Tournament of Champions: Qualifiers


Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene in New York City.

by Martin Bronstein, New York Athletic Club, New York, 25 Jan 2002
All content © 2002 Squashtalk

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS FINALS QUALIFYING ROUND

THE YOUNG GUNS SHOW HOW IT'S DONE

After a couple of matches where petulance and anger were more in evidence than skill, Adrian Grant of England and Mansoor Zaman of Pakistan took to the court and showed just how the game should be played. For two players so young they exhibited a marvellous understanding of the finer points of the game of squash and, most satisfying, they had the skills needed to accomplish these points.

GREAT BLOODLINES

Mansoor Zaman - into the main draw Squashtalk photo © 2002 M Muscatel

Zaman is related to Qamar Zaman, one of the great names from the immediate past while Grant is starting his own dynasty. Zaman started off in overdrive hitting winners and cracking boasts from the back of the court that left Grant standing on the T. In no time flat Zaman was 9-1 up and it looked as though he would simply overwhelm the kid from south London. But from 2-12 down Grant settled in, manged to bring his own game to the fore and made a stirring comeback to 9-13 with a combination of his own winners and some careless racket action from Zaman. The Pakistani managed to stop the rot to get to game ball, 14-9 but Grant would not let go and took two more points before Zaman smacked his serve into the nick to win 15-11.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CENTRE COURT

Zaman led the second game 9-4, but Grant was growing in confidence and bit by bit he allowed his all-court game to emerge. 'All court' is a little misleading: both these left handers refused to recognise the middle of the court and the match was virtually played in the four corners. Their duels at the front right corner were a pure delight and they both had absolute control on the drops. While Zaman picked up points with his unreadable boasts, Grant loves the overhead drop into the nick. Great, gripping competition between two players who played the ball rather than the referee. Grant finally pulled up at 10-all and then fell behind 11-14. Zaman hit two crucial errors to allow Grant to tie at 14-all. Grant then hit a delicious backhand volley drop to lead 15-14 and should have taken the game but Zaman drew to 15-all and then Grant hit an overhead volley into the tin to put Zaman at game point again and he made no mistake to win the 24 mintue game 17-15.

GET THE LEAD!

David Pearson, the England coach was watching Grant closely and said that if Grant ever got the lead, the pressure on Zaman would produce errors. Grant started the third by losing the first two points and then won the next four. He was ahead and as he pulled further ahead, Zaman's determination dropped and in nine minutes Grant had the game 15-6.

ALWAYS KNOW WHAT LANGUAGES THE REFEREE SPEAKS

Zaman again led in the fourth and once again Grant levelled at 10-all from whence it went tooth and nail, all over the court with amazing retrievals and lighting reaction shots. Grant got to game ball 14-12 and then was stroked to make it 14-13 and a winner from Zaman and it was into overtime again. Grant is a positive player and if a shot is on, he will go for it (as does Zaman). This time he hit a sweet overhead volley into the nick and then got a stroke to put him at game ball 16-14. Zaman was incensed and muttered imprecations to the heavens in Urdu. Unfortunately, the referee also had Asian roots and he understood all the naughty words that issued from Zaman's mouth. An immediate conduct warning followed and Grant took the last point to win the 24 minute game 17-14.

CRAMP SPOILS IT ALL

The fifth was an anticlimax: Grant got severe cramp in the break and he was unable to push off from the t. Zaman got the game 15-5 in 11 minutes to end a super 91 minute match between two great prospects. Peter Genever won from a bad tempered Derek Ryan, Casteleyn beat a whining Nick Matthew and Joe Kneipp beat a hot-headed and emotional Bianchetti - and found that he had drawn David Palmer in the main draw. Shahier Razik lost but got the lucky loser spot when Mohammed Abbas pulled out.

Final qualifying round results:

Nick Taylor (Eng) bt Shahier Razik (Can) 15-12, 15-8, 17-16
Stephen Meads (Eng) bt Cameron White (Aus)15-5, 15-7, 15-4.
Amr Shabana (Egy) bt Moh'd Iskander (Mal) 15-9, 15-13, 15-13.
Wael el Hindi (Egy) bt Rene Lavigne (Fra) 15-9, 15-10, 15-9
Peter Genever (Eng) bt Derek Ryan (Ire) 15-10, 15-13, 15-10. (80 mins)
Stefan Casteleyn (Bel) bt Nick Matthew (Eng) 15-14, 15-7, 15-10. (62 mins)
Mansoor Zaman (Pak) bt Adrian Grant (Eng) 15-11, 17-15, 6-15, 14-17, 15-5 (91 mins)
Joe Kneipp (Aus) bt David Bianchetti (Ita) 17-15, 15-8, 15-4 ( 53 mins).