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Darwish v. Iskander in Motor City final

Malaysian wears down two-seed Lincou in five; Darwish rolls over Aziz

by A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – And then there were two. Top-seeded Karim Darwish and three-seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar reached the finals of the 2010 Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo in dramatically different fashion Sunday afternoon. Darwish swept through countryman Omar Abdel Aziz in 35 minutes, while Iskander upset #2 seed Thierry Lincou in a brilliant five-gamer.

The two will meet for the championship Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Athletic Club, Michigan’s premier squash venue. The winner receives a portion of the tournament’s record $40,000 purse and a Rolex watch from Greenstone Jewelers.

Darwish no doubt enjoyed watching Iskander and Lincou take each other to the limit. The Egyptian enters the match in dominating form, not having dropped a game on his way to the final. His semifinal opponent, Aziz, was coming off a marathon quarterfinal upset of Olli Tuominen the night before. Worse, he was nursing a leg injury. Aziz went down quickly: 11-4, 11-5, 11-3.

“I knew it was going to be tough, but I didn’t want to retire, to be rude,” Aziz said of his feeling before the match. “I wanted to give it my all, do my best and see what happened.”

To compensate for the injury, Aziz tried playing an all-out strategy, making risky moves and putting his shots to the front, which only allowed Darwish to recover easily and match the attack.

“Omar is a very good player,” said Darwish, who is trying to regain his 2009 form as World #1 after a back injury sidelined him in December. “His fitness is really good, but today he was a little bit tired from yesterday’s match, so I took advantage of it.”

“Overall, I’m happy with my performance so far,” he continued. “My confidence is coming back again. To be in the semis in New York (last week’s Tournament of Champions), and to be in the final here, it’s a great achievement and I’m looking forward to my match tomorrow.”

Waiting for Darwish in the finals will be Iskandar, who has found much success on the lively BAC courts where the ball stays up, complimenting his natural speed. Against Lincou, a former World #1 currently ranked #9, Iskandar used the court to his advantage, playing at a quick pace and forcing Lincou into long, exhausting rallies. Down 1-2 in games, Iskandar rallied to win in five: 5-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4.

Lincou started strongly, building 5-2 leads in both the first and second games while hitting his kill shots with impressive accuracy.

”I was feeling really well, started really well,” said the Frenchman afterwards. “I had a good game plan. Then he started to pick everything up, limit his mistakes, so it was much harder for me to make a point. On the day, I think he was just fitter than me.”

That 5-2 lead in Game Two disappeared as Iskandar quickened the pace. It would prove a critical game for Iskander. “He was finding his length,” said the World’s #17-ranked player. “He was putting it away. The second game was very crucial. Of course, the third game I should’ve wrapped it up but I didn’t. I just said, ‘you know what, I’m feeling good, I’m just gonna step up now, you know.’”

Indeed, Game Three was Lincou’s undoing. Down 2-7, he rallied brilliantly to take the game 12-10 in overtime. But by winning the battle, he lost the war. The inexhaustible Iskander ran out the next two games and the match.

Monday will mark the fifth time Darwish and Iskandar have played in a PSA-sanctioned tournament. Darwish boasts a 4-0 record, with their most recent meeting ending in a 3-2 victory in the quarters in Hong Kong last October.

Semi-Final Results:     

• Karim Darwish def. Omar Abdel Aziz 11-4, 11-5, 11-3
• Mohd Azlan Iskandar def. Thierry Lincou 5-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4

Motor City Open Final:   

• Karim Darwish (1) v. Mohd Azlan Iskandar (3)

Motor City Quarters: Aziz solves Tuominen, Darwish cruises

Lincou ends Qualifier Cuskelly’s run to set up semi against Iskander

By A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. –  Egyptian Omar Abdel Aziz’ upset of #4 seed and 2008 Motor City Open champ Olli Tuominen highlighted quarterfinal play Saturday at the 2010 Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo. Aziz's victory set up an all-Egyptian semifinal with his good friend Karim Darwish, the #1 seed. In the bottom half of the draw, #2 seed Thierry Lincou will meet Maylasia’s Mohd Azlan Iskandar in the semis after surviving the tourney’s Cinderella story, qualifier Ryan Cuskely, in four tough games.

The players are vying for a record  $40, 000 tournament purse and  Rolex watch from Greenstone Jewelers. Sunday’s semifinals at the Birmingham Athletic Club, Michigan’s premier squash venue, will begin at 4 PM.

Aziz considers his countryman, Darwish, an older brother. The duo train together while also maintaining a close relationship outside of squash. “I’m going to play my big brother, Karim,” Aziz said of his semifinal match. “And I want to play a good match.”     

That brotherhood paid dividends in Aziz’ quarterfinal bout against Tuominen. Darwish warned Aziz of Olli’s volleying skills and advised him to work the Finn’s backhand. The result: a 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6 victory.   

 “I had to bring it to the back because Olli likes to volley it. So Karim told me: ‘You have to push the ball to the back of the court, and his mistakes will start to appear,’” said Aziz of his strategy afterwards. “So, I put the ball a lot to the back corner – one time, two time, three time. After that I start to volley.”

A frustrated Tuominen struggled to find his shot, nicking the tin with too many errors.

As the Aziz-Tuominen match played out on Court Two, Darwish took care of business on Court Three, disposing of Mark Krajcsak in convincing fashion: 11-7, 11-3, 11-2.

“I think Mark was tired from his previous match,” Darwish said of his Hungarian adversary, whose match the previous night extended to five games and two hours. “I tried to move him around for the first game because I knew he wasn’t in his best shape today, and I think my shots were pretty good.”

Darwish started by knocking the ball wall-to-wall in an effort to wear out his opponent. After Game One, Krajcsak had little left to defend against the Egypt’s best player.

Qualifier Cuskelly’s spirited play this week had won over the sell-out crowd at the BAC. And he put together another gem Lincou who needed four games to defeat the Aussie: 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6. Game Three proved decisive after the pair split Games One and Two. Cuskelly held an 8-6 lead but failed to close it out.

