WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: DARE Santa Barbara Open Squash Championship, Santa Barbara, USA

1st round:
[1] Paul Price (AUS) bt Ian Power (CAN)  11-4, 11-3, 11-2 (32m) 
[6] Viktor Berg (CAN) bt Robert Graham (ENG)  11-6, 10-11 (0-2), 6-11, 11-8, 11-4 (54m) 
Karim Yehia (EGY) bt [5] Mike Corren (AUS)  11-7, 11-7, 11-1 (33m) 
[8] Matthew Giuffre (CAN) bt Nicholas Kyme (BER)  11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (31m) 
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Callum O'Brien (NZL)  11-4, 11-9, 11-6 (31m) 
[4] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Eric Galvez (MEX)  8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (67m) 
[7] Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) bt Rafael F Alarcon (BRA)  11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 (43m) 
[2] Alex Gough (WAL) bt Beau River (USA)  11-5, 11-10 (2-0), 3-11, 11-6 (41m) 

Karim Canters To Corren Conquest

Egypt's Karim Yehia claimed the only seeding upset on the opening day's play in the DARE Santa Barbara Open Squash Championship when he beat Australia's Mike Corren in California, USA.

The US-based 27-year-old defeated Corren, the fifth seed who appeared to be suffering from a back injury, 11-7 11-7 11-1 in 33 minutes to earn a quarter-final clash with Canada's eighth seed Matthew Giuffre. 

"The new 11 point scoring was very well received by all, spectators and players alike - there were no really short matches," said tournament organiser Robert Graham.  The English-born coach thrilled local crowds when he took a 2/1 lead against sixth-seeded Canadian Viktor Berg.  An upset seemed on the cards until the end of the fourth game when "physical efforts caught up with a 35 year old body"! 

Berg secured his 11-6 10-11 6-11 11-8 11-4 win over Graham in 54 minutes and now faces defending champion Paul Price after the top-seeded Australian despatched another Canadian Ian Power 11-4 11-3 11-2.

The longest match featured Australia's fourth seed Cameron Pilley and unseeded Mexican Eric Galvez.  Pilley took 67 minutes to achieve his 8-11 11-9 11-5 11-9 victory to set up a quarter-final meeting with another unseeded player Stacey Ross of England.