Blog Archives

Kiva Club Open had a lot of winners!

9/21/2015

The first-ever Kiva Club Open concluded Sunday, and produced many winners.
    Chris Hanson, who is ranked No. 85 in the world, won the professional draw. He beat 17-year-old Jesus Camacho, 3 games to 1, in an hour-long match Sunday afternoon. (Click here for more details.)
     Hanson is a 24-year-old left-hander who lives in Greenwich, CT. Camacho, who is world No. 202, is from Mexico.
     The Kiva Club Open also had an amateur draw for doubles and singles. The draws were organized by skill level rather than by age (December's Kiva Classic tournament uses age
levels).
    Here are the winners in the different categories.

'A' DOUBLES
1. Grant Robinson and Todd Lopez (Kiva Club)
2. Sean Gallagher and Walter Burke (Kiva Club)

'B' DOUBLES
1. Brian Boyd and Josh Brown (Kiva Club)
2. Alex Kalangis and Bill Wanker (Kiva Club)

'C' DOUBLES
1. Bill Wanker and David Oberstein (Kiva Club)
2. Dave Matthews and Courtney Carswell (Kiva Club)

'A' SINGLES
1. Chris Fontes (Los Alamos)
2. Jesse Giron (Tempe)
3. through 6. did not play

'B' SINGLES
1. Jehanzeb Chaudhry (Albuquerque)
2. Spencer Kirby (Kiva Club)
3. Jon Bender (Dallas)
4. Tim Brown (Denver)
5. Dave Foley (Phoenix)

'C' SINGLES
1. Ben Gillock (Montezuma, NM)
2. Milan Sykora (Los Alamos)
3. Courtney Carswell (Kiva Club)
4. Zack Smith (Kiva Club)
5. Julia Sheppard (Los Alamos)
6. Paul Kaufman (Kiva Club)

REVIEWS FROM
THE PROS

“Can’t thank you enough for a great week in Santa Fe…. An awesome group and a pleasure to hang out with.”
-- Chris Hanson,
USA, World #85

“I had a blast and I know the other boys did too.”
-- Freddie Reid,
Canada, World #414

“It was an awesome tournament!”
-- Italo Bonatti,
Guatemala, World #267

“One of the best tournaments on tour, seriously.”
-- Mauricio Sedano,
Guatemala, World #245

Chris Hanson wins the first-ever Kiva Club Open

9/20/2015

Chris Hanson (left) beat Jesus Camacho to win the first-ever Kiva Club Open.

Camacho (left) is a 17-year-old from Mexico.

Hanson, 24, is from Greenwich, CT. He is ranked world No. 85.

The match had an appreciative standing-room-only crowd at the Kiva Club.

Camacho (left) frustrated Hanson in the second game by retrieving shot after shot.

Hanson (left) and Camacho (right).

In the final game, Camacho slipped and sat on the court with a leg cramp. He scored just one point after that.

The victory was Hanson's first-ever PSA tournament win.

Camacho was applauded by the crowd as he left the court.

Hanson leaving the court after his victory.

No. 1 seed Chris Hanson won his first PSA tournament on Sunday, beating the unseeded Jesus Camacho at the Kiva Club Open in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hanson, who is 24-years-old, beat the 17-year-old Camacho in four games, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Hanson is world No. 85. Camacho is No. 202.
Throughout the match, both players tended to hit to his opponent's backhand. Because Hanson is a lefty and Camacho is a righty, this meant a lot of cross-courts.
Hanson jumped to 6-1 lead in the first game, but Camacho battled back to trail by two at 4-6. Hanson reasserted himself to go ahead 8-4, but Camacho battled back again and again to trail by two at 6-8 and 7-9 -- and then tied it up at 9-9.
Camacho tinned an overhead backhand to make it 9-10, then Hanson hit a drop that Camacho couldn't reach. Game to Hanson, 11-9. It took 18 minutes.
The second game was all Camacho. He jumped to a 9-2 lead, frustrating Hanson by retrieving every shot. Hanson won two more points with drops that Camacho couldn't reach, but Camacho returned the favor at game point to win it 11-4. It was a 10-minute game.
Both players changed to clean shirts for the third game, and both players started even, trading points to make it 4-4. Then Camacho tinned four shots in a row to trail 4-8 before hitting a tight, low rail that Hanson couldn't reach.
But Hanson kept the pressure on, and got to game point at 10-6. He took the game, 11-7, in 14 minutes.
Camacho changed his shirt for the fourth game.
With Hanson leading 4-3, Camacho slipped, missed a return and sat on the court with a leg cramp. Within a few minutes he was back up, racing about the court, but Hanson rushed ahead with five straight points to make it 9-3.
Hanson took the game, 11-4, and the match, three games to one.
The match lasted exactly an hour.
Hanson had only been tested in the tournament in his semi-final match against qualifier Ahmad Alzabidi, which went to five games. Hanson's other matches were quick, three-game affairs against unseeded players.
Camacho's route to the finals went through three seeded players -- No.2 Fred Reid, No 8. Auguste Dussourd and No. 4 Faraz Khan.
Hanson was born in New York, graduated from Dartmouth and now lives in Greenwich, CT.
Camacho was born in Mexico City and now lives in Cuautitlan Izcali, Mexico.
The Kiva Club Open was the first PSA tournament in New Mexico in about 15 years. The tournament had $5,000 in prize money. The winner received $902.50, the runner up $617.50 and the rest was divided up among the other players.

