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#4: 60 Seconds
with ... 6 |
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#1: Tom Richards |
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What's on your Ipod ? |
Julian
Casablancas |
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Your best shot ? |
Backhand
volley |
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Tea or Coffee ? |
Tea |
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Best moment in squash ? |
Winning
PSA tournaments |
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Favourite Book ? |
Rich
Fulchers 97 tiny acts of rebelliom |
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Favourite Tournament ? |
Hong Kong |
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Aim for next 5 years ? |
To reach
the top 10 |
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Best player of all time ? |
Peter
Nicol |
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If not a squash player ? |
Attempting to be a cricketer |
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Any Superstitions ? |
I don't
shave during tournaments |
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Final thought ? |
Who dares
wins |
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#2: Stéphane Galifi |
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What's on
your Ipod ? |
I don't have an Ipod ! |
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Your best
shot ? |
Volley Drop |
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Tea or
Coffee ? |
Coffee |
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Best
moment in squash ? |
When I beat Stefan Casteleyn
for the first time! |
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Favourite
Book ? |
Notes of a dirty old man (Bukosky) |
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Favourite
Tournament ? |
LA |
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Aim for
next 5 years ? |
World Champ |
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Best
player of all time ? |
Jansher |
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If not a
squash player ? |
Be rich |
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Any
Superstitions ? |
No |
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Final
thought ? |
I should have played Tennis ... |
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#3:
Chris Simpson |
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What's on your Ipod ? |
Vampire
Weekend |
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Your best shot ? |
Backhand
drop |
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Pizza or Pasta ? |
Pizza |
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Best moment in squash ? |
Winning
the Taiwan Open after bad injury |
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Favourite Book ? |
Where's
Waldo |
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Player you most like to play ? |
James
Snell !! |
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Aim for next 5 years ? |
Make the
world top ten |
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Best player of all time ? |
Amr
Shabana |
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If not a squash player ? |
Fat! |
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Life outside Earth ? |
Yes |
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Final thought ? |
If
quizzes are quizzical, what are tests ? |
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#4: James Snell |
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What's on
your Ipod ? |
Lots & Lots - Jamie T, Jay Z,
Kings of Leon |
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Your best
shot ? |
Backhand drop |
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Coke or
Pepsi ? |
Both |
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Best
moment in squash ? |
Winning first PSA event, Japan
09 |
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Favourite
Book ? |
Lance Armstrong, It's not about
the bike |
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Thing
you're proudest of ? |
My family |
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Aim for
next 5 years ? |
Be fit & healthy |
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Best
player of all time ? |
Jonah Barrington |
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If not a
squash player ? |
Qualifications and money !! |
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Half full
or half empty ? |
Half full |
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Final
thought ? |
Can we have tournaments here
every week ? |
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#3: Let's go Downtown
 If
you've seen Downtown LA on the TV or in movies - it's
the part with all the skyscrapers - you'd be surprised how
small it really is, especially when you arrive via one of
the freeways that surround it, it looks like a little
enclave of highrise in a sea of bungalows.
 It's
split into districts, with the LAAC in the Jewelry
District pretty much in the centre.
Small as it is it would still take a while to walk around in
one go, so for my first walkabout I headed up the Hill on
Olive Street towards the Civic Center which is home
to the Disney Convention Center, then back down through
Bunker Hill on Grand Avenue.
 Compared
to the Jewelry District this areas of the city is very open,
wide avenues, lots of greenery, with parks, monuments and
cafes scattered about among the ever-present skyscrapers.
Very pleasant it was in the warm sunshine, while the rest of
the US and UK suffer snow and extreme cold ... sorry guys!
And of course, I took a few snaps along the way ... |
#2: The Sports Club LA
 You
don't see many clubs like this in the UK, that's for sure.
Situated in the Irvine Business Area, just off the 405
Freeway in Orange County (and next to John Wayne airport),
this is where qualifying took place for the inaugural KIG
Open.
Initial impressions are impressive, as you approach through
the wide avenues, Palm Tree-adorned parking facility,
beautifully designed skyscrapers set in their own spacious
gardens.
When you reach the club itself, the assorted collection of
Ferraris, Bentleys and Porches outside let you know you're
somewhere special, and inside doesn't disappoint.
