 TOP
DOG
AT HOME
Framboise Gommendy
at Esporta
for the final ...
I like BSPA tournaments. OK, OK, not as prestigious as the big PSA events,
or some other tournaments, but as a spectator, it gives you the
opportunity to see some pretty good squash, to enjoy watching your “old”
favourites, and to discover some new faces or talents.
I also imagine it’s very good for the players too. The young ones can rub
their horns on their elders, learn the tricks of the trade, how to deal
(or not) with pressure, with the referees, with an audience… The
“experienced” ones can still enjoy the thrill of competition without
having to spend too much time or money on travelling.
So, keep up the good work, BSPA people, and Tim Garner in particular. As
I’m sure you know, he was one of the promoters of the English Open in
Sheffield last summer, and more recently co-promoter of Canary Wharf
Classic (with his associates Peter Nicol and Angus Kirkland). I’m
complaining I didn't get enough sleep, but I’m not sure that Tim got any!
After the Wimbledon Club last week, we were in the beautiful Esporta
Croydon, which by the way won the Surrey Cup this year, with Adrian Grant
as top player. The club provides so many activities, all included in the
monthly fee, if I understood well: swimming pool, tennis, gym, spa,
squash, and also a lot of activities for kids. It was quite amazing
really, there were kids everywhere, and very well behaved too.
A wonderful family club this Esporta …
Only thing I did regret: yesterday, we were really freezing watching the
matches. But today, they put the heating on, and it was really pleasant.
Next year, could we have the heating on for the whole duration of the
tournament please?
Adrian Grant, 23, born again Londoner, was today facing Peter
Genever, 30, in the final. A very good crowd, a very eclectic crowd
indeed, 7 to 77, all colours and gender, was there to enjoy the match. Who
ever was stupid enough to say that Squash was a dying sport should have
been here today.
Peter Genever, we know his way, his game, his strategy. He hits full power
all match long, works on length and width, has patience envied by saints
in Heaven, and tries to exhaust his opponent. Adrian game has more
variation in his game, but has also a base of length in the drives and
cross courts.
Grant arrived a bit late due to a little mechanical problem, and didn’t
have the time to really prepare himself mentally or physically and he
suffered in the first game. Peter was strong, grounded, his drives and
cross courts were very close to perfection. Adrian’s forehand drives were
very loose indeed and his drop shots were high enough to give Peter a
chance to put his young opponent under pressure. Peter went up 14/8, game
ball. As often in this sort of situation, that’s when Grant started
focusing. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. “He is going to make it”, spectators
thought. But a stroke given to Genever stopped Adrian’s come back, a
decision strongly contested by the young player. 1st game, 15/13 for
Genever.
In the second, Grant went up 8/0, and seemed to switch off, letting
Genever coming back to 8/10. Adrian was playing very well, but Peter was
retrieving his opponent’s shots, especially the back of the court ones.
But at 13/8 Peter asked for a let, hoping to get a stroke, and was awarded
only a let. He started a discussion with the ref, lost his concentration
and the game, 15/8.
So each set ended with an unhappy player, Grant in the 1st, Genever in the
2nd. Hard life to be a referee, I tell you! Actually, I thought that the
referees were quite good, John Barry, who plays and coach in Sundrigde
Park Squash Club, was the ref, and Ken Winstanley the marker.
The 3rd and 4th games were pretty similar to each other. Whereas the
rallies were very long to start with, now Grant was attacking and
shortening them. The pace was high, and Peter was running like a man with
a mission. Again, Adrian started well, and lost a bit of ground again. But
he started using wonderful boasts that surprised his opponent more than
once, his cross courts and drive were at last extremely precise, and his
drops shots were pretty lethal. But he still needs to work on his
deceptions shots, as he often plays obvious shots that give his opponent a
clear advantage.
15/10, 15/10 for the 2 last games.
It was a pretty long match, 70 minutes. Peter was a bit disappointed I’m
sure, as I think he could have won the match.
“When you’ve been playing for as long as I have, it’s a question of
finding the motivation within yourself. If I win this battle with myself,
I can play pretty well. There was a point in the match when I thought, “if
I can win a few more points, I can win the match”. And then I started
playing badly in the 2nd and the 3rd. And against somebody as good as
Adrian, it not good enough”.
Adrian was really pleased with his victory.
“I only got my rhythm in the middle of the match. I need to capitalise
more with my game. I start well, then, I, no, not switch off, but I don’t
seem to be able to keep that rhythm up. I guess it goes with my attitude,
I’m a pretty laid back person! I’m happy to do these BSPA tournaments to
get more back to back matches, in preparation for Qatar [the PSA Masters
at the end of April, Ed].
