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Wed 18th, Day THREE:
A busy day at the Squash
Centre with 16 men's and 16 women's round one matches, and just
a few minor upsets.
Top seeds Amr Shabana
and Nicol David - both aiming for a hat-trick of Hong
Kong titles - both started their campaigns safely enough, but
all the Hong Kong players except Rebecca Chiu fell,
leaving it to their perennial favourite to carry the flag into
the second round.
Spain's Borja Golan underlined his recent rise, although
it took him 100 minutes to see of LJ Anjema, with Alister
Walker and Cameron Pilley providing the other upsets
in the men's draw.
Fifteen of the top women's seeds will contest tomorrow's second
round, joined by world junior champion Raneem El Weleily,
who played superbly to oust tenth seed Shelley Kitchen.
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EN BREF
ON THE BLOG
(in Portuguese and
Arabic) |
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Men's Round
One:
[8] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [Q] Saurav
Ghosal (Ind) 11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (34m)
Borja Golan (Esp) bt [15] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
5/11, 11/5, 8/11, 12/10 11/7 (100m)
[4] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [Q] Scott Arnold (Aus)
11/4, 11/8, 11/7 (32m)
Alister Walker (Eng) bt [14] Olli Tuominen
(Fin)
6/11, 13/11, 12/10, 11/8 (69m)
Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt [9] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
11/7, 12/10, 6/3 rtd (53m)
[3] James Willstrop (Eng) bt Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
10/12, 11/6, 11/6, 11/7 (44m)
[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [Q] Aaron Frankcomb
(Aus)
11/9, 11/8, 11/2 (50m)
[10] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) bt Dick Lau (Hkg)
11/8, 11/8, 7/11, 11/7 (41m)
[6] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [Q] Julian Illingworth
(Usa)
11/9, 11/9, 11/9 (60m)
[11] Peter Barker (Eng) bt [Q] Farhan Mehboob
(Pak)
11/3, 11/6, 12/10 (43m)
[13] Adrian Grant (Eng) bt [Q] Tom Richards (Eng)
8/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/4 (51m)
[5] David Palmer (Aus) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (Eng)
11/8, 11/6, 11/1 (30m)
[1] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt Omar Mosaad (Egy)
9/11, 11/6, 11/8, 11/5 (40m)
[16] Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt Hisham Ashour (Egy)
11/9, 11/7, 11/4 (30m)
[12] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) bt [Q] Aamir Atlas Khan
(Pak)
3/11, 11/8, 11/5, 11/8 (56m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt Joey Barrington
(Eng)
11/4, 11/4, 11/8 (44m)
Women's Round
One:
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl)
11/6, 11/3, 11/6 (22m)
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) bt [Q] Elise
Ng (Hkg)
11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (17m)
[13] Rebecca Chiu (Hkg) bt Line Hansen (Den)
11/9, 11/8, 11/8 (27m)
[16] Samantha Teran (Mex) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart
(Aus) 7/11, 11/8, 11/8, 9/11, 13/11 (62m)
[4] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [Q] Lauren Selby
(Eng)
11/9, 11/4, 11/8 (20m)
Raneem El Weleily (Egy) bt [10] Shelley Kitchen (Nzl)
11/6, 11/9, 10/12, 11/7 (35m)
[11] Tania Bailey (Eng) bt Lauren Briggs (Eng)
11/3, 11/6, 9/11, 11/1 (35m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt Engy Kheirallah (Egy)
4/11, 11/8, 10/12, 11/5, 12/10 (65m)
[6] Alison Waters (Eng) bt [Q] Lisa Camilleri
(Aus)
11/3, 13/11, 11/5 (24m)
[9] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng)
bt Annie Au (Hkg)
3/11, 11/5, 12/10, 11/9 (37m)
[15] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt Sharon Wee (Mas)
11/9, 8/11, 11/5, 11/5 (36m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (Ned) bt [Q] Delia Arnold (Mas)
11/5, 11/5, 11/6 (26m)
[14] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra) bt [Q] Suzie Pierrepont
(Eng)
11/7, 11/9, 11/6 (32m)
[8] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt [Q] Emma Beddoes
(Eng)
11/5, 6/11, 12/10, 11/4 (36m)
[12] Kasey Brown (Aus) bt [Q] Joey Chan (Hkg)
14/12, 11/5, 9/11, 13/11 (48m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Christina Mak (Hkg)
11/6, 11/6, 11/5 (19m) |
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[16]
Samantha Teran (Mex) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart
(Aus)
7/11, 11/8, 11/8, 9/11, 13/11 (62m)
"I played her
twice before, in Los Angeles and Mexico, but this one was much,
much tougher.
