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In the beginning, I think maybe I was expecting too much of myself, I have been training well, moving well, playing well, and I know that if I give it a big push, I can get my squash back.

And I started well, the worst ever! Shots in the middle, no length, lots of unforced errors, it was terrible. So I just tried and sort myself out, and the third and fourth were a bit better, still not the way I wanted to play and it was a struggle until the end.

From 2/0 down you have a lot of pressure on yourself all the time. But I tried and took the ball earlier. I’m sooo happy I got through that one, but it was not easy…

Nantes, first time here, haven’t had the chance to see much but I love the “compact” side of the event, it’s superb, and to be honest, I would have never expected the event to be that well organised or look that good.


 

[8] Olli Tuominen (Fin) 3-2 Jens Schoor (Ger)
                  7/11, 2/11, 11/8, 11/4, 11/6 (61m)

RIDICULOUS PACE      

Not for the fainted hearted that one, and what a great advert for the sport! They both played at a ridiculous fast face, hitting very hard, good accurate squash and drama included!

First game, 14 long minutes, and Jens looks extremely good. Only 1 error the whole first two games – it has been his little problem over the years, but today, great attacking squash, no waste. Olli is not as settled, and doesn’t play his best squash, probably all credit to Jens who is taking time away from the ball and taking the Finn out of his comfort zone. From 4/4, 8/4, 10/5, 11/7 Jens.

Olli just doesn’t show up in the second, looking very tired and I’m thinking an easy 3/0 really, 11/2 in 8m.

Annnnnnnd the mental starts playing it’s role. Jens, only 1 error the whole match so far, maybe relaxes a bit, makes 4 tins in 5 points. 5/2, Olli. Jens fights back, 4 points this time, 8/6, looking much more composed. But a big push from Olli, 5 points in a row, 11/8 in 11m, Jens has suddenly 6 tins, Olli 0.

Fourth, Olli with the momentum, quick rallies, and wrong footing his opponent often with his volley drop shot cross court, and we are back level 11/4 in 9m.

Fifth is again controlled by the Fin, 4/0 – with a collision where Olli hit Jens in the Family Jewels, get a stroke against him commenting “ I couldn’t clear as he hit me in the balls, it’s not a stroke”. Just say it as it is then!
But Olli just unstoppable in that last game, 7/1, still, 5/7 for Jens who throws everything in there, but Olli is confident, Jens not: Olli’s shot just keep going in nicely, and it’s 11/6 in 13 long minutes 61m game.

What a turn around that was….

It’s all in the head, Fram. In the first two games, I was able to do what I wanted, taking the middle away from him, twisting and turning him enough, and it worked well for two games and a half. And suddenly, not sure why, here I go and make like 6 tins in no time at all, where I didn’t do any the whole match!

Then at 8/6, he finds two surreal backhand volley shots that I just couldn’t read, and I make an error, and I put him back on track.
Fifth, it’s very close again, but by the end, he’s got the momentum and the belief, and I’m under too much pressure. It’s all in the head, Fram, it’s all in the head.

[4] Grégoire Marche (Fra) 3-0 [Q] Richie Fallows (Eng)
               11/5, 11/2, 11/4 (33m)

RICHIE GETTING THERE

Ok, I don’t think the 21 years old Englishboy, WR68, has enough weapons at this point in time to oust WR29 Greg The Acrobat Marche, but he is getting closer to his goal.

Don’t believe the score in the first game, 11/5, looks easy doesn’t it. But it was 14m game, basically, length of the first women’s match back in La Maison du Squash….

Greg and Richie were both patient, made 3 errors each, but the rallies were disputed, played at a rather high pace, well constructed and very pleasant indeed, the Frenchman managing to be on the winning side of long exchanges.

Second, well, shows that Richie still has got to work on the mental side a bit, as under pressure, it’s not that easy to stay focus. A no let (harsh if you ask me, although a good explanation of the ref, still I think the safety factor should have been taken into account) makes the young man lose his focus. And although he didn’t argue with the ref, it was obvious that his frustration cut him off from his game plan, going for silly shots and making tin after tin. An 8m game, 11/2 for a very grateful French, he’ll take it thank you very much.

Back on court with the brain this time, rallies are long to start with, 3/2, but then, Greg just goes one notch higher, and physically, Richie is starting to pay for the hard work produced – he had also 2 matches the days previous with the qualifying, different courts completely. Greg is flying really, dominating the rallies, not having to force too much his talent to win shorter and shorter rallies, 8/2, 9/3, 11/4 in 9 minutes.

I think I played well in spells, I played well at times, but not consistent enough, and I don’t think I can sustain that kind of game or pace physically at the moment. But I’m not worried, because I know what I’ve got to do to be able to compete at that level, and I know I’ll get there eventually.

It’s never easy to start a new event, especially at the start of the season, we had HK to find a few marks, and allowing us to find where we are physically after 6 weeks of summer training. I had 2, 3 matches to see where I was, then I worked on a few things I noted from those matches.

I’m happy with the hard work produced, but today it was not easy, to play against a young player that you KNOW is going to attack everything from every position. So I’m happy with a 3/0 win, I did what I wanted to do.

On my 6 weeks training, I did three weeks of general fitness, bike, running, gym, then the next three weeks, specific squash and game, because that’s what it’s all about really, playing and that’s what I truly enjoy doing, the “playful side” of squash….

Overall very happy with the amount of work and the rigour my physical trainer Thomas Adriens and myself put into my training this summer.


