Edinburgh Open 2014 by Nick Forrest Posted January 27, 2014
Friday 24/1/14
The inaugural
Edinburgh Squash Open at the Edinburgh Sports Club started today with
the first round providing some enthralling matches to whet the appetite
of any squash enthusiast.
With the Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow approaching shortly there seemed to be an even greater
interest for the Open, with a large crowd turning up. They were kept
entertained throughout the early afternoon with several closely fought
battles and number 10, Daryl Selby-recently just back from the J P
Morgan tournament in New York-on court. The tournament attracts players
from all over the world, however there was local interest today with
Scottish number 2 Greg Lobban in action against Edinburgh University
student, Seigo Masuda. Seigo was up against it from the start with Greg
finding a perfect length from the start and winning the first 11/1. The
second game was a lot better from Seigo, who forced Greg into some long
rallies. However, Greg’s quality came through and he won the next two
games 11/3.
After the match Greg
said: “I played well, a very solid game. I’d seen Seigo play at the
Scottish Junior Open a couple weeks ago and knew he was solid but I
knew I had the experience to get through.”
Greg, who made it to
the Quarter-Finals last year, is looking to take it just one game at a
time: “I’ve had a year in the professional game and I think my game has
improved, however the competition this year is even stronger so it’ll
be tough. I’ve got Joe Lee next and will need to focus on that first.”
Joe Lee, ranked 37 in
the world, plays Greg in the next round after an impressive 3.0 victory
over the young talented Aberdonian, Chris Shinnie. Chris gave a valiant
effort, especially in the first, losing only 12/10. Joe was on fire in
the next two games though, winning both 11/2.
Shinnie said: “I
played alright but was a bit loose in the last two games and got
punished. My legs started feeling heavy. He’s a top player. I didn’t
have my head band on, that’s what went wrong!”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I DIDN’T HAVE MY HEADBAND ON, THAT’S WHAT WEANT WRONG.” CHRIS SHINNIE
Scottish number one
and world number 37, Alan Clyne looks to be in good form, beating the
impressive Julian Tomlinson from Manchester in straight sets, and
winning 11/3 11/3 and 11/5. Julian was full of praise for the Scot: “He
was very strong at the front. He was just on to everything. He was on
to it so fast, I didn’t know where he was going to go. His backhand is
particularly strong. I was happy with the performance.”
Scotland number 3 and
Sports Club member, Dougie Kempsell was next to represent the Scottish
contingent. With a home support behind him, he hopes to use that energy
to his advantage. He said: “I’m looking to at least get to the quarter
finals, although it won’t be easy. You get a lot of support from the
members and I don’t have the hassle of travelling. The vibe is
fantastic. The tournament helps to keep things ticking over with the
Commonwealth on the horizon.”
Dougie beat Craig
V-Wallace to book his place in the second round, winning 11/1, 11/4 and
11/3. Craig showed spirit for someone still young, but Dougie was onto
everything so quickly and Craig struggled to slow it down.
Dougie’s opponent in
the next round is fellow Scot, Jamie Henderson, who had to dig deep to
fend off the challenge from Steve London. Although Jamie won 3/0, 11/8,
11/7 and 11/9, Jamie kept each game on a knife edge, forcing Jamie to
the back with some impressive volleying. Jamie was just too strong
though and kept his cool, even during heated spells on court. Jamie said: “It was
good, I’m playing fairly good stuff. I had a game plan which I stuck
too and it worked. I eased up a bit in the third but that can often
happen. Dougie will be a tough one. I know it’ll be high intensity but
I’m looking forward to it.”
2012 finalist, Andy
Whipp was pushed by Allan Tasker, who showed some lovely touches to the
front of the court which helped him win the second game 11/8. However,
Andy is a veteran of the tournament and showed his experience by taking
the third and fourth 11/8 and 11/4.
Top seed Daryl Selby
took on Colinton Castle’s Chris Grey. Chris was up against it but
showed some real ability in the third and last game, losing only 11/7.
Daryl had only arrived late the day before from New York having just
lost 3/1 to El Shorbagy in the J P Morgan PSA event.
Selby said: “There
were only two planes I could have caught to make it in time for this
event but I’m glad to be hear. I always enjoy it and it’s great to see
Simon and everyone else. Plus my wife and my son Noah have come with me
for the weekend and made a trip of it.”