Kiva Club squash pro Drewe Williams damp-mopped the court before the final match to make sure the floor wasn't slippery.

Chris Hanson and Jesus Camacho are the Kiva Open finalists

9/19/2015

Chris Hanson (left) with Ahmad Alzabidi

Chris Hanson (left) hitting a forehand against Ahmad Alzabidi.

Ahmad Alzabidi (left) stretched Chris Hanson more than any other player in the tournament so far.

Ahmad Alzabidi (left) argued a let/no let call as Chris Hanson watched.

A standing-room-only crowd watched the two semi-final matches at the Kiva Club.

Jesus Camacho (left) with Faraz Kahn

Jesus Camacho (left) was inconsistent in the first game, but quickly settled down and made fewer errors.

Faraz Khan (left) and Jesus Camacho often traded drop shots to the front corners.

Both players were lightening-quick on the court, racing from corner to corner to return shots.

Faraz Khan (standing at the court door) argued a point with the referee. Jesus Camacho, who changed his shirt several times during the match, is to his left.

No.1 seed Chris Hanson will face unseeded Jesus Camacho in the finals of the Kiva Club Open in Santa Fe on Sunday. Hanson is a 24-year-old left-hander who is ranked No. 85 in the world. Camacho is a 17-year-old right-hander who is ranked No. 202 in the world.
Hanson was severely tested by unseeded Ahmad Alzabidi Saturday in his semi-final match, but he squeaked out a five-game win.
Hanson had been cool and surgical on the court during this Kiva Club Open, but Alzabidi quickly ruffled him by asking the referee for lets. Before the match's first point, there were two lets. And the first point was a stroke.
Between the complaining, there were many long rallies and wonderfully athletic points from both players.
Alzabidi, a lefty who is world No. 304, varied his speed, mixing soft shots with smashes, but Hanson was the more consistent and patient.
Alzabidi eventually worked his way to a 9-7 lead, but Hanson battled back, got a "no-let" call to make it 9-9, and won the next two points and the game, 11-9.
The second game picked up where the first left off, as both players argued their cases.
With the game tied 5-5, Alzabidi hit a winning shot, then turned to the referee and yelled, "No let! No way!"
"I didn't even ask for one," Hanson yelled back.
Alzabidi took the next two points, and never lost the lead, winning the game, 11-7.
In the third game, both players slowed the pace, using more lobs and off-speed shots. And they even agreed on a let call.
Alzabidi took the first three points, and Hanson the next three.
The game tied at 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 and 7-7. Then Hanson got a stroke call and Alzabidi hit the tin with a smash to give Hanson a 9-7 lead.
Alzabidi then played patiently, hitting rails until he had a chance for a winner. He won the next three points to get to game point, and Hanson tinned a possible winner to give Alzabidi the game, 11-9.
Hanson changed his shirt before the start of the fourth game and jumped to 4-1 lead. Alzabidi interrupted Hanson's serving rhythm by adjusting his shoes and circling the court. He won two points before Hanson hit a perfect forehand drop to make it 5-3.
Hanson stretched the lead to 10-4 with the help of three unforced errors by Alazibidi. Alzabidi tinned at game point to give Hanson the game, 11-4, and tie the match at two games apiece.
Alzabidi tried to speed the pace at the beginning of the fifth, but Hanson blunted the tactic with his quickness.
Both players renewed their "let/no let" arguments.
After the game was tied at 5-5, the arguments became more heated, but Hanson edged ahead, finally taking the game, 11-7, to win the match.
Alazbidi's out-sized personality matches his physique: He is 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 203 pounds. He lives in Washington DC and plays for Jordan
Hanson, 24, lives in Greenwich, CT. He is 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs 165 pounds.
Alzabidi played more matches and games to reach the semis than any of the other semifinalists.
No. 6 seed Diego Gobbi took him to five games and qualifier Juan Gomez Dominguez took him to four games, both in the main draw.
Alzabidi also had to get past Kiva Club pro Drewe Williams in the qualifying round. That took three games.
So Alzabidi played 12 games before meeting Hanson.
By contrast, Hanson played just six games before meeting Alzabidi. Hanson beat each of his two main-draw opponents in straight games, giving up a total of only 18 points.
Alazabidi won more games and points against Hanson than Hanson's first two opponents combined.

