Thank you to Patricia Lyons for once again gracing the tournament with her photographic genius.
More marvellous images here:
From Patricia Lyons:
Many thanks for your kind words. A great tournament all the way around.
Best,
Patricia
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
MIGHTY MATTHEW MASTERS ASHOUR TO RETAIN RICHMOND TITLE
SQUASH: Mighty Matthew masters Ashour to retain Richmond title
PSA North American Open, Westwood Club, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Final: (1) Nick Matthew (England) beat (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6 (85 minutes)
Top seed Nick Matthew retained the North American Open title after beating his great rival Ramy Ashour in a momentous final of this $115,000 PSA World Series Tour event at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
The 30-year-old world champion from Sheffield, England, triumphed 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6 after 85 minutes of magical squash as the two giants of world squash competed in their third consecutive Richmond final.
With honours level at one victory each, Matthew recovered from 8-6 down to win the first game and then powered through the second, playing superb squash to force a succession of errors from his 23-year-old Egyptian opponent.
Matthew continued to dominate in the third game and when he advanced to 8-6 he was within touching distance of the trophy.
However, Ashour suddenly tightened up his game and reeled off five points in a row to fend off defeat.
Matthew continued to play tight, stylish and intelligent squash to generate a 6-4 lead in the fourth game but once again Ashour responded with his own unique brand of attacking play.
The winners began to flow as the capacity crowd at the Westwood Club roared their encouragement.
Ashour collected five points in a row to lead 9-6 and then, after Matthew had crept back to 8-9, he closed out the game to take the match to a fifth game.
But he failed to maintain the momentum as Matthew marched imperiously towards his second Richmond title.
Ashour won the first point of the game but Matthew produced a devastating brand of controlled, almost error-free squash to lead 5-2 and then 8-3.
Ashour had the crowd on their feet as he won three vital points to reach 6-8 but Matthew closed out the match to gain revenge for his defeat in the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York, the first World Series event of the year.
A delighted Matthew said: "Ramy and I are building quite a rivalry but that match in New York was our first meeting since August last year, which shows how many good players there are at the top of the game who stop us from meeting in every final.
"It was a great match and as Ramy is a lot younger than me I hope I can keep the rivalry going for a few more years.
"I know the crowd were cheering for him to come back when I was 2-0 up but I won't hold it against them. This tournament gets bigger and better every year and we have all enjoyed the superb new venue at the Westwood Club.
"The crowds have been great every day and the game is gaining a massive foothold in the United States.
"We had live coverage on ESPN for the semi-finals and finals and we hope that squash fans over here will continue to follow the Tour on our own PSA SquashTV streaming channel."
For a third consecutive evening, the crowd finished the evening's play with a standing ovation. This time Ashour, who reached the final with two spectacular victories against Gregory Gaultier and James Willstrop, failed to deliver.
Ashour said: "Nick is a great champion and today he showed why he is number one in the world. It was a fantastic match and I am sure we will have many more of them as we go round the world playing in so many great tournaments like this one."
Ashour dedicated his victory in New York to the Egyptian nation and did the same in Richmond as he collected the runner's-up trophy.
RAMY IN RICHMOND: PICTURE GALLERY
Pictures by PATRICIA LYONS
Ramy celebrates victory in the semi-finals as James Willstrop makes his exit
Ramy consoles James after a massive rally ends with Willstrop hitting the top of the tin. It was a crucial point.
Ramy in action against Gregory Gaultier
Ramy Ashour loves Richmond; and Richmond loves Ramy
Ramy leaves the court with Gregory Gaultier as the crowd rise to give both players a standing ovation. after their epic quarter-final.
Ramy consoles James after a massive rally ends with Willstrop hitting the top of the tin. It was a crucial point.Friday, February 25, 2011
MATTHEW MEETS ASHOUR IN AMERICAN DREAM FINAL
Pictures by Patricia Lyons
MATTHEW MEETS RAMY IN AMERICAN DREAM FINAL
PSA NORTH AMERICAN OPEN
Semi-finals, Westwood Club, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
(1) Nick Matthew (England) beat (4) Amr Shabana (Egypt) 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5 (40 mins)(2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) beat (3) James Willstrop (England) 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6 (45 mins)
Final Day schedule
4pm: Comedy Doubles. Yes, you can get four guys on a singles court! Crazy, fun squash with a comedy referee (me!!).