"In the games she won she made no mistakes, she was putting the
pressure on me and often I was expecting her to put the ball
deep and she would put in a dropshot, just above the tin.
"It was a good match, a fair, we were both fighting hard, and
she was always up in the fifth but I knew I had to keep on
fighting - it's often down to luck when it gets to the fifth but
I never give up until it's over."
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[13] Rebecca Chiu
(Hkg) bt Line Hansen (Den)
11/9, 11/8, 11/8 (27m)
 "I
haven't played Line for a long time so I forgot what her game
was like. But once I got into it in the middle of the first I
started to feel comfortable.
"It's good to be able to play in front of a home crowd, and I'm
used to the court, which is a bit tricky for the foreigners as
the lighting and the three glass sides takes a bit of getting
used to.
"She started coming back in the third, but that's always my
trouble, the mental side of things and finishing games off, plus
I'm still coming to terms with 11 scoring.
"It's Nicol - the world champion - again tomorrow, I've played
her a few times this year already and not even taken a game, so
I'm hoping that with the home court and the Hong Kong crowd I'll
be able to at least take a game this time!
 "I
felt really bad physically, if we had one hard rally it really
took it out of me for the next few. I've been here for a few
days and I've not been ill or anything, so it's disappointing -
I didn't come such a long way to play as badly as that.
"She played well though, she knows the court well obviously, and
her little drops were working right from the start.
"I was catching her towards the end of the third, but it was too
late by then. Today, my legs just weren't good enough …"
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[7]
Omneya
Abdel Kawy (Egy) bt
[Q] Elise Ng (Hkg)
11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (17m)
A comfortable opener for Omneya,
who was always in control as she made Elise cover every corner
of the court, often in quick succession.
"It's the first time I've played
her - she hits the ball so hard, and has so many shots! Still,
it's good to be able to play against top ten players, I'm sure
it can only help me to improve!"
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[9]
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng)
bt Annie Au (Hkg)
3/11, 11/5, 12/10, 11/9 (37m)
Annie could have ... Laura did
Prodigously talented Annie Au showed just why she is developing
a fearsome reputation as a danger to highly ranked players. -
playing in front of a large home crowd on the Centre Court she
took the first game against Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, and served
for the third against the ninth seed too.
Lengthorn-Massaro saved it and sneaked into a 2/1 lead with
three careful rallies, but the 19-year-old left hander was not
done yet. More winners from her armoury saw the schoolgirl hold
her own in the middle of the fourth before a couple of errors -
one an admittedly dangerous overhead which she tinned this time
having made it earlier in the match - failed her.
A match ball at 8/10 was saved with a backhand crosscourt drop,
but in the next rally a ball squirting to the centre of the
court from the front wall nick meant stroke and match to the
relieved Englishwoman.
The view from the gallery was that Au had chances, and but for
losing her way at a couple of places could have caused an upset.
"Could have's" don't count, but they are likely to be turned
into "did's" quite soon …
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Raneem El Weleily (Egy) bt
[10] Shelley Kitchen (Nzl)
11/6, 11/9,
10/12, 11/7 (35m)
"As much as I was
trying to get steady, I tried to never be overconfident, because
that’s when I usually lose control of the rallies…
"I have been hoping for such a result for so long, and finally,
finally it is here. I’m happy, so happy, that’s all I can say at
the moment…"
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[11]
Tania Bailey (Eng) bt Lauren Briggs (Eng)
11/3, 11/6, 9/11, 11/1 (35m)
Bailey's back
Having not played since last March, except for a short comeback
four months ago, there was interest in just how ring rusty Tania
Bailey might be - something that could be problematic against
such an obdurate opponent as Lauren Briggs.
But there were no obvious signs of difficulty for the former
world number four, who was steadiness personified. A three games
to one win without expending too much of her reserves will have
been welcomed - despite extending it by stumbling in the third -
but there will be a sterner test tomorrow, where England
team-mate Jenny Duncalf awaits.
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"It was hard, very hard all the way through.
