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TODAY in Herentals
Fram on the keyboard, Steve behind
the shutter
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Wednesday 13th Day One:
Just the one upset the home fans didn't want ...
It was all go from 13.00 at the Flemish Squash Centre as
the world's best juniors set out on the quest for a World Title.
Yes, Egyptian top seeds Amr Khaled Khalifa and Marwan
El Shorbagy are favourites, but the withdrawal of Pakistan's
3/4 seeded pair due to visa problems has given some of the
English boys sight of possible semi-final berths, and plenty of
other nationalities will be keen to impress.
In the event we had 25 matches, one upset as Belgium's number
one went down in five games, and - of course - the longest match
of the day saved until last.
Here's the results and a few snippets ....
Kush
Kumar (Ind) bt Marc ter Sluis (Ned)
11/4, 10/12, 8/11, 11/1, 11/0 (43m)
[9/16] Fares Dessouki (Egy) bt Tom Lucas (Ned)
11/0, 11/4, 11/3 (16m)
Damien Volland (Fra) bt Abdulaziz Ahmad Kanaan (Kuw)
11/2, 11/3, 11/8 (20m)
[5/8] Ramit Tandon (Ind) bt Aqeel Ashkanani (Kuw)
11/7, 11/6, 11/4 (23m)
Abdulla Al-Tamimi (Qat) bt Felipe Tovar (Col)
12/10, 11/9, 11/6 (26m)
[9/16] Mike McCue (Can) bt Christoph Winzer (Ned)
11/4, 11/6, 11/2 (19m)
Abhishek Pradhan (Ind) bt Remo Handl (Sui)
11/9, 11/5, 11/1 (22m)
[5/8] Mohamed Abouelghar (Egy) bt Vrishab Kotian (Ind)
11/5, 11/4, 11/3 (22m)
Juan Vargas (Col) bt Michal Valenta (Cze)
w/o (ill)
Oliver Holland (Eng) bt Manuel Wanner (Sui)
11/1, 11/5, 11/4 (24m)
[5/8] James Earles (Eng) bt Toon van Baekel (Bel)
11/1, 11/6, 11/2 (21m)
Quint Mandil (Fra) bt Matthew Roberts (Rsa)
11/4, 11/8, 11/9 (44m)
Alexandre Cogno (Fra) bt Roshan Bharos (Ned)
11/4, 11/5, 11/9 (28m)
Greg Lobban (Sco) bt Joel Siewerdt (Sui)
11/5, 11/4, 11/6 (29m)
[9/16] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (Egy) bt Antonio Torre (Gua)
w/o
Yousef Saleh (Kuw) bt Santiago Sevilla (Ecu)
11/7, 11/2, 11/9 (18m)
Alfonso Marroquin (Col) bt [9/16] Tom De Mulder (Bel)
4/11, 11/9, 11/6, 4/11, 11/6 (52m)
Dylan Murray (Usa) bt Yannick Lindemann (Sui)
11/7, 11/6, 11/5 (25m)
[9/16] Jerome Dadot (Fra) bt Adam Auckland (Eng)
11/2, 11/8, 11/5 (27m)
Ernesto Davila (Ecu) bt Josue Enriquez (Gua)
w/o
[5/8] Declan James (Eng) bt Yousif Ali (Kuw)
11/2, 11/3, 11/6 (15m)
Cedric Kuchen (Sui) bt Guido Ploem (Ned)
11/4, 11/9, 11/6 (30m)
[9/16] Mahesh Mangoankar (Ind) bt Thomas Dembinski (Usa)
11/1, 11/1, 11/4 (27m)
Durandt Martin (Rsa) bt Johannes Herz (Ger)
11/8, 6/11, 11/8, 16/18, 11/6 (52m)
[9/16] Nick Hopcroft (Eng) bt Liam McClintock (Usa)
11/7, 11/5, 11/9 (21m)
[9/16] Tyler Osborne (Can) bt Edward Columbia (Usa)
11/8, 11/4, 7/11, 11/7 (44m)
Martin Svec (Cze) bt Faraz Khan (Usa)
10/12, 11/8, 11/7, 11/13, 11/5 (61m)
[2] Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) bt Jan van den Herrewegen (Bel)
11/7, 11/1, 11/7 (32m) |
Gallery
Gallery |
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First round under the belt after a good match against Kanaan.
I’m feeling fine, and I’m feeling comfortable in my squash. Now,
playing a seed from Egypt…
Damien Volland
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[9/16]
Fares Dessouki (Egy) bt Tom Lucas (Ned)
11/0, 11/4, 11/3 (16m)
Damien Volland (Fra) bt Abdulaziz Ahmad Kanaan (Kuw)
11/2, 11/3, 11/8 (20m)
Kush Kumar (Ind) bt Marc ter Sluis (Ned)
11/4, 10/12, 8/11, 11/1, 11/0 (43m)
Dessouki and Volland get the ball
rolling,
Kumar finishes strongly ...
