Mantis Fantasy Squash PSA Event at Nottingham Squash Club
8th-13th August

1st Round - Qualifying 1st round - Qualifying Finals

Emma Beddoes reports

1st Round

Charles Sharpes v Mahesh Mangaonkar 5/11 11/6 13/11 3/11 13/11 (96 min)
The longest match of the tournament so far swung back and forth with the first two games dictated by the person making fewer errors. The court was hot and the rallies long with a lot of contact between the players and plenty of decisions.  Mahesh was getting increasingly frustrated with the role of the ref and although he had game ball in the third, Charles came back and a stroke in his favour at 12-11 saw him take the lead and with it a conduct warning to Mahesh for bad language. Despite this Mahesh came back strongly in the fourth taking the match into a close and tense decider. Mahesh reached match ball first but Charles came back again and closed out the match 13/11 on his second match ball with a backhand nick.
“It wasn’t the prettiest match but I got through it in the end. It’s my first tournament since the European individuals back in June so I’m not as sharp as I would like to be. It was a good tester and I’m hoping to use these matches to play myself into form.” Charles Sharpes

Ben Coleman bt Steve London 11/8 12/10 11/6 (39 min)
Long rallies on a hot and bouncy court set the tone for what was a well contested match from both players.  Both players possess similar game styles based around a solid basic game while looking to hunt the volley at every opportunity. The most noticeable difference was Coleman’s short game which was more clinical and seemed to have more purpose behind it. As the match progressed Coleman grew more dominant and the increased work load took its toll as London tired in the third.
“Hot court, happy to get through. The match was quite scrappy and I didn’t feel that confident stepping up the court. He retrieves well so I knew it was going to be tight, I just hope I can be a bit sharper for tomorrow’s match” Ben Coleman

Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt Jonathan Harford (ENG) 9/11, 11/8, 6/11 6/3 rtd injured (43 min)
This was the first of 2 matches this evening affected by injury. These 2 tall players have good placement and disguise and the first games were evenly contested. Harford looked the stronger in the third and was well up when he pulled up appearing to have injured his back. He managed to close out the game 11/6 with some outright winners but when he came out for the fourth was obviously in a lot of pain and really struggling to move. At 6-3 down it was clear there was no way he could continue and unfortunately at that point he conceded the match bringing a sad end to what had been an enjoyable match. We wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Eddie Charlton 11/13, 11/6, 11/6, 11/5 (53 min)
A large crowd had assembled on the club’s show court to watch the first of 2 home players hoping to progress to the quarters. Lucas got off to a good start going 7-3 up with Charlton taking a while to settle. He found his length and rhythm in the second half of the game though with some lovely finishing shots and came through to take it 13/11. The second saw Lucas forge ahead again with Charlton too eager to go in short and the Frenchman covering the court extremely well. There was no comeback this time and Lucas took it 11/6. A fired up Charlton came out at the start of the third picking up the pace and dominating the exchanges to go 4-1 up. At this point there was a long rally with Charlton stretching to a ball in the backhand corner, losing his footing and rolling his ankle. He came back on court after the injury time-out but his movement was obviously impeded and quickly lost the game 11/6. There was discussion about whether he should continue but not wanting to disappoint himself or the home crowd came out for the fourth. Sadly he was not able to compete at the level he had been and Lucas took that game and with it the match 11/5.
“I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve had a really good summer and I’m feeling much more complete as a squash player. I felt edgy today and tactically I was patchy but I felt like I had found a better balance by the third. Then at 4-1 I turned my ankle. It’s the third time it’s happened this year, it’s so frustrating and I need to work with my physio to prevent problems in the future.” Eddie Charlton

Declan James bt Neil Hitchens 7/11 11/9 11/6 11/5 (49 min)
After the disappointment of the previous match it was left to Declan James on the show court to carry home hopes. Hoping to gain a scalp against his higher ranked opponent Declan started off slightly edgy in front of his home crowd. Hitchen’s played tidily as he does and moved ahead to take a one game advantage. A tight second proved crucial and shifted the momentum in Declan’s favour. The third and fourth games followed similar suit with Dec growing in confidence and visibly appearing to want the match more than his opponent and so it proved as he closed it out 11/5.

