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  Al
Ahram World Open 2006
30-Aug to 06-Sep, Cairo, Egypt |
Palmer wins Aussie Quarter
2002 World Champion David
Palmer asserted his status as Australian number one as he recovered
from a first game deficit to beat compatriot Anthony Ricketts in
four games.
Gaultier denies
Egyptian Double
Amr Shabana will be the only Egyptian in the semi-finals after
Gregory Gaultier beat world junior champion Ramy Ashour in straight
games in the final quarter-final at Giza, to keep alive hopes of an
all-French final. |
En Bref Issue 5 |
| [2]
David Palmer (Aus) bt [5]
Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 9/11, 11/3, 11/6,
11/7 (70m) |
Palmer wins
Aussie Quarter
 2002
World Champion David Palmer asserted his status as Australian
number one as he recovered from a first game deficit to beat
compatriot Anthony Ricketts in four games.
The first game was a lengthy affair, with both players playing
tight squash without much attacking, both prepared to rally and
wait for opportunities. Ricketts held a slender lead throughout,
eventually winning the 21-minute game 11/9.
 But
Palmer took control early in each of the next three games, leaving
Ricketts to play catch-up, which he could never quite manage.
The match ended with Ricketts spinning and running away - vainly -
from a loose shot, and the inevitable stroke put Palmer into a
semi-final meeting with Thierry Lincou.
 "I
was very disappointed when the draw came up to realise that I
was in the same quarter as Anthony, with whom I’ve been
training all summer.
"We realised in the second game that something was probably
not right with Anthony today, that he couldn’t hit the ball
properly, but all credit to him, he still gave a great fight.
I felt that I needed to pick the pace up, and in the end, I
think he got frustrated with his situation.
"I feel physically very well, I’m happy I was able to close
things out tonight, instead of letting my demons creep in at
8/5 in each game…"
David Palmer |
|
 "David
played a good game, and was just too sharp today. I did the
best I could on the night.
"He is playing extremely well at the moment, he is relaxed and
confident, and definitely looks the favourite for the title."
Anthony Ricketts |
ANTHONY, THE PRO
 It
is not the first time I've seen Anthony handicapped by an injury
while playing an important match (St Louis, Commonwealth Games),
and he has always been an extreme professional every time by never
mentioning it to me in the after-match interview.
During the match, Anthony was receiving treatment on his elbow,
and it became obvious to David and his team that something was not
right in Anthony’s game, as he was basically not able to
accelerate or put any weight in his shots.
But still, Intense Anthony was extremely patient, ready to battle
all night if needed. His body though, wouldn’t allow him. Worth
mentioning, he added two new shots to his weaponry, a volley
crosscourt from the service line that dies nicely in the corner,
and also, a wrong footing front court boast that surprised the
Marine several times.
Anthony, hope you’ll be fit for the British. Squash needs players
like you, who never look for excuses in defeat. Proud of you,
young man, proud of you….
|
Gaultier
denies
Egyptian Double
Amr Shabana will be the only Egyptian in the semi-finals after
Gregory Gaultier beat world junior champion Ramy Ashour in
straight games in the final quarter-final at Giza, to keep alive
hopes of an all-French final.
Ashour could easily have won either of the first two games, with
Gaultier's play slightly loose, enough for Ashour to enjoy spells
of dazzling attacking play. The teenager came from 6-2 down to
7-all in the first and saved three game balls before Gaultier
could close it out, and saved five more from 10-4 down in the
second, again to no avail.
He could pose no threat in the third though, as Gaultier eased
away to reach his first world open semi-final ... where he faces
another Egyptian ...
 |
"Ramy was pretty relaxed, of course he’s got nothing to lose,
no pressure, whereas it’s the opposite for me, it’s twice as
hard, I’ve got everything to lose…
"Today, I came on court to play and beat Ramy, not to get to
the semi final of the World Open. That’s all I saw. My
opponent. Nothing else. And I wanted to stay on court as short
as possible. I played him in HK, and that was quite easy, but
a year later, he has improved immensely…
"The first game was 50/50, I would say, the second, I relaxed
too much, instead of pushing myself to the limit at 10/4.
Because I know that when I’m tired and in the red, my opponent
is probably in the black! I should have pushed harder…
"It was a mental battle. But nowadays, I’m much stronger
mentally, I’ve got more confidence in my game. Before, I was
good enough to play one tough guy per tournament, but would
lose the next round. Now, I feel that I can play five
matches…"
Gregory Gaultier |
|
Nicol: "I'm done."
