NEW MEXICO SQUASH RACQUETS ASSOCIATION
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact us
  • News
  • Photo gallery
  • Where to play squash
  • Tournaments
    • 2024 Kiva Classic Dec. 5-8 >
      • Air travel and lodging
      • Kiva Classic social events
      • About Santa Fe
      • Entry info | Kiva Classic

Return of the Kiva Classic!

12/7/2021

 
Photos by Robert Mosier and Matthew Wilson

After a year off, the Classic celebrates its 30th year!

The 30th edition of the Kiva Classic tournament concluded on Sunday, Dec. 5, in Santa Fe.

About 85 entrants played doubles, singles and hardball singles, attended parties and generally had a great time.

All attendees were required to show proof of vaccination and were subjected to a rapid Covid test to keep everyone safe.

The Kiva’s own Walter Burke was awarded the 2021 Charlie Perkins Award for Sportsmanship. 

Here are the winners and finalists in each draw:
​
OPEN DOUBLES
Champions: Ben Hughes and Michael Woods (Denver)
Finalists: Eric Eiteljorg and T.J. Johnson (Denver)

40+ DOUBLES
Champions: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT) and Drewe Williams (Kiva)
Finalists: Warren Jones (Kiva) and Grant Robinson (Kiva)

50+ DOUBLES
Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and Sean Gallagher (Kiva)
Finalists: Charlie Groves (Denver) and Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO)

60+ DOUBLES
Champions: Michael Barnhill (Denver) and Jamie Brown (Lahaina, HI)
Finalists: Chuck Soderstrom (New Smyrna Beach, FL) and Ed Winter (Westmont, IL)

65+ DOUBLES
Champions: Walter Burke (Kiva) and Habib Rahman (Portland, OR)
Finalists: Bob Burton (Holland, MI) and Mark Pagon (Haverford, PA)

70+ DOUBLES
Champions: Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO) and Jim Gibbons (San Francisco)
Finalists: Robert Brown (Denver) and Rob Piggott (Denver)

75+ DOUBLES
Champions: Mark Hinchcliffe (Toronto) and David Jubitz (Hood River, OR)
Finalists: Howard Day (Charlottesville, VA) and Richard Rice (Rochester, NY)


OPEN SOFTBALL SINGLES
Champion: Ben Hughes (Denver)
Finalist: Michael Woods (Denver)

40+ SOFTBALL SINGLES
Champion: Gus Cook (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
Finalist: T.J. Johnson (Denver)

50+ SOFTBALL SINGLES
Champion: Richard Williams (Phoenix)
Finalist: Gus Cook (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)

60+ SOFTBALL SINGLES
Champion: Richard Williams (Phoenix)
Finalist: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT)

70+ SOFTBALL SINGLES
Champion: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH)
Finalist: Mark Hinchcliffe (Toronto)


OPEN HARDBALL SINGLES

Champion: Michael Woods (Denver)
Finalist: Gus Cook (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)

60+ HARDBALL SINGLES
Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva)
Finalist: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT)
​
70+ HARDBALL SINGLES
Champion: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH)
Finalist: Courtney Carswell (Kiva)

Guillermo's 26th annual tournament is Feb. 20-23

1/5/2020

 
    Guillermo's Squash Club in Colorado Springs is hosting its 26th annual Invitational/Open February 20-23, 2020. 
    It'll be a fun weekend of squash and social activities.  
    For more information and the entry form, visit GuillermosSquashClub.com.

Picture

Santa Fe's annual Kiva Classic was a big success

12/9/2019

 

Santa Fe's Kiva Classic tournament concluded Sunday afternoon (Dec. 8) with cheers for its many champions and finalists.

About 170 players and their significant others participated in the tournament and its associated social events.

Play began at 8 a.m. Thursday morning, and Lisa and David Barker held a party at their home that evening for all entrants, sponsors and their significant others.

On Friday, matches started just before sunrise at 7 a.m. and continued until about midnight. Cocktails and a buffet dinner were provided at the club.

Saturday saw a full slate of matches — 7 a.m. to midnight again — with cocktails and a sit-down dinner at the Peters Projects Gallery.

Sunday was for finals, starting at 7 a.m. and continuing until about 2:30 p.m.
The tournament was made possible by many sponsors, including Dan and Ashlyn Perry’s Trout Stalker Ranch in Chama, the Gerald Peters Gallery, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and Walter Burke Catering.

At the Saturday dinner, Bill Palmer was honored with the Charlie Perkins Sportsmanship Award. The Kiva’s past president Stuart Kirk presented the award, which is named for a Kiva member who  helped start the Kiva Classic in 1981 and who died in 2017. Charlie Perkins was famous for his sportsmanship and fair play. He was as humble in victory as he was gracious in defeat.

Bill Palmer is a longtime friend of the Kiva Club. He has played in many Kiva Classics. His love of the game is immense. He started Guillermo’s Squash Club in Colorado Springs, and he embodies squash’s highest values.

Palmer joins Charlie Amm, Michael McBean, Clark Amos, Graham Sharman, Ross Brown and John Amos as winners of the Perkins trophy.

This year’s tournament also was notable for the record number of women who entered and played: Eight.

Here are the weekend’s other winners:

SINGLES

OPEN: Champion: Drewe Williams (Kiva). Finalist: Porter Drake (San Francisco).

40+: Champion: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos).

50+: Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). Finalist: Scott Ciener (Kiva).

60+: Champion: Doug MacDougall (West Vancouver, B.C.). Finalist: Bruce Macfarlane (North Vancouver, B.C.).

70+: Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH).

DOUBLES

OPEN: Champions: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC) and Porter Drake (San Francisco). Finalists: Will Moore (Denver, CO) and Chris Ivsin (Wheat Ridge, CO).

40+: Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and T.J. Johnson (Denver). Finalists: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR) and Drewe Williams (Kiva).

50+: Champions: Charlie Groves (Denver) and Peter McGlynn (Denver). Finalists: Grant Robinson (Kiva) and Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO).

60+: Champions: Alan Dille (Golden, CO) and David Barker (Kiva). Finalists: Bob Bush (Greenwood Village, CO) and Charles Soderstrom (Winter Park, FL).

65+: Champions: Walter Burke (Kiva) and Doug MacDougall (West Vancouver, BC). Finalists: Dennis Cusack (Portland, OR) and Mark Todorovich (St. Louis, MO).

70+: Champions: Clark Amos ( Scottsdale, AZ) and Jim Gibbons (San Francisco). Finalists: Bob Brown (Denver) and Rob Piggott (Denver).

75+: Champions: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) and Dick Rice (Rochester, NY). Finalists: Martin Kaffka (West Vancouver, BC) and George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA).

80+: Champions: Dave Matthews (Kiva) and David Puchkoff (New York, NY). Finalists: Graham Sharman (Kiva) and Dick Silbar (Santa Fe).

HARDBALL

OPEN: Champion: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC). Finalist: Will Moore (Denver).

