[1] Nick
Matthew (Eng) bt [24] Hisham Ashour (Egy)
11/8,
11/6, 13/11 (49m)
Matthew holds off
Hisham Malcolm reports
With Ramy Ashour's unfortunate defection it was left to the
elder brother Hisham to fly the family flag against top seed
Nick Matthew in the first of the matches to decide the
quarter-finalists. He had despatched LJ Anjema in good style,
but faced a harder task now.
The first rally was of massive proportions and ended with a
Matthew tin. Ashour, fitter than he has been, therefore more
confident, romped to 4/0, but Matthew was soon on level terms at
4-all.
A
wicked forehand kill gave Ashour a 5/4 lead, but Matthew then
led 8/5 before another vicious forehand into the nick took
Ashour to 7/8. At 10/7 Matthew served for the game and won it at
the second attempt 11/8.
Ashour had played well enough, but he was going to need to
against Matthew's relentlessness.
Another brilliant shot, this time a forehand crosscourt volley
into the nick, took Ashour to 3/1 in the second, but again
Matthew was back in the lead at 5/4. A stroke meant 6/4
and when Ashour was denied a let he probably should have had,
Matthew led 9/5. He won the game 11/6, again at the second
attempt.
Ashour led 4/2 in the third, but a couple of backhand drops
restored parity at 4-all. Matthew gradually reached 7/4, but
Ashour fought back this time, to lead 10/9, saved by Matthew
with a counter drop.
A tiebreak ensued, but a magnificent backhand crosscourt nick
gave Ashour a second game ball which Matthew saved with another
dropshot.
Elevel-all, crucial times, more perhaps for Ashour than Matthew.
A straight forehand winner brought match ball to Matthew and a
fluke on the backwall gave him a passage through to the last
eight.
"I
can't overstate how difficult a player his is to play, he's
unique - well, him and Ramy I suppose, and with Ramy coaching
him in between game sit felt like I was playing both of them!
"It's hard to get into a rhythm, which is the way I like to
play, he can hit ma run of errors and you think you're ok then
he'll hit a run of winners and you're in trouble.
"I just had to ride the good patches, stick with it and not get
frustrated. He started each game well, but I was pleased to come
through at the end of each one, but I was a bit lucky to take
the third like that.
"I don't think I played at my best, I've got better each day so
far and there's another rest day now to prepare for the real
crunch part of the tournament."
Thierry Lincou impressed in his 3/0 win over Omar Mosaad and
Alister Walker, after a spell where he looked below his best,
showed signs of a return to form when he beat Joey Barrington
3/0.
Lincou often used to be a slow starter, but was 5/0 up in the
trifling of an eye, looking sharp, as indeed he had against
Mosaad.
He preserved the five point gap at 8/3 and again at 9/4 and
after a fine rally which Walker won, served the game out 11/5,
surprised no doubt by the ease of it all.
Lincou, moving like a man ten years younger than his 34 years,
continued to impress, but Walker was into the match now and led
5/3 in the second game. After a series of lets, odd since both
were moving well, Lincou led 7/6. A bad bounce and it was 7-all,
then a two game lead beckoned as he moved to 10/8. The best
rally of the match ended in a stroke to the Frenchman and he was
two games up.
It had been a much better game for Walker, but since Lincou ids
a renowned strong finisher, the road ahead looked difficult for
the Englishman.
A deft overhead forehand volley by Walker took him to 3-ll in an
even opening to the third game, and he led 5/3 as he had in the
second. Gathering impetus, he went to 7/3, with Lincou looking
less secure than at any time during the match.
Two errors gave Walker four game balls and he converted the
second. The match looked interesting now - would Walker
capitalise, would Lincou respond?
A severe rally of pace and dimension took Lincou to 3/1 in the
fourth. At 3-all the quality of the match was as good as it had
been. A weak volley from Walker took Lincou to 6/3 and a fine
backhand volley made it 7/4.
Walker fought back, levelled at 7-all with a disputed decision,
8-all, critical times. At 10/9 Lincou served for the match, and
to Walker's despair the serve died in the back corner to give
the Frenchman victory.
He may have been relieved not to go to five and Walker,
disappointed maybe with the result, could take consolation from
the performance, more like his old self.
"Ali's
my best mate on the tour, so it's always difficult when we play
each other. He had nothing to lose today, I didn't feel much
pressure on me, but I was just a little nervous.
"I had to really dig deep and concentrate hard, especially at
the end of the match.
"We all feel really comfortable here, the atmosphere is relaxed,
we can enjoy the temperature and the sun, the tournament is
perfect, it's always a pleasure to come here.
"I don't think about winning - there's so many good players in
the draw, you can't predict what's going to happen, but trust
me, I'll be giving everything I can ..."
[3] Amr
Shabana (Egy) bt [14] Azlan Iskandar
(Mas)
11/4,
11/8, 10/12, 7/11, 11/5 (67m)
Shabana does it
the hard way Malcolm reports
The third match of the day, with the temperature dropping, the
court conditions changing, and a packed house too to see the
reigning world champion in action.
