Alan Thatcher's Squash Blog

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Your lace or mine?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:02:21 +0000

Nick Matthew gets in front of Tom Richards. Picture by STEVE CUBBINS

World Champion Matthew Puts Richards In His Lace

17 May 2012

RESULTS: PSA World Series Allam British Open, London, England

2nd round (lower half of draw):
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 (68m)
[8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 12-10, 9-11, 11-2, 11-3 (58m)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 7-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-6 (57m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (33m)

World champion Nick Matthew reached the quarter-finals of the Allam British Open with a ruthless performance againstTom Richards – having lent his England team-mate a shoelace in the middle of the second game of the second round match of the PSA World Series squash event at the O2 Arena in London.

Unseeded Richards stopped play as his lace broke and, without a spare, he could only play on when Matthew went to his own bag to find a spare.

When the players returned to the court, Richards won the second game – but third seed Matthew regained control in ruthless and disciplined fashion to win the third and fourth as Richards’ challenge faded.

“I wish I hadn’t lent him that shoelace,” said the two-time champion after his 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 victory in 68 minutes. “It was a ridiculous decision to give Tom a let for a broken shoelace. I’ve never heard that one before.

“But, that apart, he is a top-16 player who has just made his England debut and I had to be on my guard the whole way through,” explained the 31-year-old from Sheffield.

“When it went to one-all in games I had to respond in the third. I was pleased to win that and at the start of the fourth there were some stoppages and it took a while to get back into my rhythm.

“But overall I am very pleased with the win and am feeling good.”

In Friday’s quarter-finals, the Yorkshireman meets Dutch No1 Laurens Jan Anjema, who swept past South AfricanStephen Coppinger 12-10, 9-11, 11-2, 11-3.

Matthew added: “LJ is like Tom, another player knocking on the door and hungry for a major scalp. No more rest days now. I’m glad about that. We are at the business end of the tournament and it would be great to see the O2 Arena full up with squash fans making lots of noise at this amazing venue.”

Second-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier ended the run of English qualifier Jonathan Kemp in just 33 minutes and now faces a tough challenge from No6 seed Peter Barker. The Essex-based left-hander dropped the first game to Indian No1 Saurav Ghosal but recovered to control the rest of the match.

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) v [7] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
[4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [5] Amr Shabana (EGY)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [6] Peter Barker (ENG)

Official event website: www.britishopensquash.net

For all the latest Tour news: www.psaworldtour.com

Shoe me the way to go home: Tom Richards' British Open hopes come undone. Picture by STEVE CUBBINS

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Ramy fights his inner demons to reach last eight

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:37:19 +0000

Ramy Ashour in action at the O2

By ALAN THATCHER

PSA World Series: Allam British Open, London, England.

Results – 2nd round (top half of draw):
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Alister Walker (BOT) 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (79m)
[7] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Adrian Grant (ENG) 12-10, 11-4, 11-8 (37m)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 12-10, 11-4, 11-4 (32m)
[4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 (49m)

Egyptian squash superstar Ramy Ashour survived a massive scare as he fought back from two games down to beat Spanish No.1 Borja Golan in the Allam British Open.

Ashour, the 24-year-old No.4 seed from Cairo, admitted that his head was all over the place at the start of the match at London’s O2 Arena.

He recovered from a perilous position and suddenly transformed his game into an attacking whirlwind to reach the quarter-finals of this $150,000 PSA World Tour event.

He said: “Mentally and physically I was two paces behind Borja. Footwork, movement, racket preparation – everything, he was so much better than me. That’s the first time I have played him and he played incredibly well at the start.

“I can’t explain what goes on inside my head. I know it’s something I should work on to find a solution.

“Sometimes I am just too nice. You walk on court, shake hands and smile at your opponent and it’s difficult to find the right motivation. You lose concentration and you just can’t seem to find your way out.

“It helped when Egyptian coach Amir Wagih came to my corner. Maybe I should ask him to help me out more often.

“My brother Hisham often talks to me between games but sometimes we argue and fight because I find it so difficult to absorb information. My head is so crowded. But today, when Amir was talking, I was listening.”

Ashour was so out of sorts, and Golan looking so in control of the match, that the Egyptian was on the brink of a shock defeat, but from 6-6 in the third game he tightened up his game. He won that 11-9 and his game was transformed with a spell of electrifying squash as he produced a succession of astonishing winners to win the fourth 11-1.

Golan looked broken and the drop shots that were earlier so reliable began to find a magnetic attraction to the tin. Ashour continued to conjure up more outrageous shots as he closed out the fifth 11-6.

He will need to be mentally alert throughout his quarter-final against fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana on Friday.

In contrast to Ashour, four-time world champion Shabana looked calm, controlled and confident as he overcame Finnish No.1 Olli Tuominen in straight games.

