[ TODAY ] [ SEMIS ] [ QUARTERS ] [ Round TWO ] [ Round ONE ] [ Qualifying ]

[4] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt [6] David Palmer (Aus)
                 6/11, 11/6, 11/3, 13/11 (68m)
[2] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [13] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
                 11/5, 11/6, 11/2 (27m)

Quarters part one - Matthew & Ashour

Gaultier and Darwish
through to semis

The second set of quarter-finals both went to the form book as Gregory Gaultier recovered from losing the first game before registering his sixth successive win over David Palmer, and Karim Darwish underlined his recent ascendancy to the top of the world order with a comfortable win over Azlan Iskandar.
  

En Bref #6

[4] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt [6] David Palmer (Aus)
                 6/11, 11/6, 11/3, 13/11 (68m)

GREG REASSESSES…

If David started extremely well tonight, and looked he was going to punish Greg badly – we were at 10/2 in no time - with the Frenchman coming back to 6/10, he then looked that he had problems reading his opponent shots.

Greg, with the confidence that comes with five victories in a row, just found his game, and stepped up the court. From that moment on, David was most of the time on the back foot, and Greg fed on his frustration.



We thought for a moment that the Australian was going to force a decider when he stuck in there, saving three match balls to get to the tie break, then another one at 11/10, but couldn’t save the last one.

Not their best match, too many lets for my taste, a few discussions with the refs… Greg will be delighted to get to the semis without emptying his energy tank, and David will forgot this match quickly to concentrate on the next tournament…

"I started exactly the way I wanted, but I started slowing down a bit at the end. The first game took a lot of energy from me, and I felt a bit flat in the second.

"Then, in the third and fourth, the rallies were just too short, I couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm, all those stop and starts, all those lets, I think it suits his game much more than mine.

"I’m frustrated I just couldn’t get into it, and then, I just started to get back in the fourth but again, so many lets.,

"He was playing some excellent low kills, it was just frustrating I wasn’t able to get to them. I don’t remember him getting as much in my way last time, but this time, he seemed much more in my way than usual.

"I know that when you play a loose shot, it’s hard to have a direct way to the shot, but I tried to get around him inside, outside, I just didn’t seem to have the space to move around him. I think I needed longer rallies to wear him down…"

"It was burning in the legs right from the first game, and it didn’t get any easier. I’m glad I was able to come back in the game, even if I wasn’t playing my best game tonight, as long as you keep giving your 100, 200%, you are all right.



"And I was fine in the beginning, not nervous, David was just playing extremely well. It was like I was pedalling at the start, as on a bicycle, it takes a while to start, but after that, you are on you way!

"So at the end of the first, I just told myself to play point by point, and try to get into a momentum right there, to give it a big push, and not to wait until the next game to start climbing all the way from the bottom. That way, I was already on my way. And he won that game eventually, but closer than he expected. And I guess it did pay off in the end…

"David anticipates a lot so that’s why sometimes, he can commit to the shot and get surprised if I can delay enough. But even when I got him wrongfooted, he would still run and fight for it, so I had to stay strong and not make the error…"

"Nothing wrong with me, just woke up this morning, and I was tired, so tired. Physically and mentally…. I wished I was able to keep my energy levels up…

"Also, Karim was so clinical, he played superb squash, that’s why he is world number one, you know. Whereas I was feeling flat and heavy.

"Such a shame that it wasn’t a better match, what a waste…"

[2] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [13] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
                 11/5, 11/6, 11/2 (27m)

ONESIDED? OH YES…

No offence to Azlan, but I’m not sure that playing a short against an Egyptian who is standing on the service line was such a clever game plan…

His head, his body weren’t on court today, he couldn’t move, he just… didn’t play.

And Karim just went on with his business, enjoying, creating, combining accurate mixed shots. It was over in less than 30m. Sorry, people, can’t really say more than that.

"The difference now is that I’m so much more relaxed and confident. I come and play every match with great pleasure, and I’m truly enjoying myself.