 Four
storeys tall, spacious, modern and packed with all the
latest fitness equipment, bar, cafe, and multiple function
rooms, you can see why one of the squash-playing members
described it as "the best club in the world".
Squash is on the fourth floor with five glassbacks and one
Racketball court )that's a mad game that is).
Viewing is limited, but then there's so much else to look
at, like the atrium which looks down onto the other floors
and out onto the freeway.
I didn't dare enquire about the cost of membership, and
couldn't take too many photos, but if you want to know more,
visit the club site. |
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Photos by Glenn Mah |
#1: Power keeps Casteleyn
at Bay in LA
The LAAC hosts
Jonathon Power...
By: Bob Hanscom, LA Squash Professional (retired)
A standing room only packed house witnessed one of the most
talented squash players of all time exhibit his remarkable
skills at The Los Angeles Athletic Club Thursday
evening.
Jonathon Power, who retired as the World's #1 squash
player in 2007, played an exhibition match with 14-time
Belgian National Champion - and former #7 in the world,
Stefan Casteleyn, now the full-time head professional at
the prestigious downtown LA club.
The event was being held in conjunction with the weekly
LAAC team league night - to promote the upcoming $30,000
PSA KIG Open Championships, scheduled for the January
7-10 weekend - and to encourage patronage for the event.
Before the match, Stefan said, "You know, I've never beaten
Jonathon, in the juniors or on the tour, but now in the
twilight of league play, I feel this could be my moment. I'm
counting on our patrons to tire him out!
Unfortunately for Stefan, Jonathon's unbeaten record against
him remains untarnished - Jonathon taking the match in four
games. However, after winning the first two, the third game
could have gone to Jonathon as well, had he not stepped on
Stefan's foot and rolling his ankle.
However, during the fourth game, it was obvious that
Jonathon wasn't interested in playing a fifth, as he
informed the (always entertaining) referee Joe Mersola,
owner of the Burbank Squash Club.
Comments from the packed gallery ranged from "Amazing,
"Unbelievable," .. "My God" ... to "I believe that if
Jonathon was still on the PSA tour, he'd (still) be giving
the top-ranked players a run for their money."
There is no doubt that Jonathon, aka "The Magician," hasn't
lost much, if anything! His ability to fool his opponent,
(even at a terrific pace) and not allow many balls to get
past him, is still very impressive. The quickness of his
racket, combined with the accuracy of his shots, would make
any player struggle to keep up.
Watching the match, one could see, right from the start, who
would be doing most of the running - and it wasn't Jonathon.
Certainly taking nothing away from Stefan, as one of the
best retrievers the game has ever seen; he displayed amazing
(full split) flexibility in his ability to return the most
difficult balls.
But in the end, Jonathon proved to the ecstatic crowd that
"The Magician" is still today, one of the most impressive
and certainly entertaining squash players the game has ever
seen.
Following the match, Jonathon asked everyone in attendance
to give Stefan a round of applause for his gallant effort.
He congratulated Stefan for continuing to promote squash in
Los Angeles - bringing some of the best players in the world
to The Club next month for the inaugural KIG Open.
|
 |
 Where is he now...?
Canadian Jonathon Power, aka "The Magician," will
make a guest appearance at The Los Angeles Athletic Club
to help promote the up-coming January 05-10 KIG PSA
Open.
 Jonathon, who retired from the PSA tour as World #1 in March
of 2006, will play the #1 position for The Canadians Team
at The LAAC's weekly Team League matches on Thursday,
December 10th.
Jonathon will play long-time good friend and recently
appointed LAAC Head Squash Professional Stefan Casteleyn,
former #7 in the world and 14-time Belgian National
Champion, who heads up the "ZIP" team.
The evening, presented by Mubashir Kazi, CEO of
the Kazi Investment Group (KIG), and the LAAC Squash Fund
is open to anyone - and will be accepting different levels
of patron contributions to the KIG event, for which, they
(six maximum) will have an opportunity to have a 20 minute
"hit" with the former world #1.
  Stefan said, "You know, I've never beaten Jonathon, in the
juniors or on the tour, but now in the twilight of league
play, I feel this could be my moment! I'm counting on our
patrons to tire him out."
The evening, which will feature six other hotly-contested
matches, is expected to attract a packed crowd and will be
played at LAAC's exhibition court #6. |
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