Top seed James Willstrop won a physical 79-minute battle against former England team-mate Alister Walker, who now represents his home nation of Botswana. The first game included 31 refereeing decisions and Walker later received a conduct warning for pushing after a succession of collisions and mid-court blocks.

Willstrop, the 28-year-old world No.1 from Leeds, won 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 and now meets Mohamed El Shorbagy. The 21-year-old Egyptian No.7 seed saw off Londoner Adrian Grant in straight games and immediately caught a train back to Bristol for a university exam on his tournament rest day today.

Willstrop could scarcely conceal his frustration during the post-match interview. He said: “Alister could have got through to those balls and hit them but no doubt he thought differently. It was not really a great match. People don’t want to be seeing that stuff. It was quite scrappy squash. Maybe on a hotter court there is more free-flowing squash. I don’t know.”

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: El Sherbini punishes Perry

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:24:33 +0000

Annie Au beats Alison Waters. Picture by STEVE CUBBINS

Allam British Open, O2 Arena, London.

Women’s second round:

(7) Annie Au (HK) bt Alison Waters (Eng) 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (59m)

(16) Nour El Sherbini (Egy) bt (4) Madeline Perry (Ire) 11-6, 4-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5 (45m)

(5) Raneem El Weleily (Egy) bt Dipika Pallikal (Ind) 11-4, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7 (51m)

(2) Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt Donna Urquhart (Aus) 11-2, 11-13, 11-4, 12-10 (45m)

By ALAN THATCHER

Egypt’s teenage squash sensation Nour El Sherbini sprang a major surprise by beating No.4 seed Madeline Perry in the second round of the women’s event.

The 16-year-old from Alexandria fought back from 2-1 down to beat one of the most experienced players in the women’s professional game 11-6, 4-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5 in 45 minutes.

El Sherbini, who won her first world junior under-19 title at the age of 14, combines life on the WSA Tour with six hours of school work each day. She certainly did her homework on her Irish opponent as she reached the quarter-finals of this $95,000 event.

She said: “I am studying five days a week as a Grade 10 student alongside my squash activities.”

El Sherbini gained revenge for a semi-final defeat in the recent Irish Open and explained: “At 2-1 down I had to be focused. I got my confidence back and played a lot of drops. That seemed to be working well but first of all I had to get Madeline to the back of the court.

“I love the atmosphere here at the O2 Arena and it is so exciting to be playing here. It helps you to play your best squash. I am so happy to win.”

In the quarter-finals El Sherbini meets Annie Au, the No.7 seed from Hong Kong, who recovered from two games down to beat England’s wild card Alison Waters, a former world No.3 from London who is returning to action after a long injury break.

Waters began strongly, driving the ball firmly, but when Au got used to the cool court conditions she began to cut the ball in short, taking Waters out of her comfort zone and into the deepest areas of the court.

Au finally edged past a tiring Waters 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 in 59 minutes.

England’s No.2 seed Jenny Duncalf beat battling Australian Donna Urquhart 12-10 in the fourth game and now faces Egyptian Raneem El Weleily, who beat Indian No.1 Dipika Pallikal in another five-game marathon.

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Politicians visit O2 and back the bid

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:44:29 +0000

Politicians visit Allam British Open & back Squash’s Olympic Bid

The Allam British Open welcomed a group of MPs to the O₂ Arena today as the All-Party Parliamentarian Leisure Group dropped by to watch the world’s best players as guests of England Squash & Racketball.

Chief Executive Nick Rider was delighted to announce enormous success in both elite performance and grass-roots development projects. With England’s James Willstrop riding high on top of the PSA men’s rankings and Nick Matthew winning the past two World Open finals, whilst Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro sit at two and four in the WSA rankings, English squash is enjoying unparalleled success on the world stage.

The visitors also learned of England Squash & Racketball’s commitment to community projects, with tens of thousands of children joining school squash activities all over the country and experiencing sport at the highest level with more than 2000 children visiting the British Open this week.

Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, a keen squash player, said: “We sit here in an Olympic venue, with England developing world class players and yet it is frustrating that they are denied the opportunity of a medal. What is great to see is how squash is making the sport accessible to all age groups and communities. How many other sports can children rub shoulders with a world number one?

Nick Rider said: “It was fantastic that our guests joined us here at the Allam British Open here at theO2. It has been a great chance to show constituency MPs how successful squash is from a grass-roots level right up to the elite level. Squash clubs and public facilities are a major part of their local communities and squash is an ideal sport to energise and educate young people.”

Mr. Rider added: “The MPs were very supportive of squash’s Olympic bid and it was very encouraging to hear that they are happy to lobby on the sport’s behalf.”

