Amr Shabana, the 'Prince of
Egypt', collected his third PSA title in a row in Budapest when he
defeated France's Gregory Gaultier in a five-game final at the
Romai-Teniszakademia complex, adding to his recent wins in the Heliopolis
and St Louis Opens.
A Fitting Final Malcolm Willstrop
reports on the final
If
ever a championship deserved a classic final this was it, and happily for
all concerned it got one.
The magnificent setting and large crowds, loving it all, were the backdrop
for a match that lived up to everybody’s best expectations.
Amr Shabana can currently claim to be the best player in the world: he won
in St Louis with all the world’s top eight in the draw, and now he has won
the Dunlop Hungarian Open from another high class field. Not only that, he
is brilliant to watch.
As
he does Shabana began quickly, led 5-1 disrupting Gaultier, but from 5-1
down the Frenchman found some rhythm and at 7-6 led for the first time.
Suddenly Shabana became more insecure and Gaultier ran away with the game
11/6.
Oddly, with the impetus with him, he appeared to lose his way in the
second and Shabana raced to 8-1 before winning the game 11/2.
The Egyptian magician, however, did maintain his dominance and went to 5-1
in the third. The quality remained at the highest world level, with the
ball being despatched to all parts of the court, changes of pace, every
chance to attack taken, and movement to match. Gaultier was playing his
full part and the match was being played in the best sporting manner with
Jack Allen hardly having a thing to do.
Gaultier came back well and reached 6-7 before Shabana drew away in the
later stages to take a 2/1 lead.
Gaultier was not done with, and holding his game together well he led 7-2
in the fourth before Shabana staged a recovery. It was not enough though,
and Gaultier deservedly levelled the match at two-all.
Watching
alongside James, we were marvelling at the sheer quality of it all and
neither of us was able to name a winner.
At four-all we were no wiser, but a sensational rally took Shabana to 5-4
and from there he quickly went to 10-4 as Gaultier became error-prone. On
the second match ball Shabana won the title and the large and responsive
crowd showed their approval, loud applause long sustained.
It was a quite exceptional match and both players deserve credit not only
for their play, but for the way they conducted themselves.
It was a suitable ending to a magnificent event and no more than Jeno
Marky and his team deserved.
"The
match was tough… We were both very tired, but I did all I could… He
took the ascendancy in the fifth when we were 4/4…
"Anyway, it’s not that bad… Yes, it’s a defeat, but it was not
against just ANYBODY, now, was it!!!!
"Now, I’m going home and about to celebrate my girlfriend’s 22nd
birthday and to rest… Then, back to turf with the British, and I
hope I’ll do well there…
"Speak with you soon, and I wanted to say a quick thank you to all
the people who supported me during this tournament…"
Gregory Gaultier
Salut
Fram,
Greg just lost in the final 3/2. He did nothing
wrong and should be proud of his performance, although he says
he had "no juice left today"...
Although tired, with only a few hours
of sleep, as he couldn't find any rest with excitement for the final
to come, he gave it everything he had, and Shabana did exactly the
same, maybe a bit more lucidity though... Shabana gets the triple (Heliopolis, St Louis, Budapest). His
world ranking is going to go through the roof. It has been a long
time since one player won three major tournaments in a row...
[2] Amr Shabana
bt [3] James Willstrop
10-11(4-6), 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 (64m)
Malcolm Willstrop
reports on the semis ...
Shabana & Willstrop
delight Budapest
[2] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [3]
James Willstrop (Eng)
10-11(4-6), 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 (64m)
The
match promised a great deal and the players delivered. A packed crowd –
the crowds have been exceptional all week – saw squash of the highest
quality and two of the game’s best shotmakers having to wait for chances,
as both produced approach play of the highest order.
Shabana began very quickly and took an early lead, but Willstrop stayed
with it and did really well to withstand the early onslaught to take the
game to a tiebreak. Each served for the game, but Willstrop eventually won
it 16/15 to take a 1-0 lead, which the Egyptian probably thought should
have been his.
Fortified by the lead Willstrop went efficiently to 5/3, moving the ball
well and looking as if he might take some control. But Shabana is always
dangerous with his ability to hit winners off opponents’ good shots,
causing surprise and gradually he got away to level at one-all.
Willstrop
began the crucial third game well, but once again Shabana evened things
out and won the game 11/8 to take a decisive lead, the quality remaining
at the highest world level as both players played hardly a loose shot and
attacked at every opportunity.
A 2/1 lead after three such games was significant, but Willstrop never
relented even though Shabana sensed a victory that at times hadn’t looked
certain, producing some wonderful finishing to complete a hard-won 3/1
passage to the final.