4.45pm: This is where it gets serious. Nick Matthew meets Ramy Ashour in the final showdown on the glass court. Please arrive early and be seated before the player introductions.
Semi-final round-up:
World champion Nick Matthew meets Ramy Ashour in the final of the $115,000 North American Open for a third year running after the top two seeds stormed through their semi-finals at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
The two matches were both England-Egypt affairs, with Matthew overcoming Amr Shabana in just 40 minutes and Ashour taking five minutes longer to beat James Willstrop.
Matthew played tight, controlled squash to win the opening game but Shabana responded in spectacular style to take the second with a succession of dazzling winners.
However, Matthew regained control to dominate the third and fourth games to book his place in the final.
Matthew said: "Amr was unplayable in that second game and you have to try to restrict his shot-making opportunities or he will destroy you. It feels great to be in another Richmond final. I'm feeling good and looking forward to it."
Ashour and Willstrop received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic Richmond crowd after an incredible display of shot-making.
Willstrop played some superb squash in patches but No.2 seed Ashour was in extravagant, outrageous form with sensational winners from all over the court.
Ashour edged the first game but Willstrop wasted game ball in the second, allowing Ashour to hit back and take the game on a tiebreak.
Willstrop tightened up in the third game and played immaculate squash to win 11-5. However, Ashour got off to a flying start in the fourth and although Willstrop clawed his way back to 5-7 with some fine shots the Egyptian genius closed out the match in spectacular style.
Two weeks ago Ashour joined the demonstrations on the streets of Cairo but he clearly was unperturbed by any disruption to his training schedule. He said: "That inspired me so much I didn't worry about any gap in training.
"I love playing here in Richmond for such a knowledgeable crowd. They inspire me, too.
"James is always a difficult opponent. He is so skilful and we always have great matches, so I'm pleased to win and pleased that the crowd enjoyed it as much as I did."
Ashour's meeting with Matthew is a repeat of their showdown in the final of the first World Series event of the year, the Tournament of Champions in New York, which the Egyptian won.
Ashour won the NAO title two years ago but was forced to concede in last year's final because of injury.
PSA's SquashTV is the official live and video on-demand website of the Professional Squash Association.
Watch all the live action and highlights at www.psasquashtv.com
Follow PSA's Squash TV on Facebook at www.facebook.com/squashtv
and the latest PSA Tour news on www.twitter.com/
As a treat for viewers in the USA, the North American Open final will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com
Broadcast Schedule:
Saturday, February 26: 5:00pm
http://espn.go.com/espn3/
Follow the live action blog on the official tournament website: www.naosquash.com
For more information on Virginia Squash, please check out: www.vasquash.com
POSTER GETS MORE MEDIA ATTENTION
Here's a link to the article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch which featured designer Dan Bogosh and photographer Patricia Lyons' collaboration on the new world-famous Richmond poster:
FRIDAY: SEMI-FINALS SPECTACULAR
Semi-finals, Friday:
Note to all spectators: please be seated by 5.45pm.
Tonight is semi-final night and what a fabulous feast of squash lies ahead of us. We are honoured to have the four best players in the world in the semi-finals of the North American Open and they are here on court at the Westwood Club in Richmond this evening
Each match is a major battle between the two squash super powers, Egypt and England
6pm: (4) Amr Shabana (Egypt) v (1) Nick Matthew (England)
Shabana, aged 31, has won the World Open four times. Matthew, 30, is the reigning Richmond champion, the World Open champion and world No.1.
Both players have reached 39 Tour finals and both are very keen to make it 40.
Head to Head is 8 wins each.
These two have already met twice this year, Shabana winning in the PSA World Series Finals in London and Matthew winning in the semi-finals of the Tournament of Champions .... in 88 minutes!
7pm: (3) James Willstrop (England) v (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt)
Head to Head 10-4 to Ramy. They have met in the Tournament of Champions in each of the last four years and every match was an epic battle.
We expect the same this evening.
What a fabulous evening we have in prospect.
For squash lovers, it doesn't get any better than this.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
MAGIC SHOW FROM RAMY AS MATTHEW MARCHES PAST INJURED PALMER
Ramy and Greg receive a richly-deserved standing ovation after their epic quarter-final.
