played last night against eric tepos. won the 1st 11-1 and was 10-5 up in second and the altitude kicked in and just snook the second 13-11 ! pushed really hard in the third but unfortunelty jus lost it 12-10 and lost the next 2games 11-1 11-8. i physically pushed as hard as i could but the altitude just got the better if me. next time!!
On the weekend was the above event in galway. Just before the event id picked up a viral infection so wasnt sure how i’d go but in the 1st round i played lewis walters of england and won comfortably 11-6 11-7 11-6. next up was romain tenant of france - a very classy player with plenty of flair and a really difficult game to read. winning the 1st and 2nd 11-8 was crucial , however midway throught the 3rd my engin started t wear dwand in the fourth it was anyones! at 11-10 down i hit 3 grea winners to seal the match 13-11. i was relieved to win bt my virus was obvious and in the semis even more so where i lost to gilly lane of america 11-5 in the fourth. a bit dissapointing but thats the way it goes sometimes..
Tough match last night V Patrick Chifunda which I managd to win in 5 11-8 10-12 11-5 8-11 11-2. It wasn’t the greatest of displays. A hot, bouncy court was more favourable to his style but in the end I was physically stronger. I played a really solid 5th set which was needed. Next up is Liam Kenny, the Irish number 1, so a lot to gain here. It will be a tough match but looking forward to it!
unfortunatly I went down to Liam Kenny 3-0 in 69 mins. I didn’t play badly but didn’t play great. Although it must be said “hats off” to Liam, I thought he played a good match. Each game was nip and tuck untill towards the end of each set Liam was more clinical and patient where I was trying to be the aggressor which was definitely the wrong tactic on a hot court with a high tin..
Next stop Montreal for the Sanctuaire Classic.
In Washington DC playing in the above event. 1st round today v Andrew Mcdoughal of Canada. I started pretty strong 11-3 up in the 1st… But a bit of a lapse in concentration gave Andy a chance to get into the match and he took the second 16-14. Even though I lost it I took alot out of him and I managed to close the next 2 games out 11-3 11-4. Tough match tomorrow v Patrick Chifunda
first event of the new year was th MP OPen, an Irish Gran Prix event. I made the way to the final with relative ease but was far from playing well. My first 2 rounds were in 3 but concentration levels were way off. In the semis i played keith Moran and again won in 3. I was a little better but knew i needed a big improvement to win in the final.
Here i played Derek Ryan and lost in 3. Physically i was fine but just wasn’t match sharp. That is kind of what i needed though, so with some tough practise games lined up, i should be perfect for the next event in washington DC in febuary …
had a good ten day lay off from training over the xmas period. been back training since the 2nd. mainly consisting of alot of cv and weights directed at the main muscle groups to get strength levels back up. going into to some plyometrics and SAQ this week though. and some lg squash.. next event is a small gran prix january 23-25 but mainly gearing towards maryland capital open, washington DC, mid feb…
I am currently competing in the above event. unfortunately a day before the event started i got food poisioning so wasn’t in the best condition. I played Neil Hitchens in the 1st round and somehow won 11-8 in the fifth. I’ll never Know how I won that match! Unfortunately, this match plus not eating for 2 days took has taken its toll on me and consequently I lost 1/4s in 3 to another englishman Tom Pashley.
Very frustrating as I had higher expectations.. not to worry.
Next is the kenya Open which kicks off in Nairobi on wednesday..
Had a tough match Versus yesterday, going down in 4!! after winning the first 11-7 a drop on intensity saw the match go level at 1set each. the 3rd was anyones with Miguel putting 2 good rallies together to close it 11-9. the 4th was nip and tuck all the way. Saved a couple of match balls but wasn’t quite enough as went down 13-11. There were 1 or 2 erorrs at crucial times and this was the difference but have learned alot and picked up some good ranking point.
Next stop , Nairobi , Kenya!!
I am currently in Santiago spain competing. the venue is pretty cool as they have set up an all glass court in the main shopping centre, giving the game great exposure.
Won my first round against an Egyptian player Emir El Salahamy which i won quite comfortably in 3sets.
Next was against Austrailia’s Bradly Hindle, a very tough opponent. Match didn’t start too well with Bradle taking the 1st 11-3 and the 2nd 11-8 but managed to turn it around and bring it to a 5th, where I played an almost flawless game to take the set 11-1 and the match.
Next up is world no.23 Miguel Rodrigez of Columbia.
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