60+: Champion: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT). Finalist: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC).

70+: Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA).


Picture
This 24-page booklet tells the story of the 2019 Kiva Classic. Bob Mosier took most of the photos, wrote the text and designed the pages. Click on the cover image above to see an electronic version of the booklet. You can purchase a printed edition for about $10 after you click on the link.

Kiva Club Open and Taco Tournament: Great squash, great fun

9/22/2019

 
   Santa Fe's Kiva Club was home to an exhibition of superior squash over the past few days (Sept. 19-22) -- both professional and amateur.
   The Kiva Open featured 16 young professionals vying for a Professional Squash Association title and $6,000 in prize money.
   The concurrent Taco Tournament saw a couple dozen amateurs from New Mexico and beyond, playing for fun and glory.
   Michael McCue, a 26-year-old Canadian, won the Kiva Open on Sunday, beating 32-year-old Babatunde Ajagbe, a Nigerian.
   The tournaments were sponsored by Dan and Ashlyn Perry's Trout Stalker Ranch in Chama, Walter Burke Catering, and Grant Davis's Mile High Sports.
   Here are Taco Tournament winners and finalists:

5.0 SINGLES

Champion: Jess Giron (Chandler, AZ). Finalist: Elliott Adland (Albuquerque)
Consolation champion: Scott Ciener (Kiva). Finalist: Jehanzeb Chaudhry (Albuquerque)

4.0 SINGLES

Champion: Cameron Cannady (Albuquerque). Finalist: Jeff Pollock (Kiva)

HARDBALL SINGLES

Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva)

A DOUBLES

Champions: Josh Brown and Drewe Williams (Kiva). Finalists: Alex Kalangis and Grant Robinson (Kiva)
Third place: Bruce McKenna and Stephen Velie (Kiva)

B DOUBLES

Champions: Courtney Carswell and Stephen Velie (Kiva). Finalists: Jeff Pollock and Matt Wilson (Kiva)

Results from the Kiva Classic in Santa Fe

12/3/2018

 
   The 28th annual Kiva Classic tournament concluded Sunday (Dec. 3) with final matches in singles, hardball singles and doubles.
   About 90 players from around the country -- and from Canada and Mexico -- participated in the tournament which was held at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe.
   Here are the champions and finalists in all divisions:


SINGLES
Open --  Champion: William Moore (Delray Beach, FL). Finalist: Busani Xaba (San Francisco).
40s -- Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). Finalist: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO).
50s -- Champion: Charlie Amm (Estes Park, CO). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos).
60s -- Champion: Peter Logan (Milford, MI). Finalist: Charlie Amm (Estes Park, CO).
70s -- Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH).

HARDBALL SINGLES
Open -- Champion: Busani Xaba (San Francisco). Finalist: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR).
50s -- Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva Club). Finalist: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR)
60s -- Champion: Peter Logan (Milford, MI). Finalist: Ted Inbusch (Columbus, OH).
70s -- Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington DC). Finalist: Terry Eagle (Carpinteria, CA).

DOUBLES
Open -- Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and Sean Gallagher (Kiva Club). Finalists: Todd Lopez (Kiva Club) and Drewe Williams (Kiva Club).
40s -- Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and T.J. Johnson (Denver). Finalists: Charlie Groves (Denver) and Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO).
50s -- Champions: Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO) and Grant Robinson (Kiva Club). Finalists: David Barker (Kiva Club) and Scott Ciener (Kiva Club).
60s -- Champions: Alan Dille (Golden, CO) and Bill Sather (Lone Tree, CO). Finalists: David Barker (Kiva Club) and Walter Burke (Kiva Club).
65s -- Champions: Lynn Broman (West Vancouver, CAN) and Bob Burton (Holland, MI). Finalists: Tony Ross (North York, CAN) and Kit Tatum (New London, NH).
70s -- Champions: Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO) and Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO). Finalists: Bob Brown (Denver) and Rob Piggott (Denver).
75s -- Champions: Mike Tramutt (Arvada, CO) and Randy Waesche (Denver). Finalists: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) and Graham Sharman (Kiva Club).
80s -- Champions: Don Mills (Terrace Park, OH) and Graham Sharman (Kiva Club). Finalists: Hank Palmer (Fresno, CA) and Dick Silbar (Santa Fe, NM).

Results from the 2018 Kiva Club Open and Taco Tournament

9/24/2018

 
   Santa Fe’s Kiva Club hosted two concurrent tournaments over the weekend (Sept. 20-23), one a Professional Squash Association singles tournament with a $5,500 purse, and the other a tournament for the rest of us, with singles, hardball singles and doubles.
   Aditya Jagtap, a 26-year-old from Mubai, India, won the Kiva Club Open, beating American Faraz Khan, 3-1, in Sunday’s final.
   The Kiva Club Open started Thursday with 16 players who thrilled spectators with long rallies, great gets and skillful play.
   Sunday’s final pitted No. 1 seed Khan against No. 4 seed Jagtap. Jagtap had turned his ankle in an earlier match, but said he felt fine before the final started.
    Jagtap won the first game convincingly, 11-7, but the 25-year-old Khan roared back to take the second game, 11-4.
    The third game was the longest, going to Jagtap, 14-12.
   During the fourth game, Khan injured his hamstring when he lunged into the right front corner to get a Jagtap drop. After Khan lost the point, he halted play for a few minutes, hoping some stretching would restore his leg. Play resumed, but Khan’s mobility was limited, and he lost the game, 11-8, and with it the match.

   The Kiva Club Open was sponsored by McGehee Wealth Advisory Group, La Choza and The Shed restaurants, the New Mexico Squash Racquets Association, the Kiva Club and many individuals.


                                                            *  *  *

   The Taco Tournament had about 30 entrants, many from out of town — Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Colorado, Ohio and even Georgia. Here’s a list of the winners:

A Doubles: Champions: Todd Lopez and Grant Robinson (Kiva). Finalists: Josh Brown and Drewe Williams (Kiva).

B Doubles: Champions: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO) and Laura Stuto (Denver). Finalists: Josiah Child (Kiva) and Ben Gillock (Santa Fe). Note: Child withdrew before the final match, so the final was not played.

5.5 singles: Champion: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos).

4.5 singles: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Dave Andes (Sandy Springs, GA).

3.5 singles: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Laura Stuto (Denver).

5.5 Hardball: Champion: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). Finalist: Grant Robinson (Kiva).

4.5 Hardball: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Derek Bohannan (Albuquerque).

3.5 Hardball: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Laura Stuto (Denver).

Kiva Club Open and the Taco Tournament: Sept. 20-23

8/7/2018

 
   The Kiva Club Open professional and the amateur Taco Tournament will be held concurrently at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe in late September..
    The Kiva Club Open is a Professional Squash Association sanctioned tournament with a $5,000 purse. It starts on Thursday, Sept. 20 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 23. It features 16 professional singles players from around the globe.
     The Taco Tournament is a skill-level event for amateurs with doubles, singles and hardball singles. 
     "It's a long weekend of extraordinary squash," said tournament director Grant Davis. "The amateurs get to play -- and also get to watch top young professionals play at a level seldom seen in the Southwest."
    This is the fourth annual Kiva Club Open. This year, it is sponsored by The Shed and La Choza restaurants, the New Mexico Squash Racquets Association and the Kiva Club.
    "Come for the tournament," said Davis, "and stay for the tacos."
    To enter the tournament visit the "tournaments" section of this website.

