*A similar article of mine appears in Squash Magazine this month. I  promised to post it to my blog as well.
Happy new-ish year.
————-

I hate going to the gym right after new year’s. The spinning bike that the ‘regulars’ know is mine is taken by an ‘irregular’ in spanking new spandex. All the jump ropes are gone by the time I get to boot camp. And I have to start setting my alarm clock earlier to snag a squash court for the next week. By the time you read this, many of the new year’s resoluters will have already started to fade away, but if I can’t beat them back for the month of January, I might as well join them in their pursuit of personal betterment, so here are ten resolutions relating to squash…and chickens.

1.     Practice. I took lessons with a friend for a good part of the summer and then some refreshers in the fall, but can I yet cock my wrist the way I’m supposed to? No. And that’s because I do not practice enough. Yes, I play squash mostly for fun, but it’s no fun not to improve. So one day a week needs to include more practice. It’s totally doable. I just need to figure out which day to do it….

2.     Keep quiet. I have a tendency to comment on what I take to be a winning or losing shot before it’s completed. Which really isn’t cool when my prescience is problematic. Sometimes I call a shot correctly. Sometimes I don’t. But I shouldn’t be calling it at all. So mouth closed. And fingers closed on the grip of my racquet when I get frustrated. I don’t exactly toss the thing, but I can’t keep using the excuse that the handle is slippery. It’s my brain that’s gone slick and I need to suck it up and move on.

3.     Sleep. Be well rested the day of a squash match. Even better, be well rested every day. I’m ahead on this one, as my office closed between Christmas and New Year’s and I became a resting wizard, disappearing to nap whenever the need arose. Admittedly, this is more difficult to do with coworkers walking by, so instead I plan to wave my magic wand and be in bed by eleven. Or am I already dreaming?

4.    Eat. Do not go to the squash court starving. Bring lunch and a snack to the office if you play after work. I don’t know why I don’t do this. All it means is five more minutes in the morning. Minute one: stick yogurt and granola in a sack for snack. Minute two through five: slap some turkey and cheese on a slice of whole-wheat bread, add some sprouts and honey mustard and another slice of bread and I’m good to go. I could even take a blast from my elementary school past and add carrot sticks and a cookie. I am doing this tomorrow. For sure.

5.      Be more interesting between games. I used to read. A lot. But somehow it’s dropped off and I find myself referencing books I read a decade ago. Or the Style section of the New York Times. Or the back of the Grape-Nuts box. That’s great for who went where wearing what or for making muffins, but I’m tired of being a conversational slouch. I need to up my intellectual ante and dip into something more world events worthy. A woman was reading Ann Coulter in the subway seat next to me this morning; now a jolt of Coulter’s controversial content would supply me with lots to talk about . . . or at least reason to hit the ball harder.

6.     Pursue at least one other interest besides squash. If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good probability that you’re as squash obsessed as I, so it probably doesn’t take much to get yourself to the courts. If my schedule (and body) could take it, I would play every day. But there are other things in life that I’d like to be better at, and if I could just give a tenth of the energy I give to squash to another pursuit, it would be a good thing. Take learning another language for example. Or playing the guitar. Or perfecting a back triple twist. Just pick one, though. I still need that day to practice my drop shots. . . .

7.     Try ambidextrousness. I recently realized just how weak my backhand is while playing 3/4 court with friends. And now that it’s winter, I’m reminded of how I turn so much better on my right ski then on my left. It’s time to work on my right brain and my left side. Here’s a great article on the ambidextrous athlete to get going on this.

8.     Volunteer. I’ve been really bad about this, but it’s long overdue for me to contribute some time and energy to those who could use it. Let’s face it, the country is not exactly overrun with women who play sports. I am one and I would like nothing more than to see girls developing a life-long love of sports as a player and not just a fan. There are not one but two urban youth squash programs in my fair city. So I’m gonna get my fair brain in gear to volunteer.

Two chickens at the Prospect Park Turkey Trot

9.    Run like a chicken. Swim like a bug. Ride like a wombat. And sign up for a triathlon. Again. Because last year it was canceled due to Hurricane Irene. Thinking I would be swimming, biking, and running on Labor Day weekend kept me in great squash shape over the summer. I loved the variety—rising early to swim in the city (free!) pool, getting on my bike to explore Catskill countryside, and remembering how tough and how great it is run a hilly 5k, but still have something left to sprint to the finish. It’s a little hard to swim and bike in the winter, however, so I’m signing up for some road races, like the one at right – the chicken trot.

