|
"I think I’ve got to thank Joey for this victory…
"A strange match really. The first game was scrappy, neither of us
was actually playing well. Stacey was obviously tired from his
match this morning, went for a few shots, made a few mistakes.
"Then I had to make sure that I kept my concentration, and show
him that I was going to be hard to beat, and that he was going to
have to work hard to beat me today…"
Ben Garner |
|
TIRED
SEMI-FINALISTS…
 The
joy of the BSPA is that the semi-finalists get to play four matches in
two days. Yeah….!
If those guys had a rough match last night, plus a heavy quarter, there
is very little left in the tank.
It’s a bit what happened to Lee Drew and Stacey Ross
today.
Stacey had a very hard game against Joey Barrington, physically of
course, but also mentally, as the referee was really poor, I’m sorry to
say, and the match was uneasy and unpleasant.
“I wasn’t tired tonight, not physically”, said Stacey, “I was just
mentally drained”. So tonight, he fought quite hard in the first, and
then just let go of the points, it was obvious he was not in the game…
Lee had a 74 minute match last night against Ben Ford, that finished
quite late, then had another good run at lunchtime against Steve Meads,
48 minutes, and although he went on court with the intention of winning,
and not to go through the motions, he didn’t have much energy left.
But don’t get fooled by the score, Lee really tried hard, but didn’t
have the “spark” necessary to beat Genever today… |
"He got on it quickly from the start, and took advantage of the
fact I was not all there. He mad sure that he forced it upon me
from the start, all credit to him.
"I wasn’t able to play my game because, when you don’t take the
ball early, you don’t have so many options. So I would get close
to Peter score wise, I was so tired I couldn’t afford to let the
rallies go for ever, I had to cut it short. But because he was so
on to me, I was forced to seize half a chance when it was
presented to me, which of course led me to make too many errors…"
Lee Drew |
|
Saturday 2nd April, QUARTERS
[5/8] Ben Garner bt [1] Scott Handley
11/10(2-0), 7/11, 11/9, 2/11, 11/8 (55m)
[3/4] Stacey Ross bt [5/8] Joey Barrington
11/6,
4/11, 11/8, 11/5 (74m)
[3/4] Peter Genever bt [5/8] Iain Higgins
11/10(3-1), 5/11, 11/9, 11/9 (57m)
[5/8] Lee Drew bt [2] Steve Meads
8/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/7 (48m) |
DRAW &
RESULTS
 "It
was a good game, but I got stuck into a negative game, Ben didn’t.
He played the crucial points better than I did. In the fifth, I
was trying to step up the pace, but like I said, I got stuck into
a negative way of playing, and as Ben was putting the balls away,
I had to be careful with my shots.
"My next tournament is the PSA Irish tournament…"
Scott Handley |
|
COLOURFUL
QUARTERS…
Oh it was all happening in Esporta at lunch time today… Seeds losing,
weird refereeing, dramas…. Yes, an eventful quarter final session…
HANDLEY/GARNER
 On
court one, we had Ben Garner, seed 5/8, playing seed number 1
Scott Handley. Very close first, third, and fifth games, a bit of
challenging the ref, nothing bad, just healthy players trying to
influence a “newish” ref… Nothing out of the ordinary really.
Ben Garner played very good squash, applied good pressure throughout,
but was especially precise at the end of each game he won. The rallies
were disputed, great lengths, lots of running, very good squash indeed.
Scott didn’t do anything wrong, and I had the feeling that maybe, Ben
wanted the victory that much more than his opponent.
[5/8] Ben Garner bt [1] Scott Handley
11/10(2-0), 7/11, 11/9, 2/11, 11/8 (55m)
 "In
the fourth, I wasn’t tired, I just lost concentration, and lost
the game very quickly I must say… The games I won were quite
close, and I was lucky to win the crucial points.
"This is my second victory over Scott in a row, and I would like
to think that I’m improving, as he is a tough opponent, always
hard to beat. I think the difference between losing and winning is
very often a question of confidence, which allows us to win the
crucial rallies.
"My next opponent, Stacey, is playing very well at the moment.
