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EN BREF
Issue #3:
Meet the Chairman,
up to the peak ...

Vicky turns it around
Malcolm reports

Commonwealth triple gold medalist Natalie Grinham was maybe let off the hook by Alison Waters yesterday, whereas Vicky Botwright had been untroubled to reach the quarter-finals.

All the quarter-finals are scheduled on the main court at the centre, and since this plays entirely differently from the outside courts, it was likely that the squash would also be difficult.

The court has been upgraded and though perhaps one sidewall is not appropriately coloured, the court has a much brighter look about it than heretofore.

Grinham started very sharply, whilst Botwright clearly was not settled and the first game was over in a trice, 9/0 to the Australian.

Botwright quickly settled better in the second, after advice from close friend Stewart Boswell, and took a 6/3 lead, both girls playing quite freely in the knowledge that the court rewards the shot-maker.

6/3 became 8/3 and Botwright finished it 9/3, a surprisingly easy game for her after Grinham's superiority in the first.

'What next?' was the question.

At 4/0 to Botwright in the third Grinham began to get testy, as Botwright was playing with increased confidence and not a little skill. 4/0 quickly became 8/0 and, with Grinham surely wondering what was going on after the first, she took the game 9/1.

Botwright called the tune early in the fourth, always leading until Grinham levelled at 5-all.

There were quality rallies and Botwright lobbed well to regin the advantage at 8/5, winning on her first match ball.

Gaultier hands it to Shabana
Malcolm reports

Obviously what happened in this match might hinge on two factors: whether Shabana had recovered form and whether Gaultier had recovered from his fall last night in his match against Adrian Grant.

In the event Gaultier conceded after a hard first game which ended in a tiebreak - after Gaultier had led 10-6 - and a second in which he couldonly offer token reststance. Gaultier decided he had had enough, shook hands and handed Shabana a place in the semi-final against James Willstrop.

Having said all that Shabana looked sharp and back to form, which is good for the game and for the player himself and Gaultier was not impressing in his match against Grant before his fall.

No-one can complain at the shortage of drama. Yesterday was cataclysmic and today already we have seen Natalie Grinham fall and Shabana and Willstrop back to form after unhappy starts to the season.
 

"I couldn't play... I tried to play on one leg, but against Shabana, it's impossible. "So, I though it best to stop after the second game, as I was not sure of what was wrong with me. "I'll have some tests..."

Third time unlucky for Vanessa
Steve reports

This was the third English opponent in a row for second seed Vanesa Atkinson, who had been tested by Becky Botwright and so nearly beaten by Laura Lengthorn.

This time she faced English number one Tania Bailey, and it was to be a different story.

The first game was well contested until 5-all, but Bailey ran away at the end as Atkinson found several tins.

Bailey proceeded to dominate the next two games, having trouble only in finishing them off - six hand-outs at 8/1 in the second and nine at 8/5 in the third.

Finish them she did though, as an impressive 2006 for the British National champion just gets better and better.

She now faces compatriot Vicky Botwright for a place in the final.

"I started well but it was the second game that won the match for me. "Everything worked in that game, everything I tried worked out, every shot went where it should have, my movement was good and I felt strong and in charge. "Vanessa started to fight back in the third and I had a few moments when I was thinking too much about winning and started making a few mistakes. But I got that under control pretty quick. "This is already the best I have done in such a major tour event since I was out of the game for a couple of years with virus problems, and there is the certain prospect of a place in the final for one of us. "I have to say it has been a pretty good day."   to HK Squash

Rachael makes it one
Steve reports

One Grinham sister made it to the semi-finals, as Rachael came up against fellow Cairo-resident Omneya Abdel Kawy.

The glass court is more suited to both their games, Rachaels flicks, lobs and angles more likely to die than on the upstairs courts, and Kawy's lethal drops are made for this type of court.

But it was the Australian who made the most of it as she kept Kawy under control for most of the match, only in the second could Kawy pose a real challenge.

In the final two games the Egyptian was moving less and less to the front, allowing Rachael to dominate the play, putting in several unanswered drops as she eased through into the semi-finals.

"Too many mistakes. I was patient in the second game, I tried not to play my shots too early, until she gave me a loose shot to attack. "Sometimes I tried to put her to the back again to unsettle her, she knows my game, knows I like to go to the front. "But I was making mistakes, I think she was maybe putting the ball loose so that I would go for shots and miss!"

