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Grinham 4, Matthew 2
Rachael Grinham, won her fourth British Open title with a convincing win
over surprise finalist Madeline Perry winning 11-6, 11-5, 12-10.
“I had a plan,” said Grinham. That plan was to test her opponent short
and she did it to perfection. Add to that her variaton of pace and shot
that made it difficult for Perry to find the pace and rhythm on her
drives which had provided her success in taking out the world no.1 Nicol
David and English hope Alison Waters, and she had neutralised her
opponent’s strengths. Throw is brilliant recovery flicks from the back
corners, lobs, long drops and floating boasts and she was suddenly in
top form and on her way to another British Open title.
For the second year in a row the men’s final reached a gripping climax.
James Willstrop again had match ball but in the end was deprived again.
Willstrop started as he had finished with Amr Shabana in the semi-finals
with tight length and picking his winners carefully to win the first
11-8 went ahead 5-3 in the second before losing it 8-11 but then
rebounded to go 2/1 up with a 11-7 win the third. The match had then
become contentious. Willstrop struggled to get up the court for the
first time at 7-8 but he survived to go through with fine winners while
Matthew complained his opponent was slow to clear.
Matthew was away in the fourth to take the game 11-3 and when he went
ahead from 1-2 to 6-2 in a hand in the fifth it looked all over. However
in intense rallies and brilliant play Willstrop again grabbed match ball
10-9 before Matthew slotted in a winning volley drop. Willstrop tinned
an opening and slipped on the floor as Matthew dropped on the backhand
and was unable to get up to the ball to take the match and his second
British Open title 12-10.
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Palmer and Shabana Dish up a Classic
Those who booked tickets for a Saturday afternoon at the National Squash
Centre were treated to a classic between David Palmer, the British Open
title-holder and Amr Shabana the three times world champion who has
never won the British Open title. That could change here.
Both players were up for this quarter-final. It was an intense, close,
point for point encounter a little loosish initially but action packed.
At 8-all in the first two marginal mistakes by Palmer and two sharp
winners from his opponent, the second vigorously contested with the
referees by the Australian, saw Shabana take the game 11-8. Again the
second was mighty close Palmer levelling at 10-all slipping on the floor
and complaining, Shabana having the opening to take the game but just
tinning.
“Second thoughts,” he said as if he was not thinking clearly enough. He
kept letting Palmer back in when he should have been shut out and Palmer
kept bravely hanging in. A forehand drop winner for Shabana levelled it
at 12-all and Palmer on an opening tinned going for the finest margins
to beat his opponent then flashed his racket at a clinging ball on his
forehand missed it raced back to flick it of the back but it was out.
Shabana was 2/0 up and it was a long way back for Palmer.
Shabana relaxed a bit then, he was looking good. He was just a little
casual, won the first point and fell behind, tinned and then had the
desperate delimna as to whether to fight on or let it go. Palmer won the
third game in minutes 11-4 and Shabana now under threat had to rebuild
again, Palmer with hope fought on.
The fourth was a great battle. Watch it on PSAlive if you can. They were
both warned up now. There were 22 hands and any description would seem
cliched but this was fantastic. The game built to a climax. At 6-all
they hit five reflex volleys in front of the short line. Palmer leap
high to volley and score with succeessive winner and when Shabana tinned
a nick boast he was just two points away from levelling the game at 9-7.
It then took a age of intense drama with something on every shot. Every
point was crucial. Shabana saved three game points, Palmer saved four
and resorted to his lethal but risky forehand crosscourt volley nick to
rescue him. In the end he won the openings but just tinned a drop and a
crosscourt as the crowd stood in a standing ovation for a brilliant,
brilliant match.
Shabana won 11-8, 14-12, 4-11, 19-17 in 86 minutes.
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Pictures Courtesy of Squashpics.com
Darwish
Out, Willstrop Through
Top seed Karim Darwish bizarrely crashed out of the ISG British Open
after rolling onto his ankle against England’s James Willstrop in the
second round.
Darwish was in control moving superbly and applying relentless pressure
following up with a fine selection of drops picked of a full swing.
There seemed little Willstrop could do as the first game disappeared
11-5 as the best mover in the sport, rythmic, with beautifully balanced
body positions off whatever leg he choose to hit off took charge.
Strange then that in working around his opponent and lunging he
momentarily overbalanced rolled onto the side of his shoe and went over
on his ankle.
Darwish was given a three minute self-inflicted injury break tried to
play on but conceeded almost immediately.
Willstrop is one of four Englishman to go through to the quarter-finals.
He will be amazed how his fortunes have turned around. He will face the
twelveth seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar who fought back from 2/1 down to
oversome the Frenchman Thierry Lincou – and Lincou will still be kicking
himself for letting it go when he had the advange at the crucial stage
in the fourth.
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