Four Fantastic Quarters
Steve Cubbins reports from Hamilton

The audience at the BHS in Hamilton were treated to a fine quartet of quarter-finals today, as Amr Shabana, Thierry Lincou, Gregory Gaultier and Peter Nicol reached the semi-finals.

In the first session Shabana came through thriller with James Willstrop, while Lincou wore down Nick Matthew.

The evening session saw Gaultier dominate all but a third-game tie-break against against Ong Beng Hee, and Nicol turn in a masterclass against David Palmer.
  

SCOREVISION
Daily Video Updates,
Stats, Live Scoring, and more ...


En Bref Issue #3

Shabana Shaves it
 
When you get the world numbers one and three, two of the most skilled shotmakers in the world, on court together, there's going to be fireworks ...  and the crowd here in Hamilton were treated to an absolutely fabulous match which ended with both players absolutely exhausted.

A brisk start by Willstrop, taking him to a 5/1 lead was countered as Shabana slowed the pace and kept the ball to the back, but was still quick to take any attacking opportunity offered. A flying volley into the nick levelled at 5-all, but Willstrop pulled away again, getting the better of some high-speed rallies with both players scrambling from one corner to the next, taking the game 11/8 on a no let that left Shabana distinctly unamused.

The Egyptian was off to a flyer in the second, and with the ball seemingly less bouncy than in the first game was able to put in his trademark winners from all over the court to level the match.

The third was crucial, and they both knew it. Shabana led 5/1 and 9/4 but Willstrop found something extra. Both were running like crazy, slow exchanges down either side of the court would suddenly explode as first one then the other saw an opening and went for it. As Willstrop clawed his way back, Shabana became more desperate to finish it. At 10/8 the Egyptian dived full-length into the back in a vain attempt to keep the ball alive, but couldn't stop Willstrop levelling.

The tie-break was full of drama. At 12-all there was a huge rally with both players having several goes at finding the winner, ending on a stroke to Shabana. At game ball down Willstrop made a fantastic get, but couldn't get out of the way of the ball and was stroked again, to his extreme annoyance.

The fourth was a carbon copy. Shabana led 3/0 and 9/5, Willstrop found some extra from somewhere and started another comeback.

At 10/8 they played the longest rally of the match - of the tournament probably - it was anything but dull, but inevitably ended in a let. Then they did it all again, and after some fantastic pick-ups by Willstrop he finally, finally, couldn't get there, and as James propped himself up on the back wall, Amr fell flat on his back, exhausted and relieved.

The crowd rose as one to salute a fantastic match. As James said afterwards, Shabana has to do it all again tomorrow ...

"That was unbelievable. I'm shattered but he's got to come back and do that again tomorrow. It was a brutal game, a brutal ending, but that's what the challenge of squash is all about. "I felt a bit fat and slow in the first two games, especially the second, and he exploited my movement well today. It was hard work especially in these conditions, I think I've lost a little fitness over the last few weeks away. "I came back well in the third and did everything I could to win, I knew that game was crucial, but a couple of loose balls at the end gave it to him. "The fourth was similar, but rallies like that one at the end just take everything out of you, it's gut-wrenching, you just have to keep on pushing and hope to take it. "I suppose I can't be that unfit, I've just played 1h 20m at that pace, but playing well, especially in these big tournaments, doesn't take away the disappointment of losing. "I'm very disappointed but it's been an absolute pleasure to play here."

Lincou advances over Matthew

The second quarter-final lacked the intensity of the first -  it was more of an attritional battle, with two players more intent on working openings than going for explosive winners, and was played much more in the back of the court.

Matthew made his traditional strong start against Lincou, the Frenchman helping the English cause with more than a few unforced errors. He worked his way back into the game, but 5/0 and 8/2 was too much of a start to give Matthew.

After an even start to the second it was Lincou who pulled away, helped this time by some errors from Matthew. The third was close all the way, Lincou forcing the tie-break with a cross-court volley that Matthew felt he could have reached and was aggrieved at the no let decision, and Lincou's pressure in the next two rallies forced Matthew to lift the ball out as the Frenchman took the lead.

Matthew led in the fourth, got to 7/4, but from there Lincou bossed most of the rallies as he put Matthew under enough pressure to force errors or winning opportunities, and after a mad scramble that too the Frenchman to 9/7 the last two points were over quickly as Lincou advanced towards a date with a certain Mr Shabana.

