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 14th
Dec:
COMING TO CHICHESTER…
It was about time to
cover the Southern Group B in the National Squash League,
so, just back from Pakistan, Framboise navigated to Chichester to see them
take on local rivals Lee on Solent.
CARLA KHAN,
THE INVISIBLE…
Well, I was looking forward to seeing
the lady, as I just spent a lot of time with her former coach,
Rahmat, and had never had the pleasure to meet her, or even see
her play…
But as she had traffic problems, she arrived after the presentation
(lucky woman…), and left right after the match. Next time I hope.
 But
today anyway, it was Linda’s day. And even if the tall lady was
tired and slightly jetlagged, she didn’t fail to impress.
The first game was the longest, 15 minutes. Elriani went up 7/3
quickly, thanks to a few tins from her opponent. But Carla has got
good legs (and pretty too…), she knows how to use them, and she also
has a great front court game. So she came back into the game, at
7/8. But two drop shots from Linda ended it 9/7.
In the second, Elriani was able to read most of Khan’s attacks, and
once again, led 5/1. Carla tried to claw back, but this time Linda
stayed in front, and won the game in 9 minutes, 9/4.
Same scenario in the third, Linda up 4/0, but as she relaxed a bit,
the dangerous young lady was able to slip in a few majestic strokes
to come back at 4/4, and even took the advantage for the first time
of the day, 5/4. But Elriani didn’t want to let go of anything,
slowed down the game one more time, and dominated to the end of the
game thanks to some beautiful crosscourts that left the youngster
without answers…
Linda Elriani beat Carla
Khan 9-7, 9-4, 9-5
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Chi
EN BREF
everything you
didn't think
you needed to know
about Chichester ... |
 “It
was very hard to play today, because I’ve just come back from
Malaysia. But you always want to play well for the team.
“Carla can hit some pretty awesome shots, so I slowed the game
down, even more than I would do normally. But thank God, it is a
dead court… And I was really happy to win today…”
Linda Elriani
Mini-portrait in En Bref
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Ben Garner beat Lee Drew 7-9,
9-4, 9-5, 9-4 |
 “I
didn’t play a spectacular game, I played some good, solid squash.
The court is quite bouncy, so you have to be very precise.
“I’m going to train at Christmas with Paul Carter, as usual, and
also at Lambs. Then, I’m off to Vancouver and Calgary in the new
year.”
Ben
Garner |
 “I
played very well in the first, and then…
“At
the moment, I train a lot in Pontefract, and that has been very
helpful. On the 3rd of January, I’m off to New York. ”
Lee Drew |
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A
GUTSY PERFORMANCE
 We
thought it was going to be quickly over between Tim Vail
(“VOLE”) from Chichester and Lars Harms.
9/4, 9/3 in 15 minutes, and a deadly performance from Tim. But the
Swiss had never lost yet against his opponent, and was not going
to admit defeat that quickly.
In the third, the two players were extremely close, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3,
4/4, 6/6, 7/7. The rallies were very long, very disputed, but two
tins from the Chichester coach gave the Swiss the game, in 11
minutes, 9/7.
Roughly the same pattern in the fourth, very close again, up to
5/5, but then fitness was on Lars' side, and he quickly levelled
the score, 9/5 in 6 minutes.
The last game was won on guts, as Tim was not only exhausted, but
also very “flewy”… But in front of his public, he didn’t want to
lose. 2/2. 5/5. And thanks to a tin from his opponent and several
beautiful drop shots, he grasps the last game, 9/5.
A gutsy performance, dear Tim…
Tim
Vail beat Lars Harms 9-4, 9-3, 7-9, 5-9, 9-5
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BRADLEY: ON FIRE…
Well, this will be a short report… The two first games were just a
“Festival Ball”! Poor Peter could only pick up whatever the tall
Englishman was throwing at him. Bradley went up 7/2 in the first, and
8/1 in the second…
Thank God, Genever seemed to take the measure of his opponent in the
third, and they both gave us a spectacular display of squash. The score
was so close it could have gone either way, and only a fool would have
bet on the result…
3/3, 5/5, 6/6, 8/8, 9/9, 10/10, 11/11, 12/12. Some great driving
routines, as tight as the pair of jeans on JO, drop shots from Bradley
with retrieving from hell from Peter, long rallies, high pace,
flamboyant and attacking game…
We had a great time. Well, 17 minutes of great time actually. But a miss
hit from Peter, and a crosscourt kill from Bradley, and the Tall Man was
home free, 9/5, 9/2, and 14/12 in the 3rd.
Peter
Genever lost to Bradley Ball 5-9, 2-9, 12-14 |
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Tom Richards beat Chris
Simpson
9-7, 10-8, 7-9, 9-6
“I attacked from the start. Today, I felt I could get everything
back. It was a quick match, but in fact very close. But I just love
the height of the tin, and also the scoring…”
Tom
Richards
“I didn’t do anything really wrong, but I didn’t get my length in
today. I also didn’t attack as much as I could have…”
Chris
Simpson
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Chi
EN BREF
everything you
didn't think
you needed to know
about Chichester ... |
|
 “I
guess it’s pride that helped me to come back in the fifth. I always
thrive on playing for the team. All my friends come to watch, so I
always do my best, and I enjoy playing the 9 scoring. After
Christmas, I’ll be back coaching, and I’ll also play the Edinburgh
BSPA. ”
Tim Vail |
 “I’ve
been in England since October. Well, it was a case of, at 27, did
I stop squash, or I did do it properly. Since I’ve arrived, I’ve
been playing a lot of matches, because in Switzerland, I didn’t
have any partner to practice with. And I came to realise that, to
be a great squash player, you actually have to play squash… ”
“At
the moment, my ranking is in the 70s, and my goal is to be in the
top 20 by December 2006. I’m training a lot at Lambs, with Tim
Garner, Peter Nicol, etc. ”
“Tim Vail is always very dangerous in this up to 9 scoring, as he
always starts flat out. He played good squash, good shots. My
problem is to find the balance between attacking and length. It
was the first time I've lost against Tim, but I guess the scoring
has got a little to do with it… Anyway, I’m famous for my awful
starts, I’m like an engine, it takes me a while to get warm…”
Lars
Harms |
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 “Bradley
is capable of playing at a pace hard to follow, and if you add that to a
lack of movement on my part…
“I have decided to stop my PSA career. I will still go on playing my
league matches and the BSPA though, but mainly in England. I find squash
at a professional level difficult, it’s quite brutal, as you are totally
exposed. I was never able to just “play squash” and cut out the rest.
When I was happy, I would play better than when I would feel sad. I just
couldn’t switch off…
“I would like to find something to do that’s going to earn me money, but
also that will be good for me. I’m not sure in which direction I’m going
to turn yet…”
Peter Genever |
 “I
went on very early and just kept the pace up. I’m glad to say I have
been playing like I did tonight for a while.
“In a few days, I’ve played seven matches in a row, and I won all of
them, including a victory over Olli Tuominen in the German League.
“I’ve been playing a lot with Nick Matthew and the English boys, and
getting some coaching with David Pearson. I’m doing well in PSA, I feel
this is a very good time for me…”
Bradley Ball |
Team Chichester 4 Team
Solent 1
Peter Genever lost to Bradley Ball 5-9, 2-9,
12-14
Ben Garner beat Lee Drew 7-9, 9-4, 9-5, 9-4
Tim Vail beat Lars Harms 9-4, 9-3, 7-9, 5-9, 9-5
Tom Richards beat Chris Simpson 9-7, 10-8, 7-9,
9-6
Linda Elriani beat Carla Khan 9-7, 9-4, 9-5 |
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