10.  Migrate. Save up for and organize a trip that is as much fun as squash, as active as squash, but is not squash. I keep thinking about the woman I met in Mongolia who was biking through Asia. That may be more than I could possibly pedal right now, but two weeks of riding through captivating countryside sounds quite appealing, and it might appease family members who sometimes hint that there’s more to the world than the one with four white walls.

Hopefully, I’ll complete at least half of these resolutions. Maybe more. Ideally all. In the mean time, good luck with your own—just don’t steal my spinning seat.

Nour El Sherbini (bottom center) watching a men's quarterfinal @ ToC

Sometime in the middle of the men’s ToC quarterfinal between Gregory Gaultier and Amr Shabana, I notice her, a lanky dark-haired teenager slouched down in her folding chair as she fiddles with her iPod. She’s barely watching the amazing squash a foot or so from her seat, but who can blame her? An hour or so earlier, she was on the same court beating a woman over twice her age, the thirty-nine year old Latasha Khan. Nour El Sherbini deserves to slouch a little and listen to Rihanna like any sixteen year old would.

However. When El Sherbini is on court, you just wouldn’t guess that she’s sixteen. No slouching there. She uses her height to full effect, easily stretching for short drops, popping over a cross court, and winding up for a powerful back hand. But it’s the overhead volley drop to both corners that is her specialty. She just reaches up her racquet with a long arm and either flicks or powers the ball down into the nick, lying it so flat that her opponents have no chance of scooping it back up. It is a truly beautiful thing to watch and I think I gasp audibly every time she does it. Her opponents must groan.

El Sherbini worked hard and focused intently to get through the first and second rounds of the women’s draw of the Tournament of Champions, beating Samantha Teran of Mexico in four, and then Latasha Khan (US) in three. As I’ve mentioned about Sherbini previously, she displays a focused composure, even after losing points, that players much older don’t always possess. Her face rarely displays much emotion one way or the other, and if there’s anything going on inside, she’s good at hiding it.

Happily, she doesn’t feel the need to hide her personality off the court. It’s friendly, approachable, and the game face is completely gone, replaced with one of a teenager excited to be in New York Cityfor the first time. After her five game loss (6-11,11-5, 11-5,7-11,11-4) to Natalie Grinham in the Semis last night, she sits down with me on a bench beneath the bleachers to discuss the match.

The first two games had gone incredibly fast, and the scores almost mirrored each other, albeit inversely, as Sherbini took the first game 11-5, and then Grinham grabbed the second in 11-6. “What happened?” I asked.

“I played Natalie last week and lost in three,” she says, a sweat-panted leg folded beneath her. “But this time, I was ready. All my balls were right. There were not many errors. I was controlling the game.”

And then? And then she let Grinham control the second, El Sherbini concedes. “If the ball gets to the middle of the court, Natalie drops very well.” She frowns. “I was putting too much in the middle. And then when I lost that game, I was very nervous in the third game. I wasn’t playing well and I put a lot into the tin.”

Nour El Sherbini at the T

“Grinham was taking away your favorite shots,” I observed. I had noticed in the third game that Natalie was lobbing the ball higher, out of El Sherbini’s long reach, as well as hitting her rails a little lower, so that Nour couldn’t come down on the ball as she had in the first game. El Sherbini nods. “Raneem El Weleily was coaching me after that game. She beat Grinham in the Greenwich Open (the week before). ‘You have to be at T,’ she said. ‘You have to make a faster pace.’ So I was very focused in the fourth game to win. I put the ball in the back of the court. I was dropping from the back.”

“And then on your second game ball, at 10-7, you won with your favorite shot,” I recalled. It had been a very relaxed volley drop to the right nick. “I was excited for you.”

El Sherbini grimaces a bit. “But I lost concentration in the fifth game. When you see the game is running away from you, I have to be nervous. Natalie makes a lot of lobs and she runs a lot. She wanted to make me get tired.” Were you? I asked her. She shrugged. “A little, not much. But Natalie is older and more experienced. Next time I have to be more concentrated. Not make a lot of errors.” She shakes her head and laughs a bit. “But I don’t know yet.”