Aberdonian Jamie
Jacobson, just came up short against David Wardle in a terrific 3/1
match. Jamie kept his opponent moving but David showed great energy and
ability at the front, constantly putting pressure on his opponent and
taking it 11/8, 11/13, 11/4, 11/4.
Number two seed and
world number 21, Adrian Grant took on local member Jacques Laas.
Commonwealth gold medallist in Delhi 2010, Grant took a while to warm
up, largely thanks to some wonderful play from Laas, who refused to be
intimidated by his opponent’s credentials. The first game in particular
was something Laas can be proud off, losing only 11/9. Grant though
showed what a machine he is by getting everything Laas had to offer
back at frightening speed and took the next two 11/2 and 11/7.
The match of the first
round was Club coach Simon Boughton versus Phil Nightingale in a five
set classic. Simon’s great length and ability at the front of the court
seemed to take Phil by surprise and Simon took the first two games 11/5
and 12/10. Simon started to tire though with Phil pushing Simon to the
back and forcing him into a few unforced errors. Phil showed great
tenacity, clawing back to two each winning 12/10 and 11/9. The large
crowd were going nowhere and knew the final game could go either way.
It looked as though Simon would take the match, as he raced to a 9/5
lead. However Phil was not deterred and came back, getting to every
tight shot Simon hit. In the end Phil won it with a shot to the back,
cue applause from the gallery. 11/9 in the fifth.
Simon said: “I just switched of when I gained that lead. It was a tough match and I could of possibly taken it another day.”
The ladies were
up next and I struggled to see much of the matches due to being blocked
by a large crowd which had started to gather. One to watch for the
future, 14-year-old Egyptian, Habiba Mohamed took on equally talented
youngster Georgina Kennedy in the first round. It took a while to get
the game to start with the referees insisting both players wore
goggles, as is the common protocol in Scotland for players under 18.
Once it got going though it proved to be a great match. Habiba took the
first two games 11/3, 11/5 and looked comfortably hitting the ball with
more power than some men I’ve seen play. However, Georgina dug deep and
deserved to win the third 13/11. The final game was a close one too,
but the Egyptian came away with a 12/10 victory.
The second round
started later in the day and more fans were flowing into the club,
coming down straight from work. Chris Leiper had the unforgiving task
of tasking on Daryl Selby. Chris will be proud of his performance as he
pushed Selby harder than many would have expected. Chris said: “It was
great just to be on court with Daryl. It gives me confidence to know I
didn’t look completely out of place. I just need to get fitter.”
The match of the night
went to Andy Whipp and Scot, Kevin Moran. The match went to four sets,
and Kevin played a great first game, taking shots early and coping well
with Andy’s power. Although Andy won the next three games, it could
quite so easily gone either way, especially the second where Kevin
looked comfortable for most of the match, only losing 11/9. Assistant Scottish
coach, Stuart Crawford was up against Adrian Grant. Grant won 3/0, but
Stuart didn’t seem out of place, hitting some perfect drop shots and
forcing Grant to play his best. In the end, Grant’s fittest looked to
have given him the edge, with Stuart running court sprints for large
parts of the match.
The great news for
fans was that the quarter final on Saturday had three of Scotland’s
best, with Dougie, Alan and Gregg all progressing.
SATURDAY On this drenched day,
there was no better excuse but too come down and watch some squash.
Whilst the heavens opened up outside, inside the ladies of the WSA
event were getting ready for their quarter-finals. On first was a
French battle, with number one seed, Coline Aumard against Cyrielle
Peltier. Coline played a very professional match, hitting a great
length and making few errors. She won 3/0 and looks good going into the
semi-finals later today.
Another French player,
Laura Pomportes will be her opponent, having beaten Czech, Olga Ertlova
in four sets. It was a tough match, which got heated at points, with
several referee calls questioned. Laura victory guarantees France will
be represented in the final.
Lily Taylor has had a
fantastic tournament so far and kept up her form, defeating Nada
Elkalaawy in three sets. Nada seemed to struggle to find her rhythm and
Lilley was quick to take advantage.