Picture by Patricia Lyons
PSA NORTH AMERICAN OPEN SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the Westwood Club, Richmond, Virginia
Quarter-finals, Thursday:
(1) Nick Matthew (England) beat David Palmer (Australia) 8-9 retd (23 mins)
(4) Amr Shabana (Eypt) beat Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia) 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 12-10 (48 mins)
(3) James Willstrop (England) beat (7) Peter Barker (England) 7-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (49 mins)
(2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) beat (6) Gregory Gaultier (France) 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8 (68 mins)
England’s world champion Nick Matthew was given a walkover into the semi-finals of the $115,000 North American Open when his Australian opponent David Palmer was forced to retire through injury.
Matthew, the Sheffield-based world No.1, was trailing 8-9 in a tense and physical opening game when the two players collided in mid-court as Palmer tried to chase a ball into the back left corner.
After lengthy treatment to a twisted ankle, the 34-year-old veteran announced that he could not continue play in this World Series Tour event, the second of the year, at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
Palmer said: “I have another tournament coming up soon and it would be silly to risk it. The ankle swelled up really badly. It’s a shame because Nick and I were both playing well and it was shaping up to be a great match.”
Top seed Matthew, the reigning NAO champion, meets Amr Shabana in the semi-finals after the No.4 seed overcame Malaysian Azlan Iskander in a wonderful match full of attacking squash.
It was so tight that Shabana needed to squeeze home in two tiebreaks before winning 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 12-10 in 48 minutes of brilliant shot-making and phenomenal retrieving.
No.3 seed James Willstrop maintained his unbeaten record against England team-mate Peter Barker. In their 12th PSA Tour meeting, Willstrop recovered after losing the first game to win 7-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 in 49 minutes.
It was a stylish, measured performance and No.3 seed Willstrop will need a repeat performance in the semi-finals against Ramy Ashour.
The Egyptian genius overcame Gregory Gaultier in a spectacular finale to the evening.
Gaultier played superbly but Ashour’s speed around the court and a succession of deadly crosscourt kill shots proved the decisive factors. At times, Ashour's skill transcended genius.
After clinching a 68-minute victory, with a scoreline of 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, Ashour acknowledged the contribution of his opponent. He said: “Greg has been out of action with an injury for a long time since the World Open and he is back playing better than he was before.
“That’s why I needed to be so fast, just to get the ball back. He was playing incredible squash and I am very happy and relieved to be through to the semi-finals against James. That should be another great match.”
The Richmond crowd gave Gaultier a three-minute ovation after a blinding rally in which he saved a match ball, and then rose as one to give both players a richly deserved standing ovation as they left the court.
PSA's SquashTV is the official live and video on-demand website of the Professional Squash Association.
Watch all the live action and highlights at www.psasquashtv.com
Follow PSA's Squash TV on Facebook at www.facebook.com/squashtv
and the latest PSA Tour news on www.twitter.com/psaworldtour
As a treat for viewers in the USA, the North American Open goes out live on ESPN3.com this weekend.
Broadcast Schedule:
Friday, February 25: 6:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Semi-finals)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131353
Saturday, February 26: 5:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Final)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131404
Follow the live action blog on the official tournament website: www.naosquash.com
SHABANA SHOOTS INTO SEMI-FINALS
Amr Shabana (Egypt) beat Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia) 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 12-10 (48 mins)
Amr Shabana and Azlan Iskandar delivered a feast of exciting, attacking squash in the first quarter-final. Throw some unbelievable retrieving into the mix and you can see how the crowd at the Westwood Club were entertained.
Both players had a similar game plan, searching for a tight width on a court where the ball glues itself to the side walls, and attacking anything half an inch looser than perfection.
Shabana just kept in front during the opening game but Iskandar responded solidly in the second. Having built up a lead of 6-1, he advanced to 9-4 then shut out the game 11-6.
Then it was Shabana's turn to dominate. He led 6-2 but Iskandar produced a sustained spell of accurate attacking to turn the tables with six points in a row to lead 8-6. He was first to game ball at 10-9 but Shabana forced the tiebreak and won it 12-10.
The fourth game followed a similar pattern, with Shabana leading 5-1 before Iskandar rallied. And boy, did he rally. He stunned the crowd with some incredible diving gets, and clawed his way back to 9-9. Shabana had match ball at 10-9 but the Egyptian tinned a few shots in his eagerness to get the match over and another tiebreak arrived.
Again Shabana finished in masterful fashion to clinch the tiebreak and become the first player into the semi-finals.
PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY FRIDAY
Please come early Friday
The semi-finals tomorrow (Friday) will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com and so we politely ask spectators to arrive early and PLEASE be seated in the arena by 5.45pm for a 6pm start on court.
This will help to make things run smoothly for the technical aspect of the whole operation.
We don't want people milling around the court as the first semi-final starts.
Thank you for your kind co-operation.
THURSDAY QUARTER-FINALS: FOUR FANTASTIC MATCH-UPS
LEFT: James Willstrop dominates the court against Martin Knight yesterday, pinning the New Zealander behind him.Picture by Patricia Lyons
After almost a week of fantastic squash, we have reached the quarter-finals stage.
This is often one of the most popular nights in any pro tournament, with four fantastic matches guaranteed.
We look forward to seeing a big crowd here at the Westwood Club this evening for these mouthwatering match-ups.
5pm: (4) Amr Shabana (Eypt) v Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia)
Azlan looks very sharp this week. He looks certain to make the four-times world champion Shabana work all the way.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Shabana 3-1
6pm: (1) Nick Matthew (England) v David Palmer (Australia)
David Palmer is still in good nick at 34. Still playing tremendous squash. But Nick Matthew is our reigning Richmond champion, world No.1 and world champion. He'll be tough to beat. Very tough.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Palmer 7-6
7pm: (3) James Willstrop (England) v (6) Peter Barker (England)
An all-England battle. These two have played 11 times in pro squash and Willstrop has won all 11. Both players have met qualifiers in the draw so far. Tonight it's for real. Barker will be battling to break his duck, but Willstrop loves this glass court.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Willstrop 11-0
8pm: (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) v (5) Gregory Gaultier (France)
What a fabulous match to finish the evening. Gaultier looked ruthless last night as he dispatched Olli Tuominen 11-1 in the final game, while Ramy struggled against an inspired Tom Richards.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Ashour 8-4
GROWING SQUASH: SPREAD THE WORD
I sent this email out today a number of squash contacts across the United States.
Please feel free to copy it and send it on.
The Quarter-Finals of the North American Open take place this evening at the wonderful Westwood Club in Richmond, VA.
Four great match-ups feature the following players:
Quarter-finals, Thursday:
This tournament is helping to raise the profile of squash in the USA, so please tell all your friends in the sport.
5pm: (4) Amr Shabana (Eypt) v Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia)
6pm: (1) Nick Matthew (England) v David Palmer (Australia)
7pm: (3) James Willstrop (England) v (6) Peter Barker (England)
8pm: (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) v (5) Gregory Gaultier (France)
Squash fans can watch live streaming of the whole tournament on the PSA's own channel.
PSA's SquashTV is the official live and video on-demand website of the Professional Squash Association.
Watch all the live action and highlights at www.psasquashtv.com
Follow PSA's Squash TV on Facebook at www.facebook.com/squashtv
and the latest PSA Tour news on www.twitter.com/
As a treat for viewers in the USA, the North American Open goes out live on ESPN3.com this week.
Broadcast Schedule:
Friday, February 25: 6:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Semi-finals)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/
Saturday, February 26: 5:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Final)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/
Follow the live action blog on the official tournament website: www.naosquash.com
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
WEDNESDAY: RAMY'S RELIEF AS RICHARDS ROCKS RICHMOND
NORTH AMERICAN OPEN,
Westwood Club, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Wednesday results:
5pm: (6) Peter Barker (England) v (Q) Nafizwan Adnan (Malaysia) 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (28 mins)
6pm: (3) James Willstrop (England) v (Q) Martin Knight (NZ) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (30 mins)
7pm: (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) bt Tom Richards (England) 6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9 (45 mins)
8pm: (5) Gregory Gaultier (France) bt Olli Tuominen (Finland) 11-6, 11-6, 11-1 (36 mins)
James Willstrop meets England team-mate Peter Barker in the quarter-finals of the North American Open after both players crushed their opponents in Richmond.
Barker took just 28 minutes to beat Malaysian Nafizwan Adnan and Willstrop took just two minutes longer to beat New Zealander Martin Knight in straight games.
Willstrop said: "I like the way this court is playing, as do a lot of the players. You feel confident going forward because you know that the court will take a good drop. It sinks nicely into those front corners and so you will see a lot of players trying to do that this week."
Knight said: "It was a very fast match. Anything loose was finished off very quickly. James puts away the loose balls so well he doesn't let you back in."
