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Malcolm Willstrop at The Crucible ... 

Semi-finals day at The Crucible

Sport, like life, has a way of preventing complacency by kicking you in the face and the men's semi-finals were certainly not kind to the English pair, Peter Nicol and Lee Beachill.

Nicol may have used up his share of Dame Fortune's favours in Melbourne and the happenings on quarter-finals night did him no favours: he had another gigantic match with David Palmer, coming from 1-0 and 7-1 down. Add to that that his semi-final opponent, Gregory Gaultier, had been first on and had disposed of a below-par Stewart Boswell summarily.

The odds looked stacked against him and so it was. Gaultier, confident, hit the ball with great certainty, producing decisive shots with deception and an element of surprise.

There were times when it seemed Nicol might get on terms, but Gaultier was not going to let sentiment affect the quality of his play. He was an impressive winner.

It needs saying that both players walked away from every doubtful ball. What an example to those sports where cheating is the order of the day.

The Thierry Lincou – Lee Beachill match looked finely balanced, both having had similarly hard matches in the quarters.

But once again fate played its hand, depriving the crowd of what looked certain to be a match of quality.

Lincou began more quickly than previously, attacking, like his younger compatriot in the previous match with assurance.

He led 7-2 when Beachill took a nasty fall in the backhand back corner. The replay confirmed everyone's worst fears showing just how bad it was and it seemed unlikely he could continue even after a three-minute injury break. He tried, but it was clear it was boyond him and he soon shook hands.

So an all-French final: not what an English crowd or BBC television would have wanted, but on the evidence of what we have seen Lincou and Gaultier are in excellent form and definitely the best players at this year's Mamut English Open.

Women's semi-finals

The four semi-finalists in the women's event did themselves and the women's game a power of good.

Top seeded Lauren Briggs had to keep on top of British Universities Champion Lauren Siddall, now playing full-time after completing her degree course at Leeds University. She won 3-0 in a 50-minute match, Siddall threatening more than once to win a game, which her efforts deserved.

Briggs will meet Laura Hill, as full-time firefighter, in the final after the latter had beaten Becky Botwright 3-2, having looked likely to come off second-best for most of the time.

It was a fascinating and well-contested match, both girls playing quality squash.

Botwright may well be left wondering how she lost, and part of the answer is down to the sustained tenacity of her opponent.

Credit, though, to both girls.

Gregory Gaultier began a match that looked close on paper in tremendous fashion, pinning Stewart Boswell deep in the court and creating uncertainty from the first rally.

Nor did things get better for the beleaguered Australian, as he not unnaturally became increasingly frustrated, as Gaultier sustained an almost flawless performance for three games in which Boswell acquired very few points.

After his fine win over Anthony Ricketts on Tuesday, Boswell will be grossly disappointed by his inability to make an impact on the Frenchman. But the credit must go to Gaultier, who, if he continues to play with such authority will take some beating.

Lincou takes on Sheffield …

The hopes of Sheffield rested on the square shoulders of Nick Matthew as he took on the might of France in the shape of Thierry Lincou, two strong men, neither of whom would be taking the proverbial backward step.

The Frenchman is an habitual slow starter, but it hasn’t stopped him holding the number one spot for twelve consecutive months or from being one of the most successful players of recent times.

He again lost the first game, although there wasn’t much in it, but picking up momentum as he does, he took the second to level up.

In matches as demanding as this the third game has added significance, with whoever wins it having a psychological advantage, as well as a practical one. Both players competed as if well aware of it and it was the persistent Frenchman who clinched it 11/9.

With strong local support Matthew battled, as he does, to stay in the match, but Lincou held firm and was through to the semis.

It’s still Lee …

It is certain that these two, who have been together at Pontefract for twenty years, would rather not play each other if there was any way to avoid it. But it was Willstrop, who showed greater signs of unease, when after several hard, well-contested rallies early on, he handed the first game to Beachill with a series of errors. Some were forced by Beachill’s fundamental control, others by his own disposition.

Well down in the second, as Beachill continued to play with authority Willstrop pulled himself together and only lost the second narrowly. He continued to battle, made Beachill less dominant and as the quality of the match rose, took the third, now looking well in the match.

Although Beachill was now not in the same sort of control he had early in the match, he continued to play well and although there were signs that Willstrop might take the match into the fifth, it didn’t quite materialise.

Beachill will be well pleased, confirmation of good form in preparation; Willstrop was less happy, denied the opportunity to express himself and unable to obtain that first win over his training partner.

Nicol still there …

David Palmer had looked sharp in his opening match with Alex Gough and he began against Peter Nicol as if he was well into the season, leading 1-0 and 7-1. But once Nicol began his fightback to 5-9 and then to win the second game, there was a feeling of inevitability about it, even though it was never less than tough.

Nicol would want to win for all sorts of reasons, not least because, as he said afterwards, he enjoys the feeling. The vast majority of the large crowd also wanted him to win, which never does any player harm.

