Draws finalised for first round of Jersey Squash Classic
After two rounds of qualifying at Jersey Squash & Racketball yesterday, the main draws of the fourth Jersey Squash Classic are finalised.
The main draw gets underway today at 15:00 but in the inaugural women's event - offering a prize fund equal to the men's - some of the island's promising juniors got valuable top class squash experience in the afternoon's first round, but it was the seasoned PSA players who progressed to the evening's final round.
Top qualifying seed Julie Rossignol won her all-French match against Sarah Mekhalfi in straight games, although both progressed to the main draw, Mekhalfi via the lucky loser spot following a main draw withdrawal.
Further French success followed as Laura Pomportes, just back from representing France in the European Team Champs in Warsaw, eased past third seed Emma Custance-Baker in straight games.
Wales' Nia Davies, seeded four, let a two-game advantage slip before battling past another French competitor Elise Romba, and the final main draw spot was claimed by England's Rachael Chadwick as she dismissed second seeded Czech Eva Fertekova in three games.
The men's qualifying finals saw two straightforward wins as Englishmen Connor Sheen and Sam Ellis, second and third seeds, won in straight games, but also two marathon seeding upsets.
Top seed Bradley Masters faced an unfamiliar opponent in Italy's Olivero Ventrice - playing his first ever match in a PSA tournament. The 20-year-old who is training under Marcus Berrett in Riccione turned out to be more than a handful as the pair shared the first four games in a hour's tough play.
Masters looked to have weathered the storm as he led the from the start of the fifth and went to 10-5, but determined and solid play from the young Italian saw him take the next seven points to claim victory in 78 minutes.
James Peach took just a few minutes less than that to beat third seeded Dutchman Roshan Baros in five close games. "That was really tough," admitted Peach, "but I'm delighted to make the main draw."
Peach faces third-seeded Portuguese Rui Soares while Ventrice meets seventh-seeded Englishman Nick Mulvey.
The main draws get under way today at 15.00