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Willstrop at the Nationals |
Women's Final:
Here was a final which promised a great deal and delivered.
Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters are amongst the very best in the
world and they showed why. Add the benefits 11 scoring has
brought to the women's game and this was a splendid match.
Waters started brightly and was always in front or level to
5-all in the first. There were errors, but plenty of winners, as
both girls sought to attack. Duncalf led 10/8, but a couple of
bad bounces played their part, notably to take Duncalf to game
ball 11/10, which she took with a crosscourt winner.
They both move especially well these days and the second game
continued in the same way, a combination of winners and errors,
though not enough of the latter to take away from the overall
quality of the match. It was Waters who held her game together
from 7-all to level at 11/7.
When Duncalf ran away with the third 11/4 with a succession of
winners on the forehand side, things looked difficult for
Waters, but she came out fighting in the fourth and aided by
three crosscourt winners and a couple of mistakes from Duncalf,
she levelled the match 11/7.
With the ascendency switching from one to the other it was
anyone's guess who would prevail and when Duncalf led 6/1 it was
doubtful if anyone would have fancied Waters' chances. But to
her credit she turned the tide and managed to get level at
9-all.
There was a massive rally at 10-all after Duncalf had served for
the match at 10/9, which ended in a let, which so often happens,
and another at 11/10 to Waters which also ended in a let.
An error by Duncalf on her favourite backhand drop handed the
title to Waters.
Now that the girls have escaped from the attritional traditional
scoring, the crowds are enjoying women's squash again, quite
rightly too, and there was a great deal to admire about a high
quality final played in excellent spirit, thanks to the mutual
respect they have for each other.
Men's Final:
There was much anticipation around this final, mainly because of
the controversial British Open final at the same venue in 2009,
and understandably it attracted a full house, with Pontefract
supporters in droves.
Matthew had been untroubled to reach the final, beating Adrian
Grant in the semi-final, though Alister Walker gave him a hard
time in a 3/1 win in the quarters.
Willstrop's injury in Sweden had responded well to intensive
treatment and he beat Joey Barrington 3/0 in the last eight and
Daryl Selby 3/1 in an enjoyable quality semi-final.
The first game began as expected with extended rallies, each
seeking a chance to attack, and since Matthew is almost
certainly the most physical player amongst the world's top six
and Willstrop not far behind him these days, the intensity was
there for all to see.
Until the middle of the first game there was not much in it, but
Matthew, squeezing errors out of Willstrop and making winners of
his own, asserted to win the game 11/6.
The pattern continued in the second, with Matthew's dominance
increasing and Willstrop unable to resist as consistently as he
had in New York and Sweden.
The way the match was developing, there was no way Willstrop was
going to recover from 2/0 down and although he did not yield at
any time, Matthew completed the 3/0 win in decisive fashion.
In New York Matthew may have left himself a little short after a
break at Christmas, but in Manchester he was back to his best.
Willstrop will be a little disappointed, but in retrospect may
well see that he had done well to reach the final.
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Semi-Finals:
Duncalf v Perry
Defending champion and world no 3 Jenny Duncalf, soon found
herself 4/0 down in the first against Madeline Perry, without
having done too much wrong. With winners on her favourite
backhand side Duncalf gradually drew level at 6-all and with two
more winners, one one the forehand one on the backhand, she led
10/8 and when Perry tinned the return of serve Duncalf was
one-nil up.
Now in control, Duncalf won the second more easily 11/6 but
Perry, whose own form has been excellent in the past two
seasons, was far from done with and from 5-all she pulled away
to win the third 11/5.
That was as far as she was able to extend the match, as Duncalf
responded to the challenge, led 4/0, was never headed and won
the game 11/5 and the match 3/1.
It was a thoroughly watchable match and a fine advertisement for
the women's game.
Apart from hoping to defend her British title, Duncalf will be
looking to sustain her challenge to Nicol David's world number
one status. She certainly looks the part.
Waters v Massaro
Those who thought 11 scoring would foreshorten women's matches
should have been in Manchester for this match between Alison
Waters and Laura Massaro. It went the full distance, Waters
winning 11/8 in the fifth, though at no time was predicting the
winner straightforward.
