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Draw & Results
  
Round TWO
Round ONE
Qualifying
 
Previews

AND AGAIN…
Framboise reports

I don’t see why I should spend time writing another article about this match really, I should just make a copy paste of yesterday’s report on Thierry’s match with Karim, because talk about choking… In the 39 PSA finals David Palmer played, he never lost from 2 love up. Never.

And God knows Dave started superbly in the first, playing as tight as it’s possible, drives glued to the walls, forcing Thierry to mis-hit a few times. And if in the second, the Frenchman came back from 9/6 to 10/10, he still made far too many errors (five unforced errors just in that second game) and found himself 2/0 down after only 30 odd minutes.

Oups, I thought. Doesn’t look good on live TV.

And Dave was still moving so fast, anticipating his opponent’s shots as well as he did the day before against Lee: before Thierry had only just touched the ball, the Australian was already there, ready to volley drop. Amazing stuff.

But suddenly, Thierry changed his game, started to scotch David to the back of the court by some stunning drives, found more depth in his crosscourts to prevent the Australian to cut off and nick the shots, and mixed his defence between counterdropping and lobbing beautifully, Nicol-style…

After the Frenchman took the third quite easily, David regrouped and shot to 5/0 in the fourth. Surely we all thought, surely this is the end, well, Thierry gave it a go, honour is saved, bla bla bla… But that’s where it all went wrong: from 8/5, David tinned a few balls, the Frenchman found some extra pace, extra energy, and on a powerful last backhand kill, against all odds, equalized two games all…

The spectators went berserk… They couldn’t believe it. And to tell you the truth, neither could I.

But the fifth was even more dramatic. 1/1. 2/2. 3/3. 4/4. Then, leading 5/4, in frustration after a very long and disputed rally that ended in yet another tin, David threw his racquet in the air, with the firm intention of having it land in his hands, when the blasted thing slipped, and flew all the way out of the glass court…

Conduct stroke, 7/4…

The Australian digs in, gets one point back, two points back, and equalises 7/7…

And tins once. And twice. A backhand drop shot nick for Thierry. Match ball to the French. Another glued to the wall forehand drive saves it, but a return of serve in the tin loses it.

Thierry Lincou is happy. David Palmer is stunned.
And so are we…

"There's always a chance when you're 2-0 down, but against someone like David it's only a small one. I just had to concentrate, play each point as best as I could and try to take my opportunities. "I had to try to get the ball past him, slow it down and use my lobs, otherwise he would volley everything. He was killing me in the first two games. "As the match went on, I was moving better and better, my movement was more fluid, and I started to read his game better and better… "I know that David's record is very high when it comes to winning from 2/0 up, and from memory, I cannot recall ever winning against him after being 2/0 down, so I knew it was going to be hard, but I wanted to give a good show to the spectators, to the TV. Losing, yes. 3/0, no. So I just tried to stay in the match… Big satisfaction, very very big satisfaction to have been able to dig in my resources to find both physical and mental strength, and to have been able to claw back, point by point. I’m also glad I was lucid enough to change my game when I realised that what I was doing was not working… And I’m glad I’ve found my motivation back, my envy to win… "I’m happy…"

TYPICAL LINCOU…
Framboise reports from Liverpool

Some people are not impressed with Thierry Lincou’s game. He doesn’t attack like Shabana, he doesn’t hit like John White, and he doesn’t retrieve like Peter Nicol. And they sometimes wonder why he keeps on winning…

He grinds them down, that's what the Titi Tight as Shabana calls him does. And even when all seems lost, when it seems that it’s shower time, he digs in, and mentally dismantles his opponent.

And it’s true that he wasn’t able to do that for a few months, since the end of the year really, because he was drained, both mentally and physically, and he had to find his motivation again. He needed to be hungry again. He needed to not to want to lose again.

He was playing the man in form, Mr Karim Darwish, who never beat him yet, but was all ready to amend that record… Thierry started strongly, imposing his length and tight shots to push the Egyptian to the back on a regular basis. But after losing the first game, Karim settled into the match, didn’t make an error in the second game, placing some staggering forehand drop shots and surprising the Frenchman more than once with his backhand boast at the front of the court.