 Peter
Nicol played his last competitive match tonight, in front of the
Pyramids where he won the world title some seven years ago, as
Thierry Lincou moved into the semi-finals, thus ending the playing
career of one of the sport's greats.
The other quarter-final played tonight saw defending champion Amr
Shabana, his form improving with every match, beat compatriot Wael
El Hindi in straight games to reach his third World Open semi-final.
Shabana and Lincou await the winners of tomorrow's quarter-finals,
which see Egypt's world junior champion Ramy Ashour take on Gregory
Gaultier, while second seed David Palmer faces fellow-Australian
Anthony Ricketts.
But while four will go on to the semis and hopes of a world title,
tonight was all about an ending ...
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SALUT L’ARTISTE
Like
I thought it would be, this last encounter between the Boss and my
compatriot was a tough moment for your Frog of a servant. In one
corner, a player that I’ve come to consider as my little brother. In
the other corner, the player I admire, love and respect the most on
the tour. Two different personalities, style, physical appearance,
with two common points. A passion for squash, and a guttural hatred
for defeat.
Thierry couldn’t afford to think about the extraordinary
circumstances of this encounter. The pyramids setting. The wind that
brushes your face with those tiny grains of sand. The humidity. The
noise that surrounds the court. And the Boss’ last tournament. He
had to win. Pure and simple.
He had done it the last two matches. He was more confident than he
ever was against Peter. But he also knew that Peter Nicol, MBE,
would never ever give him an inch, that if he wanted to win this
last time, he would have to win the point again and again - and take
the humiliation to work the man for rallies and rallies, only to see
him roll you into flour with that last defensive shot that becomes a
winner, just when you thought you finally had him, again and again.
And he started extremely well, with a Peter slow to get into it, led
8/3 rather quickly. But then, as he always does, the Englishman
opened up, stretched out, woke up his whole body and energy
channels, and if the French clan was slightly overconfident I
thought, I knew that this was just the beginning…
And it didn’t fail. The second game was all the Boss’. In a perfect
mirror to the first game, Peter led 8/3, and now it was the
Frenchman who was starting to get back into it. And I could see
clearly what he was doing. He knew he had lost the game. He just
wanted to make him play one more rally, one more minute, make him
spend that drop extra of energy that could become vital later in the
match…
And what a third that was, guys. What a battle. What a classic. Two
wild animals in an aquarium in the middle of the fricking desert
fighting for every shot, for every inch of territory, length, length
length, short short, doesn’t work, back to length length length,
cross court, nick, retrieving, winner that still comes out, lob,
drive, boast, and length, length length…Pure ecstasy. A typical and
utter classic.
And that game was to be the key. Had Peter won it, I truly believe
that his pride pumped on adrenalin would have made him win, as
Thierry would have had the Ol’Friend Doubt creeping all around his
brain. But with a 2/1 lead, the 2004 World Champion knew that he
just had to keep on pressing where it hurt.
And that’s what he did. Sending the Boss to a free visit of the four
corners, he shot to 6/1, followed by a series of monstrous rallies
where Peter was offering what he didn’t have left in the tank. The
Englishman climbed back to 6/4. And that was the end really. He
would score two more points but the Frenchman to whom he gave so
many clinical squash lessons over the years had the last word.
Ironic isn’t it.
 The
Boss left the court to a standing ovation.
As he walked to his chair, soon met by his dad Pat, we all knew that
we had witnessed History in the making.
For the first time ever, the Boss had said “Die”.
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|
 "It
was a big match. It was hard from the first rally, and it
stayed hard all the way through, he never let go and the third
was crucial, the turning point really.
"It was hard both mentally and physically, with tough
conditions, hot, heavy, and as Peter retrieves a few
shots……!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a psychological combat.
"It was also a question of shot selection. Sending him to the
back or being offensive at the front. If I was going short a
bit too early, he would punish me. But if I was waiting too
long, I would start to get tired, and he would kill me. It was
all about staying focused, a strategic game.
"One thing though, it was not easy to get to the quarters
stage, I was a bit tense for the first two rounds, it was hard
work. But today, I felt relaxed, and I was confident to play
my shots on both sides of the court.