“I’ve been playing pretty well, so I figured I could push him a bit,” said Cuskelly, who upset eight-seed Aaron Frankcomb the night before. “Just in the third, when I was up 8-6, I went for some stupid shots. I should’ve stuck to the game plan and, had I won that one, things could’ve been different.”     

Feeling the momentum shift to his favor, Lincou cruised in the final stanza.

“He’s a strong player,” Lincou said of Cuskelly. “He’s really improved a lot. He gave me a hard time on the court, and it’s good I won in four. It’s pretty tough to play on these courts because it’s really bouncy. So it’s hard to be offensive too much, and you have to mix between patience and offense. You need to be precise, very accurate and save your energy as much as you can.”

If anyone has saved his energy, it’s Iskandar, who needed just three games to advance over Chris Ryder:11-4, 11-5, 11-1. “I had to slowball it and pick out my moments, really,” Iskandar said. “I found myself attacking and hitting really good lengths and picking my moment to inject the pace. It worked out quite well because I ended up breaking my opponent’s rhythm.”

Saturday results:     

• Karim Darwish def. Mark Krajcsak 11-7, 11-3, 11-2
• Omar Abdel Aziz def. Olli Tuominen 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6     
• Thierry Lincou def. Ryan Cuskelly 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6     
• Mohd Azlan Iskandar def. Chris Ryder 11-4, 11-5, 11-1

Sunday matches (4 PM start):   

• Karim Darwish (1) v. Omar Abdel Aziz (7)   
• Thierry Lincou (2) v. Mohd Azlan Iskandar (3)

Upsets mark Motor City’s opening round

Seeds five and six fall; Tuominen gets a scare from retired pro Wellings

By A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – A feisty old dog, a persistent qualifier, and a marathon upset provided color to the opening round of play at the 2010 Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo. On a day that top seeds Karim Darwish and Thierry Lincou cruised, a packed house at the Birmingham Athletic Club cheered on local club pro, Julian Wellings, a retired, ex-World #46 who gave #4 seed Olli Tuominen all he could handle. Qualifier Ryan Cuskelly surprised the current World #40, and Mark Krakcsak crafted a two-hour, come-from-behind upset of the #6 seed. 

In all, eight players advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinal and a shot at a $40, 000 purse and Rolex watch from Greenstone Jewelers.

Showing flashes of the pro career that took him to the Top 50 ten years ago, Wellings – who now spends his days building one of the finest U.S. junior programs at the MCO’s host club north of Detroit – split the first two games against Tuominen, who won this tournament in 2008.

“Julian played pretty well, actually,” Tuominen said. “He still has it, and hit a lot of great shots and surprised me many times.” The fitter Flying Finn survived the early scare and went on to defeat Julian in four games, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6.

Qualifier Cuskelly (world #54), of Australia, proved that he had every intention of sticking around awhile after getting a birth in the main show. He was the only qualifier to move on as he quickly dispatched fellow Aussie and world #40, Aaron Frankcomb, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2.

The match’s start time was delayed over an hour because of the long five-game match prior between the Egyptian Reda and Hungarian Mark Krajcsak. Reda, the tournament’s #6 seed and world #33, built a two-game lead, but Krajcsak came all the way back to win 16-18, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8.

“I was two-love lead in the beginning,” Reda said of his match in which all but the final game required a tiebreaker. “Then, I had 10-8 match ball and the next one 10-6 match ball, but I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t finish the games today. Mentally I wasn’t there at all. He was more prepared than me and was doing more than me, so he deserved to win.”

“This was my toughest so far,” said Krajcsak, who fell behind in the final three stanzas - 5-3, 5-2, 5-2 – only to work his way back and win each. “It was very long, very intensive and there was nothing between us. I think I was just a little fitter in the end.”

“I’m coming from Hungary, which is a small country with not too much squash there,” Krajcsak continued. “I’m much better than all the other Hungarian players, so when they go ahead (in the match), I can still come back. That’s when I work hard. I think I just get used to it, and when other players are leading, I can work hard to come back.”

Where Reda was an upset victim, fellow Egyptian Omar Abdel Aziz (world #38) escaped an upset against Yasir Butt (world #55) after falling behind 0-2 in another five-game thriller: 10-12, 6-11, 12-10, 20-18, 11-3.

“I got so many match points, but couldn’t make it,” Butt said of games three and four. “In the third game, I lost concentration, and when I got match point, I should’ve gone for the attack, but I was playing defensive.”

It was the fourth game that proved decisive. The grueling, 20-point game exhausted the Pakistani and left him with little fight. The result was an easy 11-3 finale for Aziz. 

In another first round upset, England’s Chris Ryder downed the #5 seed – and the tournament’s top-ranked American - Julian Illingworth 11-4, 11-9, 11-7. Mohd Azlan Iskandar defeated Campbell Grayson 11-2, 11-5, 11-6. Top seed and World #5 Karim Darwish dispatched Alan Clyne 11-9, 11-7, 11-4. And World #9 Thierry Lincou, seede second, defeated qualifier Scott Arnold 11-5, 11-3, 11-6.

Friday results, First Round:

• Tuominen (FIN) def. Wellings (ENG) 11-8, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6
• Cuskelly (AUS) def. Frankcomb (AUS) 12-10, 11-3, 11-2
• Krajcsak (HUN) def. Reda (EGY) 16-18, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8
• Aziz (EGY) def. Butt (PAK) 10-12, 6-11, 12-10, 20-18, 11-3
• Ryder (ENG) def. Illingworth (USA) 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
• Iskandar (MAS) def. Grayson (NZL) 11-2, 11-5, 11-6
• Darwish (EGY) def. Clyne (SCO) 11-9, 11-7, 11-4
• Lincou (FRA) def. Arnold (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-6

Saturday’s Quarterfinal match schedule:

• (1) Karim Darwish v. Mark Krajcsak, 4:00
• (4) Olli Tuominen v. Omar Abdel Aziz (7), 4:30
• (2) Thierry Lincou v. Ryan Cuskelly (Q), 5:00
• (3) Mohd Azlan Iskandar v. Chris Ryder, 5:30

Four Qualifiers advance to Motor City main draw

Friday First Round will feature two former world Number Ones: Darwish, Lincou

by A. J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – The main draw is set for the 2010 Motor City Open, presented by Suburban Volvo, as qualifying concluded Thursday night with four players advancing into Friday’s opening round. With an upset and epic five-setter, the four matches provided a glimpse of the excitement, skill and speed that will be on display this weekend at the Birmingham Athletic Club. Michigan’s premier squash venue, the BAC is hosting the MCO for the 11th year, featuring a record $40,000 purse plus Rolex watch from Greenstone Jewelers.