"The third was crucial, I was down 5/1, succeeded to scrape it
back, and I think I finally won it 12/10, while she had a game
ball too…
"Of course, when you are 2/1 down, you are going to feel pretty
tired physically, but still, the fourth was yet again very
tough.
"I’m so happy to get through, so happy… She is such a good
player…"
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[8]
Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt [Q] Emma Beddoes
(Eng)
11/5, 6/11,
12/10, 11/4 (36m)
Atkinson wins a grueller
Malcolm Willstrop reports
Vanessa Atkinson, Holland, but living now in Leeds, began
convincingly in her match with England's Emma Beddoes - who did
well to beat the promising Dipika Pallikal 3/1 - and won the
first game comfortably.
 She
soon established a 3/0 lead in the second, but after a brutal
rally she lost impetus and Beddoes recovered strongly to lead
8/3 before levelling the match 11/6.
Maintaining momentum, Beddoes, covering the court well, moved
into a 5/0 lead in the third with the former world no 1 looking
in trouble. Although it looked unlikely at this point, Atkinson
began a sustained recovery which, after a series of heavy
rallies, took her to parity at 8-all. It was Beddoes, though,
who reached game ball first at 10/8, only to fail to convert
either chance, and lost the next two points as well to lose the
game 12/10.
The squash had been demanding and it seemed that whoever led 2/1
would have a telling psychological advantage. Si it proved, as
Atkinson soon drew away from 2-all to 10/4, finishing the
stronger, and winning a thoroughly watchable match 11/4.
These matches last year would have been ruined by traditional
scoring. Happily the women can now stand side by side with the
men, and entertain. |
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[14]
Isabelle Stoehr (Fra) bt
[Q] Suzie Pierrepont
(Eng) 11/7, 11/9, 11/6 (32m)
 "It’s
so frustrating to play well and still lose…. It’s so much better
to play badly and lose!
"When she hits the ball that well, and move that freely, she is
very hard to beat.
"I did beat her once, so I knew in the back of
my mind that it was possible, but as soon as we started, I could
see how well she was playing.
"It was a good match. But still, the only way to describe what I
feel is grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!"
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"Not an easy match against a player
who is 1.80m +, especially for me!!! Suzie's got an excellent
racquet, so I was trying to make her move near the walls.
"I had good sensations with my racquet, I was moving well...
There was an excellent spirit on court, although we had a few
contacts. During our last encounter in Cleveland, I took a good
beating, so I was keen to put the record straight this time I
guess... "Next stop, Vanessa...."
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[8]
Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [Q] Saurav
Ghosal (Ind)
11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (34m)
Lincou on song
Malcolm Willstrop reports
 Thierry
Lincou has had a slow start to the season, probably because of a
lack of match paly, but things looked up for him in Manchester
and there was no sign in his first round match with Saurav
Ghosal, the lively young Indian, that he is on the wane.
Often a slow starter, there was no sign of that either as he
took an early lead in the first game, held it throughout and won
it 11/7, aided by some unforced errors from Ghosal and his own
decisive play into the front backhand corner.
Lincou, looking keen and sharp, led clear in the second, but
Ghosal hung on determinedly and fought back from 3/9 to 8/10
with some spirited play before Lincou clinched it 11/8.
The pattern was the same in the third, but when the Frenchman
led 9/2 Ghosal, despite his best efforts, could not close the
gap this time and lost the game and the match 1//3.
Lincou will feel very happy with his performance and Ghosal will
not be too disappointed as he resisted far better than in their
previous meetings.
Lincou will meet either LJ Anjema or Borja Golan and since they
are sure to do each other a lot of damage on the attritional
court 7, he will fancy his chances of further progress.
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I was rushing a
bit today, he volleys everything, that’s his strength, and put
me under a lot of pressure. I couldn’t make him play in his
weaknesses, he was able to play his own game all match…
In Paris, I was able to get a few winners on the glass court,
whereas here, although it works both ways, he was picking up
shots that would have been winners on the glasscourt…
I was practically
constantly in front of him, I was able to keep my focus more or
less the whole time, expect a bit at the end of each game.
