Recent News

Harrity and Illingworth Through to Las Vegas Quarters

Harrity (L) and Illingworth (R) contested the 2014 S.L. Green final, in which Illingworth claimed his ninth national title.
Harrity (L) and Illingworth (R) contested the 2014 S.L. Green final, in which Illingworth claimed his ninth national title.

American world No. 46 and 88 Julian Illingworth and Todd Harrity progressed to the $10,000 Professional Squash Association (PSA) Las Vegas Open quarterfinals at Life Time Athletic Thursday evening.

Harrity’s victory came with the misfortune of opposing world No. 81 Arthur Gaskin who was forced to retire mid-match due to injury. Twenty-three-year-old Harrity now faces twenty-two-year-old Alfredo Avila in the first PSA encounter of their young careers. Avila, a Mexican international ranked thirty places higher than Harrity at fifty-eight, defeated qualifier Tom Pashley 16-14, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, in Thursday’s first round of main draw play.

Campbell Grayson. (image: Andre Maur)
Campbell Grayson. (image: Andre Maur)

Nine-time U.S. champion Illingworth dispatched wild card Christopher Binnie in straight games 11-4, 11-8, 11-8. Illingworth’s quarterfinal opponent is Canadian world No. 71 Shawn Delierre. Thirty-year-old Illingworth and thirty-one-year-old Delierre have previously played each other ten times on the PSA circuit, with each player having won five matches, and Delierre claiming the most recent encounter during the 2013 Tournament of Champions.

The match of the round was between second-seeded world No. 42 Campbell Grayson and Peruvian world No. 130 Diego Elias. Grayson appeared to be on his way to a routine win with a two-game, 11-3, 11-5, lead, when Elias reversed match momentum to win the third and fourth games 11-1, 11-9. The twenty-eight-year-old Kiwi prevailed, however, in the fifth against seventeen-year-old Elias to win the game and ninety-minute match 11-3.

The quarterfinals begin at 5pm local time Friday afternoon.

First Round – May 22:
[1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) by [Q] Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9
[7] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt [Q] Shahjahan Khan (PAK) 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7
[6] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9
[3] Julian Illingworth (USA) bt [WC] Christopher Binnie (JAM) 11-4, 11-8, 11-8
[4] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt [Q] Tom Pashley (ENG) 16-14, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8
Todd Harrity (USA) bt [8] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-8, 11-2, ret.
[5] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Joe Chapman (BVI) 6-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
[2] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [Q] Diego Elias (PER) 11-3, 11-5, 1-11, 9-11, 11-3

Quarterfinals – May 23:
5:00pm: [1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [7] Zac Alexander (AUS)
6:00pm: [6] Shawn Delierre (CAN) v [3] Julian Illingworth (USA)
7:00pm: [4] Alfredo Avila (MEX) v Todd Harrity (USA)
8:00pm: [5] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) v [2] Campbell Grayson (NZL)