Yorkshiremen
set for Manchester showdown ?
 Even
if Nick Matthew and James Willstrop had had their
surprising spat concocted by the electricity-haired promoter Don
King it could not have provided a better scene-setter for this
year’s British National Championships, which may have an edgy,
high profile final between two highly ambitious Yorkshiremen.
Thankfully the two England teammates appear to have set aside
their differences, the better to concentrate on what matters
most, their squash. But inevitably their reconciliation won't
have been as much in the public domain as the row, nor in
people's memories either.
So we won't repeat the details, but instead remind everyone that
when Matthew and Willstrop contested one of the most riveting
British Open finals ever seen in this same Manchester
arena five months ago it had such a passionate finish that not
only hard words were exchanged, but great rallies, and match
points too.
How Willstrop managed to do almost everything right and for the
second successive year still finish a couple of inches away from
the title is a mystery. And how Matthew managed to survive so
much adversity and win the title back is pretty amazing too.
Since then Willstrop has restored his movement close to how it
was before his ankle injury, and his standard to possibly an
even higher level. He was the only player to come close to
stopping Amr Shabana from winning the
World Open in Kuwait in November, and he achieved that
after tiring wins over Karim Darwish, the top seed, and Thierry
Lincou, the former World Champion.
 And
since then Matthew has played better than ever, getting within
three points of a win over Ramy Ashour in
Saudi Arabia
which would have made him only the second Englishman ever to top
the world rankings. His career-high World No.2 ranking was
reached following a sequence in which he reached three Super
Series finals in a row and won the
Qatar Classic.
Both players are excitingly admirable; they are also
fascinatingly different. Willstrop's game has been based around
ball striking which gives him the ability to jerk an opponent
about, Matthew's around accuracy, discipline and court coverage.
But they have added to their range of options over the years,
and both are capable of new tactical emphases. This helps to
make it arguably the best English rivalry there's been during
the professional era, better even than Willstrop's with
Beachill, or Gawain Briars' with Phil Kenyon.
 Who
might prevent them reaching the final? A first suggestion might
be Peter Barker, their team mate in the 2007 World Team
Championship winning side. But there is another trio of risers
this year, any of whom might alter the calculations.
Adrian Grant began 2010 in the World's top ten for the
first time and having reached last year's final here may believe
anything is now possible for him. Alister Walker and
Daryl Selby have been on the verge of the top ten, and in
utterly contrasting ways – Walker with spells of inspired
shot-making and Selby with a mixture of movement and tenacity –
both can upset the calculations too.
So much as many might wish it; the dream final is by no means a
certainty to happen.
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