Shabana Shocks Beachill
Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene at Grand Central Terminal

by Martin Bronstein, Live at Grand Central Terminal, New York, 23 Feb 2005
All content © 2005 Squashtalk, photos: © 2005 Debra Tessier

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Amr Shabana was composed against Lee Beachill and from the outset was slotting in his winners with audacious sureness. (photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)

Shabana played as though there was a pre-arranged script - as though he knew exactly what was going to happen, so that when he played for a winner, it would succeed. His ability to mix his game from length to slamming short shots never allows his opponent to settle into a rhythm and this may have been one factor in Beachill's inability to wrest control from the very talented Egyptian.

When Shabana won the first game 11-6 in nine minutes, we were fairly certain that Beachill would come out for the second spitting nails and wanting to put his opponent on the rack of attrition. But he rarely managed to take control. Indeed, the rallies were dictated by Shabana's winners or errors: in this game he hit five of both. But it was Beachill's error on a forehand drop that gave Shabana the game point for an 11-9 win - this time in 10 minutes.

Beachill finally got going in the third game and ran up a 6-3 lead - four of those points on Shabana errors. During that early part of the game there was fine rally with Shabana going for drops on both sides of the court but this time Beachill got to them all and finished the rally with a winning backhand drop. Had the tide turned? Leading 6-3 it looked as though it had but Shabana contained his over-enthusiasm and started an extraordinary run of points that took him to match ball 10-8. At this point he had chalked up four unforced errors and seven winners. On the next rally it looked as though Shabana had won the point twice but Beachill played superbly to save both shots and hit the winner himself to get to 9-10. He then counterdropped Shabana with a deft backhand drop to force a tie-break. Shabana hit an innocuous cross-court which Beachil inexplicably mis-hit. Maybe it just wasn't his day and now he stood facing match ball. Once more Shabana dictated the rally and forced Beachill into a position where the referee had no option but award a stroke to Shabana to give him game and the match in just 38 minutes.

Beachill beaten 3/0 in 38 minutes? Look up - pigs are flying, there are icicles in hell and the moon is blue.

A delighted Shabana spouted happily to the press:
" That was the second best match I ever played. The best was when I beat him in Chicago, also 3/0, three weeks ago. I didn't think I would ever do that again because he's a tough player and I don't think anybody has beaten 3/0 twice in a row. He started slow and I think he was nervous. I played him very tight and waited for the right time my shots and they were working."

Anthony Ricketts takes out the defending champion Peter Nicol. (photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)

RICKETTS CLIMBS THE PINICOL

It was bad enough for the Limeys that Beachill gets beaten but worse was to come when Anthony Ricketts played world number four Peter Nicol. From losing the first game to a Nicol who was at his perfect best, Ricketts played a superbly strategic game that did exactly what it was supposed to do: wear the older player down.

Any other player but Nicol would have lost quicker, but Nicol can still produce some amazing rallies and breathtaking recoveries, the sort of recoveries that can take the heart out of an opponent. But in all but the first game it was apparent Nicol was tiring towards the end of the game and he would attempt drop shots that were feeble. They were the shots of a man who wanted it all to come to an end.

The first game was pure Nicol, the player who had dominated the sport for so long with his accuracy and the ability to turn any shot into difficulty for his opponent. Ricketts could do very little here but react; he certainly wasn't playing the same game that he used against Willstrop. No delicate drops were in evident and he left the court after 14 minutes of hard work having been beaten 11-7.

Ricketts hit a couple of winners to go 2-0 up in the second game but Nicol overcame that once more took control to lead 8-4. And then the unthinkable happened: Ricketts took seven points in a row to win the game 11-8. He won it through patience and trying to get everything back and making Nicol work. He knew the longer he kept Nicol on court the greater his chance of beating him.

At 8-8 came evidence that the tactic was working - Nicol missed a sitting drop at the front and then drove the ball into the tin. The game point was a stroke for Ricketts and the match was even.

They both ended up on the floor and the referee denied Ricketts the let.. (photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)

But never count Nicol out instead of collapsing in a tired heap in the fourth game he was in there, his accuracy and coverage as good as ever. AT 6-4 he was tackled (!) as Ricketts tried to get round him to get the ball. They both ended up on the floor and the referee denied Ricketts the let. His dissent was rewarded with a conduct warning and from that moment Ricketts let up and gave up four errors. Nicol took the game 11-7 to set up a decider with nothing to indicate who would take it.

Ricketts went back to tactics and kept the rallies going to lead most of the game. Nicol's fleetness had disappeared and a very focused Ricketts kept on going until Nicol hit a forehand into the tin at 11-8 giving Ricketts a place in the semi-finals.

LINDA SAVES BRITISH PRIDE

The experienced Linda Elriani completely outclassed Natalie Grinham in the first game and then lost her way in the second as Grinham took control. (photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)

She did too but after one helluva fight with Natalie, the younger Grinham sister.
The experienced Elriani (who will always be Linda Charman to me) completely outclassed Grinham in the first game to win 9-4 and then lost her way in the second as Grinham took control and won 9-2 in nine minutes.

Grinham then simply outclassed Elriani and ran to a 6-0 lead in the third. Elriani was using soft lobs and height very well but would not vary the pace. She picked up a couple of points but Grinham soon had game ball at 8-2. Suddenly Elriani was volleying the ball and using the volley drop to vary the pace. Summoning all her experience she fought all the way back to 8-all and then got to game ball with a fine volley. Now it was Grinham's to fight and she evened the game at 9-all. The serve changed hands four times before Grinham got her tenth point on a stroke, a real heart-breaker for Elriani after such a super come-back.

Elriani came back full of vigour and gave almost nothing away in the fourth game. She stayed strong and focused and the errors flowed from Grinham's racket. This was not crackerjack squash, but slow, measured lobs and lengths down the wall with the occasional slam thrown in. After 17 minutes - one of the longest games of the evening - Elriani walked off the 9-7 winner and ready to fight for the fifth.

It was another 17 minute game but Elriani was in charge most of the time. A 5-1 lead became an 8-3 match ball lead. Grinham buckled down and saved match ball three times but could not deny Elriani the victory.

It was 80 minutes of fine drama and the sort of squash that makes for gripping viewing. Elriani will now have to meet the elder Grinham sister in the semis which should be just as interesting.

2005 TOC QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS

MEN
Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [3]Peter Nicol (ENG) 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, ll-8 82mins
Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [2] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 (1-0) 38 mins

WOMEN
[5]Linda Elriani (ENG) bt Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 2-9,9-10, 9-7, 9-5 (80mins)
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 9-0, 9-3, 9-5 (37 mins)

Rachel Grinham overpowered Jenny Transfield in the first women's quarter-final this evening.(photo: © 2005 Debra Tessier)

More quarter-final photos in the photogallery