Montreal Open 2019
26 Feb - 03 Mar, Canada, $25k

03-Mar, Final:
Top seed Borja bags Montreal title
Runa Reta reports


In the very first point, the #1 seeded Borja Golan started with three quick boasts, as if testing the movement of his Malaysian opponent. Seeing that it was okay, the two proceeded to play what seemed like a game of eternal long-ball, both wanting to squeeze something loose off of straight length to mount their attack.

I have to say, it was really nice to see Golan smiling and making a few light-hearted comments to the ref (poor Rafa Kandra again) early on, a change from the tension he displayed in his last few matches. But perhaps that had something to do with the fact that he was playing against one of the most sportsman players on tour (in my opinion).

There was not much in it in the first, but the Malaysian Tiger (trademark!) had an effective strategy of lifting the ball and giving himself plenty of time to reset on the T, patiently waiting to pounce on any lapse in the Spaniard’s accuracy. At 5-all, Adnan pulled away by a few points, and was able to secure the first 11-9.

Adnan started the second with two beautifully measured points, only to follow with two inexplicably impatient errors. Coming away from his strategy of hitting high and soft, the Spaniard seized on the dip in his opponent’s concentration to masterfully control across the middle and storm to a quick 7-2 lead.

Despite a few impressive winners off the Malaysian’s racquet, it was clear that the gap was too large (especially against a player of Golan’s quality) and thus conceded the second, 11-4. El torro jutted out his chin (a la Gauthier), showing that he had officially sunk his horns into the match.

Golan started the third by effectively peppering in quick variations to his long game, while Adnan tried to get back to lifting the ball. The two players, who were more amicable at the beginning of the match, were now starting to get slightly annoyed with each other, surely understanding how important it was to get every possible advantage to win this third game.

Adnan pulled to a 7-5 lead, which followed with the longest point of the match, ending in a questionable stroke for the Spaniard. Another brutal rally at 9-8, where Adnan must have won the point three times before the ball came right back to Golan who screamed ‘no!’ to the ref, before smiling and realizing that it was obviously a stroke.

That slight release of tension was all it took for the Spaniard to get his head back in and play two beautiful points, ending on a heart-wrenching forehand flick that skidded away from the Malaysian. He took the third 11-9.

Even though the Tiger was the first back on court, it was el torro who started quicker of the two, taking an early 4-1 lead. Adnan, who was breathing heavier than his older opponent, dug in deep, lifting the ball again and closing the court down as best as he could.

He got back to 5-all, but his attacks to the front started to lose some of their bite. Meanwhile, the Spaniard started playing Adnan’s game, lifting high and straight, except for he was doing it with greater accuracy, and was picking off the loose shots with more severe effect. Golan played 4 or 5 incredibly precise and patient rallies to give himself a 10-6 lead.

At match ball, Golan gave Adnan a bear hug trying to get to the next shot, to which both had a good chuckle, the respect between both players strongly evident. It only took one shot for Borja Golan to finish the match 11-6 and become the Montreal Open Champion for a second time in his career.

It was a fantastic display of squash from two veterans over the age of 30, showing incredible skill, athleticism and dedication to their sport. The Montreal crowd is very appreciative.​

Streaming & Replays

Qualifying, 26-27 Feb:

Finals:
Jesus Camacho (Mex) 3-0 Alister Walker (Bot)                          11-3, 11-6, 11-9
Ramit Tandon (Ind) 3-0 Emyr Evans (Wal)                                11-7, 11-4, 11-4
Baptiste Masotti (Fra) 3-2 Andrew Schnell (Can)       7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2
Alfredo Avila (Mex) 3-1 Auguste Dussourd (Fra)                11-9, 3-11, 11-4, 11-6

