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11-Nov-05:
Saudi Qualifying
heads for Surrey
 The qualifying competition for the inaugural Saudi International
takes place next week (16th and 17th November) at the St Georges
club in Surrey, four weeks before the 32-man main draw gets under
way in the Saudi Arabia coastal city of Al Khobar.
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May 2005:
PSA Tour breaks into new territory |
16-Nov,
Qualifying Finals at St George's:
Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt Daryl Selby (Eng)
11/1, 11/2, 11/5 (23m) v Gaultier
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Simon Parke (Eng)
11/5, 11/6, 15/13 (42m) v Ricketts
Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt
Liam Kenny (Irl)
11/8, 5/11, 11/2, 17/15 (84m) v Power
Rodney Durbach (Rsa) bt Saurav Ghosal (Ind)
9/11, 10/12, 11/7, 11/7, 11/7 (62m) v Zaman
Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt Davide Bianchetti (Ita)
10/12, 11/6, 11/2, 11/2 (54m) v Willstrop
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Ben Garner (Eng)
11/5, 11/8, 11/8, 12/10 (52m) v Beachill
Joey Barrington (Eng) bt
Aaron Franckomb (Aus) 12/10, 11/6, 11/8 (60m) v Ryding
Alex Gough (Wal) bt Alister Walker (Eng)
11/7, 11/9, 9/11, 11/5 (69m) v Shabana
Framboise reports from St
George's
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NOT TOO HARD FOR BOZZA ...
Stewart Boswell bt Daryl Selby
11/1, 11/2, 11/5 (23m)
 Daryl
Selby made Stewart Boswell's life easy by having the
good idea of playing 7 tournaments in 6 weeks, and two matches
yesterday (one in the qualifiers here, against Phil Barker, then
in the Surrey League, against Steve Richardson, up 2/0, ended up
losing 3/2...).
Needless to say that the young Australian didn't have it too hard,
and he appreciated it the chance, as he is on his way to Qatar ... |
 "Yes,
I'm mentally, physically tired. And Stewart is not the kind of
player you want to play when you are exhausted. Not to mention
that he played very well ... I didn't have a chance.
"Anyway, I was happy to pass the first round to have the
chance of playing Stewart, it's good experience, it's a pity
that I get the chance to play such a player when I'm not fresh
... But that's life, that's squash ..."
Daryl Selby |
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OLD GUARD IS FIT,
THANK YOU ...
Alex Gough bt Alister Walker
11/7, 11/9, 9/11, 11/5 (69m)
Blimey, 35 and still kicking, Alex Gough is... For the
first time in two years, he is now fully fit, training hard, and
back in business.
And Alister Walker didn't do anything wrong today, he
played well, great volley drop shots, amazing retrieving, but the
Welshman was just on fire, holding the rallies as if he was 20
again ...
His partner Anabel had a very good analysis: "today, you were
playing real squash, not Alex Gough's squash."
Meaning that Alex didn't go for short cut, and played the game how
it should be played.
And Alister eventually got physically tired, unforced errors crept
in at the wrong time, and gave the "elder" a great 4 set victory,
in 68 minutes ...
"I thought it
was going to be a tough match, because with his frame of mind
at the moment, Alex is very difficult to beat. What made the
difference I think, is his experience, and maybe that he wants
to keep the young players down ...
"Both the first two games were very tight. But I didn't
lengthen the rallies enough, and he had the experience to keep
them going."
Alister Walker |
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"Now I'm fit, I
know I can make the rally last a bit longer, and I feel that
I'm not as attacking as I was, I find my game a bit
conservative, a bit negative at times.
"And that's how it started today, I had a bit more to lose,
when you are in the second round, things are getting serious,
and I really wanted to qualify for Saudi ..."
"I'm back in that grinding mood, luckily, Alister started to
get a bit tired in the fourth, especially when I started to
change and look for angles, instead of playing straight, and
when I took him around him from the middle ....
"It could have turned in the fourth, happy to win that one
..."
Alex
Gough |
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RAMY IMPRESSIVE
Ramy Ashour bt Simon Parke
11/5, 11/6, 15/13 (42m)
A slow start for the Englishman Simon Parke, a "off the
starting blocks" for the Egyptian, then a real match in the third.
Impressive young Ramy Ashour, who so wanted to qualify for
the first PSA tournament in Saudi. If the first two games were a
bit one sided, the third was riveting, as Parkie had three game
balls that he couldn't transform, and saved a match ball before
succumbing to Ramy's relentless hammering.
