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 ATCO
PSA
World Series Squash Finals
11-15 Jan 11, Queen's Club, London |
Sat 15th, Day FIVE, Finals: POSTPONED
PSA announcement: The World Series Final will not take place
on Sunday 16 January 2011. We sincerely apologise for any
inconvenience this may have caused. The PSA is committed to
delivering a fantastic finale to what has been a world-class
tournament. Further updates will be provided in due course [the
finals were subsequently cancelled].
What happened was that on the morning of the finals
there was heavy wind and rain in London and the inflatable
arena in which the glass court was situated began to deflate
and was declared unsafe.
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Fri 14th, Day FOUR, semi-finals:
Jenny
Duncalf bt Camille Serme
11/8, 11/13, 11/7
Laura Massaro bt
Vanessa Atkinson 2/0 ?
Nick Matthew bt James Willstrop 11/4,
11/6, 11/8 (46m)
Amr Shabana
bt Ramy Ashour 11/4, 11/5, 11/5 (27m)
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Matthew & Shabana in
World Series Finals final
Fleishman-Hillard
report
England's Nick Matthew will play Amr Shabana,
Egypt's four-time world champion, in the ATCO PSA World
Series Finals on Saturday evening at the Queen’s Club in
London.
The world No 1, world and Commonwealth champion beat
long-time rival James Willstrop in a one-sided match 11-4,
11-6, 11-8. Shabana wasted little time in ousting Ramy
Ashour, his younger compatriot and one of the future stars
of the game, in a repeat of the 2008 World Open final.
The Egyptian left-hander, 31, will now attempt to win for
the first time on British shores after finishing runner-up
here on four occasions his first coming at the British
Junior Open in 1993. Ashour, feeling the effects of a
hamstring injury, went down 4-11, 5-11, 5-11 in 27 minutes.
"Playing here at Queen's is a proud moment," Shabana
admitted afterwards. "I have always enjoyed watching the
tennis on TV since I was a kid. Hopefully Nick and I can
play another great match in front of this great crowd."
Both Matthew and Shabana will also bid to become World
Series champion for the first time, the Egyptian having lost
to Gregory Gaultier in the 2008 final.
 For
Willstrop, the defeats continue to mount against his fellow
Englishman. He last beat Matthew in the 2007 English Open
final and each match he had lost since, 11 of them now, has
clearly played a psychological advantage as Matthew's
dominance has increased on the world stage.
Not that Willstrop has gone down without a fight. He lost
out in a brutal British Open final, where Willstrop held
match balls, and the Canary Wharf Classic semi-finals, which
saw the Yorkshireman's bid end with severe cramp after one
of the finest contest in recent years.
In the World Series semi-final, Matthew stretched his
opponent early, creating a number of winners from
Willstrop's loose angles in the opening game.
In the second he raced to a 6-1 lead before Willstrop
produced his best squash of the match, using his backhand
volley drops to clinical effect to close the gap to 7-5.
At 9-6 down, Matthew sent a forehand winner to the back wall
as Willstrop failed to find a way past the 30 year-old. He
was denied a let, claiming he clipped Matthew's shoe, and
his frustration played into Matthew's hands as he closed out
the second 11-6.
Matthew refused to play short in the third as he bid to dig
Willstrop into the ground. However the 6' 4" Pontefract
player wearing a rare set of cycling shorts, a sign that he
was struggling with injury, kept in the match as he crawled
two points ahead at 7-5 before Matthew, yet again, surged
towards the winning post.
Matthew said: "I tried to keep the pressure on all the way
through. You get that bit between your teeth when you see
the winning line and you lose a little bit of composure.
It's important to will yourself on with those big points
like the Egyptians do so well, but I think I achieved that
tonight.
A clearly despondent Willstrop said: "I'm really sad I
couldn't produce it today. I was really flat. For two years
I have been second best to him and all I can do is keep
battling away."
He was also hard on himself when asked for his highlight of
the week. "Beating Ramy, even though he was on one leg,"
Willstrop added.
In the women's invitational event, Jenny Duncalf, the
top seed, ousted Camille Serme, France's rising star, to
reach Saturdays final. Duncalf won 11-8, 11-13, 11-7.