Dipika Pallikal in her quarterfinal match @ ToC

Well, what I know is that I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Nour El Sherbini’s matches going forward, along with those of her other young countrywomen I’d seen play at the ToC, Kanzy Emad El DeFrawy and Nour El Tayeb. In the meantime, I’ll be watching the twenty year old Dipika Pallikal take on thirty-three year old Natalie Grinham this evening in the women’s finals at 6:30. After watching Grinham adjust her game with El Sherbini, cover the court so splendidly, and make such wise shot selections, I just don’t think she can lose. In contrast, Pallikal runs so hot and cold on the court; she seem a bit sloppy one moment and absolutely brilliant and sharp the next. If she’s more of the latter, it’ll be an interesting match. Fingers and racquets crossed.

Nour El Sherbini vs. Latasha Khan in the ToC Quarters

Just when I thought I was starting to burn out on squash for the week, I ran into a friend and squash mate in my work neighborhood this morning (miles from Grand Central). Loved your article, she said, shaking her head full of curly hair. And before I knew it, we were off and running our mouths about yesterday’s matches and who would prevail this evening.

All the talk made me realize that I had neglected to mention in that article two of the players who reached tonight’s women’s quarterfinals: Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) and Dipika Pallikal (IND). Both had fairly quick matches in the first round, and it can be hard to learn much from a player when they’re not under much pressure. But last night was different….so here are two more take-aways.

Jacklyn Hawkes.vs.Rachael Grinham

1. Take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses. I know that sounds really really basic, but sometimes us amateurs forget this. Jaclyn Hawkes did not; I’m sure she was aware of Rachael Grinham’s lingering hamstring injury and was very deliberate in moving the ball all around the court, making Grinham stretch a muscle that must’ve been quite painful. Admittedly, I was ignorant of her injury while watching and wondered why Grinham looked so off, especially after covering the court so magnificently the evening before. After losing the first game to Hawkes by a wide margin of 11-3, Grinham turned up the deliberacy and power of her swing, trying to force Hawkes into a more defensive position, but Hawkes’ long reach and steady clean hits ultimately undid that plan, and Grinham went down in three.

Dipika Pallikal vs. Donna Urquhart

2. Can’t take your opponent down in three? Or four? Gut it out to five. This is what Dipika Pallikal had to do. After taking the first two games with her hard and fast style of play, she slipped in the third and fourth games, putting too many of her shots into the tin. Both players rose to the occasion in the fifth, going for absolutely everything and a few of their points were not dissimilar from those I had seen in the men’s matches, with hard cross courts, repeated corner drops, and racquets flying faster than I’d seen all night amongst the women. Super fast reflexes were a key part of this game and all the fatigue I felt earlier in the evening disappeared. It made me wish that the women played like this much more of the time. Pallikal and Urquhart were close in points all the way through the game, and Pallikal hammered the ball low down the right wall (Urquhart’s backhand) to bring it to nine all. Soon after, Urquhart dashed past Pallikal mid-court toward the right wall, swinging at the ball, but crashing to the floor almost simultaneously. Her hand sprung up in an L, calling for let and the ref gave it to her. Pallikal looked astonished. Watching the video replay, I still didn’t see any impact between the two players, but at this time of night, I didn’t trust my own eyes. and the three refs seemed certain that there was an obstruction. To be fair, Urquhart looked pretty dazed herself.

So it was nine all again and it’s testament to Pallikal’s professionalism that she shook the call off and hit a beautiful passing cross court for 10-9. And just a few shots later, hit a deep backhand that Urquhart winds up to get, but the ball doesn’t come up. A dead on nick that made everyone gasp.

I’ve been thinking today whom I’d like to see lined up for the women’s finals. Pallikal faces another long-legged blonde in Jaclyn Hawkes. If Pallikal isn’t tired out from five games and her drops and nicks are on then I think she has more of an arsenal to pull out a win. But Hawkes is a very steady, safe player and she may force Pallikal into more risks.

As for Nour El Sherbini and Natalie Grinham, I’d love to see this composed young Egyptian up against a hard hitter like Pallikal. I think they’d give us the more exciting match. But Natalie Grinham is a small but incredibly strong force to be reckoned with. She may refuse to let the sixteen year old get through.

We’ll see though in just about an hour. The women’s matches are on at 6 p.m. and 8:45(ish), straddling the men’s semis. Come watch from the front wall, if you don’t have tickets!

