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04-Apr-08:
Ramy looks forward
to Broadgate ...
 Most
people have no idea how fortunate we are to have Ramy Ashour
playing at all this year, let alone contending again for titles,
and, probably, making a quality defence of the ATCO Super Series
Finals title at the Broadgate Arena in the heart of London's Square
Mile from the 19th to 23rd May.
It's not just that the 20-year-old Egyptian is the brightest new
player this millennium; rather that the torn foot tendon he
sustained in October would have knocked most players out of their
stride.
Ashour was sidelined for two months; medical opinion suggested it
might be much longer. But after being within a fraction of a point
of being World No.1 when the injury happened, he wasn't going to
allow a misfortune to develop into a mind-corroding feeling of jinx.
"I was told I could be out from six months to a year, but that I
could take cortisone injections or play with some pain," Ashour
said. "I didn't want it to turn chronic, so I didn't want
injections. So I took a decision to play with pain."
He was also provided with an insole for his shoe to help reduce
discomfort, but at his comeback at the Tournament of Champions in
New York in January he needed five pain-killing tablets in the
morning and five in the evening, as well as plenty of extra
stretching and lots of hot and cold water on the foot.
Amazingly Ashour went on to win the tournament. It was not only his
squash which was special: it was himself.
Special qualities are also evident in how he handles his
relationship with Amr Shabana, who took advantage of Ashour's
absence to win an amazing five successive World Tour events and
sprint to a long lead as World No.1.
Indeed it was longer than expected, Ashour admits, and his hastened
comeback was influenced by not wishing his fellow Egyptian's lead to
become even more extended. In these circumstances jealousy and
hostility could easily have developed. Instead Ashour claims Shabana
is like a second elder brother after Hisham.
"I wanted to prove that two Egyptian players could be close to each
other but competitive," he said.
These two could give the Super Series Finals a wonderful showdown.
But there are other great players who might deny them, in a field as
varied in styles and personalities as it has ever been.
There is David Palmer, the supremely gutsy Australian, and
Thierry Lincou, the gracious Frenchman, both of whom have been
World Champions, and there is Gregory Gaultier, a second
Gallic miracle, one capable of changing his colourful game from
defence to attack and back like a chameleon.
And there are two Englishmen as well, also winners of big titles.
Nick Matthew preceded Gaultier as British Open Champion and both
he and James Willstrop could derail the favourites. Willstrop
is on a stupendous run of form in 2008, winning the Swedish Open,
British Nationals, Virginia Pro, Players Cup and Canary Wharf
Classic in just six weeks, but Matthew is recovering from a shoulder
operation and will, at best, be short of match practice.
The eight players are completed by a debutant, Wael El Hindi,
a sturdy fighter who relinquishes the centre of the court only with
the greatest of reluctance. Another Egyptian of course.
There's no doubt which is becoming today's greatest squash nation.
But time and fate often bring some surprising twists.
Just ask Ashour.
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