In the day's other semi-final, unseeded 17-year-old Jesus Camacho upset 22-year-old No. 4 seed Faraz Khan in a thrilling four-game match.
The first game lasted 15 minutes, with many long rallies as both players tested the other with a mix of shots. The drop shot was much in evidence with both players following a drop with a drop, often leading to three or four drops in a row.
The difference in the game was unforced errors: Camacho made several more than Khan, and he lost the game, 11-8.
In the second game, Camacho's play became more consistent and he took a commanding 8-1 lead. He hunted down and returned every Khan shot and made no errors.
He won the second game, 11-3, in 10 minutes.
Camacho changed his shirt to start the third game, but didn't change his intensity. He took a 3-0 lead, frustrating Khan by retrieving absolutely every shot. Khan fought back, getting even at 4-4.
Camacho then ran off seven straight points with flawless play to take the game, 11-4, in 12 minutes.
Camcho changed his shirt again for the fourth game, setting a record for shirt changes in a single Kiva Club Open match.
The fourth game started with both players hitting to all four corners, making their opponent run. Neither player could pull ahead. The game tied at 3-3, 5-5, 6-6, 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10. At 10-10, there were five let calls in a row.
Camacho finally hit a winning drop to get it to match point, 11-10.
This was followed by another let, then Camacho hit a winning backhand crosscourt to perfect length, winning the game, 12-10, and the match, three games to one.
The match lasted an hour and eight minutes.
Camacho and Khan, both right handers, share similar physiques. Each is under 6-feet tall and weighs less than 140 pounds. Both are lightning quick on the court.
Khan, who is world No. 170, was born in Trenton, NJ, and now lives in Old Greenwich, CT.
Camacho was born in Mexico City and now lives in Cuautitlan Izcali.

Kiva Open: Hanson, Khan, Camacho and Alzabidi make semi-finals

9/18/2015

Chris Hanson (left) with Italo Bonatti

Hanson (left) dominated the T vs. Bonatti

Hanson needed just 27 minutes to sweep Bonatti.

Ahmad Alzabidi with Juan Gomez Dominguez

Alzabidi (left) hitting a forehand against Gomez Dominguez.

Gomez Dominguez (left) vs. Alzabidi.

Faraz Khan (left) with Anthony Graham

Graham (left) hitting a backhand

Khan (left) defends the backhand corner.

After taking a spill in the third game, Graham (left) won just one more point.

Jesus Camacho (left) with Andre Dussourd. Camacho is 17 years old; Dussourd is 19.

The first and second games featured some bumping and grinding. That's Dussourd in the red top.

Camacho (left) taking the ball out of the back corner.

No. 1 seed Chris Hanson and No. 4 seed Faraz Khan have made it into the Kiva Club Open semi-finals. They will be joined by unseeded Jesus Camacho and qualifier Ahmad Alzabidi.
The semi-final matches start at 6 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 19).

Hanson needed just 27 minutes to sweep past unseeded Italo Bonatti in his quarterfinal match on Friday.
Hanson, who is ranked No. 85 in the world, won 11-3, 11-4, 11-4.
He dominated the T, hitting tight rails deep and cutting off loose balls. He was patient and made very few errors, allowing Bonatti to make the mistakes under unrelenting pressure.
Hanson, a 5-foot, 11-inch left-hander, lives in Greenwich, CT. He is coached by Australian Rod Martin, a former world No. 3. The 24-year-old Hanson also cruised through his first-round match, beating unseeded Englishman Mark Broekman, 11-3, 11-2, 11-2.
Bonatti, a Guatemalan who is ranked world No. 267, made the main draw as a randomly chosen "lucky loser" after No. 5 seed Nicolas Cabellero withdrew from the tournament. The 28-year-old Bonatti lost to 19-year-old Mexican Juan Gomez Dominguez in the qualifying round. Bonatti's coach is Sadar Ali Khan.