Willstrop lost absolutely nothing in defeat and Shabana proved that he can
extend rallies when necessary and be much more durable than at times in
the past.
In the second semi-final Gregory Gaultier
began as quickly as Peter Nicol did slowly. Finding it hard to settle
against the staccato play of the Frenchman, Nicol couldn’t establish any
rhythm in the first game and quickly lost it 11/2.
Although
things improved for him in the second, he couldn’t make any real headway
against Gaultier, who likes to dominate. Gaultier took the second 11/5 and
with Nicol still not fully settled it was hard to imagine him losing from
2-0 up.
However he suddenly and quite unexpectedly played a strange third and as
John White commented to me half-way through the game, “he’s all over the
place”. And he was, though why was hard to fathom, even if Nicol had
started the game better.
Anyway Nicol was now back in the match at 1/2. It didn’t last though, and
Gaultier pulled himself together, lengthening the rallies out, looking
more like he did in the first two. Nicol remained ill at ease and showed
an uncharacteristic testiness, though always at himself.
Gaultier won the fourth 11/5 and set up a final with Shabana, a match
which should not lack dynamism.
PREDICT & WIN Congratulations to the seven (out of
158) who predicted the semi-final winners ... randomly chosen by
James, the winner is Hedley Matthew ...
Malcolm
Willstrop reports from Budapest on the Hungarian Open
quarter-finals ...
Willstrop Waltzes past Olli
[3] James Willstrop (Eng)bt Olli Tuominen (Fin)
11/6, 11/8, 11/3 (35m)
First match on quarter-finals night of the
Dunlop Hungarian Open on the splendid glass court was between James
Willstrop, in the middle of a hectic spell, and Olli Tuominen,
playing his first tournament since the Mamut English Open in August where
he beat David Palmer.
Willstrop has been in excellent form with wins over Thierry Lincou and Amr
Shabana, and he he looked very sharp beating Ong Beng Hee yesterday.
Tuominen had to battle hard to beat Mansoor Zaman in the fifth, for a long
time looking more likely to lose than win.
Willstrop began as he had done against Ong, playing a longer game than
usual, but with consummate control. Tuominen, moving well and hitting
cleanly, stayed with it until the later stages when Willstrop’s accuracy
induced errors.
The pattern was maintained in the second and once again Willstrop broke
away, only earlier this time. The third was quickly over with as the third
seed opened up more and raced clear to win as he liked.
It was a disciplined and impressive performance by Willstrop to put aside
Tuominen, who more than once has shown he can beat the best.
Amr Shabana beat Willstrop 3/1 in the semi-finals in St Louis, the result
was reversed in Manchester. Should Shabana make tomorrow’s semi-final the
large and appreciative Hungarian crowd may well see a match to remember.
No joy
for Abbas
[5] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
bt Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
11/7, 11/5, 11/9 (57m)
What Mohammed Abbas needed most of
all in his match with Gregory Gaultier was a quick start and an
early lead. Without that it was easy to imagine that he would become
dispirited.
But it was the Frenchman, maybe not aesthetic but effective in the
extreme, who soon led 7/1. Gaultier changes pace well and does not give
much away, neither of which appealed to Abbas. Nevertheless he did well to
get back to 6/7, beginning to play as he can, before Gaultier settled
matters to take a 1-0 lead.
The pattern of the next two games did not vary from the first as Gaultier
always had control of matters and Abbas was unable to establish himself
sufficiently for him or anyone else to believe he could win.
3/0 to the Frenchman and a likely semi-final with Peter Nicol – entente
cordiale!
Of the four quarter-finals this was
probably the one promising most. Amr Shabana has been in great
form, winning in St Louis, Karim Darwish less so, playing in
subdued fashion in Manchester. But the former world junior champion began
well and aided by errors from Shabana reached 10/6 in the first, which
reflected the play.
Shabana then staged a skilful recovery to take the game to a tiebreak, but
was unable to clinch it, losing 13/11.
Darwish was unable to capitalise on his lead as Shabana raced to a 10/2
lead in the second, winning on his first game ball. The two Egyptians are
both skilful players, easy on the eye, and although Darwish made errors in
the second there was still plenty to admire about the play.
Shabana continued on the ascendant, and although there was much resistance
from Darwish Shabana now appeared to have control, not only of the game
but of the match, as he led 2/1.
Darwish was by no means finished though, and the match continued to please
the crowd as both players attacked at every opportunity. He led 10/8, but
in the first could not clinch it and Shabana held together in style to win
the match on the tiebreak, 12/10.
The final match of the evening was all
English, qualifier Daryl Selby, who had the best win of his
professional career against Shahid Zaman in the first round, now facing
the world’s best player of the last eight years, Peter Nicol. With
wins in the Mamut English Open and at the World Games, Nicol’s form allows
him to claim to be one of the form players of the moment.