Santa Fe Open concludes at El Gancho

4/29/2018

 
   The Santa Fe Open tournament wrapped up play on Saturday (April 28) at El Gancho with winners in four divisions.
    "We had 23 participants," said tournament director Jeff Pollock, "and everybody had a blast."
    Here's a list of champions and finalists:

   5.0 Singles
    Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos)
    Finalist: Jay Salomon (Midtown, Albuquerque)

   4.0 Singles
    Champion: Cameron Canandy (Midtown, Albuquerque)
    Finalist: Josiah Child (Kiva Club, Santa Fe)

  3.0 Singles
   Champion: Adam Wilson (Midtown, Albuquerque)
   Finalist: Jake Prishkulik (Santa Fe)
   Third: Michael Hare (Kiva Club, Santa Fe)
   Fourth: Christian Platt (Kiva Club, Santa Fe)

   70+ Singles
   Champion: Alan Wicks (Las Vegas, NM)
   Finalist:  Jim Patterson (El Gancho, Santa Fe)

The 27th annual Kiva Classic wrapped up on Sunday

12/4/2017

 
     The 27th annual Kiva Classic tournament wrapped on Sunday (Dec. 3, 2017) in Santa Fe with finals matches in most divisions. 
     About 100 players entered singles, hardball singles and doubles divisions. (The winners and finalists in each division are listed below.) 
     The Saturday night party at Peters Projects gallery honored the late Doug Campbell and Charlie Perkins. 
   Kiva Club president Stuart Kirk introduced Don's son, Doug, who attended the party with his mother, Shirley. Doug spoke about how much his father loved squash, the Kiva Club and the Classic. Don was the tournament's official greeter for many years, and Doug took his father's place at the tournament this year. 
     Dave Matthews also talked about what a great friend Don was, and how much Don is missed around the club. 
    Kirk next introduced Ted Perkins, who attended the party with his sister Julie. Ted talked about how squash led his father to Santa Fe, and how it made him many, many friends. Charlie was one of the founders of the Kiva Classic tournament.
     Ross Brown added a few thoughts about his decades-long friendship with Charlie. 
     Kirk and tournament chairman Walter Burke then surprised Brown with the 2017 Charlie Perkins Sportsmanship Award for Brown's longtime support of the tournament. Past winners of the award include Clark Amos, Michael McBean, Charlie Amm and Graham Sharman. 


OPEN DOUBLES 
Champions: Rob Hill (Greenwood Village, CO) and Bart Sambrook (Westmount, CAN) 
Finalists: Todd Lopez and Drewe Williams (Kiva) 

40+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Rob Hill (Greenwood Village, CO) and Bart Sambrook (Westmount, CAN) 
Finalists: Alex Dumas (Colorado Springs, CO) and Phil Lane (Colorado Springs, CO) 

50+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO) and Joe Tustin (Denver) 
Finalists: Bob Bolling (Wilmington, DE) and Sean Butler (Denver) 

60+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Gary Johnson (Denver) and Habib Rahman (Portland, OR) 
Finalists: David Barker and Walter Burke (Kiva) 

65+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO) and Jim Gibbons (San Francisco) 
Finalists: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) and Michael Manley (Toronto) 

70+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Michael Manley (Toronto) and Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) 
Finalists: Bob Dubeau (Montreal) and Mike Tramutt (Arvada, CO) 

75+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Don Mills (Terrace Park, OH) and Graham Sharman (Kiva) 
Finalists: Alan Fox (Long Beach, CA) and Dick Silbar (Los Alamos) 

80+ DOUBLES 
Champions: Bill Jones and Dave Matthews (Kiva)   
Finalists: George Abrams (Kiva) and Dick Silbar (Los Alamos)

OPEN SINGLES 
Champion: Drewe Williams (Kiva) 
Finalist: Chris Ivsin (Denver) 

40+ SINGLES 
Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos) 
Finalist: T.J. Johnston (Denver) 

50+ SINGLES
Champion:
Andy Macdonald (Colorado Spring, CO)
Finalist: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT)

60+ SINGLES 
Champion: Walter Burke (Kiva) 
Finalist: Habib Rahman (Portland, OR) 

70+ SINGLES 
Champion: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) 
Finalist: Courtney Carswell (Kiva)   

OPEN HARDBALL 
Champion: Chris Ivsin (Denver) 
Finalist: John Ehlinger (Denver) 

60+ HARDBALL 
Champion: Habib Rahman (Portland, OR) 
Finalist: Walter Burke (Kiva) 

70+ HARDBALL 
Champion: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH) 
Finalist: Neil Ross (Carbondale, CO) 

Eric Galvez takes the Kiva Club Open with an upset

9/17/2017

 
      It took Eric Galvez 75 minutes, 50 points and five games to win the final match at the Kiva Club Open Professional Squash Association tournament Sunday in Santa Fe.
     He beat No. 1 seed Juan Camilo Vargas; Galvez was the No. 5 seed.
     Galvez, a 33-year-old Mexican, was the tournament's oldest and most experienced player. This was his 176th PSA tournament and his 15th PSA title.
     The Colombian Vargas is a decade younger than Galvez at age 25, and this was his 15th tournament. He holds one PSA title.
     This was the third annual Kiva Club Open. The tournament included both professional and amateur play.
     The professional tournament had a main draw of 16 players and a purse of $5,000. It was sponsored by Gemini Rosemont Commercial Real Estate and the Kiva Club.
     Previous professional winners of the Kiva Club Open are England’s Jaymie Haycocks (2016) and American Chris Hanson (2015). Haycocks is currently ranked No. 76 in the world; Hanson is No. 84.
     In the marathon final, Vargas took the first game, 11-6, but the game seemed closer than the score, with rallies that lasted several minutes and required 20 to 30 shots by each player.
     Galvez came back to take the second game, 11-9, with equally long rallies.
     In the third game, Galvez jumped out to a 5-0 lead and seemed to have taken control of the match. But Vargas counterpunched his way back to the lead and an eventual 13-11 win.
      By this point, both players were tiring and gasping for air.
      But Galvez retook the momentum, winning the fourth game, 11-4, and then the fifth, 11-6.
    
    Here are results from the tournament's amateur play:

A doubles
Champions: Todd Lopez and Grant Robinson (Kiva). Finalists: Don Kirby and Drewe Williams (Kiva)

B doubles
Champions:  Josiah Child (Kiva) and Ben Gillock (Montezuma, NM). Finalists: Chris Fontes and Dick Silbar (Los Alamos).

