|
|
|
James Willstrop
Wins First Tournament of Champions Title
Howard Harding
reports...
Photos courtesy: www.squashsite.co.uk |
RESULTS: JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, New York, USA
Final:
[6] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3
(49m)
England's
sixth seed James Willstrop was a master of precision as he decisively
defeated world No1 Ramy Ashour in the final of the JP Morgan Tournament of
Champions to win the $97,500 PSA World Tour Super Series squash title at
Grand Central Terminal in New York for the first time.
The
26-year-old Yorkshireman had a definitive strategy going into the match
against 22-year-old Ashour: "Ramy’s pace and racquet speed are unlike any
other player," said Willstrop after his 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3 triumph.
"You’ve got to stop Ramy from having any chances to shoot because even when
he has half a chance he can do so much with the ball." The
champion’s strategy was to “withstand and contain”, which he did by hitting
impossibly tight shots; maintaining a medium pace that blunted his
opponent’s preference for power; and seizing the first opportunity to take
the ball at the front of the court.
The first
game was a bit of cat and mouse as the players tested each other with a
variety of shots and pace. Ashour led the entire game, but Willstrop was
not bothered, staying calm and focused, playing disciplined and intelligent
squash. The first lead Willstrop had was at 11-10, but it was all he
needed to win the game. Unlike the first game, Willstrop led from start
to finish in the second as he contained the passionate Egyptian with balls
that hugged the glass wall and shots to the front that were deft and
feathery. Willstrop also varied the pace, floating lobs and then snapping
power drives that kept Ashour scrambling to keep the ball in play. As much
artist as athlete on court, Ashour was flummoxed by the lack of opportunity
to unleash his creativity: Willstrop took the game to extend his
lead. Down 0/2 in games, Ashour kept himself alive in the match and
brought the standing room only crowd to their feet when, at nine-all, he
hit two stupefying winners after long rallies to win the third game - and
become the first player to take a game off Willstrop throughout the
tournament! It was all Willstrop in the fourth, though, when he shot
out to a 7-1 lead before clinching the game to claim his maiden Tournament
of Champions title.
"I would
have been really mad if I lost 3/0," a disappointed Ashour said after the
match. "He just played better than me – he was more in the zone."
Alluding
to the fact that he had played defending champion Gregory Gaultier in the
quarter-finals and world No2 Nick Matthew in the semis, the 2008
title-holder continued: "I started thinking in between points that I have
been doing this for three nights and it was just too much – it was like
playing three finals in a row." As the trophy presentation got underway
under the majestic chandelier hanging over the glittering glass court in
Grand Central Terminal, Willstrop’s father and coach Malcolm watched with
evident emotion as his son accepted the coveted Tournament of Champions
trophy.
The
champion seized the moment to recognise all those who had helped him reach
this career-defining moment. "I don’t know when I will have the chance
again to be standing here with the winner’s microphone, so I am going to
take advantage of this opportunity,” he said with a smile and, in an Oscar
style acceptance speech complete with written notes, went on to thank his
entire support team including his father, the coaches and trainers at the
English Institute of Sport and his girlfriend Vanessa Atkinson, a former
world champion and a top competitor on the WISPA Tour.
"I have
got here with lots of hard work and a great support team - and this
championship would not be possible without them," added Willstrop - the
only player ever to beat the three Egyptian world number ones Ramy Ashour,
Karim Darwish and Amr Shabana in successive rounds in the same tournament!
When
asked how this championship week stacked up against his other
squash-playing experiences, the delighted and grateful champion replied:
"I would have to say this has been the best week of squash for me ever. I
beat three outstanding No1 players in four days and won the Tournament of
Champions.
"It is
not the biggest money event, but it is the most exciting and it is the
tournament that every player wants to win."
|
|
Willstrop
Overcomes Shabana In Grand Central Shock
News from
the Professional Squash Association World Tour
RESULTS: JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, New York, USA
Quarter-finals (top half of draw):
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [7] David Palmer (AUS) 5-11, 11-4, 11-9,
11-7(62m)
[6] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [3] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (31m)
 England's
James Willstrop pulled off a notable upset in the quarter-finals of the JP
Morgan Tournament of Champions when he despatched Egypt's world champion
Amr Shabana in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the $97,500 PSA
World Tour Super Series squash event at Grand Central Terminal in New
York. In a match that sixth seed Willstrop himself described as
“average”, the 26-year-old from Leeds was never really pushed by the
two-time Tournament of Champions winner, who may have been worn out from
his prior evening’s match against Englishman Alister Walker that required a
comeback of Herculean proportion. "Shabana’s been at the top for so long
now - and that is so hard to do, week in and week out," said Willstrop
after his 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 victory in31 minutes. "It rarely happens that
he has a bad match against me, so when it happens, I better take advantage
of it,” added the Yorkshireman, with good humour. The win was sweet
revenge for Willstrop who last lost to the former world number from Cairo
in the semi-finals of the World Open in Kuwait in November - when Shabana
went on the win the title for a fourth time. After that match, Shabana
credited Willstrop for being "up there amongst the top three Englishmen of
all-time".