Back Row: Nick Rider (CEO, England Squash & Racketball), Andrew Shelley (WSF), Lord Stevenson, Richard Graham MP, James Willstrop (world number one) Lord Hodgson, Clive Betts MP (Vice Chair, APPLG), Simon Johnson (CEO, British Institute of Sport and Leisure). Picture by squashpics.com

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Waters continues winning ways

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:05:18 +0000

Nicol David wins her first round match

Waters Continues Winning Trend In British Opener

Fresh from three consecutive WSA title wins, local wild card Alison Waters maintained her winning ways in the first round of the WSA Allam British Open Squash Championships, as she took out 13th seed Low Wee Wern in a scrappy 70-minute five-setter. It was a contest could have gone either way, as neither player maintained a faultless game.

Waters spoke afterwards at her relief to have put the match to rest. She said: “I’m relieved to have won that match really. It was a bit of an ugly contest and I sort of scraped through at the end. Wern played really well. She moved well and kept up the pressure all the way through. It’s good to get the first match out of the way and I’m looking forward to playing at the O2.”

When play moves to the O2 Arena in London for round two and the rest of the competition, Waters will face No7 seed Annie Au. The Hong Kong international saw out a 3-1 win against Swiss qualifier Gaby Huberat St Georges Hill Tennis Club, Weybridge to book her second round spot. An upset had seemed possible early on, as Huber started quickly and took the first game, but Au closed the game out in under an hour 6/11, 11/6, 11/1, 14/12.

Despite the slow start, Au was pleased with her win. She said: “I seemed to start quite slow today, and it took me a while to get used to her speed. In the second and third games I just tried to slow the game down and be more assertive than before. I think I tried to win the fourth too quickly and started rushing again, but Gaby made some errors which helped me to get back on track.”

The highlight of playing at the O2 Arena from round two is something that is on the minds a lot of the players, says No4 seed Madeline Perry having dispatched Canadian qualifier Samantha Cornett in straight games. “Everyone’s keen to make it that far,” said the Irish international. “It’s always nice to play well in round one, especially against a qualifier who has already had a match or two to warm up. It’ll be great to get across there tomorrow.”

Perry will face Egyptian teenager Nour El Sherbini, who was forced five-games in her first round match by Joey Chan. A lapse in concentration by the 16-year-old teenager, allowed the Hong Kong international to claw back level from a two-game deficit. Refocused however, Sherbini settled back into a rhythm to finish the contest 11/3 in the fifth.

Sherbini’s Egyptian counterpart Raneem El Weleily also saw success in round one, but not before being pushed to the longest game of the day as she claimed a 19/17 second game, on her way to a 3-0 victory against Amanda Sobhy of America.

Weleily will face Dipika Pallikal in the second round, an opponent against whom she has never lost. The Indian star nearly crashed out of the event in round one after going two games down to Omenya Abdel Kaway of Egypt, in a fractious and gritty tie. Pallikal turned it around however, as the Egyptian’s fitness waned and Kaway began to rely more and more on her front-court prowess.

“I just had to go into that third game and keep on pushing,” explained the world No14. “I knew fitness might work in my favour as she’s been out with injury recently. But she’s very crafty at the front, very deceptive, so I tried to keep the ball at the back of the court for long spells.

“I’m really glad to get through though. The squash at the O2 has sounded incredible so far and it’s great for squash that we can be seen at these incredible venues.”

Eighth seed Kasey Brown’s hopes of a British Open run were ended by unseeded Jaclyn Hawkes of New Zealand. The Australian went two games down to Hawkes, before a change of tactics saw her back in contention at 2-all. In a thrilling final game encounter lasting 27-minutes, Hawkes scraped back two-match balls to force a tiebreak, which she claimed 13-11.

Buoyed by her first round win, Hawkes confessed that the O2 was not her sole focus this week. “This is the last competition before I get married,” explains the WSA President. “I really wanted a good run in this competition, not only for the O2 spectacle but I also want one last good tournament as a Hawkes!

“It was a very close match and although I played well in the first two games, she mixed it up more from then, taking the ball short and making things much harder for me.”

Joelle King joined her New Zealand compatriot in the second round after dismissing the hopes of French qualifier Coline Aumard in 28-minutes.

On the glass showcourt, No2 seed Jenny Duncalf saw off the Malaysian threat of Delia Arnold 11/6, 10/12, 11/8, 11/6 in just under an hour. This was followed by tenth seed Camille Serme of France beating England’s Sarah Kippax in a similarly close four-game encounter.

Third seed Laura Massaro faced a tough first round match against an in-form Latasha Khan, who had made short work of her qualifying opponents. Despite taking the first game, the Englishwoman found herself 2-1 down and admitted to using the prospect of playing at the O2 as an incentive to coming back and winning the game. She said: “At 2-1 down I thought about missing out on playing at the O2 tomorrow and it definitely fired me up.

“You never want a 3-2 battle in the first round of any tournament, but a win is a win. Latasha has played really well recently, so I knew it would be tough from the start. I’m glad and relieved to have come through though.”