5.5 singles
Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). Finalist: Tom Abrams (Kiva)

​4.5 singles
Champion: Neil Solomon (San Francisco). Finalist: Ben Gillock (Montezuma, NM)

3.5 singles
Champion: Jon Bender (Dallas). Finalist: Derek Bohannan (Albuquerque)

​4.5 hardball singles
Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva). Finalist: Walter Burke (Kiva)  ​

Kiva Club Open professional final is set for Sunday

9/16/2017

 
   ​ Eric Galvez, the tournament's No. 5 seed, upset No. 2 seed Reuben Phillips in a dramatic semifinal today at the Kiva Club Open in Santa Fe, New Mexico.     
​     In the other semifinal match, Colombian Juan Camilo Vargas (the No. 1 seed) cruised to an easy win over No. 6 seed Miled Zarazua of Mexico, 3-0.
     Galvez and Camilo Vargas will face each other in the final on Sunday at noon.
     The Galvez-Phillips match featured the tournament's longest game. Several points ran for two minutes or more as the crowd gasped and applauded one fantastic "get" layered on top of an earlier astounding "get." The ball rocketed around the court, the players barely managing to get to it for a return before its second bounce off the floor.
    While the final score was 3-0 in games, the first two games were extremely tight. It wasn't until near the end of the second game that either player managed a 3-point lead.
    In the first game, the score tied 12 times and there were five "game" balls. The Mexican Galvez ultimately triumphed 16-14 in 25 minutes.
     The second game started off the same as the first -- until the 33-year-old Galvez eked out a 9-6 lead. He then won that game 11-7 in 10 minutes.
     The third and final game was a seasaw. Galvez jumped to a 5-0 lead, but then the 25-year-old Phillips, who was born in England but lives in Atlanta, Georgia, won four points, almost getting back to even. Soon Galvez expanded his slim lead to 8-5, and then he finished out the game -- and the match -- 11-5, in 11 minutes

Kiva Open play continues

9/16/2017

 
  The Kiva Club Open tournament continues today (Saturday) with amateur play kicking into high gear and the professional semifinals in the afternoon.
  At 2 p.m., No. 1 seed Juan Camilo Vargas of Colombia faces No. 7 seed Miled Zarazua of Mexico. In the second semifinal, No. 2 seed Reuben Phillips of England goes against No. 5 seed Eric Galvez of Mexico (starting about 3 p.m.).
   The professional final is Sunday at noon, and amateur play continues into Sunday afternoon.

Kiva Club Open had a few upsets on Thursday

9/14/2017

 
     The Kiva Club Open tournament started today (Thursday) with the first round of professional play at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe.
     The pros will play again Friday, starting at noon with the last quarterfinal match starting about 3 p.m.
Amateur play will start earlier in the morning -- singles, hardball singles and doubles -- and continue into the evening.
     In professional play there were a few upsets on Thursday:
     No. 3 seed Victor Crouin (France) was knocked out by Sam Fenwick (Wales) and Cameron Seth (Canada) defeated No. 8 seed Andres Herrera (Colombia).
     On Friday, No. 1 seed Juan Camilo Vargas (Colombia) will face Seth, and Fenwick will take on No. 7 seed Miled Zarazua (Mexico).
     Other matches will pit No. 4 seed Sebastien Bonmalais (France) against No 5 seed Eric Galvez (Mexico), and No. 2 seed Reuben Phillips (England) against No. 7 seed David Cromwell (USA).

2017 Kiva Club Open tournament now accepting entries

6/9/2017

 
     The third-annual Kiva Club Open will be held at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Sept. 14 through 17, 2017.     
     The tournament is a combination professional singles tournament and an amateur doubles and singles tournament.     
     The amateur tournament, which is sanctioned by US Squash, is open to singles and doubles players by skill level.      
     Amateur play will begin on Friday, Sept. 15, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 17.      
     The professional draw is open to all Professional Squash Association members, and is sanctioned by the PSA.      
     Professional play will begin on Thursday, Sept. 15, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 17.    
     For more information -- or to enter the tournament -- click here.     
     
You can read about last year's tournament by clicking here and here.

Santa Fe Open tournament at El Gancho is April 28-29

4/3/2017

 
   The 5th annual Santa Fe Open tournament will be held at El Gancho on April 28 and 29, 2017.
   The tournament includes singles squash as well as tennis. Entry deadline is Friday, April 21.
   Entrants will get a free shirt, drinks and snacks at the tournament.
   The entry fee is $50 and players are guaranteed three matches.
   For more information, visit www.thesantafeopen.com.

Squash is good for you!

12/20/2016

 
     If you want to stay alive, play squash. That’s the finding of a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
     The study found that racquet sports – badminton, tennis and squash – contribute more to longevity than other forms of exercise.
     Compared to a sample group that didn’t exercise, racquet sport players were 47 percent less likely to die from any cause.
     And when the researchers looked at risk of death from heart disease and stroke, they found that playing racquet sports was associated with a 56 percent lower risk.
     Racquet sports ranked higher than cycling, swimming, aerobics, dance, running, jogging, soccer and rugby.
     The researchers from the University of Oxford analyzed data from 11 nationally representative annual health surveys for England and Scotland, carried out between 1994 and 2008.
      In all, the analysis included 80,306 adults with an average age of 52. In each of the surveys, participants were quizzed about what type and how much physical activity they had done in the preceding four weeks, and whether it had been enough to make them breathless and sweaty.
      You can read the full report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Kiva Classic tournament was a lot of fun -- with many winners

12/5/2016

 
    The 26th annual Kiva Classic tournament concluded Sunday, with more than a dozen championship matches. The four-day tournament, which was held at the Kiva Club in downtown Santa Fe, attracted more than 100 participants, and everyone had a lot of fun on the courts and off.
      Here is a list of champions and finalists in each division:

Open Doubles
Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and Sean Gallagher (Kiva)
Finalists: Alex Dumas (Colorado Springs) and Alicia McConnell (Colorado Springs)
 
40+ Doubles
Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and TJ Johnson (Denver)
Finalists: Alex Dumas (Colorado Springs) and Alicia McConnell (Colorado Springs)
 
50+ Doubles
Champions: Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO) and Grant Robinson (Kiva)
Finalists: Sean Ryan (Portland, OR) and Derrick Cameron (Ridgefield, PA)
 
55+ Doubles
Champions: Martin Casdagli (Kiva) and David Barker (Kiva)
Finalists: Keith Thompson (Denver) and Alan Dille (Golden, CO)
 
60+ Doubles
Champions: David Barker (Kiva) and Walter Burke (Kiva)
Finalists: Rugs Wilson (Denver) and Alan Dille (Golden, CO)
 
65+ Doubles
Champions: James Gibbons (San Francisco) and Clark Amos (Scottsdale, AZ)
Finalists: Sue Kaffka and Martin Kaffka (Vancouver, BC)
 
