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TODAY: Daily
reports from Manchester ... |
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Sat 18th, Day Eight, Semis:
It's an
All-Egyptian men's final as Vicky takes on Nicol
If the packed crowd at Sportcity felt a little shortchanged -
albeit delighted - by the first semi-final, they got more than
their money's worth in the second as Ramy Ashour overcame
defending champion and world number one Amr Shabana in a
thrilling five-setter ...
The second pair of matches saw Madeline put up a good fight
against Nicol David without seriously threatening to win, then
Karim Darwish made it al all-Egyptian final with a dominant
display against David Palmer
[1]
Nicol David (Mas) bt [14] Madeline
Perry (Irl)
11/6, 11/8, 11/6
(35m).
[11] Vicky Botwright (Eng) bt
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
11/3, 11/6 rtd
(22m)
[4] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [1] Amr
Shabana (Egy)
11/6, 7/11, 7/11,
11/9, 11/7 (63m)
[7] Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [5]
David Palmer (Aus)
11/6, 11/9, 11/8
(46m) |
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[11]
Vicky Botwright (Eng) bt [5]
Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
11/3, 11/6 rtd
(22m)
Vicky in the final
 A
disappointing start to semi-finals day, when the
much-anticipated all-English clash fizzled out with an injured
Jenny Duncalf retiring after two games, allowing Vicky Botwright
to play her last match on the tour in the World Open final.
After the Mancunian favourite took a quick 3/1 lead, Jenny went
for a normal type of shot, not stretching, and suddenly went
down clutching her right thigh.
After a three-minute timeout to receive treatment, she came back
on, now 4-1 down and was clearly not moving well as Vicky
finished the game off with some ease.
Jenny came out for the second, just after the referee's call of
'time', and managed to take a 6-2 lead. Hopes that she would be
able to make it a truly competitive match were false though -
Vicky had made several errors, but now she cut them out and
started capitalising ... nine points in a row and she was two
games up.
To be honest, it was a surprise that Jenny left her racket on
court after that game, but not much of one when she shortly
afterwards conceded.
"Just one more match to play, then!
"It's really unfortunate, a few people asked how Jenny and I get
on, and it's usually really tough, long, 3-2 one way or the
other. It's disappointing for her too after such a good win
yesterday.
"Making the world final compensates a little for never doing
well in the Nationals here - I was the top-ranked British player
for a couple of years but always failed miserably.
"I got a text earlier from someone at a club where I coach,
reminding me that I'm due there at 9am on Monday morning -
Stewart asked if I would still go even if I won, well of course
I would, I'd do my job!
"It's a pity it had to happen this way, but I'm old, I'll take
it!"
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"I felt a twinge when I played Kasey, but yesterday everything
was fine, I was running around nicely.
£But today something just went in about the second rally and
even though I tried I just couldn't carry on.
"I've never pulled out of a match in my life, so obviously I'm
gutted."
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A fan declares his passion for Vicky as Hashim looks on ... |
 Sport
is a cruel mistress, but she can hardly have dealt a crueller
blow that at 3/1 in the first game when Jenny Duncalf was struck
down with what appeared to be a thigh injury. On resumption
after a three-minute injury break she lost the first game 11/3,
moving very tentatively.
More treatment and a brief revival took her to 6/2 in the second
before the lack of confidence in her movement re-emerged.
Vicky Botwright won the game 11/6 and it was clear to all that
Duncalf would not be able to continue and sadly she retired.
After her sensational win over Natalie Grinham, Duncalf will be
massively disappointed. Botwright, now a full-time coach at the
Centre, will wake up, as she must have done most mornings this
week, pinching herself. A world final must have been beyond her
wildest dreams.
All Manchester will be behind her tomorrow ...
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[4]
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [1] Amr
Shabana (Egy)
11/6, 7/11, 7/11,
11/9, 11/7 (63m)
Phew what a scorcher!
Ramy Ashour deposed the reigning champion and world number one
in an astonishing match that ebbed and flowed and had the packed
crowd at Sportcity in raptures and awe.
In the early stages it was Ramy - ""He was a bit sleepy in the
first, but I wasn't beating him, I was a bit lucky to win that
one."
Then Shabana fought back to take the next two - "I felt him
coming up in the second and third, he changed his game, he was
playing more at the front which annoyed me today as I was
concentrating on the back of the court."
But it was the youngster in the last two, taking a 7/0 lead in
the decider and holding off a spirited comeback from Shabana -
""When he was coming back in the fifth that was the scary part
of the match, I hadn't worried at all up until then. I've never
focussed as much mentally on court, mentally that's the best
match I've ever played."
Ramy also joked that he's though it would be easy to play
Shabana now he was married with children ... it certainly wasn't
easy but it's still Ramy in the final ...
Malcolm's report below ... |
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 The
Best Ever ...
Malcolm Willstrop reports
Words can hardly do justice to this match and as I contemplate
what I have just watched, I suspect it may be the best squash
match I have ever seen. Certainly it was the best attacking
match I have ever seen.