Round One:
Jesus Camacho (Mex) 3-0 Jason Delierre (Can)                     11-5, 11-5, 11-3
Alister Walker (Bot) 3-1 Juan Camilo Vargas (Col)        11-5, 7-11, 14-12, 11-7
Emyr Evans (Wal) 3-1 Robertino Pezzota (Arg)        11-13, 14-12, 12-10, 11-8
Ramit Tandon (Ind) 3-0 Eric Dingle (Can)                            11-2, 11-3, 11-3
Andrew Schnell (Can) 3-0 Charlie Lee (Eng)                         11-7, 11-7, 11-7
Baptiste Masotti (Fra) 3-2 Daniel Mekbib (Cze)    11-7, 3-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9
Alfredo Avila (Mex) 3-0 Mike McCue (Can)                            11-7, 11-6, 11-3
Auguste Dussourd (Fra) 3-0 Cameron Seth                         11-8, 11-9, 11-8

Runa Reta reports

Nafizwan Adnan (Mas) 3-1 Raphael Kandra (87m)

The first semi-final match started in front of a packed crowd, the two players feeling each other out with long rallies, and the Malaysian clearly trying to pick on the left-handed German’s backhand.

But Kandra hung in tough, absorbing the pressure and patiently waiting for an opportunity to apply pressure. A few squeezes off of tight straight drops allowed the German to pull out the first game 11-9.

Adnan came flying out of the gates in the second, taking a 6-1 lead by not only going to the German’s backhand, but also mixing up the pace - quick at times, slow and high at others. It paid dividends as the Malaysian pulled away with a 4-point lead and was able to win the second 11-7.

The third game was neck and neck, with some incredibly long rallies, but it seemed that every brutal exchange finished with the Malaysian on top. At 9-all, a key error allowed Adnan to edge forward and stick his nose ahead 11-9.

The first few rallies of the fourth were fast and furious, with the German trying to pump himself up. But at about 3-2, Kandra started showing signs of slowing and the supremely fit Adnan capitalized.

Taking the ball in short as much as he could, he could smell victory, finishing off the match 11-3.

Borja Golan (Esp) 3-1 Campbell Grayson (Nzl) (76m)

The second semi-final started a bit slower, with both players trying to establish their length and jockey for position on the T. The two seemed ready to play patiently, not forcing the issue too much.

But it was el torro whose shots were that much tighter, and the occasional hold seemed to keep the Kiwi in a constant state of uncertainty. Grayson tried to force the pace a bit more in the second, looking to pair excellent length with a quick counter-drop. It worked, as he started pulling away, getting an 8-3 lead. Golan was getting quite annoyed (at one point staring at his racquet and blaming it for all his woes) but as a typical champion, he dug in and committed himself to chipping away at the lead, with one-point-at-a-time squash.

Proceedings started to unravel a bit at 9-all, with a number of let calls that had the Spaniard giving his best puppy dog look when trying to convince the player ref (the German Kandra) to change his decisions. A long rally that was beautifully played by Grayson left the Spaniard unable to return the ball after a full-out sprint on the diagonal.

Grayson took the second 11-9 with a huge roar and fist pump. Golan started the stronger of the two in the third, taking a 6-1 lead, until interference started to play a part again, with both players coming off the court to argue their case to the judge (ref). At one point, a double bounce was called by the ref which Grayson challenged, imploring him to check the video review on the screen to see the obviously good ball.

But it was unclear whether the ref should be using it, and so he went with what he saw. It was a tense affair, with one player getting hit on the take-back, another taking a tumble at one point, and overall, a lot more drama than in the first match.

The Kiwi made a valiant attempt to recover from a 10-7 lead, but was unable to, as Golan took the 4th 11-8. The fourth game was another close affair, with both standing on the ball a bit too much for the other’s liking, and creating a lot of traffic in the front and mid-court.

Grayson showed signs of slowing at about the mid-way mark, and a rally ending in him splayed on the floor, betrayed his fatigue. The stealthy Spaniard charged ahead, ending the math on a wrist-breaking flick that left his opponent hailing a cab in the opposite direction.
 