"I will be picking you up from the airport," announced Ziad to the
Golden Boy. "It's good to have such a gifted young man in the main
draw," he added.
Yes, we all agree that if he can stay level headed, the young Ramy
should do wonders in the next two years. "In two years, he'll win
the Saudi Tournament," smiled Ziad. Inch'Allah, Ziad, inch'Allah
...
 "I
started a bit slow, and everything I played a bit loose he was
slamming it in the nick. It gradually got better. I was hoping
to get the third, and see what that would bring, but he kept
his accuracy going, and won the game... "
Simon
Parke |
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 "It's
such a great honour to play Simon, I've been following his
career since the first tournament I saw him play, in 1998 in
Egypt where he was playing with all those great players. And
here I was, wondering if I could one day become one of those
players.
"Today, that dream has come true. Today, I played better than
yesterday.
"I actually trained for two weeks back home, and somehow I
wasn't finding my rhythm in matches. So wining today has given
me my confidence back ...
"I'm so happy to qualify for Saudi, so happy. "
Ramy
Ashour |
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TOUGH THIRD...
Cameron Pilley bt Liam Kenny
11/8, 5/11, 11/2, 17/15 (84m)
 I
couldn't see the match, as I was watching Ben against LJ, but my
spy told me that it was a very close match, especially in the last
game, that went to 17/15.
A lot of hard hitting, good length, but neither of the players
seemed to have taken the opportunity to play in the front. It was
a close affair, but Cameron finished on top ... |
"It was closer
than I would have liked it to be. I think he changed his game
plan in the second, as he didn't really cause me too many
problems in the first. He started to make me move around, and
I had to work much harder.
"In the third, I picked up the pace, and it became tough, very
tough, but it worked in the end ..."
Cameron
Pilley |
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Renan Lavigne bt Davide Bianchetti
10/12, 11/6, 11/2, 11/2 (54m)
 "I
lost the first one where I was up 10/8 game ball, he anticipated
the right side, and got the game back. But after that, I think
he got a bit tired, I was very patient, I made him work hard,
didn't make too many errors, and I got some pretty good shots
in..
"That's a nice hurdle out of the way, it will be nice to end up
on the tour with my mates ..."
Renan Lavigne |
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Rodney Durbach (Rsa) bt Saurav Ghosal (Ind) 9/11, 10/12, 11/7, 11/7, 11/7 (62m) |
 "I didn't play too badly. But all credit to him, although he was two games down,
he never gave up, he didn't give me any points. In the third, he needed several
game points to take the game, and mentally, he stood very strong.
"He hit some pretty good shots, but still, after leading 2/0, I should have won
it, I shouldn't have given it away ..."
Saurav Ghosal |
 "It's a huge relief!
"It was very tough. Saurav is the fastest player I've ever played against. I had
to change my game completely. When I played hard, he was just too fast, so I
started slowing down, and my drop shots started to work.
"Two words to describe him: deceptively fast.
"It's the first time today that I came back from 2/0 down since I can't remember
when. So I'm happy with myself ..
"I'm now relieved. And it also means that I'm off for a VERY long tour ..."
Rodney Durbach |
Joey Barrington bt
Aaron Franckomb
12/10, 11/6, 11/8 (60m)
 "I'm glad to say that my ankle is holding up nicely. Aaron played very well,
although he had a tough match yesterday, and so did I, but it was yet again a
close and tough three setter ...
"I'm happy to come through without an injury ... Short and sweet."
Joey Barrington
 "The first game was very long and disputed, the second as well, and I didn't
have much left in the third. I was not as sharp today as I was yesterday, my
length was not good enough, and I couldn't control the game ... He was just too
good ...
"But it's all part of the learning process ..."
Aaron Franckomb |
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Ben Garner
11/5, 11/8, 11/8, 12/10 (52m)
 "He started off very quickly, and although I thought I was ready for it, I
wasn't. I found myself one love down before I realised where I was ...
"Then I started to settle down, to get a better length, it was very tight from
then on, and we played some good points in the end ..."
Ben Garner
 "I felt that LJ controlled most of the game. But when Ben started to come back,
he panicked a bit, but eventually got a two love lead, crucial with that new
scoring.
"He then lost the third, regrouped, in the fourth, and nearly throw it away, as
once again he started to panic. I thought that Ben was starting to play so many
nicks, because he was out of options, out of ideas ... And LJ eventually got it
back.