And it seemed that today was going to be the day for the Egyptian, as he was comfortably in the lead 6/0 then 9/3  in the third when the Frenchman decided that playing squash again could be an option, and started applying the grinding wheel, coming back to force a tie-break, and taking the game in 19 long minutes on his first game ball.

The steam roller had passed by, and Karim never recovered. Keeping on thinking of what might have been, he let the fourth escape from him, making unforced error upon unforced error, losing his eighth encounter to the former number one in exactly an hour.

As James Willstrop stated quite rightly a few months back “squash is such a mental game it’s a joke”. Karim stopped believing he could win the match. And he lost it… He knows he had the Frenchman in the palm of his hand, and let him fly away…

"Karim has improved a lot during these past six months, and he got some very good scalps, he reached the semis in Canary Wharf, in the ToC, and he has shown he is able to beat any of us. And even if the record was in my favour, I knew it was going to be a very tough match, and I was ready to give him a good battle, although I knew that I was not at my best physically, as I had two brutal matches the two previous days. "It was a mental battle, I was trying to stay in the rallies, and although I didn’t felt that great physically, I tried to stick to my strength, tight squash, and I think I played some good shots. When I got tired, I changed my game plan, and tried to stay away from his forehand, he is so good there… "I played some nice shots at the right time, I was lucky today…

A FEW ERRORS TOO MANY
FOR LEE ...

Oh boy that one started close, I tell you. Lee Beachill, who’s got nothing to do outside the top 10, that’s for sure, was up for it, and had the open intention to win the first ever Liverpool 08. David Palmer, rested after the mad schedule of these past weeks, had also decided to make his mark on the match, and after his victory against Lee in their last encounter in the Commonwealth Games, had the confidence on his side.

3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8. Needless to say that the first game was close… But within the next three points, Lee made two unforced errors. In 17 minutes, Dave had one game in his bag.

Very quickly though, Lee reset the clock, and David seemed like a fish out of water, seeing the ball passing by him, unable to react to the winning shots of the Pontefract Star. The rallies were very short and punishing, like Shabana’s kind of play, and at that point of the match, Lee seemed a likely winner.

But it all changed yet again, and with perfect length, great mixing of his shots, an excellent movement on the ball, and some exquisite volleys, David had Lee on the run, 6/3 then 9/5, to end 11/7.

And again in the fourth, David took a very good start, and was always 3 or 4 points ahead, which is a nice cushion to relax and attack. Lee was just on the back foot too many times, unable to position himself at the front to adjust his shots, and although he saved two match balls, it’s David that walked off that court the winner, live on Sky Sports TV (an English Satellite channel), and who will be meeting with Frenchman Thierry Lincou for the first time since last year's semis in Qatar…

"I like to play fast when I play against Lee, because a slow pace suits him, so maybe in the second, I got a bit burn out. But John [White] was good, he told me that it didn’t matter, that I had to slow down the pace, but not too much, and that I would be fine… "Lee and I always have very tough battles, and normally, I win one, and then he wins one… It’s only for the past couple of matches that I’ve succeeded to win two on the trot. "I was happy with the way I played, but maybe what made the difference is that a few months ago, at the important points, Lee would hit a winner, whereas at the crucial times today, he made a few unforced errors. And obviously I was pushing hard, but I was trying not to get carried away when I was up 2/3 points away, because sometimes, I could feel that hitting a good length and being tight would be enough. "Lee seemed keener this week, and he shouldn’t be world 11, there's no question about that, he should be top five at least, and he always plays extremely well in England, and he came here to win the tournament, so a victory here against him means a lot to me… "Having home support in Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games made a big difference. Lee had that here, obviously, so I just had to put that out of my mind. "For me the cool down is as important as the warmup. I'll go back to the hotel, get on a bike, prepare myself for the final. 24 hours isn't very long really. "The venue is really good. It's the first time I've been to Liverpool, but it's a lovely building, it should come across well on the television. "I came here with nothing to lose, there's one more event next week, the Super Series Finals, then it's back to Australia for two months."

NOT GOOD FOR THE KID ...