 

I hadn’t seen him play much but I knew what I wanted to do, just use my physicality to make it hard for him, and although I was not on top in the first game, he still had to do a lot of work.

He was in front of me a lot in the opening game, he was volleying a lot, but my length was not as good as I would have like, that’s the thing I know I should have got better from the start.

I made sure I got the ball to the back and took the middle away from him, once I got that in control, it was harder for him to volley.

It’s my first time ever on squashTV, and I must say the support of the crowd has been great, they made a big difference. Very happy to be here in Nantes!

[Q] Joel Makin (Wal) 3-0 [7] Todd Harrity (Usa)
                12/10, 11/8, 11/5 (48m)

Match of the day

There were a lot of players watching this match that they labelled at breakfast the match of the day. And you know what, it was a pretty good match, although it went only to 3 games, but what a battle.

Two different style of players, although both fit and good racquet skills, but Joel a bit of a physical machine Paul Coll like (who by the way Joel just beat) while Toddy’s got a magical volley touch.

First game, immense game, started with the 60 plus shots rally, the spectators near me who had never saw squash was amazed, quite rightly. “Are they always so fair play” asked me the lady on the right. “Yes, they are pretty good, aren’t they”…

A huge battle that first game was, Joel seems to control the start with the physicality, 3/1, 5/2, but Tod soon gets used to the pace, 5/5, 6/6 7/7, 8/8. The American’s racquet is on fire, volleying stunningly, and it’s 2 game balls, 10/8. Joel will save them,; 10/10, and Tod will make two quick unforced errors, turning point of the game number 1, 12/10 Joel in 18m.

Second game is as close, 1/1, 2/2, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, 8/6 Joel, but Tod won’t let him get away, 8/9, but there again, it’s the Welsh that got the most under the pedal at the end, three points in a row for Joel, 11/8, in again 14 long minutes.

The hard work produced by Joel pays dividends in the 3rd, as in if Tod never gave up, the legs and hurting and the quads are shaking a bit, he’ll give away 7 unforced errors plus 2 strokes. That’s a lot of gifts that the Welsh is happy to clinch, thank you very much, 11/5 in still 13 minutes.

Remember the name. Joel Makin. You’ll hear from him again. For sure.

[1] Daryl Selby (Eng) 3-0
[Q] Jaymie Haycocks (Eng)
                12/10, 11/4, 11/5 (38m) 

DARYL HAD TO WEATHER THE JAYMIE STORM

It was a good game that one was. Jaymie, having nothing to lose, extremely fit, probably relaxing a bit at this point of his career, having a good performance yesterday and not too tired either, just let go of the arm today, and really asked questions to Daryl.



Opening game was a pure joy to be honest. Two players that know each other very well, and Jaymie just attacking cleverly, backed by a strong length/width as every, finding superb winners or should be winners that Daryl had to work hard to save. 3/1 Daryl, 3/3, 6/3 Daryl again 6/7.

The former National Champion finds his groove, 10/7, but that’s the moment Jaymie chooses to play his most inspired squash, saving three game balls and forcing Daryl to find the tin twice –doesn’t happen often let me tell you. With a last backhand drop shot we are back at 10/10.

Daryl doesn’t want to lose that game, he just arrived from London today – industrial action at the airport, when was the last time that happened in England!!! – gives it a big push, and quite significantly, Jaymie, who hasn’t made a single error in the whole of the 17m first game, finds the tin on Daryl’s 4th game ball, 12/10 Daryl

Jaymie will take the second game to recover from the physical effort and then mental disappointment, 4/0 Daryl, 5/1, then 4 tins in a row for Jaymie – mind you, he HAD to try something now, didn’t he, and finally, 11/4 in 9m.

Third is back to the first game mode, point for point up to 5/5, but then Daryl’s variation, deception and hold made the difference, 11/5 in again 9m. Nice game, and the crowd – incredibly numerous for a first round, appreciated the effort loudly.

We need more of that kind of audience all around the world…
 

Yes, missed my flight yesterday due to industrial action in London City airport, so only arrived this morning. It wasn’t ideal preparation yesterday, but these things are thrown in the way to challenge you.

There’s no point moaning about it, even if I did a bit yesterday. You refocus and take it as if I arrived yesterday, it’s no different.

We played a lot of game Jaymie and I, he is a very dangerous player, he is in form at the moment as well, as he beat Mazen, a very dangerous player yesterday, 3/0. I knew I was in for a tough on. Jaymie is a good all around player, good control of the game really. I knew he would be confident, and that I would have to be concentrated from the word go. I felt I played really well tonight.

In the first game, he matched me point for point, I was a bit annoyed with myself of letting three game balls go, but I’m happy with the way I stayed focused and got it back.

A busy summer, I moved house, good training as well, so yes, pretty busy. I didn’t go to HK not only because I was moving house, but also because I wanted more time to prepare physically.

Preparation has been good though in terms of summer training, I’m probably fitter this year than I was over the past three or four years, which is a massive positive because I think my game’s sort of carries on improving and my racket work and attacking game has improved year on year, but the last few years I’ve struggled with a few niggling injuries, adapting to life with kids and adapting to training with kids.

Next round, well, Joel is a fantastic mover and the last few years he’s improved a lot. I caught a little bot of his first game today against Todd and it was very tight. It will be a good test, I’ve got a rest day tomorrow, which will be nice.

I feel I haven’t been here for very long because I obviously only arrived this morning!!! It will be a good challenge because he’s a fit boy, he moves well, and his squash has improved a lot.

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