"Everybody keeps on asking me do you feel the pressure now you are number one? The answer is no, not at all. It’s quite the opposite, it gives me confidence, and I just don’t think about it really.

"Once again, I’m so happy to get to the semis, I feel so fresh, still not dropped a game…"

Day FIVE, Quarter - Finals Part One

[10] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [5] James Willstrop (Eng)
                11/9, 11/6, 1/11, 11/7 (70m)
[3] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [7] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
                12/14, 11/2, 15/13, 12/10 (68m)

Nick & Ramy make NY Semis

The last time they men was in the English Open final in December 2007. James Willstrop's win then heralded the start of a magical run for the Pontefract man, while it was Nick Matthew's last match before an eight-month layoff with a shoulder injury. Yorkshire rivalry renewed, tonight it was Matthew's turn ...

The second quarter-final featured two players who had come through marathon matches the night before, but Ramy Ashour and Thierry Lincou had enough left to put on a scintillating show for the packed Grand Central crowd. Again a measure of revenge was extracted as the world champion prevailed to prevent the Frenchman from gaining a third successive victory.
  

[10] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [5] James Willstrop (Eng)
                11/9, 11/6, 1/11, 11/7 (70m)

JAMES A BIT SHORT TONIGHT…

I know, you are going to say that I protect my players AGAIN, that I sugar coat everything. Well, sue me. I know that James was not at his top physically, and if he took only aspirin, that would probably affect his reaction time, and speed on court.

And that’s what I felt tonight from the start. I felt that Nick was boiling to play, and so hungry, and bursting with energy, while keeping both power and accuracy, whereas James was slightly off the pace, still running like a lunatic, don’t misunderstand me, and he didn’t give any points to Nick, who had to fight very hard for each of them.

What confirms me in my opinion, was James' attitude towards the referees. He never argues, at the worst, he asks a question, or looks very very nastily at them. But today, he was a bit argumentative, and seemed to blame with his body language and looks the refs for his losses. And that is not a normal James.

Once again, I’m not taking anything away from Nick. Because had Sheffield opened a crack in the armour, James would have zoomed into it. And he did in the third, the rallies didn’t go over three or four shots each…

Also, a warm court doesn’t advantage James, the Shot Maker “par excellence”. And in a previous match, he admitted that he struggled on that court with his drop shots that were bouncy “that high”. Today again, he made so many errors on that front, I counted seven in the second and five in the fourth. And that mustn’t have helped.

Nick looks very, very sharp to me, and I’m really looking forward to his encounter with Ramy in the semis. Fireworks could be on the menu…

"Yes, I’ve been to the doctor with a sort of cold/sore throat, but I don’t think this has got anything to do with it really, because this afternoon, I felt good, so…

"I always find it difficult to move around him, and to play my own squash.

"Obviously I’m disappointed, but I’ve got to look at the positive side of things. I was playing well today, and what's important, there are a couple of things that cause me to lose in the quarters at the moment, instead of winning in the quarters…"

"Despite the fact that James had two matches already, he didn’t get fully extended, no disrespect to his first opponent, so in a way, we were both quite fresh.

"In the third, I just felt flat, although I don’t think I dropped off that much, but you could see what happened. And at 7/1, whereas normally I would have thought to keep the game going, as it might help later in the match, this time I just thought it wasn’t worth killing myself, which is unlike me… I guess he was just too sharp for me…

"James’s got so much racquet skill, you’ve got to keep the pressure on him at all time. I try to stay focused on what I’m doing, trying to impose my own game and force the error out of him.

"Physically, I may not be at my best yet, I think I need a few more matches at that pace before the UK Nationals….

"We both had to dig in, it probably wasn’t our greatest match ever, but it’s never easy to play against somebody you know inside out. It was hard on there, and we both felt that the pace on there was brutal…"

"From the moment I got on court today I was a completely different player from yesterday, I felt good, relaxed, and free…

"Ramy comes with some incredible shots, but that’s him, that’s his trademark, you expect it, so you take it, you let it go, and you try again, on to the next time… And I hadn’t seen him that sharp physically for a long time…

"It was hard for me to keep the intensity at the end of the games, so I pushed myself every time to reach game ball, and I was maybe a bit short energy-wise, reaching my limit physically to be able to finish the game off. Shame he didn’t make one single error on all those game balls I got in the third and fourth…!!!!