James back on song
Malcolm reports

James Willstrop has had a tough time of it this season, but back in Hong Kong where he played well in the Worlds in 2005, he came back to form with a high quality performance against Karim Darwish.

Controlling the ball, he had Darwish under pressure from the start, forcing errors and making shrewdly selected winners of his own.

Only briefly was Darwish able to use his racket skills to any effect, as Willstrop switched pace and gave the Egyptian no chance to feel comfortable.

In each game Willstrop took control, gained well-earned leads and in the first two resisted attempted comebacks in composed fashion.

Darwish offered less in the third, sensing that to come from 2/0 down was almost impossible and in the end Willstrop was with his head in his chest, as they say in my other favourite sport [meaning he eased to victory].

He will be pleased to be back and doubtless happy with the way he played.

A good run for Nicol
Malcolm reports

Recent indications have been that Nicol David is asserting herself ahead of the rest of the world's leading women players.

What has happened so far in Hong Kong has done nothing to allay that suspicion. The Grinham sisters and Vanessa Atkinson have all looked vulnerable to some extent and with age on her side David could become dominant.

Looking supremely fit and moving accordingly she won a well-contested first game against Madeline Perry 9/4. Perry played well enough, hit a couple of cracking winners, but David covered the rest with some ease.

However Perry is a much-improved player, and she took an 8/1 lead in the second which the world number one then set about eroding with a certain inevitability.

At 8/5 she was definitely back and Perry must not have been able to believe it when she lost it 10/8 to go two down. She knows, though, that such recoveries are what world champions do.

David was not going to get involved in such a situation again and got to 6/2 despite continued resistance from Perry. She closed out the match for a rematch of the British Open final with Rachael Grinham.

"That was quite a workout. Madeline played very well, I consider her, Natalie and Rachael as 'bunny rabbits' in the same vein as Nicol, they always give her a good workout." Nicol's trainer

No stopping Ashour
Malcolm reports

The last of the day's men's quarter-finals was between two younger players who had put out Thierry Lincou and Lee Beachill in the quarters. Ramy Ashour, twice the world junior champion, and Peter Barker, recently much improved.

Barker started well and in a varied and entertaining opening game led 9/5. A tin by Ashour gave Barker the firstof several possible game balls, the first of which he took readily.

The second game was pacy, exciting, and full of variation. At 9-all Ashour produced a wonderful low backhand and then won the game on a stroke. The quality was such that the crowd was enthralled and no-one was doubting bothplayers' right to be in the quarter-final of such a prestigious event.

The third game continued nip and tuck until the later stages when Ashour gained some ascendancy and led 10/7. It was not all over though, and Barker pulled back to force a tiebreak. He served for the game at 11/10, but two outrageous nicks gave Ashour a game which he gratefully took. Two-one looked a big advantage in a matchsuch as this.

Despite the game going to a tiebreak there hadbeen signs thatAshour was gaining an advantage, reinforced by the 2/1 lead, and he soon went to 5/1 in the fourth. 5/1 became 8/2 and then 10/3. He finally won it 11/5.

It had been a quality match, thoroughly entertaining. Ashour must be in the top ten officially anytime now, and on the evidence of his performances in Hong Kong, Barker will be joining him soon.

"I thought I played really well, just as well as yesterday. Ramy was just fearless, went for his shots and played excellently, all credit to him. "I'm disappointed to lose having played so well, but not disappointed at all in how I played. It's been a great week."

Palmer at last
Steve reports

The last match of the day looked as it it would be, in the end, a routine 3/0 win for world champion David Palmer.

Palmer had got the better of two very competitive first games, and Boswell's effort in the previous days looked to be finally taking their toll as Palmer eased ahead in the third moving to 5/2, 7/4 and 9/5.

But Boswell wasn't finished, far from it. Palmer may have eased off a little, and Boswell took full advantage as he reeled of six unanswered points to cut the deficit.

The fourth started evenly, but from 4-all a string of errors from Palmer virtually handed the game to Boswell.

Withboth players diving around the court towards the end of the game, Palmer entered into an extended discussion with the referee about the possibility of a let should one player fall and make the floor wet.

The request was denied, and it seemed that Palmer's focus could be affected, but in fact the reverse happened and he started the fifth in clear control, moving smoothly to 6/0 to kill off the prospect of another upset for Boswell.

What turned out to be the longest match of the day was quickly over from there as Palmer, winner in New York, continues to look in ominously good form.

Hong Kong Open 2006  by SquashSite

 www.squashsite.org.uk/hk