Golan Beats Coppinger To Take $25K Windy City Open
from William James
February 3, 2013 - A snowy Sunday afternoon in Chicago and a capacity crowd of corporate sponsors and patrons of the tournament showed up for the show down between the affable, but intense South African and the superbly conditioned Spaniard, both enjoying relatively new world rankings at 20 and 10 respectively. While only four games, the 74 minutes of scintillating racquet work kept the crowd awestruck.
Borja Golan (ESP) def. Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 5/11, 11/8, 11/6, 11/6 (74 min.)
Game one commenced with long, patient rallies as they felt each other out and softened the ball. Coppinger's game of constant pressure was being matched by an opponent who could respond with grace and counter-attack. Both kept their heads, but Coppinger ended quite a few rallies with winning drops that had to be played extremely well, as Golan was reading and moving quickly. Coppinger was also nullifying Golan's attacks with his fast hands and cross-courts played from difficult positions. The real difference in game one was Coppinger coming out on top of most of the many exchanges in the front left corner.
Game two started with Golan looking nervous, but responding with some of his best offense as well as increased referee interaction. This put Golan up 6-3 quickly, and now Coppinger was doing more of the running and scrambling. Coppinger hung tough, going point-for-point to 6-8, but looked like he was fighting harder and harder. A slip-and-fall by Golan might have given Coppinger a rest, but he tinned and then hit out of court, giving Golan four game-balls. Coppinger saved two by getting Golan out of position, but Golan returned the favor, converting the third.
In game three Coppinger tried to resume control by applying even more pressure. Golan now seemed to absorb it easily, and Coppinger errors started to creep in. This is the game where the tide noticeably turned, Coppinger being pressured more than pressuring.
Coppinger would have to make a very effective push in game four if he stood a chance of extending the match to a decider, but it looked like an uphill battle. Golan's intelligence and athleticism was starting to show, and Coppinger started to put more balls in the center as he fatigued. Golan was able to turn these into winning positions as well as several strokes. The ball also got noticeably colder, making for shorter rallies, which favored the fast, fresher Spaniard as he scrapped and gritted with intelligence to his first Windy City Open title.
Special credit goes to referee Beau River, who handled a difficult match with aplomb. There were many traffic issues, with Golan feeling blocked and Coppinger feeling Golan was playing him rather than the ball. Beau was consistent, firm when he needed to be, and used humor to keep the crowd at ease and the players at bay and in the court playing squash - a class act.
from William James
February 3, 2013 - A snowy Sunday afternoon in Chicago and a capacity crowd of corporate sponsors and patrons of the tournament showed up for the show down between the affable, but intense South African and the superbly conditioned Spaniard, both enjoying relatively new world rankings at 20 and 10 respectively. While only four games, the 74 minutes of scintillating racquet work kept the crowd awestruck.
Borja Golan (ESP) def. Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 5/11, 11/8, 11/6, 11/6 (74 min.)
Game one commenced with long, patient rallies as they felt each other out and softened the ball. Coppinger's game of constant pressure was being matched by an opponent who could respond with grace and counter-attack. Both kept their heads, but Coppinger ended quite a few rallies with winning drops that had to be played extremely well, as Golan was reading and moving quickly. Coppinger was also nullifying Golan's attacks with his fast hands and cross-courts played from difficult positions. The real difference in game one was Coppinger coming out on top of most of the many exchanges in the front left corner.
Game two started with Golan looking nervous, but responding with some of his best offense as well as increased referee interaction. This put Golan up 6-3 quickly, and now Coppinger was doing more of the running and scrambling. Coppinger hung tough, going point-for-point to 6-8, but looked like he was fighting harder and harder. A slip-and-fall by Golan might have given Coppinger a rest, but he tinned and then hit out of court, giving Golan four game-balls. Coppinger saved two by getting Golan out of position, but Golan returned the favor, converting the third.
In game three Coppinger tried to resume control by applying even more pressure. Golan now seemed to absorb it easily, and Coppinger errors started to creep in. This is the game where the tide noticeably turned, Coppinger being pressured more than pressuring.
Coppinger would have to make a very effective push in game four if he stood a chance of extending the match to a decider, but it looked like an uphill battle. Golan's intelligence and athleticism was starting to show, and Coppinger started to put more balls in the center as he fatigued. Golan was able to turn these into winning positions as well as several strokes. The ball also got noticeably colder, making for shorter rallies, which favored the fast, fresher Spaniard as he scrapped and gritted with intelligence to his first Windy City Open title.
Special credit goes to referee Beau River, who handled a difficult match with aplomb. There were many traffic issues, with Golan feeling blocked and Coppinger feeling Golan was playing him rather than the ball. Beau was consistent, firm when he needed to be, and used humor to keep the crowd at ease and the players at bay and in the court playing squash - a class act.
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