It was a very close match, that one was. As they know each other’s game by heart, they weren’t giving the other any chance or opportunity to attack. Tight drives, precise length, volley drops, redrops, lobs, long, very long rallies, and very few winning shots, just a lot of unforced errors as both were forced to hit their attacks out of position.

Thierry seemed to have the upper hand on the match, leading 2/1, and having dropped only three points in the third, and we were just starting the fourth when Greg caught Thierry’s heel on his way to the ball.

At first it didn’t look that bad, but immediately, the pain on Greg’s face was obvious. Thierry understood immediately that it was not just a little fall, and went straight to his mate.

After being taken out of the court, Greg was offered some ice and a physio was called. But after a few minutes, it became obvious that he would not be able to resume the match.

Destroyed, the Kid headed back to the hotel. His compatriot is through, but with a bitter taste in his mouth…
 

IMPERIAL KARIM

I’m seen a lot of Karim in the past few months, but I must say he never impressed me as much as he did today. The Egyptian is really coming to fruition, and whatever he is doing at the moment, he should stick at it, because my GOD it’s working… His fitness is not in doubt like it was 18 months ago, and his shots are as splendid as ever. Add to that a perfect drive technique, great hold, and you’ve got one more lethal Egyptian on the Tour…

After a very close first game where there was absolutely nothing between those two champions, Karim was dispatching and controlling every rally of the second, forcing James to tin ball after ball, dropping only three points in the second game.

After being on the back foot during that last game, James found some energy to step up the court in the third, and for a while we thought that he was going to catch up and threaten the Egyptian, but after leading quite comfortably 7/3, he just didn’t have any gas left in the tank, and couldn’t stop his opponent from clawing back and finally taking the third game and match…

"I really didn’t want to lose this match, because every time I’ve played James for the past two years, I’ve been struggling and I only beat him once. So I was very focused today… "Today, I tried to move James around, tried and make him run, to twist and turn him, as he doesn’t like that, he likes to play in straight lines… "I feel that I was controlling the match, I felt confident, and the work I’ve been doing on my fitness and my strength is really paying off now. Before, I would just play and hope to win, whereas now, I can stand on court and try and win every match… "Now I can at last say that I’m happy with my performance. and this is one of the best performances of my career." Karim Darwish

DAVID SO FOCUSED…

This man is such a perfectionist David is, you know. Whoever he’s been playing this week, he gave him the respect you would expect in the semi or a final…

And it paid off, because both, Ramy who he played in the previous round, and Olli, who got John White’s scalp under his belt this week, were potentia dangers to the Marine of Squash….

And Olli yet again didn’t come on court to go through the motions tonight, I tell you, he hit, and he ran, and he counter dropped beautifully, and he put the pressure on David who several times found himself attacking a bit too soon to try and shake the Finn away…

Olli should have taken the second really, if he wanted to have any chances, as his victory yesterday against Whitey took a lot out of him, both mentally and physically. And he nearly pulled if off, as he slowly worked his way back in the game, coming back from 7/3 to 8/8, 9/9, 10/10, 11/11, 12/12, only to lose the game on a stroke…

But tonight, David served us with several astonishing drives that were literally glued to the wall, and died peacefully on the backwall. Irretrievable. And so frustrating for his opponent.

Moving well, the Australian gave it a last push at 7/7 in the third , and his “COME ON” on match ball showed how much he wanted this victory….

Once again, it’s all credit to Olli’s obstinate energy and determination, a three-set victory yes, an easy one, Good Lord no.

"I’ve worked a lot on volleying my backhand and dropping it back in the left front corner, but I didn’t use it enough! I lost the first two games too quickly, and I didn’t tire him enough… I guess I was less pumped up today than I was yesterday, mentally maybe. I’m disappointed to lose yet again in the quarters, although I’m reaching my ranking, and the points are getting are above my average, but it would have been nice to get a step further, I’m getting old..! (well not yet but…)" Olli Tuominen

NICK FLAT, LEE ON FIRE…

This was a great performance from Lee who just didn’t let his young opponent breathe. And although Nick was trying very hard to get back into the match, stepping both up the court and the pace in the second and third, the Sheffield Golden Boy just didn’t have enough left in the legs/brain/heart to compete today with a Lee just focused, precise, lethal and in a hurry to get to the semis…

Day Two at St George's

Day two at St George's Hall saw the quarter-finalists decided, and just one upset as Finland's Olli Tuominen took out sixth seed John White.   (Quick reports in Italic by Steve Cubbins)

Draw & Results

Round ONE

Qualifying Reports

Event Previews

KARIM, A BIT SLOW TO START…

Our Karim is not that mad about starting at 12, he confessed, and it was obvious that he was not that fired up at the start.