Streaming & Replays

Meanwhile, Masotti seemed to be inspired by the squash gods, playing a number of outrageous points and looking confident that he could slot the ball into the nick from virtually every part of the court. He finished the 3rd, 11-6, with the German slamming the ball into the tin off the serve out of frustration.

More of the same continued in the 4th until 3-4, where a disputed let call led to both players trying to explain the rules of squash to one another. Then a slight slip on the court by Masotti at 4-all and a look of concern to his corner was all it took for the momentum to switch back to the German.

Though he still fired in a few winners, it was not enough as Kandra ran away with the 4th game. All credit to Masotti – he never once doubted his strategy of blisteringly attacking play. He took an early 4-1 lead... but would it be enough? The German started clawing away at the lead and G’ing himself up between points, while the near-perfect forehand straight drops and kills of Masotti started to find the tin for the first time.Kandra hung in to take the fifth 11-7.

The Frenchman took a long breath and stared forlornly at the wall before shaking Kandra’s hand (and tapping his butt- perhaps a French thing he learned from Gauthier). It was a wonderful effort from Baptiste Masotti who will be able to take a lot away from his week in Montreal.

Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) 3-2 Karim Ali Fathi (Egy)​

Watching the slender, unassuming Egyptian dressed in red versus the muscular, thunder-thigh Malaysian in blue, I felt like I was watching an Xbox game.

The two were attacking and retrieving at a furious pace and moving each other from corner to corner. Despite a number of errors off of Fathi’s racquet, he showed a slight bit more of firepower to narrowly take the first.

The second started much the same, with a mix of all-out-attack and incredible retrieving that was impressive to watch. The rallies were so lengthy in the first few points that I started to wonder whether I could bill the tournament director extra, since I knew that I was going to be here all night. Or so I thought.

The Egyptian started to cut down on his errors and really start to hurt the Malaysian, particularly on his counter from the front. He pulled away relatively unscathed, taking the second 11-6. Karim Ali Fathi reminds me of an eager puppy who just can’t wait to get to the ball (tail wagging) and stick his teeth into it as hard as he can. While I love how he throws his whole spirit into every attacking onslaught, I am unsure if any of his coaches has ever showed him how to lob. And to play like he does is exhausting.

This point was proved in the third as Adnan adjusted to the Egyptian’s game and just kept getting balls back, while the Egyptian committed a ton of errors. The Malaysian took the third 11-3. In the 4th, Adnan stepped up the court and was intent on getting onto Fathi’s short attacks as quickly as possible.

After a brutal rally at 3-2, the supremely fit-looking Malaysian started to pull away, while the playful puppy looked to visibly slow (tired of chasing the tennis ball I suppose). Adnan took the 4th 11-3. How would it all end in the 5th? Did the Egyptian have enough in the gas tank to trouble the incredibly solid and experienced Malaysian?

After an early error, Fathi yelled out an expletive, and followed with ‘Stop being soft!’ While he tried to play more measured and patient squash, it was evident that the Egyptian was slowing. At 2-3, the Egyptian stood so far behind the T after a boast that he may have been having a beer with the spectators on the stands.

And so the writing was on the wall. The experienced 30-year-old continued at a steady pace, closing out 11- 4 against a 24-year-old opponent who has talent en masse, but will need a good deal of doggy training before he reaches his full potential.

Campbell Grayson (Nzl) 3-2 Todd Harrity (Usa)

I’m not going to lie; I didn’t watch the first game and a half, so instead I will regale you with a story. Yvon (the tournament director) told me how at the start of the tournament, Harrity lamented to him about not seeming to be able to win a match recently.

After his first round win, he said to Yvon that making that admission out loud is sometimes what we need to do in order to break the spell. So with that, I assume that the American came out with a renewed sense of confidence in his abilities against his higher-ranked Kiwi opponent, taking the first 11-8.

