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Tournament of Champions 2011
19-27 Jan, New York, Usa, $115k |
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27-Jan, Final:
[1] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [2] Nick Matthew (Eng)
11/3, 7/11, 11/9, 11/7 (52m) |
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Awesome Ashour WIns Second ToC Title
Beth Rasin reports
 Top-seed
Ramy Ashour was too quick, too strong and just too good for
second seed Nick Matthew in the finals of the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions in Grand Central Terminal. The 2008
titleholder added a second Tournament of Champions trophy to his
collection as he defeated the current world #1, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9,
11-7. Winning his second ToC was made extra special by the fact that
Ashour’s mother (who hadn’t seen her youngest son play a major match
in five years) was in the audience.
The big question on everyone’s mind was whether Nick Matthew would
have enough gas left in the tank after his epic 88-minute clash in
the semifinals with Amr Shabana just 24 hours prior to the showdown
with Ashour. During the warm up, Matthew appeared confident and
composed while his Egyptian rival seemed edgy and nervous. Matthew
calmly waited at the end of the warm up for Ashour to return to the
court, which he did only after the referee’s final call for his
return. After the match, the fast talking Ashour explained that the
edginess was a good thing. ”For me to play well, it is a balance,”
he said. “I have to be alert on court, feel the pressure and also be
a little anxious and scared.”
 Once
on court for the first game, Ashour was burst of energy, jumping out
to a 7-1 lead and winning the game 11-3. In the second game it was
Matthew who came out strong, taking a 6-2 lead and winning the game
11-7. In the third and fourth games, Ashour took slight early leads
which he maintained for the duration of each game. “I was always
playing slight catch up through the third and fourth games,” Matthew
said after the match. “Just when I thought I could change the
momentum, Ramy would have a trick up his sleeve to push ahead.” The
tricks up the Egyptian’s sleeve included continuing changes of pace
and the flat flick that he would hold until Matthew was leaning in
one direction, and then wrong foot Matthew by flicking the ball to
the opposite side of the court.
“Nick moved me to a lot of corners,” said Ashour post-match. “The
really good thing about tonight was that I was moving well and in
touch with my body.” The injury prone Ashour, waylaid by year end
injuries, was most pleased to be feeling physically good and moving
to the ball with ease. Runner-up Matthew was also pleased that
Ashour was injury–free. “It is good to have Ramy back on the tour.
He is a much more exciting player to watch than I am.”
As he presented the winner’s trophy on behalf of J.P. Morgan, Jay
Horine announced that a total of $15,000 would be donated to
tournament charities StreetSquash in conjunction with the inaugural
J.P. Morgan Charity Challenge – Scoring Points for Urban Youth
Education. Ashour dedicated his victory his home country of Egypt.
ToC Women’s Showcase Exhibition
Natalie Grinham (NED) bt Vanessa Atkinson (NED)
11-6,11-5,11-7 25 mins.
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 Tournament
of Champions 2011
19-27 Jan, New York, Usa, $115k |
Round One
21/22 Jan |
Round One
23 Jan |
Quarters
24/25 Jan |
Semis
26 Jan |
Final
27 Jan |
[1] Ramy Ashour (Egy)
12-10, 11-3, 11-8 (34m)
Olli Tuominen (Fin) |
[1] Ramy Ashour
8/11, 11/6, 11/8, 11/8 (35m)
Stewart Boswell |
[1] Ramy Ashour
9/11, 11/5, 11/6, 11/8 (42m)
[8] David Palmer |
[1] Ramy Ashour
11/4, 11/9 , 11/8 (38m)
[3] James Willstrop |
[1] Ramy Ashour
11/3, 7/11, 11/9, 11/7 (52m)
[2] Nick Matthew |
Saurav Ghosal (Ind)
11/6, 11/8, 14/16, 11/5 (70m)
Stewart Boswell (Ind) |
Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
11/6, 12/10, 12/10 (51m)
[Q] Tom Richards (Eng) |
[Q] Tom Richards
12/10, 11/9, 11/8 (40m)
[8] David Palmer |
Julian Illingworth (Usa)
11/8, 11/7, 11/9 (57m)
[8] David Palmer (Usa) |
[7] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
11/8, 11/8, 12/10 (38m)
Azlan Iskandar (Mas) |
[7] Mohamed El Shorbagy
11/9, 11/5, 11/6 (35m)
Shahier Razik |
[7] Mohamed El Shorbagy
11/8, 11/7, 11/8 (38m)
[3] James Willstrop |
Shahier Razik (Can)
11/6, 6/11, 8/11, 11/7, 11/5 (71m)
[Q] Chris Ryder (Eng) |
[Q] Borja Golan (Esp)
11/9, 11/7, 11/8 (45m)
[Q] Tarek Momen (Egy) |
[Q] Borja Golan
11/6, 11/4, 11/6 (31m)
[3] James Willstrop |
Jonathan Kemp (Eng)
11/5, 11/7, 11/5 (29m)
[3] James Willstrop (Eng) |
[4] Amr Shabana (Egy)
7/11, 11/8, 11/9, 11/7 (44m)
[Q] Mohammed Abbas (Egy) |
[4] Amr Shabana
11/6, 11/8, 11/8 (44m)
Daryl Selby |
[4] Amr Shabana
11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 11/8 (63m)
[6] Laurens Jan Anjema |
[4] Amr Shabana
11/8, 11/4, 7/11, 10/12, 12/10 (88m)
[2] Nick Matthew |
[Q] Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
4/11, 11/1, 11/2, 11/4 (63m)
Daryl Selby (Eng) |
[Q] Nicolas Mueller (Sui)
11/8, 11/5, 7/11, 11/8 (61m)
Adrian Grant (Eng) |