R. Grinham & K. El Defrawy: 1st round @ ToC

Thursday morning I woke up to the news that Trinity lost to Yale. Friday I woke up with a pain in my forehead as if a squash ball had pounded it all night, thanks to overdoing it at Tournament of Champions parties the night before. And Saturday and Sunday, I had to wake up early enough to get to my Grand Open Tournament matches. So I was very happy this past Monday, to wake up, go to work for half a day and then return to the glass court at Grand Central to watch the women play in their first round. It’s pretty quiet at noon on a Monday and while I loved the excitement and energy of the weekend, it’s quite nice to only have to focus on one thing—the squash in front of me, instead of in my head.

It’s also great to focus on some truly great female squash players. First round matches can be both kinda boring and really exciting. The seeded players are saving themselves for the later rounds, and the qualifiers and lower ranked players are going all out to keep in it—if that makes any sense. I experienced something of the same over the weekend in the Grand Open. While I was knocked out of the main draw in the first round by the #1 seed in my division, I gave it everything I had in the consolation semis and won, barely, in five. Unfortunately, amateur players don’t have the luxury of 24 hours to recoup. I went back on in an hour. Don’t ask.

But in round one of the the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, everyone’s still fresh. Although nerves may be running a little high. One of my bleacher neighbors mentions that the women have much less experience playing on a glass court and with the bright lights and more reflective quality of the glass, it can be hard to always see the ball. Not to mention that glass plays differently; it’s both stickier and quicker. Players must alter their shots a bit, I suspect.

I had asked a few friends which matches I shouldn’t miss and the one that comes up more than once is Donna Urquhart (AUS) vs. the qualifier Maria Toor Parkay (PAK). They aren’t on until later in afternoon though, and since I’m still a relative squash watching novice—especially of the women—I decide to see what things I can learn throughout the afternoon.

Here are a few of them, from the first match of the day on …

1. Nerves affect everyone. No matter how much better (on paper) you’re supposed to be. Sarah Kippax (ENG) who is World Number 16 appears less than relaxed in her first game against Miranda Rainieri (CAN) a qualifier and ranked a lot lower at 45.  Kippax finally gets to match point and then just can’t put the ball away for the game. Rainieri ties it at 10 all and I realize that my fingertips are now sweating as I type my notes. I love and hate extra points. Kippax finally takes it after getting to and giving up match point more than I can keep track of.

2. Getting the last game gives you a leg up on the next. Kippax takes the next two games. 11-2. 11-5.

3. Being in great shape gives you two legs up. Natalie Grinham (NED) #2 seed may have had a baby 18 months ago and at 33 is one of the oldest players in the tournament, but her compact body looks lean and strong and like I wouldn’t want to mess with her even though I may be a head taller. I certainly wouldn’t want to mess with her on the squash court; her swing is both loose and controlled at the same time, and with racquet in hand it makes an awesome weapon. But a key part of her strategy seems to be to run her opponent Lucie Fialova (CZE) all over the court. And although Fialova is a mere twenty-three, she doesn’t look nearly as fit as Grinham and seems to be sucking air at times. Grinham gets the first game in 11-8, but then plows over her in the next two, 11-2, 11-5.

4. But sometimes being in great shape isn’t enough. A bleacher neighbor guesses that Samantha Teran (MEX) World Number 12 has lost about twenty lbs. since last season. She does look fantastic in her sleeveless dress; those are serious shoulder muscles. And she and her opponent Nour El Sherbini (EGY) ranked 28 are hitting much harder than anyone before them. El Sherbini doesn’t have the cut physique of Teran, but she has height, youth (16!!), and a calm confidence. She has so many skills. Hits it super hard when she wants.  Has clean closing shots—especially a beautiful backhand volley drop. And, perhaps most importantly, she keeps cool even when under pressure. Teran really makes her work and El Sherbini gets the first two 11-6,11-9, but then tins a usually perfect backhand to let Teran have the third at 9-11. She doesn’t let it get to her, however, and just dominates the T in the 4th game, only taking a step or a step and a half away from it, whereas Teran is dancing around it with many more steps. She may be fit, but she’s also using much more energy. If I were her, I would keep the ball away from El Sherbini’s backhand, but that’s easier typed than done, as El Sherbini’s reach is high and wide and she closes out the match 11-7 in the fourth.