Massaro had looked a little subdued for her in her 3/2 survival
over Sarah Kippax, who played very well, but she looked more
upbeat for the semi-final.
Two forehand kills at 9-all helped Massaro to win the first game
12/10, but Waters won the next two, both 11/5, aided by three
finely executed winners at the end of the third.
Massaro was not done with however, and from 7/6 in the fourth
she drew clear to level the match 11/7.
Although Massaro led 3/1, Waters took the lead at 5/4 and was in
front until 8-all. Massaro had two critical winning
opportunities which she failed to convert, and after a massive
rally at 8-all which Waters won with a backhand drop, she won
the match 11/8, despite Massaro's best efforts.
It was a fine match, a little spoiled by a preponderance of
lets, but Waters is a worthy final opponent for Duncalf.
Willstrop v Selby
Daryl Selby's improvement over the last couple of seasons is
well chronicled and so with James Willstrop's recent top world
class form and the fact that they have mutual respect for each
other, there was much to look forward to in the second men's
semi-final.
Nor did the pair disappoint, to the delight of the large
Manchester crowd.
Willstrop began with purpose and led 3/0. Selby soon found his
stride though, and from 5-all there was a succession of winners
from both players before Selby clinched the game 11/9.
From 3/1 down in the second Willstrop hit four winners to lead
5/3 and as the quality was maintained, Willstrop drew away from
6-all to end what had so far been an outstanding match 11/6.
Selby had been getting through a lot of work and it showed in
the third when his resistance was broken and at 11/2 Willstrop
had the lead.
It was not likely that Selby would lie down, since he had taken
a breather towards the end of the third, and giving way is not
his style. A change of ball helped, too, bouncier and less easy
to put away.
In fact he managed to lead 5/2, to his credit, but the pressure
that Willstrop puts on opponents these days told and Selby
couldn't serve again, and the final that most people, but
perhaps not all, wanted became a reality.
It may be Valentine's Day tomorrow, but it is doubtful if there
will be much love lost.
Both players can be pleased with producing high class squash,
entertaining the crowd, and playing the ball on all occasions,
the spirit of which enhanced the occasion.
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Quarter-Finals:
Barker v Selby
It is hardly ideal when two players who were at the same school
and have grown up together and who appear to have remained
friends, play each other; and as god's law would have it, they
seem to meet often.
Their first game in the quarter-final was long and surprisingly
cvagey on a court that was definitely inviting a shot. The play
was accurate and precise enough, but lacked variety, more of
pace than anything and looked attritional.
It was the much-improved Selby who won it on a tiebreak and that
was to prove significant. Barker looked dispirited, odd for
someone who was talked of as the main danger to Nick Matthew. He
went 2/0 down and his number seemed up. Selby, though, didn't
begin well in the third, seemed to lose interest in the game and
Barker was back in the match at 2/1.
Strangely, as Selby regained his desire, Barker offered very
little in the fourth, almost looking as if he didn't want to be
there, and Selby made his first British semi-final deservedly.
Ever since he was a main player in the England U19 world team
championship success in Malmo in 2000, Selby has promised to
become the player he is now. Established at world levels, he is
now a threat to anyone.
Barker will be disappointed, I suspecvt, with his performance.
After the first his commitment was less than expected - only he
will know why.
Willstrop v Barrington
When Willstrop was injured at 3-all in the first game of the
Swedish Open final in Linkoping last Sunday, his participation
in the British Closed was in some doubt.
However intensive physio support from Alison Rhodes in Leeds,
backed by Sylvan Richardson in Manchester and aided by a helpful
draw early on, Willstrop faced commentator Joey Barrington in
the quarter-final.
Barrington is as hard a player as there is on the tour and the
match was played in the right sort of spirit, with even the odd
smile here and there.
Barrington moves well and is always competitive and the match
was an ideal test for Willstrop.
He showed much of the quality that characterised his recent
performances and the few errors he made were understandable in
view of his problems this week.
Willstrop won 3/0, but the first two were far from easy and it
was only in the third that things became comfortable.
His semi-final with Selby should be well worth watching. He
seems to have the recent injury behind him and he will need to
be good, since Selby proved how dangerous he is against Barker.
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