Willstrop's win dashed hopes of an all Egyptian semi-final after
Cairo-based event favourite Karim Darwish beat Australian David Palmer in
the other quarter-final. There was an air of eager anticipation in Grand
Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall as the first quarter-final got underway
between two of the game’s bigger players – both in terms of physical size
and accomplishments on the PSA Tour.
Seventh
seeded Palmer attacked early and won the first game. Darwish, ranked
world No1 for all but one month in 2009, increased his depth and picked up
the pace in the second game to draw level. The third game was a seesaw
battle as the lead exchanged hands several times. With the score tied
nine-all, a Palmer miss-hit and a Darwish winner put the match firmly in
the Egyptian’s grasp as he took a 2/1 game lead. The fourth game also
saw the lead exchange hands several times. At 8-7 in favour of Darwish,
Palmer hit the ball in frustration and it got stuck in the lights,
necessitating a replacement. With the new ball not quite as warm as the
one in play for the prior part of the match, Darwish hit two consecutive
winners that died just out of Palmer’s reach. Then Palmer made two diving
forehand shots that won him the next point but bloodied his knees, forcing
him off the court to be bandaged. Darwish won the next point to close out
the match 5-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 and even his lifetime match record against
Palmer to seven victories apiece. “I felt like I really played a perfect
first game,” said 33-year-old veteran Palmer, who was recognised after the
match by tournament director John Nimick for being the only player in the
tournament to have played the championship every year since it was first
staged in Grand Central Terminal 13 years ago. Winner Darwish added:
"This has been good to play a hard match and get my confidence and my shots
back after being injured at the end of the year."
Between the two
quarter-final matches, the ToC audience was treated to a trip down memory
lane as Englishman Peter Nicol and Canadian Jonathon Power, who between
them own seven ToC titles, played a Legends Challenge match, won 11-9,
13-11 by Nicol. |
|
Mueller & Rosner
Advance In New York
RESULTS: JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, New York, USA
1st round
(lower half of draw):
Simon Rosner (GER) bt [16] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (35m)
[8] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (45m)
[10] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (32m)
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7
(60m)
[Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [15] Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-9, 11-7,11-9
(46m)
[5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (30m)
[14] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [Q] Bernardo Samper (COL) 11-13, 11-3,
11-9, 11-2 (49m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
Mueller
& Rosner Advance In New York After Upsets At Grand Central US hopes of
success in the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions were dashed when Swiss
qualifier Nicolas Mueller beat five times US national champion Julian
Illingworth, the 15th seed, in the first round of the $97,500 PSA World
Tour Super Series squash event at Grand Central Terminal in New York.
The
20-year-old from Zurich got off to a nervous start in his very first
appearance on the all-glass court at Grand Central as he quickly fell
behind 1-5. "It was a little overwhelming," said Mueller, "even bigger
and noisier than I could have imagined." But the Swiss player steadied
himself and snared the first game. The highest-ranking American ever on the
PSA tour, Illingworth struggled in the second game as a sore wrist hampered
his shot-making.
With the
crowd loudly in his corner, the New York-based Illingworth gamely tried to
challenge Mueller in the third and drew even at nine-all with some deft
shot-making and quick movement to the front of the court. But two tins by
Illingworth gave Mueller the match 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 after 46 minutes - and
the opportunity to face world No1 Ramy Ashour in the second round.
Ashour
defeated French qualifier Mathieu Castagnet 11-9, 11-7, 11-5. "He
surprised me," said Ashour. "But I was happy to be playing someone who was
smart on the court. He read my boast well and to win the match, I had to
be faster and make him work more."
The other
upset came when Germany's Simon Rosner defeated 16th seed Renan Lavigne,
from France, with relative ease in front of a capacity crowd in the nearly
500 seat stadium. "It is just a great feeling," said the broadly smiling
victor after the match. "I was nervous because I don’t often get to play
on the glass court, and never in front of such a big crowd." Rosner
received some advice between games from his coach back home who phoned in
coaching tips while watching the live webcast on SquashTV. Lavigne was
sanguine about the 3/0 loss to his 22-year-old opponent. "I had decided
about a month ago it was time for some new challenges," said the 35-year-old
Frenchman who has had some memorable battles on the Grand Central glass
court. "I wasn’t mentally tough today, but I am glad to get play here one
last time, especially because I wanted to bring my father, for his 62nd
birthday present, to New York City see one of the best tournaments in the
world."
Qualifier
Ryan Cuskelly got an early jump on Nick Matthew when he took the first game
against the world No2 from England. Midway through the second game,
Cuskelly caught Matthew in the ankle with the ball. "I was a little flat in
the first game and getting hit with the ball, which annoyed me, gave me the
fire in the belly I needed to get going," Matthew said. The Englishman
started playing more aggressively and closed out the match against the
22-year-old Australian 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7. Matthew’s second round
opponent will be another Australian, Stewart Boswell, who eliminated
Brazil’s Rafael F Alarcon in three straight games. France’s Gregory
Gaultier began his defence of the title with a straightforward victory over
Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne 11-6, 11-5, 11-5. "I was real excited to
come back here to Grand Central," said the world No4. "After a terrible
year end with injuries, I am happy to be playing again, especially in a
place where I feel so comfortable." Gaultier will next play Miguel Angel
Rodriguez who defeated fellow Colombian Bernardo Samper in four games.