"I’m played a lot on the backhand, because his length and
volleying on the forehand is just too punishing. Where I
really improved against him is that I feel comfortable playing
him on both sides.
"In the third, I got a bit wary, because I could feel that he
realised that this was it, that he was maybe playing his last
match, and started digging his heels in, and giving it
everything he had. I had to really tighten it up…
"Peter has had so much influence on the World of Squash. His
achievement is simply phenomenal. And I find it quite symbolic
that, after all the punishment he inflicted on me over the
years, I’m the one that pulls down the curtain on his career…"
Thierry Lincou |
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Nicol names the Day
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DRAWN OUT
WAEL…
Framboise reports
Immensely improved Wael El
Hindi, actually presented here as Wael Hatem, not sure why but
I’ll find out at some point I’m sure, was in my mind never going
to threaten World Champion Mr Amr Shabana.
Not because of some ranking or level of game issue, but simply
because Wael had done the job he mentally got here to do. He beat
serious Egyptian contender Karim Darwish in the first round, which
nobody expected. Then Nick Matthew, in a long and intense match,
that must have emptied all his reserves, both mentally and
physically.
And flat as an English omelette he was, poor thing, when he got on
court. His brain was not on squash, not on the court. Lack of
precision, wrong shot selection. Still great touch and stunning
drop shots, but no consistency. One match too far.
Shabana on the other hand looks sharper and sharper by the minute.
If he was a bit fragile and wobbly when he started the tournament,
he is now tuning his racquet to the perfect pitch and looks more
and more dangerous….
"It was not easy at all, but tonight was my best match so far,
I was a lot sharper.
"I haven’t played Wael for about four months now, as he has
been training in England, and he has improved three times! He
is fitter, he is faster, and if he keeps up at that level,
he’ll be top ten by the end of the year.
"What made a huge difference tonight was that Wael had two
very hard matches against Darwish and Nick…"
Amr Shabana |
|
"I was absolutely exhausted. So tired tonight. Nothing left in
the legs.
"I just wanted to say thank you to Jonah Barrington for all
the efforts that he has made to support me this summer. I told
him that I would bring him back the trophy, I didn’t make it
this year, but I will be back next year. I’ll keep my promise.
"I didn’t lose tonight against an ordinary player. I lost in
the quarter final of the World Open against the world number
one. "
Wael El Hindi |
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02-Sep, Round Two
Framboise reports from the Pyramids
[1] Amr Shabana (Egy)
bt Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
11/6, 5/11, 11/9, 11/10(3-1)
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt
[7] Nick Matthew (Eng)
11/8, 4/11, 11/4, 2/11, 11/10(2-0)
Ramy
Ashour (Egy) bt [10] Lee Beachill (Eng)
11/4, 10/12, 6/11, 11/8, 11/5 (83m)
[8] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
bt [11] John White (Sco)
11/3, 11/6, 11/8
[6] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt [15] Stewart
Boswell (Aus)
7/11, 11/10(2-0), 11/7 11/2
[3] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt
[14] Olli Tuominen (Fin)
11/10(2-0), 9/11, 11/3, 11/8 (79m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)
bt [15] Adrian Grant (Eng) 11/6, 9/11,
11/6, 11/8
[2] David Palmer
(Aus) bt [13] Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
11/10(4-2), 11/8, 11/8
Reports from earlier rounds |
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02-Sep-06:
Round Two:
Ramy Races to the Pyramids
 He
had to wait an extra day for his first match, but world junior
champion Ramy Ashour made the most of it as he beat tenth
seed Lee Beachill to record one of the best wins of his budding
senior career.
It's on to the pyramids for Ramy, where he will face France's
Gregory Gaultier, who was always in control as he beat John
White in straight games.
The other quarter-final decided so far pitches two former world
champions together, for the umpteenth time.
Peter Nicol's
last match hasn't arrived yet, as he staged a mini-comeback to oust
Aussie Stewart Boswell, and he will face Thierry Lincou, who
overcame Olli Tuominen in a fiercely-contested four games.
After the evening session at the Pyramids, defending champion Amr
Shabana will face a second consecutive domestic challenge in the
quarters - Shabana beat Mohammed Abbas while Wael El Hindi
produced another upset, beating seventh seed Nick Matthew in five.