Aussie Ryan Cuskelly, Pakistan’s Yasir Butt, Scott Arnold of Australia, and Scot Alan Clyne all posted victories.

The evening’s best bout featured Arnold (world #64) against Colombia’s Bernardo Samper (world #65). The pair occasionally train together in New York, and they seemed to anticipate one another’s every move in a match that became a five-game marathon. Arnold survived 4-11, 11-7, 14-12, 8-11, 11-6.

“When I go in there, I’ve got a good idea of what he’s going to do, he’s got a good idea of what I’m going to do,” Arnold said afterwards. “It’s just a mental battle more than anything, trying to stay focused on what I’ve got to do.”

Samper jumped on top early, winning Game One by controlling the pace and forcing Arnold into rushed decisions. But then Arnold composed himself, slowed the pace, and began to take control.

“I think when I got on top in the fifth, I slowed myself down a little bit,” Arnold said. “As opposed to a couple times when I got behind, I got caught up in just belting the ball about the court without thinking what I was doing.”

In the night’s final match, Scotland’s Clyne (world #68) served up the only upset against Jan Koukal (world #60) of the Czech Republic, 11-4, 10-12, 14-12, 11-5. Clyne began the match in top form, hitting his shots and taking control early.

“I knew he likes to play a slow pace, whereas I prefer to play at a higher pace,” Clyne said after his win. “So I was trying to push as much as possible and make the rallies tough. My shots at the front were working, straight from the off.”

Tied at one game apiece, the third frame proved the most critical. Clyne led 10-6 until a determined Koukal forced his way back with five straight points to tie. However, Clyne steadied the ship and prevailed, 14-12. Koukal’s comeback took its toll physically, and he had little left in the fourth.

“I think that was a really crucial one,” Clyne said of Game Three. “I think it took a lot out of him, and it took a lot out of me as well. But it was a good one to win; it was like a bit of a momentum, and it carried on into the fourth.”

Cuskelly (world #54) defeated England’s Adrian Waller (world #75) in straight sets, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7. The Aussie countered Waller’s size with speed and a good short game.

“He’s a big guy,” Cuskelly said later. “I just tried to move around the court a lot, move him short a bit more than I normally do. I think that worked out in the end, he got quite tired. I tried to keep the pressure on him, not give him a sniff.”

Yasir Butt (world #55) advanced over another Aussie, Matthew Karwalski (world #74), in straight sets, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11. Butt was concerned a long match might favor his very fit opponent, but his skillful play won the day.

“I played very well today,” Butt said. “Matthew’s an Australian, and Australian guys are already fit and really good, and most Pakistani guys rely on their skill and that’s what I did today.”

The main draw begins Friday at 5:00 PM with the following matches:

• (1) Karim Darwish v. Alan Clyne (Q)
• (6) Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda v. Mark Krajcsak
• (4) Olli Tuominen v. Julian Wellings (BAC pro)
• (7) Omar Abdel Aziz v. Yasir Butt (Q)
• (5) Julian Illingworth v. Chris Ryder.
• (3) Mohd Azlan Iskandar v. Campbell Grayson
• (8) Aaron Frankcomb v. Ryan Cuskelly (Q)
• (2) Thierry Lincou  v. Scott Arnold (Q)

MCO Qualifying, Round One: No surprises as favorites advance

Cuskelly, Butt, Koukal, Clyne are winners, local favorite Joint bows out

By A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – Round one of qualifying for the 2010 Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo, wrapped Wednesday night as higher-ranked favorites advanced with minimal resistance. Played at Michigan’s premier squash venue, The Birmingham Athletic Club outside Detroit, the MCO is in its 11th year and sports a record $40,000 purse plus Rolex watch from Greenstone Jewelers.

Only one match extended beyond three games as Scotland’s Alan Clyne (world #68) defeated Max Lee (world #87) of Hong Kong, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-6. Also advancing into Thursday’s second qualifying round: Czech Republic’s Jan Koukal, Ryan Cuskelly of Australia, England’s Adrian Waller, Aussie Scott Arnold, Bernardo Samper of England,  Australian Matthew Karwalski, and Yasir Butt of Pakistan. The top four qualifiers will enter the MCO’s main draw which begins play Friday evening.

Clyne v. Lee was a succession of rapidly-paced, quickly-finished rallies. The torrid pace prevented either player from establishing a rhythm, which worked against Lee who prefers slower, more strategy-oriented games. Lee eked out a first-game win, but lost focus and dropped the next three.

“I find that he wanted to pace up the game more,” Lee said. “And all the games I wanted to slow down, slow down, attack, attack, slow down, slow down because my pace is actually slower.”

The pace took its toll on Lee as Clyne jumped out to leads of 8-1 and 5-0 to start the second and third games, respectively. Clyne took the match by the throat in the fourth by winning seven consecutive points and taking a 10-5 lead.

“The third game was very balanced,” said Lee.”But he’s fitter than me, actually.”

Koukal (world #60) and Hong Kong’s Dick Lau (world #97) met in the penultimate match of the night. From a tight, 11-8 opening game (won by Koukal), it appeared it would be a match of equals. Koukal’s 11-2 victory in the second set said otherwise.

“He beat me last time we played in China a couple months ago, so I was a little nervous in the beginning of the match because I didn’t know what to expect,” Koukal said afterwards. “I was surprised I was moving well, so I could make him work quite hard, and he ended up making a lot of mistakes which helped.”

Lau lamented his missed opportunities and shots and said he was out of form. “It’s the beginning of the year, and I find myself in not as good of shape,” Lau said. “I’m getting better, but he was too good for me today. I was a bit impatient, and he played well.”

