineup of pro squash players from around the world along with a chance for us amateurs to get in on the action in the Rochester City Championship.
See you at the courts:
April 18th-23rd at the Lyman Squash Courts, University of Rochester. (Complete schedule)

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The 18 year old Egyptian wunderkind, Karim Abdel Gawad prevailed after four games 1-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 in 65 minutes against stiff opposition from Englishman Tom Pashley to emerge victorious as the 2010 Rochester ProAm Champion. Another travel casualty of the volcanic ash mess last week after his flight from Cairo via Germany was cancelled, the Egyptian teenager eventually made the long trip to Rochester via a direct Cairo-NYC flight followed by a 7 hour bus ride from NYC to Rochester reaching in the wee hours of the morning last Tuesday. With barely a day and a half to recover from travel fatigue and jetlag, Abdel Gawad played some tough matches throughout the tournament including two 5 set matches, one against qualifier Oliver Pett in the first round that lasted 111 minutes! This is his 4th PSA title since he joined the tour in 2008.

Local TV coverage on YNN Channel 9.

Match recap by Thomson Chew:
Game 1: Tom Pashley controls the game with steady rails and cross courts. He produces few errors while Karim appears lethargic and hits several unforced errors to give Tom a commanding lead and the game 11 – 1.

Game 2: A new strategy appears from Karim in game two. He stays patient and hammers tight forehand rails and directs soft drop shots at the crucial time to win the points. Both players are working hard with several multi-minute points exchanged. Karim’s tenacity begins to wear down Tom who is struggling now to stay on offense. The game is at 2 – 10 in favor of Karim. Instead of giving up Tom hustles to regain the match with several winners and a few unforced errors from Karim helping him to reach 9 – 10. On the next point Karim closes the game with one of his front right wall volley drop shot that Tom cannot reach in time. Karim wins 11 – 9.

Game 3: Both players come out running with points getting exchanged back and forth to 5 – 5. Tom pulls ahead on the next two points due to his tough shot placements that forced Karim to tin twice. The game turns again to Karim’s favor after a very long point that pushed both players around the four corners before Karim wins it. A stroke given to Tom equals the score at 9 – 9. Another long point ensues, but Tom fails to capitalize on a potential winner by driving his low cross court into the top of the tin. He wins the next point and at 10 – 10 the game continues with two great rallies. Tom cannot pull it out and loses 10 – 12.

Game 4: Karim starts off aggressively and gains a 4 – 0 lead before Tom settles down to control the play. He gets to 5 – 5 but hits a tin to give Karim the lead again. Both players work hard for their points and appear to be on course for another score like game 3. Karim continues to mix his hard low drives along the rails with either a boast or delicate drop shot to the front corners. This continues to force Tom to cover the long diagonals and subsequently, he is stretching far and trying to recover in time for Karim’s replies. The score is 10 – 8 for Karim. The match point begins with both players pushing the ball around the court. Tom places a drop shot to the front left corner and hedges his position for a counter drop. Karim decides to hit a wide cross court that gets beyond a diving Tom for the winner. Karim wins 11 – 8 and the match 3 games to 1.

Both players put on a great match and a fantastic tournament. The local squash fans received a week of entertaining squash from all the pros. We wish them good luck in their upcoming tournaments and welcome them back to Rochester anytime.

Photos by Paul Schwartz.
Photos from Pro final and Awards Presentation:

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Match reports by Eric Hernady, photos by Paul Schwartz::

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Tom Pashley bt. Cesar Salazar 11-9, 13-11, 5-11, 2-11, 11-6 (91m)

The first semifinal pitted Cesar Salazar (Mex) versus Tom Pashley (Eng). Both players are young, up-and-coming professionals, who put all their skills on display in the first game. Each moved fluidly and effortlessly around the court demonstrating calm and poise throughout the rallies. Each player built on their tight, deep length, with Pashley using his soft hands to volley to all corners of the court. Salazar countered with excellent court coverage. No player had more than a 2 point lead throughout the game, which saw Pashley apply just enough pressure at 9-all to win the game at 11-9.

The second game saw more of the quick footwork, varied tempos and beautiful clearing by each player. Pashley worked his way out to an 8-4 lead only to see Salazar steady his game. Salazar found his length volleyed more and added pressure to the front right to get Pashley out or position more than once. Pashley again stepped forward to volley to all corners of the court and created attacking opportunities. At 10-8, game ball, Salazar again fought back to earn a game ball of his own with slow, deep rallies causing Pashley to attempt some attacks that just hit the tin. Pashley played with continued confidence and forced two errors to squeak by with a 13-11 win.

The third saw more of the same from both players early, but Salazar was more patient and built rallies off his length and put Pashley under more and more pressure. At 5-all Pashley appeared to pull up injured and seemed to be unable to retrieve balls being sent into the corners. He seemed to let up a bit and Salazar ran away with the game at 11-5. The fourth saw the same pattern develop early with Salazar playing smartly by extending the rallies and not giving Pashley many chance to attack the front. Pashley was visibly hurt and gave away the last of the game 11-2.

The last game opened with a mammoth first point, where Pashley showed he we was ready to chase everything down to win. He made some adjustments to his foot between games and he played with newly found confidence. Pashley again stepped up in the court and cut balls off to volley and add pressure to Salazar who was happy running all day long. Pashley opened a surprising 8-1 lead and Salazar made some unforced errors to compound his problems. Although at 2-10 down Salazar again steadied himself and played patient squash to force Pashley to attack too early. After bringing the game back to 6-10 Pashley finally ended the more than 60 minute match with another attack to the frontcourt ending a brilliant match from both players.

Karim Abdel Gawad bt. James Snell 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (52m)

The second of the semifinal matches in the Rochester Pro draw saw England’s James Snell play Egypt’s Karim Gawad. In a match with a stark contrast in styles saw Snell play a consistent length and width game with few if any boasts to Gawad, who was not willing to allow rallies to extend too long. He attacked the frontcourt at every opportunity with flair and reckless abandon. The first game tested each style and after holding a 6-4 lead Gawad began committing unforced errors while Snell happily drove the ball deep to force more errors from Gawad. Snell surprisingly ran away with the game winning 7 points in a row.

The second saw Snell pick up where he left off, but this time Gawad stayed back and drove the ball deep and calmed himself enough to get out to a 4-1 lead. With his confidence growing Gawad started boasting from both sides to force Snell into the front then picked off volleys from behind him with great reach and control. The middle of game saw more lets and some frustration building from Snell. Karim sensing this kept attacking and took a stretch of 5 consecutive points in the middle of the game to take the game 11-7.

The third game saw Gawad come out and cut off as many balls as possible. Snell was under constant pressure and started committing uncharacteristic unforced errors off of drop shots and on service returns as well. Gawad was calm and seemed to have limitless fitness as he dared Snell to drive the ball past him. Snell, to his credit, lobbed the ball deep to extend rallies, but Gawad’s game was too much and he won 11-4.

The fourth game started with a few lengthy rallies, fewer let calls and Snell seemed to have righted the ship a bit at 5-all. Then Gawad began driving pinpoint lengths and crosscourts, which stretched Snell to all parts of the court and some loose shots gave Gawad more chances to volley to the front wall. Gawad’s sustained the pressure and displayed some amazing racquet-work as well. By winning 6 of the last 7 points Gawad earned a place in the final Sunday afternoon.