Last time we played, in the Super League, he beat me 3/0, so there
is a little bit of revenge in the air… I think it could be a good
match…"
Ben Garner |
|
ROSS/BARRINGTON
Next court, we had a match that had the potential to be a loooong match,
Stacey Ross, seeded 3/4, against Joey Barrington, 5/8, both known for
their marathon encounters, but should have been a “quiet” one.
It wasn’t.
 I
heard that Stacey used to give referees a bad time, he very rarely does
it nowadays, and I personally never saw him challenging a ref. He just
gives them "the look"... And I never ever saw Joey having arguments with
the Man either. Well, he had today… A lot of them…
If you read my articles on a regular basis, you may have noticed I’m not
that keen on criticising. And especially referees. I know that
refereeing is a hard job, that very few people have the guts and
dedication to assume that role. But when you are overseeing professional
games, a referee’s role goes way beyond a bit of fun at the weekend.
Professional players’ livelihoods depend on winning or losing matches.
And it’s hard enough, thank you very much. They don’t need any more
handicaps.
Taking ages to give a decision, which is very frustrating for the
players (one of the players that was watching the match said “oh, it
looks like he is waiting for the guys to make the decision by
themselves”…), distributing no lets for no logical reasons, strokes that
became no lets… Sorry, but a real mess…
So, I’m going to choose to believe that this charming man (he really is
when not refereeing…) had a bad day, and that’s allowed. But I strongly
advise him to have a good look at why he is refereeing, make sure that
he is doing it for the right reasons, with the right qualifications, and
maybe get assessed, to make sure that he is up to date with the
professional game. Because, at the end of the day, a referee’s role is
to help the game, not to spoil it.
[3/4] Stacey Ross bt [5/8] Joey Barrington
11/6,
4/11, 11/8, 11/5 (74m) |
 "It
was not a pleasant game. I started by playing my game, then got
stuck in playing his, up and down the wall. I get on very well
with Joey, and I normally enjoy playing with him, but the
“outside” circumstances didn’t help us to have an enjoyable game
of squash today…"
Stacey Ross |
|
GENEVER/HIGGINS
Then, back to next door, where old pals Peter Genever, 3/4, and
former Junior British Open Champion under 19, 5/8 Iain Higgins,
were playing.
 It
would be difficult to imagine two more different personalities than
those two. Peter, always smiling that enigmatic smile, with his funny
beard, so laid back he may fall over, and then Iain, with his shaved
hair, pierced earring, a bit of a drama queen.
There was a when point the shouting from one court was interfering with
the shouting from the other court…. Like I said, it was a colourful day
…
So, yes, Mr Higgins is a bit loud, but a very nice person, he is very
much appreciated by the players I spoke to. And that says a lot… And the
squash was of a high standard, long and disputed rallies, well, the
match last 57 minutes for only 4 games, that says it all…
[3/4] Peter Genever bt [5/8] Iain Higgins
11/10(3-1), 5/11, 11/9, 11/9 (57m)
"If you think I was a “drama
queen” today, I used to be much worse, Framboise… I thought that
Peter was playing well today. I’m getting better at each event. My
first tournament was the BSPA last week in Wimbledon, where I beat
Stacey Ross. I stopped playing for about three years, because my
partner had a little girl, and I didn’t want to be on the PSA
circuit anymore.
"I started playing again because I became big and fat, and I
decided to lose weight, and as I was training, I thought, might as
well play then… I think I’m fitter than I ever was. My ambition?
I’m just going to see how it goes…"
Iain Higgins |
|
 "When
I was younger, I used to be very focused in not getting involved
when my opponent was getting argumentative with the referee. But
as I got older, I just learnt to embrace the situation, instead of
refusing it.
"I’m always amazed to see Iain playing, what he can do with his
shots and his racquet is just amazing. He is the most natural
player I’ve ever played against. And when I play against him, I’m
forced to raise my game, because he plays so well.