Barker said: "I'm not known for short matches so it's nice to get two quick ones in a row. I don't think I've done that before!
"I'm feeling good and hope I can continue that form through the week. This is one of our Majors and it is as big as they get."
England’s world champion Nick Matthew had already qualified for the quarters and he faces a tough challenge from Australia’s David Palmer. The Miami-based former world No.1 is still playing outstanding squash at the age of 34.
Tom Richards was unable to make it a quartet of Englishmen in the quarters but he came desperately close to beating Egypt’s No.2 seed Ramy Ashour.
Richards dominated the opening game to win it 11-6 and held game ball in the second at 10-9 but was unable to close it out. Ashour squeezed home 12-10 and from 5-4 down he won the third 11-6.
However, Richards roared back in the fourth and looked set to take the match the full distance as he led 9-4, but the Egyptian maestro put together an astonishing run of seven points without reply to clinch victory.
Ashour said: "Tom played a great game and was ahead in all of the games. I am a little bit disappointed with the way I played but all credit to Tom. He played very well. But I will need to play a lot better in the next round."
Richards said: “I am very disappointed to have lost because I was in some very good positions in the second and fourth games and should have finished them off. But in a couple of days I might feel a bit differently.”
The quarter-final draw features four outstanding contests, with Ashour facing Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who outclassed Finnish No.1 Olli Tuominen 11-6, 11-6, 11-1.
Four-times world champion Amr Shabana tackles Malaysian Azlan Iskandar, who has looked impressive this week at the Westwood Club.
Quarter-finals, Thursday:
5pm: (4) Amr Shabana (Eypt) v Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia)
6pm: (1) Nick Matthew (England) v David Palmer (Australia)
7pm: (3) James Willstrop (England) v (7) Peter Barker (England)
8pm: (2) Ramy Ashour (Egypt) v (6) Gregory Gaultier (France)
The North American Open goes out live on ESPN3.com this week. Broadcast Schedule:
Friday, February 25: 6:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Semi-finals)http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131353
Saturday, February 26: 5:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Final)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131404Follow the live action blog on the official tournament website: www.naosquash.com
RAMY AND RICHARDS RENEW RIVALRY... TEN YEARS ON
SPOTLIGHT ON TOM RICHARDS v RAMY ASHOUR
Tom Richards is one of the rising stars of the game. He played a great match to beat Egyptian Hisham Ashour in the first round and tonight he meets his brother, Ramy.
Ramy Ashour won the 2008 World Open and has featured in the past two Richmond finals. He has met England's current world champion Nicki Matthew on each occasion. Ramy won the 2009 championship match but had to concede last year because of injury.
He and Nick met in the recent Tournament of Champions final at Grand Central Station in New York, with Ra,my claiming the first "Major" squash title of 2011.
Tom and Ramy meet in the third match of this evening's session, which completes the second round schedule.
Ramy won both times: 9-0. 9-0. 9-0 the first time, and 5-9, 9-1, 9-5, 9-2 the second
It will be interesting to see what a difference 10 years makes!
Tom has just been selected for England for the first time in next months World Team Cup in India
WEDNESDAY: SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE
Today at the Westwood Club, starting at 5pm.
Wednesday Schedule (Bottom half of second round draw):
5pm: (6) Peter Barker (Eng) v (Q) Nafizwan Adnan (Mas)
6pm: (3) James Willstrop (Eng) v (Q) Martin Knight (NZ)
7pm: (2) Ramy Ashour v Tom Richards (Eng)
8pm: Gregory Gaultier (Fra) v Olli Tuominen (Fin)
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS:
Barker 1-0 Adnan
Willstrop 0-0 Knight
Ashour 0-0 Richards
Gaultier 4-1 Tuominen
The NAO goes out live on ESPN3.com this week. Of course we would rather you were here at the Westwood Club, watching the action from courtside, but please tell all your friends all over the country (and squash buddies all over the world) to tune in and watch online at ESPN. Here's the Broadcast Schedule:
Friday, February 25: 6:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Semi-finals)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131353
Saturday, February 26: 5:00pm
Professional Squash Association: North American Open (Final)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131404
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
TUESDAY ROUND-UP:
PSA NORTH AMERICAN OPEN SECOND ROUND
(NIGHT LEAD AND COLLATED RESULTS)
MATTHEW MASTERS THE DEMONS TO REACH RICHMOND QUARTER-FINALS
World champion Nick Matthew admitted to “getting the demons out of my head” after he and Egyptian superstar Amr Shabana advanced to the quarter-finals of the North American Open in contrasting styles at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
The two are seeded to meet in the semi-finals of this $115,000 PSA World Series event on Friday.