[Q] Nicolas Mueller
11/9, 11/4, 11/3 (34m)
[6] Laurens Jan Anjema |
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col)
11/5, 11/8 , 11/6 (42m)
[6] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) |
[5] Peter Barker (Eng)
11/5, 11/5, 11/4 (42m)
Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) |
[5] Peter Barker 10/12,
13/15, 11/9, 12/10, 11/2 (81m)
[Q] Hisham Ashour |
[5] Peter Barker
11/9, 11/4, 11/6 (52m)
[2] Nick Matthew |
[Q] Hisham Ashour (Egy)
8/11, 11/7, 8/11, 14/12, 11/6 (69m)
Cameron Pilley (Aus) |
Alister Walker (Eng)
7/11, 11/7, 11/6 11/6 (72m)
Wael El Hindi (Egy) |
Alister Walker
11/5, 11/8, 11/5 (43m)
[2] Nick Matthew |
Omar Mosaad (Egy)
11/5, 11/7, 11/9 (50m)
[2] Nick Matthew (Eng) |
20 Jan, Qualifying Finals:
Chris Ryder
(ENG) bt Martin Knight (NZL)
11-6, 11-3, 11-2
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt David Phillips (CAN)
11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Simon Rosner (GER)
9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Shawn Delierre (CAN)
9-11, 11-6, 11-2, 12-10
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Raj Nanda (AUS)
11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3
Ryan Cuskelly
(AUS)
bt
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v
7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6
Hisham Ashour (EGY) bt David Letourneau (CAN)
11-3, 11-7, 11-6
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Bradley Ball (ENG)
9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5
19 Jan, Qualifying Round One:
David Phillips (CAN) bt Jan
Koukal (CZE)
11-8,8-11,11-7,11-8 (50m)
Martin Knight (NZL) bt Eric Galvez (MEX)
11-4, 8-11,9-11,11-3,11-4 (92m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Gilly Lane (USA)
11-5,11-9,11-3 (54m)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Chris Gordon (USA)
9-11,11--2,11-7,11-3 (49m)
Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL)
11-7,11-7,11-9 (46m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Zac Alexander (AUS)
11-5,11-6,7-11,11-3 (46m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Jacques Swanepoel (RSA)
11-2,11-5,11-8 (34m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX)
5-11,11-4,11-4,11-5 (42m)
Raj Nanda (AUS) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS)
11-9,11-13,11-9,11-3 (61m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Kristian Olesen (DEN)
11-6,11-8,12-10 (56m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX)
11-9,11-6,11-1 (47m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA)
4-11,11-1,11-4,11-6 (38m)
Bradley Ball (ENG) bt Todd Harrity (USA)
11-3,9-11,11-6,11-6 (47m)
David Letourneau (CAN) bt Luke Butterworth (ENG)
11-3,11-4,11-2 (23m)
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Top Seeds Ramy Ashour and Nick Matthew Contend for Tournament
of Champions Title
Beth Rasin reports
There were goose bumps tonight in Grand Central Terminal and it
wasn’t because of yet another New York City winter snowstorm.
Rather, the capacity crowd in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central
Terminal was thrilled to witness superb squash in the semifinal
showdowns at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions contested by
four of the world’s best squash players. At the end of each match
the crowd was on its feet for a standing ovation in appreciation of
the passion and artistry brought to the evening by three Tournament
of Champions titleholders and one player hoping to win his first
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions trophy.
 Current
world #2 and two-time Tournament of Champions titleholder Ramy
Ashour delighted crowd, and sometimes even his opponent, with
his unique brand of squash artistry on full display in his semifinal
against fourth seed James Willstrop. “Ramy was superb
tonight,” said Willstrop after losing to his Egyptian rival 11-4,
11-9,11-8 in a reversal of last year’s finals where the Englishman
defeated Ashour in three games. “This was the best he’s ever played
against me.”
The prodigiously talented Ashour at his best is an artist creating a
canvas of squash shots that no one has ever seen before. His palette
was of the highest order in the night’s first semifinal. The
defending champion, who played a credible match but not his best,
had no answer for the magic coming off Ramy’s racquet. Ashour
pocketed the first game quickly, winning it 11-4. Willstrop mounted
a challenge in the second, getting to seven all before Ashour ran
off three straight points and won the game 11-9. Down 5-9 in the
third game, Willstrop edged back to 8-9, with the crowd roaring
encouragement in the hope of seeing the match extended. Ashour
quelled that hope with two winners to take the game 11-9 and move
into the finals. Before leaving the court, the two players embraced,
acknowledging their respect for each other.
“James is one of the most fair and talented players,” said the
winner after the match. Referring to the fact that the crowd got
especially involved in third game, during which both players
applauded each other’s great shots, Ashour continued, “It was
intense tonight but the last game especially was fun.”