"You know, he used to be three stones heavier… He is fitter now
than he ever was, and I guess in a way, it was detrimental to his
game, because before, he couldn’t move that well, that easily on
the court, so he used his brain much more, he was particularly
good at finding angles, but now, he can find great width and
length as well, and also enjoy the fourth and fifth games, whereas
before, he was out of gas by then. I guess it’s a new experience
for him to be fit…
"I’m looking forward to play Lee. He beat me in Edinburgh. He is
playing very well at the moment, especially since he trains with
Malcolm. He used to be a little bit more argumentative, and he did
well to stop that interference with his squash. He is more
relaxed, and his squash has improved immensely…"
Peter Genever |
|
DREW/MEADS
 And
to finish the day, we had the second upset seed wise, as Lee Drew,
who has been training in Pontefract for a couple of seasons now, was
playing seed number 2 Steve Meads.
I know that Steve’s little boy has got chicken pox, and that he mustn’t
have had much sleep last night, but that doesn’t take anything away from
a very good performance from Lee, who was constantly in front,
attacking, hitting hard, with a very precise length, and some excellent
volley drop shots.
Steve hung in there, fighting every ball like he always does, if you
want a game from him, come and get it, because he is certainly not going
to offer it to you on a silver plate… But I felt that he was slightly
out of mental energy today, and very rightly, Lee won the match in 48
minutes, 11/7 in the fourth.
[5/8] Lee Drew bt [2] Steve Meads
8/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/7 (48m) |
 "I
felt much more comfortable today than I did yesterday. The
pressure is lifted slightly when you reach your seeding I guess.
For a little while now, I’ve been trying to play squash the way I
want to play squash, I’m not that worried about hitting tins
anymore.
"I’ve evolved a lot since I’ve been training with Malcolm. I’ve
becoming a different player, I’m more relaxed, I’m enjoying my
game more. I’m trying to concentrate less on the result, winning
or losing, and more on the product during the actual game, i.e.
enjoying my game. The pressure of performing well is so heavy, so
big, you want to do so well, you train hard, and you expect a lot
of yourself, too much I guess.
"I like Malcolm’s vision of the game, it helped me change the way
I look at my game…"
Lee Drew |
|
|
Round TWO (Last 16) |
The Draw & Order of Play
Esporta Gallery
 "Scott
worked very hard to win the first game, and I worked hard not to
lose it! As he is seeded one, if I had let him take the opening
game, I had absolutely no chance of coming back. Luckily, I was
able to win it.
"But he is so good, he used the boast just at the right time, you
never know where the ball is going to go, he never hits the same
shot twice, he plays so tight.
"I had a pretty busy week up North, playing for the North West
Counties, and the League, so I’m a bit tired, but I feel ok. I
enjoyed it, it was a hard game…"
Daryl Selby |
Daryl defeated ...
Toni & Keith Ford
Meads happy ...
 "For
a game and a half, I was in control, then half way through the
second, I opened the door, and you really don’t want to do that
against Genever…. Instead of extending the rallies, I went too
short too early, and as I was going short, his length was too
good…
"I feel I should relax more, because when you are relaxing, you
are able to think more clearly, to play better tactics. Today, as
soon as I lost a few points, I would start getting tight. So, I
think the word “RELAX” is the key word at the moment in my
squash…"
Jesse Engelbrecht |
DRAW &
RESULTS
|
Ben Garner bt Ricky Davies
11/7, 11/8, 11/10(4-2) (30m)
 "It
was quite tough, very close throughout the whole game… I was 6/1 up in
the third, and I started to relax, and he came right back, I saved four
game balls, to eventually win in three. It’s nice to have two 3/0
victories today.
"For my match tomorrow against Scott, the man is quick, he is fit, and
he moves around. Recently, he beat me twice, but the last BSPA meeting
we had, I actually beat him. So, it should be close, I will have to be
concentrating well, as Scott is especially dangerous in the English
tournaments…"
Ben Garner
|
DARYL IMPROVING BY THE DAY…
I was quite impressed by the authority that Daryl Selby was able
to impose on his opponents today, and in particular how strong he was
against man in form Scott Handley, seed number one of the
tournament. And even later in the game, when Scott had reassessed his
game and was now attacking all shots as if his life depended on it,
Daryl was retrieving beautifully, following the ball to the four
corners, and reading Scott’s shots as well as humanly possible.