70+ Doubles
Champions: Neil Ross (Carbondale, CO) and Curt Castleman (Evergreen, CO)
Finalists: Mike Tramutt (Aravada, CO) and Randy Waesche (Denver)
 
75+ Doubles
Champions: Michael Wilson (Westmount, QC) and John Osborn (Vancouver, BC)
Finalists: Graham Sharman (Kiva) and David O’Loughlin (Pittsburgh, PA)
 
80+ Doubles
Champions: Dave Matthews (Kiva) and Bill Jones (Kiva)
Finalists: Michael McBean (Westmount, QC) and Purdy Jordan (Mexico City)
 
40+ Softball Singles
Champion: Sean Ryan (Portland, OR)
Finalist: T.J. Johnson (Denver)
 
50+ Softball Singles
Champion: Tom Abrams (Kiva)
Finalist: Derrick Cameron (Ridgefield, PA)
 
60+ Softball Singles
Champion: Tra Pippin (Oklahoma City, OK)
Finalist: Walter Burke (Kiva)
 
70+ Softball Singles
Champion: Warren Young (Dallas)
Finalist: George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA)

50+ Hardball Singles
Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva)
Finalist: Sean Ryan (Portland, OR)
 
60+ Hardball Singles
Champion: Walter Burke (Kiva)
Finalist: Jim Gibbons (San Francisco, CA)
 
70+ Hardball Singles
Champion: Rick Taft (Pepperpike, OH)
Finalist: George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA)
Picture
Graham Sharman
2016 Kiva Classic sportsmanship winner
     Graham Sharman of Santa Fe won the 2016 Charlie Perkins Sportsmanship Award. 
     The award is named for -- you guesed it -- Charlie Perkins. 
Perkins is a longtime Kiva Club member who helped start the Kiva Classic in 1991. 
     Previous winners are Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO; 2015), Michael McBean (Montreal; 2014) and Charles Amm (Estes Park, CO; 2013).

"Many thanks for another stunning weekend
at the
Kiva Classic. It just
​gets better every year."

     Dennis Driscoll            Denver 


Picture

Scenes from the Kiva Classic in Santa Fe

12/2/2016

 

26th annual Kiva Classic tournament starts in Santa Fe

12/1/2016

 
PictureLos Alamos's Dick Silbar
     Thursday, Dec. 1, is the first day of the annual Kiva Classic tournament at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe. The first matches begin about noon, and the tournament runs through Sunday afternoon.
     This is the 26th annual Kiva Classic.
     Only one player has perfect attendance through the first 25 years: Dick Silbar of Los Alamos.
     The Kiva Club’s Dave Matthews missed just one year (2000), and has played in
24 of the first 25 Classic tournaments.

     Here’s a list of players who have played in most tournaments:
25 YEARS: Dick Silbar (Los Alamos)
24 YEARS: Dave Matthews (Santa Fe)
23 YEARS: Mike Tramutt (Arvada, CO)
22 YEARS: David Barker (Santa Fe), JD Morrow(Santa Fe), Bill Palmer (Colorado Springs, CO), Charlie Perkins (Santa Fe)
21 YEARS: Jerry Peters (Santa Fe), Steve Yost (St. Helena, CA), Warren Young (Dallas)
20 YEARS: Curt Castleman (Evergreen, CO), Bill Jones (Santa Fe)
19 YEARS: CT Herman (Santa Fe), Bud Kelly (Santa Fe), Dick Rice (Rochester, NY), John Wentworth (Santa Fe)
18 YEARS: Walter Burke (Santa Fe), Bob Bush (Greenwood Village, CO), Courtney Carswell(Santa Fe), David Dodge (Santa Fe),  Dennis Driscoll (Littleton, CO), Ed Helfeld (San Francisco), Bob Weight (Denver)
17 YEARS: Alan Dille (Denver), Ed Lockhart (Santa Fe), Taylor Quick (Lakewood, CO), Doug Schwartz (Santa Fe)
15 YEARS: John Amos (Santa Fe), Ed Biggs (Colorado Springs, CO), Paul Fisher (Austin, TX), Hank Palmer (Fresno, CA), Grant Robinson (Santa Fe), Graham Sharman (Santa Fe)

Walter Burke named "Top Fifty" by Squash Magazine

11/8/2016

 
Picture
Picture
Walter Burke
    The October issue of Squash Magazine has named Walter Burke one of the country’s more important and influential squash luminaries. Burke, who lives in Santa Fe, is president of the New Mexico Squash Racquets Association. 
     The magazine’s third-annual “Top Fifty” list named a person for each state, and Walter was the editors’ pick for New Mexico.
     Wrote the editors: “Despite the heavy historical weight of a few cities and regions, squash has, for well more than a half century, been a national game. After the last state without a court — Arkansas — put one in Bentonville in 2001, you could play in every state in the Union.
     “In some places today, squash is still a niche sport: under-reported, existing on the liminal edges of fitness clubs, on a couple of converted racquetball courts. You know, vegetable jokes.
​     "But the grassroots leaders in those states are indistinguishable to their more celebrated brethren on the coasts. They have an implacable passion for the game and the community around it.”
     And here’s what they said about Walter: “Burke grew up playing squash — his father had been on the team at Wesleyan — and played at Bowdoin. After moving to Santa Fe in the 1980s, he first organized tournaments and junior clinics at El Gancho Fitness and more recently a men’s pro singles event at the Kiva Club, as well as the famous Kiva Classic amateur doubles tournament. Sixty-four, Burke has been the president of the New Mexico SRA since 1997.”

KIVA CLUB OPEN | Santa Fe

9/18/2016

 

A tournament with a lot of winners!

      The Kiva Club Open tournament concluded Sunday with a professional champion and many amateur champions in a variety of divisions.
     The winner of the Professional Squash Association tournament was England's Jaymie Haycocks. The 32-year-old defeated 22-year-old American Dylan Cunningham in three games to take the championship. You can read more about the professional matches here: Kiva Club Open news.
     More than 40 players competed in the amateur divisions. Here is a list of winners:

5.5 SINGLES
Champion: Nick Platt (Washington, DC)
Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos)
Third: Jehanzeb Chaudhry (Albuquerque)
Fourth: Charles Amm (Colorado)

4.5 SINGLES
Champion: Nick Platt (Washington, DC)
Finalist: Thomas Bunn (St. Louis)

2.5 SINGLES
Champion: Sloan Swanson (Kiva Club)
Finalist: Dick Silbar (Los Alamos)
Third: Michael Hare (Kiva Club)
Fourth (tie):  Jim Fowler (Encinitas), Alexander Timofeev (Los Alamos)

A DOUBLES
Champion: Todd Lopez and Grant Robinson (Kiva Club)
Finalist: Tom Abrams and Sean Gallagher (Kiva Club)