"There are only two professional squash players from Colombia," said
Rodriguez, "and we end up playing each other in the first round." Wael El
Hindi, the eighth seed from Egypt, demonstrated a new seriousness of
purpose when he showed up for his first round match against Hungary’s Mark
Krajcsak. "I was a little more nervous this year because New York City is
my home now, and I had a lot of friends and supporters in the crowd,”
said the 29-year-old who is the touring pro at Cityview Racquet Club. In
the early going, it was a nip and tuck match, with the lead exchanging
hands on almost every point until El Hindi nabbed the opening game.
Krajcsak came back in the second, taking a 7-4 lead, but El Hindi held his
ground to take the second game and easily closed the match 11-9, 11-8,
11-6. "I have changed a lot of things in the last year to get
stronger and fitter, because I realised that moving up in the rankings is
about how many matches you can keep playing at the same level of
intensity," said the satisfied new New Yorker.
2nd
round line-up:
[1] Karim
Darwish (EGY) v [12] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
[7] David Palmer (AUS) v [Q] Adrian Waller (ENG)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [9] Alister Walker (ENG)
[6] James Willstrop (ENG) v Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
[8] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Simon Rosner (GER)
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [10] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
[5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [14] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
PSA's
SquashTV is the official live and video on-demand website of the
Professional Squash Association.
|
|
Former US College
Champions In Tournament of Champions Draw
News from
the Professional Squash Association World Tour
RESULTS: JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, New York, USA
Qualifying finals:
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10
(53m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Mohammed Abbas (EGY) w/o
Yasser El Halaby (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-8, 11-9, 11-2 (33m)
Bernardo Samper (COL) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-13, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8
(57m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6 (68m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Chris Walker (ENG) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (50m)
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (46m)
Shaun le Roux (ENG) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-3, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9 (74m)
Former US
College Champions In Tournament of Champions Draw
Princeton University graduate Yasser El Halaby and Trinity college alum
Bernardo Samper both earned tickets to ride into the main draw of the JP
Morgan Tournament of Champions with victories in the qualifying finals of
the $97,500 PSA World Tour squash event in New York, the opening event of
the 2010 PSA Super Series.
Egyptian
El Halaby, who now resides in New York City, was precise and prescient,
reading his opponent’s shots with consistent accuracy, in his straight
games victory over Frenchman Gregoire Marche. For Samper, a native of
Colombia who resides in New York, it was tough and steadfast retrieving
that resulted in a four-game victory over Italian Stephane Galifi.
It was a
trio of firsts for Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller, Scotland’s Alan Clyne and
England’s Adrian Waller, all on their first trip to New York City,
qualifying for the first time for the Tournament of Champions and a PSA
Super Series event. Adrian Waller battled for 68 minutes before
succumbing to Australia’s Scott Arnold. "It was a lively court, so I had
to wait a little while before I started attacking," said Waller after the
match. "Scott hits the ball quite cleanly and I had to get him out of his
rhythm." Clyne beat Pakistan's Yasir Butt in three-game victory over.
Mueller dropped the first game to hometown favourite Christopher
Gordon. After staying neck and neck to nine-all, Gordon took the game
11-9. "I stepped up the pace considerably in the second and third games,"
said Mueller, winning them 11-4, 11-4. "In the fourth we had several
ridiculously long rallies, and when I was down 9-10, I played the best shot
of my life," he continued, recounting the path to the 12-10 final game win
that propelled the Swiss player into a main draw first round match against
five-time US national champion Julian Illingworth. Australia’s Ryan
Cuskelly quelled the competitive fire of the draw’s oldest competitor,
defeating Englishman Chris Walker in three lively games.
England’s
Shaun Le Roux logged the most court time in his 74-minute defeat of New
Zealand’s higher-ranked Campbell Grayson while Mathieu Castagnet logged no
court time when his opponent Mohammed Abbas withdrew due to injury.
Also in
his first foray in the Tournament of Champions, the Frenchman will meet
world No1 Ramy Ashour in the first round. Cuskelly, who reached the
second round of the ToC two years ago, will face England's world No2 Nick
Matthew in his opening ToC match.
Updated
1st round draw:
[1] Karim
Darwish (EGY) v Gilly Lane (USA) [12]
Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Yasser El Halaby (EGY)
[7] David Palmer (AUS) v Aaron Frankcomb (AUS)
[11] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [Q] Adrian Waller (ENG)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
[9] Alister Walker (ENG) v Amr Swelim (ITA)
[6] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Shaun le Roux (ENG)
[13] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
[16] Renan Lavigne (FRA) v Simon Rosner (GER)
[8] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Mark Krajcsak (HUN)
[10] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Rafael F Alarcon (BRA)
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[15] Julian Illingworth (USA) v [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[14] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Q] Bernardo Samper (COL)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO) |
|