The rallies were long, high paced, with Selby able to control the
rallies in the first game, then Scott in the next three. I was also
impressed by the tightness of Scott’s shots. How many times did Daryl
get the ball stuck in his racquet as he was returning a drop shot, or a
drive…
Impressive precision from the top seed….
Overall, an extremely pleasant match, both men were fit, extremely well
behaved, good atmosphere and respect between the players, a very good
match indeed…
Scott
Handley bt
Daryl Selby
10/11(1-3), 11/4, 11/6,
11/4 (42m)
 "In
the first game, he stepped in front of me, and volleyed a lot,
putting me under a lot of pressure. So, I realised that I had to
step up the pace, get in front of him, and from that moment on, he
could only react to my shots. In the end, the pace was just a bit
too much for him, and forced him slightly out of his comfort
zone."
Scott Handley |
|
MARATHON MATCH…
As I was watching Scott and Daryl, I arrived at the encounter between
Lee Drew and Ben Ford with the score at 9/9, in what I
thought to be a least the second or third game, as the two players
seemed as they had been running for a long time, but which was actually
the first game...
I saw a few great rallies, then a game ball for Lee, and a return of
serve in the tin that gave Colets’ man the first game in 19 minutes.
The second game went on for another 23 minutes, I lob you, I hit you, I
drop you, and I do it all over again, from both players. It was an
impressive game, won on the toss of a coin by Lee on the tie-break, 5-3,
who was now 2/0 up.
And then a complete change of pace from Ben, who suddenly had enough of
that running around business, stepped in front of his opponent, planted
himself on the T, volleyed everything that came near his racquet, and
got some easy points by returning his opponent’s serve in the nick.
Result, he won the next two games in precisely 10 minutes each, 11/8,
11/7.
But if Lee seemed to have an energy drop in the third and fourth, he got
his second wind in the fifth, and shot ahead 8/1. Four errors in a row
for Lee gave his opponent the feeling he could still win here, 5/8, then
7/9. But a mis-hit from Ben gave Lee his first match ball, and a return
of serve in the tin gave him the match, in 83 long minutes.
Steve Meads must be soooo grateful….
Lee Drew
bt
Ben Ford
11/10(2-0), 11/10(5-3),
8/11, 7/11, 11/7 (83m)
 "If
tournaments were still my livelihood, I would be rather p… off
after losing a match that close. But thank God, I’m doing a lot of
coaching these days, in Limpsfield and Charing Cross, so I only
play BSPA locally, to have a good game and enjoy my squash.
In the first two games, I played his game, long rallies and all,
my game is more to go for shots. So I quickly realised that I was
not fit enough to play long rallies, and I quickened the pace. In
the third, I was really tired, and if he had gone 5/0 at that
point, I would probably have let go, but he started to put the
ball into the tin, and gave me another chance…
Ben Ford |
 "It
was a very hard game. The court was very hot, very bouncy. I just tried
to hang in there, it’s a bit of a grinding result.
"Ben played very well I thought. But I must say I was not happy to see
Steve [Meads] watching the match, as he started after me, had the time
to go and take his shower, and I was still playing…"
Lee Drew |
Steve Meads bt Tim Arnold
11/0, 11/7, 11/5 (23m)
"I think he was a bit nervous to start
with, the score was quite harsh, 11/0. Then he played very well in the
second, but in the third, he seemed to lose his game again.
"At the moment, I'm quite match sharp, I’m playing a lot, and I also
very busy with my coaching…"
Steve Meads |
JESSE: CLOSE…
Like Peter Genever said in his aftermatch interview, “there is
such a fine line between us and them, all what it takes is a bit of
confidence…”. And so often you see it, don’t you, the underdog taking
the first game, and then…
Is it a question of confidence, experience, nerves??? Not sure really…
Fitness has a lot to do with it as well. Very often, the challenger is
not used to playing at such a pace for a whole match, and runs out of
gas after one or two games…
The closing match between Peter and Jesse Englebrecht followed
that pattern, with Jesse putting the “Old Timer” under pressure in the
first game, but unable to keep it up for the whole duration.
