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THREE,
Wednesday 6th April: Round Two, the Last 16:  White gatecrashes top eightFramboise reports on the second round plus the players' views ... [1] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [10] Amr Shabana (Egy) 6/11, 11/7, 11/10(2-0), 11/3 (53m) [6] Jonathon Power (Can) bt [9] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 10/11(0-2), 11/1, 5/11, 11/3, 11/2 (72m) [12] John White (Sco) bt [4] David Palmer (Aus) 7/11, 11/9, 11/4, 11/6 (68m) [7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 11/8, 11/9, 11/9 (72m) [5] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [11] Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 11/6, 11/8, 7/11, 3/11, 11/8 (97m) [3] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Azlan Iskandar (Mas) 11/10(3-1), 11/5, 11/9 (45m) [8] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt Olli Tuominen (Fin) 11/5, 11/5, 11/7 (37m) [2] Lee Beachill (Eng) bt [13] Graham Ryding (Can) 11/4, 11/7, 11/2 (40m) |
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LINCOU: SWITCHING WAS THE KEY… There were two distinct games within a game while Thierry Lincou and Amr Shabana were battling for a place in the quarters (yes, already…). First, The Prince of Egypt was of a lethal precision in his length, leaving the Frenchman powerless, left to suffer under the relentless pushing around from the Egyptian. Then, in the second part of the second game, starting at 7/2 to Shabana to be exact, Thierry was finding precision, length, and eventually later in the fourth, his unreturnable volley drop shots, backhand in particular.  At
7/2 in the second, I wrote in my notes, “Amr disconnects his brain”.
Because it’s what it felt from outside. In fact, it’s probably a
combination of physical tiredness, lack of focus, an unsettling feeling
caused by the change of tactics from his opponent…One day, James Willstrop said after one of his matches, “Squash is such a mental game it’s a joke”. Yop. With the same opponent, during the same match, a few minutes apart, first, Shabana was going for killers, and would find them, and then, in the fourth, it was the Frenchman that went for his, in particular a backhand volley drop shot from the back of the court at 4/3 on his serve, a shot that was so bold and well executed, that whistles of amazement and admiration fused from the knowledgeable crowd. Confidence is the name of the game… As the two players mention it in the aftermatch interview, I thought I would explain what happened in the third. At 11/10 Thierry serving, Amr was asking for a let, but appeared to still play the shot. To tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure of what happened really, I was confused by the commotion, but the referee ruled no let, and that decision gave Thierry the third game. And Amr was not a happy bunny… Lincou must have been glad to “avenge” his defeat against his mate that occurred in the semi final of the last British Open, and is now marching on to play Jonathan Power. Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride… Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt Amr Shabana (Egy) 6/11, 11/7, 12/10, 11/3 (53m) |
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"I
started very badly, it was a horrible feeling, I just couldn’t do
anything, he was perfect, his length was perfect, on both sides! I
couldn’t control anything, I couldn’t step in front, I couldn’t react…
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BENGY: GETTING BETTER Nick Matthew bt Ong Beng Hee 11/8, 11/9, 11/9 (72m)  "I
was up in nearly every game but I still lost. Every time we were very
close, like 9-all, but Nick played the crucial points better than I did."I feel so much better at the moment, I'm starting to enjoy my squash again, for the first time in two years. Today was a big step for me ... this tournament is a big step for me, I'm really happy." Ong Beng Hee |
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 "I
feel great, obviously. I had to play my best squash to beat him. He beat me the past four encounters, I only beat him in a non PSA event, the Canary Wharf Classic. And when you play Thierry, Lee, all the players in the top 16, you’ve got to be at your best. "I had to try and keep the pace up, but still play John White’s game, because that’s the way I play. My lengths were really good, it’s the best I’ve played for a long time… "The court is a fast court, and to hit the perfect length, you’ve got to control your shots, you can’t just hit the ball. Because I was getting good control, David started to hit a few tins, I succeeded to take him out of his comfort zone, and he started to get frustrated. Once you get him out of his game, he goes for silly shots, unorthodox shots, and you’ve got to keep him in that frustrated state as long as you can. "I was so glad to get a good start in each game, it’s always important to get ahead when you play against David, as he is so strong physically, and can get everything back. "I’m very pleased, especially as that confirms the result of Canary Wharf… My family life is coming together, my squash is coming together, all is well…" John White |
WHITE, ROYAL, PALMER, FLUED… You will not have a “real report” on this one, as I was actually commentating the match live on PSA Streaming, the new marvel from PSA/Horizon that allows you to watch the matches live and on replay all over the world.  So,
although I was still watching the match, I was not taking notes of any
