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The 2000 TOC Event

Site updated on 02/05/2001

The CSFBdirect Tournament of Champions 2001,
presented by NYSC Feb 3 - Feb 9 2001,
Grand Central Terminal, New York

Tournament of Champions round one, day two - night

[photogallery]

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS 2001
Martin Bronstein reporting from Grand Central Terminal Sunday Feb 4 2000.

FIRST ROUND FOURTH SESSION SUNDAY FEB 4

RETRO SQUASH?
The Sunday evening session started with two Brits whom, if I didn't know better, could have been hired to bring back the bad old days when games were judged by hours rather than by skill.

Mark Cairns and Alex Gough played a first game of 33 minutes that was almost totally devoid of imagination with the ball constantly being sent to the back of the court even if it sat up and begged to be stuck in the nick. Surely it was the most travelled ball of the tournament travelling 32ft 50 times a rally.

There were a few rallies towards the end of the second hour where the pulse quickened a bit but during the entire 107 minutes there was very little to note considering that most of their contemporaries are now capable of attacking squash. I've seen both players perform far better. Perhaps they just bring out the worst in each other. Gough won in four and will be a little tired when he meets Graham Ryding in tomorrow's second round match.

RYDING TAKES IT IN THREE
Canadian Grahm Ryding was always going to beat John Williams unless he went totally negative. He can play brilliant attacking squash, but sometimes gets bogged down into the hacking game. Joe Kneipp was sitting next to me and said Williams was a helluva hard worker but on the glass court he would come off second best to Ryding. Which is exactly what happened: Ryding was able to hit a winner at the right time while Williams didn't have that skill or confidence. So it was Ryding in three, to put two Canadians in the last 16.

SHABANASTIC!!
In order to describe Egypt's last player in the tournament, I have had to invent a new word. (see heading). Amr Shabana has more bald-faced chutzpah than a boatload of outgoing Presidents. He wants to be great, he wants to be famous, he wants to displace Ahmed Barada so badly you can feel it. And on this sort of form, he will.

He outplayed the eighth seed David Palmer to win in four, which must be one of his biggest scalps to date because Palmer is a very fine attacking player. But Shabana started off by hitting two straight nicks and before half a dozen points were on the board he had two of his special cross court slams into the nick as well. Price would have to keep Shabana away from the middle of the court as well the front of the court and he could not do it.

Shabana has speed of feet as well as speed of hand and some of his recoveries were breathtaking; from flat on the floor after a dive to the back of the court to retrieve the next shot took less than a nanosecond. He made another recovery that must have knocked some of the heart out of Palmer. After winning the first game 15-8, Shabana was 8-13 down in the second and on the edge of giving it away, as he has done before. A drop and drive combination started his comeback and suddenly the perfect drops started to roll off his rack until he had pulled up, saving two game balls. At 15-14 down he dived headlong to retrieve a ball, got up to get to the back of the court for one ball and then down to the front of the court to pick up another to finally win the point. It was a simply breathtaking combination of speed, agility and anticipation. Another drop followed by a nick and he had the game 17-5 and was two up on a player ranked 16 places above him.

We should also remember that Palmer was the player who knocked Jonathon Power out of the British Open. Palmer kept his head and pushed through 3-5 deficit in the third to run off a series of points as Shabana seemed to tire and giving the last few points away Palmer won it 15-8. The fourth game saw Shabana focussed again, still moving at incredible speed and still able to put in delicate drops while moving at the speed of light.

He led from the beginning and Palmer simply could not make up the two or three point deficit and leading 8-6 Shabana, buoyed by the thought of such a victory, was unstoppable and he ran away to win the game 15-8. The 61 minute match was easily the match of the day and, compared to the previous two matches, was an oasis to perched throats.

RICKETTS PRICED OUT
It was good to see Paul Price, another fine attacking Australian, injury free. He hits straight nicks on the forehand with his eyes closed and makes even a quarter of a chance to close out a rally with a winner. He simply had too much for the young Anthony Ricketts and won in three in 46 minutes. Price will now meet Shabana in an attempt to regain some revenge for Australia.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS TOP HALF OF DRAW
Alex Gough (Wal) beat Mark Cairns (Eng) 15-11, 12-15, 15-12, 15-12,
Graham Ryding (Can) beat John Williams (Aus) 15-7, 15-10, 15-10.
Amr Shabana (Egy) beat David Palmer (Aus) 15-8, 17-15, 8-15, 15-8.
Paul Price (Aus) beat Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 15-8, 15-10,15-10
Peter Nicol (Sco) beat Omar Elborolossy (Egy) 15-9, 15-10, 17-14. Joseph Kneipp (Aus) beat Thierry Lincou (Fra) 15-11, 15-10, 15-10. John White Sco) beat Peter Marshall (Eng) 15-13, 15-17, 15-6, 11-15, 15-12.