|
|
|
TODAY
at the Wimbledon Club Squash2 Open |
|
15-Mar, Day THREE, Round ONE:
Qualifiers gatecrash the
quarters in Wimbledon ...
The Wimbledon Club Squash Squared Open continued today
with eight Round One matches and three big upsets.
 Top
three seeds James Willstrop, Omar Abdel Meguid and
Declan James all won in straight games, but there was
mayhem further down the seeding list as three qualifiers booked
themselves places in the quarter-finals.
Having beaten wildcard Robert Downer, Willstrop now meets
further English opposition in Joe Lee, the sixth seed who
beat Germany's Jens Schoor in four games.
 James
despatched Egyptian qualifier Youssef Soliman in straight games
and now faces qualifier George Parker, who outlasted
fifth seed Ben Coleman in a 100-minute marathon.
 Meguid
saw off Pakistan's Farhan Zaman in three and next meets
Charles Sharpes, the seventh seed
who beat young Pakistani Tayyab Aslam in three.
Qualifier Josh Masters took out eighth-seeded Finn Henrik
Mustonen in straight games, and now faces the third qualifier to progress, UK-based Aussie Matthew
Hopkin who came from 1-2 down to beat fourth seed Shaun Le
Roux.
Round ONE:
[1]
James Willstrop (Eng) 3-0 [wc] Robert Downer
(Eng)
13/11, 11/8,
11/5
[6] Joe Lee (Eng) 3-1 Jens
Schoor (Ger)
11/7, 8/11, 11/2, 11/2
[Q]
George Parker (Eng) 3-2 [5] Ben Coleman
(Eng)
8/11, 11/6, 12/10, 9/11, 11/4 (100m)
[3]
Declan James (Eng) 3-0 [Q] Youssef Soliman
(Egy)
11/5, 11/3,
11/8
[Q]
Matthew Hopkin (Aus) 3-2 [4] Shaun Le Roux
(Rsa)
11/2, 9/11, 4/11, 11/5, 11/5 (43m)
[Q]
Joshua Masters (Eng) 3-0 [8] Henrik Mustonen
(Fin)
11/8, 11/6, 11/8
[7]
Charles Sharpes (Eng) 3-0 Tayyab Aslam
(Pak)
13/11, 11/9, 11/9 (50m)
[2]
Omar Abdel Meguid (Egy) 3-0 Farhan Zaman (Pak)
11/4, 11/8,
11/6
|
Photos by Patrick Lauson
|
|
|
|
 I
knew I could start better than he would, these are my home
court, I just tried and see how long I could stay in and
dominated until he would find his game on there.
At the end of the first, I was not tired, but I just panicked a
bit, you know, with the occasion, I was up 10/7.
But I just tried and dominated as much as I could!
Realistically, with my level, the best I could hope for was a
3/1 loss, and although I didn’t reach the wining pole there, I
feel I fulfil my contract.
 I
really started to feel the shortness of breath in the 2nd and
3rd, when he started to impose his classic game, putting me
under a heck of a lot of pressure.
It was a short lived experience, but I want to thank Stacey and
his team for trusting me in giving me the Wild Card, this is
what I’ve been working and training very hard for, having that
kind of opportunity, so I’m really grateful to Stacey for
recognising my efforts and offering me this amazing reward.
 |
[1] James
Willstrop (Eng) 3-0 [wc] Robert Downer (Eng)
13/11, 11/8,
11/5
Robbie makes James work for it
 A
very pumped up Robbie Downer made his supporters proud today, as
he truly took the game to the Former number 1 James Willstrop,
leading the first game 10/7 before James started to find his
marks on that traditional court, finally taking the game 13/11.
Great effort from Robbie, fluid squash and fair game. “We didn’t
need a referee” smiled Robbie, “he is such a class act”….
In the second and third, James found some great long drop shots
and volley drop shots, you know the ones, Look, I can do it on
one foot, and now, the other foot kind of trademark shots. Plus
a few “go and get that lob now” and “hop, there I lob is again,
oh you got it, ok off it goes again!”
Sincerely a lovely craft squash from James, and Robbie played
his part superbly. Like I said, he made his crowd proud tonight.
James
The body is fine, I’m happy to sneak out a few more matches this
week, that’s what I need, and hopefully win the tournament if I
can!
You can really see the level and depth on our game with Robbie
being what.. 123 in the world? That’s a testimony to the level
of the Tour at the moment, I would have very well lost the first
game, and then you have a match on your hands, and you can lose
first round.
People think you can just “turn up”. You can’t do that. You just
can’t do that.
 |
|
[3]
Declan James
(Eng) 3-0 [Q]
Youssef Soliman (Egy)
 I watched him play yesterday, he is a strong mover and very
confident, so I tried to take that confidence away from him, I
volleyed a lot, stayed in front of him. He started to come back
at the end, as I was expected him to, and I was lucky I played
some good squash at the end of it…
No complaints, he was too good today, too accurate. I was a bit
tried from the qualifying and I would have needed to up the pace
to get him out of his comfort zone, but didn’t have the legs
anymore!
But overall, his shots were just too good today, but I
think that next time, when I’m fresher, it could be a different
match. Still, I’m only starting PSA – WR 156 – and it’s all
about learning and experience…
|
[2]
Omar Abdel
Meguid (Egy) 3-0 Farhan Zaman (Pak)
I was a bit edgy about playing a talented Pakistani, I just
played 3 hard tournaments, and I was a bit worried.