The England No 1 will play compatriot Laura Massaro,
who outplayed Vanessa Atkinson, the former world champion.
Finals programme starts at 13.30 on Saturday,
with women's final at 16.30, men's final at 17.30 ...
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Thu 13th, Day THREE, final pool
matches:
Pool B:
Amr Shabana (W3) bt Wael El Hindi (W0)
11/9, 11/9 (25m)
Pool A: Ramy Ashour (W2) bt Alister Walker
(W0)
15/13, 11/3 (20m)
Pool B: Nick Matthew (W2) bt Peter Barker
(W1) 12/14, 11/3,
11/7 (51m)
Pool A: James Willstrop (W3) bt Thierry
Lincou (W1)
12/10, 11/7 (32m)
So, the
semi-finals are: Amr Shabana v Ramy Ashour and James
Willstrop v Nick Matthew
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It's Egypt v England at Queen's
Fleishman-Hillard
report
England and Egypt underlined their dominance at the ATCO PSA
World Series Finals when the two rival nations hogged the
four semi-final berths for Friday’s matches at Queen’s Club
in London.
Yorkshire’s Nick Matthew, the world No 1, will play
arch rival James Willstrop while Egyptian duo Amr
Shabana and Ramy Ashour face off in the other
semi-final after the quartet progressed from the group
stages in contrasting circumstances.
Matthew, who beat Willstrop in last month’s World Open final
to become the first Englishman to lift the title, edged past
his gritty compatriot Peter Barker 12-14, 11-3, 11-7 in 51
minutes. It was the second time that Matthew had played
beyond 50 minutes in the fast-paced, best-of-three format.
Matthew lost the opening game of his final group match – at
23 minutes, the second longest of the week – but used his
physical strength and mid-court dominance to edge out the
Londoner. Barker, playing his best squash of the week,
matched Matthew in all departments as the world No 8 forced
the world champion into a number of uncharacteristic errors
to the tin.
With both players realising that defeat would end their
World Series bid, Matthew took the initiative in a
seven-minute, second game as the 30 year-old racked up seven
points in a row to take the match into a decider.
Barker was clearly saving himself but still managed to raise
a smile on both sides of the court mid-game. Having been
denied a let at 4-3 down, the Londoner, who had only beaten
Matthew once in nine meetings, remonstrated with the referee
but was told to close the door and continue the ensuing
slog-fest. Barker couldn’t resist: “I’m just trying to get a
rest in here.”
Matthew, never adventurous, kept plugging away at Barker’s
resolve with trademark rallies that had been a feature of
the Englishman’s play in 2010. Errors soon creeped in and
despite saving two match balls, Matthew finished the game
with a stroke.
“If you lose the first game it is pretty hairy and not that
enjoyable,” Matthew said afterwards. “You can never let up
in this format and it will continue to eat away at my
nerves.”
Enjoyment was not an attribute handed out to Ashour, the
leading player in the World Series rankings, as the Egyptian
moved edgily into the semi-finals following his 15-13, 11-3
win over Alister Walker, the former Leeds-based player who
now resides in New York.
The Egyptian admitted afterwards that he was still feeling
the effects of a hamstring injury that forced him out of
last month’s World Open in Saudi Arabia.
The ‘Cairo King’ stormed into a 4-1 lead as he aimed to
quell Walker’s own attacking instincts. But Ashour soon
showed his frustration as Walker clawed his way back, saving
two game balls at 10-8 down, before the Egyptian, yet to
find his rhythm, found enough resolve to clinch the opener
15-13.
The second was in stark contrast as Ashour found renewed
belief, rattling off eight points in a row from 3-3 to
finish Walker’s campaign.
“I’ve done a lot of physio and there are still a lot of
things missing from my body," Ashour, the 2008 world
champion, said. "I’ve had to think more this week in how
I’ve played my shots, but I’m really glad I’m through.
“It is not enjoyable when you’re not 100 per cent but all I
can do is keep pushing myself.”
Ashour will have to be at his best to beat Shabana - a
repeat of the 2009 World Open final when the young Egyptian
left the court in tears against his older rival.
