By ALAN THATCHER | ||
Friday
9th - Finals Day
Wow! What a way to finish the week. Two
great athletes, showing total commitment, incredible skill, phenomenal
retrieving powers and a pure passion for the game, delighted a
full-house crowd at the Broadgate Arena. YES PLEASE,
MINISTER... |
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Thursday 8th - Day Four | ||
ALL-BRITISH FINAL WELL, it's an all-British final in the Equitable Life Super Series after Jonathon Power limped out of the tournament against Scotland's Peter Nicol, and Egyptian Ahmed Barada had no answer to an incredible onslaught from England No.1 Simon Parke. Power was obviously in discomfort because of the knee injury he suffered against Parke the previous evening, and his movement was clearly restricted as he lost the opening game 15-5. The great Canadian showman was bending his leg after every other rally and it came as no great surprise when he shook Nicol's hand at the end of the game and limped off court. The result was a reversal of fortunes in the British Open final in Aberdeen in December, when Nicol collapsed with food poisoning and was unable to continue after two games. BARADA GUNNED DOWN (by Parke) Power will be unable to contest the third-fourth play-off with Barada, who was simply outgunned by Parke's incredible movement, energy and appetite for the game. If you want to see great movement in this sport, then just watch Parke's incredible court coverage at the Broadgate Arena. He chased down every ball and returned even Barada's best shots with interest. Nicol did the same thing to him on the previous evening, but at least Barada had the satisfaction of taking the world champion to five. Here, Parke looked like he was on a diet of rocket-fuel as he motored round the court, boasting balls of the back wall and then haring forward to cover the drop. Even when he was wrong-footed, with Barada often delaying his shots early on, showing the drop and then hitting to length, Parke recovered brilliantly. Don't get me wrong. Barada did not play badly. It was simply that Parke was in an incredible mind-zone, able to answer all of Barada's best shots with even better ones of his own. It promises to be a fascinating final, featuring the two best retrievers in the game, so it promises to be a long affair for a sellout crowd. ALL HANDS TO THE DECK With the third place play-off cancelled, Baj has cobbled together a warm-up doubles exhibition featuring the four musketeers Hill, Gough, Johnson and Evans, the last four remaining fit bodies the organisers could rustle up. At the time of writing it was not clear who will be partnering whom, and it probably won't be much clearer during the match. I offered to partner Squash Player Editor Ian McKenzie, but he declined the offer after watching me surrender my Square Mile over-25 (shouldn't that be 45, Ed?) title to Steve Hutson on the Perspex court at lunchtime. AND FINALLY ... Good news from Martin Heath. The foot he injured on day one is getting better every day and it looks like he will be back on court inside a fortnight instead of the initial two-month prognosis. Nice to meet PSA chairman Jack Herrick at the Broadgate. Charming, civilised and a waspish sense of humour. You'd never guess he was a lawyer! |
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Wednesday 7th - Day Three | ||
Emergency Ward Ten The marquee inside the Broadgate Arena has been renamed Emergency Ward Ten after another night of drama, fun, thrills, spills, cuts and bruises. Canada's world number two Jonathon Power limped out of his Harrow Group qualifier with Simon Parke after injuring a knee. Having already qualified for the semi-finals, Power forfeited the match, while trailing 2-1 in games, to make sure his body was in prime condition for tonight's battle with his great rival Peter Nicol. Power had already crashed into the sidewall of the court after chasing one particular shot in vain. Everyone held their breath, wondering how this massive frame would hold up after such a collision, but the court was fine. Nicol himself took a treatment break after being whacked in the face with Ahmed Barada's racket during the final Fleet Group qualifier. Peter had a little nick close to his eye, and let that particular game drift by, but he came back on court to hit plenty of nicks of his own to beat the Egyptian 15-11 in the fifth. Nicol's mastery of this game is nothing short of amazing. Sure, he looked like he was suffering a couple of tired spells, but time after time he was digging out Barada's best shots. Even the tightest of drops, clinging to the side wall, or buried in the nick, were returned with interest. It must have been pretty demoralising for the Egyptian, but he won't be losing too much sleep over it. He's back in action, back among the bustle of the PSA squash family, and contesting a major semi-final. Welcome back Barada The players had all expressed their sympathy at the the abominable circumstances surrounding his injury, and they were delighted to welcome him to London when they got together on Monday morning, but, after that, it's down to business. And that's where the sympathy ends. Barada is getting just the right physical and mental workout he needs after such a long break from the game. Clearly his movement and sheer passion for the game have not been diminished by his injury and it promises to be a full-blooded battle with Parke. Exhibition time The first two matches on court were dead rubbers, and spectators were treated to two hugely enjoyable exhibition matches. Londoner Paul Johnson helped swell the crowd by inviting a busload of mates, who seemed perplexed at their hero's lack of movement during the first game, won comfortably by Evans. It had nothing to do with any injury worries, but everything to do with a late night out with Martin Heath. Luckily Johnson needed only that one game to shake off the cobwebs and his followers cheered as he and Evans exchanged trick shots, banter and points. Johnson moved 2-1 ahead and the match appeared to be heading the full distance as Evans led 9-3 in the fourth, but Johnson clawed back the deficit to hold match ball at 14-13. Evans levelled, Johnson called set one, and took it 15-14 after a ferocious rally. Anthony Hill and Alex Gough also entertained the crowd with another vaudeville show that went to Gough in straight games. At one stage Hill was playing ping-pong with the crowd. He hit the ball out, someone