 Ben Ford bt. Johan Bouquet 11/9 11/9 11/5 (38 min)
Bouquet having come through two tough five setters in qualifying was sure to be feeling some effects of his previous exertions. Early exchanges were cagey with Ford having a higher level of ball control. Bouquet fought hard but at times seemed to lose concentration particularly with his shot selection. Bouquet can be pleased with his efforts through the tournament and certainly appears to have improved in recent months. Ford will be pleased to have got off in three and will be looking to upset the seedings in tomorrow’s encounter with Nielsen.

Rasmus Nielsen bt. Alex Ingham 11/7 11/3 11/6 (24 min)
Final match of the evening and well behind schedule saw Rasmus Nielsen take to the court against young Englishman Alex Ingham. Rasmus started the match at a high pace which he sustained throughout. Contrasts in game styles and builds seemed to favour the Dane in what turned out to be a reasonably straight forward win. Rasmus looked in good form and looks like he’s going to be tough to beat on the lively Nottingham show court.

Anthony Graham bt. James Earles 11/9 11/3 11/6 (29 minutes)
This match had the potential to be a high quality affair, Earles playing his first PSA event would be looking to get a win and more importantly earn valuable ranking points. Early exchanges showed both players willingness to stay patient with Graham appearing the more solid. A couple of errors from Earles proved crucial and let Graham gain a one game lead. The second and third were reasonably straight forward for Graham who retrieved well and made Earles play the extra shot which far too often found the tin.

Qualifying Finals

James Earles v Adam Auckland 5/11 11/5 11/6 11/9 (45m)

The first match of the night featured 2 of our country’s top juniors who have grown up playing each other and know one another’s  game inside out. Adam started off the stronger taking the first playing more consistent squash and finishig the game with a lovely forehand cross-court nick to take it 11/5. However Earles stepped it up in the second controlling the ball well on the volley as a few errors started to creep into the Lincolnshire man’s game. The third was more evenly contested with both boys finding a good length and some excellent retrieving. It was Adam who was on the end of more of the rallies though and from 6-6 James ran away with it 11/6. Adam came back fighting in the fourth going 6-1 up but seemed to tire as James found his way back in. There was a mammoth rally at 8-6 which sadly 2 spectacular full length dives from Adam couldn’t save but had the crowd appreciating his efforts. After 45 minutes of entertaining squash James closed it out 11/9. He plays another Englishman Anthony Graham in the first round.

“It’s always close when we play and Adam always has a strong 2 or 3 games but I know I can get him tired and I felt like I did that today. I’m happy with the last 3 games, there were too many cheap points in the first but I regrouped and cut out the errors. This is my first PSA tournament apart from a couple of closed satellites so I’m pleased I achieved my goal of qualifying and I’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow now”  James Earles

Mahesh Mangaonkar v Chris Hall 11/9 11/6 8/11 9/11 11/7 (71m)

This was the first of 2 five setters of the evening which somewhat disrupted the schedule! It was a long match interrupted by a lot of decisions for the referee with Mahesh in particular having a fair bit to say. He got the better of Chris in the first 2 but the Englishman wasn’t going down without a fight in the third and fired himself up to take it 11/8. He kept up some of that momentum in fourth to sneak it 11/9 but after an hour of court there were some tired looking rallies and it was the young Indian who looked the stronger and so it proved taking the fifth 11/7. He plays number 2 seed Charles Sharpes in the next round.

“I didn’t play my best tonight, I felt tired and found it very hot. I was better in the second and had him moving around but in the third I lost my breath and he played well on the big points. The fifth was better again and I was more precise. I joined PSA this year and have been out in Australia playing the tournaments there so I’m looking forward to the main draw of this one.” Mahesh Mangaonkar

Johan Bouquet v Robert Downer 12/10 12/10 3/11 4/11 11/9 (73m)