 While
the evening’s first match had its share of poetic moments, the
second semifinal was drama of the highest order. World #1 Nick
Matthew got off to a dominating start; he led the first game
from start to finish, winning it 11-8. When Matthew won the second
game 11-4, it looked as though the sold-out crowd would be on their
way home before the evening’s snowstorm was too far along. But
two-time Tournament of Champions titleholder Amr Shabana
wasn’t ready to call it a night.
Drawing Matthew into several long points, the third game was all
Shabana as he played himself back into the match, winning the game
11-7. The fourth game saw the lead seesaw back and forth as both
players continually raised their level of play. Superb technicians
each, the players used every shot in their arsenal to fight for the
lead. Their tight rails didn’t leave much room for shot making, but
at every opening they were looking to attack.
Matthew had two match balls at 10-9 and 12-11; after being denied a
let on the first one after catching the back of Shabana’s foot on
his way to the ball, Matthew was understandably perturbed.
Nonetheless, he regained his composure to draw a rare unforced error
from Shabana to have a chance to win the match. But the player who
is acknowledged by most of his peers to be one of the great players
of all time showed why that is so; Shabana hit a feather drop shot
to even the score at 12 all, followed by a cross court winner to go
ahead 13-12. A tin by Matthew evened the match at two games apiece,
much to the crowd’s roaring delight.
 The
fifth game was a masterpiece of squash strategy and shotmaking by
both players. The 32-year-old Egyptian was diving for balls, hitting
the floor and still managing to stay in the point. Matthew was
stepping forward to volley the ball as far front as he could to keep
Shabana behind him. At eight all in the fifth, it was anybody’s
match; the same was true at nine all. At 10 all, Shabana had to dive
once more to scrape a forehand drop before it bounced twice; Matthew
was all over the weak return, sliding it down the backhand wall for
a winner. This time, Matthew did not let the match ball out of his
grasp, hitting a precise backhand drop that produced a rare tin from
Shabana. After 88 minutes of dramatic, sometimes breathtaking,
squash, Matthew reached his third Tournament of Champions final.
“This match was a test at every level, of physical and mental
capacity” said Matthew after the match, tired but satisfied. ”But
that wasn’t surprising, considering I was playing one of the best
players of all time.” In the post-match on court interview,
Tournament Director John Nimick asked Matthew how the evening’s
marathon match would affect his readiness for the final against
Ashour. “This is what we train to do as professional athletes,” said
Matthew, “so there is no reason not to be ready to do this again in
24 hours.”
Ashour, looking ahead to the final earlier in the evening before his
opponent had been determined, said, “Tomorrow is the toughest match.
It is not so much about the squash; it is about reaching the end of
your destination. Tomorrow is about the pressure.”
ToC Women’s Showcase Exhibition
Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt Olivia Blatchford (Usa)
11-9, 12-10, 11-2 (24m)
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24-Jan, Quarters, Top Half:
Shabana and Matthew to Meet in Semis
Beth Rasin reports
Fourth-seeded Amr Shabana gave his opponent Laurens Jan
Anjema a lesson in the art of the sport as he moved his Dutch
opponent to all four corners of the court and then some in his 11-7,
9-11,11-8,11-8 quarterfinal victory at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions in Grand Central Terminal.
“I played my heart out,” said Anjema after the match, “but tonight
you could see why Amr’s been a four- time world champion. He can
attack from the most difficult positions and when you are on the
receiving end, it is brutal.”
In all but the second game, Shabana, a two-time Tournament of
Champions titleholder, jumped out to an early lead, giving him a
cushion of several points from which to play a controlled attacking
game. Routinely throughout the match Anjema was left guessing as to
which way to turn to retrieve a Shabana shot; the Egyptian’s
sterling and consistent stroke technique enabled him to hold his
shot until the very last moment, forcing the Dutchman to scramble
for balls.
Although Anjema snared the second game 11-9, it was the telegenic
Egyptian’s night from start to finish. He even offered up some
theatrical humor as as he fell to the court floor with an
exaggerated flourish when midway through the match the strapping
Dutchman’s racquet came perilously close to Shabana’s head. After
the match, when asked if he was happy wit h the evening’s result,
Shabana replied, “I am not sad.”
 Sometime
training partners and good friends Peter Barker and Nick
Matthew contested the evening’s second match with current world
#1 Matthew in control from start to finish. In each successive round
of play at these championship, Matthew has continued to punctuate
his top ranking status with strong, confident play that has left no
doubt in his competitor’s minds as to his rightful position at the
top of the sport.
“I thought I played OK tonight,” said Barker after the match won by
Matthew 3-0, “but Nick showed why he’s World Champion.” Barker went
on to explain that Matthew’s attention to detail, strong work ethic
and additional weapons in his squash shotmaking arsenal have
combined to make Matthew the top professional in the game.
While the lead exchanged hands a few times in the first game before
Matthew finished it out 11-9, the next two games were all Matthew’s.
In the second, Matthew jumped out to a 4-1 lead and allowed Barker
to tally a mere four points. Barker enjoyed a momentary lead at 2-1
and 3-2 in the third, but once again the lad from Leeds took up his
game a notch to win the third, 11-6.
After the match when a spectator commented that Matthew made the
game look easy, the wry 30-year-old replied, “Oh no. I am the one
who makes the game look hard. Shabana makes it look easy.” The
Matthew – Shabana showdown in the semifinals will be preceded by the
semifinal contest between Ramy Ashour and James Willstrop. Both
matches will be telecast live on espn3.com.
