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TODAY at the El Gouna International ... |
Sat 12th April, Day THREE
The 2014 edition of the El Gouna International continued today
with the third and final of three days of qualifying at the Movenpick
Hotel.
All eight matches were hotly-contested, with places
in the main draw of the $115k World Series event up for grabs -
with four of those places going the way of hosts Egypt.
12-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
[3] Grégoire Marche (Fra) 3-2 [12] Jaymie Haycocks (Eng)
6/11, 11/9, 8/11, 11/7, 11/8 (77m)
plays Rosner
[7] Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) 3-1 [13] Andrew Wagih (Egy)
11/7, 11/2, 9/11, 11/9 (60m)
plays Darwish
[5] Mazen Hesham (Egy) 3-0 [15] Abdulla Al Tamimi (Qat)
11/7, 11/8, 11/5 (35m)
plays Castagnet
[2] Omar Abdel Meguid (Egy) 3-2 [10] Mohamed Abouelghar (Egy)
7/11, 6/11, 11/4, 11/9, 11/9 (64m)
plays Anjema
[1] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 3-0 [9] Eddie Charlton (Eng)
11/4, 11/6, 11/6 (44m)
plays Coppinger
[11] Fares Dessouki (Egy)
3-1 [8] Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy)
9/11, 11/4, 11/9, 11/8 (60m)
plays Momen
[6] Henrik Mustonen (Fin) 3-1 [14] Lucas Serme (Fra)
11/9, 11/9, 5/11, 11/8 (57m)
plays Barker
[4] Max Lee (Hkg) 3-1 Mohamed Elgawarhy (Egy)
11/3, 10/12, 11/3, 11/5 (41m)
plays Mosaad |
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[3] Grégoire
Marche (Fra) 3-2 [12] Jaymie Haycocks (Eng)
6/11, 11/9, 8/11, 11/7, 11/8 (77m)
LITTLE GREG… BUT ONLY JUST
This is going to be a loooong day, and I wish I had 1 hour to
write this report. Because the quality of squash that Jaymie
Haycock displayed tonight deserve that. What this player showed
us today was a tactical masterclass.
 Looking
at him, I was thinking, if I had a kid, I would like Jaymie to
teach him squash. The quality of shots in particular on the
backhand, the tactical construction – every shot with a purpose
– the long drop shots, the boasting, the drives glued to the
walls, and the lobs that kept dying at the back, and not
forgetting the best part, the delaying…
Greg Marche is “lucky” today. He was lucky that Jaymie got a bit
tired in the middle of the 5th, and at 6/6, goes for two quicky
shots at the front that find the tin. Plus a winner from Greg
after, that takes the French to 9/6. And psychologically, it’s
hard to come from there…
But what a Masterclass, what a beautiful squash Jaymie showed
today. His third game, well, I’ve personally didn’t see that
quality of squash that often in my career.
 I
have to admit I don’t enjoy that time of match, I struggle a bit
– especially as I fought with the mosquitos big time last night,
only slept about 5 hours! Still, I woke up early and did my warm
up, so I was ready, but it’s true I prefer to play later… Still,
got to do with what we are given, not a problem.
I was immensely impressed by Jaymie’s performance today, I knew
he was playing very well, that he was having some good results,
and that under no circumstances, I should take him lightly.
But even knowing all that, he really was amazing, in particular
on the backhand, not a shot that was not tight to the wall. He
was so accurate, so rigorous in his shots, and there was not one
shot that was not difficult to return.
And as the court was dead at the back, his lobs would die
nicely! I think that at the end, he made a few errors at the
right time for me, and that helped..
Greg Marche |
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[7] Ali Anwar
Reda (Egy) 3-1 [13] Andrew Wagih (Egy)
11/7, 11/2, 9/11, 11/9 (60m)
ANDREW, A BIT SHORT, MOHAMED ALI SUPERB…
 Again,
very little time to write a report. I’m not going to dwell on
the refereeing, which was as far as I’m concerned, a Russian
roulette. Never knew what was going to come out of the cannon,
and after a while, you just wait for the BANG! So of course, the
players start arguing/comment every single decision. Great fun….
Game wise, I feel that Mohamed Ali was superior today. His game
plan was sharper, and his shots at the front were lethal. Andrew
had some moments of splendour, and they both gave everything
they had.
But like he mentioned on the first day, Andrew comes back from
injury, and you could feel he was a bit short on the focus side
of things. Not to mention that at the end, he was pretty tired,
while Mohamed Ali was still full of beans. A logical result to
be fair, although Andrew come very close to force a decider,
flying all around on the court, saving 2 match balls to only bow
11/9….
