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16th August:
The quarter-finals at last year's English Open were a day full of emotions
for everyone ... |
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from August 2004
Friday 13th, Quarter-Finals:
Framboise reports on Day THREE at the Crucible
[Q] Simon Parke
(Eng) bt [4] Nick Matthew (Eng)
15/11, 15/6, 15/10 (59m)
[1] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt [5] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)
15/4, 13/15, 15/12, 15/10 (75m)
[6] James Willstrop (Eng) bt
[3] John White (Sco)
7/15, 14/15, 15/10, 15/12, 15/7 (90m)
[2] Lee Beachill (Eng) bt [7] Adrian Grant (Eng)
15/5, 15/8, 15/9 (42m)
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Grant and Matthew, disappointed
Simon Parke
with his mum Jan, elated
Nicol, tired and relieved
White and Willstrop, joking
John White, hurting
Willstrop expectant,
White exhausted
White dejected,
Willstrop triumphant
The crowd, amazed
The Willstrops, engaging |
EMOTION,
EMOTIONS…
No, no report about the matches tonight. Not a traditional one anyway.
If you have read my “portrait” of Peter Nicol, you may remember that his
“new life” could be summarised in 3 words: Brutal, Emotional, Honest.
And today was the perfect example of a brutal, honest, and emotional day.
It started when a person I estimate very highly and love got upset because
a small “en bref” I did, just by “hear say”. He didn’t read it. He heard
about it. And yet, was very emotional, displeased, angry towards me.
Without reading it???
That was the beginning of the day.
Then John White introduced me to his two new treasures. Talk about
love, talk about emotions…
Then squash.
A Nick Matthew so eager to live up to everybody’s expectations, his
parents who was there, his friends, his compatriots, his coaches… So much
pressure…. So much at stake….When it’s so crucial that it becomes
impossible…
And the bitter taste of defeat.
And Simon Parke. Getting older. So many injuries. And cancer. The
mountain to climb with rocks in your rucksack. Will you ever see the top
again? And training all over again. And appreciating life like never
before. Seizing the instant and giving it all the attention it deserves.
And the energy that goes through the roof…
And the intoxicating feeling of victory….
“I’m still here”, Simon was shouting to the world. “Look at me, I'M STILL
HERE!”
In come Peter Nicol and Anthony Ricketts. Peter, a
squash-born again. Anthony, boiling to play after 6 months of injury.
And the introduction of Malcolm Willstrop: “last year’s match was
one of the best matches ever played”. Yeah, go and follow that one…
And the anger, the frustration that comes out of Anthony because he is not
what he wants to be…Aggression toward the referee, so much aggression, so
much aggression.
And Peter at his best, the whole panel of control, touch, patience,
invention, deception, imagination… Clinging the victory with a true smile,
with a true joy…
And to make it all complete, James Willstrop and John White.
James, the brilliant young English hope, John, the well established
Australian/Scottish. One fit, reposed, the other one exhausted. Both
wanting the victory desperately.
In the fifth, John was so tired, SO TIRED from 16 days of non-sleep that
he actually couldn’t walk anymore. And yet, he gave the best performance I
ever saw in my life. I never EVER saw anybody give as much as John gave
tonight.
James played beautifully, don’t misunderstand me, but the star, the real
star tonight, was the tall man. Because his performance defied all the
rules, all logic, all standard. In some points, he actually played like in
slow motion, the energy was gone, and still he was running, and still he
was hitting, and still he was suffering.
And after he lost the point at 6/11, he stopped in the right front corner,
and started to cry. He cried because he was hurting physically, because he
was bruised from all the diving onto the floor he had been doing during
that game, but most of all, he cried because he didn’t want to let go of
anything, and yet he knew that he was going to have to.
And that’s when all the emotions of the day got the better of me. I looked
at John, at his pain, his frustration, and I could feel tears, stupid
tears rolling down my face. And for the next 20 minutes, I couldn’t stop
crying.
John, your performance tonight should be shown in squash schools all over
the world, because it is for me the perfect incarnation of what squash is
all about. It’s about dedication, giving it more than everything you got,
sweat, blood, tears, but still respecting your opponent, the referee and
the crowd.
And when people ask me why do I do this job, why do I put so much energy,
time, effort, sleepless nights for no financial rewards, it’s because it
gives me the chance to live moments like tonight, and meet people like
you.
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And finally ... John White. |
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from August 2004 |
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