Amr Shabana, his shaven head somehow making him look taller,
relaxed and moving about effortlessly as he does, seemed
immediately to have Azlan Iskandar working harder, leading 8/2
to the delight of the partisan crowd, and at 10/4 the maestro,
playing like one, served for and won the game.
Iskandar, though, led 4/3 at the start of the second, but
bandage-free Shabana was having none of it and relentlessly
putting the ball in the most damaging places, lobbing with
purpose and dexterity, he led 7/5 then 9/6 thanks to a tinned
return of serve.
Likewise from Shabana and Iskandar got it to 8/9 before a
forthright volley forehand nick gave Shabana game ball. 11/8 it
was and two-nil, as the champion showed his intent.
Two winners in the front left meant that Shabana led 5/3 in the
third and he was clearly looking to finish matters off, as he
persisted. A fine rally, which Iskandar dominated and won took
the score to 6-all, but a burst from Shabana gave him four match
balls at 10/6.
One wasn't enough, nor the second, the third went begging and
then the fourth. Tiebreak, and out of nowhere a game ball for
Iskandar, scarcely credible, but he took it. Two games to one
and the crowd silenced.
Shabana must have been shaken not to have won 3/0, but he had
been there many times and, staying composed, he led 4/2 in the
fourth, though he was not looking quite as secure as earlier in
the match.
A couple of uncharacteristic Shabana errors gave Iskandar a 6/4
lead and the Malaysian was now playing with a belief that wasn't
there in the earlier games. An exceptional backhand drop from
deep took him to 9/7, a stroke and it was suddenly two-all, a
quite astounding turnaround.
What next?
It was Shabana who got the start in the decider, and it all
looked plain sailing again. A trademark low crosscourt took it
to 8/2 and at 10/3 he served again for the match.
Two were saved this time, but not a third. Shabana was through
and the crowd found its voice again.
The final match of the day was the longest - in fact the longest
of the tournament so far, which given the history between
Gregory Gaultier and David Palmer wasn't too much of a surprise.
For three games the hammered it out, mainly at the back of the
court, each trying to find the other's breaking point. There
were long rallies aplenty, discussions with the referees, more
than a few collisions and a couple of dives, all standard fare
for a match between these two.
There was nothing to choose between them in the 25-minute first
game, but at 9-all Palmer got a lucky nick at the back of the
court - we saw a few of those tonight - and Gaultier's boast
into the tin on the next point gave the Australian the lead.
The second, a mere 13-minutes' worth, was much the same up to
6-all, but then the Frenchman got the breaks and levelled the
match 11/7. He carried that momentum into the third, going 5/3
up on a rally where both were flying and diving all over the
court, and opened the lead out to 8/3. Back came Palmer though,
to as close as 9/7, but it wasn't to be as Gaultier took the
lead, grateful for a tin and a lucky nick to finish the
22-minute game.
And that was effectively that. As Palmer said afterwards, he
thought he'd taken Gaultier close to breaking point in that
third, but Greg wouldn't break, and instead it was the
34-year-old who suffered in the fourth game, Gaultier taking the
sting out of his opponent in the early stages before easing to
11/2 in 14 minutes and a place in the quarter-finals.
He was relieved though, very relieved ...
"He
was really sharp today. When I arrived to warm up he was already
here, so I knew he was going to give it a big push.
"I was trying to keep it tight and keep the pace high, but he
was making the pace even faster. You have to keep the ball
really tight and keep running otherwise he eats you alive, like
he'd eat his dessert - I did a lot of running today.
"Before the fourth it was a huge battle, and I was getting too
involved with the referee in the early stages. After that I was
able to put my head down and keep my cool - that's all I need to
do, shut up and play!
"I'm feeling confident, I played well against Farhan and again
tonight, I was happy with my comeback from a game down and then
keeping the lead.
"I can't believe how fit he is for 34, I feel I'm getting old,
you think 30, 32 you'll stop playing, but he makes me want to go
on and keep on playing too."
"I
don't think I did too much wrong tonight I got the start I
wanted, backed it up with a good second too.
"I went a bit negative when I thought I might have him tired in
the third, then I got a run of points at the end but couldn't
finish it from there.
"In years past I probably would have won from there, I brought
him to the breaking point but just couldn't push on.
"All things considered though I'm happy with how I'm playing,
it's top eight standard I think and as long as I can produce to
that level I'll carry on playing."
"I
can't overstate how difficult a player his is to play, he's
unique - well, him and Ramy I suppose, and with Ramy coaching
him in between game sit felt like I was playing both of them!
"Ali's
my best mate on the tour, so it's always difficult when we play
each other. He had nothing to lose today, I didn't feel much
pressure on me, but I was just a little nervous.
"He
was really sharp today. When I arrived to warm up he was already
here, so I knew he was going to give it a big push.
"I
don't think I did too much wrong tonight I got the start I
wanted, backed it up with a good second too.