 So
difficult to play against a very good friend of yours. But I
think I managed to play a good squash in the first two games. In
the 3rd, he changed his tactic, and it took me a while to adapt
to it, I came back from 6/1 down, and the same again in the 4th.
And I realise that he was reading my drop shots very well,
especially on the backhand, and moving pretty quickly on them –
which led the refs to believe I have not clearing the ball fast
enough, it was just him getting too fast on it! So I varied a
bit my shots, crosscourted more, and boast as well, to then come
back to my drop shots and make winners out of them again…
So happy to be back in the main draw of El Gouna….
Ali Anwar Reda |
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[5] Mazen Hesham
(Egy) 3-0 [15] Abdulla Al Tamimi (Qat)
11/7, 11/8, 11/5 (35m)
ABDULLA IN
EXHIBITION MODE….
“I’m fine, I’m not injured, I’m just tired”, confessed the 19
years old Qatari after his “exhibition” about “not in exhibition
mode AT ALL” Mazen Sabry.
Basically, on one side, we had a very intense/determined/hungry
young 20 years old, playing home in front of his
coaches/family/friends, and another young man, that just had a
long season and had decided to play a nick at every shot.
Result, some super/fast/ridiculous squash at times, some fun
stuff from Abdulla, but most of the time, Mazen in control and
dominating the rallies. The Egyptian was pretty emotional at the
end. Image that: it’s the first time ever he qualifies for a
main draw…
 Yes,
I know I’m too intense, everybody keeps on telling me I need to
calm down. I’m trying but it’s my character, I’m soo sorry! I’m
trying to calm down, I’m doing my best.
Today, I knew that Abdulla was tired, and that he was going to
go for an exhibition mode, but if I was expecting a few nice
shots, but he was playing all the shots in the nick! I think the
court suited him as well…
Sooo happy to qualify for my first ever main draw, I need to
thank my coaches, Karim Darwish and Haithan Effat, and my
fitness coach, Mohamed Defrawy….
Mazen Hesham |
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[2] Omar Abdel
Meguid (Egy) 3-2 [10] Mohamed Abouelghar (Egy)
7/11, 6/11, 11/4, 11/9,
11/9 (64m)
EGYPTIAN DUEL…
It was always to be a hard and difficult match that one. Well
actually, if you look at today’s schedule, it’s funny, as all
the non Egyptians play each other, and the Egyptians play each
other. Quite remarkable, how a computer can play funny tricks!
Gives us the opportunity to see stunning matches though…
 Back
to the match. Meguid and Abouelghar are very close friends. Omar
used to coach Abou a few years ago, and he actually helped him
when he was losing and the match, and the plot against World
Junior Champion Hammamy on the first round of the qualifying two
days ago. “I didn’t want to coach him, but I had to. I didn’t
want to play him, obviously, but I just couldn’t not help him,”
Omar told me after that match…
Omar had all the pressure as he is ranked much higher than the
young man, #28 to #57. And as he was in a bit of trouble after
his last match in the States with the refs, he really wanted to
“not say a word for a whole match”.
That he did well. Thanks to the excellent refereeing from World
Referee John Massarella, there were very little words exchanged
between the players and the refs. When a player was questioning
a decision, he had a simple, precise and may I say accurate
answer. And the players just accepted it. Simple. Basic.
Compulsory.
Abouelghar as he often does, played sublime shots that are not
invented yet, and also verrrrry bad ones. But as he led 2/0, he
looked pretty good. As for Meguid, as ever, he was not enjoying
his squash. Tense as a violin cord, he always seem to play as if
he is punishing himself. Too tense. Too pressurised. Too many
things in his head.
“I have the impression the side walls are getting closer and
that the ceiling is getting lower” said Abouelghar during his
match against Hammamy. “Welcome to my world” Meguid replied.
 In
the 5th, after coming back from 2/0, Meguid seemed to lose his
focus from 5/5, and went down 6/8. Finding his head/shots again,
closed things out at 8/8. Nothing between the players. The crowd
is loving it. Some stunning rallies, Meguid is flying on the
shots, sometimes two, three times per rally, while Abou is
finding amazing nicks. Match ball for Meguid, 10/8. Abouelghar
is giving it a last big push.
Meguid flies on the right. Recovers. Flies on the left. Another
sublime shot, one match ball saved, with a gigantic YALLAAAAAAA
from Abou. But a short rally, Abou just doesn’t read at all a
simple backhand drop shot from his opponent. Match to Meguid. A
lovely embrace between the two. And a very emotional Meguid “Too
much pressure. Too many things going on my head. I’m just glad I
came back.”
Today, the match was in those two players’ head. And today,
Meguid’s demons were less loud than Abouelghar’s.