In the ToC Women’s Showcase exhibition match at the start of the
evening, India’s Dipika Pallikal defeated American Amanda
Sobhy 11-7,8-11,11-4,11-6.
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New York Tine
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New York Time
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24-Jan, Quarters, Top Half:
Ashour and Willstrop in quickfire wins ...
Beth Rasin reports
NYC may be in a deep freeze weather-wise, but there was some real
heat in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall as fans packed the
stands for first two quarterfinal matches in the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions.
First up on the iconic glass court was top- seeded Ramy Ashour
against eighth seed David Palmer. Going into the night’s
match Ashour enjoyed a 9-1 winning record against the 34-year-old
Australian. However, with Ashour having been off his game at year
end due to a hamstring injury, and Palmer playing superb squash in
the opening rounds of play, there was a sense of possibility that
perhaps Palmer might register the tournament’s first real upset. The
first game saw the lead exchanging hands on almost every point un
til Palmer pulled ahead at 10-9 and then won the next point to take
an early match lead.
With that positive opening gambit, the sense of a possible upset was
heightened for the crowd, but not for Ashour. “Even when I was
losing that first game, I was feeling good on the court,” Ashour
said after the match. “Maybe I was bit concerned, but it made me
push myself harder.”
The extra Ashour effort in subsequent games was immediately
apparent; in games two and three Ashour never relinquished the lead.
Palmer got himself back in the mix early in game four, first taking
a 3-1 lead and then a 6-4 edge; one of those leading points was
awarded to Palmer off a disciplinary stroke called against the
animated Ashour when he stepped off court at 3-4 to have a
discussion with the referee. The 23-year-old Egyptian proceeded to
quash any possibility of an upset when he ran off a string of seven
straight points to earn a place in the Tournament of Champions
semifinals; in his four Tournament of Champions appearances, Ashour
has made the semis all four times, the finals twice and has held the
Trophy aloft once.
After the match, the voluble Ashour shared his enthusiasm for his
progress in the championships. “It is so great to be in the semis
after missing two big tournaments at the end of last year because of
injuries,” he said. “I am getting better day by day, but it is not
easy.” The Egyptian continued, “The injuries are still in my mind –
those are my demons. I used to be thinking of only two things on
court – where and how I am going to hit a shot. Now I am thinking of
three things because I am also thinking about my body.”
Ashour’s semifinal challenger will be none other than defending
champion James Willstrop who defeated rising Egyptian star
Mohammed El Shorbagy in three straight games. In classic
Egyptian style, the 20-year-old challenger, already a top ten
player, came out of the starting blocks at full shooting speed to
register an opening 5-0 lead. WIllstrop countered with accurate,
tight rails and well-paced wide cross courts to fend off his
challenger and edge out to a 6-5 lead, and then win the game 11-9.
The outcome of the second game was never in doubt as Willstrop led
from start to finish. Although Willstrop also held the lead all the
way through the third, El Shorbagy looked like he might extend the
match when he tied the score at seven all after having been down
4-7. But the 20-year-old seventh seed tinned the ball 8-10 down,
sending Willstrop into the semifinals.
“Spotless,” was how former Women’s World champion Vanessa Atkinson
described the match play of boyfriend Willstrop and he didn’t
disagree. “I managed to be very accurate and I was rewarded,” he
said. “I was really pleased with my performance. I felt really good
on court- I felt fluent and my racquet felt good.”
The Ashour- Willstrop pairing will be the third time the two have
played each other in the Tournament of Champions. In his 2007
Tournament of Champions debut, Ashour beat Willstrop in the
quarterfinals in a match for the ages. In 2008, Ashour again
defeated Willstrop, this time in the finals to win the title. Last
year was the Yorkshireman’s turn; he defeated Ashour in the finals
to take the champion’s crown.
When asked if he looked forward to playing Ashour, the usually
taciturn Willstrop replied with Ashour-like enthusiasm, “I do, I do,
I do,” he said. “Ramy is one of the great racquet players to ever
hit the ball. Right now I feel I am on a par with him and could beat
him on any given day. Our matches always offer the possibility of
being quite exciting and entertaining. Plus I really like the guy.”
The evening’s session of play also included two ToC Women’s Showcase
exhibition matches. India’s Dipika Pallikal defeated American
Olivia Blatchford 11-7,11-8,11-9.
Reigning World Junior Champion Amanda Sobhy of the USA,
fended off Natalie Grinham, Australian born but now playing
under the Dutch flag, 6-11,11-5,12-10, 11-9.
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23-Jan, Round Two:
All Eight seeds through to quarters ...
Beth Rasin reports
The players on court in the second round of play at the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions represented a mix of styles, strategy and
temperament. By the time the evening’s last match had been played in
Grand Central Terminal, the draw held true to form as the seeds
advanced to the quarterfinals.
The day’s play started with veteran David Palmer, who has
played in every Tournament of Champions since 1995, demonstrating
the form that kept him in the PSA top ten for a full decade. “David
takes everything early,” said Palmer’s opponent Tom Richards after
the match. “He is always in front, taking your game away.” The
players exchanged the lead several times in the first game until
Palmer snatched the victory at 12-10. As they played further into
the match, Palmer’s precision on the rails and depth to the back
court forced Richards back on his heels. Unable to get ahead of
Palmer, both literally and figuratively, Richards’ Tournament of
Champions debut ended as Palmer won the second game and third games,
11-9,11-8.