Nour El Tayeb & Latasha Khan

5. Experience counts for a lot. While it’s exciting to see new blood pounding through the veins of impassioned young players, they often don’t have the composure that someone like El Sherbini appears to possess. Fellow countrywoman, Nour El Tayeb (#20) comes closest with her tough match-up against the lower ranked but greater experienced Latasha Khan (#26), and after losing the first two games with tentative defensive playing, she turns more aggressive in the third, taking the ball earlier and making more of her drops. But despite winning this game and the next, she still doesn’t look completely confidant and I’m sure Khan senses this. That, and she knows she has skills and strength to come back—which she does, pushing El Tayeb all over the court. El Tayeb just cracks—or rather tins her way to a 1-11 loss,  giving Khan the fifth game and a ticket to the quarters.

Maria Toor Pakay warming up

Experience also counts in the match I’ve been waiting for, even if it’s only a few years worth. Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) has a back story that is impressive and inspiring, leaving Pakistan to train with Jonathan Power in Canada. She puts a lot of whole body power in her shots, but she can’t seem to find her game. Her shots aren’t as deep as they need to be or as tight to the wall, especially playing someone as sharp and focused as Donna Urquhart of Australia, ranked at 14. Urquhart is almost a head taller than Toor Pakay and with her reach and neat practiced shots, she forces Toor Pakay to rush her own shots, or at least that’s what it looks like. Later, I speak to Toor Pakay and clearly the glass court threw her and she just wasn’t able to adapt her game to it in time. But she quickly admits that she “wasn’t moving at all,” and just “banging the ball” instead of bringing it to the back of the court where she needed to. But while her eyes are filled with frustration, they’re also those of determination to do what she needs to do to come back better.

the curly head of Kanzy Emad El Defrawy

6. Curly hair makes you a better squash player. I wish . . . but when I first see the wild-maned Egyptian (#30) nail her first game 11-5 against Rachael Grinham, World Number 5 and the number one seed, it certainly seems true. El Defrawy is easily the most physical player out there on Monday—including the men, as well. She leaped. She dived. She slid all over the front of the court, almost getting the usher who mopped up after her following every slide, a standing ovation. And her shots weren’t just physically impressive; she had beautiful drops, sweet nicks, and wicked cross-courts. While she isn’t as tall as Grinham, her leap forced Rachael to put her own cross court a bit higher, forcing it out of court once or twice. So impressive and sure of herself did El Defrawy look, that I was expecting an upset after she got the second game. Probably hoping for one. Nothing against Grinham, but when someone like El Defrawy performs, you want to keep watching. However it was Grinham who gave me my last pointer of the evening.

6. Don’t like the game you’re playing? Make up a new one. Grinham may not be nearly as showy as El Defrawy, but as another bleacher-mate commented, “Rachel is taking all the power away from her [El Defrawy]. She’s too smart.” And she was. Putting the ball higher, tighter, and into less predictable places. There was one boast that I had only seen (maybe) on a doubles court, it touched so many walls before dying in the back right corner. Grinham isn’t only smart, she’s damn creative. Admittedly, my eyes were too burned out by 8+ hours of squash watching to know exactly how she did it, but from two down, she squeaked back in the third for 11-9 and then didn’t even let El Defrawy get close in the last two. 11-3, 11-5.

So that was my first round of squash lessons from the women’s pros in the ToC. And certainly not my last. Tune in tomorrow for my next lesson. Or, better yet, come yourself and learn from the women themselves. Round 2 begins at 12 noon. Ticket info. here and women’s draw info here.

p.s. here’s my real last lesson of the evening, gleaned at 1:13 a.m.: Blue Point Toasted Lager goes really well with dark chocolate. Who knew? – all typos and errors will be corrected when I’m awake, hopefolly.

Mudge and Gould

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t come to Apawamis on a Sunday to watch a men’s match. I drove up to Westchester from NYC to see the women’s doubles finals of the Briggs Cup. I’d seen plenty of guys playing doubles the weekend before. In the Big Apple Open. I watched  Damien Mudge and Ben Gould play Matt Jenson and Clive Leach. Again. And win. Again. Not that it wasn’t interesting mind you. With their crushingly hard drives and deathly accurate nicks, Mudge and Gould are awesomely entertaining to watch; they both exhibit an on court ease that masks murderously fast racquet skills. But when a team has as long a winning streak as Mudge and Gould do, you can’t help cheering for the underdogs. You can’t help wanting to see something unexpected. But on the night of the Big Apple finals, all expectations were met.