In a battle of two unseeded players, Ahmad Alzabidi edged Juan Gomez Dominguez in a 51-minute, four-game quarter-final match.
The players traded the first two games, with Gomez Dominguez taking the first, 11-6, and Alzabidi the second, 11-5.
Gomez Dominguez dominated the first, making few errors and out-hustling Alzabidi. Alzabidi returned the favor is the second game, changing the pace, mixing fast and slow serves and hitting good drives to length.
The third game turned into a on-court debate about lets and strokes, with both players working the referee and playing to the crowd. The debate was interrupted by complaints about the court floor being slippery, and play was delayed for a damp-mopping.
When play resumed, Alzabidi kept altering his pace, floating lobs to the back of the court along with smashing his rails and crosses.
Alzabidi eventually took the game, 11-8. It wasn't pretty or fluid squash.
The final game was similar, with Alzabidi mixing the pace of his shots and both players appealing lets. Alzabidi won, 11-7.
The 26-year-old Alzabidi is 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 203 pounds.
The 19-year-old Gomez Dominguez is 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs 141 pounds.
Gomez Dominguez gave up 3 inches in height and more than 60 pounds in weight -- and also was lighter in his complaints to the referee.
Alzabidi will play No. 1 seed Chris Hanson in one of tomorrow's semi-finals.
The Jordanian Alzabidi was seeded No. 3 in the qualifying draw. He is the current world No. 304, but was ranked 149 in December 2011.
Gomez Dominguez was the No. 5 seed in the qualifying draw. He is the current world No. 361. He is from Vera Cruz, Mexico.

No. 4 seed Faraz Khan dispatched No. 7 seed Anthony Graham in three hard-fought games.
Khan took the first game, 11-5. That game was filled with long rallies, with both players mixing speeds and lengths. The game lasted 13 minutes.
Khan jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the second game. His ability to out-last Graham in rallies began to show -- and to frustrate Graham.
Graham slowed play between points, and drew within three points at 9-6 before making two errors to lose the game, 11-6. That put him behind two games to none. The second game lasted 9 minutes.
The third game was delayed a few minutes when Graham slipped and fell. He had been leading 5-4, but lost a point with his slip to tie the game. As he rested on the court, he joked about a let and then asked that the damp spot he created on the court be mopped. He won just one more point, and Khan took the final game, 11-6, in 11 minutes.
Khan, a 22-year-old from Old Greenwich, CT, is world No. 170.
Graham, a 25-year-old from Woodchester in the United Kingdom, is world No. 195. He was world No. 98 in August 2012.

In match of young talent and wiry frames, unseeded 17-year-old Jesus Camacho defeated No. 8 seed Andre Dussourd. Dussourd is 19 years old.
Camacho won the 1-hour, 11-minute match three games to one.
Dussourd took the first game, 11-6. He jumped to a 5-0 lead. Camacho seemed nervous, and missed several early shots. He settled down after winning two points, but never got closer than three points, eventually losing 11-6 after 15 minutes of play.
There was some arguing with -- or at least making faces at -- the referee over lets and strokes during the first game, and that accelerated and became more verbal in the second.
The second game was tied at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5. After the three ties, the players seemed to find their rhythms and began playing through bumps and touches rather than debating.
Camacho switched to a higher gear, running the court and returning everything. He didn't lose another point, and took the 13-minute game, 11-5. That tied the match at one game a piece.
In the third game, Camacho jumped to a 3-0 lead, then made two unforced errors to make it 3-2. He then ran off four straight points to make it 7-2. Doussard finally got within two at 10-8.
On a ferocious 10-8 game point, Dossuord ran into Camacho trying to reach a drop shot. He hit the back of Camacho's leg with his knee. Play stopped for a few minutes as Camacho's leg was iced.
Camacho showed no ill effects, winning the next point on a long rally along with the game, 11-8. It was a 29-minute game.
As the fourth game started, both players clearly were tiring. With Dossourd leading 4-3, he took a spill chasing a drive to his forehand corner. Play was suspended for about three minutes, giving both players a rest. The players then tied at 6-6, but then Camacho won three in a row with crisp play before Dussourd won a point, making it 9-7.
The players traded points to make it 10-8, then Camacho hit a winner to take the game, 11-8 -- and the match, three games to one.
The Frenchman Dussourd, who stands 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs 132 pounds, is world No. 248.
The Mexican Camacho, who is 5-feet, 8-inches tall and also weighs 132 pounds, is world No. 202.
Camacho will play Faraz Khan in one of Saturday's semi-finals.