“I played pretty well at the end of the games,” said a satisfied
Palmer after the match.
Referring to the fact that his next opponent is top seed Ramy
Ashour, he continued. “It is nice to make it to the
quarterfinals – there’s no pressure now going forward.”
The top-seeded Ashour dropped the first game to Australia’s Stewart
Boswell. “He went for a lot of shots in the first game and missed,”
said Boswell after the match,” but I l knew that he was only going
to get better as the match progressed.” The creative, shot making
Egyptian did find his stride in the second game and, for the
remainder of the match, the 32-year-old Australian only held the
lead once more at 7-6 in the fourth. “I really enjoyed playing
today,” said Ashour, who struggled with injuries at the end of 2010.
“I haven’t been enjoying myself for the past two or three months.
But this court and these fans and this atmosphere give you the
energy to produce better squash.”
Ramy’s older brother Hisham was not as happy at evening’s end when
he found himself on the losing end of a five-game, physical
barnburner with England’s Peter Barker, the tournament’s
fifth seed. With the first four games being decided by a mere two
point margin (three in tiebreaks), it was truly either player’s
match to win. “Hisham has been playing awesome squash in the past
few months, and I was thinking too much about winning and losing in
the first two games,” said Barker. “When I was down 0-2, I had to
dig deep and just focus on not losing.” The 27-year-old Englishman
used solid, straight length to counter Ashour’s dynamic shotmaking
and broke open the match in the fifth game, winning it 11-2.
Barker’s next opponent is world #1 Nick Matthew, who defeated
friend and training partner Alister Walker 11-5,11-8,11-5. As Walker
was cooling down on the training bicycle after the match, Matthew
walked by and Walker called him over. “Your length was amazing
tonight,” Walker said to Matthew. “That is the best you have ever
played against me – it was pure measured squash.”
Another player who felt he had an especially good showing was fourth
seed Amr Shabana. “I played three games as well as I could
play,” said the two time Tournament of Champions titleholder after
defeating England’s Daryl Selby 11-6,11-8,11-8. His opponent
concurred. “Today Amr showed why he was world #1,” said Selby. “Any
ball that I hit loose, he put in the nick.” The 31-year-old Egyptian
will next face Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema who defeated qualifier
Nicolas Mueller 11-9, 11-4, 11-3. Anjema attributed a bit of a
sluggish start to jet lag and waiting for the 81-minute Ashour-
Barker match to end. “The first game was a good shock to my system
to get me going,” he said with a wry smile after the match.
Seventh seed Mohammed El Shorbagy rounds out the trio of
Egyptians in the quarterfinals after defeating Canada’s Shahier
Razik 11-9,11-5,11-6. He will contend with defending champion James
Willstrop, who defeated qualifier Borja Golan 11-6,11-4,11-6.
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New York Tine
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New York Tine
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22-Jan, Round One, Bottom half:
English and Egyptians advance ...
Beth Rasin reports
It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the five English and six
Egyptian players competing in the second day of first round play in
the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in Grand Central Terminal.
But it was nothing but good fortune for the fans who once again
filled the Grand Central Terminal venue to capacity and were treated
to a day and evening of an array of squash styles, athleticism and
personalities.
Four of the five players from “over the pond” won their matches to
advance to the second round of the celebrated PSA squash
championship while only two of the five Egyptian players on court
will continue on. But it was an Egyptian player, Hisham Ashour,
who punctuated the day’s play with a dramatic come from behind
victory over Australia’s Cameron Pilley.
“The success of the English players is a testament, in part, to
their strong physical training regimen,” observed noted coach
David Pearson as he watched several of his players win their
matches.
No one epitomizes strength on the squash court more than current
world number one and world champion Nick Matthew. The
30-year-old from Leeds was all business as he dispatched Eyptian
Omar Mosaad in three games 11-5,11-9,11-7. “The court here at Grand
Central is different from what we have been playing on in the last
few months,” said the tournament’s second seed. ”I was just working
on finding length and getting used to the movement on the court.”
Daryl Selby started off the day’s play with a three game
victory over Australian qualifier Ryan Cuskelly. The 4-11,
11-1,11-2,11-4 match scores belied the competitiveness of the match
which lasted 63 minutes.
“Even though I lost the first game, I was moving well. I played with
more conviction in the second,” said Selby. “He’s a gutsy, dangerous
player and I didn’t want to give him any chances. When reminded of
the lopsided scores in the second and third games, Selby smiled and
said, “The rallies were long, but I won them all.”
Like his countrymen, Peter Barker did the simple things well
– hitting accurately and to length, and capitalizing on loose balls.
The net result was a “I was bit apprehensive at the start, but I
feel better now that I have won,” he said after the match.
In the match that drew some of the biggest crowd reactions as the
players demonstrated phenomenal athleticism in diving and scraping
for certain balls, Alister Walker, world ranked #20, upended
Wael El Hindi, ranked seven places higher, 7-11,11-7,11-6,11-6.
Exuding energy in a bright lime green and shirt and bandana, Walker
was thrilled to start his 2011 season with a win. “Last year was a
bit disappointing for me so today’s win is a great start to this new
year.”
Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller denied the English contingent a
clean sweep of victories when he eliminated Adrian Grant
11-7,11-5,7-11,11-8.