Second seed David Palmer rounded off a late night with a
hard-fought three-game win over Ong Beng Hee to set up an
all-Australian clash with Anthony Ricketts. |
EN BREF ISSUE #3
 |
[1]
Amr Shabana (Egy) bt
Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
11/6, 5/11, 11/9, 11/10(3-1) |
MISSED OPPORTUNITY….
Framboise reports
Gentleman Mo, as I call him,
will hate himself for the rest of his life on that one. He had his
mate in the palm of his racquet and let him escape…
Guys, I already told you. DO NOT THINK!! It doesn’t suit you. The
minute you try and think at the same time you are playing squash,
what happens? You lose your squash…
Seriously, from the moment those two great players stepped on court,
I never had the feeling that Abbas believed. He didn’t believe he
could do it. The same way that Peter Barker didn’t believe he could
beat the Boss a few days ago in the Mamut English Open. And when the
opportunity is there, as they are have that chance, they starting
visualising that victory.
Maybe that’s a mental exercise that should be done BEFORE the match.
Not in the middle of it…
 After
taking the first game rather easily, even if the first rally was
monumentally long (over 120 I counted), the Prince of Egypt started
to wander around as only he can/knows how to do, “hum, yes, let’s
have a look at who is in the first row, oh my God, we’ve got the
President of the Federation, and the Egyptian Vice President of WSF,
blast, God, shoot, I can’t make an fool of myself”, and the ball
goes right in the tin. And again. And again.
You add to that a training partner who you can’t fool for a minute
and who reads your game like an open book, and you get yourself down
1/1, 8/2. Brain suddenly connected again for Amr. Oh, I’m in the
World Open, I’d better start playing my game, now, shouldn’t I…
And in a few seconds, the Dreamer Away Abbas and the Mind Wanderer
Shabana were back on equal terms, 8/8 then 10/9 game ball to Amr.
And a ball that goes ever so slightly out, it could have been a let,
but no, Gentleman Mo just went straight to the door.
Now you know why I nicknamed him that way.
The last game was so close yet again. From 4/4 to 7/7, with Abbas
soaring up to game ball 10/7. He had three of those, didn’t take any
of them. Gutted, he found himself down match ball. Saved it on a
flamboyant return of serve in the nick. But couldn’t save the second
one.
He will kick himself all the way back to Cairo… |
 Difficult
to play somebody who knows all my shots! I can never surprise
him. But I’ve been training with him everyday for the past 10
years.
So I was playing long rallies tonight, like we do in training,
without giving much importance to the shots. And it’s only at
8/2 that I starting realising that this was not a training
match, but the second round of the World Open!
I’m still nervous when I get on court here. The last time I
played a tournament in Egypt was probably 5 or 6 years ago,
and it was a club tournament. I’m not used to playing in front
of such a large Egyptian crowd.
Although I felt sharper than I was yesterday, I feel I’m lucky
to win tonight. Tomorrow, I’m in the quarters…
Amr Shabana |
 I
was playing well, and I seem to always know what kind of shots
he is going to play, a drive, a crosscourt… So what I do, I
just keep the ball tight to the wall, and go for the shot when
I can. It’s the only tactic possible against him….
I don’t believe it. When I was up 8/2 in the third, I started
think that I had him, what about the match tomorrow, and the
day after, I starting thinking I could win this match… and
lost everything I had inside.
Mohammed Abbas |
|
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt [7] Nick Matthew (Eng)
11/8, 4/11, 11/4, 2/11, 11/10(2-0) |
TOUGH ONE
Framboise reports
It was never going to be an easy match, was it. Two up and
coming hungry players, one on them playing on his home soil, in
front of a crowd famous for supporting their man sometimes a bit
too…. vigorously shall we say, from a non Egyptian point of view.
And boy did the crowd love
seeing their guy Wael El Hindi winning the first game in a superb
fashion, well in front of Nick Matthew, even if the Egyptian made a
few too many errors.
Nick recovered extremely well from a bad start at 3/0 in the second,
to equalise at 4/4, helped by a lack of precision from Wael on his
backhand. For the rest of that game, Nick was just in perfect
control, despatching his shots, varying pace, style and angle to
perfection. We were now at 1/1.
After listening to his camp, eyes closed, Wael came back firing in
the third, once again taking an excellent start 4/0, to glide to
10/3 in a matter of minutes. Winners. Nicks. Flicks. The lot. 2/1
for Egypt.
In the next game, Wael was flat as a pancake, bless him. No energy
left. He let that one go to get a bit of a breather.