B DOUBLES
Champion: Thomas Bunn (St. Louis) and Nick Platt (Washington D.C.)
Finalist: Charles Amm (Colorado) and Walter Burke (Kiva Club)
Third: Tim Farrell and Don Kirby (Kiva Club)
Fourth: Courtney Carswell and Michael Munson (Kiva Club)

C DOUBLES
Champion: Graham Sharman and Matt Wilson (Kiva Club)
Finalist: Josh Brown and Josiah Child (Kiva Club)
Third: Chris Fontes and Dick Silbar (Los Alamos)
Fourth: Jon Bender (Dallas) and David Foley (Phoenix)
Fifth: Michael Hare and Sloan Swanson (Kiva Club)

No. 1 seed Jaymie Haycocks wins the Kiva Club Open in Santa Fe

9/18/2016

 

Picture
Jaymie Haycocks and Dylan Cunningham.
Jaymie Haycocks
Dylan Cunnigham
Picture
Picture
Kiva Open champ Jaymie Haycocks
Picture
     The 32-year-old Jaymie Haycocks is the Kiva Club Open PSA champion. He defeated 22-year-old Dylan Cunningham in three games at the Kiva Club Open final Sunday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
     The match lasted 35 minutes.
     Haycocks, who is English, was the tournament’s No. 1 seed and is ranked No. 88 in world. He did not lose a game in his four matches in the tournament.
Cunningham, an American, was the No. 5 seed and is ranked No. 179 in the world. It was his first trip to a PSA tournament final.
     The first game took 14 minutes. Haycocks took the first point, then Cunningham took three straight. Haycocks countered with five of his own. Haycocks was more patient than Cunningham in the early going, varying his pace, hitting deep rails and cross-courts until he spotted an opening. Eight minutes into the game, the score was tied at 6-6 and a minute later at 7-7. With 13 minutes gone, it was tied 10-10. Then Haycocks ended a rally with a shot of perfect length that died in Cunningham’s forehand corner, and Cunningham tinned the final shot to end the game.
     The second game mirrored the first at the start. Eight minutes in, the game was tied 7-7, but Haycocks rattled off four straight in the next three minutes to take it, 11-7. Again, it was Haycocks' experience and patience that won the game. When it mattered most, he always made the right shot and never rushed or tried to force a winner.
     Haycocks dominated the third game, which lasted just six minutes. Cunningham won the first point, but Haycocks ran off the next eight. He seemed to have Cunningham off balance throughout. Haycocks even won two service points when Cunningham mishit the ball. As he fell further behind, Cunningham seemed to tire, while Haycocks appeared fresh, as if the match had just started. Cunningham managed just two more points, losing 11-3.
     Both players were gracious on the court, displaying fine sportsmanship. In the final game, Cunningham declined a let when Haycocks hit a cross-court that died in the back forehand corner. The players collided near mid-court and the referee called a let, but Cunningham said, “no let.”
     Haycocks had cruised through his first three matches in the tournament.
     In his opening round match, he beat Mexico’s Heralio Salaiz Estrada in three quick games, giving up only 12 points in the match.
     In his quarterfinals match, Haycocks had to work a little harder to defeat Nigeria’s Babatunde Ajagbe in three games. He gave up up 23 points in that match.
     In his semifinal match, Haycocks beat fellow Englishman Reuben Phillips in three games, giving up 23 points.
     Haycocks was the oldest player in the tournament to reach the quarterfinals.
      To win his way to the final match, Cunningham beat Scotland’s Jon Geekie in three games, giving up 18 points. He next beat No. 2 seed Adam Murrills of England in four games, giving up 30 points. Cunningham got a bye in the semifinals because No. 4 seed Edgar Zayas of Mexico injured his knee and was unable to play.
      In getting to the finals, Haycocks had not lost a game and had given up just 58 points while scoring 106 of his own.
     By contrast, Cunningham had lost one game and given up 54 points to his own total of 75.
     This was the second annual Kiva Club Open, which was played at a private squash club in Santa Fe. The 16 players competed for ranking points and for $5,000 in prize money.
Picture

Jaymie Haycocks and Dylan Cunningham are in the Kiva Open final

9/17/2016

 
Picture
Reuben Phillips and Jaymie Haycocks.
Picture

Picture
Picture
The players buying time for a brief rest.
Picture
The match ended with a handshake.
Picture
Dylan Cunningham made the finals without playing after his semi-final opponent dropped out with an injury. Cunningham refereed the Haycocks-Phillips match.
Picture
The match was played before an appreciative overflow audience at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe.
     Jaymie Haycocks defeated fellow Englishman Reuben Phillips in straight games in the Kiva Club Open semifinals on Saturday. He'll play American Dylan Cunningham in Sunday's final match.
     Haycocks's match lasted 37 minutes.
     The 32-year-old Haycocks is the tournament’s No. 1 seed and is ranked No. 88 in world.
     The 24-yearold Phillips was the No. 3 seed and is ranked No. 147 in the world.
     The first game was over in a quick 8 minutes. Haycocks won it 11-3.  He won the first three points, then lost two, then ran off a string of five.
     Phillips tinned a number of shots.  After hitting the tin to make it 2-8, he said angrily to himself, “You can’t do this.”
     The second game was longer – 14 minutes. Haycocks won it, 12-10. He jumped to a 4-1 lead, with Phillips hitting the tin twice, put then Phillips won five of the next six points to take a 6-5 lead. In the second half of the game, Haycocks seemed to tire, and tinned himself three times. But with the scored tied 10-10, it was Phillips who missed the final two shots, hitting tin both times.
     The third game went 9 minutes, with Haycocks again prevailing 12-10. Phillips had raced to a 7-3 lead, with Haycocks hitting the tin twice early on. But then Haycocks hit his stride, winning five of the next six points. He won one point on service ace, and seemed to frustrated Phillips by varying his pace and shot selection – including on the serve. Phillips nonetheless tied the game 10-10 but then Phillips hit a perfect drop volley to get to match point. “I needed you to miss that,” said Phillips as much to himself as to anyone. The next point, Phillips hit the tin to end the match.
     Haycocks had cruised in his opening round match, beating Mexico’s Heralio Salaiz Estrada in three quick games, giving up only 12 points in the match.
     In his quarter-finals match, Haycocks had to work a little harder to defeat Nigeria’s Babatunde Ajagbe in three games. He gave up up 23 points in that match.
​     To win his way to the semi-finals, Phillips beat England’s Charlie Lee in a 1-hour, 12-minute, five-game match. The 18-year-old Lee was the tournament’s No. 8 seed (he is World No. 187), and he stretched Phillips with many long rallies.
Phillips was pushed in his opening round match by Adrian Leanza in a three-game match that took 45 minutes to play. While Phillips won the match handily by game score, he had to stay on the court for many long rallies.
     In getting to the semis, Haycocks had not lost a game and had given up just 35 points while scoring 66 of his own.
    By contrast, Phillips had lost two games and given up 56 points to his own total of 66.