"Ben is a very dangerous player, he goes for his shots, and you give him a loose
ball, during the game or even when you serve, he blasts a winner. That's why I
insist so much with my players on the importance of a good serve ...
"It's a good win for LJ, happy to see him in the draw."
Neil Harvey |
15-Nov, Day One:
LATE START FOR THE FROG…
 It’s
sod’s law, isn’t it… For the past months, you can’t exactly say
that I’ve been overloaded with work. Well, guess what, now they
know I’m leaving for five weeks, I haven’t stopped refusing work,
and today, I had not one, not two, but three blipping recordings
all over London…
All that to say that I arrived at St George’s (and didn’t get lost
once thanks to Tim Garner’s directions) as the last matches were
on.
So, all my apologies, a bit of a patchy report, this first
qualifying day will be…
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Garner & Walker
Barrington & Boswell
Bozza & Bianchetti |
TO BE
NOTED…
I met him AT LAST…
 Mr
Saudi in person, Ziad Al-Turki, who is kind enough to have
organised the first ever squash tournament in Saudi Arabia.
“It all started when I asked a simple question”, smiled Ziad. “I
was chatting with Brett Martin’s wife, Melissa, who was passing
through London. My wife and I picked her up from the airport, and
we sat here, in St George’s, to have lunch. And I asked her how
you got a PSA tournament organised. She replied that I had to
contact PSA, gave me the email…. And here we are, weeks just away
from the tournament…”
 I
must say that I was a bit apprehensive about the last leg of the
Big Four, as I’ve never been to Saudi before, and you know me, I’m
easily unsettled.
But now I’m met Ziad, his wife Anastasia and 10 year old (going on
15 if you ask me, tall as hell!) AbdullRahman, I realise that we
have the same passion, squash, that I was right to accept Ziad's
generous invitation, and that my stay is Saudi is going to be a
perfect ending to a mad adventure…
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Danny Lee, tournament director for the
qualifiers |
Daryl Selby (Eng) bt Phillip Barker (Eng)
13/11, 12/10, 11/7 45m
 "We
were both quite slow, thanks to last night's PSL match… But it was
still a very close match, point for point throughout. The first
two games went to the tie-break, you can’t get closer than that…
"Phil normally is very strong mentally, but today, in both
tie-breaks, he made errors he doesn’t usual make. I was lucky I
guess, as those errors were quite uncharacteristic of him. Also I
feel I played rather well, I feel pretty confident at the moment,
as I had some results, and that helps…"
Daryl Selby |
Ben Garner (Eng) bt Joe Lee (Eng)
11/7, 11/2, 11/5 25m
"Ben plays so fast… I needed to take a break in the second to
catch my breath, but Ben wouldn’t have any of it…!!!!!!!!!!
Joe Lee |
 "I
feel I can move faster around the court thanks to my new hair cut,
but I feel slightly naked…"
Cameron Pilley |
Ziad & Anastasia Al-Turki |
Selby & Franckomb |
Stacey's Charley |
CLOSE
ENCOUNTER
Aaron Franckomb (Aus) bt
Mark Chaloner (Eng) 11/9, 6/11, 11/4, 5/11, 11/8
90m
According to different sources, that match was probably the nicest
match of the day, with Mark Chaloner struggling a bit as he just
comes back from San Francisco, and Aaron giving him an extremely
hard time, playing at his best level…
 "It
was a tough match. I had a good lead in the fourth, but I
let him right in… In the fifth, I was up 8/7, Mark ran into
me and hurt my thigh. I had a three minute break, collected
my thoughts, and then we had three VERY LONG rallies to get
to my first match ball, that he saved. But eventually, I
clinched the last game…
My squash is getting better, two victories in two days, but
then again, after my travel from hell to America and Canada,
it couldn’t get any worse, now could it????