Fellow Brit Emma Beddoes looked to be springing a surprise of her own as she took the first game against Australian and current British Open champion Rachael Grinham. Experienced paid dividends throughout the next two games however, as Grinham worked her way back into the match and extended a 2-1 lead. Ever resilient, Beddoes refused to be walked over and held her own for much of the fourth game. Forcing the tiebreak at 10-all, she had opportunities to finish the game and push for a fifth, following some remarkable retrieval but the Australian proved too much in the end, taking it 15/13.

Rachael’s sister Natalie Grinham gave birthday-girl Sarah-Jane Perry a lesson to remember in her British Open debut, as the experienced Dutch international put in an a consummate performance to progress to the next round, 11/9, 11/5, 11/7 in 30-minutes.

World No1 Nicol David began her British Open title bid with a straight forward win over qualifier Maria Toor Pakay in straight games. The Malaysian star was among the last matches of the day, and will face Samantha Teran of Mexico, who progresses after beating Lauren Briggs of England 11/9, 11/6, 11/3.

Play now moves from St Georges Hill to the O2 Arena for the rest of the British Open.

Photographs available upon request to media@wsaworldtour.com

First Round results:

[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 (20m)

[11] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (30m)

[6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Emma Beddoes (ENG) 11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 15-13 (58m)

[12] Joelle King (NZL) bt [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (28m)

[3] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Latasha Khan (USA) 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3 (55mins)

[9] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [Q] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (30m)

Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [8] Kasey Brown (AUS) 11-7, 11-2, 4-11, 6-11, 13-11 (82m)

[10] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5 (51m)

Alison Waters (ENG) bt [13] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (70m)

[7] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Gaby Huber (SUI) 6-11, 11-6, 11-1, 14-12 (54m)

[16] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-3 (54m)

[4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (27m)

[14] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (70m)

[5] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-6, 19-17, 11-8 (32m)

[15] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (30m)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-6, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6 (57m)

Second round fixtures:

Wednesday 16th:

[7] Annie Au (HKG) v Alison Waters (ENG)

[4] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [16] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)

[5] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) v [14] Dipika Pallikal (IND)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v [15] Donna Urquhart (AUS)

Thursday 17th:

[1] Nicol David (MAS) v [11] Samantha Teran (MEX)

[6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [12] Joelle King (NZL)

[3] Laura Massaro (ENG) v [9] Natalie Grinham (NED)

Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) v [10] Camille Serme (FRA)

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Qualifier Kemp marches on

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:59:52 +0000

Jonathan Kemp gets in front

Allam British Open Squash Championships 2012, 12-20 May, London

DAILY NEWS – Edition #4 – Tuesday 15th May

Full coverage on the Official Event Website: www.britishopensquash.net

—————————————————————

Men’s First Round, Bottom Half:

[8] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt [Q] Gregoire Marche (Fra) 11/2,11/1, 11/5 (30m)
Steve Coppinger (Rsa) bt [Q] Alan Clyne (Sco) 11/9, 11/13, 11/6, 11/3 (61m)
Tom Richards (Eng) bt Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 11/7, 10/12, 11/4, 11/4 (49m)
[3] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [Q] Max Lee (Hkg) 11/8, 11/4, 11/6 (45m)
[6] Peter Barker (Eng) bt [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) 11/3, 11/9, 11/9 (50m)
Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt [Q] Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) 11/7, 11/6, 11/5 (35m)
[Q] Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col) 11/5, 11/6, 8/11, 9/11, 11/1 (64m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt Nicolas Mueller (Sui) 11/6, 11/4, 11/3 (36m)

Kemp the only qualifier to progress at the O2

By STEVE CUBBINS

The bottom half of the draw concluded men’s round one action at the O2 arean on a good day for England which saw them claim six places in the last sixteen, with Jonathan Kemp becoming the only qualifier to make round two.

The first bottom half match at the O2 saw Dutch eight seed LJ Anjema waste little tim in ending the run of qualifier Gregoire Marche. The Frenchman had spent over 100 minutes on court in his qualifying final, but couldn’t make an impression on the big Dutchman who imposed from the start and never let up, winning 11/2, 11/1, 11/5 in just 30 minutes.

“I had to be very alert today,” he said, “I saw that Greg played very well in qualifying so didn’t want to let him get into a rhythm. It’s cold on the court which suits an attacking game, and I was happy with my movement and my technical game today.

“It’s great to have such noisy support,” he added of the schoolkids massed in the O2 stands, “it should be like this every time!”

His next opponent will be South Africa’s Steve Coppinger, who came through a tough hour-long encounter with Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne. Coppinger edged a close first game 11/9, saved several game balls before losing the second 11/13, but asserted increasing control to take the the next two 11/6, 11/3 as Clyne’s frustration grew.