"I’m happy in defeat, how sad is that!!! No, no regrets at all, yes, I may have dropped a bit energy wise in the end, but for the first tournament of the year, it’s not too bad, and I hope that I’ll be able to manage my end of games a bit better on the next events…

"Overall, it’s all very positive, I was stepping forward, I was positive, and I think we produce a great combat tonight…"

[3] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [7] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
                12/14, 11/2, 15/13, 12/10 (68m)

LOVED EVERY SHOT OF IT…

You’ve got matches that you think, what the heck am I going to write about. And then, like yesterday Ramy/LJ, you know that no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to express fully how magic they were.

First, they both played much much better today than they did yesterday, where they both decided that playing real squash could be a good idea only in the third game. Today, the first rally was already breathtaking, the 4/2 for Ramy rally was one of the greatest rallies we ever saw, ending with a crashing nick roll for Legend Ramy.

In five minutes, Ramy was up 9/2, in seven, he was 9/4, then game ball 10/5. Seven game balls later, ComeBack Lincou was still alive, and was transforming his first opportunity into a 14/12 that got the crowd on their feet. OK, that took a bit out of him, well, he ain’t a spring chicken now, is he, and Ramy equalised very quickly, 11/2.

But what a third, people, what a third! The Frenchman, now fully refreshed after letting that second game go, is neck to neck with Ramy who makes a few errors, while Thierry is still finding his great width, varying the pace beautifully, lob, lob, deep cross court, little drop at the front, and drive, drive. Ramy is retrieving, is attacking, counter-attacking. The rallies are superb, the sportsmanship between the two a joy to witness.



But as sport is an eternal circle, what Thierry did to Ramy in the first, Ramy does to Thierry in the third, coming back from 10/5 to finally take the game 15/13.

At that point, I was thinking, well, my Thierry is dead, he has fought bravely, he can leave the venue head high. Which proves once again if needed that I know nothing about squash, or about the former number one….

The Frenchman not only doesn’t give up, but has the mental and physical resources to push Ramy to the limit yet again in the fourth, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, 7/7. At 8/7 for Ramy, they play the most amazing rally that seemed to last forever, with Ramy firing at will, Thierry retrieving everything, visiting the four corners of the court.

Suddenly, Ramy finds an astonishing drop shot right front corner, Thierry goes for it, slips, still gets the ball while on the floor, sends it back to Ramy, then follow a few ludicrous reflexes, and the ball actually finishes… on Ramy’s stomach, and in his hand, as he catches it! Thierry is holding his racquet high, ready to play. Stroke for the Frenchman [photo sequence below].

I cannot start to tell you how the American crowd erupted!!!!

We are now at 8/8. Thierry goes for it, finds himself some superb shots to set up two more game balls. Are we going to have a decider? Nope. Once again the Egyptian saves them with shots more extravagant than the others… And with one of the very few errors he did today, Thierry ends his ToC runs in the tin at 11/10. Ramy is radiant, but so is Thierry. He can be…

And if ever I was proud of my countryman, it was his performance in the fourth game. Not bad for an Old Man, hein pépère….

"I played so much better today than yesterday, but Thierry just played fantastic tonight. He moved everywhere like he owned the court, so you’ve got to keep trying and get the ball away from him, cutting everything off, keep moving him away from the centre, and keep him in the corners…

"I felt so much more comfortable today than yesterday, I never felt tired, and I really thought I played well…

"I was expecting him to attack a lot, because the last two times, he beat me by taking me to the front constantly, so that’s what I was expecting, but today he played much more shots at the back, and played a more basic game, slowing down the ball. So I adapted my game, and started slowing it down too…

"This is the first time for a very, very, very long time that I actually enjoyed playing my squash, so, merci Thierry…"

Allez ............................................... Allez ........................... Oups ..................