[15] Alister Walker 11/5, 12/10, 11/4
(37m) [1] Nick Matthew
Ahmad Mohd Al-Tamimi (Qat)
11/2,
11/3, 11/3 (21m) [1] Nick Matthew
(Eng)
Demis :
11 novembre - Demis :
[2] Amr Shabana (Egy) bat [4] Grégory
Gaultier (Fra)
3/11, 11/4, 11/7, 6/11, 12/10 (71m)
GREG BREAKS
THE JINX, BUT…
Fram reports
Would you believe that out of the six matches those two have
played, Greg had to retire three times for injury, the last
time, well, a few days ago, in the semis of Kuwait Open. And we
were all dreading that Greg’s body wouldn’t hold it today again.
But thank God – and his two physios on this one, Caroline and
Ronald – that was not too much of a problem it seemed.
Again, sorry Shabs, but you were not the winner I picked. I had
you a bit tired from James’ match yesterday, and thought well,
no offense, 3/0 Greg. And once again, the first game, it went
according to my estimation, 11/3 for the Frenchman, with the
Egyptian not exactly moving at his best, a few errors here and
there….
But once again, the 31 year old Mighty Shabana started to think
that after all, as long as he was there, might as well try it
for a while and see what happened. 5/1, 7/2 and 11/4, that’s
what happened!!! Level we were, 1/1.
And in the third, it didn’t get too much better for the
Frenchman, too many errors, not really grounded, not playing
badly, but certainly not playing his best squash, a bit
nullified by Shabs' squash. 3/0 and 8/3 in no time. And even if
Greg stuck in, scoring four points in a row to catch up 7/9,
Shabana did his wizardry, taking a serious option of the victory
by leading 2/1.
But if people were expecting Greg to fold, that’s when he got
his best shots!!!! He forced Shabana to make error upon error,
getting winners in like a knife in warm butter, not making one
unforced error the whole game. 11/6. And two all.
Into the fifth we went, the Frenchman looking awfully good, 4/1,
solid squash, with flair, and determination, great rallies,
intelligent and brilliant squash, what an advert for the game,
not a bad word, very few lets, and yet, intense and feisty. A
dream match.
At 6/2, it
seems that the Marseillaise is going to be sung, but comes the
rally of all rallies, with Greg shooting everything in sight, to
the front, to the back, and Shabana throwing himself not once,
but twice on the floor, retrieving, counterattacking, an IMMENSE
rally finally won by the Egyptian.
“He has put sweat everywhere on the court, what am I supposed to
do, how am I supposed to play,” asks Greg to the Ref. Good point
I guess, but the noisy crowd – that the players themselves have
to try and keep quiet themselves, as they are disturbing them –
doesn’t care. Their hero is climbing back…
The central ref, under strict instructions not to ask for the
crowd to pipe down, is asking them twice “not to make too much
noise during the rallies”.
SCRAP THAT NEW LAW ABOUT THE CROWD BEING ALLOWED TO MAKE NOISE.
IT’S RIDICULOUS. AND DISTURBS THE PLAYERS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
Moving on...
And
climbing back, Shabana is. From 2/6 to 7/7. The Frenchman loses
a bit of concentration, two tins. 9/7. It’s now Shabana who
loses his, 10/9 match ball Greg. A stunning backhand low drive,
10/10. A tin, 11/10 match ball for Shabana.
An immense rally, incredible tension, suspense, ending with a
let. I’m getting greyer by the second. Another long rally, that
ends with a great backhand drop shot from Greg on the left front
corner. “Let” decide the refs. Greg is fuming.
This time round, Shabana goes for a mid court boast, and the
French can only return in the tin. Mighty Shabs is in his second
final in a row….
Quarts :
10 novembre - Quarts :
[4] Grégory Gaultier bat
[7] Peter Barker
11/4, 11/1 rtd
Deuxième tour
Greg Gaultier
vs Omar Mosaad (Egy)
9 novembre - Deuxième tour :
[4] Grégory Gaultier
bat
Omar Mosaad (Egy)
11/7, 11/9, 11/4 (46m)
Premier tour
7 novembre - Premier tour :
[4] Grégory Gaultier
bat
[Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy)
And
climbing back, Shabana is. From 2/6 to 7/7. The Frenchman loses
a bit of concentration, two tins. 9/7. It’s now Shabana who
loses his, 10/9 match ball Greg. A stunning backhand low drive,
10/10. A tin, 11/10 match ball for Shabana.