“I’m really happy,” said a delighted Coppinger, “I felt the pressure was on me today, playing a qualifier, and the way the draw worked out it was a big chance for both of us, so I’m very pleased to make the second round of a world series event for the first time. I’ll just go out and enjoy myself next round and see what happens …”

Tom Richards became the second Englishman through to the last sixteen as he beat Ong Beng Hee, the Malaysian appearing in his 16th British Open, 11/7, 10/12, 11/4, 11/4. Richards was in control for the majority of the match, had game ball in the game he lost too, and was satisfied with his performance: “I played him six mionths ago and he beat me 3/0 so I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” he explained. “The court is cold and very dead, which probably suited my game better.”

He’ll meet another Englishman in the next round, after defending champion Nick Matthew beat Hong Kong qualifier Max Lee in three games. Lee started well, and led the first 7/6 before Matthew managed to turn the match around, winning in an ultimately comfortable 11/8, 11/4, 11/6.

“He surprised me at the start,” admitted the world champion, “taking everything on the volley and controlling the centre of the court, playing me at my own game really!

“It took me half a game to get adjusted, and then halfway through the match the conditions changed, it became darker and colder, like night conditions! Still, it’s good to get used to whatever it’s going to throw at you later on in the early rounds.”

Peter Barker kept the English bandwagon rolling, looking in great form in taking the first game 11/3, but fellow-lefthander Ryan Cuskelly made the next two pretty tough, although both went to Barker 11/9.

“I played ok,” said Barker, “pretty well in the first game actually, but he played better in the second and third and caused me some problems. I’ll go and enjoy the rest day and work on some things, I’ll have to pick my game up for the next round.

Judging by the next match on court, Barker will indeed need to pick his game up against Saurav Ghosal, whose speed around court and tremendous retrieving won him a tight first game against world junior champion Marwan El Shorbagy, and contributed to the tailing off of the young Egyptian’s challenge in the second and third games.

After one point Marwan turned to his elder brother in the crowd and held out his hands in a “what do I have to do” gesture. The last rally summed it up, with Marwan trying everything he could but Saurav getting to everything until a dispirited error finished the match off 11/7, 11/6, 11/5.

“I knew I’d have to play well,” said the Indian number one who had Malcolm Willstrop in his corner, “I tried to be clinical from the start and it worked pretty well. Playing Peter will be tough, but there’s no shortage of incentive with a quarter-final in the British Open for the winner, so hopefully I can play well again and it will be a good match.”

Jonathan Kemp became the only qualifier to progress to the last sixteen when nhe overcame speedy Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a five game thriller that fizzled out due to an injury to the Colombian.

Kemp, who had fancied a match against Rodriguez before the qualifying draw was made and got his wish, started strongly, his shotmaking nullifying Rodriguez’s retrieving as he led 11/5, 11/6. Despite the cool conditions, Rodriguez warmed to his task, delighting the crowd with some dives and scrambles as he levelled 11/9, 11/8.

At 3/0 to Kemp in the fifth he brushed past Rodriguez on the way to the front, leaving his opponent writhing in pain behind him. After an break for the contributed injury Rodriguez returned to court but was unable to move properly – and without his movement, well … – s Kemp completed the win 11/1 to make it six Englishmen in the last sixteen.

“It’s never nice to win or lose like that,” said Kemp, “it’s happened to me before, but he did well to come back out and I hope he recovers soon. It was shaping up to be a great game, I played well at the start but then he played really well in the third and fourth, got in front of me and really put some pressure on me.”

The second round lineup was completed when second seed Gregory Gaultier made quick work of his 11/6m, 11/4, 11/3 over young Swiss Nicolas Mueller.

“I played quite well,” said the Frenchman, “he’s one of the best up and coming players and he’s had some good results so I knew I had to play well and stay focused and on my toes throughout the match.

“I made sure I warmed up well and was physically 100% before the match, which is important in cold conditions like these, and I was quite happy with my performance tonight.”

Photos of all matches available on the TODAY section of the Official Website, www.britishopensquash.net

Hawkes downs Brown on a day of drama at St George’s

Kiwi Jaclyn Hawkes’ 13/11 in the fifth win over eighth seed Kasey Brown was the biggest upset but only one of a number of dramas as the women’s last sixteen was decided at St George’s Hill.

Women’s First Round:

Alison Waters (Eng) bt [13] Low Wee Wern (Mas) 9/11, 12/10, 11/7, 8/11, 11/7 (70m)
[7] Annie Au (Hkg) bt [Q] Gaby Huber (Sui) 6/11, 11/6, 11/1, 14/12 (54m)
[16] Nour El Sherbini (Egy) bt Joey Chan (Hkg) 11/8, 11/7, 8/11, 5/11, 11/3 (54m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt [Q] Sam Cornett (Can) 11/7, 11/8, 11/6 (27m)

[14] Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) 8/11, 9/11, 11/9, 11/5, 11/5 (70m)
[5] Raneem El Weleily (Egy) bt Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 11/6, 19/17, 11/8 (32m)
[15] Donna Urquhart (Aus) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (Egy) 11/6, 11/8, 11/2 (30m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt Delia Arnold (Mas) 11/6, 10/12, 11/8, 11/6 (57m)

Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) bt [8] Kasey Brown (Aus) 11/7, 2/11, 11/4, 11/6, 13/11 (82m)
[10] Camille Serme (Fra) bt Sarah Kippax (Eng) 11/8, 11/9, 8/11, 11/5 (51m)
[3] Laura Massaro (Eng) bt [Q] Latasha Khan (Usa) 11/5, 8/11, 8/11, 11/6, 11/3
[9] Natalie Grinham (Ned) bt [Q] Sarah-Jane Perry (Eng) 11/9, 11/5, 11/7 (30m)

[6] Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Emma Beddoes (Eng) 11/13, 11/7, 11/5, 15/13 (58m)
[12] Joelle King (Nzl) bt [Q] Coline Aumard (Fra) 11/6, 11/7, 11/4 (28m)
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [Q] Maria Toor Pakay (Pak) 11/2, 11/3, 11/6 (20m)
[11] Samantha Teran (Mex) bt [Q] Lauren Briggs (Eng) 11/9, 11/6, 11/7 (30m)

Reports and quotes on the TODAY section of the Official Website, www.britishopensquash.net

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ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Richards out to rock world champ Matthew

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:35:36 +0000

Tom Richards tests his Big Beng Theory

By ALAN THATCHER

Tom Richards is looking forward to his second round battle with world champion Nick Matthew at the Allam British Open on Thursday.

Richards has seen a lot of Matthew up close and personal in recent weeks.

The two were room-mates a week ago as Richards made his senior international debut, helping England to win the European Team Championships in Germany.

Now the 25-year-old Londoner is aiming to claim the most significant PSA victory of his career, having beaten the experienced Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in four games in the first round (11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4).

Richards reached a career-high position of 15 in the April rankings and a good showing in the Open will help him to climb even further.

He said: “I have played Nick several times in the past, but the last was in the Nationals a year and a half ago. I have seen him play so often in tournaments and watched dozens of his matches on TV, so I know what to expect.

“It will be a very tough match but I want to test myself, to see how far I have come in this game.

“I feel I am moving well and enjoyed playing on the glass court against Ong Beng Hee.

“It’s a cold court so it will obviously favour the players who can play tight balls into the front corners.”

Matthew himself said: “It should be a good match. Tom is hungry and will believe he can win. At this stage of his career he is ready for a big scalp so I will have to be aware.”

Matthew was pleased to get acclimatised on the cold court today in his hard-fought win over rising Hong Kong star Max Lee but revealed it was not the coldest court he had played on. “That would have to be in Saudi a few years ago,” he said. “It was so cold you could see your breath.

“With a cold court the quality of your squash has to be high.”

England’s Peter Barker and Jonathan Kemp also won through to the second round, Barker overcoming Australian Ryan Cuskelly of Australia and Kemp beating Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who seized up after suffering an injury in the fifth game. World No.40 Kemp meets No.2 seed Gregory Gaultier of France and No.6 seed Barker faces Indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal.

Allam British Open, O2 Arena, London. Men’s first round:
Laurens Anjema (Ned) bt Gregoire Marche (Fra) 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (30m)

Steve Coppinger (RSA) bt Alan Clyne (Sco) 11-9, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3 (61m)
Tom Richards (Eng) bt Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4 (49m)
(3) Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Max Lee (HK) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (45m)

Peter Barker (Eng) bt Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (50m)
Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (35m)
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col) 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-1 (64m, inc 16-min injury break)
(2) Gregory Gaultier (Fra) bt Nicolas Mueller (Swi) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (33m)

Second round draw (Wednesday):
(1) James Willstrop (Eng) v Alister Walker (Botswana)
(7) Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) v Adrian Grant (Eng)
(5) Amr Shabana (Egy) v Olli Tuominen (Fin)
(4) Ramy Ashour (Egy) v Borja Golan (Esp)

Thursday:
(8) Anjema (Ned) v Coppinger (RSA)
(2) Gaultier (Fra) v Kemp (Eng)
(3) Matthew (Eng) v Richards (Eng)
(6) Barker v Ghosal

BLOG: Colin Jackson backs squash to overcome Olympic hurdle

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:05:47 +0000

Nick Matthew and Colin Jackson on the glass court

By ALAN THATCHER

British hurdles star Colin Jackson backed squash’s bid for a place in the Olympics after watching world champion Nick Matthew win through to the second round of the Allam British Open.

Jackson, a silver medalist in the 1988 Seoul Games, was a guest of Matthew’s at London’s O2 Arena as the 31-year-old from Sheffield began his bid for a third British title by beating Max Lee of Hong Kong

Jackson said: “I used to play a bit of squash down in Cardiff but it’s amazing to watch the top guys in action. As an athlete myself, I have an enormous respect for them and simply can’t understand why squash is not in the Olympics.