Court 5 attracted an
almost sold out crowd for Habiba versus Czech Lucie Fialova in what was
the match of the quarters. It took five games for the match to be
decided with Habiba pulling of an impressive victory and showing
experience beyond her years. The match though swayed back and forth
between the two and Lucie won the first 11/8. Habiba found her rhythm
though and showed she can strike a ball as well as any, hitting some
tight forehand shots which helped her seal the second 11/2. After
Habiba scraped through the third 11/9, most thought that would be it,
however Lucie showed great character to win the fourth 11/9. That game
seemed to take it out of her though and Habiba took advantage, winning
the final game 11/5.
In the men’s quarter,
we were treated to some quality squash, in particular, Greg Lobban
produced an epic performance to defeat the odds and beat number 37 in
the world, Joe Lee. Greg looked in trouble after the first, going down
7/11. Joe was looking good, hitting some great shot to the front on the
backhand. However, the turning point came in the second after a brutal
rally which Joe seemed to come of worse. Greg was finding rhythm and
his forehand volley drop was impeccable. It was a war of attrition at
times in the second game, both players not prepared to concede the game
and re-group. It was Greg who came away victorious though, edging it
14/12. Joe looked tired from then on and his consistency started to go.
It seemed Joe had accepted the third wasn’t his long before going down
11/3. However, he picked himself up for the fourth and final game,
trading points with Greg in the early stages. Again, Greg seemed to get
stronger as the game wore on and inspired by the partisan crowd came
away with an 11/6 victory. It was much deserved, having recovered from
the shaky spell in the first. Afterwards, Greg seemed buoyant, but was
fully aware that he needed to re-focus as he faced Adrian Grant in the
semi’s, who looked in unstoppable form, defeating Andy Whipp in
straight sets. Adrian, who has already won the open before was made to
work hard in the first game, with Andy taking him all the way to 13/11.
However, Adrian’s conditioning meant he was able to re-charge instantly
and won the next two games with relative ease.
Alan Clyne put in a solid performance against the tall Darren Lewis, winning in straight sets.
Dougie had the hardest
challenge of any, coming up against Selby. Dougie has a bright future
ahead of him in squash and his display against Selby-although not
enough to get a game-will give him huge confidence, pushing Selby in
the third to an 11/9 score line. At one point in the third, Dougie had
the crowd, and Selby applauding an instant kill nick at the front left
court, which brought a roar from young Scot. Dougie was pleased to have
played well and could so easily have taken the final game on another
day. I’m sure they’ll play again soon.
On to the Semi-finals
and this was where things would really start to heat up. An all French
semi-final was up first, with number one seed, Coline Aumard versus
Laura Pomportes, who looked impressive in her 3/1 victory over Olga
Ertlova. Coline looked in control from the start, and took the first
two games rather emphatically, with her low cross court shots in
particular gaining her lots of points. However, Laura was spirited and
was much better in the third and could have maybe won it. However,
despite her opponent’s improvement and also an injury towards the end
of the game, Coline was able to record the win 12/10 in the third. The
injury will be of particular concern to Coline going into the final
tomorrow. It didn’t seem at first that there was much wrong, as she
went for a shot at the front. However, after she let out a scream in
pain and fell to floor clutching her ankle, you could tell all was not
right. When I spoke to her afterwards you could see the pain etched on
her face. Coline said: “I’m not sure I’ll be able to play. I have no
idea what happened. This is the first time I’ve injured it.”
The second semi so
two promising youngsters in 17 year-old Lily Taylor against 14 year-old
Habiba Mohamed. Despite a tough five setter against Lucie Fialova in
the last round, Habiba showed no signs of tiredness, playing some
fantastic squash, putting Lily under considerable pressure with her
combination of power and touch. Habiba won the first 11/6. Lily picked
her game up in the second and started to frustrate the Egyptian, taking
the pace out the game. Habiba was not to be rattled though and would
more often than not put any loose ball away. Lily’s frustration was
evident in the third, and her focus was possibly hindered as a result.
Habiba took the final game 11/6 and looked in confident mood after the
game. Habiba said: “I’m really happy, this is the best match I’ve
played all tournament. I felt a lot more relaxed and started to play a
lot better. I won’t to win tomorrow and be the youngest person again to
win a WSA event, having won the title three months ago. I’ve never
played Coline before but I’ve watched her games and I’ve got some
tactics for it.”