Aaron Franckomb |
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DAN LOST, SAURAV FOUND…
Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Dan Jenson (Aus)
11/9, 10/12, 12/10, 7/9, 11/7 65m
It would seem that Dan Jenson has been having a lot of problems
finding his rhythm and balance for a few weeks, and today was no
exception. No offence to Saurav Ghosal, but Dan should have
logically won the match…
Too many volley drop shots found the tin instead of the nick for
the Australian, and the original style that characterises the
young Indian player, who helps his backhand with a push of his
right hand, plays some uncanny volley drop shots from sooooo far
back in the court, not to mention some awesome changes of
direction at the last second, all that explains the end result, an
upset for the Handsome Australian, and a great joy for the little
man from India upon Pontefract…
 I’m
just back from India, where I lost against Ritwik in the
final of our Nationals, and that was a big disappointment
for me, I’ve been quite depressed since, but a victory over
Dan is a huge relief, and gives me my confidence back…
Dan plays really great squash, he has some great shots, but
today, he seemed not to move as well he normally does, and I
think that made the difference, as squash wise, he is a much
better player than I, I’m aware that technically, he is far
superior to me…
Today, God was on my side…
Saurav Ghosal |
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Davide Bianchetti (Ita) bt Stacey Ross (Eng)
11/5, 11/6, 5/11, 10/12, 11/7 81m
SWITCH ON, SWITCH OFF…
A relatively calm Davide Bianchetti against a very focused
Stacey Ross was a perfect conclusion to this first day in
St George’s…
In the first two games, Davide was playing extremely well, and
didn’t leave the Englishman any chance to get into the match.
But one of Davide’s usual “switch off” allowed Stacey to find his
rhythm at last, control the rallies, and the two games up quickly
melted away to become two games all, then 3/3, 5/5, 6/6, 7/7 in
the 5th!
Stacey played at his best in the last three games, and offered us
some exquisite drop shots and perfect lengths, while the Italian
was using his brain to push his opponent further back in the court
again and again, despatching some very well constructed
combinations of shots.
Overall, a few discussions with the ref, but then again, without
that, Davide wouldn’t be Davide, would he, and a very entertaining
match indeed, suspense, good squash, we had it all…
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 It
happens rather often that I’ve got the lead, and suddenly, I
find myself losing the momentum. My analysis is that I’m not
that good a defender, and I need to attack constantly.
But to do so, I have to be extremely concentrated, and when
my mind wanders, when I start relaxing slightly, players
like Stacey, good players, are able to take advantage and
return the situation to their advantage. Well, that could be
an explanation anyway…
Davide Bianchetti |
 He
played extremely well in the first two games, I couldn’t do
much really. But in the third and fourth I was more
aggressive, I started to play much better, and he lost a bit
of confidence… It was very close in the end, but I made the
errors at the crucial times on the last points of the match…
Stacey Ross |
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 27-May-05:
PSA Tour Breaks Into New Territory
The men's professional Squash circuit extends to yet another nation
with the announcement that The Saudi International Squash Open
will be held in the Saudi Arabia coastal city of Al-Khobar at the
end of this year.
The event will be at Super Series Platinum level, the highest rating
on the PSA Tour calendar, and will have a total prize fund of over
$120,000. The Saudi International Open will be staged from 16th
to 20th December and will immediately follow the men's world
team championships in Islamabad, Pakistan..
 The initiative has been masterminded by Ziad Al-Turki, a
fanatical Squash player from Saudi Arabia who has been coached by
former international players Brett Martin and Danny Lee.
Ziad is
Vice-President of the A A Turki Group (ATCO), a major international
business group operating from Al-Khobar which is supporting the
venture in association with the Saudi Government.
Gawain Briars, Chief Executive of the PSA, commented:
"The
whole Gulf Region is currently experiencing a huge surge in PSA
events and this breakthrough into yet another country is
particularly satisfying.
"The event fits in well with the PSA
strategy of developing the architecture of the tour to ensure that
players travel logically from event to event and the Saudi Arabian
Open will be particularly helpful as it slots in perfectly between
the Qatar Classic in Doha and the Men's World Team Championship in
Pakistan.
"We are delighted with this new venture in Saudi Arabia and
congratulate Ziad Al-Turki on his welcome initiative, which brings
the number of Super Series events in 2005 to an impressive total of
seven."
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"We see countries all around
us with different sports tournaments, but not us.
"I asked myself why Qatar, Egypt,
Kuwait, etc, have PSA events, and not us? I realised that it's not
government restrictions; it's just that no one has taken that
initiative.
"So I did!
"I feel the country is hungry for activities. Our aim is to
provide the kingdom with what we hope is an entertaining
international event. An event which will both raise awareness
of squash in Saudi Arabia, and hopefully also showcase some
hidden talents."
"Furthermore, we want to raise funds for the Eastern Province
Rehabilitation Society - and also increase the public's awareness of
the needs of this important charity that helps the handicapped."
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Al Khobar |
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