Here's the news from the Kiva Open's main-draw first round

9/17/2015

Chris Hanson (left) easily beat Mark Broekman

Italo Bonatti (left) took more than an hour to beat Jon Geekie.

Ahmad Alzabidi (left) beat Diego Gobbi in a hard-fought match.

Juan Gomez Dominguez (right) upset Babatunde Ajagbe.

Faraz Khan (right) dispatched Maurico Sedano in three games.

Anthony Graham (right) defeated Dylan Cunningham in a match that ended without a handshake between players.

Auguste Dussourd (left) beat Sam Gould in three easy games.

Jesus Camacho (left) took care of Fred Reid in three games.

Kiva Club Open matches attracted an appreciative crowd.

The Kiva Club Open is now into its main draw. The round of 16 was Thursday, and the level of play was remarkable. Here's a report on the eight matches:
Noon: Top seed Chris Hanson easily defeated unseeded Mark Broekman, 11-3, 11-2, 11-2.
The left-handed Hanson, who is currently No. 85 in the world, controlled the middle and forced Broekman into many early errors. Hanson lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Broekman, who is ranked No. 215 in the world and stands 6-feet, 5-inches tall, is from Cheltenham in the United Kingdom.
1 p.m.: Italo Bonatti took more than an hour to beat Jon Geekie. Bonatti won the first two games, 11-7 and 11-8.
Bonatti, from Guatemala City, Guatemala, mixed his shots well and caught the left-handed Geekie off-guard several times in the first game. In the second game, Bonatti started hitting deeper, and when Geekie attempted drops, Bonatti turned them into winners.
In the third game, Bonatti took a 7-3 lead, but, facing elimination, Geekie won the next 8 points and took the game 11-7.
Geekie, who lives in Lee on Solent in the United Kingdom and plays for Scotland, won the next two games, 11-7 and 11-8. Geekie increased his power and improved his shot mix. Bonatti seemed to lose concentration and gave up three strokes in the fourth game.
By this time, both players were arguing lets and strokes with the referee.
The final game was tense. Geekie made several unforced errors and Gould himself down 4-9. He then rallied to 8-10 before getting beat on a deep cross off a drop shot.
Geekie was unseeded in the main draw, while Bonatti was seeded No.2 in the qualifying draw. He lost to Mexican Juan Gomez Dominguez, but drew a slot in the main draw as a "lucky loser" when No. 5 seed Nicholas Cabellero withdrew from the tournament.
2 p.m.: Unseeded Ahmad Alzabidi won a hard-fought victory over No. 6 seed Diego Gobbi. Alzabidi, who is ranked No. 304 in the world, won the first two games, 11-8 and 11-8, but the 203-pound left-hander seemed to tire toward the end of the second game.
Gobbi, who is ranked No. 197 in the world, took next two games, 11-8 and 11-8. Alzabidi slowed the game down by making Gobbi delay his serve, but the 159-pound Gobbi remained fleet of foot and won points by tracking down and returning every shot.
Alzabidi, who is from Amman, Jordan, and was ranked world No. 149 in December 2011, won the last game, 11-6.
