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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
CSA Singles Tournament
Players Mentioned
Princeton Senior Mauricio Sanchez Falls In Classic National Squash Final
March 01, 2009 | Men's Squash
For the first time in more than a decade, the CSA men's squash national individual final went the distance. For the third time in as many weeks, Trinity's Baset Chaudhry and Princeton's Mauricio Sanchez played a five-game thriller. In front of a full crowd, the two top players in the country played a third classic, and it was the reigning national champion who took down Sanchez in five games.
"It was a wonderful final," Princeton head coach Bob Callahan said. "Incredibly high quality play by both. Both ran forever and both hit great shots. I'm really proud of Mau for the way he played and for such a wonderful career. Two national finals, two semifinals, four Ivy League team titles and four national team finals."
The first national final between Trinity and Princeton since 2002, when the Bantams' Bernardo Samper defeated Princeton's Will Evans '03, was a rematch from the No. 1 match between the two schools over the last two weekends. In the regular season finale, Sanchez raced out to a 2-0 lead, withstood a two-game charge and defeated Chaudhry in the fifth game; it marked only the second collegiate loss for the Trinity junior in his career. Last Sunday, in the thrilling national team final, Chaudhry battled back from a 5-0 deficit in the fifth game to claim the decisive match.
The national individual final, held at Williams College, saw a different beginning than either of the previous two matches, as Chaudhry got out to a 9-6 win in the first game. Sanchez battled back for a 10-9 win in the second, but trailed again when Chaudhry won the third game 9-4. Sanchez won the fourth game 9-5, setting up the winner-take-all fifth game. Chaudhry jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Sanchez fought back for the next three points and seemed in position to make one final surge, but the physically-imposing Chaudhry had one final answer. He took the last three points and won a second straight national title with a 3-2 victory.
The disappointing loss shouldn't tarnish one of the finest careers in Princeton squash history. Sanchez will be a four-time All-America honoree, a three-time Ivy League Player of the Year and the 2006 Ivy League Rookie of the Year. He lost only one Ivy League match in his career, and that came as a freshman against Yale senior and former national finalist Julian Illingworth. Sanchez made four national semifinals, two national championships and led the Princeton Tigers to unprecedented team success; no player before had ever graduated with four Ivy League men's squash titles, but Sanchez and his senior teammates, including varsity veterans Kimlee Wong and Hesham El Halaby, will be the first to achieve that honor.