Still, happy with the intensity I showed today…
Here, the audience is very respectful, very knowledgeable, it’s
all positive vibes, no pressure…
I’m happy I seem to have found some game routine again, and a
good presence at the front…
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[3]
James Willstrop (Eng) bt Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
10/12, 11/6, 11/6, 11/7 (44m)
A gentleman's game
Malcolm Willstrop reports
James Willstrop's troublesome ankle has not helped to give him
the best of seasons so far and having bypassed Qatar, the
talented Mohammed Abbas was probably not the player he would
have chosen for his first round match here.
Abbas is a quality racket player, but remains unfulfilled. He
contributed, though, in no small way to an entertaining match,
appreciated bay a large crowd on the Centre Court.
Willstrop took early control and served for the first game at
10/6 before Abbas put together a series of excellent rallies to
force a tie-break and went on to take the game 12/10, a touch
surprising in view of Willstrop's control up to game ball.
There was plenty to like about the quality of the match and when
they put it together at the same time there was much to admire.
Willstrop levelled at one-all and continuing to exercise
sufficient control he took a 2/1 lead, without having shaken off
Abbas completely.
Into the fourth with the final outcome not decided by any means
and Abbas still competing, but Willstrop, despite some of his
movement not looking totally at ease, was not going to let go
now and he ended the match in convincing fashion, 11/7.
In a sporting age when almost anything goes to get a win, Abbas
walked away from three shots that he could have got away with,
or left to the referees - one was especially crucial in terms of
the score. Much credit to him, and this is to let him know that
such sportsmanship does not go unnoticed.
"It’s so good to
play against Abbas, he is such a fair player, such a lovely guy,
and it’s such a pleasure to play such a match… There was a lot
of fast play on there, the ball is really bouncing off those
glass walls, and we all know how dangerous he is in that
department.
"We were both a bit uncertain, he with his run of injuries, I
had my up and downs, I guess it was a jump in the ocean for both
of us really. It was my first match for a while, after missing
Qatar…
"When you’ve been injured, you need to spend time on court,
Tania is in the same boat, and it’s so good to pass a round, and
hopefully, each match you play, lose or win, will build my
confidence back…"
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"Well, for the three balls I walked
away from, important moment of the game or not, the ball was
down, that’s all…
"Every part of me is now fine, and even the ankle is getting
better. But I have been off now for a long time, I didn’t train
enough, and I definitely lack matches. My focus was weak, and I
need to play a lot of matches now, to find my squash again."
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Alister Walker (Aus) bt [14] Olli Tuominen
(Fin)
6/11, 13/11, 12/10, 11/8 (69m)
BAD MOMENT FOR OLLI
Framboise reports
The Finn didn’t have such a great few weeks, and was probably
looking forward to getting a good result here. But on his mind,
it was a bit apparent that he was still remembering that he’d
been Ali’s first big scalp. And he looked a bit tense from the
start I thought…
 There
again, a few lets too many for it to be a perfect match, but
[sorry Borja, I know you won’t agree with me there] the rallies
were longer and much more fluid than during the LJ/Borja match…
Olli played his game, full blast at all times, hitting all his
shots relentlessly, and forcing Alister to play at the same
level of energy. One needs to be bleeping fit, confident, and
able to anticipate most shots to match that kind of game.
Ali had all those qualities today. Plus he stayed calm at all
times, focus and contained. And that works for him.
Olli will be bitterly disappointed. He made most of the game,
was dictating most of the rallies, but on a traditional court,
was struggling a bit to finish it off… And it was so close, it
could have gone either way, and could have as easily gone his
way all along…
 "I
felt pretty comfortable to start with, I think I played very
well in the first game, it was a normal game, and it was a
pleasure to play that game.
"After that, I just couldn’t get around, I couldn’t get past
him. I was trying to do something to change that, but I just
couldn’t. Although I think I played well, and that my shots were
good, it wasn’t fun to play at all…"
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"Yes, there were a lot of lets, but it’s to be expected between
two players of that kind of ranking playing each other on a
plaster court, because we are not as tight and accurate as the
top players. But had we played on the glass court, the game
would have been completely different and probably much nicer to
watch.
"The game has changed so much in a few years you know. When we
used to play to 9 or 15 on a traditional court, the game was
more attritional, and it was more about defending and accuracy,
whereas now, it’s a much more attacking style of game, but that,
on a traditional court, doesn’t look as good as the “old style”
would have looked probably….
"I only played Olli once, and I beat him, it was my first good
win, and I could see how up for it he was, he had lot of fire in
the belly, he moved very well, picked up nearly everything. I
manage to contain him, but all the three games I won were so
close.