In the only match of the day that did not involve an Englishman or
an Egyptian, Lauren Jan Anjema of the Netherlands defeated
Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Colombia, 11-5,11-8,11-6. “Last year was
one of my best years,” said Anjema, referring to the fact that he
cracked the top ten for the first time in his career. “But I went
out on the court without any expectations and felt very relaxed
today.”
Hisham Ashour was anything but relaxed in the evening’s last match
against Australian Cameron Pilley. “I have been playing so well for
the past two or three months; sometimes I would feel I was floating
on court,” said the Egyptian. ”But tonight I was so stressed. ”With
Pilley enjoying a 2-1 lead in games, Ashour defended against four
match balls after Pilley went up 10-6 in the fourth.
Both the fans in the stands and the spectators who watched the match
on the closed circuit TV feed were on the edge of their seats and
cheering as Ashour used a variety of shots to keep himself alive in
the match. “All I kept thinking then was that I know I am strong. I
cannot lose here at the Tournament of Champions in the first round,”
he said. After winning the fourth 14-12, Ashour was clearly not
going to be denied. Jumping out to a 10-4 lead in the fifth, Ashour
kept up the pace and the shotmaking to frustrate his Australian
opponent.
Although Amr Shabana defeated his Egyptian colleague Mohammed
Abbas, 7-11,11-8,11-9,11-7, he did not sound like a happy winner
after the match. “I wasn’t comfortable today,” Shabana said after
the match. ”I didn’t feel sharp and I feel lucky to win."
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21-Jan, Round One:
Qualifiers Richards and Golan Into Second Round; Seeds
Advance
New York, NY – Qualifier Tom Richards registered the first
upset at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions as he eliminated
Malaysia’s Ong Beng Hee in three games in the first round of play in
Grand Central Terminal. The unassuming 24-year-old Englishman
secured the first game without too much difficulty, winning 11-6.
Although pushed to a tiebreak in the second and third games by the
more experienced Malaysian, who had defeated Richards in their prior
two outings, Richards remained calm and secured the victory with
identical 12-10 winning scores. “Our other matches were close, so I
knew I had a shot to win today,” said Richards after the match.
Although it was his first time on the iconic glass court in Grand
Central Terminal, Richards was remarkably composed. “I was a little
bit nervous, which is a good sign for me,” he said after the match.
He was most surprised by the size of the mid-afternoon crowd, which
filled the nearly 500 seats. “Having a full crowd for a first round
match like we had today is pretty amazing,” Richards explained. “It
really helped lift my game.”
Richards will next face the oldest player in the draw, 34-year-old
David Palmer, who has played in every Tournament of Champions
since it was first staged in Grand Central Terminal in 1995. Palmer
eliminated the lone American in the draw, Julian Illingworth. With
crowd enthusiastically applauding every point, the 24-year-old
American drew even with his seasoned opponent at nine- all in the
third game, but the veteran shut the door on the match by winning
the next two points. In his post-match analysis, Palmer noted, “I
felt in control for most of the match, but I did struggle to pull
away. I definitely did not want to go into a fourth game.”
The evening prior to his Tournament of Champions debut, 20-year-old
Mohammed El Shorbagy was recognized as the 2010 Young Player
of the Year at the World Squash Awards. El Shorbagy, who had been
unable to compete in the Tournament of Champions in prior years
because the tournament dates conflicted with school exams, made sure
to finish his exams a week early this year so he could make it to
New York City for the tournament so revered by the players.
The young Egyptian lived up to his award-winning status in his 3-0
first round win over the more experienced Azlan Iskandar. El
Shorbagy enjoyed fairly comfortable leads in the first two games
which he won 11-8, 11-8. Although Iskandar pulled even at 10-all in
the third game, El Shorbagy stepped up to close out the match 12-10.
“I was really excited to be playing my first match here in Grand
Central and in the first game I was trying to hit a lot of winners
to please the crowd,” the fast-talking El Shorbagy said after the
match. ”Then I realized I needed to focus and vary the pace.” Like
his fellow Tournament of Champions rookie Richards, El Shorbagy was
amazed by the capacity crowd at his evening match. “You never see a
crowd like this at a first round match,” he said. “It makes a player
want to be his very best.”
El Shorbagy will next play his good friend Shahier Razik. The
33-year-old Canadian needed five games to overcome qualifier Chris
Ryder to make it to the second round. The two had never met in
competition before. “I am always a little nervous playing someone I
have never played, because you don’t know quite what to expect,”
said Razik. Referring to his 11-6 first game win, he continued, “I
started pretty well and thought I was going to make it through, but
then Chris changed his game and I didn’t adjust right away.” After
losing the next two games 6-11, 8-11, Razik picked up the pace with
which he was hitting the ball and made sure to hit into the deep
corners in the back of the court. The change in strategy turned the
match around and Razik won the next two games 11-7,11-5.
After his win, the veteran Canadian reflected on the appeal of the
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions for the players. “The Grand
Central venue, which is amazing, stays the same, but every year the
tournament gets bigger and better,” Razik said. “There is always a
big build up to this event for the players starting in December; as
we go on our December holiday break, everyone says ‘I’ll see you at
the ToC.’”