Shabana, the four-time world champion, has never won on
British shores but looks in good shape here with a
convincing 11-9, 11-9 win over compatriot Wael El Hindi.
The formidable Egyptian has looked a real threat this week
and took just 25 minutes to seal his semi-final berth as El
Hindi lost his third straight group match.
In the final match of the night, Thierry Lincou, of France,
knew he had to beat Willstrop 2-0 to take his place in the
semi-finals.
At times, 34 year-old Lincou defied his tag as the world
tour’s elder statesman. But Willstrop played a tight and
controlled match to win his third match of the week, along
with Shabana the only player to do so.
Willstrop said: “There was a big contrast from playing Ramy
last night. Thierry’s tightness was impeccable and, as
always, it’s always good to beat him 2-0.”
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Fri, from 17.30:
Duncalf v Serme
Massaro v Atkinson
Men's semi 1
Men's semi 2
Sat, from 13.30
16.00 Women's Final
17.30 Men's Final |
Wed 12th, Day TWO:
Pool A:
Thierry Lincou bt Alister Walker
11/8, 12/10 (29m)
Pool B: Amr Shabana bt Nick
Matthew
5/11, 11/6, 17/15 (63m) Shabana through
Pool A:
James Willstrop bt Ramy
Ashour 10/12, 11/6, 11/9
(49m)
Pool B:
Peter
Barker bt Wael El Hindi
13/11, 11/9 (41m) El Hindi out
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London Time
Fri, from 17.30:
Duncalf v Serme
Massaro v Atkinson
Men's semi 1
Men's semi 2
Sat, from 13.30
16.00 Women's Final
17.30 Men's Final |
Shabana ousts Englishman Matthew in World Series
classic
Fleishman-Hillard
report
Amr Shabana has produced his fair share of classic
tussles with English rivals over the last decade but the
great Egyptian, for all his achievements, has yet to win on
British shores.
The four-time world champion went a step closer on Wednesday
night at the ATCO PSA World Series Finals when he shaded a
brutal battle with Nick Matthew, the world No 1, at
the Queen’s Club in London.
Playing the best-of-three format that this event stipulates,
Shabana edged the 30 year-old world champion 5-11, 11-7,
17-15 in a match lasting just shy of the hour mark. Matthew
now needs to win his last match on Thursday night against
compatriot Peter Barker if he harbours dreams of
progressing to Friday’s semi-finals after missing last
year’s event following shoulder surgery.
Shabana said afterwards: “Nick has raised the bar for all of
us. It is a fine line and I had to perform my best – but at
least it means I am right on track to have what it takes to
finally win here [in the UK].”
The match was billed as the first to go the distance after
straight-games wins on Tuesday and they duly lived up to the
hype. Level at seven career wins apiece stretching back to
2001 – Shabana won the majority of his matches during his
domineering years five years ago – a methodical Matthew took
early bragging rights with a comfortable opener.
Back came Shabana. Having lost out to Matthew on his way to
becoming the first Englishman to win the world title in
December, the 31 year-old Cairo right-hander took the second
after uncharacteristic errors from the Englishman.
It paved the way for an unforgettable decider. At 7-5 down,
Shabana advanced to hold two match balls at 10-8. The pair
then traded match balls in a gruelling period involving a
number of key lets before Shabana’s denouement.
James Willstrop then produced a vintage performance
to recoup pride after the home favourite’s loss. Willstrop,
Matthew’s Yorkshire rival since junior days, just pipped
Egypt’s world No 2 Ramy Ashour, whom Willstrop last
beat on his way to lifting the Tournament of Champions title
last January, winning 10-12, 11-6, 11-9.
On a night when the victors paid tribute to their opponents,
Willstrop said: “Ramy is so unique and he has the great
ability to leave you with little oxygen even when he is
being deceptive. It is just a higher pace of squash with him
but I’m feeling good.”
Willstrop never let Ashour settle after losing a tight first
game. He won a succession of tight drops and managed to hold
court even when the pair visibly tired in the third. The
former world junior champion’s retrieval play was also
exceptional as Ashour’s frustration increased during the
49-minute tussle.