Qualifying opened with a match-up of two Aussies, world #54 Ryan Cuskelly against world #85 Wade Johnstone. Cuskelly, who made it into the main draw last year, never took his foot off the gas pedal, controlled the “T,” and forced Johnstone to the defensive. Cuskelly prevailed: 11-5, 11-8, 11-5.

The rest of the scores:

• Waller (world #75) def. Christopher Gordon (world #79) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8
• Arnold (world #64) def. Fred Reid (world #219) 11-4, 11-6, 11-5
• Samper (world #65) def. Khawaja Adil Maqbool (world #91) 11-8, 13-11, 11-6
• Karwalski (world #74) def. Mick Joint (local pro at the Detroit Athletic Club and a crowd favorite) 11-8, 13-11, 11-6
• Butt (world #55) def. Edward Marks (world #263) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6

Matchups for Thursday’s second round of qualifying, which begins at 6 PM:

• Ryan Cuskelly vs. Adrian Waller
• Alan Clyne vs. Jan Koukal
• Scott Arnold vs. Bernardo Samper
• Matthew Karwalski vs. Yasir Butt

Former Number Ones Darwish and Lincou Lead 2010 Motor City Open field

Top-seeded Egyptian Darwish comes to U.S. to regain top ranking;  American Illingworth is highest-ever ranked American player

By Henry Payne

Birmingham, Mich. – World #5 Karim Darwish and #9 Thierry Lincou headline a strong international field for the 11th annual Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo, January 29-February 1. The tournament will be hosted by Michigan’s premier squash facility, the Birmingham Athletic Club, north of Detroit.

The dominant player in the world for the last year, Darwish was sidelined at the end of 2009 with a sore back and comes to the Motor City seeking to regain the #1 ranking. As the second seed behind Darwish, Lincou himself is a former number one who has had prior success in Detroit. He was a finalist here in 2003.

Also vying for a tourney-record $40,000 purse and a $7000 Rolex watch presented by Greenstone’s Jewelers will be World #17 and third seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar of Malasia, 2008 MCO champion Olli Tuominen (#4 seed), and World #30 Julian Illingworth of the United States, the #5 seed. At World #30, Illingworth is the highest-ranking U.S. player ever in a sport traditionally dominated by players from Europe and the Middle East. He resides in New York City.

The 16-man draw will kick off the First Round Friday, with play continuing through the weekend to the Finals Monday evening at 6.30 PM. A qualifying tournament will precede the MCO on Wednesday and Thursday with the top four qualifiers advancing into the main draw.

Darwish last competed in the MCO in 2004 as the third seed and World #9. Part of a strong contingent of Egyptian players including Ramy Ashour and Amr Shabana, the cat-quick 28-year old really hit his stride in 2008, vaulting to #2 in the world. In January of last year, he captured #1 – a ranking he would hold throughout the year until his injury in December.

In addition to the world’s top players, the Motor City Open offers kids clinics with guest appearances by the touring pros, and a pro-am doubles tournament.

For tickets call Julian Wellings at 248 646-1663 or email: jwellings@mail.birminghamathleticclub.com.

2010 Motor City Open dates: January 27 - February 1

Tourney’s $40,000 purse richest ever

By Henry Payne

Birmingham, Mich. – The 2010 Motor City Open presented by Suburban Volvo will be held January 27-February 1. For the 11th year, the tourney will be hosted by Michigan’s premier squash facility, the Birmingham Athletic Club, located north of Detroit. The club will sport all-new, state-of-the-art, body-friendly floors.

The MCO has been upgraded to a 4-star tourney for the first time with a purse of $40,000. The winner will also receive a Rolex watch worth $7000 from Greenstone’s Jewelers, making the winner’s purse the largest in the U.S. Overall, the MCO is the States’ third largest squash event and 15th largest on the pro world tour.

This year’s event comes on the heels of the Tournament of Champions in New York City and promises some of the world’s top players. The 2009 MCO was won by world #17 Borja Golan of Spain over England’s world #12, Adrian Grant. Past champions include Jonathon Power, John White, and Greg Gaultier.

In addition to top athletes, the Motor City Open offers kids clinics with guest appearances by the touring pros, and a pro-am doubles tournament. With its friendly atmosphere and member-hosted housing for the players, the Birmingham Club stop is one of the most popular on the tour. “Even if I don’t win this tournament, from the first day I saw that the people here are great,” said 2009 champ Golan. “All the volunteers, there are so many volunteers, make you feel like so comfortable all the time.”

For tickets call Julian Wellings at 248 646-1663 or email: jwellings@mail.birminghamathleticclub.com.

Golan races to 2009 Motor City Open title

Speedy Spaniard wears down Grant in four physical games

By A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – He came. He saw. He conquered.

Spain’s Borja Golan made the most of his first trip to the Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection by taking the title Monday night over top seed Adrian Grant of England. Number-two seed Golan took home $5,000 and a Rolex watch from Greenstone’s Jewelers after an emotionally-tense, physical struggle that lasted over 90 minutes, not including a break in play to dress a wound suffered by Grant.

Both players had looked the class of the field coming into the title bout. Neither had dropped a game in three previous rounds and both Grant and Golan acknowledged feeling in top form and relatively fit. Ranked #11 and #14 in the world respectively, Monday’s ultimate round figured to be a dandy.

Golan escaped the victor after a 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 14-12 battle that featured 71 lets, a whack to Grant’s shoulder and that six-minute delay to bandage a deep scrape on Grant’s knee.

“When there’s two clashing styles like that it gives way to a lot of lets,” judged referee Julian Wellings, head pro of tournament host, the Birmingham Athletic Club. “They kept going for drop-counter-drop and, because these guys are so quick to the ball, you’re bound to get in each other’s way and that was lending to a lot of lets because they couldn’t get through each other.”

Grant, starting composed and on the attack, took Game One, 12-10. But the Englishman quickly grew frustrated with Golan, who gave little ground to allow Grant around him to retrieve balls.