On the contrary, Peter was very focused, strong length but more interestingly, sharp at the front, which I was quite pleased to see, as he sometimes have a bit of a tendency to be on the defense more than on the attack.

But after a very disputed first game, Peter seemed to have a little drop in energy, and his shots became too loose to put any pressure on the Egyptian who gradually imposed his lethal grinding onto the Englishman who became more and more frustrated as his shots found the tin far too many times….

"I was a bit slow in the first game, I’m not used to playing that early in the day. Peter plays some great shots and a very solid game, so I had to be alert and fast, and to start with I wasn’t… "In the second, my confidence grew, and the fact that maybe Peter had a bit of a loss of energy after the first helped as well… "I think that my game has improved because I’m working harder, much harder on my fitness. I think I’ve got the shots, but to be able to compete with the boys up there, I need to be much stronger, I need to be faster…" Karim Darwish

GREG IN CONTROL

The young Frenchman, who I nicknamed the Kid, played a very solid game against Australian Stewart Boswell.

The rallies were veeeerry, long (the whole match went over an hour for only three games) and very intense all the way through. Greg was more positive from the start than I’ve seen him play his last few matches. He was still very patient and tight, but his shots had more weight on, and he was at the front for the first two games, and it’s only it the third that Bozza speeded up the pace, took the initiative, forced Greg to defend.

But at 5/5, the work that the Frenchman had imposed on his opponent all through the match paid off, and Stewart made a few unforced errors that sealed his fate…

"I played fast today, I was feeling good physically. We had a few rallies very disputed and in the 3rd, I gave it a last push, there again, we had another though rally, he seemed a bit tired, whereas I felt good…. "I moved well, I was hitting well, and when I feel like that, I’m confident, and I play well. So happy to win a good match like this one in three…" Gregory Gaultier

NOT YOUR USUAL JAMES

This was a bit of an usual match for me, as this was the first time ever I personally saw James having a word during the match with another player, asking him to allow him access to the ball.

Shahid, who has lost a lot of weight and is much more fit than he was a few months ago, was still a bit slow to move out of the way, but his shots were very tight indeed as they always are. He was not happy with a few calls, and glanced heavily at the ref several times….

Once again a very close match, James finding a way to prevent Shahid from shooting his famous winners, but Shahid as dangerous as ever. And if like the Pakistani told me, he is really determined to work on his fitness, he could become a real threat to all on the tour…

BENGY ON FIRE

Oh my word, is Beng Hee back in town or what! It was a pure pleasure to see the Malaysian dispatching his shots from the four corners, drop shots, volley drop shots, lethal volley boasts that die millimeters from the tin, flicks, sliding the ball from one side to the next, not to mention his famous crosscourt lobs.

The Frenchman didn’t know where to twist and turn and defend and chase to start with, but as is often the case, he eventually found the right balance between trying to fight a “front of the court” battle and sending his rejuvenated opponent to the back.

Thierry was able to limit the damage to a four setter, as he will need all the energy he can put in his racquet, as he is playing next the Kid, his team mate Greg Gaultier. But like he said, “better get used to it, as this is going to happen more and more”.

Oh yes, that’s comforting for me, that’s for sure….!