This was a match of contrast with 3 tight games which Johan dug in to win and 2 quick games going the way of the man from Portsmouth. They had some long and at times brutal rallies with both players making full use of all 4 corners. The likeable Frenchman was the steadier player in the first 2 with Rob on the lookout for a winner, usually a cross-court nick whenever the opportunity arose! He had game ball at 10/9 but Johan kept his cool to come through 12/10. Downer, who always enjoys and chat with both himself and the ref, became more conservative in the second which played to his advantage as he went 10/8 up. But once again Johan, playing some lovely straight touch shots to the front of the court, was not to be denied coming back to clinch it 12/10 much to the frustration of Downer. However uncharacteristically tins starting flowing from the Frenchman’s racket in both the third and the fourth as Rob found his range and cut down significantly on his own error rate. From 3-3 in third Rob went straight through 11/3 and with Johan visibly tiring, no doubt as a result of his 5 setter yesterday, Rob finished the fourth with a cracking backhand cross-court roller. The fifth was a different story though with Bouquet appearing energised and Rob matching him for pace. It was close all the way but at 9-9 a big tin from Rob set up match ball which Johan took full advantage of winning with a great backhand cross-court flick from the front. This sealed the match 11/9 and with it a place in the main draw against Ben Ford.

“This is my first time in Nottingham and my first tournament in 2 months. I’ve had 2 tough matches already and was a bit scrappy yesterday but played better today. I put a lot of work into the first 2 but broke down in the third and fourth with too many mistakes. I managed to stay positive in the fifth and regrouped well. I enjoyed the match today and feel like I need more matches like this to help me improve.” Johan Bouquet

Lucas Serme v Mark Fuller 11/5 11/7 11/7 (31m)

The final match of the evening was the one the local crowd had been waiting for with another chance to watch tournament organiser and local legend  Mark Fuller after his epic win in 5 the night before. He was taking on upcoming French youngster and brother of world top ten player Camille Serme, Lucas. After his tough match last night combined with the stress of launching a website and organising the squash festival it was always going to be a tough proposition. So it proved in the first with a tired looking Fuller going down 11/5 in little over 6 minutes. But he isn’t nicknamed “Mad Dog” Fuller for nothing and he came out fighting in the second with a couple of great outright winners before the fast pace and Lucas’s deception at the front of the court proved too much. Fuller came back with tighter squash and working volleys in third to go 6-3 up but as the rallies lengthened Lucas was moving around the court with ease and despite his best efforts Fuller lost the third and with it the match 11/7. Lucas moves on to play another local favourite Eddie Charlton in the main draw.

1st Round Qualifying

A strong field of 16 players had been assembled for the 1st round of qualifying for the inaugural MANTIS FantasySquash.net PSA event at Nottingham Squash Club.  A decent crowd had high expectations of local players Mark Fuller, Neil Rossin and Adam Auckland progressing into the next and final round of qualifying.

Chris Hall bt Tom Phipps 3-0 (11/5, 11/6, 11/4) (28 mins)

Chris Hall earned his place in the PSA through success in the Smart Haus Daventry mini FantasySquash Tournament at the end of July. A strong performance right from the start saw him dispatch former top junior Tom Phipps in quick fashion.  Despite Tom digging deep and throwing in some deceptive kills, Chris had too much firepower and progressed in style into the final qualifying round.

James Earles bt Kim Are Killingberg 3-1 (11/7, 11/7, 8/11, 11/5) (55 mins)

Top England junior and Yorkshire man, James Earles battled his way into the next round of qualifying.  James, ranked 244 places below his opponent in the world rankings, displayed why he has the potential to rise up the rankings quickly by putting in a strong performance on the main show court.  James didn’t have it all his own way.  At 2-0 up, Earles seemed set to close out the match, however Kim displayed some great retrieving, mixed in with deceptive drops at the front to give himself a way into the match.  However James is made of stern stuff and used some of his Yorkshire grit to close out the match in the 4th, bossing rallies with a mixture of good lengths and impressive holds at the front.

Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Matias Tuomi 3-0 (11/8, 11/6, 11/1) (33 mins)

Both of these players are young and aspiring squash professionals.  The match up looked like it was going to be close, with perhaps Matias being the slight favourite.  However Mahesh had other ideas, dominating the first game 11/8, his opponent seemed to be struggling to get to shots particularly at the front.  The same pattern ensued in the second game with Matias clearly hampered by an injury to his hamstring.  Tuomi battled on, however he finally had to say enough was enough in the 3rd, conceding the match due to his injury.