“This is a very exciting sport and the glass court here in the O2 looks amazing.

“With Nick as world champion and James Willstrop the current world No.1 it’s such a shame that squash is not in the London Games this year because it would mean at least a couple of extra medals for Team GB.

“We are used to seeing squash in the Commonwealth Games.

“My message to the players is to keep trying and battling away because you are the trailblazers. Never give up. One day squash will be in the Olympics and you deserve to be there.”

Jackson revealed that his fellow athletes in Cardiff were enthusiastic if clumsy squash players. He added: “We were never very good at squash but being athletes the competitive spirit always came to the fore and some guys were more dangerous than other. The biggest risk was a twinge to the Achilles, so our coaches would frown on us playing squash.”

After beating Lee, Matthew said: “If we get in to the Olympics I’ll have to join Colin in the commentary team for 2020. I’ll be too old to play by then!

“It’s great to see him here and nice to hear that such a hugely respected athlete shows genuine support for squash.”

Matthew beat Lee 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 in 45 minutes to book a second-round clash with his England team-mate Tom Richards, who removed experienced Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in four games.

Matthew said: “Tom was my room-mate last week in Germany when we won the European Team Championships. He is hungry and will be looking for a big scalp, I’m sure of that.

“As for myself, I was surprised at how well Max played. He’s very quick and likes to get up the court to volley. It was like he was trying to beat me at my own game!

“The venue here is fantastic although it’s a little bit bright playing in the daytime with a white ball and a white roof.

“It was good to get used to the cool conditions and with a cold ball your squash has to be of the highest quality.”

Matthew added: “What a week this is turning out to be at the O2, with Barry Manilow performing here tonight. Barry Manilow and squash: it doesn’t get any better than that!”

Allam British Open first round, O2 Arena, London

Laurens Anjema (Ned) bt Gregoire Marche (Fra) 11-2, 11-1, 11-5

Steve Coppinger (RSA) bt Alan Clyne (Sco) 11-9, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3

Tom Richards (Eng) bt Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4

(3) Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Max Lee (HK) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Clyne bows out to Coppinger

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:13:35 +0000

Alan Clyne gets in front of Steve Coppinger. Picture by STEVE LINE

By ALAN THATCHER at the O2 Arena, London

Scottish number one Alan Clyne bowed out of the Allam British Open, then set his sights on the Commonwealth Games.

The world No.28 from Edinburgh lost 11-9, 13-11, 11-6, 11-3 to South African Stephen Coppinger on the glass court inside the O2 Arena in London.

Clyne surrendered a tight first game but then battled through a tiebreak to win the second. But he was disappointed with his control in the third and fourth games as the 6ft 3in Coppinger, ranked one place above him, dominated the match.

The 5ft 8in Clyne frequently complained that his path to the ball was being blocked by a taller opponent and several incidents were referred to the video appeal referee.

Clyne said: “The problem with the video review system is that they take so long. With a fairly cold venue like this it means the ball slows down while you wait for the decision and you have to warm it back up.”

He was disappointed not to progress further in one of the game’s biggest tournaments, which is back on the calendar after a two-year absence because of sponsorship difficulties.

He added: “I paid the price for a loss of control in the third and fourth games. Steve stepped up and I went back. It was a big chance to get into the second round of a major tournament and I wasted that opportunity.

“Drop shots have always been a major part of my game and they worked well on a cool court like this. But I needed to get the ball past him and into the back corners.

“I have been moving steadily up the rankings and a win today would have been another boost so that defeat was pretty annoying.”

Clyne will now take a break from singles play during the summer but will be taking part in a trial doubles event in Birmingham next week as Scottish Squash prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Clyne, who finished in fourth place in the men’s doubles with team-mate Harry Leitch in the Delhi Games, said: “We will be trying out different combinations in a friendly tournament against teams from England and Australia.

“We will also be experimenting with different tin heights on the front wall, We had a 17-inch tin in Delhi and we will be experimenting with 15, 13 and 11-inch heights to encourage more attacking shots.”

Alan interviews Alan

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Perry’s birthday challenge

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:56:30 +0000

Perry to make Birthday debut appearance in British Open

Sarah-Jane Perry will make her first British Open appearance later today on her 22nd birthday, after storming through yesterday’s qualifying rounds at St Georges Hill Lawn Tennis Club, Weybridge.

The Birmingham-born Englishwoman will face the experienced No9 seed Natalie Grinham in the first round of the $95K WSA Allam British Open Squash Championships, following assertive four-game wins over higher ranked Siti Munriah Jusoh of Malaysia and Aisling Blake of Ireland in qualifying.