Defending champion James Willstrop limited his time on court
in his first round match against fellow Englishman Jonathon Kemp to
just under 30 minutes. It was a commanding performance by the
27-year-old; he did not fall behind in the entire match, winning
11-5, 11-7, 11-5. “My dad has said that you are most likely to
perform well in the places in which you are most comfortable,” said
Willstrop, who is coached by his father Malcolm, after the match.
“That is certainly true for me here at the Tournament of Champions.
Coming here is special, even more so this year after having won last
year.”
Willstrop’s next opponent, Borja Golan, must be feeling
comfortable in New York City. After winning two qualifying matches
to make it into the main draw, Golan defeated fellow qualifier Tarek
Momen in their first round encounter, 11-9,11-7,11-8. “I have never
won so many matches in New York City,” the exuberant Spaniard said
after the match. Although Momen took an early lead in all three
games, Golan caught up to tie the score at the midway mark of each.
The players exchanged the lead over the next few points in each game
until Golan surged slightly ahead to secure victory.
Australian Stewart Boswell and India’s Saurav Ghosal played
the first and the longest match of the opening day of play. Boswell
won the first game by a five point margin after which the
24-year-old Ghosal jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the second. The
32-year-old Aussie surged back to secure the game 11-8. Boswell was
unable to convert two game balls in the third, which was tallied
16-14 in Ghosal’s favor. The fourth was all Boswell, who took the
lead at 2-1 and then didn’t relinquish it, winning the game 11-5 to
seal the match in his favor after 70 minutes of play. The veteran
Australian was pleased with the victory. “For as long as I play
squash, I want to be here at the Tournament of Champions and make
the most of it.”
Boswell will face top seeded Ramy Ashour in the second round.
The 23-year-old Egyptian defeated 34-year-old Olli Tuominen of
Finland in straight games. “It was a good first round match,” Ashour
said, “It was a balanced test- not too easy and not too hard.” The
2008 titleholder was determined be playing for the 2011 title,
despite some injuries in the latter part of last year. “I am really
excited to be here,” he said. “I did not want to miss this
tournament.” The prodigiously talented Ashour even put a positive
spin on his recent injuries. “Being injured has had some
advantages,” he noted. “It has made me more mature on court and it
has put me in touch with how to really take care of my body.”
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New York Tine
The players in the opening day of play
earned a total of $2,950 to be donated by J.P. Morgan to CitySquash
in conjunction with the inaugural J.P. Morgan Charity Challenge –
Scoring Points for Urban Youth Education for the benefit of
tournament charities StreetSquash and CitySquash.
For every game won in the championship, J.P. Morgan is donating up
to $150 to the tournament charities. The players in the top half of
draw are playing for the benefit of StreetSquash; the other half is
competing for CitySquash.
Each player will earn $100 for his charity for every game he wins
and an additional $50 for every game won in a tiebreaker. With a
total of 31 matches to be played, the J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions competitors will earn a minimum of $9,300, up to a maximum
of $15,500, to be donated.
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New York Tine
World
Squash Awards
2010 at Grand Central
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20-Jan, Qualifying Finals
Richards and Ryder to Make
Grand Central Debut
New York, NY – England’s Tom
Richards and Chris Ryder will both make their Grand
Central Terminal debuts in the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
while the remaining six qualifying spots were earned by players who
will be making return trips to the breathtaking glass court.
Richards earned his main draw appearance by defeating Australia’s
Raj Nanda in four games. “I have seen the pictures of the court here
in Grand Central in the magazines and playing here is something I
have always wanted to do,” said the satisfied qualifier after his
match. Ryder had an even more straightforward victory to get him to
Grand Central. Exchanging the lead on every point to six all in the
first game, Ryder pulled ahead of New Zealander Martin Knight at the
midway mark to win the game and never looked back. His 3-0 victory
sends him to a first round match up with Canada’s Shahier Razik.
Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller returns to Grand Central
Terminal for the second consecutive year after outlasting England’s
Bradley Ball to earn a main draw berth against Adrian Grant,
another Englishman. In a match marked by multiple shifts in momentum
and moments of remarkable athleticism, Mueller needed five games to
secure his stay in New York City. Ball, a PSA tour veteran who now
resides and coaches in New York City, snatched the first game 11-9.
After winning the next two games 11-6, 11-6, the Swiss player
seemingly had the match in hand when he had a couple of game balls
in the fourth. Ball wasn’t ready to get off the court, though, and
forced a fifth game decider after winning the game 13-11. Mueller
steadied himself win the deciding game 11-5. “It was a tough match
and Bradley didn’t let me play my game,” said Mueller. “I had a
couple of match balls that I gave away, but it was good to come back
and win in the fifth.”
In a physical and fiercely contested match, Egypt’s Mohammed
Abbas retrieving capacity and superior shotmaking carried the
day against Canada’s Shawn Delierre, who was defeated in four games.
Relegated to the qualifying draw because of a series of injuries in
the past two years, Abbas was delighted to earn his fifth trip to
the glass court in Grand Central. “It is one of the best places to
play. It is amazing,” said Abbas who will face countryman and friend
Amr Shabana, the #4 seed, in Saturday’s first round match.
Playing error free squash, Spain’s Borja Golan wore down
Germany’s Simon Rosner in four games to also earn his fifth trip to
the Grand Central glass court where he will face another qualifier,
Tarek Momen. The 22-year-old Egyptian, who was too strong,
too quick and had too many shots for Canadian David Phillips,
cruised to a 3-0 victory. In a fast paced match marked by great
retrieving, Australian Ryan Cuskelly’s hustle and attacking,
offensive play carried the day against France’s Gregoire Marche.