 The
fifth was to be an epic battle. 1/1. 2/2. 3/3. 5/5. 7/7. 8/8. 9/9.
10/10. Nothing between them. Most of the points were decided in the
left front corner. And most of the times, I couldn’t even see what
was going on out there. Was it up? Was it down? It was so fast, all
at the front, drop, counterdrop, zoom on the other side, and drop
counterattack…. And a lot of lets. And also a few no lets.
From 7/6 up to 8/8, Nick was awarded three “no let” on short shots.
That's three “no let’ in four rallies. And of course, one on match
ball that gives the victory to Wael.
To be honest, as they say in Pontefract, it all looked fine to me,
but I heard quite a few comments afterwards about how those “no let”
were not founded. That Wael had actually not allowed Nick to get to
the ball, and that the English should have in all fairness been
given at least lets.
I have to confess that my technical knowledge about squash has
limits, and that I can’t most of the time detect that subtle
difference between a perfect shot and a blocked one.
It was explained to me that, when you finish playing your shot,
before moving out of the way, you do not move for a split second to
allow your opponent to make a choice of routes to get to the ball.
And then move out of the way. But that if you actually move too
early, you get in his path, he looks like he can’t get to the ball.
No let.
It is a very subtle split second that I’m not able yet to spot. I
admit it. So, I can only report the two sides of the story.
Anyway,
from an English point of view, Nick should not have been penalised
with no lets. From an Egyptian point of view, Wael played some
superb shots that couldn’t be retrieved.
A very frustrated Nick walked off court. An ecstatic Wael embraced
the whole crowd that carried him to victory.
Next for Wael, Shabana. |
|
 After
last season, which had been so hard, after the Commonwealth
Games I was so tired, and after a loss, I wasn’t able to see
the whole perspective, I would stay disappointed for a week
before moving on. Now, I allow myself a few minutes, and I
just say that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
There were games where it was all about squash, in the second,
I proved that I was a good squash player, in the third, he
proved that he was a good squash player, that’s when there
weren't decisions from the referee, good squash.
The fifth game was a different matter. Far too much blocking.
There were some no lets from the ref that even my dad could
have picked up. But then again, we’ve got to learn from this,
because we will be back, and maybe we shouldn’t let it to come
to 2/2, 6/6, because from that moment on, it becomes
impossible to physically win…
I know that I couldn’t have done physically anymore to win
this match.
But in a strange way, I actually enjoyed the moment. I enjoyed
the competitiveness, it was a fantastic experience, a
fantastic venue, a fantastic crowd, a fantastic atmosphere…
 |
|
 I’m
very happy. But the end was a bit dodgy, I wasn’t not sure
what the ref’s decision was, let or not let, it didn’t finish
the way I wanted it, so I’m happy I won, but not the way it
all ended.
In the fourth, I felt so much pressure, my legs were gone, I
think yesterday’s match against Darwish had a lot to do with
it.
I was so tense, so worried. This is the first time that my
sister came with her children, I didn’t want to disappoint
them, I didn’t want to let those kids down.
Nick is one of the best players in the world from the T. His
coverage from side to side is amazing, and I was trying to get
past him, but he kept volleying everything. And even with all
the crowd supporting me, he was still very concentrated,
didn’t make any errors, very focused. I’m not sure that I
would have kept my calm, and wouldn't have starting to doubt
if I had been in his case.
I still can’t believe I won this one. I keep on thinking that
I’m going to rest for a little while, and then somebody’s
going to come and tell me that there is one more game to be
played!!!!!!
 |
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| [2]
David Palmer (Aus) bt [13] Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
11/10(4-2), 11/8, 11/8 |
DAVID’S MOVING WELL…
Framboise reports
Playing Beng Hee is always going
to be a match where you’ll have move extremely fast, react to the
100th of a second, and be alert at all times.
I have to admit I only saw the end of the first game, as I was busy
trying to talk with both Wael and Nick. Apologies to both David and
Beng Hee. I arrived at 7/7, with David under quite a lot of pressure
from the Malaysian, who was finding quite a few nicks all around.
 It
was a close call, but David clinched it 4-2 in the tie-break. And
the second was as close a call, 7/7 then 9/8 before the Australian
could wrap it up.
You would think that Bengy would say die from 2/0 down. Good Lord
no. He led for most of the game, 6/3, 7/4, before being caught up at
7/7, 8/8 to finally admit defeat 11/8 in the third.