     The second semi-final day was cancelled because of injury.
     Edgar Zayas, the 21-year-old, Mexican, dropped out because of a sore knee. He was the tournament’s No 4 seed, and World #157.
     American Dylan Cunningham, 22, thus goes right to Sunday’s final against Jaymie Haycocks. It will be Cunningham’s first-ever appearance in a PSA tournament final.
     The 6-foot-four Cunningham is the tournament’s No. 5 seed. He is ranked No. 179 in the world.
     The final is scheduled to start at noon.
     This is the second annual Kiva Club Open, which is being played at a private squash club in Santa Fe.
The 16 players are competing for ranking points and for $5,000 in prize money.
Picture

Kiva Club Open's PSA quarter-final results

9/16/2016

 
​    The Kiva Club Open's second day of professional play was Friday. (Amateur singles and doubles play also began Friday; it is round-robin, and we'll post results when those matches conclude on Sunday.)
       The 16 professional players are competing for ranking points and $5,000 in prize money.   Here's what happened in the PSA quarterfinals on Friday:

Picture
Jaymie Haycocks and Babatunde Ajagbe.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Charlie Lee and Reuben Phillips.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Edgar Zayas and Alex Ingham.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Adam Murrills and Dylan Cunningham.
Picture
Picture
Noon: Jaymie Haycocks easily defeated Babtunde Ajagbe, 3-0.
     Haycocks, an Englishman, is the tournament’s No. 1 seed and is ranked No. 88 in the world.
     He won 11-8, 11-7 and 11-8.
     The first game was the longest at 12 minutes. The players traded points early on, then Haycocks ran off two strings of three points in a row to take a 10-5 lead. Ajagbe ran off three straight to close the margin, but it was too late. Game to Haycocks.
     In the second game, which lasted 9 minutes, Haycocks jumped to a 4-0 start, and built a 6-1 lead before Ajagbe won five straight to make it a game. But Haycocks won five of the next six points to close it out. Haycocks won two points on service aces, both lobs to Ajagbe’s backhand.
     The third game, which lasted 10 minutes, was back-and-forth and was tied 8-8. But then Haycocks won three straight points to win it. On the final point, Ajagbe returned a serve into his forehand corner and managed to trap himself there. Haycocks went to hit the ball, but the ball hit Ajagbe first. End of match.
     The audience chuckled, the two players smiled and briefly hugged each other before leaving the court.
     Haycocks had cruised in his opening round match, beating Mexico’s Heralio Salaiz Estrada in three quick games and giving up only 12 points in the match.
     Ajagbe had to work hard in his opening round win over 16-year-old Mexican Leonel Cardenas. That match took an hour and went to five games.
     Ajagbe, a 29-year-old Nigerian, was seeded No. 7. Ajagbe is ranked World No. 184. This is his second time playing in the Kiva Open.
     The 32-year-old Haycocks is the oldest player in the tournament to reach the quarterfinals.

1 PM: Reuben Phillips prevailed in a long, hard-fought, five-game match against Charlie Lee.
     The match went the full distance, with Phillips winning, 12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-5. It took 1 hour and 12 minutes.
     Lee stretched Phillips with many long rallies, retrieving shot after shot and often winning the rally, but Phillips was the more physical player. At 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, he outweighed the 5-foot-10 Lee by 50 pounds. Phillips often used his mass to his advantage, making it difficult for Lee to get cleanly to the ball.
     Phillips, a 24-year-old Englishman, is the tournament’s No. 3 seed and ranked World No. 147.
     Lee, an 18-year-old also from England, is ranked World No. 187, and was the tournament’s No. 8 seed.
     Both Phillips and Lee won their opening round matches in three games. Phillips took unseeded American Andrian Leanza in a 45-minute match, while Lee cruised past Bermuda’s Noah Browne. 

3 PM: Edgar Zayas defeated Alex Ingham in a seesaw five-game match.
     Game scores were 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 11-3 and 11-4.
     Ingram, a left-hander, seemed in control of the match after the third game, but found himself quickly behind 6-1 in the fourth game and never regained his equilibrium. He began missing shots that he had made earlier in the match, and seemed to go for the knockout punch rather than playing with the patience and consistency that had won him games two and three.
     Zayas, a 21-year-old Mexican, is ranked World No. 147. He dispatched American Nick Talbott in the tournament’s opening round, 11-9, 11-5 and 11-5.
     In his opening round match, Ingham upset No. 6 seed Diego Gobbi of Brazil, winning easily in three straight games, 11-7, 11-3 and 11-4. That match lasted just 30 minutes.
     Ingham, a 26-year-old Englishman, was the only unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals.

4 PM: American Dylan Cunningham upset No. 2 seed Adam Murrills of England, 3-1.
     Cunningham won the first game, 11-9. The game was tight throughout, with both players hitting rails and cross-courts with power.
     The second game went to Murrills. The game was close until near the end, when Murrills hit a crosscourt winner into the nick off of Cunningham’s serve, then got a stroke call from a loose rail hit by Cunningham. The second game went to Murrills, 11-8.
     The third game was neck-and-neck. Murrills tinned two shots midway through the game to keep Cunningham close, then Cunningham took a 10-9 lead, only to have Murrills tie at 10-10. Cunningham won the next two points, and the game, 12-10.
     Cunningham took the fourth and final game decisively, 11-6.
     Ultimately, it was Cunningham’s size – he is 6-foot-4  – along with his reach and power that won the match. It was a mystery Murrills couldn’t solve.
     Murrills was the tournament’s No. 2 seed and is ranked World No. 113.
     In his opening round match, the 26-year-old Murrills defeated his former coach and mentor, Drewe Williams. Williams is the Kiva Club’s resident squash pro, and he taught Murrills when Murrills was a junior player in England.
     The 22-year-old Cunningham is seeded No. 5 in the tournament and his world rank is No. 179. In his first match at this year's Kiva Open, he beat Scotland’s Jon Geekie in straight games.​

Picture
Picture

First round action at the Kiva Club Open in Santa Fe

9/15/2016

 
Picture
Salaiz Estrada flipped a ball off the back wall to return it to Jaymie Haycocks.
Picture
Jaymie Haycocks (left) and Heraclio Salaiz Estrada.
Picture
Babatunde Ajagbe (right) and Leonel Cardenas.
Picture
After Cardenas was hit by the ball, Ajagbe was asked if he wanted to play a let. "No, no," he said, "it was a stroke."
Picture
Charlie Lee and Noah Browne.
Picture
Noah Browne hitting a backhand rail.
Picture
Charlie Lee attacking the ball.
Picture
Reuben Phillips and Adrian Leanza.
Picture
Leanza stretched to extend rallies against Phillips.
Picture
Diego Gobbi and Alex Ingham.
Picture
Ingham worked around Gobbi to get to nearly every shot Gobbi hit.
Picture
Dylan Cunningham and Jon Geekie.
Picture
Cunningham hitting a backhand rail against Geekie.
Picture
Adam Murrills and Drewe Williams.
         The second annual Kiva Club Open tournament began today in Santa Fe with eight professional singles matches. The tournament is a combination professional and amateur tournament. The Professional Squash Association portion has 16 players competing for ranking points and for $5,000 in prize money.
     The amateur draw, which starts playing on Friday, includes singles and doubles in various skill levels.
​
    Here’s a report on today’s professional action:
 