I asked him what were his plans for the near future:
“Next week, I’m going to Nottingham to play with John White, then to play
the Ikley BSPA event. Then, England Squash is organising a sort of
selection in view of the Commonwealth Games doubles. They try and pair us
up, I’ll play first with James Willstrop, then Nick Matthew and also Peter
Barker, to see who can play with who. Then Qatar, and then the European
Team Championship”.
Blimey, busy month. And I thought I was under pressure.
Well, another event that just finished. And believe me, I’m about to sleep
like a baby….
Thank you for reading these reports, and à bientôt j’espère (See you soon
I hope).
 ONE SCALP PER
DAY, STACEY…
Framboise Gommendy at
Esporta
for the semi-finals ...
In the semi-finals, Adrian Grant had
to face Stacey Ross, winner over Steve Meads in the quarters for
the first time in his career. And I’m delighted to report that there was a
pretty good crowd to watch this first semi-final. People would keep on
coming, and Pete Smith, in charge of the Squash Section here at
Esporta Croydon (a lovely man, as he fed me at lunch time, and kept the
teas coming) had to bring more and more chairs…
After the marathon battle of the quarters, I feared Stacey would be a bit
tired. And when he lost the first set 15/4, I thought that this match was
going to be pretty quick. But by now, I’m sure you’ve learned to ignore my
instincts…
In the second, Adrian started very well, and the score shot very quickly
to 4/0, then 5/1. He was playing long, drives, cross courts, and he did
find some pretty good angles in the back of the court. But Stacey stuck to
his opponent, well determined to get another scalp for his collection.
10/10. Grant was playing beautiful boasts, varying the pace, changing
direction, but more than anything, was finding the perfect angles for his
drives and cross courts. Ross was playing some awesome drop shots as he
knows to polish them up, and saved a lot of points by excellent
anticipation and actually won this 2nd set 15/11.
In the next two games, Stacey Ross displayed some pretty good drop shots,
but what impressed me the most was his determination, his calm, and his
legs! The man ended up with 3 hours of squash today, and never ever gave
up. He finally admitted defeat 8/15, 8/15, but it was overall a very good
performance from the world number 74.
“I think I played pretty well in parts. But Adrian's width and length
precision was just amazing. I had to work very hard to get his shots out
of the back court. I played much better this week than I played last week,
and I was still “fresh” when I started the match. But at 8/8 in the 4th,
my legs just went.”
So, there we were. As expected, Adrian was in the final, but against who?
Solid game Genever or Mad Dog Whipp?
GENEVER:
BACK IN GOOD SPIRIT!
For the ones who are living on Mars, I will have to remind them than last
night, France was playing England in the Six Nations Tournament. Being a
fervent rugby fan, I didn’t want to miss the event, and as I NEVER watch a
French against British contest in a public place for obvious reasons (it’s
full of British everywhere in this country, quite amazing really), I had
to be home.
Grant vs Ross took 76 minutes, so it was nearly 8.00pm when Peter
Genever vs Andy Whipp started in front of a much smaller
audience, most of the spectators having decided to go and enjoy the ruby.
I had given the two players my instructions: “Win or lose as you wish, but
do it in 3 sets please!”
Andy Whipp told me “I’ll see what I can do”, but Peter’s answer was the
sweetest: “I’m here to please”. Bless him!
31 minutes.
Peter, you are an angel.
Genever played a solid game, not too much variation, but good length, good
width, hitting hard and with great precision. Whipp tried to apply the
same game plan as in his previous match against Scott Handley, but this
time, he made too many mistakes. In the first set, he tried to match
Peter’s game shot for shot, but after that, he shortened the rallies,
going for volley kills that sometimes were successful, but most of the
time found the tin.
In the last set, Peter was cruising in front, 7/1, but Andy decided he
wanted to stick around a bit longer, and just went for EVERY shot,
attacking and hitting as hard as he could. Peter did lose a few points,
and from 12/6, we found ourselves at 11/13. But Whipp just ran out of
steam, and Peter ended the match 15/11.
I flew to my car, put French radio station on, and the rest is of no
importance.
MOVE
OVER, STEVE,
HERE I COME !
Framboise Gommendy at Esporta
for the quarter-finals ...
When I arrived this morning at Esporta, I
have to say a bit blurry from lack of sleep (by the way, last night, when I
tried to get my car out of Canary Wharf Parking, my ticket wouldn’t work, and it
took them 24 minutes to sort out the problem, then the Blackwall Tunnel was
closed, and also Camberwell for resurfacing works starting just then, so a
journey which, at that time of night, takes me normally 35 minutes, took me
1hour 30!).
