Crombie, Chin Lead Team USA at 2007 World Men’s Team Championships

By Robbie Berner

American Julian Illingworth (R) put up a fight in the 13/14 playoff against New Zealand’s Kashif Shuja but fell in four games. In the end, the US team finished equal to their pre-event seeding of No. 14.
American Julian Illingworth (R) put up a fight in the 13/14 playoff against New Zealand’s Kashif Shuja but fell in four games. In the end, the US team finished equal to their pre-event seeding of No. 14.

Jamie Crombie and Richard Chin, two of the most capped competitors in the history of international squash, led Team USA at the 2007 World Men’s Team Championships in Chennai, India.  Along with fellow Americans Julian Illingworth and Christopher Gordon, Team USA finished the competition in 14th place.

Seeded 14th, Team USA went 2-1 in pool play, topping  Japan and Venezuela before losing to France, thus securing its place in the top 16. In the first round of the knock-out stage Australia’s lineup of David Palmer, Stewart Boswell and Scott Arnold proved too strong, as Team USA was knocked out of the top 8.

In their next match against South Africa, Illingworth was unable to pull off a much needed victory against Jesse Engelbrecht, and coupled with Gordon’s loss to Adrian Hansen, Team USA was denied a top 12 finish.

Needing to win both their final matches to close out the tournament and secure 13th place, matching its finish from 2005 in Pakistan, the U.S. earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a young Hong Kong squad. The finale against New Zealand, however, saw Illingworth go down in a tight four game match to Kashif Shuja before Gordon went down to Campbell Grayson, as the Kiwis dropped the US to 14th place.