In the final match of the evening, Barker beat Wael El
Hindi in straight games to give himself a chance of
reaching the semi-finals.
The Londoner, who needed to win after losing to Shabana on
Tuesday, was handed a conduct warning during the match but
kept his nerve to win 13-11, 11-9.
Earlier Alister Walker lost his second match in
succession and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.
Walker, 28, lost to Thierry Lincou, of France, 11-8,
12-10 in another high-tempo match.
Having come out of the stalls early against James Willstrop
on the opening night, Walker opted for a more sedate opening
against the Frenchman but a number of errors counted against
the former Leeds-based player as Lincou took the opener
11-8.
The tempo increased in the second as both players jockeyed
for mid-court supremacy. It was level-pegging until Walker
found himself with two match balls at 10-8. However the
dogged Lincou, who has never lost to Walker, won four points
in a row to put himself in the driving seat for a semi-final
berth.
Backed by Ziad Al-Turki, the charismatic Saudi businessman
and Professional Squash Association chairman, the ATCO PSA
World Series Finals are the culmination of the 2010 Super
Series season.
The eight players will play in two pools of four until
Friday’s semi-finals. The finals will take place on
Saturday.
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Tue 11th, Day One:
Fleishman-Hillard report
There were no major upsets in the season-ending World Series
Finals with England and Egypt producing a double dose of
wins at The Queen's Club in London as the world's top eight
players adapted to a fast-paced, best-of-three format on the
opening night.
 Yorkshire's
James Willstrop, the world No 4, opened his account
with a hard-fought 13-11, 11-6 win over debutant Alister
Walker in 32 minutes. World No 1 and favourite Nick
Matthew, bidding to become the first Englishman to win
the Finals, then ended the first night with a comfortable
win over Wael El Hindi.
In between, Egyptian duo Amr Shabana and Ramy
Ashour won contrasting Group games as a futuristic
bubble and, inside, a purple-coloured squash court' took
centre stage at the 125 year-old Queens Club.
Walker led 10-4 but Willstrop one of four Englishmen in the
tournament - overturned six game balls to take a lengthy
opener in 21 minutes. Walker, the former Leeds-based player
who now resides in New York, looked visibly tired in the
second and Willstrop wrapped up the game in 11 minutes.
Willstrop, who won Commonwealth silver in Delhi, said: "It
was tough for both of us having not played competitively for
three weeks. But I didnt want to let it go easily. I think I
hurt him a bit in the second as I hoped it would and his
pace dropped slightly."
Shabana looked in fine fettle and wasted no time in getting
his campaign under way with a comfortable win over Londoner
Peter Barker.
Shabana, the four-time world champion, came through 11-8,
11-2 in 28 minutes against Barker, another Englishman making
his debut in the end-of-year finals.
The Egyptian said: "This format is more compact and normally
I would hit more winners but at least you know you wont lose
the point by being safe. I gained confidence in the second
and I'm happy to be through".
Ashour, Egpyt's supremely talented world No 2, then repeated
Shabana's feat with a straight game win over French
stalwart, Thierry Lincou.
However, the Cairo right-hander had to play near to his
best. Despite Lincou's left knee being heavily strapped,
Ashour had to fight back in both games, and the Egyptian
admitted afterwards: "I'm really glad I came back in both
games as he was killing everything."
In the final match of the evening, a highly-consistent
Matthew took on El Hindi, who first played this event back
in 2000, as the Yorkshireman bids to add the World Series to
his world and Commonwealth titles after a stellar year on
the world tour.
Matthew, 30, missed last year's tournament after recovering
from shoulder surgery but now looks in good shape to qualify
for the semi-finals after coming through 11-5, 11-7. "The
venue is fantastic here and it will only get more
interesting as the week goes on. I was a little bit headless
to begin with but I tried to play my normal game and it
worked."
Backed by Ziad Al-Turki, the charismatic Saudi businessman
and Professional Squash Association chairman, the World
Series Finals are the culmination of the 2010 Super Series
season.
The eight players will play in two pools of four until
Friday's semi-finals. The final will take place on Saturday.
