Just 102 minutes this time as Delierre overcomes Joel Makin
By ERIC BELANGER in Montreal
American pair Todd Harrity and Chris Gordon, Jamaica’s Chris Binney and Canada’s marathon man Shawn De Lierre all won through from the qualifying finals into the main draw of the $35k Montreal Open.
Todd Harrity vs Michael McCue
Harrity, who had defeated Canadian Thomas King in the previous qualifying round, picked up where he left the preceding day by rapidly imposing his rhythm in the match. He was able to establish court dominance over his second Canadian opponent, who was searching for answers. This resulted in a quick game that ended in the American’s favor 11-2.
McCue varied his shots in the beginning of the second game but Harrity always seemed to have an answer to McCue’s attacks. The top qualifying seed seemed to be able to predict where the Canadian wanted to send the ball, and was able to run off with the second game 11-3. Harrity took advantage of every opportunity offered by McCue to finish off rallies in the third game. The Canadian wasn’t able to keep up with the pressure, and the first seed was comfortably able to take it 11-5.
Christopher Gordon vs Joe Chapman
The second match of the night sees New York native Christopher Gordon take on the British Virgin Islands representative Joe Chapman. The American cruised to a big opening lead as Chapman couldn’t settle himself in the game, with Gordon able to capitalize on the sixth seed’s numerous mistakes. A late resurgence from Chapman proved to be too little, too late as he served out on game point and Gordon took the game 11-5.
The second game was more evenly contested, as both players brought up the intensity early on, leading to numerous interference calls. Chapman seemed more composed and was able to drag the rallies long enough to force his opponent into committing mistakes. However, the British Virgin Islands representative strung a series of unforced errors in the last portion of the game, allowing the American to take it 11-8.
The third game started in sloppy fashion as both players seemed out of rhythm. Gordon was able to get on his game first as he forced his opponent into committing more mistakes. Like his preceding match against local Jason Delierre, Gordon finished his rallies in remarkable fashion, much to the disarray of Chapman. Gordon ended up taking the game 11-7.
Jaymie Haycocks vs Christopher Binnie
The match started evenly disputed, and the Jamaican was the first to take initiative by taking advantage of a few fortuitous bounces. Haycocks was able to regain composure and storm back as both players were keen on establishing their presence on the court. The Englishmen took advantage of a few errors from the Jamaican to take the first 11-7.
The second game started off with Haycocks applying heavy pressure on Binnie, who did well to limit the damage by extending the rallies. The Englishmen was initially rewarded for his initiative, grabbing an early advantage in the game. Binnie did well to counter Haycocks’ pressure and come back into the game, and managed to counter his opponent decisively, taking the second game 11-9.
Haycocks lost his composure as he piled on mistakes, allowing the Jamaican to take an important lead by rapidly grabbing the third game 11-2. Haycocks temporarily calmed down at the beginning of the game, slowing the rallies. Haycocks again seemed to lose the edge in the later portion of the game as Binnie came back and upset the winner of the previous PSA event held in Montreal, 11-9 in the fourth.
Shawn Delierre vs Joel Makin
The last match of the night sees local favourite Shawn Delierre, Canada’s top ranked player, squaring off with Joel Makin from Wales. The match started off with long rallies and the players showcasing their retrieving capabilities, much to the delight of the crowd. The local favorite, known for his grueling style, was able to move Makin around court and create enough opportunities to capture the first game 11-8 in a long, hard-fought 24 minutes. Makin came out strong in the second, seizing an early advantage through well-worked rallies.
Delierre’s experience allowed him to come back in the game, by successfully managing to counter the youngster’s attacks. The Welshman managed to resist the local favorite’s surge, and took the second 11-9. The Canadian came into the third aggressively, which took his opponent off guard. Delierre’s tactics frustrated the Welshman’s who started to accumulate errors as the game dragged on. The fan favorite was able to keep his lead and take it 11-7. The fourth game started in the same vein, with both players still often tangling into each other. Delierre was the calmer and less affected player as he cruised to a big 7-2 lead.
The match was interrupted for a while due to a blood injury (small cut on a knee) to Makin as he was attempting a comeback. Ultimately, Shawn was able to stave off the Welshman’s momentum and qualified for the main draw by taking the fourth 11-8 and the match 3-1. The crowd was ecstatic with their favorite’s performance, in a grueling match that lasted 102 minutes and featured 65 calls.
$35,000 Men’s Montreal Open 2016, Club Sportif MAA, Montreal, Canada
1st round:
[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [Q] Christopher Gordon (USA)
[6] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
[8] Alfredo Avila (MEX) v [Q] Todd Harrity (USA)
[3] Tom Richards (ENG) v [WC] David Baillargeon (CAN)
[4] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
[5] Leo Au (HKG) v [Q] Christopher Binnie (JAM)
[7] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v [Q] Shawn Delierre (CAN)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) v Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
Qualifying finals:
Todd Harrity (USA) bt Michael McCue (CAN) 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (29m)
Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Joe Chapman (IVB) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (37m)
Christopher Binnie (JAM) bt Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) 7-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9 (42m)
Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Joel Makin (WAL) 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8 (102m)
1st qualifying round:
Todd Harrity (USA) bt Thomas King (CAN) 11-3, 11-2, 11-9
Michael McCue (CAN) bt Sebastien Boucley (CAN) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
Joe Chapman (IVB) bt Tommy Scott (CAN) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6
Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Jason Delierre (CAN) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5
Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) bt Joeri Hapers (BEL) 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5
Christopher Binnie (JAM) bt Sam Gould (USA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-5
Joel Makin (WAL) bt Lewis Walters (JAM) 11-8, 11-2, 11-5
Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt David Phillips (CAN) 15-13, 11-9, 11-8
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Picture by TREVOR BOWES (squash beast.com)