Grayson, with lovely hands and soft touch to the front, equalized in the second, aided by a few costly errors by Harrity, who otherwise was playing a sound game. The lean American looked to twist and turn his stockier opponent in the 3rd, and was having a good deal of success holding the ball from the front. He strayed a bit from this strategy after the midway point, where a string of furious ragged play between the two ensued.

Harrity kept his nerve though, and was able to finish with a beautiful backhand drop into the nick, while Grayson could only lean onto the front wall, gasping for air. The Kiwi regained his length and thus control of the play in the 4th, with the American getting annoyed, as he seemed to struggle to get in front of his opponent.

At one point, Harrity complained that Grayson ‘keeps stepping on me’ after some basic traffic, and immediately realized how silly he sounded. The American’s focus was clearly thrown off, and Grayson was able to regain his groove, winning the game 11-4 off a lovely fading, forehand boast.

So a 3rd 5-set match in a row, and Yvon is now is going to have to cut into the prize money to pay me! Grayson continued with much better length than his opponent at the start of the 5th, the former’s balls continuing to catch the side wall and sitting up for the lethal Kiwi.

The other problem was that the American stopped holding and turning Grayson, preferring t o go straight on most of his attacks. To his credit, he reverted to sheer guts and determination to claw away at Grayson’s early lead.

The points became very tight, and then at 7-all, the point of the tournament happened, with the crowd falling out of their seats and our live stream commentator accidentally murmuring an expletive on air. Harrity was able to grab one last point before a few crucial squeezes from the Kiwi allowed him to finish off the match 11-8.

A fantastic display of squash that received a standing ovation from the full house.

Borja Golan (Esp) 3-1 Arturo Salazar (Mex)

The last match started at 9pm, and I tried to give the Spaniard The Nod which means: ‘’Go on, chop chop’’ because I’m not sure that I could bear another 5-setter.

But clearly Golan did not learn this universal sign, while Arturo Salazar – Cesar’s evil twin (ok, I don’t really know if he is evil) – looked well up for the late-night match, springing around the court and confidently chopping the ball in short.

At 7-4 for Salazar, Golan told the ref that there was something wrong with the ball, but Salazar refused to change it. But let’s be clear, this was a defective ball, as it was flying through the air quite lopsidedly and neither could seem to get it to the back wall! Nevertheless, this 3/4 length game continued, with a whole lot of interference and animated discussions (worthy of mime school) occurring between the two players.

At game point, Golan complained that Salazar was making comments before let decisions were being made, to which I gave him the universally-known roll of the eyes from front row. The Mexican drew first blood, getting on top of the Spaniard’s straight drop, fading it cross-court to take the first 11-8.

El torro started to get a handle on his opponent in the second, finding a way to get the dodgy ball a bit further to the back, and squeezing his opponent with some tight drives and drops. He took the second 11-6. A lot of interference continued in the 3rd, with both players trading points until a rally at 5-4 left Arturo sprayed out on the court, in a failed retrieval attempt.

In the following points, Golan gained firm control of the middle, pulling the Mexican around the court like a rag-doll and thus pushing through to win the 3rd, 11-5.

Golan stormed to a quick 3-0 lead in the 4th and took a long look over at his opponent, checking for signs of fatigue. The Spaniard – who would get the award for best racquet preparation any day of the week – started holding the ball with deadly effect, while the Mexican allowed this by going short far too early without setting it up with good length.

Golan thought that it was all over as he took a 6-0 lead, but the Mexican had a magical resurgence, making some incredible retrievals and coming back strong. At 5-7, the #1 seed showed how even he was mortal, catching his knee on a fairly easy put-away (a contender for shocker of the month) followed by a jumping crosscourt nick by the twin off of a Golan dive.

At 7-all, the top seed all of a sudden looked edgy again, but he did well to hold his nerve and stave off an impressive Arturo Salazar, taking the 4th 11-7 with a huge ‘Vamos!’
 

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