Noon:  Jaymie Haycocks easily defeated Heraclio Salaiz Estrada, three games to none, in the opening round of play at the Kiva Club Open.
     Haycocks, an Englishman, is the tournament’s No. 1 seed and is ranked No. 88 in the world. He controlled the T from the beginning, forcing Salaiz Estrada to hit risky drop shots and lobs. The match lasted just 30 minutes, and the game scores were 11-4, 11-3 and 11-5.
     Salaiz Estrada, who is from Mexico, is World No. 303. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona. This is his second run at Kiva Open. He played valiantly, chasing balls all over the court, but he couldn’t overcome Haycocks’s consistency and experience.
    The 32-year-old Haycocks is the one of the oldest players entered in the tournament. Salaiz Estrada is 30 years old.
 
1 PM Babatunde Ajagbe, a 29-year-old Nigerian, narrowly beat 16-year-old Leonel Cardenas of Mexico in a five-game, hour-long match.
     The game scores were 8-11, 11-7, 3-11, 12-10 and 11-9.
     Early on, both players worked the other’s backhand, but in the fourth game, they started hitting more cross-courts and the match became increasing contentious with the players bumping, jostling, and asking for lets. The fourth game lasted nearly 20 minutes.
      Midway through the fifth game, with the score tied, 6-6, Ajagbe hit Cardenas with a backhand from the back of the court. Cardenas argued for a let, with Ajagbe apologizing for hitting him.
       “Sorry,” said Ajagbe, gesturing that the strike was unintentional.
       “Do you want to play a let,” asked the referee, David Foley.
     “No, no,” said Ajagbe, “it was a stroke.”
     The players traded points through the rest of the game, but Ajagbe got the last two and reached 11 first.
     The stocky Cardenas looks older than his 16 years. He was not seeded in the tournament and is ranked World No. 403.
     Ajagbe is ranked World No. 184. This is his second time playing in the Kiva Open.
 
2 PM:  Charlie Lee, an 18-year-old Englishman, took Noah Browne of Bermuda in three quick games in a first-round match at the Kiva Open in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
     The game scores were 11-9, 11-7 and 11-6.
     Lee, ranked World No. 187, is the tournament’s No. 8 seed.
     Browne is a towering 6-feet, 4-inches tall, while Lee is 5-foot, 10-inches tall. Browne is 198 pounds, Lee 132. The two players found themselves in several tangles, but the fleet-footed Lee usually extricated himself for a winning shot.
     The 23-year-old Browne is ranked World No. 287.
 
3 PM It took Reuben Phillips three long games to beat Adrian Leanza. With the exception of the second game, the game scores seem lopsided – 11-3, 12-10, 11-3 – but the match was full of long rallies with Leanza stretching Phillips at every opportunity. The match lasted about 45 minutes.
     After the first game, which Phillips dominated, Leanza seemed to find himself, playing more confidently and aggressively, running the court, fetching balls and extending every point.
    Phillips, a 24-year-old Englishman, is the tournament’s No. 3 seed and ranked World No. 147. Leanza is an American who lives in Denver, Colorado. The 27-year-old is ranked World No. 444.
 
4 PM Edgar Zayas handled Nick Talbott in three quick and decisive games. The game scores were 11-9, 11-5 and 11-5.
     Talbott seemed to tire half way through the second game, and Zayas won points in bunches – four in a row, then three in a row. His winning pace accelerated in the third game, when he won six in a row, followed by three in a row to close the match.
     Zayas, a 21-year-old Mexican, is the tournament’s No. 4 seed and ranked World No. 147.
     Talbott, who is 23, lives in Palo Alto, California. (If the name Talbott sounds familiar, it is because Talbott’s father, Mark Talbott was the No. 1 hardball singles squash player from 1983 to 1995.)
 
5 PM Alex Ingham upset No. 6 seed Diego Gobbi. Ingham, a 26-year-old Englishman, won in three straight games, 11-7, 11-3 and 11-4. The match took just 30 minutes.
     Gobbi, a 21-year-old Brazilian, is ranked No. 183 in the world. Ingham is ranked No. 388.
     Ingham is a lefthander, and Gobbi kept the ball on his forehand side, playing against Ingham’s backhand. The strategy didn’t work. Ingham chased down almost everything Gobbi hit.
 
6 PM American Dylan Cunningham beat Scotland’s Jon Geekie, 3-0. Game scores were 11-3, 11-7 and 11-8.
     Cunningham jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first game, and never looked back. In the second game, he had runs of four and five points in a row.
     In the final game, Geekie held even at 6-6 and then pulled ahead 8-6. But then Cunningham ran off the next five points to win the game and the match.
     Cunningham covers a lot of the court merely by being on it. The lanky American is 6-foot-4 and weighs 181 pounds. The 22-year-old Cunningham is seeded No. 5 in the tournament and his world rank is No. 179.
     Geekie, from Scotland, also is a sizable fellow, standing 6-foot-1. The 26-year-old lefthander is ranked No. 200 in the world.
     This is both players’ second time at the Kiva Open.
 
7 PM: In a battle of master and pupil, the pupil prevailed. Adam Murrills beat Drewe Williams, 3-0.
     The match was a crowd favorite, because the 38-year-old Williams is the Kiva Club’s resident squash pro. He was granted a slot in the draw when another player dropped out at the last minute.
     The match also had an added dimension:  Williams, who grew up in Chester, England, coached Murrills when the 26-year-old Murrills was a junior player in England.
      “I guess I taught him too well,” said Williams after the match. The games scores were 11-4, 11-7 and 11-7.
     Murrills is the tournament’s No. 2 seed and is ranked World No. 113.

     Professional play resumes at noon on Friday. The finals match is noon Sunday.
 


Picture
Williams (center) leaving the court and getting high-fives after losing to Murrills (left). The match was a crowd favorite, as Williams is the Kiva Club's resident pro.
<<Previous

    Got squash news?

    Send it to Walter Burke at [email protected].


    Squash calendar

    Feb. 24-27, 2022
    Guillermo's 27th Open, Colorado Springs
    guillermossquashclub

    Dec, 1 -4, 2022
    Kiva Classic, Santa Fe


    News archives

    December 2021
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015


    News categories

    All
    Club News
    People
    Squash News
    Tournaments

The New Mexico Squash Racquets Association is an affiliate of US Squash.
Join US Squash
NEW MEXICO SQUASH
Walter Burke
[email protected]

505-920-0645
PO Box 914, Santa Fe, NM 87504