David Palmer

Phoenix Open Champion

L to R: Dave Foley, John White, David Palmer, and Betsy Foley

A capacity crowd at Foley Squash in Phoenix, Arizona watched David Palmer beat John White 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 22-20 to win the Phoenix Open Championship. This match marked the first time the two have met in PST competition.

Palmer was moving well and matching White's legendary pace throughout the match. Rallies in game one were long and featured both players elegantly moving around one another. At several extended rallies, White turned to referee Edwin Lennox and jokingly asked if it was already game five.

White hit a number of unforced errors as he searched for opportunities to finish rallies earlier. Palmer was more patient. The two know each other's games so well that they are able to anticipate shots early with one another. The fans at Foley Squash were delighted by the legendary squash figures' play, uncommon shot angles, and tremendous pace of play.

After dropping games one and two, White seemed to settle down and avoid unforced tins. Still, it was all he could do to fend off Palmer and win game three 11-9.

Game four was a war. White was sacrificing his body, sprawling and diving. Slowly, the occasional unforced tin would appear. However, White still earned game balls at 10-9, 11-10, 12-11, 13-12, 16-15, and 19-18. White and Palmer were both playing cleanly and in the right spirit of competition. When Palmer closed out the match with a 22-20 game four, both players embraced and received a warm applause from the assembled fans.

John White with a young fan

Fans getting photos with David Palmer

---------

Semi-final results

John White (Scotland) beat Leroy Leong (Malaysia) 11-4, 11-5, 11-8

David Palmer (Australia) beats Andrew Kriete (United States) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7

Standing Room Only at Foley Squash

Quarter Finals Results
Leroy Leong (Malaysia) beat Nathan Ticho (USA) 11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6
John White (Scotland) beat Scott Denne (USA) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
Andrew Kriete USA) beat Ibrahim Nyanzi (Uganda) 11-0, 8-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9
David Palmer (Australia) beat Mark Lindsay (Luxembourg) 11-4, 11-6, 11-2

Leroy Leong and Nathan Ticho opened the quarter finals evening with a spirited match. This was their first meeting on court. Both players are quick striking left handed players. Leong's shots kept Ticho covering more ground on court and allowed him wear Ticho down through the course of the match. Leong advanced in four games.

John White brought his own unique brand of squash to the Phoenix desert and captivated the enthusiastic crowd with his shots from uncommon angles. Scott Denne is currently the Head Pro at teh Kiva Club in Sante Fe, New Mexico but has a strong connection to Foley Squash, host of this tournament. The crowd was pulling for him throughout, but it was to be White's night in three.

The Man Cave: A Wall of Fame, the keg, and squash on t.v.

Andrew Kriete and Ibrahim Nyanzi faced off in the most competitive match of the evening. Nyanzi is a three-time National Champion from Uganda. Kriete is former #1 from Amherst College. The opening frame was lop-sided in every way. Kriete controlled the pace of play and was hitting the ball with tremendous confidence. Nyanzi looked unsure of himself as he dropped the game 11-0.

Between games Nyanzi stayed on court collecting his thoughts. Game two was a very different affair. Nyanzi was moving well and stopped hitting unforced errors. Both Nyanzi and Kriete are quick and fit. The pace of play was high. But Nyanzi found more winning opportunities as he won the game 11-8. Game three was a mirror image of game two with Nyanzi winning this time 11-7.

Games four and five featured extended rallies and few unforced errors by either player. Kriete won four in a tie breaker 12-10 and game five 11-9. In his post game remarks, Kriete was complimentary of his opponent. "Ibrahim was tough. He's a gentleman on court and tonight's match could have gone either way, but I am thrilled to be moving on to the semis."

PST Referee Edwin Lennox

The final match of the night featured David Palmer playing against 18 year old Mark Lindsay, who was making his pro debut in Phoenix. Lindsay is Luxembourg's Junior National Champion and is ranked five in their national rankings. Palmer began playing professionally the same year Lindsay was born.

Lindsay is long, quick and has great court sense. His father Ray, who was in attendance, was a top touring pro on the world circuit. So, it is likely young Mark can go far in a pro career. But this evening belonged to Palmer who was masterful. He won the match in a comfortable three.

Opening Round Results:

Leroy Leong (Malaysia) beat Gilberto Villanes (United States) 11-5, 11-5, 12-10
Mark Lindsay (Luxembourg) beat Peter Schultheiss (United States) 11-2, 11-6, 11-8

---------

PST players Leroy Leong and Nathan Ticho featured on Good Morning Arizona

David Palmer and John White

Headline Phoenix Open

David Palmer joined PST last November and quickly won tournaments in Cleveland, Ohio and Westchester, New York. John White last appeared on the tour when he won the Mohawk Hampton Open in Southampton, NY.

Palmer and White are seeded #1 and #2 in this week's Phoenix Open, which is being presented by FoleySquashShop.com.

If the two are to face each other in the finals, they will need to navigate an international field of rising stars who are each looking for a signature upset victory. Other players in the tournament draw are from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Uganda, and the United States.

Three-time Uganda National Champion Ibrahim Nyanzi reached the semi-finals in last month's Philadelphia Open and could be a tough out in the tournament.

Also look for young Americans Andrew Kriete and Nathan Ticho to make some noise. But former Malaysian National Team player Leroy Leong will have something to say as well. Leong won third place in last week's Connecticut Open.

Local hopes will focus on Phoenix residents Gilberto Villanes and Peter Schultheiss who received tournament wildcard spots.

 

2012 Phoenix Open Draw

Match Times

Opening Round: Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m.
Quarter Finals: Friday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m.
Semi-Finals: Saturday, January 14 at 6:00 p.m.
3rd Place: Sunday, January 15 at 12:00 noon
Championship: Sunday, January 15 at 12:45 p.m.