 If
Fares Dessouki didn’t have much trouble in this match, I feel
that Tom Lucas was getting used to the pace, and was playing
better and better as the match went along.
The step was too high for Abdulaziz Kanaan from Kuwait against
Damien Volland from France. Although Abdulaziz was able to
surprise his opponent a few times, the physical power and court
coverage from the French player was just overwhelming…
Yes, I guess I was
playing each game better. I just played in the Pioneer and the
Dutch Junior, so I guess my legs are getting warmer quicker now!
But Faresh was playing too well today, every bit of space he
had, he was able to put the ball away…
Tom Lucas
 I
didn’t much too much trouble today, the court is good, I really
enjoy those conditions. It’s the first time I come to Herentals,
it’s really nice, I like it.
I’m now ranked number 1 in the U17 in Egypt. I went to the
British Open, and finished 3rd; but I don’t think I played my
best squash…
My ambition is to get to top ten, but for this tournament, I
would like to get to the final. For that, I would have to beat
Khalifa in the third round. I think it will be close, but it
would be a good match…
Fares Dessouki
 I
think he got very tired in the 4th, and just couldn’t play after
that.
I’m 15, this is my first championship, and I really didn’t
expect to win any match! So I’m really happy…
I’m playing squash to become a professional squash player, and a
world champion! I really admire Ramy Ashour, and Jonathan Power
too… I like attacking, drops and boasts…
Kush Kumar |
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Abdulla
Al-Tamimi (Qat) bt Felipe Tovar (Col)
12/10, 11/9, 11/6 (26m)
The Other Al-Tamimi ...
 The
first two games were at a very decent standard, it has to be
said, and I truly enjoyed it.
Abdulla is in my opinion a very promising player. Only 16, he is
extremely clever, and has got an excellent feel about where the
ball should go to make as much damage as possible. Also, he
knows how to defend the T rather well, takes the ball early,
holds the ball when needed, and stands in front 90% of the time…
A bit still “puppy like”, his attention span is a bit short, but
he’s got a good range of shots, that he uses at will, and beware
of his backhand deceptions. Felipe just never succeeded to read
them.
I think that the Colombian would have had more legs in the 3rd
had he won the second, in which he was leading more of less all
the time, but just lost on the finishing post!
No, it’s not me
that played against Nick Matthew in the first round in Qatar
last year, it’s my brother!
I was told I would probably win that match, but Felipe was just
getting every ball back! Lucky for me, he got tired in the 3rd,
and just couldn’t play as well as he did in the first two games.
I think that I really have to work on my patience, that’s what I
need to concentrate on…
Abdulla Al-Tamimi
Abhishek
Pradhan (Ind) bt Remo Handl (Sui)
11/9, 11/5, 11/1 (22m)
 I’m
not that clever technically, but I’ve seen three or four Indian
players on court today, and already, there seems to be a sort of
trend in their game: I guess that because they are not that
tall, or that powerful physically yet, they are using the
counter attacking quite a lot. And attack boasting in
particular… Ah, and they run a lot, a bit like… Saurav Ghosal
actually!!!!
I must say I’ve really enjoyed watching them, and Abhishek
didn’t make any exception. Very well behaved, very respectful of
his opponent and the refs, the India boys managed to absorb the
great power his opponent was exerting on him in the first three
games, and really killed him and “broke his legs” with
repetitive boasting inch precise…
As a result, poor Remo seemed just dead in the 4th, and just
couldn’t really fight anymore from that moment on…
I’m really happy with my game today, he played well in patches,
and we had some really disputed rallies, an excellent start for
this tournament. I’ve used the opportunity to get the feel of
the court, and I’m happy with the conditions.
I really admire Shabana, since the first time I saw him. Like
me, like Saurav, he is not that tall, and he is so fast, and he
is going for his shots… I really like his game…
Abhishek Pradhan
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Quint
Mandil (Fra)
bt Matthew Roberts (Rsa)
11/4, 11/8, 11/9 (44m)
 Once
again, a good match, played in the spirit intended. Matthew, 18,
from Cape Town in South Africa, was the consistent one, and
Quint, well, a bit in and out, playing very well in patches and
then zoooom, concentration out of the window, ball in the tin,
and switch on again. The South African was leading in each game
two, three points ahead, and the Frenchman would just catch up,
and overtake his opponent, times and times again.
Quint prevailed, and in the third, was somewhere lucky to take
the last two points, but he’ll have to cut the errors and focus
a bit better if he wants to get further in the tournament…
I was quite
nervous but I managed to win in straight games so it's a good
thing !
All the French team won so it's very positive!
I play tomorrow against James Earles I know it will be very
difficult but I'll give my best!
Quint Mandil
 We
travelled really well from South Africa to here, we travelled on
Monday, arrived on Tuesday, really happy to play my first world
Championship.
I’m having trouble with finishing the points. It’s a bit of a
current trend with us South African, we keep the ball going for
a long time, but we just don’t seem to be able to put the ball
away.
