PAUL BRADY likes New York and that's why he hopes to stay in the Big Apple for a few days' holiday after this weekend's NYAC Stop, the latest tournament in the WPH R48 season.
Sightseeing will be secondary, of course, for the Cavan man as he aims to recharge his season with a win after the disappointment of losing in Houston: “Since I get sponsorship here, I regard the New York Athletic Club as a home club,” said Brady.
“New York is a vibrant city and I intend to spend a few days here after the tournament. Of course, I want to get my game back on track with another win.”
Brady was shocked, for the second time in his career, by underdog Mando Ortiz in ProStop No 4 in Texas with the Californian winning the semi-final battle in three games – 15-6, 11-15, 15-13.
Ortiz went on to win his first ProStop event with victory over Sean Lenning in the final. Again the man from Northwalk, outside LA, had to survive a shootout. He stormed to a 15-0 win in the first game, lost the second 7-15 but won the third 15-13, the same score as he beat Brady by. Having won both the semi-final and final in a play-off shows the power of Ortiz.
Now the Californian will be keen to make it back-to-back wins but he will, surely, find Brady and company in a dour mood.
Despite his loss in Houston, Brady is again short-priced to add to his magnificent haul of titles and add considerably to his bank balance. He and Cork's Killian Carroll don't have to qualify as they are among the eight players who are seeded for ProStop V. The qualifiers, in which any player can compete, has a number of Irish involved, all hoping to reach the tour event.
Among the hopefuls are Omagh youth Gabhain McCrystal, Stephen Cooney, Colin Grehan, Michael Gregan and David Maloney. To reach the tournament proper would surely be a huge boost to any of them.
However, the focus will be on the likes of Brady, Ortiz, Carroll, Lenning, Moreno and Peixoto, a group from which the winner should come.
Running alongside the men's action is the Women's NYAC ProStop tournament for which locally sponsored Catriona Casey is favourite. Limerick's Martina McMahon and Roscommon's Hilary Rushe are also involved with the prospects of an all-Irish final and the prospects of a Brady-Casey winning double over the weekend.