Selby found the real world difficult in the first game and failed to
score, but encouraged by his first point he put up a show in the second
and got to 9-all before losing it 11/9.
However Nicol was in no mood to humour the Hungarian crowd, who enjoyed
Selby’s second game performance, and he crushed Selby 11/0 in the third to
set up a semi-final with Gaultier.
No
joy for Pakistanis
in Budapest ... Malcolm
Willstrop reports from Budapest on the Hungarian Open first round
Willstrop beats Bengy
[3] James Willstrop (Eng) bt
Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
11/4 11/6 10/11 11/5 (44m)
James Willstrop, after some top class
performances of late, began in great style against Ong Beng Hee.
Moving sharply, using a wide variety of attack he quickly
established a 2-0 lead.
It was almost a surprise that Ong got back into the match in the
third, since he had been totally outplayed for two games. Taking a
long lead he finally won the game on a tie-break and from there held
Willstrop to five-all in the fourth. At this point he served out,
made some unforced errors and suddenly it was all over 11/5.
What happens to Willstrop for the rest of the championship may
depend, like Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish, on how they have
recovered from their considerable exertions in Manchester last
weekend. John White may have already paid the price.
Abbas waltzes past White
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bt [4]
John White (Sco)
11/9, 10/11, 11/2, 11/4 (45m)
Mohammed Abbas has never been short on
talent and it’s something of a mystery why he hasn’t achieved more
than he has. He took an easy lead in the first game, lost it at 9/7
but served for the game at 10/9 and won it to give himself a chance.
White is striking the ball as well as ever, his confidence is still
intact and although he has made a slow start to the season, the
feeling is that winning may be round the corner.
He began the second like a house on fire, hitting the ball with
controlled abandon – it that’s not a contradiction: controlled
racket, abandon in the mind.
Errors allowed Abbas back from 2/8 to 7/8. White re-asserted, but
needed a tie-break to win a game he should have taken more easily.
Abbas, picking up from his recovery in the second, began the third
well, and with White suddenly and surprisingly out of rhythm it was
the Egyptian who broke cleart in the third, stayed ahead and won it
easily for a 2-1 lead.
Abbas will always be dangerous with a lead and White, looking ill at
ease physically and mentally, offered little resistance in the
fourth as he surrendered 3/1.
Abbas will meet Gaultier in the quarter-finals.
Tuominen takes out Zaman
[7] Olli Tuominen (Fin) bt
Mansoor Zaman (Pak)
11/10, 6/11, 9/11, 11/5, 11/9
Olli Tuominen, fortified by his
excellent win over David Palmer in the Mamut English Open, and
looking hard-shaven, which might have frightened Zaman, began slowly
as is best against the Pakistani, but had game balls against at 10/8
before recovering well to win the first 12/10.
Zaman though, began brilliantly in the second, established a 5-0
lead and although the Finn came back to 6/10, Zaman ended the game
with a forehand crosscourt nick … one all.
He continued to play some outstanding shots interspersed with the
odd error, which helped Tuominen to nine-all, but at 10/9 Zaman had
the first game ball. Uncharacteristically Tuominen tinned the return
of serve and Zaman led 2/1, deservedly. He continued to play some
wonderful attacks to 5-all, but capitulated to lose the game 11/5.
Another five setter. Zaman’s flair or Tuominen’s persistence? In the
event Tuominen prevailed on his third match ball when the Pakistani
tinned a winning chance. Tuominen will be relieved to have won,
since Zaman certainly played enough brilliant shots to have won the
match.
Daryl Selby and Renan Lavigne
both went the full distance to qualify, though Selby will be pleased
enough to have beaten Scott Handley, but Davide Bianchetti and Joey
Barrington won easily to reach the first round.
Selby’s reward was to be first on against Shahid Zaman.
Sporting a beard, presumably designed to harden the image, Selby
fell behind early in the first, but was soon in contention against
his higher-ranked opponent. Although losing the first 11/8 Selby was
looking by no means out of his depth. The second continued all
attack with the burly Pakistani holding a slight edge to win 11/9.
The Essex player, now full-time after completing his university
course, sustained his game, and got ahead as the suspect fitness of
Zaman began to show and won the third well, 11/6, and the outcome
was now in serious doubt. Taking the fourth 11/3, as the unfit Zaman
faltered physically, the match was now entirely in Selby’s hands.
Hardly imaginable that Sellby would not win , and so he did 11/2 as
the Pakistani offered feeble resistance.
Gregory
Gaultier enjoys playing at pace and he was soon imposing himself
on qualifier Davide Bianchetti. But the Italian number one held
together well until 7-all, when Gaultier went to 10/7 before winning
the game 11/8 on a Bianchetti error.