Hopefully Coline will
recover quickly by tomorrow afternoon and we can see what should be a
classic. It’s a tough one to call as both girls are playing at the top
of their games. Coline will have to be at her best to halt the
youngster as she seeks to become the youngest WSA winner for a second
time.
The men’s semi
followed shortly after and a large crowd were not left disappointed
with the quality on display from both matches. First up was the
impressive Greg Lobban, who looks to certainly have stated a case for
being one to watch in a few years, such have been his performances
these last few days. A largely Scottish support were desperate to see
Greg beat the odds again and take down the powerful Adrian Grant. The
first game went close as the crowd urged Greg on. Greg looked to have
taken his form from the last game into this one, gaining an impressive
lead early on. However, Adrian started to show why he made it into the
top 10 in the world, winning the first eventually 11/9. Greg came back
in emphatic fashion in the next game. Everything seemed to be clicking
for him, even a drop shot in the middle of the court, as unorthodox as
it was, seemed a good shot. Greg was taking everything early and had
noticeably cut out the errors which appeared occasionally last year.
The third was always going to be decisive and Greg almost took it,
moving into a favourable lead. However, Adrian just kept plugging away,
recovering every good shot Greg had and taking it 11/7. Greg’s tough
match in the quarter’s had also possibly taken its toll, as he started
to look slightly off the pace (still rapid for everyone in the stand).
In the final match, Greg gave everything he had left, however, Adrian
seemed the much fresher and started to capitalise on the few loose
shots Greg made. An impressive 11/4 win in the fourth and final game
ensured Adrian’s place in the final. Greg received a warm reception
from the crowd who will look forward to seeing how much farther his
game has come on next year. Judging by today, we can expect big things. Another Scottish
semi-finalist was up next, this time Scotland’s number 1, Alan Clyne
had the tough task of Daryl Selby to handle. Clyne got off to a rocky
start, struggling to cope with the tight shots down the wall and
Selby’s volleying. Selby made most of his shots look effortless and the
crowd became concerned that Clyne would not recover after losing the
first 11/4. However, the first game seemed to ignite Clyne and his game
improved vastly in the second. Those difficult shots in the first he
struggled with were now being returned with power. His backhand drops
were of particular nuisance for Selby. Clyne’s retrieval skills, a feat
he is renowned for, was especially impressive, and Selby seemed to be
taken aback. One shot in particular pleased the crowd; as Selby played
a cross court down the middle from the front, Clyne was able to adjust
his body and hit a perfect drive down the wall. Although Clyne lost the
second 11/7, you could sense the confidence rising in him. Clyne took
the third 11/9 in a game filled with lung bursting rallies. You would
be forgiven in thinking these two players had thee lungs. Although the
crowd had a huge respect for Selby, the majority were urging Clyne on,
hoping to see the ultimate comeback. It certainly looked on in the
start of the fourth game with Clyne gaining an impressive 6/3 lead and
Selby looking tired. However, the man from Essex pulled of some
incredible shots and showed why he seems to be continuously making it
to the latter stages of all the major events. The final match ended
11/6 to Selby but it was one of the finest semi-finals witnessed at the
Edinburgh Open. Selby’s victory seems even more impressive when you
consider he’s just come from a gruelling tournament in New York and has
had very little sleep. His performance proved why he is one of the
finest British squash players ever. As for Clyne, it was a great
pleasure to see him perform at the Edinburgh Open, and the whole of
Scotland will be cheering him on at the Commonwealth.
After his match Clyne
said: “Once I got the first out the way I started to get my eye in and
play well. I thought I had him in the fourth and got a good lead but he
hit some good shots and seemed to just keep going. There’s a few
tournaments to go but then all focus will be on the Commonwealth”
Sunday The final day had
arrived and after 63 games and 10 rounds over 3 days we were left with
just four. In the ladies final, top seed and world number 38, Coline
Aumard, was up against the highly promising 14 year-old, Habiba
Mohamed, who holds the title as the youngest WSA tour title winner.
The main talking point
before the match was whether Coline would be able to play following her
ankle injury from Saturday’s semi-final. The good news was that Coline
was prepared to give it a go after strapping her ankle.
However, the injury
was worse than expected and Coline was unfortunately forced to concede
the match after going down 11/4 in the first.