“I found it quite frustrating to get around him,” Grant conceded after the match. “On these courts you have to win six or seven shots to actually win the rally. It’s not like a glass court where you get rewarded for attacking, attacking. Here, you really have to work it.

“The match was long, but there was a lot of starting and stopping as well,” Adrian continued. “You have to try to keep your composure and not get wrapped up into this stopping and starting because it’s not good for the crowd and the players get frustrated as well. But you get that at the top of the sport because we’re all moving pretty fast in and out of the corners, so you’re going to get some sort of collision.”

Slowly, the lack of rhythm and fast, strenuous rallies (Game Four alone contained 30 lets and sucked up 43 minutes), took a physical toll on Grant. Already bothered by the knee wound, he began to cramp.

“In the beginning of the fourth I got a cramp in my leg,” he said. “I’ve never had a cramp, so once that happened I started compensating and using my left leg a lot. And then I started getting it in both, so, once that happens, it’s like, well, I need a wheelchair or something. I knew I was pretty much done after that because I couldn’t run and these courts, like I said, you can’t hit outright winners.You have to work the rally and work the rally.”

Already ahead 2-1, Golan just needed to keep the pressure on.

“He’s a very good player,” said Golan, perhaps the fastest man on the PSA tour. “He plays very tight shots and has one the best basic games in the tour. And in his forehand he’s very dangerous, so I just tried to put more pressure on his backhand, and tried to make longer and put a lot of pace all the time, and it paid off because he was more tired than me and he started to cramp.”

Golan also gave rave reviews to the MCO: “Even if I don’t win this tournament, from the first day I saw that the people here are great and all the volunteers, there are so many volunteers, make you feel like so comfortable all the time. Julian was great, and the family where I stayed was unbelievable, too.”

“The club is so nice,” he continued. “They do many fine shows, many parties for the players. I think it was so fun here, to stay here one week, and I hope I can come next year, of course.”

Finals result, Monday:

Borja Golan (ESP) (2) def. Adrian Grant (ENG) (1) 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 14-12

Grant, Golan advance to MCO finals

Top seeds end upset runs of Momen, Tuomenen

Birmingham, Mich. – After a week of upsets and the dazzling play of an unseeded youngster, the final of the 2009 Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection will be a contest between the tourney’s top two seeded veterans. In the semifinals Sunday, #1-seed Adrian Grant ended the Cinderella run of unseeded 20-year old phenom Tarek Momen, while #2-seeded Borja Golan dashed another title run by last year’s champion, Olli Tuominen.

Grant and Golan will meet in the finals Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Athletic Club.

After watching the upstart Momen wreak havoc on #4-seed Cameron Pilley and #5-seed Stewart Boswell – sweeping both without the loss of a game – England’s Grant knew that the Egyptian newcomer, playing in his first MCO, was not to be taken lightly.

“I went in there not underestimating him because he’s had two really great wins,” Grant said after the match. “He beat Pilley and Boswell so he was obviously in really good form. I knew I was playing well as well, so I wanted to take him very seriously and realize it wasn’t going to be easy.”

In winning, Grant accomplished what Boswell and Pilley could not - imposing his will on the World #29. While boasting a toolbox full of big shots, Momen does not yet have the match maturity of upper echelon players, and World #11 Grant exploited the young Egyptian’s lack of experience in the long rallies necessary to win a tournament semi.

“I knew I had enough weapons in my arsenal to attack him,” Grant said. “And I knew that, if under pressure, I can stay composed that I could get through that as well. It’s just more of a confidence thing and just imposing my game on him. Until he gets frustrated and frustrated and slowly breaks down.”

“He’s only 20 and is top 30 in the world, so he’s got a massive future in front of him,” continued Grant, who is playing in his fourth MCO, “But in terms of playing big points in certain situations, I had more experience and it showed today. The scores were fairly even at 7-all or 8-all, then all of the sudden I would break away."

Grant secured his entry into the finals with an 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 win.

His next opponent, Spanish speedster Golan, defeated #6-seed Tuominen in straight sets:11-5, 11-4, 12-10. After racing to a quick 2-0 game lead, Game Three was exhausting, see-saw affair, with brilliant rallies mixed with numerous let calls as the two men wrestled for control of the tee.

“It’s not easy, no,” Golan said about his match. “I think the first two games I tried to play at good length. I thought I was playing very well.”

Give credit to Golan, perhaps the fastest man on the PSA tour, for his remarkable speed and skill. But Olli lacked his familiar keenness to attack during the first two sets. He seemed always a step slow. As a result, he committed numerous uncharacteristic errors in the fist two games.

“I was a bit asleep,” Tuominen admitted afterwards. “I only woke up in the end, like the third game. I should’ve won the third game and it would’ve been a different match. Because I wasn’t really tired, but it was just a slow start and he took good advantage of it.”

Looking to Monday’s final, Grant and Golan have met three times previously with Grant the victor in all three. At the Mitsubishi European Open ASB in 2002, Grant escaped with a 3-2 victory. At the Prince Canary Islands Open in 2003, Grant breezed to a 3-0 win. But they have not played since Saudi Arabia in 2006, when Grant eked a 3-2 win after trailing 0-2.

“I think it’s going to be another very tough one,” Golan said of his match against Grant. “I just want to play my game. Physically, I feel quite well. And I hope it’s a tough game and the people will enjoy the match.”

Semifinal results, Sunday:

• Adrian Grant def. Tarek Momen 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
• Borja Golan def. Olli Tuominen 11-5, 11-4, 12-10

Final, Monday, 6.30 PM, COURT 3:

Adrian Grant (1) v. Borja Golan (2)

MCO Quarterfinals: Unseeded Giant-killer Momen Dazzles

Top seeds Grant, Golan cruise, and Olli is back again

Birmingham, Mich. – Unseeded Tarek Momen of Egypt continued to mow down seeds Saturday in the 2009 Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection. Four players survived the day’s quarterfinals with Momen and Finland’s Olli Tuominen scoring upset wins to join favorites Adrian Grant and Borja Golan in Sunday’s semis.

