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Thu 29th
Nov - Quarter-Finals |
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[1] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [5] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
10/12, 11/6,
12/10, 11/5 (64m)
[3] David Palmer (Aus) bt Alex Gough (Wal)
11/5,
11/4, 11/4 (41m)
[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [4] James
Willstrop (Eng)
11/8, 11/6,
11/4 (60m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt [6] John White (Sco)
12/10, 11/6,
11/5 (55m)
Matthew wins English clash
to join top three in semis ...
The top three seeds duly won through to the semi-finals, where they
will be joined by Nick Matthew, who overcame James Willstrop, the
fourth seed, in an all-English match.
Willstrop looked understandably jaded from his earlier exploits, and
when Matthew won some crucial tough rallies in the second game a
third comeback from Willstrop looked unlikely.
Matthew plays Gregory Gaultier, after the Frenchman weathered a
typical John White barrage to emerge a straight-games winner over
the sixth seed.
The other semi-final features two players who know all about World
Open semi-final, as Amr Shabana and David Palmer both have two
titles to their name and contested the 2005 final.
Top seed Shabana recovered from a game down to beat Thierry Lincou
while Palmer ended the fairytale run of Welsh veteran Alex Gough.
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Sue's Blog
Issue #3
Daily News Issue #7 |
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[1]
Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [6] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
10/12, 11/6,
12/10, 11/5 (64m)
Shabana true to his word
"I'll be five times better next time," said Amr Shabana after his
last match. Maybe he wasn't quite that good, but still, his game by
game improvement continues and he was very impressive tonight as he
beat Thierry Lincou in a repeat of their 2003 World Open final.
The Frenchman started the better, maintaining a slender lead
throughout the first, but Shabana's clenched fist as he took the
second to level spoke volumes.
Despite three spectacular slips in the third game this time it was
the Egyptian who kept his nose in front. Lincou levelled at 8-all,
breathed a sigh of relief as Shabana tinned his first match ball but
conceded a stroke on the second to fall behind.
The fourth was all Shabana. Quickly 5/0 up, and not long after 11/5
and marching into another semi-final.
 "I
was forcing it in the beginning, probably because of the size and
importance of the match. I realized what he was doing, hitting it
low and hard, he usually plays much slower.
"I started to realize what I needed to do, I was using the wrong
strategy so I changed my gameplan, slowed it down and I was prepared
to stay out there for ten hours if that's what it took.
"I got ahead in the third then took a couple of risks which didn't
pay off and I was 7/5 ahead. They would have finished it off but
instead he was level and I still had to work hard from there.
"In the first round my body felt good but my shots weren't crisp. In
the second round my shots were good but my body wasn't right.
Tonight I was 100% in both, so I'm extremely happy to play like that
and make the semi-final."
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[3]
David Palmer (Aus) bt Alex Gough (Wal)
11/5,
11/4, 11/4 (41m)
Alex turns back time
 It's
nine years since Alex Gough played his last world open
quarter-final, ten since he reached the semis, so it would have been
asking a lot for the nearly-37-year-old Welshman to seriously
challenge David Palmer, who last won the title ... last year.
Alex stuck in well, but could never quite make headway against
Palmer's mixture of steady play with the odd burst of power.
He grumbled in little in the second, but that didn't light his
flame, and when he fluffed his first two shots of the third,
Palmer's low drives dribbling around at the back, a look of
resignation set in.
The last rites of the third game were just what the doctor ordered
for David, a nice little runout before his showdown with Shabana.
Alex thinks this court suits the Aussie, but then again he does tend
to struggle with slippy floors, so maybe it's all square going into
that semi ...
 "Whoever
you play in a world open quarter-final they're going to be playing
well. Shawn and I prepared for this match concentrating on my game
not the opponent. Yes, it's a good draw but I've had a few bad ones
recently so one went my way for a change.
"Alex is a confidence player, I just wanted to play good squash, if
the shot was there take it, if not put it to the back, and I managed
to keep a few points ahead which was important.