threw it back, Hill flicked it back into the audience, and so on. It's not squash as we know it, but the crowd loved it. No jazz band to stop play tonight, there was sunshine instead of showers, and the players were able to hit the ball to a comfortable length instead of being forced to adopt the big hack in the cold conditions of Monday and Tuesday. Looking to the Final ... Peter Nicol's London fan club will be out in force to see him in action against Power, who is confident of being fit to face the man whose British Open title he took away when the world champion fell ill in his home town of Aberdeen in December. Power said: "I came off court as a precaution. My knee just seized up. I don't know why. But I just hope it will be OK for the semi-finals." English hopes rest with Simon Parke, a finalist in 1998 when he lost to Jansher Khan at Hatfield. That was Jansher's fourth Super Series title. He may have gone, but his coach and manager, Satinder Bajwa, is still here, running the show with his own unique brand of charm and calm. He's running a great show here, and my only advice would be to check the local wine bars to see if any jazz bands are booked in for Friday night. There again, maybe Baj might welcome a few volunteers to assist in his research. Where's Heath and PJ? |
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Tuesday
6th - Day Two at the Broadgate Arena |
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Squash and all that jazz ... SPORT is often prone to interruptions because of the weather. Cricket matches are frequently delayed because of rain and bad light. Wimbledon rarely enjoys a fortnight without losing a day or two to summer downpours, forcing fans trapped inside Centre Court to be subjected to Cliff Richard singing all the songs we'd love to forget. Well, squash recorded a unique interruption when Jazz Stopped Play during the Equitable Life Super Series finals at London's Broadgate Arena. Simon Parke and David Evans were locked in mortal combat in their Harrow group match inside the Broadgate marquee when a jazz band suddenly struck up outside. Apparently the band had been hired to play at a private party going on at one of the many cafe bars springing up in this new-look corner of the city. It was good quality jazz, and clearly agreeable to most people, although it was obviously distracting both players, Parke especially. They came off for a five-minute break while tournament organisers pleaded with the party planners to reduce the volume. Someone suggested that they play some music to entertain the crowd during the break. Parke seemed to benefit most from the breather. He had been run ragged by Evans in the opening game, hurtling from corner to corner to retrieve the ball as Evans dictated play. But eventually Parke wore down his opponent and squeezed home a 3-2 winner, 15-11 in the fifth, in just under two hours. It was a hard-earned win for Parkie against one of his most difficult opponents. Flamin' June again ... At one stage during the game, spectators queuing outside were forced to dash inside the marquee for cover as a violent rainstorm unleashed its wrath on the city. The roof shuddered as the rain belted down, but fortunately there were no leaks in the temporary structure housed on Broadgate's ice rink. There were further distractions as the jazz band's volume crept up again, to be replaced later on by the obligatory multi-decibel disco. Helicopters often flew overhead as London's top tycoons made their way home after a stressful day with the bead counters, but none of these distractions could compare with the volume of Anthony Hill's debates with the referee and marker as he lost in straight games to Ahmed Barada. Welcome back Ahmed, says Hilly ... Barada was clearly pleased at being back on court, and smiled indulgently through most of the match as Hilly self-destructed. Barada has enjoyed a comfortable return to the sport after that horrific stabbing in Cairo, and to reach the semi-finals (albeit thanks mainly to Martin Heath's foot injury on Monday) is probably more than he could have hoped for. As Barada changed his shirt after his match against Hill, I caught a glimpse of the two vivid scars on his back. Not a pretty sight. But Barada is a brave and honourable young man, and we wish him well as he returns to the comfort of the familiar surroundings of the squash court. In tonight's final Fleet Group match he faces defending champion Peter Nicol in a repeat of last year's final, not to mention a re-run of the World Open on Barada's home court in front of the Great Pyramids. Top two looking cool ... Nicol was a little off-guard as he dropped the first game against Alex Gough, the replacement for the unfortunate Heath. Gough, had flown back from a surfing holiday in the south of France and found the cool conditions to his liking as he chipped and chopped the ball around the front court. But Nicol stepped up a gear to dominate proceedings from then on. Business as usual. Nicol's great rival, Jonathon Power, had earlier surrendered a game to Paul Johnson. Power squeezed home 15-14 in the opening game, calling "set one" at 14-all and hammering PJ's serve straight into the nick. Power looked comfortably in control of the second game but stepped off the gas in the third as Johnson won 15-8. But back came Power to take the fourth 15-6. The Apres-Squash ... Once the squash was over, it was off to try to gatecrash the party ... Full marks to Martin Heath for staying on in London to join me in the TV commentary team, although I had to carry him up the stairs to get to our seats. Martin reports that he will be out of action for six to eight weeks after damaging the underneath of his foot. Any squash player who has suffered a similar injury will know how he feels. Martin is in debate with the organisers about his tournament fees. As someone who knows about these things, I think he should receive his full entitlement (in other words, the prize money for finishing eighth) with a contingency fund in place to pay for his replacement. I'll leave that one to Martin, Baj and Gawain Briars. The arena was still only half full on Tuesday but ticket sales are looking good for the rest of the week. Apologies for a late posting of today's Diary, due to a power-cut back home in Kent. |
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2a.m. latest...
Bad Hair Days? |
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