Cuskelly’s four game victory earned him a first round encounter with
Englishman Daryl Selby.
Hisham Ashour abounded with confidence as he schooled
Princeton University standout David Letourneau in the finer points
of the professional game with a 27-minute 11-3,11-7,11-6 victory. “I
feel this is where I should be,” said Ashour of his main draw berth,
referring to the fact that he was ranked #29 when the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions main draw was made in December, but now
stands at #18 in the world rankings. Ashour joins eight other
Egyptian players, including his younger brother Ramy, seeded #1, in
the 32-player championship draw.
While the qualifiers were battling for the final eight places in the
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions main draw, the Grand Central
venue was the place to be for the rest of the squash world. A
glittering and glamorous crowd representing the best of squash, both
past and present, gathered to honour the outstanding players of the
2010 season in professional squash.
The J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions second seed Nick Matthew received Player of the
Year honors and seventh seed Mohammed El Shorbagy was
recognized as Young Player of the Year.
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19-Jan:
Qualifying under way in NY
While construction of the famed glass court in Grand Central
Terminal received finishing touches, players from 15 countries
battled at four New York City clubs to qualify for the main draw in
the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, the world’s largest
spectator squash event.
New Zealand’s Martin Knight and Mexico’s Eric Galvez kicked
off the qualifying play with the longest match of the evening. At
the conclusion of their 92 minute contest, Knight was the player
left standing.
The Kiwi got off to an auspicious start, winning the first game
11-4. Two ensuing nip and tuck games put Galvez in the lead, 2-1.
Both players were feeling fatigued by the fourth game.
“My legs were starting to feel quite heavy,” Knight said.”But when I
looked over at Eric, he seemed to be in worse shape than me, which
gave me confidence.” Knight’s renewed energy was parlayed into a
five game victory, as he won the last two games with ease, 11-3,
11-4.
Knight’s next opponent, Englishman Chris Ryder, took a
straight game victory over USA’s Gilly Lane.
Applying relentless pressure from start to finish, Princeton
University standout and Canadian David Letourneau wasted no
time in making his way into the next round, eliminating England’s
Luke Butterworth in straight games in a scant 23 minutes. Letourneau
will next face veteran Bradley Ball, an Englishman now
residing in New York City’ who had too much experience for Yale
University’s Todd Harrity.
The young American did wrest the second game from his more seasoned
opponent. “I had no idea how good he was,” said Ball about the young
American after the match. Tightening up his drives and increasing
the pace on the ball was the winning combination as Ball snatched
the final two games 11-6,11-6.
Egyptian veteran Mohammed Abbas further dashed local hopes
when he eliminated New York City native Chris Gordon in four games.
The 30-year-old from Cairo, ranked as high as #13 in the world,
recovered after losing the first game to win the next three. “I love
the game, it is what I do,” Abbas said after the match, explaining
his desire to continue playing despite a series of injuries
sustained in the past few years.
Abbas will next have to overcome Canada’s Shawn Delierre, who
defeated New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson in straight games.
Rounding out the trio of Canadians moving on in the draw is David
Phillips, who ousted Czechoslovakia’s Jan Koukal in four games.
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World
Squash Awards
2010 at Grand Central
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Tournament of Champions
attracts World's top players to NY
The world's best squash players have confirmed their entries in the
Tournament of Champions, to be played at Grand Central Terminal in
New York from 21-27 January 2011. The long-established event
will be the first PSA World Series event of the New Year.
"It is entirely fitting that we have a glittering field of players
to compete in the sport's grandest venue for one of its most coveted
titles," said Tournament Director John Nimick.
Defending
champion James Willstrop is also upbeat about the NY event:
 "I am immensely excited about the prospect of coming to New York to
play the ToC again. New York has always been the most pulsating
event on the Tour and my favourite. After last year's win, my
affection for the event has only increased," added the Englishman.
"There is just no atmosphere like Grand Central and I will try to be
in my best shape for it. The very best players will be there, and we
are all vying for positions at the top of the world order, so the
contest should be red hot."
Four players entered in the draw have held the world No1 ranking,
three of whom have also captured the prestigious Tournament of
Champions trophy. The three returning title-holders are defending
champion Willstrop, and Egypt's Amr Shabana and Ramy
Ashour.
Nick Matthew, who became the first Englishman to win the
World Open when he captured that title this month, will be the
top-ranked player in the field having become world number one in the
January PSA rankings.
The tournament field includes 24 of the top 27 players in the world.
Players representing 21 countries will compete in the Tournament of
Champions, including American Julian Illingworth. A native of
Portland, Oregon, who now resides in New York City, Illingworth has
achieved the highest international ranking ever of any US player.
While the top ranking players in the men's professional ranks vie
for one of the sport's most coveted crowns, amateur players will
compete in the Grand Open, a companion citywide tournament
run by the Metropolitan Squash Racquets Association and top junior
players will contest the ToC Junior Open.
The championship debuted as the US Professional Championship in 1930
and was renamed the Tournament of Champions in 1993.
Truly living up
to its name, all but four of the Tournament of Champions
titleholders have either been No1 in the world rankings or a World
Champion.
ToC 2010
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World
Squash Awards
2010 at Grand Central
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