Jesse was still very dangerous throughout the second game, but Peter
stepped up two gears in the third and fourth, took the ball early,
varied his game between perfect length and exquisite backhand drop shots
in particular, and the cheeky Jesse was quickly out gamed…
A pretty good effort from the young man, but Peter prevailed, and as
usual, it will be a pleasure to see the Gentleman of squash today in the
quarters… Peter
Genever bt
Jesse Engelbrecht
7/11, 11/9, 11/5, 11/5 (47m)
 "I
lost the first game because he was just too good for me. You know,
there is such a fine line between us and them, and sometimes, all
it takes is a bit of confidence… Then he got a bit tired, a bit
edgy… All these young players are tough these days, especially
with my head…
"I know Iain quite well, we used to train in Chingford a lot, he
is very talented, and I’m really looking forward to it…"
Peter Genever |
|
|
Round ONE |
The Draw & Order of Play
Esporta Gallery
Disappointed Shahid ...
Ricky Davies gets ready ...
Ben Garner & Scott Handley
Joey Barrington &
Peter Creed
Chris Tasker-Grindley
Toby Mortimer & Kris Johnson
DRAW &
RESULTS
|
 Jesse Engelbrecht bt Tom Pashley
11/5, 11/10 (2-0), 11/6 (26m)
"I played Tom three months ago, and it was an easy match then, but today
it was much closer. He's improved a lot in just a few weeks ..."
Jesse Englebrecht |
[5/8] Joey Barrington bt Joel Hinds
11/3,
11/4, 11/3 (27m)
 "Joel
is in my father's academy, so we train together all the time. He will be
a good player, he's probably the strongest junior in England right now,
and will soon become a pretty good player.
"He volleys well, he's athletic, now he needs to develop his racket
skills and tactics, which he will do.
"I've been coaching all week at the Academy, on court all day and then
looking after the kids at night too, so this tournament is a bit of a
holiday for me!
"It's a shame I'm missing out on Bermuda next week, I'm ranked 32 this
month, so hopefully I'll make it to the Masters next year."
Joey
Barrington"Joey was just too fast. I should have been more patient, I played too
many ambitious shots and made too many mistakes. He was very patient and
played very few balls to the front, pushing me to the back constantly."
Joel Hinds |
Tom Richards bt Shahid Khan
3/11, 11/9, 11/8, 11/6
"We both wanted to attack, so first of all I had to contain him, then I
could attack. I was extremely patient, my mates who were watching said
that they'd never seen me be so patient.
"I finished third in the Euro U19s in Sweden, which was a little
disappointing as I went there to win. The team spirit was good though,
we all get on well together and it was good to get out and about."
Tom Richards |
[1] Scott Handley bt James Snell
11/2, 11/4, 11/3 (18m)
"I was in control, I was moving quite well and didn't give James much
chance to get into the match. But when I did him him too much space he
would find a good length, so I had to keep the pressure on throughout
the match."
Scott Handley
 "I've
been in the Jonah Barrington Academy for three years now. I come from
Exeter where the squash isn't too strong, so it's good to be able to
play strong players, and it's also good to have the school and the
squash close together.
"I play 8-10 hours a week, and my goal is to make the U19 team for the
World Championships next year, but I'm also interested in my studies. I
would like to go to university to study Sports Science and Business.
"If I had to describe Jonah Barrington in three words, I'd say Mental,
Fun, and a hard Taskmaster."
James Snell
(17) |
[5/8] Ben Garner bt Phil Nightingale
11/4,
11/4, 11/7 (19m)
 "It's
nice to get the first round out of the way, to get used to the court and
the conditions. He kept running after everything, but I didn't want to
stay on there too long as I knew I had a second match later on today."
Ben Garner
 "He
hits quite hard. I was trying to live with his pace, with his game, but
he got most of my shots so I was constantly under pressure. I should
have been more patient with my lengths instead of trying to match his
pace, his length, his shots ... I should have played a tighter game and
maybe I should have played some deceptions, he is so quick , I could
have surprised him.
"It was funny to play Ben again, the last time we played was in the
Surrey Closed 8 or 9 years ago, when I was 13!"
