ILKLEY SQUASH CLUB
STOURTON ROAD
ILKLEY, WEST YORKS   
LS29 0ND  directions

Robbie Burnett
Club Tel: 01943 607182
Mobile: 07786 948153

Ilkley Open 2004
Framboise in Yorkshire

DRAW & RESULTS

Sun 17th, FINAL:
 
[1] Marcus Berrett bt [2] Peter Barker  11/6, 11/1, 11/3 (30m)

Berrett on fire in Ilkley
Robbie Burnett reports from Ilkley ...
Photos by Barry Wilkinson

Marcus Berrett was simply “on fire” as he successfully defended the Ilkley Open title, defeating Essex’s Peter Barker 3-0 in just 30 minutes.

It wasn’t that Barker was playing badly, but he simply had no answer to Berrett’s game.

Right from the very first rally, Berrett was very much on top, moving Barker all round the court, with tight drops and drives that tended to hug the wall and die in the back corners. When Barker did have some openings, Berrett’s ability to cover what seemed like winning shots put more pressure back on the shoulders of Barker, as he put a number of drops into the tin.

After the match Barker summed it up by saying “ just far too good.”

As for Berrett, he said” Once I got in the game I felt really good out there.”

A packed gallery was disappointed that the match didn’t go longer, but they did get to see a player at the top of his game

Thanks to Andy Catchpole of Head for attending the tournament, it’s great to have the major sponsor on site and thanks to the Ilkley sponsors who all came along for the finals.

Robbie Burnett

Photos bt Barry Wilkinson,    www.picturehousephotography.com

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Sat 16th, Semi-finals:   

[1] Marcus Berrett bt [3/4] Steve Meads     11/9, 11/6, 5/11, 3/11, 11/4 (50m)
[2] Peter Barker bt  [3/4] Peter Genever     11/9, 9/11, 11/4, 11/7 (52m)

Top seeds make it through to the final
Robbie Burnett reports from Ilkley ... Photos from Barry Wilkinson

Defending champion Marcus Berrett was pushed  all the way in his semi- final match against Steve Meads, getting there in five games.

Berrett was quickly into his game plan and opened up a two game advantage, but Meads never knows when to give up and hung in and took the third and fourth - after a number of hard rallies in the fourth Meads exclaimed:  “I'm missing Dr Who for this” - as he levelled the match.

The fifth started with long rallies down the backhand side, but from 3-all, Marcus in one hand moved to 8-3. A mistake by Marcus made it 4-8, and then it was all Berrett as he pushed Meads all round the court and went on to take the game 11-4.

So the local lad is in the final and will play second seed Peter Barker who brushed aside Peter Genever in four games.

Barker gets back in focus

It looked a more focused Peter Barker tonight against Peter Genever, after his display in the earlier quarter finals where he was pushed all the way by James Wright and won in five games. One might have thought Barker may have been tired from that game , but he did not show it. Both players had the crowd gasping as they returned what looked like winning shots.

In the second game it looked like fate was going to repeat itself, as Barker ran into Genever's leg, and a possible repeat of last year when Genever was injured and had to retire hurt, but thankfully after some stretching exercises it was back in to the fray and he took the game to level.

But in the third Barker got away to a big lead and closed out the game from 7-4. The fourth was a see saw as both players strived to gain any advantage, but it was Barker who got the crucial break late in the game and finished it off in 52 minutes.

The final looks a close call and a packed gallery is sure to be treated to some wonderful squash.

Robbie Burnett

Sat 16th, Quarters:
[1] Marcus Berrett bt Paul Lord                  13/11, 11/2, 12/10
[3/4] Steve Meads bt Peter Billson             8/11, 12/10, 11/4, 11/8
[3/4] Peter Genever bt Steve Coppinger    11/8, 8/11, 11/7, 12/10
[2] Peter Barker bt James Wright              11/6, 8/11, 11/8, 8/11, 11/6

Top Four Into Ilkley Semis
Robbie Burnett reports from Ilkley

The top four seeds will contest this evening's semi-finals of the Ilkley Open after contrasting quarter-final victories this morning.

Top seed and defending champion Marcus Berrett was the only one of the top four to enjoy a straight-games victory as he beat Cheshire's Paul Lord. Berrett collected a tight first game 13/11, finishing it off with a marvelous backhand drop. Lord was breathing heavily after the first game, and Berrett took full advantage as he took the second 11/2. Lord recovered to compete again in the third, but it was the Yorkshireman who took it 12/10 to move into the semis.

Berrett will play Steve Meads, who recovered from losing the first to Peter Billson and scraped the second 12/10 to level the match. It would have been very interesting had Meads gone 2-0 down, but from the middle of the third Meads' pressure began to tell as Billson's error rate crept up and Meads closed out the match 11/4, 11/8.

Second seed Peter Barker came closest to suffering a shock defeat, as he was pushed all the way by England junior James Wright. Barker took the first, then became frustrated with his own game in the second, earning himself a couple of conduct warnings. Wright took advantage, claiming the second and levelling again in the fourth, but in the fifth Barker's experience told.

"I knew James had had a couple of tough matches," said a relieved Barker, "so I though if I could just hang in there I could come through."

Barker's semi-final opponent will be Peter Genever, finaliast in last week's Esports Open, who ended the surprise run of Steve Coppinger. But tour veteran Genever was pushed hard by the Birmingham University student who plays for Edgbaston in the National League. Genever took the first, then a number of errors allowed Coppinger to level. Genever regained the lead at 2/1 and had to fight hard to stave off a determined comeback by Coppinger in the fourth, taking the game 12/10.

Semi-finals are at 6pm and 7pm.

Robbie Burnett

11/9, 11/6, 5/11, 3/11, 11/4 (50m)

Marcus Berrett

11/6, 11/1, 11/3 (30m)

Peter Barker

11/9, 9/11, 11/4, 11/7 (52m)


Peter Barker

Qualifying (Thu 14th)

Q1   Shaun Le Roux bt Oliver Clay      11/9, 11/6, 6/11, 11/4
Q3   George Bannister bt Tom Phipps   4/11, 11/7, 11/9, 11/5
Q4   Jethro Binns bt Rory Pennell         11/4, 11/5, 11/6
Q5   Joel Hinds bt Mike Pearson            w/o
Q7   James Snell bt Martyn Ballands     11/5, 11/5, 11/4
Q8   Rhodri Hughes bt Adam Wildig      11/6, 11/9, 7/11, 11/5
Q9   Stuart Crawford bt David Harris    11/6, 11/1, 8/11, 11/5
Q10  Peter Creed bt Chris Truswell       13/11, 3/11, 11/9, 11/7
Q12  John Freeman bt Joe Lee              11/6, 11/9, 11/4
Q13  Andy Learoyd bt Toby Mortimer     11/7, 11/6, 11/4
Q15  Jaymie Haycocks bt Jon Gallagher   11/3, 11/5, 11/4