Ashour had looked in excellent form all week, as Shabana played
himself in. With both intent on attack, sometimes their matches
don't catch fire. But make no mistake this one did. The crowd
last night was magnificent in every wat, sold out, vociferous,
supportive, creating an atmosphere for the world's best to
perform.
This afternoon's crowd, equally involved, were last night's
equal and they were both lucky and privileged to be there.
Ramy beganm like a dervish, went 6/3, 8/5 and then to 11/5, all
shots, everything working, the world champion struggling to get
structure into the game.
Ramy carried the impetus through to 4/2 in the second, but
Shabana was establishing a foothold and he took a 5/4 lead,
which he maintained, eventually levelling the match 11/7.
 The
quality so far was so high that it was barely credible and it is
doubtful if there has ever been a finer match played in England,
or anywhere for that matter.
It now seemed the momentum was with Shabana as he led throughout
the third and won it 11/7, seemingly in control.
For the World Champion the fourth game of this magnificent
spectacle was where it was lost.
Ashour took a 3/0 lead quickly, as he is always liable to do,
but Shabana, his controlled structure and precision allied to
his own shotmaking, still calling the tune, caught up at 3-all
and drew clear 7/4, looking the likely winner. But it was all to
change and fearless, as he always is, in the zone, the young
magician drew level at 8-all, then 9-all and set up the decider
11/9.
 Shabana
probably knew he should have sewn it up and, temporarily
disorientated, he went 7/0 down in the twinkling of an eye.
Courageously he fought back, managed to get to 9/6, but giving
Ashour a 7/0 start - or any start for that matter - is not a
good idea and the charismatic youngster claimed his place in the
World Open final 11/7.
The capacity crowd had never seen anything like it - I'm not
sure I have - and they gasped their way through the match in
astonishment at the bewildering array of shots and retrieving. A
standing ovation for a match played by two geniuses in the
finest spirit - an advertisement for the game, themselves and
Egypt.
If the IOC were there and not impressed you can forget 2016 …
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[1]
Nicol David (Mas) bt [14] Madeline
Perry (Irl)
11/6, 11/8, 11/6
(35m)
Nicol one step closer
The real Madeline Perry showed up today, not the bag of nerves
that started yesterday's quarter-final. And the Irishwoman
played well from the start, taking a 3/0 lead against the
overwhelming favourite Nicol David.
The Malaysian is dominant at the moment though, undefeated for a
whole year, aiming for her tenth successive tour title, this
time the big one. The Malaysian came back to take the first game
with a run of points from 5-all, held a slender lead throughout
the second, then raced to a 9/2 lead in the third, beginning to
dominate for the first time.
Madeline fought back well though, saving three matchballs with
crisp winners, but in the end the lead and the pressure was too
much as Nicol advanced to her third world open final.
 "Just
being in the World Open is one thing, but to make the final is
huge. I was just trying to play my game out there and knew the
points would come if I kept my focus.
"I'm just going to take everything I have onto court tomorrow,
hopefully step my game up another level and give it all I've
got, it's the World Open final so it's pretty important.
"I'm just expecting anything from Vicky, it's her last match, in
front of her home crowd, so it's going to be a great battle …"
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"I was happy with
how I played today, no nerves this time, I was very relaxed, I
just wanted to enjoy the occasion today, and to make it feel
like a World Open semi-final for the crowd.
"It was a bit frustrating, I felt I was playing well and doing
everything right but I just couldn't seem to break through -
then again, she's doing that to everyone at the moment."
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[7]
Karim Darwish (Egy) bt [5] David
Palmer (Aus)
11/6, 11/9, 11/8
(46m)
Darwish in the final
Malcolm Willstrop reports
Karim Darwish, with Gregory Gaultier out of the way, had had a
comfortable ride to the semi-finals, not having expended too
much energy.
David Palmer's course had been more difficult - both Jonathan
Kemp and Daryl Selby resisted strongly, Selby keeping him on
court for over 80 minutes. Add his five game, high quality
quarter-final win over James Willstrop and there was no doubt
who was the fresher - a fact admitted by Darwish himself after
the match, "I feel fresh for the final, it's fantastic to get a
3/0 win over a player like David Palmer.
 Darwish
is a habitual quick starter and he established an early 6/2 lead
before taking the first game comfortably 11/6. He soon led 7/2
in the second and although the Australian resisted stubbornly,
as he does, and got back to 9/10, the Egyptian took the game
11/9 to take a 2/0 lead.
With Palmer looking less than fresh, it was hard to see him
reversing the deficit, and once more Darwish took an early lead
in the third, held off Palmer's attempted comeback and soon his
place in the final was assured.
It looked a match too far for Palmer and Darwish will be
thrilled not only that he is in tomorrow's final, but that he
has got there relatively unextended.
In his own words, "I'm so happy to be in the final with my
team-mate Ramy. We train together, but tomorrow we will both
want to win and the one who plays better will be world
champion."
It will be interesting to see how he copes with Ramy Ashour's
virtuosity. He is no mean racket player himself, but much more
orthodox, as indeed most players in the world are ...
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