Barrington Battles To Baltimore Booty

Joey Barrington earned his status as top seed in the Baltimore Cup when he beat qualifier Chris Ryder in the all-English final of the PSA Tour event in the largest city in the US state of Maryland.

The match was closer than the scoreline suggests, the three games lasting just under an hour. All the rallies were well-contested, the ball being moved around accurately with nice changes of pace from both players before 26-year-old Barrington, from Somerset, clinched his 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 victory in 58 minutes.

"Joey's superior consistency proved to be the difference between the finalists, with Ryder's error count growing under constant pressure from the tournament favourite," explained newly-installed club professional Ben Garner. "His play has improved as the week has progressed and he hasn't dropped a game since the first round, fully justifying his status as the event's top seed."

Despite the disappointment of losing in the final, Ryder - the recently-crowned World University champion - will be delighted with his efforts in Baltimore, having progressed through the qualifying competition, the final being his sixth match of the week!

Barrington's triumph marks his fourth PSA Tour title - and his second in the USA this year after winning the Oklahoma City Open trophy in July.

Final:
[1] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 (58m)