White Motors To Detroit Title
Final:
[1] John White (SCO) bt [8] Liam Kenny (IRL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
Scotsman John White showed why, at 33, he is still one of the world’s premier squash players when he beat Irishman Liam Kenny in the final of the Cadillac Motor City Open to lift the $30,000 PSA Tour title before a capacity crowd at the Birmingham Athletic Club in Detroit, USA.
Runner-up last year, White dominated the match to win 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 and received a $5,200 award and a Rolex watch after blowing through the eighth-seeded Irishman in just half an hour.
The title was White’s third of the year, and the 11th of his illustrious career. In last year’s MCO, he was swept in the finals by Canadian Jonathon Power. But since then, the game’s biggest hitter has settled his family in Philadelphia, settled down his game, and reduced his errors. The result was a different, more-consistent White.
"It’s good to win, especially coming here," said the world No11. "It’s not good to come in the second spot, which I’ve done many times before. It’s always good to win a tournament for the first time. The squash crowd is so enthusiastic here, which makes it even better to play in front of."
Suffering from an injured knee left over from his semi-final marathon against top seed Adrian Grant, Kenny often seemed to be playing on one leg against the relentless White.
From the first point, White controlled the match. The big Scot took a 5-0 lead in the first stanza and finished it with nine winners. He was equally dominant in game two as it became apparent that Kenny was plagued by a sore knee suffered in his gruelling 2-hour defeat of Grant the night before. White took a commanding 9-2 lead - finishing it with a drop shot just above the tin.
Urged on by a crowd eager to see more squash, Kenny - the 40th-ranked player in the world - won the first point of the third game. Showing the gritty determination that had earned him a surprise final berth, he took a 6-5 lead - before White shifted into another gear and won six straight points for the match.
"Most of my shots were coming off very nicely," White said. "He wasn’t moving very well. He played unbelievably yesterday to win in two hours, and I knew he was going to be a little bit tired."
"John’s proven that he’s a real shot-maker," said Kenny. Then, acknowledging the toll the Grant match had taken, he added: "If you’re not really 100 percent, like I wasn’t today, then he’s gonna make you pay. Full credit to him. He didn’t really give me much of a chance to get into the game today."
Kenny, who has never beaten White, was still rightly pleased with a tourney that saw him defeat world No13 Grant as well as fourth seed Shahier Razik.
“I had a great week,” Kenny said. “I really can’t complain. I feel like my squash is getting to another level. My consistency’s always been there, but just really breaking through like I did yesterday is gonna do me (good) for the rest of the season. And I’m hoping for big things.”