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Tue 6th Dec, Round Three, Bottom
Half:
[8] Peter Barker (Eng) bt
[18] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
11/6, 11/6, 11/9 (56m)
[4] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [11] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
11/4, 11/3, 11/3 (38m)
[6] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [9] Daryl Selby (Eng)
11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 11/7
(80m)
[13] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) bt [23] Aamir Atlas Khan
(Pak)
11/8, 11/6, 11/8 (33m)
Darwish
signals World Open warning
Richard Eaton reports
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[8] Peter
Barker (Eng) bt [18] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
11/6, 11/6, 11/9 (56m)
Boswell makes
Barker work for it
Malcolm reports
The bottom half of the draw to be decided tonight, as the World
Championship gathers pace and intensity. First on was Peter
Barker, seeded eight, and Stewart Boswell, who survived a long
and heavy meeting with Adrian Grant who was forced to concede in
the the fifth.
The colder evening air had not taken over when the match began
and the court was pleasantly bouncy. Barker led 5/1, moving
freely. A long, well-contested rally, which Boswell finished
with a low crosscourt winner, too him to 3/5, but Barker,
finding things just a little easier than Boswell, led 8/5 then
10/6 and won the game 11/6.
 Attacking
more, Boswell secured a 4/1 lead in the second and he was making
Barker work harder than in the first. But Barker retrieved when
he had to and levelled at 5-all, for all Boswell's good work.
He kept up the pressure too, and led 8/5 and 10/6, winning it
11/6, the same score as the first but he had to work harder for
it.
Boswell took a 2/0 lead in the third thanks to a no let and a
stroke, but that soon became 3-all as Barker persisted, as he
does. Now it was Boswell who was having to work the harder, but
Barker was still having to work hard to shake off the Aussie's
dogged persistence.
Barker led 8/7 on a Boswell error, then a stroke brought parity.
9-all now, a big rally and a forehand winner gave Barker match
ball, and 11/9 it was as he despatched the ball deep into the
back corner out of Boswell's reach.
A thorough performance from Barker but Boswell's efforts belied
the 3/0 scoreline. Barker can look forward to a quarter-final
against an Egyptian for sure ...
 "Everything
was good for me today, apart from my drops! It's quite
satisfying in a way, to be able to win three-nil with some
improvements still to make for the next round.
"There's a lot of pressure out there, it the biggest tournament
of the year, every round is massive.
"We've never had so many rest days, it good but it's unusual for
everyone, you have to make sure you keep at a high level in
terms of play and fitness, you can't afford to let it go down on
the days off.
"I'm in the quarter-finals of the World Open, I don't mind whoo
I play now ..."
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[4] Karim
Darwish (Egy) bt [11] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
11/4, 11/3, 11/3 (38m)
Darwish too strong
Karim Darwish came into this tournament on a high, having won
the El Gouna International and the Qatar Classic, and clutching
the $40,000 winners' cheque he received in front of the Temple
in Luxor.
 At
the time that was the biggest squash cheque ever, but he is one
of the real contenders to pick up an even bigger one here on
Friday night.
In his way tonight stood fellow-Egyptian Wael El Hindi, but to
be brutally honest, he didn't stand in his way for long.
The opening exchanges were well contested, but from 4-all in the
first El Hindi made a number of errors and Darwish chipped in
with a few winners of his own that did Wael's mood no good at
all.
From 4-all in the first Darwish won 14 of the next 15 points as
he opened up a winning lead in the second, which was soon
consolidated.
It was a mood of resignation emanating from Wael, by now he
realised it wasn't going to be his day, and Darwish didn't drop
his level an iota, pushing through, catching his opponent out
with several shots to the front from deep, and punishing every
short shot from his opponent.
Karim looked good, but there are sterner tests to come ...
 "It's
always tough to play Wael, he's a determined, talented player
and he knows my game well. I knew I had to be focused right from
the start of the match, and I'm pleased with how I kept my
concentration to win three-nil.