It was a strong performance from David, particularly fast today I
thought, with maybe a Beng Hee a bit too systematically short at the
front instead of varying his game with his lethal lobs/drop
shot/flicks…
Next for the Marine, compatriot Anthony Ricketts, but first, a well
deserved day of rest…
 We
always have a tough match, Beng Hee has been coming back up in
the rankings, and I’m really glad to get a 3/0 win.
We all have players that we find difficult to play, and I seem
to struggle tactically against him, I find him hard to play.
At the moment, he is more confident, he plays relaxed and
that’s when he is the most dangerous, he is attacking a lot
more.
Maybe a bit disappointed to have let the games drag on a bit,
not to have been able to close them out, but I thought that I
played the important points well at the end. But I was ready
to play all night long if needed be. I wanted to be in the
quarter finals.
Now, it’s a new tournament, I’m glad I’m in a position to
challenge for the title.
 |
|
 I
thought I was playing well today, but David's court coverage
is so great, he is moving so well, and as I wasn’t as tight
that I would have wished, he kept on punishing me.
I never lost hope, even at 2/0 down, I kept on believing that
I could do it, and I was up 7/4, and started to make silly
mistakes…
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[6]
Peter Nicol (Eng) bt
[15] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
7/11, 11/10(2-0), 11/7 11/2 |
THE BOSS IS BACK…
Framboise reports
We were a few to fear that the encounter with Australian Stewart
Boswell could be the last one the Gold Medallist would play in his
official career. But as ever, as usual, as normal, the Boss had
other plans for his exit.
The second game made the match. I really don’t think that Peter
would have been able to come back from 2/0. But from 1/1,
everything was possible for the Man. And Stewart, disheartened,
seemed to keep thinking that he could have been up 2 games, blah
blah blah, and the head seemed to just snap…
So many unforced errors, so many in the third, that gave fuel to
the Boss, I could see in his piercing look that he was getting
inside the Australian mind, and that Skinny Stewart was starting
to lose ground.
Peter smelt blood… and like a shark, just went for the jugular.
The rallies became shorter and shorter. Out of oxygen, out of
heart, Stewart wasn’t able to respond anymore, and the last game
was punishing, 11/2.
So once again, Thierry and Peter in the quarters of the World.
Once again, I will have my heart torn between those two, hoping
that my compatriot is going to beat his worst nightmare, and at
the same time, that the Almighty Boss will fulfil his dream to end
his career with the most prestigious crowd of all.
I am not really looking for tomorrow.
|
 "I
didn’t want to start off too fast, just wanted to see what
happened and get used to the court.
"I noticed he made a bad mistake in the second and I realised
something wasn’t right. I felt really relaxed at the end and
it showed in my movement. I felt I improved as the match went
on."
 |
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Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [10] Lee
Beachill (Eng) 11/4,
10/11(0-2), 6/11, 11/8, 11/5 (83m) |
RAMY, THE PERFORMER…
Framboise reports
Lee Beachill took an awful start as the crowd packed the Centre
Court, seven unforced errors in the first game, totally out of
character for the Pontefract man.
You imagine the crowd, their golden boy leading the top 10
Englishman…
 But
then, Lee started to apply more pressure, his length was good as
ever, but he was also attacking much more he would normally do,
and his shots were “Egyptian way”, you know, out of the blue,
splendid and flamboyant. And soon he was up 2/1.
At that point, Ramy left the premises! People thought it was all
over, but in fact, he was on a toilet break… Officials were not
sure what was happening, really. But he came back, to the ovation
of his compatriots.
And from that moment on, it was like the “Ramy Steamroller”!
Despite a good start from Lee in the fourth, Ramy hung in there,
6/6, 7/7, 8/8, the rally was enormous, and the Egyptian closed it
out with a superb volley crosscourt nick. Perfect. Pumped with
adrenalin, he forced a decider.
And that’s where the crowd played his enormous part. A very fair
crowd, though, a knowledgeable one, who ask for silence when the
players are working, no mobile phones, no kids (or nearly) running
around. But an Egyptian crowd through and through, that carried
their man from 7/4 to 9/5, nick after nick, winner after winner.
10/5 match ball. Done.
Lee was out. Ramy is at the Pyramids.
 In
the first two games I couldn't find my rhythm, my squash.
