PSB Wilson Squash Classic one for the ages
Blake Frazer is fighting age the best he can.
The 66-year-old Peterborough Squash Club member stays fit through squash and running but this year he made one concession to age. He’s played in the PSB Wilson Squash Classic before but this year, for the first time, he entered the 60-and-over division. He lost to Whitby’s David Carroll in a well-contested final 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9.
“I’ve been at the game a long time, since I went to university a number of years ago,” Frazer said. “Age does catch up with you a bit. I thought it was time to see if I could do a little better in my age group.”
Carroll, 60, started playing at 15 but came back to the sport four years ago after a 20-year hiatus. He finished seventh at the Ontario masters championship earlier this year and this was just his second 60+ tournament.
“The kids are grown up now and I have plenty of time to go out and do stuff,” Carroll said.
He had not competed in the Peterborough tournament before but was drawn to it by the 60+ division.
“As soon as I saw that I was in,” said Carroll. “It’s hard to get eight guys at 60 to come out and play.”
One thing that hasn’t diminished with age is the competitive spirt.
“When you get older you lose a step but not enough to pack it in. It’s still fun,” said Frazer.
He threw a scare into Carroll as he was leading for much of the fourth game before Carroll closed it out.
“I thought Blake was coming back,” said Carroll. “It was a great game. I really enjoyed it; the whole facility, the food, the sponsors. I really enjoyed it.”
“I got off to a slow start,” Frazer said. “I got better each game but I was down two games to zip. I felt I was coming on but it was too little too late.”
The fifth annual tournament drew 50 competitors of varied ages and skills. The top competitors were in the A Division where Toronto’s Sean Oh beat Millbrook’s Sterling Gibbons 11-8, 11-3, 17-15 in the final. Oh, 38, was once ranked 16th in Ontario and 62nd in Canada but now teaches squash and doesn’t get to play as often. He also won the tournament in 2013.
“I love this town, Peterborough is a beautiful town and there are nice people here,” Oh said.
He and some friends found the tournament on the Squash Ontario web site in 2013.
“We had a really great experience at this club so we keep coming back,” said Oh.
He’s played Gibbons a number of times over the years.
“He is a super nice guy and a strong player,” said Oh. “The match was 3-0 for me but the games were really close especially the last game. It was super tight.”
In the B final, Greg Sweeney (Pickering Rec Complex) defeated. Mike Layton 11-5, 11-7, 11-6. In the C final, Shamail Zubar (Pickering Rec Complex) beat Carey Smith (Clarington Squash Club) 11-5, 11-5, 10-12, 11-6. In the D final, Alex Raby (Goodlife Parkview) defeated George Gill Sr. (Peterborough Squash Club) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6.