|
|
 North
of Scotland Open 2010
2010 and earlier
04-06 March
Men Only |
Aberdeen SRC | 01224 316122 | George Tierney |
 |
Clyne Claims NOS Title
Alan Clyne produced a magnificent performance
earlier in today's final to prize the North of Scotland Open title away from
defending champion Chris Ryder. Clyne adds his name to an impressive honours
board including such greats as Peter Nicol and Lee Beachill, to name but a
few.
The first game was a cagey one. Neither player really settled and both were
making uncharacteristic unforced errors. The pace was high but Ryder was
able to use his hold effectively to move away from 4/4 to a first game of
11/5. Clyne, wearing the ASRC kit, needed to either change his plan or
improve on his existing one.
Game 2 brought higher quality and more competitive squash. The crowd were
treated to a mixture of rallies. Some gruelling lung-busters with both
players covering all corners of the court, some short and sharp as a result
of outright winners, and some involving a little argy-bargy and subsequent
discussions with the referee. Clyne pushed to a 9/4 lead, frustrating Ryder
in the process, but was quickly pegged back to 9/9 by some free swinging
from Ryder. A disputed decision and an unforced error gave Clyne the game, a
crucial game at that.
Ryder got off to a healthy start in the third, 3/0 became 5/1. Clyne,
cheered on by a home crowd, started to claw his way back in using his highly
effective counter drops. We reached 6, 7, and 8 all. Clyne won a long rally
to move one clear, won another on a stroke to give himself two game balls,
and despite Ryder saving one with a clinging forehand straight drive Clyne
took it on the second with, yep you've guessed it, a winning backhand
counter drop. So Clyne 2-1 to the good and looking a tough nut to crack.
Ryder came out shooting at the start of the fourth, perhaps realising that
the longer rallies were no longer paying dividends. From 3/3 a flurry of
winners from Ryder and two unforced errors from Clyne gave the former a
comfortable game to the score of 11/4. So 2-2 and exactly what the crowd
wanted.
The fifth went in similar fashion to the previous game, but with the roles
reversed. Clyne moved away from 3/2 to 8/2 with an volley nick, two straight
drops, a stroke and an error from Ryder. It looked to be all over, and so it
was just a few rallies later. They were long ones though, so credit to Ryder
for continuing the chase, but Clyne wasn't to be denied and it was he who
closed it out. It was to be Clyne's day, Clyne's tournament. Take a bow
young man - Alan Clyne, the 2011 North of Scotland Open Champion.
See you all next year! |
SEMI FINAL 1
|
Alan Clyne 3/0 Max Lee 11/9 11/6 11/5
(42m) |
What a treat this match was for the packed
gallery. Both players took half a game to settle to be honest. We got to 5/5
with 3 mistakes from each player.
Clyne then went upping chopping and changing the pace, a tactic I have
not seen him use before. Pouncing on balls and volleying literally
everything in sight, yet throwing in plenty of soft boasts and high lobs. It
certainly threw Lee, who despite closing to 9/9 was unable to hang in. Two
forced errors from Lee and it was first blood to Clyne.
Game 2 was all about Clyne. The variation he played with was a joy to watch
and deep into the second it looked like Lee was running out of ideas.
His backhand volley drop kept him in the game (which I have to say I would
buy if I could), but at the same time it put him in a lot of trouble... If
the ball hit the nick then point to Lee. If the ball wasn't in the nick
Clyne would jump all over it and play either straight down the wall, a
x-court length, or a counter drop, with each being an outright winner 90% of
the time.
Game 3 flowed almost exactly like the previous one. Clyne had now shortened
Lee's margins so much so that tins were now creeping into the Hong Kong lads
game all to often.
A very impressive performance then from Clyne, who it must be noted sported
the ASRC kit! Nice touch mate. Clyne is now sitting back watching Ryder and
Crawford do battle... |
Semi-Final 2:
Chris Ryder 3/0
Stuart Crawford
11/9 11/3 11/9 (32m) |
|
|
QUARTER FINALS
|
Chris Ryder 3/0 Adil Maqbool 11/9 11/9
11/5 (32 mins) |
Maqbool will be disappointed not to
have sneaked a game here, he certainly deserved one. Game 1 could have gone
either way - 4/4, 6/6, 7/7, 9/9. Game 2 looked to be all over at 10/5
Ryder, but a flurry of superb winners left Maqbools racket to take him
back to 9/10. A long rally ended with a winner from Ryder, and
simultaneously any serious hope for Maqbool.
To 9/1 in game 3 in a few minutes, and just a few more minutes later the
match was over. Nice to see Maqbool playing here. The crowd enjoyed his
style of play and even went to the length of adopting him as semi-Scottish (MacBool).
Ryder looks tough to beat.
|
Stuart Crawford 3/1 Wan Adnan
3/11 12/10 11/8 11/6 (42m) |
Crawford gatecrashes semi-finals!
A flying start from the Malaysian coupled with a labourous start from the
Scotsman (another ASRC player - we have quite a few of "them" playing for us
in Scottish League) meant for a 4 minute first game. Nothing more to be said.
The match really started mid-way through the second. At 6/6 it was a crucial
stage, probably more so for Crawford. He needed to find his A game and
that's exactly what he did. His width and length became immaculate, and the
opportunities which came about as a result were duly taken.
Game 3 followed a similar pattern to that of the previous one. We reached
7/7 and again it was Crawford who delivered the goods. Into Game 4 and
despite a flying start, Crawford was pegged back to 4/4. Wan had to change
something but it just wasn't happening. Where Crawford's short game was
finding nicks and winners, Wan's was making the errors by the smallest of
margins and that proved decisive. Crawford took 7 of the next 9 points to
book his place in the semi finals.
Having retired from the PSA circuit almost a year ago, this is not only
Crawford's finest win since, it's actually his first win against a player
currently in the top 50 in the World EVER!
|
Alan Clyne 3/0 Kristen Johnson
11/3 11/5 11/4 (28m) |
Solid stuff here from Granite Clyne. Kristen
produced some fine pieces of squash, but on the whole it was the
Aberdeen-adopted Clyne who was bossing the majority of the rallies. Clyne
moves on fresh as a daisy to his semi final against....
|
Max Lee 3/0 Simon Parke 11/9 11/6 11/3
(36m) |
The first game was crucial. Parkey was 9/7
to the good but was unable to close out the game. Max threw in some crisp
winners to steal it and from there on it was near enough one-way traffic.
The Aberdeen crowd tried to push their favourite on, but a niggle in the
glute area was reeking havoc with Parkey's movement into the front right
corner by this stage. The charming Max Lee now moves on to face another of
the home club players in what should be some match.
|
 |
|