Matthew, the reigning NAO champion, beat Canadian No.1 Shahier Razik in straight games, but Shabana had to fight back from 2-1 down to overcome England’s Jonathan Kemp.
Matthew looked uncomfortable during his first round match with Julian Illingworth, having complained about a slippery floor, but he encountered no such problems against Razik, who tried his hardest slow the game down.
Matthew won 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 and said: “It was a battle of contrasting styles. Shahier was trying to slow the ball down and I was trying to speed things up. He is a very tricky opponent and I was much happier with the way I played tonight. I was more relaxed after getting the first match under my belt and I managed to get the demons out of my head.
“There are so many good players around that competition is always tough, no matter what round you play in and the pressure is always on to deliver your best. Sometimes you have to take stock and remember just how much you love playing this game for a living”
In the quarter-finals Matthew meets Australian veteran David Palmer. The former world champion showed that he can still play phenomenal squash at 34 as he overpowered England’s Alister Walker in four games, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Palmer admitted: “I relaxed a bit at 8-2 up in the fourth and Alister showed what a dangerous player he is. It was very hard and I lost the plot a bit in the second game but I’m happy to be playing well and pleased to be in the quarter-finals.”
Shabana was forced to battle all the way by Kemp, finally winning 11-8, 13-15, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 after a brilliantly entertaining match full of dazzling shots at the front of the court.
Kemp matched Shabana’s magical qualities for most of the match and recovered well to win the second game tiebreak after trailing 10-8. He maintained the momentum to win the third and a shock looked on the cards as he led 3-0 in the fourth. But Shabana showed confidence and composure in a crisis and strung together a run of points to win the game.
At 5-5 in the fifth it was wide open, but Shabana’s experience shone through as he clinched his place in the quarter-finals.
After the match he was typically gracious to his opponent, saying: "The way Jonathan has come back from hip and back surgery to continue his career in squash is a phenomenal achievement.
“Those injuries would have finished the careers of many athletes and he is a very talented player - always difficult to play against.
"At 5-5 in the fifth I wasn't really worried. I just knew that the player who would win would be the one who could keep to his game and not make too many mistakes. Fortunately that was me."
Shabana now meets Azlan Iskandar, who followed up his first round win over new British champion Daryl Selby by beating German No.1 Simon Rosner. The Malaysian changed his approach after losing the opening game and simply crushed his opponent 11-1 in the second.
The cool court suited his attack at the front of the court and Rosner admitted: “I was hopeless. He changed his tactics and got in front. After that I simply couldn’t get the ball past him to the back of the court.”
Iskandar admitted: “They weren’t big changes, just a few subtle alterations. I knew that I couldn't play anything loose because Simon is such a good player these days that he was able to punish all my mistakes.
“He has improved so much in the last few months and there are a lot of guys like him who are putting pressure on the top guys. The cool court may have looked like it suited my game but I grew up in Malaysia with 100 per cent humidity so it's not something I'm used to."
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Tuesday
5pm Azlan Iskander (Mas) v Simon Rosner (Ger) 9-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-7 (48 mins)
6pm (4) Amr Shabana (Egypt) v Jonathan Kemp (Eng) 11-8, 13-15, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 (54 mins)
7pm: (1) Nick Matthew (Eng) v Shahier Razik (Can) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (34 mins)
8pm: David Palmer (Aus) v Alister Walker (Eng) 11-6, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9 (61 mins).
Wednesday Schedule (Bottom half of second round draw):
5pm: (6) Peter Barker (Eng) v (Q) Nafizwan Adnan (Mas)
6pm: (3) James Willstrop (Eng) v (Q) Martin Knight (NZ)
7pm: (2) Ramy Ashour v Tom Richards (Eng)
8pm: Gregory Gaultier (Fra) v Olli Tuominen (Fin)
The NAO goes out live on ESPN3.com this week. Broadcast Schedule:
Friday, February 25: 6:00pmProfessional Squash Association: North American Open (Semi-finals)http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131353 Saturday, February 26: 5:00pmProfessional Squash Association: North American Open (Final)http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=131404
Follow the live action blog on the official tournament website: www.naosquash.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)