Momen’s devastating progress – he has yet to lose a game – against higher-ranked players comes as no surprise to his fellow players, however. The 20-year old Egyptian college student is considered one of the game’s comers – and yet another Egyptian threat in a sport where eight of the world’s Top Twenty hail from that nation. Ranked #29 in the world, Momen will next face England’s Grant, top seed and world #11. Tuominen will meet second-seed Borja Golen of Spain.

Saturday’s bout between Momen and #5-seeded Stewart Boswell played out similarly to the Egyptian’s win Friday against taller, rangier, #4-seed Cameron Pilley of Australia. Momen’s speed was the key factor in the taller Boswell’s quick demise, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. The Aussie, a finalist here last year, appeared visibly frustrated in his efforts to get anything past his opponent.

In the best match of the day, Olli Tuominen also frustrated his bigger opponent, #3-seed Laurens Jan Anjema of the Netherlands. Quick with extraordinary retrieval skills, Olli had a game plan and he executed it: Stay away from the big-hitting lefthander’s forehand.

“At the start of two games, I played really consistent and just like I planned I was able to get the rallies going to his backhand a little bit more than his forehand,” the Flying Finn said of his match. “And I was able take the ball a little bit early, and sort of ruled the rallies.”

Tuominen enjoyed 7-3 and 8-2 leads at the start of Games One and Two, winning both: 11-8, 11-7. But a determined Anjema would not go quietly. He fought back to win the third, taking control of rallies and moving Olli around the court. Tuominen stuck to his plan, however, and won in four:11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8.

“He came back really, really well in the third,” Tuominen said of Anjema. “Somehow, a couple of guesses he got right and he just sort of took off, and the fourth game was still really, really close. He really fought well at the end.”

Tuominen finds the MCO to his liking, finishing as runner-up in 2004 and then winning the title in 2007. Making yet another run at the finals this year, he faces a tall hurdle on Sunday in Golan, who appears in top form.

“That’s the quickest I ever saw you,” Egypt’s Hisham Mohd Ashour, seeded #7, said to Golan after the Spaniard had scored a dominating 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 victory.

Golan used speed to counter Ashour’s power and dazzling shotmaking. “I think I played well today. I just did my game,” Borja said afterwards. “In the start I didn’t move very well. I think I fell behind 3-0 in the first set.”

But it didn’t take long for Golan to recover and find a rhythm.

“I like to put pressure on the rebound, try to volley and play at good length and be quick all the time,” he said.

Top seed Grant cruised into the semifinals with a 11-8, 15-13, 11-7 victory over Shahier Razik of Canada. Razik tried to maintain a deliberate game against the Englishman in hopes Grant would break down under long, monotonous rallies.

The tactic worked for a time.

His biggest opportunity came in Game Two when Shahier has a match point at 10-8. Another point would’ve tied the match at 1-1 and given Razik momentum, but Grant stormed back, stole a 15-13 set, and put a lid on the Canadian’s upset hopes. A downtrodden Razik went quietly in the third,11-7.

Semifinals begin at 4:00 Sunday at the Birmingham Athletic Club.

 

Quarterfinal results, Saturday:

• Adrian Grant (1) def. Shahier Razik (8) 11-8, 15-13, 11-7
• Tarek Momen def. Stewart Boswell (5) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7
• Olli Tuominen (6) def. Laurens Jan Anjema (3) 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8
• Borja Golan (2) def. Hisham Mohd Ashour (7) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6

Semi-final schedule, Sunday (all matches on Court #3):

• 4 PM: Adrian Grant (1) v. Tarek Moman
• 5 PM: Borja Golan (2) v. Olli Tuominen (6)

MCO Round One: Number four seed Pilley knocked out

Other seeds roll

Birmingham, Mich. – Round One of the 2009 Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection is in the books and, while most of the top seeds advanced with little trouble, there was one upset - young Tarek Momen, just 20 years old and already World #29, took down #4 seed Cameron Pilley of Australia

It should come as no surprise, however, that Momen hails from Egypt. Egyptian squash has been resurgent in recent years and 2008 saw a first: The top three players in the world all came from Egypt. Their ranks are deep as well. Including Momen, eight Egyptians rank in the world’s Top 20 – more than any other nation.

On Friday night, Tarek used his quickness and dazzling retrieval skills to oust World #17 Pilley. The pair had split their previous two encounters, and are familiar with one another’s style. But, as Pilley found out, familiarity doesn’t always breed success.

“We know (our) strengths and weaknesses,” Pilley said afterward. “But it’s a different story to actually know how to play someone, and to get out there and put it into action.”

The lanky Pilley struggled all night with the smaller Momen’s speed and relentless retrieving.

“He’s so fast on the court, so fast,” added Pilley. “He hangs so far back on the court, you’ll play a drop shot, and because he’s so far back you think you can play another drop shot and he just gets up there ridiculously fast.”

Unable to find a groove, Pilley quickly fell behind 6-1 in Game One, eventually losing, 11-7. And while Game Two went more promisingly - Pilley even had game ball at 11-10 - Momen scored on the next three rallies and stole the game, 13-11. From there, Pilley could do do little to stem the tide, falling in straight sets: 11-7, 13-11, 11-4.

While Momen provided the only upset, the night’s best match belonged to Canada’s Shahier Razik, World #26, and World #42 Jan Koukal of the Czech Republic. Their extraordinary rallies – sometimes lasting longer than 100 shots - left the crowd in awe.

Both men prefer a slow-paced style, favoring lobs and touch shots over raw power. To keep his opponent off balance, however, Razik strayed from form by speeding things up with harder shots and less rail play.

“I was trying to concentrate on breaking his rhythm,” Razik said. “I think I made him do a little more work, and it sort of showed in the last game. It’s not really the style I enjoy playing, but today I had to play like that.”

The first two sets went into overtime and could’ve gone either way (Razik took both). But the Canadian dominated Game Three en route to a three-set victory: 13-11, 13-11, 11-4.

Meanwhiile, last year’s runner-up and #5 seed Stewart Boswell, advanced past fellow Aussie, Ryan Cuskelly, in straight sets 11-4, 11-4, 11-4. Boswell proved too strong and skilled for Cuskelly.