Johan Bouquet bt Nathan Lake 3-2 (7/11, 11/4, 12/10, 8/11, 11/3) (50 mins)

Both of these players are ranked at a similar level in the world, WR216 and WR209 respectively.  It was billed as a tight and close encounter and the match didn’t fail to disappoint.  Nathan started the quickest, displaying good variety and attacking play in the first game.  His deceptive boasts and nagging lengths seemed too much for the French player.  However the tables were turned in the next two games, with Bouquet noticeably quicker onto the boast, creating space for himself to attack Lake.  After a close 3rd it seemed like Bouquet was clearly in the ascendency.  With the crowd building, again the match switched, Lake this time upping his game, with more precise drops and deceptive trickle boasts to take the match into a 5th and final decider.  Both players looked visibly tired, however it was the French player who seemed to dig the deepest into his resolve, racing to a 9-0 lead.  Nathan fought bravely from then on, however it was all too late, with Bouquet taking an entertaining match 3-2.

Rob Downer bt Simon White 3-0 (11/5, 11/8, 11/7) (33 mins)

Simon White gained his place in the qualifying from a great performance in the Kenilworth MANTIS FantasySquash Graded Tournament where he made it through to the final despite a strong local draw. In the PSA however White was up against a rapidly improving professional squash player Rob Downer, ranked 242 in the world.  Downer proved too strong for White in this encounter, displaying great strength and touch throughout the 3 games.  White battled hard, however his full-time opponent had too much guile and progressed comfortably into the next round.

Adam Auckland bt Dominic Hamilton 3-1 ( 11/8, 9/11, 11/8, 11/6) (48 mins)

Local hope Adam Auckland was matched up against the winner of the 2010 UK-Racketball Series, Dom Hamilton.  The Yorkshire man has been spending a lot of time playing and winning racketball tournaments and has recently been crowned England No.1! Tonight he displayed that he still can play a decent level of squash with a few racketball shots creeping in now and then.  Adam came out firing on all cylinders in the first game, showing his incredible quickness and retrieval.  However Dom, hung in and played some fantastic squash to even the match at 1 all.  Unfortunately, due to his racket-ball exploits he is not as ‘squash-fit’ as he used to be and this showed with Adam steadily becoming more dominant as the match progressed, taking an extremely hard fought encounter 3-1.

Mark Fuller bt Andrew Birks 3-2 (7/11, 11/7, 11/7, 9/11, 11/6) (63 mins)

In another entertaining encounter, Mark Fuller, the founder of FantasySquash and organiser of the event took on a rapidly improving Andrew Birks from Shropshire.  Fuller who played 5 matches during the graded tournament at the weekend and was mentally tired from organising the event didn’t hold out too much hope.  However buoyed by the local support from the Nottingham crowd Fuller managed to battle back from being 1 game down to leading 2-1 and 8-5 up in the 4th.  A match which was full of long, hard and gruelling rallies seemed to be heading towards Fullers grasp, however as demonstrated in the past, Fuller doesn’t like to make things easy for himself.  Suddenly Birks came back with some devastating touch play and killer volleys to even up the encounter at 2 all.  At this point the match could have gone either way.  However Fuller is renowned for his powers of determination and he was visibly fired up for the decider.  With an extra 15 people from the bar, cheering him on, Fuller closed out a fantastic match 11/6 in the 5th.  A delight for the 50 or so people watching.

Lucas Serme bt Neil Rossin 3-0 (11/7, 11/6, 11/3) (24 mins)

The final match of the night saw local player Neil Rossin, taking on a much younger and top seeded qualifier, Lucas Serme from France.  The young star from France, WR 172 seemed up for taking the match quickly, taking a 5-0 lead in the first.  However Rossin finally found his feet and battled back to 7/8.  However the pace was simply too much for Rossin, as he couldn’t handle Serme’s speed and ability to volley most balls.  Despite trying his hardest, it was too much of a step up for the Cambridgeshire County player.  Serme progressed comfortably, to play Fuller tomorrow in an attempt to earn a place in the first round.