I didn't have any pace, I was lacking oxygen and in the middle
of the third I actually thought I was going to pass out.
Then at 8/6 down in the third we had that very long rally and
I could feel my lungs opening up, and suddenly the air came
in, for which I thank my physical trainer very much.
After that I thought I was going to be able to make it
physically and started to believe ...
 |
 I
can't express my feelings ... he was expecting so much from
this match, but I didn't believe him.
He kept on saying to me “I will win,” and I told him it was
impossible, Lee is world number nine. He replied, “I know what
I'm doing.”
So I was so afraid he was going to be disappointed if he lost,
and would be so angry.
Right now I would like to be happy, but I can't because I
still can't believe it!
 |
|
 When
I went on to court it took me a while to get used to the
conditions, it's so different to the courts we've been playing
on until now.
I was hoping to get into the match as we went along, but he
wouldn't let me do that.
I'm disappointed with the way I played, as the season goes on
I'll play better. I did the wrong things at the wrong time and
I only do that when I'm not match fit.
Today I felt I was miles away from anywhere, I just need a few
more matches and I'll need to get used to winning again.
 |
|
 |
Ricketts Rallies past Grant
Stacey Ross reports
Adrian took a while to find his rhythm while Anthony needed no
time at all, racing off to a 6-2 lead courtesy of some hard hit
low kills. It was too much of a lead to make up and Anthony took
the first 11-6.
 Anthony
set a fast pace straight away in the second which didn’t seem to
adversely effect Adrian, his excellent movement negating the speed
of the rallies. It was a tightly fought game with Adrian shading
it 11-9.
Adrian’s concentration appeared to slip ever so slightly at the
start of the third, manifesting itself in two unforced errors and
allowing Anthony to take a 6-2 lead. It was a deficit that Adrian
couldn’t recover from and the fourth went 11-6 to Anthony.
Adrian's concentration returned in the fourth. He secured an 8-6
lead but Anthony was constantly upping the pace and this was
beginning to take its toll. Two long rallies ended in lets and
Adrian was looking breathless.
Anthony levelled the game at 8-8 and Adrian made an unforced error
to give Anthony a 9-8 lead. Adrian’s physical deterioration was
now obvious to his opponent.
Two protracted rallies was just enough to secure the match for
Ricketts and end a very closely fought battle. |
|
 |
| [3]
Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [14]
Olli Tuominen (Fin)
11/10(2-0), 9/11, 11/3, 11/8 (79m) |
Lincou finishes Finn Olli
In the only match of the day played on a standard court - the
others were all on the Stadium showcourt or at the Pyramids -
Thierry Lincou took a step towards a second world title, getting
the better of Finland's Olli Tuominen in a feisty match, with much
physical contact and many decisions required of the referee.
Lincou edged the first, couldn't recover from a poor start in the
second but asserted again in the third to regain the lead.
Another slow start from the Frenchman in the fourth, but he roused
himself at 4-0 down to avoid having to go to a decider.
Thierry later found that he would be playing his 'bête noir',
Peter Nicol, who leads their head-to-head series 11-2, in front of
the Pyramids ... |
 "I
was not bold enough, I didn’t vary my game enough today.
"The rallies were long, but seemed to be on the same pattern.
"Overall, I lacked confidence and variety.
"But all credit to him, he was very present on the ball, was
volleying extremely well, and was stepping in front of me,
controlling the rallies much better than I was…"
 |
|
 "This
was one of those matches where your opponent doesn't have
anything to lose, and they play relaxed.
"Yesterday Thierry played against someone he'd never played
before, and today Olli, who he hasn't played for the past
three years. Olli has improved physically, he's very quick on
to the ball.
 "Thierry
didn't have a clear idea of how to play these opponents, he
didn't come into the court full of confidence. He wasn't
offensive enough, apart from the third where he played the
complete game.
"For the past two days he's lacked serenity on court, he
didn't have any marks and had to adapt to the games opponents
he didn't know much about."
 |
|
 |
The Draw
Malcolm Willstrop gets his Crystal Ball out ...
The draw for the world championships was conducted at the Pyramids
for television purposes and any suspicions about it were heightened
when world junior champion Ramy Ashour found himself drawn against
the hospitalised James Willstrop.