kind, I therefore can only give you my general feeling about the match.I know that the first rally lasted FOREVER. And I mean forever. We were talking, and talking, and they were playing, and playing… Palmer eventually won the rally, but it must have dug into his reserves a lot… I also remember clearly that I was stunned by David’s body language, to the point I actually said that something was wrong with the Australian, that the way he was dropping his shoulders, the way he left John caracole in front 7/0 in the third without really reacting, were the obvious signs that he was not physically well. John White was quite the contrary. His family now safely back in America, surrounded by Suzy White’s brothers and sisters, the title of Canary Wharf Classic in the bag somewhere in storage, the Scot was ready to fire. Concentrated, volleying, hitting hard, playing some perfect lengths that rolled off the floor, he was at his best. A tired and frustrated Palmer, a brilliant White (ok, I just realised what I wrote, but I’m keeping it…), and you have a logical result. 3/1 for White. At the end of the match, I saw David asking if the door right behind me was going outside, opened it, and away from the world, away from the press and public, roared a long shout of pain and frustration. I was later told by several close sources that David has had the flu all of last week, and that he was still on antibiotics. And it all made sense. Then again, it doesn’t take anything away from John White, who played superbly, patiently, precisely, lethally. Welcome back, John, welcome back to the top where you belong. John White bt David Palmer 7/11, 11/9, 11/4, 11/6 (68m) |
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NICOL MASTERS ISKANDAR Peter Nicol bt Azlan Iskandar 11/10(3-1), 11/5, 11/9 (45m)  "I've known Azlan
since he was16 years old, we used to train together in East London, I know
what he is capable of, I know his potential. As you could see, it was very
hard to beat him today."I felt OK, but I didn’t feel great, once again, I wasn’t happy with the way I got into the ball, the way I step into the ball, meaning that my short game was not good enough. And if I don’t sort it out, the rallies are going to last forever! So tomorrow morning, I’m going to work on that particular point with David Pearson. "About James, he is young and fit, he will have recovered from today’s match. He’ll expect to beat me, I’ll expect to beat him… With James, you can’t expect to make the rallies short, that's the biggest mistake you can make, he would dwell on that... you’ve got to play very simple squash, good length and send the ball into the back corner as much as you can, and wait for the opportunity to attack…" Peter Nicol |
 "I’m always
missing something, always missing something to win these matches… I was so
close, and I lost again… I felt good, I felt strong, but you know, when I
play my tight shots, the other players don’t volley them, but Peter does,
it’s quite amazing."I have the feeling that I can play against the top guys, but that I'm missing that little bit to beat them, so I will have to play them more and more to get used to their game. I’m going to train very hard, and I’m actually looking forward to next season. "You know, I was watching Thierry and Shabana, and I realise that I’ve got a long way to go, a long way to go…" Azlan Iskandar |
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DARWISH DESPATCHES OLLI Karim Darwish bt Olli Tuominen 11/5, 11/5, 11/7 (37m) "I’m so happy to win, it was my revenge from the ToC. I’ve been training very hard for the past two weeks for this tournament. "I played well today, I also played well yesterday… I’m looking forward to playing the winner of the Graham/Lee match, and I’m really looking forward to winning it too…" Karim Darwish |
BEACHILL BREEZES PAST RYDING Lee Beachill bt [13] Graham Ryding 11/4, 11/7, 11/2  "Graham
is always so hard to beat, a three love victory against him is a massive
bonus… I was feeling good, I was happy with the way I moved, it was a good
match for me…"The confidence in myself I have today comes some bloody hard work… When I was a junior, my coach Malcolm Willstrop set up a routine for me, I stuck to it through the years, and it has worked so far, I hope it will make me a better player, and a better person… "I’m going to prepare for my match tomorrow against Karim the same way I prepare for all my matches. That’s what I’ve learnt along the years, not to prepare differently for any match … Lee Beachill |
 "I made too many errors tonight, I was extending the rallies like I should, but I didn’t finish them well." Graham Ryding |
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WILLSTROP'S MARATHON REVENGE WIN James Willstrop bt Anthony Ricketts 11/6, 11/8, 7/11, 3/11, 11/8 (97m)  "Playing
on this court is like going back to the old times, to the times of Jonah
Barrington ... it's a different game altogether."After yesterday's pretty dull performance the first two games were everything I could have hoped for. But it's very hard to keep up that level of game in front of someone like Anthony Ricketts. "In the end I just pulled it off. It wasn't pretty, but I had to do what I had to do to win. I can't play my game on that court, it's like banging your head against the wall. You've got to be so patient, and accept playing up and down the walls. "How long was it? 97 minutes? Brilliant ... I can't wait for tomorrow!" James Willstrop  |
"It was not easy to play on that court. James
played very well in the first and the second, but still I feel I should
have won the second. Then the third and the fouth were long, we couldn’t
really attack, I found myself being at the back more than I would have
wished for… It was not the best of matches…" Anthony Ricketts
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Heavyweight clashes in the last 16: Malcolm Willstrop reports on Day Three |
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