"This is a good win. I’m happy."
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 "I think we were both
responsible for the amount of lets we got. I was trying
to get to the ball, but he is just too big!!!! I accept
that there are a few balls I could have played, but he
takes a lot of space, and I guess that I was in his way
as well.
He is a good mate, I think it was a fair play match, I
have a lot of respect for LJ, but on the court, there is
no friendship, it’s our job, and you’ve got to forget
about that respect….
"LJ always seems to take a good start, last week in
Santiago it was the same thing, I had trouble
establishing my length in the first game, but in the
second, I started to push more, to be more attacking, to
volley more, and I don’t think he liked being led
score-wise.
"He is a very powerful player, he attacks very well.
Today, it was about fighting for each point, for each
rally. I was lucky to take the win today, but I’m
playing him again in Saudi, and that will be another
battle…"
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Borja Golan (Esp) bt [15] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
5/11, 11/5, 8/11, 12/10 11/7 (100m) |
LET PLEASE!!!!!!
Framboise reports
This was not the most fluid of the matches I’ve seen, by far.
After two game, 25 decisions. In the third alone, 29. After only
54 minutes (3 games), we were at 54 decisions…
 Both seem to have trouble staying out of each other's way. They
both like to attack, volley, and hit hard. And they love their counterdropping business. And they are both biiiiig boys.
This was a hard, disputed match, with a few discussions with the
refs, but considering the number of decisions, pretty lame….
They both wanted it. LJ looked the likely winner for most of the
match, but Borja, like he’s been doing to a few top players
recently, was able to grind his opponent, both mentally and
physically, preventing him from get into any kind of rhythm.
So it will be an opportunity for Thierry to settle the score
tomorrow, and maybe get his revenge after Borja beat him in
Paris, in front of a stunned homecrowd, in the quarters of the
Internationaux de France.
But the Spanish is a tough cookie, and he’ll have the confidence
to know that he’s done it once…. A delectable encounter to come…
"He played the crucial
points better than I did. He is so good at grinding it…
"I wished I’d been able to get that match ball in the
fourth, I wouldn’t be
standing there like this, I would be telling you that I
played the right game…"
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Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt [9] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
11/7, 12/10, 6/3 rtd (53m)
WAEL
NOT WELL
Framboise reports
As I was watching the nth encounter between Cameron and Wael
(the 5th in a few weeks I believe), I first noticed that the
Egyptian seem to play in slow motion. And then, I noticed a
heavy strapping on his right arm. And that couldn’t have been
good.
After the match, Wael made me feel his arm, and I tell you, the
click that you hear when he is moving his wrist ain’t good news,
that’s for sure, and certainly not normal.
Cameron, well aware of the condition his favourite opponent was
in, played the perfect tactic, hard and low, patient and low
percentage. It worked to perfection…
“I tried to play clever squash”, said Wael at the end. “But it
wasn’t enough”… |
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"It was very hard
to get into any kind of rhythm, it’s always the case with him. I
think he was also suffering from injury, and guessed quite a
lot, I ended up playing a few times straight into his racquet…
"It was excellent practice for tomorrow, as he plays a lot of
shots that Shabana will play tomorrow, and I think it’s going to
be much much harder…"
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[7]
Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [Q] Aaron Frankcomb
(Aus)
11/9, 11/8, 11/2 (50m)
"I didn’t know
exactly what to expect, if only that he was going to take his
chances, that he is not the kind of player who’s going to be
content with qualifying, and that he was going to fight.
"He surprised me how well he was taking the ball at the front,
he was actually more aggressive than I was, and I needed to play
very accurate squash to be able to win points.
"In the second, I started to get into my own rhythm, I could
take it a bit better, and I felt comfortable to play the ball
short.
"Aaron made me play the perfect game, I got everything I needed
to out of my system, and I think I’ll move better tomorrow…."
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[4]
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [Q] Scott Arnold (Aus)
11/4, 11/8, 11/7 (32m)
"Today I was
testing my leg, and I actually saw the physio 30 minutes before
getting on court.
