Four Kiwis Progress at NZ Squash Classic

Four New Zealanders have moved through to the quarter-finals of the NZ International Squash Classic.

Motivation for the Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers New Zealand International Squash Classic has not been hard to come by for Palmerston North based Kashif Shuja. Shuja was forced to qualify for the event yesterday and was drawn tonight against sixth seed Adam Murrillis (England). After a slow start in the first set, Shuja ramped up the pressure in the next three to win his first round in four sets. “I wasn’t concerned about the result in the first set, I just wanted to push Adam around the court and wait for the ball to slow down. When it did I was able to step in and attack”, Shuja said after his sixty three minutes on court. “I have really been preparing myself for this event on my home courts and it is great to play an International event in front of friends and my supporters.”

Shuja will now meet third seed and one of the tournament favourites in the final eight, Jan Koukal of the Czech Republic. Koukal was surprisingly pushed to five sets by Finland’s Jaakko Vahamaa winning 11 – 9 in the decider. Koukal comes to Palmerston North having played in tournaments all over the world and already has three wins this year in Brazil, Canada and recently in Australia.

Top seed and last year’s runner up Martin Knight was not troubled in his opening round clash against Brazilian visitor  Manoel Pereira winning three straight sets in a thirty three minute tune up. Knight now faces his fellow
Commonwealth Games team member, Lance Beddoes who was just as un-troubled against South African Tristan Eysele. Beddoes won in three in twenty six minutes.

Fourth Seeded Kiwi Paul Coll continued the good night for the New Zealanders defeating qualifier Hannan Tarmidi from Malaysia in three sets. Coll’s win meant four New Zealanders are through to the last eight. The only home players not to make it through were wildcard Chris van der Salm and qualifier Ben Grindrod. Grindrod went down in a gutsy five setter to Finland’s Matias Tuomi in what was one of the matches of the night.

All eyes though in tomorrow’s quarter finals will be on the home town hero Shuja and Czech visitor Koukal. Their last meeting was in Prague in 2012 at Koukal’s home club. The roles will be reversed tomorrow and Shuja will also be looking to change the 2012 result as Koukal came out victorious that day. The other quarter finals see an all Kiwi clash between Martin Knight and Lance Beddoes, Arthur Mineau meets Paul Coll, and Australian second seed Matthew Karwalski plays Matias Tuomi.

All four matches will be played in succession beginning at 5.30pm local time, and streamed live at http://new.livestream.com/NBLlivestreaming/events/3072393.

First Round Results

(1) Martin Knight beat Manoel Pereira (BRA) 11-6, 11-2, 11-1. 33mins.
(Q)Tristan Eysele (RSA) lost to (7) Lance Beddoes 11-7, 11-5, 11-4. 26mins.
(8) Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) lost to Arthur Moineau (FRA) 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 13-11. 47mins.
(Q) Hannan Tarmidi (MAS) lost to (4) Paul Coll 11-5, 11-2, 11-3. 26mins.
(3) Jan Koukal (CZE) beat Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) 7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9. 42mins.
(Q) Kashif Shuja beat (6) Adam Murrillis (ENG) 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. 63mins.
(5) Matias Tuomi (FIN) beat (Q) Ben Grindrod 11-6, 14-16, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6. 60mins.
(WC) Chris van der Salm lost to (2) Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6. 25mins.