And the man Boswell fell to a year ago, Finland’s Olli Tuominen, overcame a slow start in his match-up against (yet another) Egyptian Amr Swelim. Olli is one step closer to defending his title after a 14-12, 11-5, 11-9 victory.

One week ago at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York, Yasser El Halaby played brilliantly in advancing through the qualifying draw and into a first-round upset over Scotland’s John White. But the magic wasn’t there Friday night. Qualifier El Halaby had little answer to World #14 Borja Golan. Golan, the #2 seed, finished El Halaby in three sets: 11-5, 11-6, 11-3.

Third-seeded Laurens Jan Anjema drew qualifier Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan. The big Dutchman jumped out to 5-1 leads in both the first and second games and cruised to a 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 decision.

Known on the squash circuit for his sense of humor, World #23 Hisham Mohd Ashour was all business during his match against Martin Knight. Ashour’s dizzying array of shots left Knight little room to counter and the Egyptian won in three: 11-7, 11-5, 11-7.

Finally, before a boisterous local Birmingham Athletic Club crowd, BAC club pro Julian Wellings - oldest man in the draw at 36 - gamely tried to keep up with the top seed in Adrian Grant of England (World #11). Surfing on a swell of crowd support, Julian hung with the World’s 11th-ranked player for two games, but ultimately couldn’t sustain the high energy required. Grant took the match in three straight: 11-7, 11-6, 11-3.

Results, Round One, Friday

• Tarek Momen def. Cameron Pilley 11-9, 13-11, 11-4
• Stewart Boswell def. Ryan Cuskelly 11-4, 11-4, 11-4
• Adrian Grant def. Julian Wellings11-7, 11-6, 11-3
• Shahier Razik def. Jan Koukal 13-11, 13-11, 11-6
• Olli Tuominen def. Amr Swelim 14-12, 11-5, 11-9
• Laurens Jan Anjema def. Mohd. Nafiizwan Adnan 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
• Borja Golan def. Yasser El Halaby 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
• Hisham Mohd Ashour def. Martin Knight 11-7, 11-5, 11-7

Saturday Matchups

• 4:00 PM COURT 3 - Adrian Grant v. Shahier Razik
• 4:30PM COURT 2 – Stewart Boswell v. Tarek Momen
• 5:00PM COURT 3 – Borja Golan v. Hisham Mohd Ashour
• 5:30PM COURT 2 - Laurnes Jan Anjema v. Olli Tuominen

MCO Qualifying: Four advance to Main Draw

First round matches set for Friday night

By A.J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – Qualifying for the 2009 Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection wrapped up Thursday with four men advancing to Friday’s Main Draw. Martin Knight of New Zealand, Malaysia’s Mohd Nafiidzwan Adnan, Yasser El Halaby of Egypt, and Aussie Ryan Cuskelly all scored convincing victories on a festive Sponsor’s Night at the Birmingham Athletic Club where the crowds were big, boisterous, and full of love for the nomad athletes that have come to town to perform for them.

“I’ll root for you today!” called out one fan as Knight approached the entrance of Court Two for his match-up against Regardt Schonborn. The good tidings came just a day after Knight had played the role of public enemy #1 in defeating local pro and crowd favorite, Mick Joint.

“Obviously I was going to get a better crowd today than I did yesterday,” Knight said afterwards, laughing. “But a couple of the guys who were down here watching the game yesterday supporting Mick, came down and supported me today. It was really pleasing.”

By the end of his match, Knight had won over the entire audience who were captivated by the display of athleticism put on by the fit Kiwi and his South African opponent. From tin to stern, both competitors covered the entire court to retrieve balls that, to the crowd, often appeared unreachable.

In the end, Knight stood victorious, thanks in large part to an improbable come-from-behind win in Game One that set the tone for the match. Trailing 7-10, Knight rallied for the final five points and escaped the first set 12-10. From then on, he jump on his opponent early in Games Two and Three, taking both for a three-game sweep: 12-10, 11-7, 11-5.

“It was hard to get out in front of him and do anything useful,” Schonborn said of Knight. “He’s so comfortable retrieving, and he gets in a comfort zone and feeds off his own movement. It’s hard to break.”

Competing in the court adjacent to Knight and Schonborn were Australian Wade Johnstone and world #58 Adnan.

Battling fatigue from a hard fought first-round win, Johnstone couldn’t muster the energy to maintain his form against his more-rested opponent. As a result, Adnan secured a four-set victory: 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6.

In the first match of the day, Australia’s Zac Alexander met Egyptian Yasser El Halaby. Yasser arrived fresh off what he considers his best performance as a pro at the Tournament of Champions in New York where he advanced to the Round of 16 – defeating former World #1 (and 2006 MCO champ) John White along the way.

The favorite of the MCO qualifying draw, El Halaby proved the more skilled player, controlling the tee and keeping Alexander off-balance on his way to a three-set win, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9.

Christopher Gordon, the lone remaining representative of the United States in the tourney, struggled against Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly (world #63), who finished with an 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 victory. Cuskelly got out of the blocks quickly, going ahead 8-1 in Game Two and 5-1 in the third, and Gordon didn’t have enough firepower to overcome the deficits.

Main Draw matches begin Friday at 5:00 PM. The schedule:

• 5:00PM COURT 3 - Cameron Pilley (AUS) vs. Tarek Momen (EGY)
• 5:30PM COURT 2 - Stewart Boswell (AUS) vs. Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
• 6:00PM COURT 3 - Adrian Grant (ENG) vs. Julian Wellings (ENG)
• 6:30PM COURT 2 - Shahier Razik (CAN) vs. Jan Koukal (CZE)
• 7:00PM COURT 3 - Amr Swelim (EGY) VS Olli Tuominen (FIN)
• 7:30PM COURT 2 - Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) vs. Nafiidzwan Adnan (MAS)
• 8:00PM COURT 3 - Borja Golan (ESP) vs. Yasser El Halaby (EGY)
• 8:30PM COURT 2 - Hisham Ashour (EGY) VS Martin Knight (NZL)

Final Qualifying results:

Yasser El Halaby (EGY) def. Zac Alexander (AUS) 11-8, 11-7, 11-9

Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) def. Chris Gordon (USA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9

Nafiidzwan Adnan (MAS) def. Wade Johnstone (AUS) 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6

Martin Knight (NZL) def. Regardt Schonborn (RSA) 12-10, 11-7, 11-5

Motor City opens with First Round Qualifying

Local favorite Joint thrills before succumbing

By A. J. Hakim

Birmingham, Mich. – With the main draw set to begin Friday, the Tenth Annual Motor City Open, presented by the Suburban collection, kicked off Wednesday with a series of qualifying matches. The eclectic mix of players – from rising stars to American hopefuls to local favorites - gave fans at the Birmingham Athletic Club a glimpse at the excitement and competition in store for them over the next few days.