"And I can confirm 100% that when I have no idea of how I’m
going to play, that’s when I play my best squash. And that when
I’m overconfident, when I KNOW how to play, or when I get into
too much detail thinking how I’m going to play every shot,
that’s when I play terrible squash. I think it’s because I then
need time to get back on the ground mentally…"
"The first game
was horrendous, I played too fast, and put everything in the
tin. Then in the second, I was more disciplined, played more
straight shots, drives and drop shots, and felt the ball a bit
more.
"Obviously he is going to get many winners, he gave me a few
points, but not much…
"I did play him once in New York last year, and it was my first
qualification in a big draw, I was a bit overwhelmed… This time
round, I felt much more comfortable, I knew what to expect…"
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[6]
Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [Q] Julian Illingworth
(Usa)
11/9, 11/9, 11/9 (60m)
"He surprised me.
It was the first time I saw him play, he is so quick on the
court, so consistent… I was moving him around, because I thought
he would get tired, but he didn’t…
"When I was up 2/0, I thought that the match was over, but no,
he kept coming back. I was lucky that I played the important
points well. I think he’s got a great future…."
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"I was very happy with my first two games. He is one of the very
very talented young players, and I remember seeing the first
time in Pakistan, against Nick, he was 14, and I thought then
that kid could become very good. So it’s nice to see him
fulfilling his potential….
"I think I had one of the most dangerous player from the
qualifiers, but that was good, as I needed to be at the top of
my game right from the start.
"At the end, I was down 9/2, he went for a few shots and got a
good lead, and I thought make him win it, I started playing
straighter shots, got a better length in, and that made the
difference…"
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[11]
Peter Barker (Eng) bt [Q] Farhan Mehboob
(Pak)
11/3, 11/6, 12/10 (43m)
PETER IN CONTROL
Framboise reports
 It
was one of those games where I believe the kind of court the
match was played on could have changed slightly the deal. But on
a traditional “slow” court, Peter Barker was always going to be
the winner in my book…
Farhan is so talented. I won’t cease to repeat it till you’re
all bored to hear it, but with Aamir, they do represent the New
Pakistan, and a nice looking one too. … The Pakistani has got so
much talent at the front, but lacks a bit of patience at the
back, and against a player as consistent and solid at the back
than Peter Barker, he was not going to be the winner… And when
you add that now the Englishman possesses a few nice winners at
the front, Farhan had a lot of work and ground to cover.
Peter was in control for most of the two first games, and if
Farhan dominated the third up to 9/2, 10/5, the Englishman just
clawed back, steadily he went, rally after rally, putting his
opponent more and more under pressure, till of course, he ended
up in the tin…
A 3/0 victory against such a talented young man is a good result
for Barker, and he was pleased. So he should…. |
|
[13]
Adrian Grant (Eng) bt [Q] Tom Richards (Eng)
8/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/4 (51m)
[12] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) bt [Q] Aamir Atlas Khan
(Pak)
3/11, 11/8, 11/5, 11/8 (56m)
LAST TWO…
Framboise reports
First on court, we had an English Derby, with established Adrian
Grant on one hand, and young wolf Tom Richards on the other.
First round went definitely to Tom, he was sharp, quick on the
ball, and fast to move. But Adrian losing the first game is not
exactly a scoop really. He soon reassessed, and never let his
young opponent have enough time to adjust his short game,
pushing him further and further to the back.
Tom just didn’t know what hit him. He kept on trying to attack,
but as he was never in the right position, always on the back
foot, he found the tin again and again, hence his growing
frustration.
Apart from the first game hiccup, Adrian played a perfect game,
tactically in complete control…
As those two ended, I must say I was starting to be really,
really, really tired, and even sleepy, as jetlag plus a very
long day were starting to take their toll. And I really thought
that I was going to take a taxi, and go back to crash in my
bed….
 Just
before going, I decided to glance quickly at Azlan v Speedy
Gonzalez, aka Aamir. O. ME. GOD.
Those two were playing the best squash of this event, by far.
Ridiculous, stunning, amazing squash, played at 220 mph, all in
reflexes, intelligence, and shot variations, not to mention
astonishing pickups from both.
That kind of match shouldn’t have a loser. But today, Azlan wins
the toss. A few errors for the Pakistani right at the end, and
that was it. Still, what a match, thanks guys, thanks for giving
it all that you had in the tank.
It was beautiful. Just
beautiful. |
 |
|
A comfortable enough first two games for Greg, and he always
held the lead in the third, but Joey's fightback ended when the
Frenchman served into the nick to advance to the second round
 |
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