SEMIS:

[6] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [4] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)    11/7, 6/11, 11/7, 11/8 (65m)
[2] David Palmer (Aus) bt [13] Wael El Hindi (Egy)         5/11, 11/7, 7/11, 11/6, 11/8 (82m)  

En Bref, Issue #5

[6] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [5] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)
      11/7, 6/11, 11/7, 11/8 (64m)

Ramy reaches Toronto final
Liz Shaughnessy reports

Ramy Ashour, the 19 -year old wonder boy from Egypt, continued to scythe his way through the top players when he beat Australia’s Anthony Ricketts in four action-packed games that had the capacity audience in the 1000 seat John Bassett Theatre roaring and gasping in turns.

Ashour, ranked sixth in the world, started in overdrive and was 7-1 before Ricketts had settled into the game. Although Ricketts fought back he was unable to close the gap as Ashour ran away to an 11-7 win. In the second game Ricketts was fully warmed up and kept the rallies going, waiting for Ashour’s youthful exuberance to go for bad shots. It worked beautifully and it was Ricketts turn to win 11-6.

Although Ricketts led the third game 6-2, he forgot his game plan and made three crucial unforced errors to give Ashour the game 11-7.

Ricketts was getting increasingly irritated with the officials which may have spoiled his concentration and he was unable to regain the control he had established in the second game.

He was finally defeated by Ashour’s lightning speed of shot and instantaneous reaction. Ashour took the final game 11-7 to earn a place in the final and give the visiting Egyptian Ambassador to Canada, his Excellency Dr. Mahmoud El-Saeed, something to smile about.

"I loved the crowd today, such a knowledgeable crowd too, it knows how and when to clap, a great crowd, I enjoyed playing in front of them…

"In the second, he dominated the T more than me, and was playing very fast, and I realised I was trying for too many cross court nicks, that he was able to pick up. So I just changed my game, and went back to basics…

"It was probably the toughest match we had, we've met twice before, but this was definitely the hardest match…

"At the moment, I’m not playing as well as I did in HK, where I was more relaxed, no pressure, but I’ve learned that I have to win even on my bad days…"

"Ramy was too strong today, and as the match went on, he started moving better and better.

"He put the pressure on by retrieving so many shots that I hoped would end the point.

"I’m disappointed obviously as I thought I had a chance, in particular in the third where I had a big lead, and couldn’t finish it off. If I had been able to go up 2/1, things could have been different…"

[2] David Palmer (Aus) v [13] Wael El Hindi (Egy)      5/11, 11/7, 7/11, 11/6, 11/8 (82m)  

MY IMPRESSIONS

Men are wonderful. Here they are in an aquarium, full of raging testosterone, it’s all up and explosive, and they come off court, and all it’s forgotten, they are all compliments and respect for each other.

Beats me, but hey, I’m not your best specimen of a man, am I…

This was a surprising match as to be honest, the general feeling was that “David was going to chew him up”. Well, it was a pretty long chew, 82 minutes, five game to finish three points apart...

It’s not that easy to classify/describe Wael’s game. He doesn’t have your typical Egyptian flamboyant in your face game, no, he seems to cause the most damage as he slows the game down, and gets his opponent to attack too early, or gets to sneak in some pretty good short shots.

Tonight, Wael surprised me as he surprised David. We didn’t think that, after the journey he had in this tournament, he would be able to come back after the second. But he did. All credit to him and to the hard work he’s been producing with Jonah Barrington who seems to have been able to inculcate that bird brain with some discipline…

David was not at his top, but he managed pretty well considering, and yes he’ll be a bit tired for the final, but so will Ramy, who also had to work hard all this week to get to the supreme match.

It will be Toronto, the Revenge from Hong Kong…. Soon on your SquashSite screen…
 

Palmer edges past El Hindi
Liz Shaughnessy reports

The second semi-final was another Egyptian/Australian confrontation, but played with a very different style.

Fifteenth ranked Wael El Hindi did not let the difference in ranking (Palmer is world number two) worry him as he attacked from the outset, catching Palmer a foot off the pace and taking the first game with ease 11-5.

Palmer took control of the second game striking the ball with all his power, mixing his shots well. He won 11-7, but failed to continue his dominance in the ten minute third game as the fearless, always smiling, el Hindi once again used his shots to win 11-7 and take a 2/1 lead. Palmer came back in the fourth game, and leading from the start, tied the match by winning the game 11-6.

The fifth game was a comedy of errors with arguments, counter-arguments and El Hindi taking a three minute injury break, after completing a full rally after he had twisted his leg. Palmer objected, and the subsequent debates with the referee began to turn the match into a minor United Nations.

El Hindi, all smiles, came back to the court late and still had a sock and shoe to put on. Palmer was far from amused by the extended delay, but maintained his cool, taking the game to 10-6.

El Hindi hit two more wonderful winners to get to 10-8, but Palmer secured the match when El Hindi flew flat on his back during a futile dive to get to the ball.

"At the start of the match I felt flat, it happens sometimes on tournaments, you can’t be at your best all the time, I played so well yesterday, so today I was a bit slow to start with…

"For the whole duration of the match, when I was able to pick up the pace, I was in control and leading, but when he was succeeding to slow it down, then he was dominating, and that’s the whole story really…

"All credit to him, he hung in there pretty well I thought, after the second game, I thought I made him work very hard and that he was going to be exhausted and that I was going to run away with it, but he came back very strong…

"I thought it was a very fair match, he played very well, I was a bit flat, but I’m happy to come out with a victory and get into the final…."

"I should have kept him behind me, because he gets uncomfortable if he finds himself at the back. Once you let him to the front, he is so dangerous, in particular in the backhand corner.

"David started to read what I was doing, so he was just a step ahead from me…

"The first and second game were too deep and too heavy on my legs, and as he always wants to take the ball early, I just couldn’t move out of the way as fast as I should have…

"In the fifth, if I could have made the gap I would have been alright, but because he had the lead, he started to go short and go for everything whereas if he is behind scorewise, he plays it safe and goes for long shots…

"I wish I could have been fresher to play this match, but the top guys are getting closer, and if it’s not now, it’s soon. I’ve just got to keep doing the work…"

QUARTERS:

Ramy Ashour bt Azlan Iskandar
  9/11, 11/6, 10/12, 11/9, 11/6 (63m)
Anthony Ricketts bt Gregory Gaultier
  11/5, 16/14, 11/9 (55m)

Wael El Hindi bt Karim Darwish
  4/11, 11/5, 11/9, 6/11, 12/10 (78m)
David Palmer bt Stewart Boswell
  11/7, 11/3, 12/10 (52m)

En Bref, Issue #4