Results & Quotes from the 2009 Betty F. Griffin Memorial Florida State Open Pro event pt 2
Sunday, December 13, 2009
PRESS RELEASE DEC 11TH
With 70 players starting in this years Florida State Open Amateur Tournament, another packed crowd came out to watch the 1/4 finals of the Betty F. Griffin Memorial Squash Tournament last night, and once more they were treated to some great matches. First up, number 1 seed, Scott Arnold defeated Stuart Crawford in 3. Scott's ball control and length was just too much for Stuart to deal with and unlike his 5 game match from the night before, Stuart was unable to make the 0-2 comeback.
Local interests were kept alive when club pro Scott Fitzgerald defeated Scotsman Jamie Macaulay in a fast paced 3-1. Scott raced to a 2-0 lead with help of some nice drop shots and control but also some unforced errors from Jamie towards the end of the games. Jamie came out at a faster pace to run away with the third, but both players produced a solid 4th game which resulted in an exciting finish. Scott went ahead to a 4-2 lead but Jamie kept himself in the match with some incredible pick ups and defensive play which took him to a 7-5 lead. Scott then regained control to pull back the deficit and take the 4th 11-8. It will now be a battle of the two Scott's who face off for a spot in Sundays final.
The bottom semi final will take place between Bradley Hindle and Bernardo Samper. Bradley defeated Estaban Cesario in a tough 3-0 where just a few points here or there made the difference between winning or losing. Although it was 3-0, the scores didn’t reflect the match as the rallies were drawn out and were very well contested. The 3rd game came right down to the wire, but Bradley held his nerve to win that and the match to progress to the semi finals to face Bernardo.
Bernardo is another local favourite here after playing in Boca Raton previously. He didn’t take long to find his rhythm and was comfortable through out the match. Dave put up his strongest fight but Bernardo was just a little bit too good with his ball control and came away with a 3-0 victory.
With another spectacular poolside club party, all the players are loving their time here and I think a few more flights will be getting postponed!!!!
Scott Arnold def. Stuart Crawford 32 mins
11/5 11/6 /11/0
Scott "tonight i got the feel for things much quicker and was a lot more switched on. i knew stuart had played 5 games last night but i still thought he would pull up ok so i was trying not to think about that so much as i was keeping my focus on my game plan. i think stuart in the end was a little off his game tonight but overall much better. looking fwd to tomorrow night, i'm just going to pretend the 10,000 locals cheering for 'scott' after every point is actually for me!"
Stuart "Thought I played okay in the first 2 games but Scott's length was just too good. I tried to break up his rhythm but he was controlling every rally and I felt under pressure the whole match. In the 3rd I got a bad start and suddenly my urge from yesterday took over!"
Scott Fitzgerald def. Jamie Macaulay 45 mins
11/8 11/5 4/11 11/8
Scott "Was another tough match. I felt more relaxed than yesterday and was really able to move Jamie around. I thought I played pretty well in the first 2 games and was controlling the match. He's a very quick boy and I took that for granted in the 3rd as I went short way too early. Halfway through that game, my mind switched to get ready for the 4th. Again, with the help of my local support, I was able to come back and get the win. I'm now excited for the semi finals. I've never played Scott before but know he's obviously a very solid player. The pressure is more on him now and I have nothing to lose so will go out there, fight my hardest, enjoy every moment and hopefully produce another upset. I hope my support will be bigger again, I'll definitely need them!!!"
Jamie "
Bradley Hindle def. Estaban Casarino 49 mins
11/5 11/8 12/10
Bradley "Great match. Estaban played well but I'm very happy to be off in 3. I'm now really looking forward to the semi final"
Estaban "I always feel when playing guys of this level that I get better within the match, unfortunately it didn´t last enough for me. The first half I tried to attack more and then swithced to a more patience mode, it worked on the third where I got a game ball, but could not close it. He is a very steady player and he deserve the win, he did things better, definetly.
I would like to thank all the people here, besides been a great place, they treat us very well and congrats to Scott for running this in a very professional and at the same time, friendly way"
Bernardo Samper def. Dave Glass 30 mins
11/5 11/2 11/3
Bernardo " I played really well. I was confident and moving really well around the court. It just felt like everything was right and completely on the zone. I dictated my game from the first point of the match all the way to the end. I was attacking when I had the opportunity and putting pressure all the time. I am feeling good today for the semi-final match and I will make sure I warm up well and prepare well mentally so I can be in the “zone” like last night’s match"
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