No player received more applause than hometown boy Mick Joint – resident pro at the Detroit Athletic Club. Joint, a native Aussie, thrilled the crowd during his match against world #76, Martin Knight of New Zealand.

At 36, Joint stood his ground against an opponent nine years his junior, matching volleys and showing he was capable of sustaining extended rallies. A packed gallery cheered his every move. Ultimately, fatigue got the better of the determined downtown pro from Down Under and Joint fell to Knight in four, 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9.

Another intriguing pairing pitted world #66 Wade Johnstone of Australia against Canadian David Phillips, ranked #80.

What initially looked like an Aussie cakewalk turned into a barnburner once a string snapped from Johnstone’s racquet in Game Two, causing a stoppage in play and a momentum shift in Phillips’ favor. Trailing 6-11, 1-6, a recomposed Phillips ran off the next four points, and though he still lost the game, 11-7, that string of rallies gave him a newfound confidence as he opened Game Three with six straight points.

“I thought I played well through the first game,” Johnstone said afterwards, “but halfway through the second one I broke a string, and Dave did really well to come back. I was lucky I actually had a big lead in that second game, but then he came out real strong in the third.”

“I was playing a little too short,” he continued, “and letting him dictate the points on his volley and on his backhand, which is really strong.”

Having let Phillips back in the match, Johnstone relaxed his nerves in Game Four and worked himself back into form, maintaining a steady pace while attacking the volleys harder and concentrating on his counter-drops. He took the game to claim victory: 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9.

“Wade played well,” Phillips said. “He came out flying, and I got off to a slow start. I started to pick it up in the third, but it was too little too late.”

Australia’s Zac Alexander, world #102 and Pakistan’s 69th-ranked Khawaja Adil Maqbool opened the night, with upset-mided Alexander jumping out to a two-game lead, 11-7 and 11-6, before Maqbool retired.

In a match-up of the only two Americans in the tourney, U.S. #2 and world #76 Christopher Gordon met local player Benjamin Oliner, world #81. Gordon took command from the start, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead in the first set and never letting up, scoring an 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 victory.

In the night’s final match, New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson (world #65) competed against South Africa’s 90th-ranked Regardt Schonborn. Schonborn survived in four sets - 13-11, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 - but it was Grayson’s courage that captivated the crowd.

Midway through the fourth set, Grayson and Schonborn locked legs, and Grayson fell to the ground with a rolled ankle. Following a brief delay, Grayson came back to win six of the next seven points, and remained competitive until the end.

Thursday’s second round of qualifying matches begins at 6:00 pm, with Egpyt’s Yasser El Halaby to play against Zac Alexander, Christopher Gordon versus Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly, Schonborn to play Knight, and Mohd. Nafzahizam Adnan matched with Johnstone.

Wednesday Results

Martin Knight (NZ) def. Mick Joint (AUS), 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9.

Wade Johnstone (AUS) def. David Phillips (CAN), 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9

Zac Alexander (AUS) def. Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK), 11-7, 11-6, ret.

Christopher Gordon (USA) def. Benjamin Oliner (USA), 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.

Regardt Schonborn (RSA) def. Campbell Grayson (NZ), 13-11, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10.

Five Top Twenty players headline 2009 Motor City Open

Top seed Grant leads the way

By Henry Payne

Birmingham, Mich. – World #11 Adrian Grant of England leads five of the world’s Top Twenty pro squash players into the tenth annual Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection, January 28-February 2. The tournament will be hosted by Michigan’s premier squash facility, the Birmingham Athletic Club, north of Detroit.

Also vying for the $30,000 purse and a Rolex watch presented by Greenstone’s Jewelers will be defending Motor City Open champion, Olli Tuominen, the #22 ranked player from Finland. Spain’s #14-ranked Borja Golan is the second-seed, Laurens Jan-Anjema (#17) of the Netherlands is third, and Australia’s lanky Cameron Pilley (#18) fourth. World #19 Stewart Boswell will be seeded fifth as he seeks to capture a title he lost in 2007 to Tuominen.

Top seed Grant is no stranger to the Motor City Open, having played here since 2005. Despite a hip injury that briefly dropped him out of the world’s Top 16 in early 2008, Grant has resumed his assault on the world’s Top Ten. His stirring victory over World #2 (and former Motor City Open champ) Greg Gaultier last October at the World Championships in Manchester, England vaulted him to his highest-ever ranking of #11. Grant’s first round opponent will be local favorite Julian Wellings, former world #46 and the BAC’s resident squash pro.

In addition to familiar faces like Boswell, Tuominen, and Grant, Motor City fans will get their first look at two-seed Golan, a PSA tour veteran at 26 who had a career year in 2008. The dashing Spaniard rose ten spots to achieve his best-ever ranking: #14 in the world.

Who else to look for in 2009? Golan himself might be of some help. When asked by Squash360.com to name the funniest person on tour, Golan nominated Egypt’s Hisham Ashour.

The entertaining Hisham, world #23, will be at the Motor City Open this year.

In addition to the world’s top players, the Motor City Open offers kids clinics with guest appearances by the touring pros, and a pro-am doubles tournament. Qualifying matches kick off the tournament Wednesday, Jan. 28

For tickets call Julian Wellings at 248 646-1663 or email: jwellings@mail.birminghamathleticclub.com.

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