Squash, a mental game? You can say that again. |
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[1] Ong Beng Hee
(Mas) 3-0 [9] Eddie Charlton (Eng)
11/4, 11/6, 11/6 (44m)
BENG HEE SO GOOD AT BEING BENG HEE…
Beng Hee displayed again a stunning experienced squash against
young Eddie Charlton. Ben Hee just sloooooowed the game down to
a standstill really, leaving the Englishman to generate his own
power. At that game, of course, one gets frustrated, and ends up
playing a lot of unforced errors…
Exactly.
Beng Hee just kept sending the ball back, and Eddie tried to hit
it. Eddie lost a lot of energy at that game and got more and
more frustrated as the game went along. BH, just flick the ball
here and there, as one does… Normal day at the office for the
Malaysian.
 “Those
young and hungry players, of course they want to play as fast as
possible. But us, older players, we want to play as slow as
possible. And today, it worked for me rather well.
He got frustrated especially after the middle of the games.
Plus, he is just back from playing a final, and although he was
fine physically, maybe, maybe he was quite logically a bit flat
mentally today."
Ong Beng Hee |
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[11] Fares
Dessouki (Egy)
3-1 [8] Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy)
9/11,
11/4, 11/9, 11/8 (60m)
TESTESTERONE AND
CHANGING
OF THE GUARD…
On my left, 30 year old Aziz, #43, unique style, moves a bit
like a duck, retrieving a heck of a lot, and so efficient not to
mention extremely experienced. Not ready to retire yet…
 On
my right, 19 year old Fares Dessouki, #55, hungry and so gifted,
but loving the tin so much he keeps sending it shots on a
regular basis. Quite keen to a changing the guard….
Those two already had an encounter in India recently, where
Fares took a heating 3/2. So, there was maybe a bit of history
there…
The last two games were very intense, very intense indeed, and
it could have gone either way, especially the 3rd where Aziz
came back from 1/5 2/7 to level it at 7/7, scoring 6 points in a
row. 8/8. 9/9. Amazing rallies, a loud (too loud?) COME ON on
the game ball 10/9, and a tin for a frustrated Aziz, 11/9. The
fourth is about as close in the end, 6/6, 8/8, but Fares finds
some beautiful winners to take the match, 11/8.
Long story short, a few words in Arabic which I’m told were not
nice, a little block here and there, some very
intense/adrenaline pushing rallies at the end, and we have a big
explosion at the end, with Aziz apparently saying something that
didn’t sound right to Fares’ ears, and the young man having to
be stopped from having a close explanation with his opponent.
A lot of testosterone running, a bit of a volatile situation for
a few seconds, but it all calmed down after a few minutes. I’m
sure that a good explanation will sort it out, as those two will
have many other occasions to play against each other…
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[6] Henrik
Mustonen (Fin) 3-1 [14] Lucas Serme (Fra)
11/9, 11/9, 5/11, 11/8 (57m)
HENRIK IN GREAT
FORM
If Lucas Serme was in mode “I just finished my exam, what does a
racquet squash look like” before he arrived on this tournament,
Henrik Mustonen was in great shape and really hungry. Still, all
the games that Henrik won were extremely close with Lucas
trading to start with, and coming back in the game.
I feel that Lucas was a bit flat tonight, and a bit too
reactive, not pro active. Plus a bit of a tactical mistakes (too
many cross courts, and playing a bit too fast to start with).
But that didn’t prevent him to dig in deep and get the best out
of his current form, taking the third, and threatening Henrik
from 10/5 match ball in the 4th, saving 3 match balls. The crowd
saluted the warriors, a long clapping, well deserved, as we
really enjoyed that not too intense/testoteronic game….
 I
truly enjoy those long rallies, with no stoppages, I feel that’s
where I play my best squash. The second had a few of those
stop/starts, but I managed to win that game, which I think was
crucial.
When Lucas was playing at a slow pace, he was making me work
much harder. But when I managed to keep the pace up, I was
creating more damage and hurt him more physically I think.
Henrik Mustonen
I realise how fitness short I am, but then again, he played so
well, and retrieved everything. I was trying to play too fast to
start with, and apparently, Grégoire and Mathieu told me that he
was enjoying it, so I changed and got back into it.
It’s a shame I was not able to do that from the start, but I was
not thinking too clearly! It’s always when you need to think the
most that your brain seems to work very slowly…
Lucas Serme |
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[4] Max Lee (Hkg)
3-1 Mohamed Elgawarhy (Egy)
11/3, 10/12, 11/3, 11/5 (41m)
MOHAMED TOO UP AND DOWN
 One
of those young kids extremely gifted, no fear of losing, no
pressure, attacking everything, but finding beautiful nicks as
well as tins.
Max just weathered the storm, although Mohamed got the second
12/10 on his second attempt.
At the end, Mohamed went into exhibition mode and Max just
closed it down… |
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