On that night, I heard a few observers mention their semi-finals match the day before against two recent Trinity alums Manek Mathur and Yvain Badan. They had won, obviously, but Mathur and Badan had made them fight for it in four tight games.  I was intrigued. So when I heard that they’d be facing each other later that afternoon in the Briggs Cup semi-finals match, after the women’s finals, I decided to hang around. I was very, very glad I did.

At first glance, Mathur and Badan don’t look all that different than other young players on the ISDA tour. They’re both still slender and look like they could run around the court for hours. If Mathur isn’t as tall as Mudge, he’s close to but probably weighs a few racquets worth less. Possibly not a bad thing. And while Badan may be the shortest guy on the court, it’s only by an inch or two and his legs look springy. Badan plays the right wall against Gould. Mathur, a lefty, is up against Mudge. I think this should be good.

front court action

But the beginning of the first game is not that good. For Mathur and Badan that is. I’m not sure if it’s nerves or that they’re being totally out-played but Mudge and Gould rack up the points quickly. They get them with lovely cross-court nicks and volley drops and passing rails; it’s like they’re in a candy store, just picking out whatever shots they want and they get six of them in a row before Mudge breaks his racquet and goes to fetch a new one. Maybe that gives Mathur and Badan a chance to chill a little, because they finally get their first point at 1-7 and start to get into the game. Mathur’s drops begin to sneak above the tin instead of below it and he brings out a few other shots in his arsenal, like a nice three wall nick. It’s hard to get much by Mudge and Gould–they know the court so well–but an accurate nick will get anyone and Mathur and Badan pull enough out that they get up to nine before Gould and Mudge shut them down at 15-9 for this first game.

The first point of the second game goes on a lonnnng time, and it’s clear that Mathur and Badan aren’t there to lose. They’re both extremely fit, go for everything, and are feeling confident enough to go for winners. I realize that my mouth is agape when they get the first point; it’s truly thrilling squash and both teams are showing everything they’ve got. During a hard rally at the front, Mudge even does a full 360 after hitting the ball with full body strength. He spins and is ready for the next ball coming at him. It’s difficult not to be in awe of Mudge’s preparedness; half the time he looks like he’s out for a stroll, casually watching the world go by, and then when the ball comes within range, he considers it and just puts it exactly where he’d like to see it go. Like moving around a vase of flowers in his home or something. No big deal. Although it is for his poor opponents. The vase often shatters before they can get to it.

Mathur winds up

Mathur and Badan aren’t so poor, however. At seven all, Mathur gets a nice nick and then Mudge tins the next, Mathur gets another nick, and Gould can’t get his racquet firmly on a ball off the back wall. It’s now 10-7 and I hear Mathur tell Badan to take his time; they’re up, they need to be patient. Mathur must know something though, because Badan goes for a drop and tins it. Within minutes, Mudge and Gould have tied it up at ten all and although Badan gets one more straight drop nick, they lose five points in a row. 15-11. Game two to the kings of doubles.

I have to say I’m a little depressed that Mathur and Badan are two down. The guy sitting next to me must be an Apawamis member as he is clearly pulling for the team (Badan coached at Apawamis for a while, and both play there), but he muses aloud that they probably need more time before they can beat them. They’re just too strong, he says of Mudge and Gould. I agree.

Badan taking the ball off the back wall

Mathur must not agree because he’s acting like the whole court is his at the beginning of the third game. He doesn’t stay on the left wall, or even the back, but zooms over to cover the entire front wall, calling ‘mine’ and giving each shot everything he has. I stare in awe, and I think it gives Mudge and Gould something to think about as well. Here’s something new to contend with, so they compensate by taking the ball away from him and giving it to Badan again and again. It works for a while. Mathur is an expert shot maker and Badan keeps the ball mostly in play with lobs and crosses; but anyone who can return Gould’s punishing speed at which he hits the ball has to be pretty expert as well, and just when I’m beginning to think that it’s okay that he doesn’t have the touch that Mathur does, Badan’s patience pays off. He gets a pretty cross corner nick at 12-10 and then a few points later powers the ball low for a straight short kill shot. The crowd is holding their breath and my palms are sweating. But I have to sweat through five more points because Mudge and Gould are stubborn when it comes to losing and who knows where losing one game might lead, so with a combination of crushing power and lovely nicks, they push hard until it’s match ball at 14-14. No set. Sudden death.