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Schedule & Results:
Tue,
Day One:
Willstrop bt Walker 13/11, 11/6
Shabana bt Barker 11/8,
11/2
Ashour bt Lincou 11/7, 13/11
Matthew bt El Hindi 11/5, 11/7
Wed, Day Two:
Lincou bt Walker 11/8, 12/10
Shabana bt Matthew 5/11,11/6,17/15
Willstrop bt Ashour 10/12, 11/6, 11/9
Barker bt El Hindi 13/11, 11/9
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07-Jan-11:
Darwish makes way for Walker
in World Series Finals
A hamstring injury sustained in last year's Saudi PSA World
Open has caused Egypt's world No3 Karim Darwish to pull out
of next week's ATCO PSA World Series Squash Finals in
London.
The event, which will be staged at
The Queen's Club from 11-15 January, is the culmination of
the 2010 PSA Super Series tour.
Formerly known as the Super Series Finals, the Queen's Club
event will see the world's eight top male players competing
for the Tour championship title and the highest first prize
ever played for in the UK and Europe.
Darwish ended the year in fourth place in the 2010 PSA Super
Series Rankings after reaching three event finals and
claiming the titles in the El Gouna International and the
Qatar Classic.
Darwish will be replaced in the eight-man field by Alister
Walker, the world No20 from England who has recently
relocated to New York. The Botswana-born 28-year-old will be
making his debut in the event.
The draw has been revised, with the players now lining up
in two pools as follows:
Pool A:
[1] Ramy Ashour (Egy), [3] James Willstrop (Eng)
[5] Thierry Lincou (Fra), [8] Alister Walker (Eng)
Pool B:
[2] Nick Matthew (Eng), [4] Amr Shabana (Egy)
[6]
Peter Barker (Eng), [7] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
The eight players will play best-of-three-game matches in
two pools of four from Tuesday to Thursday (11-13 January)
before best-of-five game semi-finals on Friday 14 January,
followed by the Grand Final on Saturday 15 January.
The World Series Finals will take place in an iconic
inflatable structure, specifically created for the
show-piece event. Inside the structure, the 'Z-Court' will
contain the very latest in squash viewing, enabling
uninterrupted 360° views of the action.
The purple glass court features innovative lighting and
natural flooring - and has been specifically developed to
capture the speed of the game on camera and produce the best
quality viewing experience.
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Super Series
Events 2010
2009 Super Series Finals
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World No1 & World Champion to lead
World Series Finals draw
Egypt's world number one Ramy Ashour and England's
new World Open champion Nick Matthew will lead the
eight-man field for next year's ATCO PSA World Series Squash
Finals in London.
The ATCO PSA World Series Finals, which will be
staged at The Queen's Club from 11-15 January, is the
culmination of the 2010 PSA Super Series tour - the tenth
and last event of which, the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, reached
its climax on Sunday in the Indian capital New Delhi.
Formerly known as the Super Series Finals, the Queen's Club
event will see the world's eight top male players competing
for the Tour championship title and the highest first prize
ever played for in the UK and Europe.
Matthew and Ashour, the 2007 champion, will be joined by
Egyptians Karim Darwish, Amr Shabana and
Wael El Hindi; Frenchman Thierry Lincou; and
Englishmen James Willstrop and event debutant
Peter Barker.
France's defending champion Gregory Gaultier also
qualified for the event, but has been forced to withdraw
after injuring his hamstring in this month's Saudi PSA World
Open. The 2008 & 2009 champion will be out of action until
February.
Ashour had an unassailable lead at the top of the Super
Series Rankings before the PSA Masters, after triumphs in
the Hong Kong Open, the British Grand Prix and the Kuwait
Open.
Matthew, the 30-year-old from Sheffield who followed his
double gold medal success in the Commonwealth Games in
October by becoming England's first ever world champion in
Saudi Arabia last week, claimed Super Series titles this
year at the North American and Australian Opens, at the Sky
Open in Egypt, and finally at the PSA Masters in India.
Format
The eight players will play best-of-three-game matches in
two pools of four from Tuesday to Thursday (11-13 January)
before best-of-five game semi-finals on Friday 14 January,
followed by the Grand Final on Saturday 15 January.