"I'm in the semis, the body is ok which is good considering we've
played a lot of squash in the last month. "It's an unbelievable
effort from Shabana to win the last three tournaments in a row, but
hey, I'm defending champion and I hope to still be after tomorrow
"
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 "It
was an Aussie that beat me in the quarters nine years ago too -
Hilly!
"I felt great going into it, but I said before the event that this
court would suit Palmer, he crunches the ball so hard and low you're
always under pressure.
"I lost so many points from balls I just couldn't dig out, the first
two in the third game were killers. He's still my favourite to win
it,
"I've had a great tournament, no disgrace, the body can't take too
much more of this but I loved every minute of it. I'll probably play
one more in Manchester next year and then that will be it
"
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[7]
Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [4] James
Willstrop (Eng)
11/8, 11/6,
11/4 (60m)
One too far for James
Could James Willstrop do it
again? Short answer, no. If the British National Champion had looked
flat in the first two games of his first two matches that was just a
prelude to two magnificent comebacks.
 This
time though we knew why he looked flat, and as well as Nick played -
he pretty much controlled the whole match, winning some punishing
rallies whenever James threatened - he once again did just what was
necessary to come through.
So one Englishman - one Yorkshireman - will contest the semis, and
he'll be in good form and fairly fresh when he does so ...
 "After
what James did in the first two rounds, I knew he wasn't superhuman
so I knew getting that second game was crucial.
"There were some very tough rallies in there, and somehow, I don't
know how, I managed to win all of them, just a bit of luck really.
Games can turn on rallies like that and the momentum can change
quickly.
"It's my first world open semi, I'll enjoy it for ten minutes then
regroup, work on the things that werent so good, but I'm really
excited to be through to tomorrow
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[2]
Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt [6] John White (Sco)
12/10, 11/6,
11/5 (55m)
End of the road for John ...
John White's fabulous run finally came to an end tonight, but the
3/0 scoreline to Gregory Gaultier doesn't really do justice to the
big man, who was there for a game and two half games ...
The first could have been anyone's as the lead changed hands time
and again. Amid some fast-paced rallies White edged ahead 10/8 but
Greg struck back to win the next four points - three of them tin
from his opponent.
Not to be deterred, he was winning the second two, getting the
better of some of those frantic rallies he seems to enjoy so much.
But 6/4 was as far as he got. Greg played one from the back just too
close and smacked the ball into John's leg. Despite John's
protestations the refs (all of them) decided it was going to the
front wall.
Concentration broken, John hit he tin off the next serve and whacked
his leg with his racket, and lost the next five points too, four of
them tins.
 The
third followed the same pattern - nip and tuck to 5-all, and then
John hit the wall. Three quick points took Greg to 8/5, and then we
had an absolute monster rally. John ran like a demon to keep in it,
sliding from corner to corner as he does, but he was visibly hurting
as it went on. Then Greg turned the screw - he wasn't trying to win
the rally any more, he just kept it going ... and going ... and
going.
That was it, match over. On match ball John hit the ball close to
himself, Greg offered his hand, and it was John as well as Greg who
berated the refs for only giving a let (it was a clear stroke to
most observers). One long rally later and it really was all over ...
 "I
shouldn't have lost the first. He was losing control and I let him
back in too easily. I was 6/4 up in the second too and didn't win
another point. It disturbed me when he hit me on the leg, I though
it was going to the side wall and that preyed on my mind.
"10/8 up, 6/4 up and I go 2/0 down, it's a long way back against
Gaultier from there. It' just one of those frustrating matches, you
think you've got it and it slips away.
"But it's been a good event, I'm pleased to get to this stage but
disappointed to lose 3/0 tonight.
"Retirement? Very soon
"
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 "It
was a tough game, I had to keep the ball away from him, he's very
tall and fast, it's not easy.
"He hits the ball so hard it's difficult to control, I had to keep
it nice and tight and tried to keep the pace high at the same time.
"I've won the last three matches against Nick, but they've all been
very close
"
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