So much of the desire and focus, so obvious in Melbourne at the Commonwealth Games, emerged in this, his farewell to PSA squash in this country.

Though there was never much in it, this great champion went on to win 3-1, as Palmer could no longer impose himself.

So to a semi-final with Gregory Gaultier, who won’t be feeling sentimental about Nicol’s impending retirement. He represents the next generation, is already there, and will be eager to prove himself.
  

Beachill starts slowly ...

Lee Beachill began a little slowly against Azlan Iskandar, who went on the attack immediately. The Malaysian was soon pressed as Beachill began to find some of the control for which he is renowned.

Iskandar's problem at elevated levels, even though he is himself ranked 12, is that he has an attraction to the tin, and it is a fatal one.

As Beachill improved in all areas he became more difficult to play, but his cause was certainly aided by Iskandar's errors, which were self-inflicted for the most part.

He has yet to beat a world top ten player and will need to reduce the error rate to do so.

Beachill can now look forward tomorrow night to a quarter-final with clubmate and friend James Willstrop.

Willstrop in the groove ...

James Willstrop had the benefit of winning the Novartis eight man invitation in Cleethorpes last weekend, which gave him three matches, two highly competitive, against Joey Barrington and in the final against Adrian Grant.

The benefits of that were quickly seen in his match with Renan Lavigne, who had done well to win his qualifying final against Australian Cameron Pilley. He began very sharply, hitting the ball cleanly and moving well.

Lavigne, giving his best as he always does, was by no means out of it, though there was never a chance of an upset. The Frenchman led 7/5 in the third, but that was as far as he went.

Willstrop will be heartened by his performance, and he said in his post-match interview he is looking forward to locking horns with the top ten or so in the world in the weeks and months to come.
 

Tue 15th Round One:    

[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [Q] Alex Gough (WAL)       11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (41m)
[5] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Peter Barker (ENG)                5-11, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-7 (57m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [3] Anthony Ricketts (AUS)   9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6 (74m)
[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG)    11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (50m)
   

Boswell beats Ricketts ...

It is inevitable these days in World Tour events that in the first round there are matches which would stand as finals.

This encounter between two Australian friends would meet that description.

Ricketts began the better and took a lead, but Boswell settled and in the end Ricketts won it narrowly. Boswell continued on the up in the second, aided by some high-quality play into the front left, and having leveled at one-all went on to lead 2/1.

But Ricketts came back strongly in the fourth, and keeping Boswell away from his strong areas he won the fourth impressively, looking as if he would go on to win.

Boswell, however, was having none of it, took an early lead in the fifth, maintained it, and in truth always looked the likely winner.

Neither should be too disappointed with their first match of the season, but Ricketts will not be happy to not have a second match, which would have been invaluable at this stage of the season.

Boswell will now face Gaultier and if he performs as well on Thursday, he will go close.

Quality Assured at The Crucible
Mamut English Open preview

Although 2005/06 was arduous to say the least, I have no doubt the world's best players are now sufficiently rested to be looking forward to the new season.

What makes everything more crucial is that the World Championships are early this year – at the end of August in Cairo. So how well sited is the Mamut English Open this year and how important, as the players look for appropriate match play to back up their summer training.

Mamut and Eventis have therefore been suitably rewarded by the entry at The Crucible, which included eight of the world's top ten.

Squash watchers have been spoiled in recent times by the fare offered by the world's leading professionals, since matches good enough to be finals have been seen in the last sixteen.

In Sheffield there is such an example, with Thierry Lincou facing John White in the first round.

Should seedings work out the quarter-finals would look like this:

    David Palmer v Peter Nicol
    Anthony Ricketts v Gregory Gaultier
    James Willstrop v Lee Beachill
    Thierry Lincou v Nick Matthew

It doesn't really matter what combination the quarters throw up, matches of the highest quality are guaranteed and the English Open draw is no exception.

Palmer and Nicol replay the Commonwealth final, when Nicol was so mentally strong. He has plenty of motivation here, the holder, member of the Eventis team and his second-last PSA championship ever.

Ricketts and Gaultier offer a match of physical properties, but that is by no meant to underrate their squash. They are without doubt more skilful than first appearances might suggest and Ricketts is a proven winner.

Willstrop and Beachill will offer a different sort of match where precision will be a dominant factor. Willstrop hasn't beaten Beachill, but their matches usually satisfy the purist.

Newly-wed Lincou will do battle with British Champion Matthew, local boy, who reached the final last year. This is another heavyweight contest, where home advantage may play a part.

However these potential matches are viewed it would be hard to name a favourite in any of them. All the players will be freshened up, raring to go and none of them will lack motivation. The crucial factor may be their state of preparedness.

With the worlds to follow and the Gerrard and British Open soon after, they will all be hoping to be well forward with so much at stake immediately.

Although August may not be the best of months with people away on holiday, my hope is that Northern squash enthusiasts will respond and fill The Crucible to create an atmosphere suitable for the cream of the world's players.

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