Cuskelly lone Aussie survivor

14-Feb-2010 - Squash Australia

New South Welshman Ryan Cuskelly was the lone Australian survivor after a snow-affected first round of the National Capital Open in Bethesda, Maryland.
Cuskelly advanced when opponent Shaun Le Roux withdrew injured with games locked at one apiece and Cuskelly ahead 2-0 in the third.
He will next play top seeded Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the quarter-finals following Rodriguez’s tough five game win over Brisbane’s Zac Alexander.
The 21-year-old Alexander gave a glimpse of his potential as he pushed the top seed all the way before falling 6-11, 11-4, 13-15, 11-8, 11-4.
Second seeded Canadian Shahier Razik ended Queenslander Steve Finitsis’s tournament with an 11-7, 11-7, 12-10 win, while an unlucky Wade Johnstone fell to eighth seed Bernardo Samper.
Johnstone was on the way to the courts when his car became stuck in the snow and he was forced to run the rest of the way.
He made it to the courts just in time for his match against Samper, but the effort took its toll as the Colombian won 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.

First round results – prefix denotes seeding:

1-Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Zac Alexander (AUS) 6-11, 11-4, 13-15, 11-8, 11-4
6-Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Shaun Le Roux (ENG) 6-11, 11-9, 2-0 rtd 
3-Martin Knight (NZL) bt Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5 
David Phillips (CAN) bt 5-Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8
8-Bernardo Samper (COL) bt Wade Johnstone (AUS) 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 
4-Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Omar El Kashef (EGY) w/o 
7-Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Jethro Binns (WAL) 11-7, 11-7, 12-10
2-Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Steve Finitsis (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 12-10