James Stout, World Rackets Champion since 2008, and Professional real Tennis and Squash doubles player, recorded back-to-back victories in Philadelphia recently.
Playing at the Philadelphia Racket Club in the U.S. Open Rackets Singles Championships Stout defeated world number 2, Alex Titchener-Barrett 3-1 in the final to retain the title he won in New York last year. The game he lost to Titchener-Barrett, the first game of the final, was the only game he lost in the tournament. After losing the first game 15-4, he steadily improved to take the next three games decisively, 15-9, 15-4 and 15-1.
In the final of the U.S. Open Rackets Doubles Championships, played after the Singles Final, Stout and his partner, fellow New York professional Mike Gooding, who were seeded second, defeated the top seeds World-Ranked 4 and 5, Will Hopton and James Coyne, in fairly quick fashion 3-0 (15-9, 15-8, 15-5). This was Stout and Gooding’s first major Rackets Doubles title win as a team. Stout had previously won the U.S. Open Doubles Title in 2008 with Neil Smith, also in Philadelphia. Despite the one-sided score line, spectators were treated to what was described as some of the best rackets they had ever seen.
Playing in the 2013 Graham Cup at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia, second-seeded Stout (Squash Doubles Association ranking 14) and his partner Greg McArthur (SDA #10) defeated top seeds John Russell (SDA #9) and former PSA world #1 squash player John White (SDA #17) 3-1. This was Stout and McArthur’s first SDA victory as a pair in their first full season playing together. The tournament was a challenger event open only to players ranked outside the top 12 in the SDA. At the time that entries closed McArthur and Stout were ranked #15 and #18, while Russell and White were ranked #14 and #17.
In the first game Stout and McArthur had game ball at 14-12, when Russell and White rallied to level the game at 14-all. A perfect cross-court from McArthur won the game for he and his partner. In the second game, Stout and McArthur let a 13-9 lead slip through their hands as Russell and White recovered to take the game 15-13. The third game saw Stout and McArthur lead all the way, winning comfortably 15-9. A closer fourth game saw the teams tied on 12-all, then Stout and MacArthur moved to 14-13, and closed out the game 15-13 to take the match three games to one.