Many of us may lay down our arms at this point. Or fire too soon. But to Mathur and Badan’s credit, they stay patient, waiting for the right moment. And it does come….down the middle, and right past Mudge’s racquet.
15-14. The crowd roars. Game score 2-1.

If you didn’t know by now, this crowd is almost solidly for Mathur and Badan, even if they might count Mudge and Gould as friends. And I’d say that there were at least one hundred fifty people watching in the small gallery, standing room only. Kids are sitting two and three deep on the floor in front of the court. I can’t remember the last time I’d been in such a tightly packed crowd of squash spectators, and so focused and on edge.

I don’t blame Mathur and Badan if they felt a bit on edge at the beginning of the fourth as well, as Mudge and Gould pushed ahead to three zip. It’s a lot of pressure. But they already showed they don’t back down and this may be where the crowd’s support became much more audible. The air is filled with shouts of  “Come on Swiss!” “Let’s go Manek!” Later, I find out that Badan was the Swiss Junior National Champion in 2000. And quite possibly that support helps them come back, slowly but surely, from 4-8, to 5, to 6, to 7, and then it’s 8-8. They do this by playing safe but smartly and going for the winning shots when they’re set up. It ties again at 10-10 and then at 12-12. And then Mathur and Badan pull away. 13-12, 14-12. Game point for them again. The light on the court flickers out, as it has every 45 minutes or so throughout the afternoon – on a timer someone says. After it comes back on, the point is played and Mudge goes for one of his usually perfect nicks. Only this one isn’t so usual. It tins. 15-12 I circle and underline four times. The guy next to me wonders aloud again: when was the last time someone took two games off of Mudge and Gould? I don’t know. No one around us does. It doesn’t matter. Now we’ve seen it.

But we haven’t seen everything. It’s the fifth game and we all know that anything can happen. And Mudge and Gould seem to be realizing this, too. They didn’t in the two last games. But this is the fifth. Have they ever played a fifth together for over a year. More?

Mathur and Badan before the 5th

Unlike the last game, Mathur and Badan start much more confidently. The pressure seems to have  moved off of them and onto Mudge and Gould. They’re the ones in a new position. And Swiss and Manek like where they are, playing more loosely, patiently, lobbing, setting each other up. Both of them are getting their drops and nicks now; they can’t seem not to. And the crowd is right behind them. I almost feel badly for Mudge and Gould, but I’m pulled along in the wave of watching history unfold. And this is a beautiful sight to see. Players rising to the ocassion and not letting it pass them by. At 4-6, the ball breaks and I wonder if this is Gould and Mudge’s chance to regroup and recover, but there’s a change in their playing that even a break can’t stop. They’re more cautious now and their usual winners aren’t hitting their marks. The normally cool Mudge swears at himself and Gould lost his affable grin back in the fourth game. If it’s possible, Mathur and Badan must smell their desperation. They use it and get drop after drop; Mathur is on fire and there is nothing Gould or Mudge can do to put it out. 4-6 is the closest the two get, as Swiss and Manek pull swiftly away, missing just a few shots so that by 13-7, they’ve nearly doubled Gould and Mudge’s score. Going for a cross court nick, Mudge puts the ball into the tin and then it’s match point again, only now for the team that nearly lost in three. At 14-7, Badan serves and then goes for a forehand volley into the left wall nick. Mudge puts out his racquet and gets only air. It’s over.

no words necessary….

15-7.
3-2.
Badan and Mathur have beaten the kings of doubles in this semi final for the history books.

I can’t believe I was there. I bet you wish you were, too.

Mudge and Gould watch Jenson and Leach warm up @ NYAC

I didn’t really start the evening on the right foot. Because as soon as it touched 53rd Street, I realized I was headed to the wrong club. NYAC was hosting the ISDA Big Apple Open Doubles Tournament, not the University Club. I often get these mid-town meccas for men confused. It was already 6:30, match time, so I jogged over to 6th Avenue, and zig-zagged between mid-town tourists clumped on the sidewalks. At 58th Street, I hung a left, jay-walked somewhere in the middle of the block and tried to cool down before the back door entrance. But it was too late;  I was a sweaty mess. Good thing I was headed to the squash courts.

