10-Feb-04
JAMES WILLSTROP
MAKING GIANT STRIDES
We caught up with rising star James Willstrop before a
the British Nationals and he told Alan Thatcher how life has changed
in a whirlwind 12 months on the senior professional tour...
Q: James, you have enjoyed a
meteoric rise up the rankings in the past 12 months or so. Please name the
main scalps you have taken along the way.
A: I had a great start to 2003 beating Shahier Razik and
Karim Darwish in the Tournament of Champions and just losing to Peter Nicol.
I then followed that with semis of the nationals beating Nick Taylor and
Martin Heath, losing to Peter again! I had good results in The British Open
in October losing to Jonathon Power in the quarters, and won the Dutch Open
in November. My best results to date came in the Kuwait Open last week when
I beat Ong Beng Hee, John White and Jonathon Power to reach the final and
lose to Peter again..
Q: Obviously beating Martin Heath
last year was a big result for you. Did that help you to cement your belief
that “Yes, I can make it”?
A: That was a big win for me. Martin was at the time I think
top 12 in the world and so it gave me masses of confidence
Q: Physically and psychologically,
what are the main demands you now face in the professional game?
A: The game is brutal on the body. There is lots of twisting
, turning, lunging and pounding and the hips and knees take a real
hammering. Therefore it is very important to look after your body by doing
weights, stretching and various core stability exercises
Q: Is being so tall a help or a
handicap in squash?
A: Both. It is great for reach. I can often volley balls
that are very wide, helping to put more pressure on my opponent, but
twisting and turning and staying agile can be difficult for a big guy so I
have to put more work in to my movement.
Q: Does all the twisting and
turning in squash place a big strain on your back?
A: There is a lot of strain on the body in general and this
is why lots of gym work strengthening and balancing the body has to be done
Q: What's your shoe size now? And
are you getting your squash shoes specially made by Hi-Tec, as I had heard
on the grapevine?
A: size 13 and they are not specially made! One more size
and I'm in trouble!
Q: Please tell us the basic outline
of your training schedule, between tournaments.
A: In between tournaments there would be a certain amount of
rest, especially if it was hard and there were lots of matches. And then I
would work my way in to it by topping up with small bouts of training. The
match play would keep me relatively fit in season anyway
Q: How much time do you spend on
court with your father, Malcolm, in a week? And do you share sessions with
Lee Beachill?
A: I will be coached by dad most mornings at Pontefract. These
sessions are done in groups for about 1 and half hours. Lee is usually there
too. There are several good players who work there as well as club players
who may join in sometimes.
Q: Looking ahead to the
Nationals in Manchester , who do you see as the main threats?
A: I Have John Rooney to play Simon Parke, which is a tough draw
but then they are all pretty tough. If I win I play Lee. It should be a
great tournament. I think the winner could come from the bottom half.
Q: Of all of the top guys you have
played, how would you describe their differing styles, and the various
challenges involved in playing each one?
A: There are some very different players. Nicol is so tight
and persistent and will not give you an inch. Power is very quick and
difficult to read. John White creams the ball and sometimes you can't see
it. Lincou is tight and solid and is hard to get round. They are all very
difficult to play but every one of them plays at pace. The ball is really
travelling.
Q: The recent January rankings
shake-up was one of the biggest carve-ups seen for a long time. Do you see
the old guard, Nicol, Power and Palmer, getting back to the top, or are guys
like Ricketts, Shabana, Darwish, Gaultier and yourself ready to take over?
A: I don't think we've seen the end of some of the older players.
Peter shows time and again how he keeps coming back for more and so I can
see him playing well for another year or two. Palmer will be back, and Power
won't just go away. But I think Darwish, Gaultier and myself are getting
closer all the time and this will make it interesting.
Q: The World Open was also full of
surprises. How do you rate Amr Shabana's performance?
A: I didn't see him win but great effort to do so. He is
very talented and hits the ball as sweet as anyone
Q: What sort of player is he, and
has he got the consistency to stay in the top five?
A: Very skilful. He hasn't shown consistency yet so big question mark
for me but great talent and good guy.
Q: After the World Open, how long a
break did you take over Christmas and New Year? And how did it feel when you
got back on court?
A: I took a good week and a half to two weeks off after the
Worlds I was a bit drained mentally. I think all the players were. It takes
a few days, maybe a week to get back in to it and get fit again but that was
no problem I had the time
Q: What are your goals for 2004?
A: Top ten PSA ranking, and a big tournament win! And to
enjoy myself.
Q: How do you relax away from
squash? Are you still playing any musical instruments?
A: It's a very important part of my life! Squash goes wrong
if you don't have relaxation time. I am very interested in music, and am
learning to play the guitar. I spend time at home and enjoy watching films
and going to the pictures. I go to other sporting events and to the theatre
sometimes too. I love concerts.
Thankyou for your
time James, and good luck at Canary Wharf.
Alan Thatcher
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