"When Bengy plays against me, he seems liberated, relaxed, and he’s got nothing to lose.. This year was a good year for him, he got a few scalps, and got his confidence back… "I don’t think I played too badly, he was just awesome. It was a good, strong, disputed and balanced match, much more than our last encounter was in Qatar, where I beat him 3/0 rather easily… "Today, he was confident, he is also very fit, but maybe what made the difference today was in the head, you know, he made two unforced errors at the crucial time whereas he hardly made any the whole match… I hope this won’t take too much energy out of me, but it’s so good for the confidence to win such a close and good match. For tomorrow, it’s a bit like the English who find themselves playing each other’s all the time. Now that Greg is top 8, we’ll have to play each other on a regular basis, and he’s got to be in my eyes not only a French friend, but also an excellent top ten player. The situation will happen more and more, and shouldn’t be any more exceptional or have anymore meaning that this…" Thierry Lincou

RAMY DISAPPOINTING….
AND DISAPPOINTED

A lot of people were expecting squash fireworks between David Palmer and young Egyptian marvel Ramy Ashour, one of the nicest most talented polite and respectful young player I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

But as is often the case, Ramy also was expecting a lot of himself, and he was not able to “relax and enjoy the ride”. Against a David perfectly prepared and very focused, the World Junior Champion played like…. well, a junior in fact, not building up the rallies, going for shots too soon.

It was a match that the Australian will be happy to have dominated from start to finish, and one that Ramy will be glad to forget…

"I had never played him or seen him play, but I heard a lot about him, and I really pumped myself up for that one. I spoke with a few of the boys, they told me how well he moves, and that he have very good shots, so I gave him all the respect he deserved in my preparation. I knew he was going to be sharp from the start, and made sure I was well warmed up…. "All the Egyptians players are playing so well at the moment, and whatever their age or level, they’ve got so much confidence and self belief, they really believe they can win, and it makes them very dangerous. "I’m pretty happy with the way I played. I think I was able to keep him under control, apart from a few points in the third." David Palmer

Matthew uses up more lives ...

Nick Matthew admitted that he's "used up a few lives" after beating fellow-Englishman Adrian Grant in four.

After surviving against Davide Bianchetti last night, Matthew looked in control in the early part of tonight's match, aided by unforced errors from Grant. But Grant fought back, played extremely well to take the third and lost out in a tight finish to the fourth.

"I feel like a cat that has been using at least 3 or 4 lives this week, don’t have many left… "But although today was still a very hard game, it felt more natural than yesterday. Yesterday, I couldn’t find the balance, I was forcing it, getting three rallies right, then switching off the next ones… "Today I felt much more settled, but still I switched off in the 3rd. I think that maybe I had the feeling that I weathered the storm (the first rallies were awesome, so hard, Adrian played so well), and after wining the second, I relaxed a bit, and he was in there in a shot. "It’s not nice to finish on a bad call like that, that no let was really a harsh call, I know how it feels, I had a few ones in my career like that, but I was still quite pleased not to have to play a 5th one, because you know that everything is possible. "Because of last week in Vienna, Adrian had a point to make, and I knew this was going to be a tough game. But I think that if he takes the experience of what happens, and handles it the right way, he will get stronger out of it, and if he goes on playing like he did today, he is not far away…. "Today, maybe Adrian was not patient enough, and did attack for the wrong position, instead of building up the rallies. That’s a bit what I did yesterday. Today, I played better, and hopefully, tomorrow, I’ll have found my game and pace again…" Nick Matthew

Alex up for it

After taking a beating from Beachill in the Commonwealth Games, Alex Gough made Lee Beachill work to gain another win over the Welshman tonight.

Volleying everything, Gough stretched Beachill and although the Yorkshireman always looked the likely winner it was far from easy.

Olli Tuominen caused the first upset of the tournament as he beat hard-hitting John White in three games. White, one of four former world number ones competing in the event, is renowned as the hardest hitters of the ball – with a world record 172 mph smash to his name.

But the flying Finn from Helsinki matched White shot for shot - and after 49 minutes wrapped up the shock win which takes the ninth seed into a surprise quarter-final.

On to St George's

The first round proper took place today, with eight matches at Liverpool Cricket Club and eight at the spectacular St George's Hall.

Draw & Results
 

Qualifying Reports
 

Event Previews
 

ON HIS GUARD,
THE FRENCHMAN
Framboise reports

The first time those two played, it was in Manchester for the Dunlop British Open a few months ago, and Stacey Ross really gave the then world number 1 a pretty good scare, taking a game from him, and from memory, was up 9/8 in the third (but then served out!).