Fellow home-hope Lauren Briggs also joins the English contingent in round one, after dispatching fellow Brit Victoria Temple Murray and Maud Duplomb of France in confident straight-games. The world No33 will now face 11th seed Samantha Teran of Mexico.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for those on home soil however, as European Junior Under 19 champion Emily Whitlock crashed out at the hand of Maria Toor Pakay. Ranked 35 places below Whitlock, the Pakistani 21-year-old had previously beaten Lucie Fialova in a similar upset in qualifying round one, and will now line up against World No1 and top seed Nicol David in what will no doubt be the biggest match of her career.

Canadian Samantha Cornett also caused an upset in the qualifying finals after beating the experienced Dane, Line Hansen in four games. Thrilled with her win, and facing the prospect of playing No4 seed Madeline Perry in the main draw, Cornett tweeted after her match: “Huge win for me today, can’t wait for the toughest match of my career so far tomorrow!”

Egypt’s first round numbers were strengthened by the inclusion of world No27, Heba El Torky who overcame Joshna Chinappa of India in feisty four-game battle. El Torky will face Australian Donna Urquhart in round one.

Latasha Khan eased her way through to the main draw after experienced wins over Tesni Evans of Wales and Kylie Lindsay of New Zealand. Despite a 66-minute battle with Evans on Sunday afternoon, the WSA tour veteran showed little sign of fatigue as she took just 24-minutes to dispatch Lindsay and begin preparations for her round one match with third seed Laura Massaro.

Finally, there was mixed news for the French players as Coline Aumard came from a game behind to beat Siyoli Waters of South Africa, although national compatriot Laura Pompartes succumbed to defeat after a slow start against experienced Swiss, Gaby Huber. Aumard will face New Zealand international and 12th seed Joelle King, whilst Huber faces No7 seed Annie Au of Hong Kong.

Play continues at St Georges Hill this afternoon from midday, before moving to the O2 Arena on Wednesday to showcase the rest of the tournament.

Photos available upon request to media@wsaworldtour.com

First round draw:

[1] Nicol David (MAS) v [Q] Maria Toor Pakay (PAK)

[11] Samantha Teran (MEX) v [Q] Lauren Briggs (ENG)

[6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Emma Beddoes (ENG)

[12] Joelle King (NZL) v [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA)

[3] Laura Massaro (ENG) v [Q] Latasha Khan (USA)

[9] Natalie Grinham (NED) v [Q] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

[8] Kasey Brown (AUS) v Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL)

[10] Camille Serme (FRA) v Sarah Kippax (ENG)

[13] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Alison Waters (ENG)

[7] Annie Au (HKG) v [Q] Gaby Huber (SUI)

[16] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Joey Chan (HKG)

[4] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN)

[14] Dipika Pallikal (IND) v Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)

[5] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) v Amanda Sobhy (USA)

[15] Donna Urquhart (AUS) v [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v Delia Arnold (MAS)

Qualifying finals:

Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 8-11, 11-9, 11-1, 12-10 (40m)

Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Maud Duplomb (FRA) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (24m)

Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3 (49m)

Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) bt Emily Whitlock (ENG) 11-5, 4-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (46m)

Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Siyoli Waters (RSA) 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (47m)

Latasha Khan (USA) bt Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (24m)

Gaby Huber (SUI) bt Laura Pomportes (FRA) 11-1, 11-9, 11-8 (38m)

Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5 (44m)

1st qualifying round:

Line Hansen (DEN) bt Birgit Coufal (AUT) 14-16, 13-11, 11-9, 11-4 (61m)

Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Julia Lecoq (FRA) 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (24m)

Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) 11-1, 11-4, 11-4 (24m)

Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt Melody Francis (AUS) 4-11, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8 (57m)

Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)

Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE) 11-8, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7 (53m)

Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt Carrie Ramsey (ENG) 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (26m)

Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) bt Lucie Fialova (CZE) 11-6, 6-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (53m)

Siyoli Waters (RSA) bt Georgina Ingham (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-0 (17m)

Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7 (48m)

Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Harriet Ingham (ENG) 12-10, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3 (53m)

Latasha Khan (USA) bt Tesni Evans (WAL) 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 (66m)

Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt Lauren Selby (ENG) 11-3, 7-11, 11-8 ret. (35m)

Gaby Huber (SUI) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 (41m)

Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) 6-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3 (39m)

Aisling Blake (IRL) bt Victoria Bell (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (28m)

Alan Thatcher's Squash Blog

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Your lace or mine?

Nick Matthew gets in front of Tom Richards. Picture by STEVE CUBBINS World Champion Matthew Puts Richards In His Lace

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Ramy fights his inner demons to reach last eight

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: El Sherbini punishes Perry

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Politicians visit O2 and back the bid

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Waters continues winning ways

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Qualifier Kemp marches on

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Richards out to rock world champ Matthew

BLOG: Colin Jackson backs squash to overcome Olympic hurdle

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Clyne bows out to Coppinger

ALLAM BRITISH OPEN: Perry’s birthday challenge

Nick Matthew gets in front of Tom Richards. Picture by STEVE CUBBINS

World Champion Matthew Puts Richards In His Lace