But after I
went up 6/1 in the 1st, I started relaxing, and I became more
comfortable.
I need to be very sharp at the front, an now you mention it I
need to be sharp at the back too!
Stacey and his team are doing a great job, the members are very
involved, it makes us want to push hard and try and entertain
them.
And hopefully, my results will show how much I am enjoying
this event….
A big thank you to Steve Richardson for billeting me as well as
refereeing me…
 |
|
[Q]
George Parker
(Eng) 3-2 [5] Ben Coleman (Eng)
A Lot of Stop and Start
It could have been a great match, both players were giving it
all on there as ever, with each playing their own game in turn.
Not too far away ranking wise, both English, Ben, 24, having
always beaten George, 19 (H2H 4/0) up to today. A lot of energy,
testosterone, and a ref that played a major role in the match as
the decisions were just under 50 I found….
A lot of stop start, let, no let, a few strokes too, and a
looooot of chatting/explaining between a well intentioned ref
and two players who like to have a bit of a chat bless them…
 First
blood to Ben, he seems in control, 11/8. Unhappy with a few
decisions, George hits the tin twice verrry loudly to express
his frustration at the end of the game… But he reassesses and
plays extremely well in the next game, 11/6 rather quickly.
We have a match on our hands in the 3rd, close the whole way,
10/8 Georges, Ben forces a decider, but the youngster takes it
12/10, leading 2/1.
In the 4th, it looks like we are going for a George win, as he
leads the game, 3/1, 7/4. Ben finds some great tight and
accurate squash, and from 9/6 down, he’ll score 5 points to take
the game and match right out of George's racquet.
Not happy the George.. And if he was hitting the tin after
losing the 1st, now he is hitting the backwall.. Noise high.
But the 5th is a bit of an anti-climax, with George completely
in control now, finding his shots and Ben not able to put any
kind of pressure on his opponent, from 2/2, we stay a long time
at 6/4, 6 lets ending with a stroke. That’s the nail in the
coffin mentally I feel for Ben, 11/4 in not time after that.
 First
time I beat him. Last times we played he beat me 3/0.
100m? I’m fine, there were too many stops/start and discussions
with the ref for it to be hard physically, and he was doing most
of the work. I was the one doing the holding and the shot
playing, I was moving alright today.
He didn’t put me under pressure at the front but he put me under
pressure by picking up a lot of my shots, yes.
I was cutting the ball well in the corner, but his length was
great and I was having problems getting them out…
George Parker |
[7] Charles
Sharpes (Eng) 3-0 Tayyab Aslam (Pak)
Tayyab
showed both his talent and his young age today I feel.
Talent as he led comfortably the first two games, 10/6 to start
losing focus chatting with the ref, to lose the game 13/11 on
Charles first game ball, then again up in the 2nd, 9/6, only to
see Charles show his experience and score again all the points
to 11/9…
The third is the closest all the way, this time it’s Charles up
9/7, but Tayyab gets it back 9/9. A long rally ending in Charles
favour, and 11/9 on a tin… Lots of talent there from the
Pakistani, 19 and 75WR… He just need more of those matches…
He is a very tricky player, I had never played him or saw him
play before.
He is very talented, there were a few discussions with the ref,
but played in good spirit
It’s quite tricky on there to get your length, as the court is
quite dead, I had to hit through more than I would normally do.
And I started rather slowly, but managed well at the end of the
games…
Never in doubt.
 |
|
[Q] Matthew Hopkin
(Aus) 3-2
[4] Shaun Le Roux (Rsa)
I had never seen him or played him before, but I knew he was
injured and in the first game, he just didn’t play much, not
picking up the shots.
So I went too short too early in the next two, trying to get the
ball away from him and take him to the front, but he is very
good at controlling the rallies, and I got sucked in his game.
At the end, I think he just couldn’t get to the ball much and it
was just a question of keeping the ball in play.
I’m sick on playing 5 setters, I tell you! And tomorrow, I’m
playing Joshua, last two times we played each other, it went
18/16 and 17/15 in the 5th!!!!
 |
[Q] Joshua Masters
(Eng) 3-0 [8] Henrik Mustonen (Fin)
Unfortunately, like for the
previous match Joe/Jens, the ref was referring from the gallery,
and I really couldn’t hear/follow the action as on the adjacent
court, I was also keeping an eye on the George/Ben, where the
referee was downstairs….
I could see a lot of attacks from both players, short and
intense rallies, with a few errors from both, and a very fair
match from where I was sitting…
In the third, a nose bleed for Joshua at 4/3 for Henrik delayed
the game for a good 15, 20m… And I feel that helped the English
boy - not that he did it in purpose, bless him - to get his
breath back…
 I
feel I’m playing better and better, match after match… I’m
ranked 122, he is 56, so it’s definitely the best win of my
career.
Very very happy indeed.
I was trying to straighten the ball up, and look to attack when
I had the opportunity, I’m very confident to go short when I
have a chance, that’s the way I like to play.
The nose bleed definitely helped!
Looking forward to playing tomorrow, I’ll have to raisin my game
tomorrow I feel, it’s going to be a very hard match, whoever
Meguid or Zaman…
 |
|
