18
FebMalcolm Willstrop's
final thoughts on the
British Championships 2003
After the disappointment of a semi-finals day which failed by far to live up to its promise, Finals day rewarded the sell-out crowd. With Tania Bailey clearly below par, Alex Gough unable to raise his game after his exploits against John White, the horrid Linda Charman/Rebecca Macree match, only the Peter Nicol/James Willstrop semi-final provided any entertainment.
The finals, though, certainly made up for it. The fairy-tale success of Cassie Jackman was a story of its own, and her obvious joy at winning gave the impression she could hardly believe it after all her trials.
The men's final was a classic 94-minutes of sustained quality between two players with mutual respect and a desire to play the game as it should be played.
The post-match eloquence of the world number one does the sport much good and it was clear that winning the title meant as much to him as it did to the ladies' champion.
Colin McQuillan, Dicky Rutnagur and Howard Harding did a good job, squeezing press inches out of the reluctant sports editors for the Times and Telegraph, with the Sunday People also providing welcome coverage.
The Manchester Evening News, of course, featured the championship heavily and their support of squash is much appreciated. They had, apparently, an incredible 3,000 entries for a squash competition during the championship.
It was good to see the likeable Anthony Ricketts with his attractive girlfriend Shelley Kitchen much in evidence. He was part of a very entertaining interlude between the finals, with Sarah Fitz-Gerald and James Willstrop and clearly enjoyed every moment of it. The fastest climber in the PSA rankings this season, Ricketts is a real asset to the sport.
It was also good to see David Evans in something like the form of which he is capable. He put aside the in-form Marcus Berrett and played well in a 3/1 loss to Lee Beachill, despite over-reacting to the referee's judgements. One decision looked seriously wrong to me, but the rest was in his mind.
The worst match I saw was the semi-final between Linda Charman and Rebecca Macree. What the large crowd made of it I'm not sure, but only a small percentage could have taken any pleasure from it.
The best match was without doubt the men's final, and other matches to make an impact were Vicky Botwright's five-setter with Cassie Jackman, Alex Gough's win over John White, and James Willstrop's 87-minute win over local hero Nick Taylor.
Much credit to Jim Quigley and his men for their efforts.
The venue is marvellous and the general atmosphere seemed better than ever.
Add to that the splendid crowds and the British Championships well rewarded
the sponsors who supported it.
Cassie's fifth lift ...
Match of the week
Danger- Press Men at work!
The Willstrop sandwich ...
Malcolm
Willstropon the finals ...
For Cassie Jackman to come back and win the British Championship after another back operation was nothing short of miraculous, even if a recent win over Tania Bailey had hinted that she was likely to be a major player.
Having survived a recovery by Vicky Botwright in the first round to win 3/2, she disposed of Stephanie Brind and a below-par Tania Bailey with some ease.
Confronted by the awkward Rebecca Macree in the final, she must have been mindful of the need to avoid the physical contact that mars Macree's matches. She did just that by making sure she kept the ball away from her opponent with her superior squash.
Her joy at winning, despite it being her fifth title and thus no new experience, was plain to see.
After the disappointment of most of the semi-final matches the final day was good value for the packed crowd.
Well entertained by five-time World Champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the engaging world no 7 Anthony Ricketts and World Junior Champion James Willstrop, who engaged in a spectacular 'championship' in between the finals, the stage was well set for a repeat of last year's men's final. And Peter Nicol and Lee Beachill did not disappoint anyone.
Commonwealth Games doubles champions, friends, both looking to play the ball, they produced an enthralling final of the highest quality.
Beachill began well, winning the first stylishly, but the world number one began the second and third games better than the champion and got away, so that Beachill's well-sustained recoveries were always too late. The scoring system makes substantial leads hard to peg back.
A titanic fourth saw Beachill draw level, but Nicol, always aware of key points and crucial stages, finished the stronger and was a deserving winner of a wonderful match.
It may sound trite, but there was no loser - the game of squash was the winner.
The new champion's eloquence and sporting demeanour do him much credit and it was clear, as it was with Jackman, how much he valued the victory.
More thoughts to follow ...
The semi-finals promised a great deal, but in the end not a lot was forthcoming.
Alex Gough, after his late-night 3/2 win over John White found his tank on low as holder Lee Beachill controlled him throughout. The Yorkshireman has maintained a very acceptable level of performance throughout the championship.
Peter Nicol looked sharp enough against young pretender James Willstrop, especially at the end of the second game which Willstrop should probably have won. The World Junior Champion will feel happy enough about his contribution this week and the world number one gave him the credit of taking his challenge very seriously.
What a relief the Nicol/Willstrop match was after the horrendous women's match that preceded it. Rebecca Macree, who argues almost every decision, causes most of the trouble and her game is more about lets and strokes than playing squash. After nine lets up to 3-all in the first game I was ready for going, but could not escape and was subjected to watch half an hour's desecration of a game I love.
Nicol and Willstrop asked the referee's opinion three times in around 50 minutes, and players who play matches like the Macree/Charman match should undergo remedial treatment so they can appreciate the damage they are doing. Every paying spectator who spoke to me about it was disgusted by the match.
The second women's semi-final was in no way contentious and was never going to be, but a strangely subdued Tania Bailey, who was later confirmed to be unwell, offered no resistance to Cassie Jackman, who looks in as good a physical shape as I have ever seen her.