"Nick always starts fast, and I've always struggled to have a good start against him, in the beginning I couldn't see the ball very well today. "We've had some tough matches lately, luckily I've won most of them but you know you're going to have to work hard. We were both trying to control the T, get in front and volley, but it's hard work. "Once I got going I felt much better on court today, it was less hot and humid which is better for the players, and the spectators. "The draw can make a difference, it was a tough four games but Shabana had the same so I will be keen to play him tomorrow. The rest is the important thing now, taking care to let the body recover, have a massage, get ready for tomorrow. "I was surprised to hear that there was a lot of support for me from the crowd, I was pleased with that. This is my fourth time here and I find the atmosphere very relaxing, being an island like where I come from the people are relaxed and friendly. It's richer here, but very similar. "It's one of the best locations on the tour, so well organised it makes things easier for you, you just have to concentrate on your matches ..."

Gaultier gets there in the end

This could, and probably should, have been one of the longest straight games wins since the introduction of eleven scoring.

Without doing anything spectacular France's Gregory Gaultier controlled the match for two and nine-tenths games, but simply couldn't close out the third game as Ong Beng Hee played a tenacious ending to extend the match to a fourth game.

Patient rallies were the order of the day as Gaultier, after three unforced errors at the start of the match, thereafter played virtually error-free, if unadventurous squash to keep Beng Hee firmly in check.

The Malaysian couldn't find the shots or the rhythm to move Gaultier out of his comfort zone, and for his part the Frenchman was quite happy to play the patient game and await the occasional error or loose shot from Ong.

Ong wasn't playing badly, at all, but he was always the one on the back foot, always struggling to catch the game. Gaultier took the first two games and led comfortably in the third.

Ong recovered to 8-all but the Frenchman put in a tight drive and delicate drop to reach match ball.

Ong, typically, saved the first with a service return into the nick.

But then we got stuck. Gaultier was on 10-9 match ball for seven whole minutes. Seven lets, then the Frenchman hit the tin. He would have three further chances at 11/10, 12/11 and 13/12, but Ong saved them all then struck to take the game.

Had the tide turned, we thought. No. Gaultier came out and took the fourth game in just eight minutes. His control was back and the Malaysian's level dropped from the high of the tie-break.

I was a strange sort of game, tense and intense during the end of the third but somewhat subdued for the rest of it. And the court rats weren't called on once, figure that one ...

Nicol Masterclass

Peter Nicol turned in a masterclass here tonight, outplaying David Palmer for two and a half games before digging in to complete a victory that left the Hamilton crowd awestruck.

Palmer probably wasn't expecting the sort of intensity he got from Nicol during the Commonwealth Games final, but after the Australian won the opening exchanges to lead 3/1 and 5/3, he found himself up against an opponent just as determined to run everything down as he did in Melbourne, but also more willing to attack.

The rallies were long and punishing, with Nicol soaking up the punishment, retrieving everything, and when a loose ball came ... bang.

Palmer was trying everything, but Nicol was on to every difficult ball in a flash. At 10/4 in the second Nicol was in all sorts of trouble, but kept on retrieving until Palmer put an easy volley into the tin.

He started the third in the same vein, reaching 3/1 with retrieving that made me scribble "how did he get that?" in my notes, forcing another error from the Australian. The crowd couldn't believe it either.

But on the next rally Palmer finally won one of those huge rallies, converting the pressure he was exerting into a winner, and we wondered if that was a turning point.

In a way it was - the rallies were just as hard, but it was even now, as the scores went up together to 6-all. Palmer went to 9/6 with three wonderful shots, and reached 10/7 with a volley that was just too good.

But a fantastic scramble, a casual cross-court nick and another of those "how did he get that?" rallies brought Nicol level and the crowd to fever pitch.

Palmer had one more chance, couldn't convert it, and Nicol finished the match with a fabulous volleyed winner to end a fabulous performance.

"I got tired early and didn't have the energy to play my type of game. I was playing at his pace and didn't have the energy to get forward enough. "At 10/8 in the third I had two rallies I should have won, but if you don't win the third you don't get another chance. "He was pretty relaxed, hit a lot of winners, but the general pace was slow which suited him better, and he didn't miss many shots, that's for sure." David Palmer

• TODAY • SEMIS • QUARTERS • Day FOUR • Day THREE • Day TWO • Day ONE • Day Zero •