The game was tied 4-4 when Alazbidi won three straight points, including a stroke on a Gobbi drop to give him a 7-4 lead. "Yes!" Alzabidi yelled, pumping his fist at the stroke call.
Gobbi, who is from San Paulo, Brasil, managed just two more points as Alzabidi steamed to the finish line.
3 p.m.: Unseeded Juan Gomez Dominguez upset No. 3 seed Babatunde Ajagbe. Gomez Dominguez, 19, won the first two games, 13-11 and 11-6, and seemed to have the match in hand. Ajagbe, a 28-year-old Nigerian, seemed exhausted, frequently bending over to gulp oxygen. (Santa Fe is 7,000 feet above sea level.)
But Ajagbe made it a match, winning the third game 11-1.
Gomez Dominguez, who is from Vera Cruz, Mexico, closed out by winning the fourth game, 11-8.
Gomez Dominguez is ranked No. 361 in the world. Ajagbe is ranked No. 165.
4 p.m.: No. 4 seed Faraz Khan easily dispatched unseeded Maurico Sedano. Khan won in three straight games.
The 22-year-old took the first game 11-6. Both he and the 24-year-old Sedano were hitting hard and deep.
The second game opened with a brutal first rally that ended when Khan nailed Sedano with an attempted cross-court. The two players exchanged words, and that added an edge to the rest of the match.
Khan, who is from Old Greenwich, Connecticut, than ran up a 5-1 lead. Sedano, who is from Guatemala City, Guatemala, doggedly retrieved shots, but Kahn extended his lead to 10-3 before Sedano tinned to give Khan the game.
In the final game, Khan was his most creative, moving the ball around the court and taking advantage of his chances up front. Khan won the game 11-4 and took the match.
Khan is ranked No. 170 in the world and Sedano is ranked No. 245.
5 p.m.: No. 7 seed Anthony Graham defeated unseeded Dylan Cunningham in a brutally physical match that ended without the players shaking hands.
The 25-year-old Graham won the match three games to one. He beat the 21-year-old Cunningham 11-8 in the first game.
Cunningham, who lives in Cleveland, OH, took the second game, 11-9.
Graham, who is from Woodchester in the United Kingdom, won the final two games, 11-7 and 11-9.
The games were filled with jostling and complaints about jostling, and the younger Cunningham was the most aggrieved. When the match ended, he declined to shake hands with Graham.
Graham is currently ranked No. 195 in the world, and was ranked No. 98 in August 2012.
Cunningham is ranked world No. 326.
6 p.m.: No. 8 seed Auguste Dussourd easily defeated unseeded Sam Gould. Dussourd, a 19-year-old Frenchman, won the match in three quick games, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6.
Dussourd is world No. 248. Gould, a 26-year-old from Cambridge, MA, is world No. 310.
7 p.m: Unseeded teenage phenom Jesus Camacho swept past No. 2 seed Fred Reid. Camacho, a 17-year-old from Cuautitlan Izcali, Mexico, beat Reid with finesse, speed and the ability to retrieve every shot hit at him. The game scores were 11-4, 11-5 and 11-9.
Reid, a 25-year-old Canadian, made many unforced errors, which contributed to the lopsided game scores.
Reid is world No. 414, and was ranked 107 in September 2013. Camacho is world No. 202.

