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TODAY in Cayman: Friday 8th,
Day SIX
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Semi-Finals at Camana Bay
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Richard
Chin (Guy)
11/7, 11/4, 11/8 (25m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (Aus)
15/13,
10/12, 4/11, 11/7, 12/10 (76m)
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (Aus)
11/6,
11/8, 11/5 (30m) |
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Ramy Ashour
(Egy) bt Richard Chin (Guy)
11/7, 11/4, 11/8 (25m)
Ramy's the Boss
Even if you're the Caribbean Champion, it's probably not a good
idea to hit a nick and then gesticulate to the crowd to brag
about it, claiming it was worth two points ... not when you're
playing Ramy Ashour, anyway.
They'd been having a good game until then, gentle, friendly
stuff. Ramy Ashour was two games to the good and a point of two
behind in the third, but he slammed the next four or five balls
into the nick, just to let Richard Chin know who was boss.
As if to rub it in, Ramy managed to hit the match-winning shot
with Richard sitting on his backside at the court door ...
It was a good introduction to the evening's proceedings, and
Ramy marches on to meet Alister Walker in tomorrow's final.
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[2] Jenny
Duncalf (Eng) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (Aus)
15/13,
10/12, 4/11, 11/7, 12/10 (76m)
What a cracker ... part seven
We are truly blessed in this tournament, we really are. There
have been three or four absolutely fantastic matches at the
South Sound Club, and last night we had two truly compelling
quarter-finals. Any of these matches would be worthy of a final
on the biggest stage, and yet, tonight, we had another one.
 It
was a bit of a slow burner this one, in contrast to the
Perry/Urquhart fast and furious model of last night. But then,
Jenny Duncalf and Rachael Grinham know each other's games well,
very well. They've played competitively plenty of times, and in
training countless times, so no-one was going to come up with
too many surprises.
They've had some cracking matches, they've had some duds too,
but the early signs were encouraging as both looked to be moving
well, the error count was low and the rallies were intricate and
well-contested. Of course Rachael was the one instigating most
of the attacks, and with that came a slightly higher error rate,
but it was good, quality, watchable stuff and the crowd were
certainly enjoying it.
Rachael got a good start, 5-1 in the first, but Jenny soon
caught up, and from 6-all there was rarely more than a point in
it. Jenny was first to game ball, finishing off the longest
rally of the game with a tremendous pickup and dropshot, but
from there they traded quality rallies, each one won rather than
lost, all the way to 14-13 to the Englishwoman. Finally an error
came and Jenny was one up.
 The
second was much of the same. I'm sure some of the rallies they
played were exact replicas of earlier ones, a theme that
continued throughout the match - after I hit shot A she's going
to hit shot F so I have to go to point C and I usually play
those to point B so I'll ... you get the idea.
Anyway, up went the scores pretty much together, Jenny got to
10-8, again couldn't finish it and at 11-10 Jenny tinned a
counter drop and made sure her racket reached the court door
well before she could. She got a conduct warning for that.
It looked like Jenny's head had gone, and the third did nothing
to dispel that rumour as Rachael took it 11/4 with Jenny
becoming less interested by the point. First game 15 minutes,
second game 20 minutes, third game 6 minutes.
In days of old Jenny might have continued in that mode, but not
now, she's not world number two for nothing. A quick 4-0 lead
put her head back in order, and in 8 minutes she was back on
terms.
It was the fifth when things started to get really interesting.
If they'd been almost playing by number up until now, in this
game they started to get really serious. The running was harder,
the volleys were hit with more venom, the drops were tighter,
now they were going for it. They were both desperately tired,
but they were really going for it.
 Long
story short, from 6-all Rachael played some brilliant squash,
particularly a leaping flying volley off her chest into the nick
to go 10-7 match ball.
Three chances she had, and she was going to go for them, no
doubt about that. Crosscourt drop clipped the tin, 10-8.
Crosscourt volley intercepted by Jenny 10-9. Ambitious long
crosscourt dropshot ... tin, 10-all.
Huge, huge rally, both players performing retrieving miracles
... Rachael can't go on any more as Jenny plops a volley into
open space. 11-10 but that was the match. Rachael tins on the
next rally and two very soggy people embrace as the crowd goes
wild ...
 "That's
just ridiculous, I'm drowning here, it's as if I just got out of
the swimming pool!
"It's about time we had a good one. I played well and I had a
chance tonight, but she's not world number two for nothing,
she's an alright player!
"It's annoying getting so close and not winning, but at least I
don't have to play a junior now!"
 "It's
all a bit of a blur right now! Coming here tonight there seemed
to be a bit of a breeze, I hoped it might be cooler but it was
just as hot as yesterday.
"I really enjoyed the game, but that second last rally, 10-all
in the fifth, it's the first time I've ever felt queasy on
court, I was seeing stars during that rally. I'm so glad that
she tinned on the next one, I'm not sure I could have gone on
any longer.
"When I was match balls down it was just about not panicking,
but it could have gone either way.
"You always like to play humdingers for the crowd, especially in
settings like this, and hopefully the crowd enjoyed it all.
"It's matches like these that you remember after you've finished
..."
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[1] Nicol David
(Mas) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (Aus)
11/6,
11/8, 11/5 (30m)
One too many for Donna
Two qualifying matches, both 50 minutes plus. Then in the main
draw she beats the world number five, then the world number
three, both in five games, 52 and 72 minutes those ones.
 "I've
had a good week, a great week," said Donna Urquhart after losing
to top seed, world number one, etc etc etc Nicol David, "but
tonight was one match too far. I went for my shots from the
start, I knew that was the only way I could do anything, but I
just couldn't keep going."
She gave it a good go though, did Donna. Nicol took a 6-1 lead
in the first but Donna got back as close as 6-5 before the world
champion closed it out.
She gave the world number one a run for her money in the second,
leading 4-1, 5-3 and 8-7, but Nicol closed it out with four
points in a row.
She battled gamely in the third, but it was never going to
happen. Nicol's too good to allow that sort of thing and the
Commonwealth champion moved into her third successive Cayman
Open final.
She may have dropped her first game on Caymanian soil last
night, but she's going still going to take some stopping
tomorrow, that's for sure.
As for Donna, she managed to rearrange her flight to Texas, but
some of her preparation may not have been the best: "After I
finished last night all the restaurants were closed, so I asked
the shuttle bus driver if there was anywhere I could get
something to eat. 'Oh yes' he said, and took me to a Kebab
House! Not the ideal preparation for a semi-final, but it was
very nice!"
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