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MATCH SCHEDULE Monday 26th September 6.00pm 7/8 Play-off 7.00pm 5/6 Play-off 8.00pm 3/4 Play-off 9.00pm Final

SUNDAY FARE ...

As usual in such as the Canary Wharf Classic and the Gerrard’s as play moves into the last stage of the round robin permutations are endless.

Thierry Lincou and Nick Matthew are in pole position, but if Lincou loses to Amr Shabana and Matthew to Anthony Ricketts, they will not head their groups, since countback is on head to heads.

John White and Karim Darwish are winless and they will finish bottom unless they win today.

Lee Beachill and James Willstrop are likely to be fighting out second and third position, and Willstrop will be feeling hardest done by, since he just lost to Lincou and beat the in-form Shabana.

The good thing for spectators is that there is all to play for, as well as considerable prize money differentials.

Manchester always provides, through the capable offices of Jim Quigley, a marvellous setting and the Gerrard’s event is testimony to that. Add Paul Walters’ professionalism and desire to promote the sport and the Gerrard is already a special event and one which everyone will hope will continue.

No-one will be disappointed with that. Don’t talk to me about the ailing football. Get to Sport City!

First match on was between James Willstrop, well in contention after his win over Amr Shabana and John White, seeking his first win.

These two toured Canada together to do four exhibitions and whenever they meet competitively they rarely fail to entertain. Their classic at last year’s Mamut English Open is a match that those who saw it won’t forget easily.

Willstrop, looking tentative, started slowly as White led 5-0 and won the first game without over-exerting himself.

But there was quite a lot at stake for the younger man and warming to the task he began to get involved.

White is the ultimate entertainer and there were some lovely touches of humour and dynamic rallies, which left the crowd well pleased. Gradually Willstrop pulled away to win 3-1.

With two wins the outcome of his group depends on the match between Shabana and Lincou. They could all finish with two wins and then it will be on countback.

Nick Matthew v Anthony Ricketts

There was much to play for as these two set out in their quest for a final spot in the Gerrard Grand Prix. A win for the in form Yorkshireman was a guarantee, and a win for Ricketts would put him back in contention.

Both are strong and neither gives much away, so the squash was certain to be physical, tight and unrelenting and it was hard to imagine anyone winning easily.

Ricketts had won controversially in the fifth in Pakistan and came to Manchester on the back of a final in St Louis, with little recovery time. Matthew was not in America and I hate being complacent, but in my preview I did say that freshness would be a factor.

Not only is Matthew fresher, he is in the form of his life. He won the first, lost the second and led 2-1, all games well contested and demanding. He always looked to have an edge in the later stages and reached the final in style 3-1.

Ricketts played hard, was good-natured, perhaps realising deep down, but not necessarily accepting, that his task was uphill.

Matthew will be thrilled to have confirmed the outstanding form he showed at the Crucible.

Amr Shabana v James Willstrop

I doubt if Amr Shabana or James Willstrop woke up on Saturday morning fancying playing each other at 11am. - not many professionals of their standing ever do such a thing – and since they both like to attack, the prospect will have seemed even less attractive.

Shabana looked well out of sorts in the first, as Willstrop settled the quicker and having got well in arrears he let the game go.

The danger is in these situations that even the leader has not begun to play and it was the youngster’s turn to look ill at ease in the second.

At one all the match could have been all over in a flash had things continued in the same vein.

But the third was a classic: both now more settled, both attacking and returning as they can, the squash was a marvel, and Willstrop having led 6-4 and been behind 6-8 won it on a tiebreak, that great addition to the modern game.

The fourth was good, too, but Willstrop always had a slight edge and he took the match 3-1 to put himself back in contention.

Shabana will realise that winning in St Louis has a price to pay and Willstrop will realise that even after a semi in St Louis and little time to recover, his resolution at these elevated levels is good enough.
  

The eight invited players look such an appetising collection that with four matches each day, entertainment of a high order seems guaranteed.

World no 1 and World Champion Thierry Lincou and James Willstrop haven’t played that often, so it was strange that first on, they were playing for the second time this week. Willstrop had won what sounded like a high quality match 3-2 in St Louis, but in truth although it was 3-2 again, this time to the Frenchman, the match, the match in Manchester never reached the heights, both players struggling for consistency.

Lincou won the first, Willstrop won the second, but made a poor start in the third, quickly falling behind, losing it 11/5. It was the World no 1 who started badly in the fourth and Willstrop was always well ahead to level it up.

It was now anybody’s guess who would prevail, but Lincou got the start he needed and without ever looking convincing he won the 5th. He may need to play better than he did tonight to – for both players, the heavy involvement in St Louis did not leave them with much recovery time and perhaps it was that that prevented the match reaching expectations.

Nick Matthew and Karim Darwish were not in St Louis, so came to Manchester with every chance of being the freshest players on view. Not only that Matthew arrived with his successes at English Open fresh in everyone’s mind including his own.

It was Darwish who won a well contested first game 11-8, but he failed to capitalise in the second as the Yorkshireman raced into an early lead, stayed there and won it easily.

Another close game in the third saw Matthew miss an easy drop which levelled the game at 9 all. At 10-9 it was Darwish’s turn to tin a backhand volley, and Matthew led 2/1. He is a tough, resolute performer these days and always looked too determined and positive for Darwish, who seems sometimes not to quite measure up to his obvious talent.

Amr Shabana arrived in Manchester after his splendid performance in St Louis, no doubt confident after his success, but hardly having had time to recover his breath.

Since his move to America, John White had hardly set the world on fire, in Sheffield and St Louis, but he can be a danger at any time and more than once has produced form when least expected.

The Egyptian drew first blood when he won the first game 11/9 and quickly went clear in the second with an array of shots which caused the crowd to gasp with amazement. White recovered to 5-8 but Shabana, looking surprisingly fresh, won the game 11-6 wrongfooting White on game ball with a low cross court.

White wasn’t going to lie down, however, and took a 6-3 lead, which became 8-5, and eventually 11-9 as he entertained the crowd not only with his play, but his droll humour.

2/1, then, to the Egyptian. Would his St Louis exertions begin to tell? A good start took him to 5-0 as he fired in a series of winners; soon clear as he left White powerless 11-2, another impressive performance by the in form, gifted Shabana.

Lee Beachill v Anthony Ricketts

Having taken a calculated rest in July and up to the Mamut English Open, Lee Beachill has not been thinking about his loss from 2-0 up to Nick Matthew in Sheffield or his wayward performance in St Louis.

But at the Gerrard’s last night in Manchester he stopped the rot with a convincing win over Anthony Ricketts, a player he has never found easy to beat, not that anyone does.

Starting slowly Beachill soon went behind 5-0 in the first, Ricketts anxious no doubt to begin well after his final in America which left him with little recovery time.

The Yorkshireman then got into his rhythm and ended up sneaking a 1-0 lead. Although Ricketts won the second, getting forward more, Beachill, gathering confidence and momentum, began to look like his old self and took a 2-1 lead as Ricketts' St Louis exertions took their toll. The fourth was quick, as the World no 2 added deadly finishing to his accuracy.

He will be encouraged by the win and the manner of it and his next match against Nick Matthew will have the added interest of possible revenge

Malcolm Willstrop