Dussourd Downs Masotti To Reach J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions Second Round

France’s Auguste Dussourd overcame the challenge of compatriot Baptiste Masotti to advance through to the second round of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York City, winning a match at a PSA World Tour Gold level event for the first time in his career.

This was only the second meeting on Tour between the pair, with Masotti having claimed the only win back in 2016. This clash, which came on the glass court at Grand Central Terminal, saw the World No.21 come out strongly once again, and he took the first game 11-8 to hold the lead in the contest.

He went on to hold a 10-7 lead in the second game, but Dussourd, who sits 18 places below his fellow Frenchman in the World Rankings, saved three game balls before going on to win it 12-10. Dussourd then fought back from 8-4 down in the third as well to move into the lead of the contest for the first time.

The fourth game followed a much similar pattern, with the World No.39 coming from behind once more, claiming the victory with a second tie-break win in the match, to defeat Masotti for the first time, and to also win a match at a PSA World Tour Gold level event for the first time as well.

“It’s the best venue I have played in my life,” said Dussourd.

“I was so happy to get in [to the draw] and to get the win for the first time I am here. I will have one day to enjoy [the win] and then I’ll think about the next match.

“I will maybe watch this match once to see what I did right and did wrong, then after that I will focus on the next match against a top player.”

Elsewhere, another Frenchman in Victor Crouin made it through to the second round after getting the better of England’s Nathan Lake. While Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim downed Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann to advance to the last 16.

However, the pair will do battle for the second time in three days, as following the late withdrawal of Mostafa Asal due to a positive pre-flight COVID-19 test, the Swiss No.2 was drawn out as the ‘Lucky Loser’, and will take the place of the Egyptian in the last 16. He will face Youssef Ibrahim again on Wednesday evening.

In the women’s event, England’s Lucy Turmel secured her first event victory at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, as she battled her way past Hong Kong’s Tze Lok Ho, going all the way to a deciding game at Grand Central Terminal.

The pair did battle in Boston in January, with the Englishwoman winning 3-0 on that occasion, but this time, it was far from easy. She led twice in the contest, after winning both the first and third games, but the Hongkonger was able to level the match on both occasions. Eventually, after 71 minutes, Turmel completed the victory, and she will now face Canada’s Hollie Naughton in the second round.

“I’m just really happy,” said Turmel.

“Matches like that are sometimes the most rewarding because I felt quite flat in several parts, I’m just happy to win.

“After I lost that fourth I just really concentrated on trying to get the ball into the back, ironically that created more lets. It was the right gameplan in the end because I could see she was tiring and it gave me the openings at the front.”

After having a back problem during her practice hit in the morning, Canada’s Danielle Letourneau was able to battle past Czech No.1 Anna Serme in the opening match of the day’s play, with Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam and Frenchwoman Melissa Alves being the other two women to advance on day two in New York City.

The second round of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions gets underway on Tuesday, May 3, with play starting at 12:00 (GMT-4). All the action from Grand Central Terminal will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.

Men’s First Round Results: J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
James Willstrop (ENG) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-1: 11-3, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 (46m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-1: 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 12-10 (55m)
Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 8-11, 7-0 rtd (30m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 14-12, 11-6 (44m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (36m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 13-11 (42m)

Men’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Tuesday, May 3
[7] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Victor Crouin (FRA)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v [4] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[3] Diego Elias (PER) v Moustafa El Sirty (EGY)
[8] Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [WC] Timothy Brownell (USA)

Men’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Wednesday, May 4
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v James Willstrop (ENG)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) v [6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [5] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [L] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)

Women’s First Round Results: J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Anna Serme (CZE) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Tze Lok Ho (HKG) 3-2: 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4 (71m)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (32m)
Melissa Alves (FRA) bt Donna Lobban (AUS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (27m)

*Women’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Tuesday, May 3*
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) v [4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
[3] Salma Hany (EGY) v [WC] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG)
[7] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
Farida Mohamed (EGY) v [2] Amanda Sobhy (USA)

Women’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Wednesday, May 4
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [8] Hollie Naughton (CAN)
[5] Olivia Fiechter (USA) v Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
Melissa Alves (FRA) v [6] Olivia Clyne (USA)