"After consultation with players, the promoters and the
venue, we have decided to make all the pool stage matches
over the first three days 'best of three games' - to
add a new element of excitement and competitiveness, as our
top eight players battle for places in the semi-finals,"
said PSA COO Lee Beachill.
The World Series Finals will take place in an iconic
inflatable structure, specifically created for the
show-piece event. Inside the structure, the 'Z-Court'
will contain the very latest in squash-viewing - enabling
uninterrupted 360° views of the action.
The purple glass court features innovative lighting and
natural flooring, and combined with the new coloured ball
has been specifically developed to capture the speed of the
game on camera and produce the best quality viewing
experience.Final 2010 PSA
Super Series Rankings
1 Ramy Ashour (Egy)
600
2 Nick Matthew (Eng)
530
3 James Willstrop (Eng)
450
4 Karim Darwish (Egy)
410
5 Amr Shabana (Egy)
350
6 Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
340
7 Thierry Lincou (Fra)
255
8 Peter Barker (Eng)
185
9= Wael El Hindi (Egy)
145
9= Daryl Selby (Eng)
145
11 David Palmer (Aus)
140
12= Alister Walker (Eng)
125
12= Cameron Pilley (Aus)
125
14= Adrian Grant (Eng)
110
14= Hisham Ashour (Egy)
110
16= Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) 100
16= Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) 100
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23-Oct-2010:
PSA World Series Finals
hails 'New Era' for Squash
Saudi businessman Ziad Al-Turki promises a "new era
for the popularity of Squash" with the launch of the ATCO
PSA World Series Squash Finals at The Queen's Club
in London in January next year.
The enigmatic entrepreneur, who was linked with the
purchasing of Manchester City in 2009, has been a fanatical
squash fan and player for many years and has pledged his
financial and personal commitment to re-invigorate the sport
by broadening its appeal to a wider, younger audience, in
order to encourage a new generation of players and to
increase its appeal as an exciting spectator sport.
 "Squash
for me is a sport which is incredibly fast-paced, exciting
and a test of both physical and mental strength."
"I believe that given the right investment and support,
squash can become one of the most exciting and loved sports.
"I am investing my time and money into something I am
passionate about and with the finals in January 2011 we hope
to announce a new era for the popularity of the sport. It
will definitely help to put squash back on to the sporting
map."
One of the first major
investments made is the ATCO PSA World Series Finals, from
January 11-15, which is the culmination of the 2010 PSA
Super Series tour. The event, formerly known as the
Super Series Finals, will see the world's eight top
male players competing for the Tour championship title and
the highest first prize ever played for in the UK and
Europe.
The final line-up for the event is not yet decided, but is
likely to include Egypt's reigning world number one Ramy
Ashour, and England's Nick Matthew, winner of two
Commonwealth Games gold medals in Delhi last week. The pair
head the current 2010 PSA Super Series rankings.
The seventh Super Series event of the year, the El Gouna
International , is currently underway in Egypt - and
this will be followed by the Kuwait Open and Qatar
Classic in November, and the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters
in Delhi in December.
The Finals will take place in an iconic inflatable
structure, specifically created for this showpiece event.
The 'Z-Court' will contain the very latest in squash
viewing, featuring an all-glass court with glass supports,
enabling uninterrupted 360 degree views of the action.
The five-day event will be hosted by sports presenters
Jake Humphreys and Chris Hollins.
The ATCO PSA World Series is a statement of intent from the
combined forces of the PSA, Ziad Al-Turki, and brand agency
Greenspace, to reinvigorate and regenerate the sport
of squash. They all share the same desire; to take the
exciting and high energy sport to the masses, making it a
favourite with sports fans, through both viewing and
participation.
PSA CEO
Alex Gough added:
"Ziad has added an incredible amount of passion, commitment
and financial support to the sport. This, combined with his
astute business knowledge, superb contacts and his unfailing
passion to take squash to the next level can only be good
news for the sport.
"The ATCO PSA World Series Squash Finals will be a fantastic
event and a culmination of a hard year for all the players,
with those at the very top of their game being rewarded with
the ultimate prize. 2010 has been a year of growth for
squash and we're looking forward to an exciting future." |
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