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Thursday 22nd May, Day FOUR:
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Top two seeds to
contest the final ...
Today started off with the playoffs for fifth to eighth
positions - best of three matches which gave the early birds
at Broadgate some great entertainment, then it was down to the
serious matter of the semi-finals.
First up was the all-French affair, a repeat of the British
Open final of 2007. Second seed Gregory Gaultier
continued his run of wins over Thierry Lincou, coming through
a tense affair in four games to claim a second successive SSF
final appearance.
Next was a battle between two players who between them boast
five World Open and a total of 43
tour victories.
The current world champion and world number one
Amr Shabana started off on fire, and although British Open
champion David Palmer came more and more into it as the match
wore on, the Egyptian had just enough momentum to carry him
into his first SSF final.
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Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt Thierry
Lincou (Fra)
11/7, 12/10, 11/13, 11/9 (65m)
Greg makes it two
Steve reports
A French finalist was guaranteed, but in a desperately hard-fought
match full of tension, the identity of the first finalist was a
mystery right until the last minute.
Gregory Gaultier, winner of their last three meetings and French
number one, started the better, pulling ahead from 4-all in the
first to take the lead. He did the same in the second, from 5-all to
10-6 and although Thierry Lincou fought - as he does - to level it,
it was Greg who took a two-game advantage.
Thierry wasn't done though, and in a tense third game earned a game
ball at 10/9, and saved a match ball at 10/11 before pulling one
back.
There was little love lost between the two, and in the fourth the
tension got to both of them with the referees involved in several
disputed incidents.
They were level all the way, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, all the way to 9-all,
but finally two errors from Thierry put Greg into his second
successive SSF final.
 "I
think we played a very good match, apart from the last five points
maybe that can be forgotten… It’s always going to be a tough match,
but we both gave all that we had… No regrets there…"
 "It’s
so hard to play Thierry who is like my big brother, it was a very
tough match tonight, but like Thierry always says, what happens on
the court stays on the court, and I hope that in a few hours,
tomorrow, we’ll be friends as ever…
"I know how hard it is to lose, I don’t like losing, so I know how
hard it is…"
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 MY
IMPRESSIONS
All the people who know a bit about the circuit know how I
dread/hate/fear/loathe when my two compatriots face each other on
court. And tonight was no exception.
 Technically
Greg is now I think superior to Thierry, as his short game is
probably one of the best three on the PSA Tour, and his regularity
at the back that he actually learnt from Thierry, making him control
the rallies to perfection. But Thierry is stronger mentally and
maybe even physically, and can make his younger opponent doubt, as
Come Back Man’s relentless attitude and game can erode anybody’s
nerves.
There were moments during the match I was unhappy with both of them
- I told them about it afterwards - but at the end of the day, they
are two stunning champions fighting for their lives on a few inches
of ground for the same goal, to return the ball just one time more
than the other. The fact they know each other inside out makes it
even harder for them.
And never did the expression “if you can’t take the heat, don’t stay
in the kitchen” ever make more sense. I guess I’ve got to get used
to that bleeping heat………
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Amr Shabana (Egy) bt David
Palmer (Aus)
11/3, 11/6, 11/9 (41m)
SHABANA IN A ZONE…
When
a player of the talent of Shabana finds only four tins in a match,
the opponent doesn’t have much chance, who ever he may be. When the
three time world champion finds that level of perfect balance
between a solid game at the back, and his usual magic wizardry at
the front, nothing, nothing can stop him.
And it’s not a ‘tired-at-last’ Marine who could prevent the Shabana
Wave from overflowing at Broadgate tonight. David was a bit slow to
start with, and had problems finding his marks up to the middle of
the second. By the third, he was up and running, showing the great
warrior he is, but a slippery floor added to his frustration of
being unable to possess the T as he likes to do.
And it’s with complete logic that Shabana goes in his first ever
final of the Super Series Finals. He must be so proud. I know he is…
 "David
is one of the best players ever, he is twice world champion and four
times British Open champion, so you know what you are going to get…
He beat me in the British Open, so I wanted to make sure that
wouldn’t happen again tonight.
"Today I thought I played well, and hopefully we’ll have a good
match with Greg tomorrow. He is a fighter, and I hope I’ll play well
too.
"Tonight the conditions were much more favourable for both of us, it
was less cold, it was easier to set it up. You’ve got to contain
David, make sure you keep the ball as tight as possible close to the
walls.
"I was happy with the way I hit the ball, but more important, I was
happy with the way I moved… A good day at the office…"
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 "I
took a slow start, which I expected, I had a chat about it with
Shaun. I think last week finally caught up with me. Also, slippery
floor, can’t stand up, not good for me!!!!!
"Shabana played extremely well tonight, although I started getting
better in the third, but my movement was a bit slow, and I wasn’t
fast enough on a slippery floor, as it was warmer, and we both
sweated three times more than yesterday…"
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7th/8th:
James Willstrop (Eng) bt Ong
Beng Hee (Mas)
11/7, 14/12 (22m)
LOT OF FUN…
With James having decided that he was tall after all, and that he
could use it to his advantage to find stunning winners one after the
other, and Beng Hee thinking that well, if that’s the way he wanted
it, he knew a few tricks of his own, one thing is sure, this was NOT
a boring match.
A lot of short game, nice hit, great runs, but most of all, two boys
having a good time for their last real appearance of the season…
 "On
the tour, there are times where you just play, and play, and play
some more, and suddenly, your body tells you to stop. And I think
that’s what is happening at the moment, Karim, Nick, Ramy.
"That’s the moment to stop, and take care of your body, rest,
refresh and get ready to start all over again.
"Yes, it was very hard to lose in the final of the British Open,
I’ve been watching the event since I’m 11, it’s a big target of
mine, and it’s all that you want to achieve.
"But David has proven what a great champion he is, and there is no
disgrace I lost by two points. And it’s true that I couldn’t sleep
for days, I just kept on re-running the last three points again and
again.
"But that squash, that’s sport…"
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"So proud to finish 8th…
"No, seriously, I was third reserve, and I was lucky as three
players actually got injured, so I consider myself as very fortunate
to be part of this great tournament…"
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5th/6th:
Lee Beachill (Eng) bt Wael El
Hindi (Egy)
8/11, 11/5, 11/7 (33m)
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