But very quickly, I was brought back to reality.
“The word is that Stacey Ross was not happy about his defeat last week at
Wimbledon. He thinks that Steve Meads blocked too much and was not
sanctioned enough, and he is up for revenge”, I was told by different sources.
And I have to say, when Stacey arrived (a bit late), on his face were printed
the words:
“I mean business.”
Just to paint the atmosphere, the first point, the FIRST POINT was a rally of 99
shots, won by Ross. The second, 82 shots, was won by Meads, after a tin from
Ross.
This was going to be a looooong one, and my lunch was far far away!
Steve was up 7/2, but couldn’t really use the advantage, and Stacey came back
10/10. He reduced little by little the number of his mistakes but Meads was
still in control of the rallies, playing his straight game, slowing down the
pace. Then Ross stopped giving points away, and got into the rallies with Steve.
Backhand drive, and drive, and drive, and drive…. and drive…. Again a few tins
from Ross, but eventually, after a few “explanations” with the ref, he got the
1st set in 35 minutes 15/14.
In the second, at 3/6 Ross’ serve, we had 8 lets. At the 3rd one, Steve argued
and said “I can’t play the ball, he blocks!”. Stacey laughed, and, looking at
Steve said “You have to laugh at that one!”. “I know” admitted Steve, himself
smiling!
By the way, if anybody questions Steve Meads' fitness, they would have had to be
there at 11/5, Steve on serve. What he saved on that one could feed a whole
continent for a month! He very rightly took the 2nd set 15/7 in 23 long minutes.
After that, Stacey was in control and never looked back. Steve was still playing
well, but the mistakes started to creep in, and Stacey’s fantastic drop shots
and volley kills seemed further and further away. The last two games were15/5
and 15/6.
Steve was gracious in his defeat: “He played better today than last week. I
played as well, but at my age, it starts to be difficult to do it twice in two
weeks (he is now 34). If I had won the 1st game, the result might have been
different, but Stacey is very dangerous when he plays on confidence. I was a bit
off, and he played very well. Oh well, I just have to do it again next week
then, haven’t I?”
Stacey Ross was not unhappy about his victory: “I knew it had to happen someday,
it was just a matter of when! I was very tactical today, I attacked more than I
did last week. Also, the game floated much more today [translation: I didn’t get
blocked today….], and I was allowed to hit the ball!
ADRIAN: NO SWEAT
I could only glance at the match between Adrian Grant, world number 17,
and Tim Vail, the player from Chichester, as I was following Meads/Ross
game. I saw some pretty good shots from Tim, but it seemed that Adrian, who
actually plays for Esporta in the Surrey League, was always in control. He won
3/0, and was quite happy about the result:
“Tim Vail is a very dangerous shot player, so I had to keep my game straight. If
you give him any ball to attack, he can really put them away. Sometimes, I
opened my game, and he got a few points. So I came back to my game, and he just
run out of steam. I felt comfortable, and I’m happy with a 3 set victory, as
those two [pointing at Steve and Ross who were still very much in the middle of
it] are still battling!”
Don’t think for a moment that I envy Stacey Ross, as Adrian has the firm
intention of wining his home tournament. Actually, the young Grant went to have
his hair cut (and boy did he need one!) to be fresh for his semi-final . And now
you mention hair cut, I also know somebody in the World top 3 who could do with
one….
PETER GENEVER: JUST ENOUGH
A good workout, I thought, once again from the side, as the 2 lunatics were
still battling when Peter Genever vs Chris Simpson started.
“My motivation is starting to come back!” said Peter, as I asked him if he felt
a bit better than he did last week at the Wimbledon Cup, where he lost in
semi-final against John Rooney in 4 sets.
Well, pleased to hear it, Mr Genever. Can’t wait to see you against Andy Whipp.
That could be a pretty could meeting.
ANDY WHIPP: I’M A BIT STUPID REALLY
Ross vs Meads was a pretty long match,
and instead of Andy Whipp/Scott Handley starting on the same court after it
finished, they went onto another court, and were 1/1 when I joined them - 15/12
Whipp, 17/14 Handley.
Whipp was attacking every ball, hitting, dropping… Handley was doing a lot of
retrieving and lobbing and running. The rallies were fierce and at a very high
pace. The third set was very close again, and Andy served us with a few nice
changes of direction and pace. 12/12, 13/12, 13/13, 14/13, 14/14, 15/14, 15/15.
