The Big One in the Big Apple
Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene at Grand Central Terminal

by Martin Bronstein, Live at Grand Central Terminal, New York, 18 Feb 2005
All content © 2005 Squashtalk, photos: © 2005 Debra Tessier

[view the main draw/results]   [view the qualifying draw/results]  

This Tournament of Champions is the biggest one yet with the top men and women in the world arriving in New York to do battle on the glass court in Grand Central
Station. The men have a full 32-man qualifying tournament to whittle down to six players going into the main draw. The women have a 16 player qualifying draw to find four players to go into a 16 player main draw.

The men’s draw is wide open with world champion Thierry Lincou marginally favoured to win, based on his consistency over the past two years. Lee Beachill demands respect too for his form over the last nine months. Fortunately David Palmer, now back up to three in the world, is in the top half of the draw so that if these two meet, it can only be in the final, where they can once again set their lances for the heart; there is no love lost between these two and the referee will have to be extremely strong in order for the match not to descend into mayhem.

Peter Nicol, Jonathon Power and John White are all capable of reaching the final and Amr Shabana, the Egyptian court jester, has shown that with his brain focused correctly, he can beat anyone on the circuit. He gets a qualifier in the first round and should he win, will face Karim Darwish, another Cairo native in the second round. Shabana will want to taste blood in this match - he feels the Egyptian squash hierarchy look upon Darwish as their blue-eyed boy while Shabana bears the bad boy image.

WATERS RUNNING FASTER
In the women’s draw, all eyes will be on Alison Waters of England in the qualifying round. She has started to come good finally; a very talented shotmaker (which makes her unusual in England) she is now backing this up with mental and physical strength. She shocked the Brits with her victories in the recent British nationals to reach the final. If she can keep up this form I see no reason - with the right draw – Waters should not find herself playing the quarter-finals.

Personally I’d put money on Linda Elriani who is now cutting her opponents down with ease, following a year when she couldn’t get a decent win anywhere against anybody. This is a very experienced player who has found a new spurt (she says with was due to training with her husband Laurent Elriani) and is playing with authority.

Second seed Vanessa Atkinson is enjoying the best run of her professional life and should have no trouble beating the veteran Fiona Geaves (who retained her British Over 35 title two weeks back). She is schedule to beat Natalie Grainger in the semis which should be a match to watch. Grainger has come back after a rest and is playing very well. She will, of course, be the hometown favourite, which help to unnerve Atkinson.

It’s a pity that neither Nicol David nor Omney Abdel Kawy have entered – they would have added sparkle to the women’s tournament and shown New Yorkers just how talented with the racket and how fast around the court these two young women can be.

Men’s first qualifying round results

Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Dylan Patterson (US) 11-7, 11-3, 11-5.
Ahmed Hamza (EGY) bt Gavin Jones (WAL) 2-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-1.
Mohamed Hafiz (EGY) bt Callum O’Brian (NZ) 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 11-1.
Ben Gould (AUS) bt Jan Koukal (Czech) 11-8, 11-4, 1-11, 9-11, 11-8.
Bradley Ball (ENG) bt Matthew Giuffre (CAN) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7.
Ben Garner (ENG) bt Chris Gordon( US) 11-8, 11-3, 11-3.
Hisham Ashour (EGY) vs Eric Galvez (MEX)
Philip Barker (ENG) vs Gilly Lane (US)
Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Tim Manning (AUS)11-10(3-2), 11-8, 11-7.
Peter Barker (ENG)Liam Kenny (IRE) 11-3,11-6, 11-10 (2-0).
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Preston Quick (US) 11-9, 11-2, 11-8.
Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Clive Leach (US)11-8, 11-9, 11-2.
Yasser El Hallaby (EGY) Stephane Galifi (FRA)
Mark Heather (US) vs Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
Alex Stait (ENG) vs Alistair Walker (ENG)
Rodney Durbach (RSA) vs Karim Yehia (US)

MAIN DRAW
Round One starts Saturday Feb 19

[1]Thierry Lincou (FRA) vs Qualifier
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) vs Simon Parke (ENG)
[7] Nick Matthew (ENG) vs Qualifier
[13]Adrian Grant (ENG) vs Alex Gough (WAL)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) vs Mark Chaloner (ENG)
[14] Joe Kneipp (AUS) vs Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[6] Jonathon Power (CAN) vs Qualifier
John White (SCO) vs Dan Jenson (AUS)
Mohd Azlan Iskander (MAS) vs [5]James Wilstrop
[16] Ong Ben Hee (MAS) vs Qualifier
[3] Peter Nicol (ENGF) vs Shahid Zaman (PAK)
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) vs Qualifier
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) vs Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[12] Graham Ryding (CAN) vs Qualifier
[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) vs

WOMEN
Qualifying starts Saturday Feb 19

Stephanie Brind (ENG) vs Runa Reta (CAN)
Latasha Khan (US) vs Lily Lorentzen (US)
Pamela Nimmo (SCO) vs Lauren Biggs (ENG)
Carla Khan (PAK) vs Shabana Khan (US)
Line Hansen (DEN) vs Alison Waters (ENG)
Kasey Brown (AUS) vs Laura Lentgthorn (ENG)
Rebecca Botwright (ENG) vs Dominique Lloyd Walter (ENG)
Katie Patrick (CAN) vs Annelize Naude (NED)

MAIN DRAW

[1] Rachel Grinham (AUS) Qualifier
Jenny Tranfield (ENG) vs Tania Bailey (ENG)
Natalie Grinham (AUS) vs Qualifier
Linda Elriani (ENG) vs Shelley Kitchen (NZ)
Vicki Botwright (ENG) vs Qualifier
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) vs Natalie Grainger (US)
Rebecca Macree (ENG) vs Qualifier
Vanessa Atkinson (NED) vs Fiona Geaves (Eng)

Peter Nicol 2004 Winner - Will he win his 4th Tournament of Champions title? (photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)