03-Oct, Semi-Finals:

[1] Mark Krajcsak (Hun) bt [4] Ben Ford (Eng)
           8/11, 11/7, 11/5, 11/7 (55m)
[2] Robbie Temple (Eng) bt [3] Shaun Le Roux (Eng)
          11/8, 18/16, 4/11, 8/11, 11/9 (105m) 

Top seed takes out Ford
Alan Steptoe reports

An excellent start for Ford, continuing to play sublime squash and able to find his trademark winners. Ford as usual controlling the pace and direction of the game whist Krajcsak holds on and tried to dig in. Ford now moving freely around the court, playing lots of boasts and daring Krajcsak to go short. Krajcsak carefully placed at least 5-6 attempted winners into the tin, some partly forced and others unforced. Ford takes the first with a brilliant deceptive back hand trickle boast which Krajcsak could only watch from the T.

Krajcsak was clearly becoming edgy as he tried to find an answer to Ford's racket skills. I expected Krajcsak to up the pace several gears in the second, but he didn’t go mad like the third game against Lewis yesterday, instead he notched up one gear and started to volley more, maintaining his accuracy and making it much more difficult for Ford to retain overall control.



A somewhat frustrated Ford stayed level at 5/5 and 6/6 then something changed, Ford virtually stopped chasing the ball down and changed to pretty much 100% shot making, going in very early in each rally, some finding the target, whilst others hit the tin, the remainder Krajcsak converted to winners.

From then on Ford hardly contested the match. Krajscak, in my opinion, did exactly the right thing (for himself anyway) by extending he rallies considerably and waiting patiently to go short. The scores piled on and so the next three games went relatively quickly to the Hungarian champion. Ford was apparently unhappy with his own performance it later transpired, shame because the crowd seemed to be loving every minute of the flair filled first game.

Once again Krajscak figured it out and acted quickly, I guess that’s why he is the tournament favourite.

"Won the first but I just wasn’t playing good squash, not playing that well. At 6/6 in the second I just got fed up with playing negative squash and wasn’t enjoying it at all. I knew in my head how to win but just couldn’t find the focus.

"Krajcsak started to volley more in the second game and that made it much more difficult for me.

"Good tournament, great to be able to spend the day with my little girl instead of being bored in a hotel room. Hope it’s on again next year."

"Shouldn’t have hit three tins in a row in the last game. He is very tricky to play being a left hander, his technique is so deceptive and yes its hard to play such a good friend, I would rather have played Mark Krajcsak in the semi.

"Good luck to Robbie in the final."





"I'm not happy with the way I played. I did dig in well, think the squash deteriorated as the game went on. Switched off at 8/8 in the fourth.

"I felt that I lost confidence in my drops and never felt very comfortable really through the match. Maybe I am thinking too much instead of going out and just playing. Getting a bit frustrated with my match play really.

"Maybe it was so difficult because Shaun is such a good player, he was the one stopping me volleying after all."

8/11, 11/7, 11/5, 11/7 (55m)

[4] Ben Ford

7/11, 7/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/9 (80m)

[2] Robbie Temple

11/8, 18/16, 4/11, 8/11, 11/9 (105m)

[2] Robbie Temple

02-Oct, Quarters:

"Don’t think he believed he could win from the minute he walked on. So after I took the first game I felt confident thereafter. I’m still not happy with my drop shots today. I think I was never behind, always in front. Just need to be a bit sharper if I am playing Krajcsak tomorrow. "



"I enjoyed it, maybe a bit too much. He was more accurate that it really. He was more composed, more experience. I have to work on being steadier and stronger. I appreciate his game a lot, its very clean you know, nice to watch. "

Mark Krajcsak 3-0 Lewis Walters

Mark Krajcsak was on sparking form, sharp and focussed right from the start, relentless in his pursuit for the shot to end the rally. It takes a good player to beat Lewis Walters convincingly. Krajcsak was playing at a higher pace and Walters was not ready to go with him early on, perhaps in no small part to his marathon match yesterday. Strangely in the final game, Krajcsak notched up the pace a couple more gears and impressively Lewis went with him.

In an effort to end the encounter quickly, Krajcsak began to make a few mistakes which you cant do against a quality player. But to showing his quality, Krajcsak didn’t need more than a few rallies & poor shots to immediately put an end to the mistakes and thereby soon after an end to the match.
 

Joe Lee 1-3 Shaun Le Roux

"I just felt a bit flat on there really, bit lazy in my movement. He was then punishing me because I was a little bit later getting to the ball. Just one of those days. Need to look at the way I start matches, its taking me a game to figure it out what I want to do."




"I knew what type of game he plays, he is a counter attacker. I tried to keep him behind me and wait for my opportunity.

"Should have won in three really, but lost 11/9 in the 3rd from 9/9. I set up with a good length which got me the opportunities to go in short. Should be a good match with Robbie tomorrow, its been 3-2 the last two times, one to him and one to me."

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