They were offset , however, by the four top Egyptians Amr Shabana,
Karim Darwish - who have been practicing on the championship court -
Wael El Hindi and Mohammed Abbas all being in the same part of the
draw. Nor will the insertion of Nick Matthew be viewed with
enthusiasm, since he will bow to no-one readily.
So, and all this is conjecture, the seeded last 8 looks like
Shabana v Matthew
Gaultier v Beachill
Lincou v Nicol
Palmer v Ricketts
No-one, as usual, will fancy it much. Matthew will get stuck in to
Shabana, about whom there are rumours about wrist problems, though
he may have to get past Darwish first.
Gaultier comes to Cairo full of confidence, which he doesn't lack
anyhow, after the English Open, and he will face Beachill whose path
has been opened up by the withdrawal of Willstrop.
Nicol, playing his last PSA tournament, should square up to English
Open Champion Thierry Lincou, freshly recovered from stomach
problems of a quite severe nature.
Finally there is a heavyweight confrontation between the two
Australians, Palmer and Ricketts. There is often added pressure in
these domestic clashes, as if a place in the world semi final is not
enough.
As I have said more than once, draws in World PSA events are crucial
with ten major players in contention.
The fairy story would be a Nicol win - he has done it once in
Melbourne. The question is can he do it again?
 |
 |
 |
01-Sep-06:
Round One in Cairo
Twelve matches at Cairo Stadium, and three at the Pyramids in the
evening as the Al Ahram World Open moved into top gear today.
There were just two upsets, with Egyptians involved in both - at the
stadium Mohammed Abbas put out 12th seed Azlan Iskandar, and
in the final match of the day Wael El Hindi - celebrating his
highest world ranking of 16 today - won his all-Egyptian clash with
Karim Darwish.
Nicol survives for another day
Peter Nicol almost played his last match today ... coming from 9/4
down in the fifth and saving a match-ball before beating Graham
Ryding 12/10 ...
|
EN BREF ISSUE 2 |
[1]
Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [Q] Peter Barker (Eng)
11/7, 5/11, 11/4, 11/6
[2] David Palmer (Aus) bt [Q]
Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak)
11/4, 11/3, 11/1
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt [9]
Karim Darwish (Egy)
5/11, 11/3, 11/5, 11/10(2-0)
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bt [12]
Azlan Iskandar (Mas) 11/8, 11/5, 8/11,
11/10(5-3) (69m)
[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Alex
Gough (Wal)
11/10(3-1), 11/3, 11/4 (53m)
[14] Olli Tuominen (Fin) bt
Shahier Razik (Can) 8/11, 11/9, 5/11, 11/7,
11/10(4-2) (96m)
[10] Lee Beachill (Eng) bt [Q]
Borja Golan (Esp)
11/7, 11/5, 11/7 (41m)
[3] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt
[Q] Alister Walker (Eng)
11/4, 7/11, 11/2, 11/6 (96m)
[15] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
bt [Q] Hisham Ashour (Egy) 11/9, 11/5, 11/8 (39m)
[11] John White (Sco) bt [Q]
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) 11/6, 11/6, 7/11,
8/11, 11/8 (68m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)
bt Omar Mosaad (Egy)
11/7, 11/5, 10/11(1-3), 11/3 (47m)
[16] Adrian Grant (Eng) bt [Q]
Davide Bianchetti (Ita)
7/11, 11/8, 11/5, 9/11, 11/5 (63m)
[8] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
bt [Q] Tarek Momen (Egy)
11/6, 11/6, 11/5 (31m)
[6] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Graham
Ryding (Can) 11/4, 5/11,
11/9, 9/11, 11/10(2-0) (73m)
[13] Ong Beng Hee </ | | |
"We
never talked about the fact this could be Peter's last match. We
never mentioned it. Because yes, it was a possibility, but we knew
he would never ever let go. Peter doesn’t lose matches. His opponent
has got to win it. It’s a job of every second. He doesn’t give you
anything.
Would
you believe I got stuck in a traffic jam and missed the first
game ...
"I
thought it was a good quality game and I attacked well. I
didn’t do much wrong but could have maybe stepped forward and
imposed myself a bit more. I think Adrian is playing his best
squash ever at the moment."
"I
got my rhythm half way through the first. I felt fine
throughout the whole match except for the last 3 points.
"I
felt very confident today. I feel I know how to counter him.
"Greg
was too good today, his retrieving was incredible and too
consistent for me. I tried to change the pace but not only
does he hit good length he plays winners too. 