All that to say that my compatriot went on court for that match as focused as if this first round was a final, gave Stacey all the respect he truly deserved. The Surrey Man is such a delight to watch, his drop shots from the back of the court make him look like a basket ball player, his movement is fluid and unique to him, and he surprises his opponents again and again. His downfall is loss of focus sometimes, but today, none of that.

So, two very concentrated players on court, and the result, a very nice match, and two very good games, Stacey attacking delicately, and Thierry picking up every ball, not giving any easy point away, and vice-versa.

Overall, Stacey will be happy with his mental grip on the match, and the Frenchman clearly stated that he is back in town, and that he is ready for the fight at the top once again…

"It could have been a tricky first round. Stacey doesn’t seem that fast, and yet, he is so quick on the ball, and also, he hides his shots very well. He gave me a good scare during the British Open, he got a game of me, so I was very focused. "This game was perfect to get used to the court, the conditions. After that long week at the Europeans, that last thing I needed was a long and intense match. I’m really happy with a 3/0, it will give me more time to rest before tomorrow’s match. "About the Europeans, we were both Greg and I happy with our performances, as we both beat players that were better ranked than us, and we were trying to sneak in a few game at 3 and 4, but unfortunately, we couldn’t… "I was pleased with my match against James, it’s always good to beat an Englishman during a Team competition…It was not what you would call a dramatic final, but still, the interest was kept until the last game of the last match, and we were still hoping for a victory. "And yes, I’m happy to be back in the top 3…" Thierry Lincou

GOOD BATTLE
Framboise reports

A very good first game between two similar style players, lots of great crosscourts and stunning drop shots, but superb retrieving from Karim who is much fitter physically that he was about 12 months ago.

Less flamboyant than other Egyptians, Karim finds his strength in a perfect balance between length and short game, and grinds his opponents down. Hisham is certainly a great hope for Egyptian squash, and when he puts his brain in the right gear and stops wandering around, he’ll be a great threat to all on the tour…

"He is so talented when he is focused, but I knew that if I could make the first game long, it could be easier later. And that’s what happened, after a very disputed first game, he lost a bit of energy and focus. "But Hisham played much better than he did in Bermuda. During the past months, he has become stronger physically, he’s got remarkable shots, like all Egyptians, and I think he’ll make a lot of progress in the next two years…" Karim Darwish

STRONG JENSON
Framboise reports

A participant of the European Championship still a bit tired from the week and travel, against a very motivated and fit Australian back in known territory, and you’ve got a good recipe for a good show…

The first game was played at a slow pace, long rallies, both players more on the “let’s see what the other is going to come up with” than “let’s attack and finish this quick” kind of mood, a close game, with the Frenchman leading 10/5 but losing two points to end up 11/7.

Advised by Aussies’ mates to “hurry up”, and “speed up the pace”, Dan was able to really threaten his opponent once he let himself relax, and from being led 10/5 game ball, clawed back, slowly but surely, and got back to 10/9 only to lose on a flamboyant backhand winner from the Frenchman.

The third game was the closest and the most spectacular of the match, Mr Jenson having found his pace, game, sharpness and focus. Greg had to really concentrate and give it a good push to prevail in three…

On a personal note, it was really good to see Dan back in the first round of a major. After a bad period, injuries, lack of success and loss of confidence, the gorgeous Aussie is back on tracks, and I’m glad.

Sue me.

"In each game, I’m ahead, but I let him come back, a bit lack of concentration, a bit the travel and the tiredness from the Europeans. But everybody is in the same situation… "As I wasn’t too sure about the strength of my legs, I played a more patient game that I normally would, I was hesitant before trying and getting him in the front, and I would only try and go for winners when I was ahead. "You’ve got to watch Dan all the time, his length is so precise, he is very dangerous, and you can never relax. So I’m happy to win in three, and not to stay on the court for too long…" Gregory Gaultier

LIAM RIGHT IN THERE
Framboise reports

I’ve seen Liam Kenny play several times, but today was his best performance as far as I’m concerned. David Palmer had a hard time just before the Commonwealth Games, as he was in bed only a few days before the competition, still re