David and Massaro Set Up WSA Final Repeat In $50K Ohio Classic
by Nathan Dugan and Matthew Lombardi
photos David Turben
January 31, 2012 - The semifinals at the Tub O' Towels Cleveland Classic were both demonstrations of what happens when solid, world-class squash players run up against opponents who have elevated their games to the highest level. The evening's winners put in truly exceptional performances.
First up was English seasoned professional Laura Massaro against American teen phenom Amanda Sobhy. They began play at a deliberate trot, moving one another to the four corners of the court. Sobhy's more attacking play brought her to a 6-4 lead, but two tins evened the score. At that point Massaro subtly started to up her game, raising the pace and putting Sobhy on the defensive. The youngster responded with an impressive display of retrieval, but that wasn't enough to keep Massaro from taking the game 11-9.
From there on out Massaro was near flawless, putting on a clinic in tight, straight, error-free squash. Point after point she methodically raised the pressure on Sobhy, who tried to counter with aggressive shot-making, but found that she was faced with three potential outcomes, and two of them bad: she could hit an outright winner, knock the ball in the tin, or give Massaro an opportunity to counterattack. With unflagging focus Massaro took the second and third games 11-5 and 11-6, booking her place in the final.
Next on court were Malaysian six-time world champion Nicol David and Northern Ireland's Madeline Perry. From the outset David looked every bit the best player in the world: she was patient but ruthless, establishing good length, moving Perry from side to side, and at the first opportunity going in for the kill, which she executed with extraordinary precision.
Perry looked outmatched and out of sorts, dropping the first game 11-3. In the second David was more content to extend the rallies but remained flawless, soaring to a 9-1 lead. Perhaps sensing she had nothing to lose, Perry ramped up the attack; a series of winners brought her to 4-9, but David then made quick work of two loose balls to close out the game 11-4.
In the third Perry maintained the aggressive play. Though the game would go decisively to David, 11-6, viewers were treated to long, fast-paced points, with Perry executing well but David covering the court even better, time and again catching up to apparent winners and returning them with interest. By game's end both players were beginning to show the effects of the blistering pace. Even David, nicknamed the Energizer Bunny, looked like she might be ready for a new set of batteries.
Tomorrow's final has the potential to be a cracker, with both players looking to be at the top of their games. Last year's final featured these same two women, and Massaro came away with a rare prize, a win over David. One suspects she'll need to put together another near-perfect match if she's going to repeat the accomplishment.
Results: Tub O’ Towels Cleveland Classic 2012 Gold 50, Cleveland Racquet Club
Nicol David bt Madeline Perry 11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (31 mins)
Laura Massaro bt Amanda Sobhy 11/9, 11/5, 11/6 (28 mins)
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