European Team Championships 2002 |
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#4
Del Harris lost Jean-Michel Arcucci
2/9, 3/9, 9/5,
9/5, 9/2 |
These reports and photos were posted on SquashPlayer match by match, as the drama unfolded. |
Ian
McKenzie reports from Boblingen on a dramatic final
Match #1 -
Arcucci
comeback On a hot court with a bouncy ball Harris powered his way to a convincing lead 9-2, 9-3 with Arcucci defensive to the point of being negative. The Frenchman however kept in touch to sneak ahead in the third as Harris became exasperated with the referee. The racket was knocked out of his hand on the final point and he ran to show he could have got the ball, only to be rewarded with a no let as his opponent got a game back 9-5. In the fourth Harris established a 3-0 lead, tinned, received a no let and had a little off-court interchange with the referee in which he asked the crowd if anyone had glasses for the referee and suggested that he was a 'donut'. It didn't do him any good. He received a conduct stroke
and subsequently lost the plot. In erratic play
he tinned and was stroked three times for
Arcucci to level the game 9-5 in much excitement. Harris never regained service
and after 2 hours 12 minutes Arcucci was bouncing and punching his
fists in the air as pandemonium broke out
in the French corner and the crowd stood in a
standing ovation. You would have thought they had won the whole
thing. Match #2 - Beachill levels it "I had to try to get back in front. He got me behind him
at the start," said Beachill. "He is a good
player. I was slow to start and he was very good." He was not to get it back. At 3-6 in the fourth he was
in touch but Beachill was by now clinical and
tactically sound against the erratic flare of
his opponent. A hand of winners from 4-6 gave it to Beachill 9-4.
It was not easy, took 1 hour 28 minutes but England were back in
the match 3-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-4. Match #3 - Lincou
puts France ahead If the Frenchman Renan Lavigne gets a game
it will be down to a points count back and my
calculations are that the French are ahead there,
80 points to 78 points. The first two games had gone 9-4, 9-5 and at 7-2 the end was in sight for Walker but as he admitted afterwards he was able to pull out "a few of my old tricks", finally found some length and time on the T, allowing him to intercept and we were able to witness a brilliant corner to corner display of shots, deception and unbelievable recoveries. Every rally there was an incident. Walker pressured the referee. Twice Lincou was drilled off the back wall. Every point was cheered and the chants of the French - Allez, Allez rang around the Dome. Anything could
have happened at the end as Walker came back to save three match balls
amongst countless lets, level 8 all, win game ball himself 9-8
before Lincou's winning clinger forced a mistake
and he was rightly denied a let on the final
French winner. There was pandemonium as Lincou, euphoric,
bounced in the air and Walker's racket disappeared down the court
into pieces. Match #4 - Chaloner
clinches it for England Charged up and focused he came on and and blew away an understandably edgy Lavigne 9-0. That seems to be that. It was not over but the pendulum had swung dramatically England's way. The second game however was different. Lavigne got into his game, Chaloner made a few errors and the Frenchman was suddenly ahead 5-1. It took a long time then but at 7-5 Lavigne smashed a volley back at Chaloner, clenched his fist at his baying supporters, received a stroke to be on gameball 8-5, and it seemed deservedly his. But Chaloner was having none of it. He fought back, levelled in a hand, and then when he had the chance himself slammed in a unplayable backhand straight nick to take the game 10-8. That levelled the games in the tie but
effectively the French challenge, brave
challenge, was over. The supporters were muted,
Lavigne was muted in his play as Chaloner busied himself with his
work, rattled off a 9-0 game and retained the
European title for England.
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