Scott played a cross court in the middle of the court, a dream opportunity for
Andy, all too happy to attack it. 16/15. And a last drop shot, 17/15 for Whipp.
In the last one, we were still at 10/10, and Scott was retrieving and defending
beautifully. Mistakes started to creep in, but Handley was still running. 13/13.
14/13. And on a last beautiful and lethal backhand volley kill, Andy Whipp took
the game 15/13.
“I went for every shot, which was a bit silly really, but it worked! I should
have been more careful, but I’m famous for being a bit stupid”, laughed Andy
Whipp.
And pretty open, I’d say!
Scott Handley was a bit sad after his defeat. “I was just exhausted from last
night. I had a hard 3/2 with Ben Ford and we didn't finish until 10.30. For the
1st two games, I was just doing the minimum, and with an attacker like Whipp,
that’s not good enough. You can’t afford it. I did my best, but I was just too
tired.”
You know what? The BSPA events don’t have the glamour of the big ones like the
beautiful Canary Wharf Classic we just saw. But the sweat is the same. The
players are working as hard, and for much less recognition.
And for much less money.
God I love Squash, and Squash Players.
|
Where are they all Gone?
Top seed Adrian Grant watches the opposition
drop like flies ...
Today, Framboise ...
it's Stacey's turn!
Ross beats Meads for the first time ever in the quarters
Stacey's turn to look mean
Peter Genever
"Here to please ..."
(see semi-finals)
2nd Round - Friday 26th March
[1] Adrian Grant bt Laurent Elriani
15/14, 15/7, 15/6
Tim Vail bt Tom Richards
15/11, 15/9, 15/4
Stacey Ross bt David Barnett
15/4, 15/1, 15/4
[3/4]
Steve Meads bt Daryl Selby
15/7, 15/9, 15/10
[3/4]
Scott Handley bt Ben Ford
13/15, 15/7, 16/17, 15/3, 15/7
Andy Whipp bt Guy Olby
15/13, 15/11, 11/15, 15/9
Chris Simpson bt Peter Billson
15/9, 8/15, 7/15, 15/13, 15/6
[2]
Peter Genever bt James Robbins
15/12, 15/9, 15/6
1st Round - Fri 26th March
Adrian Grant bt Tom Pashley
15/9, 15/6, 15/7
Laurent Elriani bt John Freeman
15/9, 15/4, 17/14
Tom Richards bt Jago Nardelli
8/15, 10/15, 15/11, 15/5, 15/7
Tim Vail bt Toby Mortimer
15/9, 15/5, 15/3
Stacey Ross bt Jethro Binns
15/13, 13/15, 15/3, 15/7
David Barnett bt Scott Fitzgerald
W/O
Daryl Selby bt Darren Lewis
15/5, 15/11, 15/7
Steve Meads bt Phil Nightingale
15/4, 15/6, 15/7
Scott Handley bt David Harris
15/6, 15/6, 15/4
Ben Ford bt AJ Janzic
15/10, 15/12, 15/9
Guy Olby bt Simon Pickering
15/11, 15/6, 15/2
Andy whipp bt Chris Truswell
15/8, 15/8, 15/9
Chris Simpson bt Joey Barrington
W/O
Peter Billson bt Colin Payne
12/15, 15/8, 15/8, 15/11
James Robbins bt James Wright
10/15, 15/10, 15/10, 13/15, 15/12
Peter Genever bt Tom Phipps
15/5, 15/6, 15/11
Qualifying, Thursday 25th March:
Tom Pashley bt Alistair McGill
15/13, 15/2, 15/12
John freeman bt Roy D'Cunha
15/7, 15/8, 15/4
Jago Nardelli bt Mark Steeden
15/10, 15/7, 15/4
Toby Mortimer bt Chris Clark
15/5, 12/15, 15/6, 15/9
Jethro Binns bt Stuart Webster
15/5, 15/9, 15/2
David Barnett bt Buzby Williams
15/11, 15/9, 13/15, 15/9
Phil Nightingale bt James Smith W/O
David Harris bt Rob Sutherland W/O
AJ Janzic bt Neil Baker
11/15, 10/15, 15/9, 15/14, 15/14
Chris Truswell bt Marcus Lobb
15/11, 15/11, 15/5
Chris Simpson bt Oliver Davidson
15/7, 15/8, 8/15, 15/7
James Wright bt Jamie Haycocks
15/9, 15/7, 15/11
Tom Phipps bt Martin Ballands
15/2, 15/3, 15/2
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