I was playing defensive, playing not to lose, and that’s not the
right kind of squash… I was tentative, and just kept the ball
going, waiting for him to make the error…
Matthew Roberts
Alexandre
Cogno
(Fra) bt Roshan Bharos (Ned)
11/4, 11/5, 11/9 (28m)
Roshan, from Netherlands, is not
your typical player. Left-handed, his forehand is maybe not the
best around, he seems to have a bit of a large swing, and when
he moves, he seems to get a bit through the player, and not too
much around him, which doesn’t help with a game fluidity at
times.
But boy does that boy runs, and his physical qualities are
obvious, he is fast, powerful, determined, and passionate about
his game. If he could just improve a bit on the technical side,
he could quickly become a bigger threat on the junior scene… |
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Greg
Lobban
(Sco) bt Joel Siewerdt (Sui)
11/5, 11/4, 11/6 (29m)
Alfonso Marroquin (Col) bt [9/16] Tom De Mulder (Bel)
4/11, 11/9, 11/6, 4/11, 11/6 (52m)
 UPSET
OF THE DAY
I only arrived in the fifth game of the match between home
player Tom de Mulder, Belgian number one, and Columbian Alfonso
Marroquin, and it became obvious to me something was not right
with Tom.
Basically, he didn’t seem to be able to move, and just wouldn’t
get a ball out of the back corners. That was obviously an off
day for the Belgian.
I sort of feel that the pressure was enormous for him, and that
it overwhelmed him.
I had absolutely
no power today, I felt dizzy, I just couldn’t move, couldn’t hit
the ball properly.
This is not normal… I have no idea what happened on there…
Tom de Mulder
 Today,
I think that patience was the key of the match. I was patient,
and it worked really well for me.
I’m 18, I’ve finished at school, and I’m about to start at the
Columbian University. I would like to get on the professional
circuit.
I’m doing a lot of solo training, and playing a lot with my team
mates, but it’s not that easy to train…
Alfonso Marroquin
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It’s my first time here in Herentals, and also my first world
Championships. It was a bit overwhelming, travelling here on my
own, also, things like, booking my practice times, etc. It’s a
good experience for me, it shows me what I’ll have to do when I
become a professional player…
Today, I found it difficult to play on that court, in very warm
conditions, but I played patient squash, and got the result I
needed….
Greg Lobban
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[2]
Marwan El
Shorbagy (Egy) bt
Jan van den Herrewegen (Bel) 11/7,
11/1, 11/7 (32m)
 JAN
really surprised me today. I saw only the third game, and was
expecting Marwan to walk away with it, as he was leading 2/0.
But Lord no!
The only Belgium left in the draw – after Tom’s early exit –
just clawed in, fought for every ball, although it was quite
obvious he was running on fumes bless him.
A good game, very close up to 7/7, tight, good length, lots of
running and retrieving. Jan can be proud of his performance
today, and I feel he was pretty unlucky with the draw, I guess
he could have gone further…
 Jan
surprised today, especially in the 3rd, he put me under pressure
and never gave up. A 3/0 is really good, I’m happy to have got
used to the court, I’m looking forward to my match tomorrow..
He was playing really well and I really enjoyed it!
Marwan El Shorbagy
I was really disappointed that Tom lost, he is a friend, and I
was expecting him to go far in this tournament. And it’s sad
there is no more Belgium in the second round, as we are in
Belgium!
In the first and third, I played the ball quite tight, but in
the 2nd, I just played too many unforced errors, and to win, I
would have had to play in the four corners… I probably could
have done without going for so many shots, and I could have been
more patient…
Jan van den Herrewegen
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Durandt Martin
(Rsa) bt Johannes Herz (Ger)
11/8, 6/11, 11/8, 16/18, 11/6 (52m)
 This was not easy…
The fourth in particular, I was down 10/5, came back to 10/10,
and I finally lost it 18/16!
This is my second worlds, last year, I was bitten by a spider
five weeks before, and I was unable to compete really, only
started playing twp days before the tournament!
It’s my first time in Herentals, I love it here, and I think
it’s the nicest place I’ve ever seen!
I live in Port Elizabeth, but I’m in boarding school in Cape
Town. I don’t exactly put too much stress on my studies
actually, for the next two years, I would like to train 6 days a
week, plus coaching to earn my life and sponsoring if I can. And
then, I intend to go on the circuit…
Durandt Martin |
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[9/16]
Jerome Dadot (Fra) bt Adam Auckland (Eng)
11/2, 11/8, 11/5 (27m)
 There we go, first
round done.
I dreaded this game but I gradually got more and
more relaxed when I got closer to the starting time! I had a
solid game, which prevented him from getting into the game
Tomorrow I’m playing the young American number one, Dylan
Murray.
I will give all…
Jérôme Dadot
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Two rounds tomorrow,
starting at 11.00, finishing with the last eight |
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