A jammed crowd took
their seats, many of them having played in the amateur graded events
throughout the weekend and were now looking forward to relaxing with a
drink and watching some quality squash. Simon Boughton, the tournament
organiser for the last 13 years, welcomed everyone and introduced both
players. After a brief warm-up on the show court-which due to a
combination of spectators and all the squash this weekend, seemed to
resemble something closer to a sauna- we were off. Habiba started at
great pace, forcing Coline to twist and turn with deep cross courts to
the back. With each twist Coline grimaced and you could tell she wasn’t
able to move her full range. However, Habiba remained disciplined, not
allowing her opponents injury affect her own game and continued to play
some great shots. Coline plugged away, but after going 8/2 down she had
already effectively conceded the match. Habiba won the game 11/4 and
Coline did what was best for her long term health and conceded due to
injury.
Much respect must go
to Coline, for even attempting to play. Congratulations though to
Habiba, winning her second WSA world tour. Habiba said: “Thank you, I’m
delighted to win a WSA tournament again and I would like to come back
next year.” I’m sure we can expect
to see big things from her in the future. Hopefully we will see both
these players playing each other at next year’s Edinburgh Open and they
can give us what I’m sure will be a closely fought contest.
With the ladies match
finishing abruptly, many of the spectators filled up their glasses
before the men’s final started at 4pm. In the final were Adrian Grant
and Darly Selby, both England Internationals and former Edinburgh Open
winners. Selby has been coming to the Edinburgh Open since he was 19
and won last year’s tournament against Tom Richards, whilst Grant beat
Saurav Ghosal to win the open in 2010. These two have played each other
on many occasions and the crowd expected a closely fought contest. What
they got was a pulsating encounter, with rallies that seemed to last
for days. In the end Selby was able to retain his trophy, beating Grant
3/1.
Selby said: “It was
one of the toughest finals here I’ve had. I would like to thank
everyone at the Edinburgh Sports Club for putting on another great
event. I knew I had to win the fourth or that was it.”
The opener was nip and
tuck to 4/4 before Grant gained a sizeable 8/5. However, Selby seemed
to turn on the gas and brought it back to 8/8. Grant was playing well,
but was making one too many unforced errors and Selby was able to win
the first 11/8.
The second game was
filled with excitement and controversial referee decisions which both
players disputed. Although the players must not enjoy some of these
decisions, it certainly adds to the suspense of the match. Again, Grant
started the stronger, picking up incredibly tight shots but Selby kept
the score-line close at 5/4. Just like the first, Grant lost a large
amount of points in succession and despite playing well will wonder how
he lost 11/5. Most of the crowd expected Selby to complete the hat
trick, especially when he went 7/4 up in the third. However, a
resurgence in from Grant made sure the fans were left on the edge of
their seats as he clawed points back in succession to gain a 9/7 lead.
Selby brought it back to 9/9, in a sequence which included a rally
which contained over 40 shots. Grant then escaped a stroke decision,
much to the bemusement of Selby who argued with the referee that his
shot was blocked. He had previously been given a “no let” decision as
he tried to reach a drop shot from Grant, which may have added to the
frustration. Grant wasn’t to be distracted and won the third 11/9 much
to the crowds delight in a guarantee of an extended final. . It was
certainly the least Grant deserved, having put so much into the match
thus far. The third game seemed to have taken its toll on Grant as
Selby raced to a commanding 8/2 lead, with Grant making several errors.
Not too long after Selby was 10/4 up with five match balls. However,
Grant never gave up and kept going all the way to the end, pushing
Selby to the back of the court with some deep cross courts and forcing
him into errors of his own. Grant brought the game back to 10/8 and the
crowd were now swinging towards a Grant victory. Selby kept his cool
though and with a hard drive to the back of the court won the game and
sealed the match.
It was one of the
finest Edinburgh Open matches witnessed and the sold out crowd showed
their appreciation with a standing ovation. The trophy ceremony
followed which brought a conclusion to a fantastic weekend. It was
great to see so many Scottish internationalists make it to the latter
stages. We witnessed some great squash and look forward to next year
which promises to be another exciting Open. Thanks to Simon Boughton,
who organises the tournament and works effortlessly. The event wouldn’t
be what it is without him.
Finally it was
important to mention how sad we were all to hear of the passing of Ken
Gibbs. Ken was passionate about the sport and put in hours upon hours
referring many top games. He was a joyous person with a permanent smile
on his face and will be sadly missed.