Qualifying round complete at Kiva Club Open

9/16/2015

Sam Gould (left) upset Heraclio Salaiz Estrada, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3.

Sam Gould (left) and Heraclio Salaiz Estrada after the match.

Ahmad Alzabidi (left) defeated Drewe Williams, 11-1, 11-6, 11-6.

Drewe Williams (left) and Ahmad Alzabidi

Dylan Cunningham (right) handled Tom Abrams, 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.

Dylan Cunningham (left) and Tom Abrams

Juan Gomez Dominguez (right) defeated Italo Bonatti, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.

The match was tense, with both players complaining about lets.

The final four qualifying matches of the Kiva Club Open were played Wednesday (Sept. 16) in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In the first match, Sam Gould upset Heraclio Salaiz Estrada in three games, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3.
The 26-year-old Gould is ranked No. 310 in the world. He controlled the match with accurate rails, especially on the backhand side. He dominated the third game, winning the last four points and running off a string of five in a row before that.
Gould lives in Cambridge, MA, and was the No. 6 seed in the qualifying draw.
Salaiz Estrada, 29, is based in Phoenix, AZ, but plays for Mexico (he was born in Chihuahua, Mexico). He is currently ranked 257 in the world, and was the No. 1 seed in the qualifying draw.
In the second match, Ahmad Alzabidi, a big left-hander who lives in Washington, DC, and plays for Jordan, took apart Drewe Williams, the Kiva Club pro and hometown favorite, in three straight games, 11-1, 11-6, 11-6. Alzabidi is 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 203 pounds, but he danced around the court like a bantam-weight boxer.
Alzabidi mixed brutal fast-paced drives with delicate drops to control play, making the 37-year-old Williams work to stay in every point.
Alzabidi, 26, is currently ranked 304 in the world. His highest ranking was 149 in December 2011. He was the No. 3 seed in the qualifying draw.
In the third match, Dylan Cunningham, a lanky 21-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio, ran 53-year-old Tom Abrams all over the court, winning in three easy games, 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.
Cunningham, who is ranked 326 in the world and was the No. 4 seed in the qualifying draw, dominated the T, using his 6-foot, 4-inch frame to cut off shots and pressure Abrams.
As he left the court after the first game, Abrams, who is a Santa Fe realtor, said, "I'm breathing, sort of." (Such are the effects of Santa Fe's thin air -- the city is 7,000 feet above sea level -- especially when you are a 53-year-old playing a 21-year-old.)
The afternoon's final game was the most competitive and intense.
Juan Gomez Dominguez, a 19-year-old from Vera Cruz, Mexico, defeated 28-year-old Italo Bonatti from Guatemala City, Guatemala, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7. Both players worked the referee, complaining about lets, and Gomez Dominguez complained that Bonatti was slowing down play between serves.
Gomez Dominguez is the current world No. 361 and was the No. 5 seed in the qualifying draw. Bonatti is ranked 267 and was the No. 2 seed in the qualifying draw.
The tournament continues Thursday with the opening round of the main draw. The final will be played Sunday.
The Kiva Club Open is a first-time tournament, and has $5,000 in prize money. The tournament is being played at a private squash club in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The club has about 120 members. Santa Fe’s elevation is 7,000 feet, so players are using a high-altitude ball.

Juan Gomez Dominguez (left) and Italo Bonatti after the match.

Two locals make it into the Kiva Club Open's second qualifying round

9/15/2015

Sam Gould (right) handled Sean Gallagher, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4.

Drewe Williams (right) beat Bryan Bonilla in a four-game match, 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11.

Tom Abrams (left) defeated Walter Burke in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9.

Drewe Williams (second from the left in the white T-shirt) refereed the Abrams-Burke qualifying match at the Kiva Club.

The Kiva Club Open featured three qualifying matches Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 15).
The Kiva Club Open is a Professional Squash Association (PSA) tournament with $5,000 in prize money. The tournament also includes amateur doubles and singles; those matches start Friday.
In the Tuesday's first match, Sam Gould easily handled Sean Gallagher, winning in straight games, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4.
Gould, a 26-year-old from Cambridge, MA, is currently ranked 310 in the world and is the qualifying draw's No. 6 seed.
Gallagher, 49, is a wealth manager in Santa Fe, NM. He was unseeded and is unranked.
In the second match, Kiva Club squash pro Drewe Williams defeated No. 7 seed Bryan Bonilla in four games, 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11. The 45-minute match had many long rallies, and the final game ended with several dramatic lead changes.
Williams jumped to a 6-1 lead in that fourth game, but Bonilla came back to move ahead 7-6. After several ties and more lead changes, Bonilla found himself with a 10-8 lead and a game point that would have tied the match at two games apiece.
But Williams hit a winning cross-court drop to make it 10-9, then Bonilla missed a drop to tie it up at 10-10. Williams and Bonilla traded points to make it 11-11, then Bonilla missed a drop shot to make it 12-11 and caught the tin at match point, giving Williams the win.
Bonilla, 23, is currently ranked 339 in the world. He lives in Guatemala City.
Williams, 37, is originally from Chester in England. He now lives in Santa Fe with his wife and two young sons.
In the day's final qualifying match, Tom Abrams defeated Walter Burke in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9.
Abrams, 53, is a Santa Fe realtor. Burke, 62, runs a catering business and is the Kiva Club Open tournament chairman.
The tournament continues Wednesday with the four final qualifying matches starting at 1 p.m.. The main draw of 16 players starts Thursday at noon with the final on Sunday.
The Kiva Club Open is a first-time PSA tournament. It is being played at a private squash club in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe's elevation is 7,000 feet, so players are using a high-altitude ball.

Kiva Club Open had a lot of winners!

Chris Hanson wins the first-ever Kiva Club Open

Chris Hanson and Jesus Camacho are the Kiva Open finalists

Kiva Open: Hanson, Khan, Camacho and Alzabidi make semi-finals

Here's the news from the Kiva Open's main-draw first round

Qualifying round complete at Kiva Club Open

Two locals make it into the Kiva Club Open's second qualifying round

Got squash news?

Squash calendar

News archives

News categories