R1: [5] Diego Elias (Per) 3-2 Declan James (Eng) 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3 (65m)
Very hard work from both players, Declan playing at a fast pace he is comfortable at, so a bit of drop of energy in the 3d, and excellent fourth, with Diego kept in line of chatting too much for his own good by John Masserella, and a quick finish from the Peruvian 11/3 in the 5th…
Declan
It was a bit of a mental fitness that made the difference on top of physical hard work… I pushed maybe a bit too hard in the first game and a half, and I got tired in the third. Then I got my second wind back, and it was a good game. But the fifth, a couple of hard rallies, and I was done. That’s the difference with those top 10 guys, they are used to that kind of rallies day in day out. That makes the difference
I thought I could have made it difficult for him, but like I said, too much work produced at the start, and I need more matches at that level to get in shape..
Diego
It wasn’t my best squash, but I think it’s going to help me for the rest of the week,”
“It’s hard with not much practice, it was my first match, out of breath after the second game. I’m happy to win and I think I’m going to be better and ready for the next match.
You learn so much from Greg. He’s one of the best players ever, so I feel really look to spend time with him. I’m trying to learn as much as I can. He’s been helping me a lot of with my discipline – staying healthy, training hard and be ready for every tournament. We have been playing for the last three months, so it’s unlucky we have to play in the next round.