The Frenchman maintained a stranglehold on the match as he cleared
away easily to win the second 11/4 and at this point it was hard to
see how Bianchetti could come back. Racing away, Gaultier won the
third 11/2 and he will face the winner of John White and Mohammed
Abbas in the quarter final.
Joey Barrington probably wasn’t
the most popular person in Budapest when he put out Mark Krajcsak,
the National Champion, in the final qualifying round. But he could
live with that, I am sure, to have the chance to play the great
Peter Nicol in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd on the
splendid championship court.
He
also started very well and went into a 7-0 lead, but Nicol has not
achieved what he has for no reason and reeling Barrington in
ruthlessly he went to 7-all, then 10-7, and won it on his first game
ball.
The crowd, eager to support the underdog – I thought that was an
English trait – offered rather subdued applause at the end of the
game: they should have been acknowledging a recovery from 0-7 to
11-7, not easy against anyone.
From then on it was Nicol all the way, moving well, enjoying himself
as he coasted 3/0. He now plays Daryl Selby, who did so well to beat
Shahid Zaman earlier today. Selby will love the experience (and the
points!); Nicol will be happy enough to play another young English
pretender.
Willstrop in Budapest Malcolm
previews the Hungarian Open
Peter
Nicol heads the draw for the Hungarian Open, with the St Louis winner,
Amr Shabana, at two.
Shabana, James Willstrop, John White and Karim Darwish come straight from
the demanding Gerrard Grand Prix - four matches in four nights - Nicol
from the more relaxed European Club Championships in Paderborn. Another
main contender, Gregory Gaultier, was in Paderborn but didn't play, and
the more than competent Olli Tuominen also arrives fresh.
There are no guarantees these days, but the prospective quarter-final
line-up is:
Nicol v Shahid Zaman, White v Gaultier
Willstrop v Tuominen, Shabana v Darwish
Should these matches materialise, Nicol won't be unhappy to play Zaman,
who looks bigger than ever; White, not yet in top form, and Gaultier would
be interesting, as would an Egyptian derby, Darwish v Shabana. Willstrop
played well in Manchester, but Tuominen is no pushover as he showed when
beating David Palmer at The Crucible.
The glass court, the creation of Jeno Marky, the club owner and tournament
director, looks magnificent, though in the daytime the ball looks
difficult to see.
The final qualifiers are played tonight: local hero and National Champion,
Mark Krajcsak, takes on Joey Barrington and the all-English clash between
Scott Handley and Daryl Selby is of considerable interest. Renan Lavigne
and Davide Bianchetti should prevail against Luca Mastrostefano and
Andreas Fuchs.
The four qualifiers have Nicol, Zaman, Gaultier and Shabana as opponents
which will not fill them with optimism, though Zaman is by far the most
vulnerable of the four.
Budapest is a thriving and vibrant capital city and on the drive from the
airport to the hotel a view of the Parliament building and the Royal
Palace from a bridge crossing the Danube was spectacular indeed.
If
ever a championship deserved a classic final this was it, and happily for
all concerned it got one.
As
he does Shabana began quickly, led 5-1 disrupting Gaultier, but from 5-1
down the Frenchman found some rhythm and at 7-6 led for the first time.
Suddenly Shabana became more insecure and Gaultier ran away with the game
11/6.
Watching
alongside James, we were marvelling at the sheer quality of it all and
neither of us was able to name a winner.
"The
match was tough… We were both very tired, but I did all I could… He
took the ascendancy in the fifth when we were 4/4…
Willstrop
began the crucial third game well, but once again Shabana evened things
out and won the game 11/8 to take a decisive lead, the quality remaining
at the highest world level as both players played hardly a loose shot and
attacked at every opportunity.
Although
things improved for him in the second, he couldn’t make any real headway
against Gaultier, who likes to dominate. Gaultier took the second 11/5 and
with Nicol still not fully settled it was hard to imagine him losing from
2-0 up.
Gregory
Gaultier enjoys playing at pace and he was soon imposing himself
on qualifier Davide Bianchetti. But the Italian number one held
together well until 7-all, when Gaultier went to 10/7 before winning
the game 11/8 on a Bianchetti error.
He
also started very well and went into a 7-0 lead, but Nicol has not
achieved what he has for no reason and reeling Barrington in
ruthlessly he went to 7-all, then 10-7, and won it on his first game
ball.
"I
felt pretty sharp in the first two, but Beng Hee, who trains with me
often, played well in the third and deserved to win it. 
"I
didn’t feel too happy with my game, but I haven’t had a match since
The Crucible and may have needed it. He played some great shots as
well."
"I’m
well pleased with that as it gives my points average a massive
boost. 