Phil
Nightingale |
[2] Steve Meads bt James Robbins
11/8, 11/7, 11/2 (25m)
"That was a nice game of squash"
Steve Meads
 "I'm
just so tired, I'm not training enough at the moment to be able to give
the likes of Steve a good game, and today I gave away too many shots.
"When I started I was wondering 'should I go for my maximum pace, play
one game and that's it, or try to hang in there as long as I could?' So
I started too quickly and just couldn't keep up with him. He was moving
me around too much, and I just ran out of gas."
James Robbins |
Daryl Selby bt Chris Hall
11/2, 11/3 11/7
Chris Hall played very well, but just found Daryl's precision too much.
Daryl was always in control, commanding the 'T', forcing Chris onto the
defensive for the whole match, retrieving well but given no
opportunities to attack and getting frustrated at times - "What are you
doing ..." he asked himself several times.
 "Chris
is very fast and very fit and he was retrieving everything, so you have
to be very precise. These are nice courts, they suit my game. You can
feel the Summer coming, the ball is quite bouncy.
"I'm, pleased, I played well today, but now I've got a very hard match
coming up against Scott ..."
Daryl Selby |
Tim Arnold bt Colin Payne
11/8, 11/9, 4/11, 9/11, 11/6 (51m)
 "I
play in so many events, Over-35, Over-40, Masters events, Leagues, and
sometimes I just need a break, so I just had three weeks off, and as I
don't coach I'm not on court as much as the others. So I'm trying to
stay strong, but I've got the Home Internationals in Dublin in a month's
time, which I'm quite looking forward to.
"Tim is a nice player, he's very quick, but I suspect that when he saw
me, a 43-year-old guy step on court with him, he though it was going to
be an easy game and he didn't concentrate enough.
"But I'm sure that against a better player he will play much better."
Colin Payne |
Ricky Davies bt David Harris
11/2, 11/4, 11/2
 "David played too many loose balls, so I just had to put them away. He
didn't seem like he really wanted to compete today.
"My ambition was to win the first round. Now it's to beat Ben Garner,
who I meet next, and if that happens I'll just take it from there ..."
Ricky Davies |
 Ben Ford bt Peter Creed
11/8, 11/5, 11/6
"He's very quick around the court, but I still felt comfortable ...
maybe a bit too much. In every game I would go 8-2 up, then relax a
little and hew would get it back to 6-8, as he just kept getting
everything back, so I had to make sure I kept concentrating all the
time."
Ben Ford |
[3/4] Peter Genever
bt
Kris Johnson
11/5, 6/11, 11/6, 11/7 (37m)
Peter Genever, having won the first game, was a bit loose in the
second, losing several points simply by hitting the ball too close to
himself. But in the third and fourth he moved up a couple of gears,
hitting some great backhand drops.
Kris played well in this match, hitting some beautiful lengths and
drives, and even when he found himself several points down he never gave
up ... he's a real fighter ...
|
From
the word go, young Ben Garner was on fire. He was hitting the
ball so hard that Peter Genever sometimes had problems putting
his racquet on it, perfect lengths, nice angles, exquisite backhand
shots, drop shots, volley drop shots and kills, and he was varying his
game at will. The pace was high, and Ben was hitting harder and harder
as the game went on, forcing Peter to stretch constantly, preventing him
from taking any initiative.
So
today was to be Ben’s day, who wins the first BSPA tournament of his
career, after his first PSA win in January 05, the Evergreen Open, in
Vancouver, Canada.
"A
bit tired, a bit mentally low, but most of all, most of all, he
was just too good, and today, I felt every second of my thirty one
years! 
When
I saw Andrea Garner today, Ben’s sister in law, I couldn’t help
noticing the little bump on her stomach. Although you are always a bit
wary of asking a lady “Are you pregnant”, just in case she isn’t, I took
my life in my hands… and phew, I was correct… Tim and Ben Garner are
about to become uncles, and the happy event is planned for June.
“Just
before Sheffield,” she laughed.
THANK
YOU VERY MUCH
hat
I had an open tab at the bar, where I was superbly fed, got me score
sheets, results, a calm place to work, kept my computer safe…