"This is the most important tournament of the year. I'm playing
well at the moment, and these four days are probably the most
important of my life, I have to make sure I'm properly prepared
for them, mentally and physically."
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[6] James
Willstrop (Eng) bt [9] Daryl Selby (Eng)
11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 11/7
(80m)
Willstrop wins
all-English battle
Malcolm reports
This all-England third round match promised plenty, and
delivered.
 Selby
began well and established a clear lead, and it was only by
stages that Willstrop managed to get back into contention. Not
only did he recover from a 4/0 deficit, but he contrived to win
the game 11/9.
It might have been expected that Willstrop would build on the
1/0 lead, but Selby continued to play very precisely, especially
down the backhand side, and Willstrop was behind again in the
second, this time 5/2, and although he saved three game balls
Selby levelled 11/9.
Willstrop appeared to pick up the pace in the third and this
time he led early, but Selby was moving and playing well.
Willstrop led 4/0, Selby levelled at 5-all but Willstrop was
always ahead after that without it ever being easy.
Willstrop appeared to take control of the fourth, moving ahead
6/2, but another spirited response from Selby saw him level at
7-all before Willstrop took the next two points for 9/7. Two
unlucky bounces at the back of the court and it was 11/7 and
match to Willstrop, for who a fifth would not have been welcome.
 Selby
will be disappointed to have lost, but happy with the
performance, at least in retrospect. "It's disappointing of
course," he said afterwards. "I'm having some good results, but
I'm not getting them consistently, which is what I need to do to
break into the top eight."
"It was a real battle," added Willstrop. "He gave me little to
play with and I had to dig, dig, dig. I was a bit disappointed
about that, but perhaps I shouldn't have been. It's still good
that I could win this way."
"Daryl played so well, I don't think I've ever played anyone as
accurate as he was tonight, particularly down that backhand
side."
The crown, mostly responsive to Egyptian players, enjoyed it
too, and showed their appreciation.
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[13] Mohamed
El Shorbagy (Egy) bt
[23] Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak)
11/8, 11/6, 11/8 (33m)
Second Quarter for
Shorbagy
If the previous match had been all about tightness and accuracy,
the last match of the evening was anything but. It could hardly
be otherwise really, as Mohamed El Shorbagy and Aamir Atlas Khan
are two players whose attacking instincts are never far from the
surface.
Plus, the crowd, mainly Egyptian supporters but with a
significant Pakistani faction, didn't need any working up - they
got it anyway, Robert Edwards can't resist - and anyone trying
to play up and down the wall in that atmosphere ... well, you
just couldn't do it.
Khan started well, led the first 4/0, but once Shorbagy settled
down it was he who was doing the dictating. The rallies were
short, sharp, into all four corners of the court, generally
finishing with a winner after one or the other had been worked,
or worked themselves, out of position.
Shorbagy took the first 11/8, came from 4/1 down again in the
second to take it 11/6, finally got a start in the third and was
never headed as the Egyptian side of the crowd (well, middle
actually, the Pakistanis were on the flanks) worked itself
closer and closer to a frenzy.
 "When
I went onto court, I'd never seen or played in front of a crowd
like that, I was so nervous.
"At 4/0 down I told myself I just had to ignore it and start
playing my own game. Once I got into the match the crowd became
more of a support than a pressure, and I started to really enjoy
it.
"I'd talked with Jonah [Barrington] about how to play him, and
knew that if I kept the pace fast enough he wouldn't be able to
cope with it, and that if I got ahead it could get to him.
"I'm so pleased to be in the quarters of the World Open for a
second time [after Manchester 2008]. When I saw the draw I
thought 'oh my God, Cameron Pilley second round then Ramy', but
they're both out. I feel sorry for them, but it's an opportunity
for me and I have to take it.
"James is a fair player a gentleman on court. He beat me 3/1 in
Kuwait, but we'll just have a fair and enjoyable squash match
tomorrow ..."
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