The doubles court at NYAC is perched all the way up on the 21st floor. And because the main elevator only takes you to the 20th, and then you take this tiny elevator or the stairs, you kind of feel like you’re going to some secret club within a club. Especially when you open the door from the echoey empty stairwell and suddenly you’re smack in the middle of a wine and cheese party. Only half of the guys are in suits and the others are in shorts and t-shirts. I say guys because I didn’t see another woman until I went upstairs to the gallery overlooking the court.

Fortunately, the match hadn’t begun yet. On court were the pro-am finalists. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to play a doubles match at CityView at 8:30 and I had dumbly deduced that I could probably watch most of the finals match before commuting to Queens for my own. I quickly and illegally jumped on my phone to find a replacement. And just as the match began, my phone flashed its green light; another player had kindly taken my spot.

It always takes me about a game’s worth of watching to start to absorb what’s going on. I’d watched a few matches of the qualifying rounds on the Friday before and that level of play was markedly different than this. In some ways, this style seemed simpler, perhaps because the guys playing it have been doing it for a while and mostly full-time. Damien Mudge (University Club’s head pro) and Ben Gould (R&T’s head pro, the reigning champs, were up against Matt Jenson (head pro at Kiawah Island Club & The Charleston Squash Club) and Clive Leach (a pro in Greenwich, CT) and I soon noticed that while they all had full arsenals of boasts and volley drops and reverse corners, they mostly lobbed the ball. Cross court, straight down the wall, cross court, over and over again, working their opponents out of position so that they could more comfortably go for a winning low reverse corner, or maybe a high one.

Another left wall lob

Another tactic was to change up the pace. Lob… Lob… Lob… Lob… Lob. Smash! Smash, smash, smash, smash, smash! I felt like I was suddenly in a firing range, or some shoot ‘em up game. One player would take aim as a lobbed ball floated to the back of the court and instead of popping it up again, he would smack the ball forward as hard as he could. It was like a gun going off. Again and again and again. The guy next to me muttered, ‘there’s a lot of testosterone out there.’ Uh, yep.

Mudge and Gould looked at first like they were going to win the first duel pretty decisively, but at something like 13-7, Jenson and Leach’s kill shots began hitting their marks and they brought the score all the way up to 13-14. However, sometimes you want something a little too badly. At 13-14, either Mudge or Gould fired the ball straight down the middle of the court and Leach called it as his. I’m honestly not sure where he intended the ball to go, but he popped it up into a high lob and I think we all knew as soon as it went toward the front wall that it would be out at the back. It was. Game over. 15-13.

Jenson goes for a low corner

The second game looked at first as if it might be tighter, but after going neck and neck in early points, Mudge and Gould took off at a gallop. There was nothing they couldn’t get and both of them just kept putting the ball away, so low in the corners that there was nothing to be done. And just to show what amazing skills he has, at 14-4 Mudge was standing in the left forecourt when the ball blazed toward him just high of his right shoulder. Sticking up his racquet, he looked like he had zero time to prepare and his forehand arm appeared awkward. But the shot didn’t. Mudge buried the ball into the right corner. Game over.

It was somewhat a relief to see Mudge make a few mistakes in the third game. He tried a backhand volley reverse corner drop that sang out with clank of tin. When Mudge misses a shot, he turns to the back of the court and frowns for a moment and then he must just put it totally away, because he was easily the most relaxed player out there. He doesn’t make many mistakes in a row.

Unfortunately, in the third game, Jenson was stringing together a number of them. In contrast to Mudge’s patience, Jenson was going for winners too early. Down three points at 11-8, he practically reached over Mudge’s shoulder to volley a ball into the front right nick and put it into the floor instead. I’m not sure what Leach came over to say to him after that, but if it were me I would’ve said, we can’t afford those, buddy. I don’t think Jenson could really help himself at that point, though. Everything’s going a million miles an hour and you want to stop on a dime. With each game, this must get exponentially harder. I couldn’t help thinking of the winter biathlon where nordic skiers skate around a course at top speed and then have to steady their bodies, breathing, and heart rate to shoot at a tiny target fifty meters away. At least squash players don’t have to race around the court in a penalty loop as biathletes often do.

At 14-9, we were all happy to see Jenson and Leach save the first match point. But not for long. Within moments, Leach had tinned the ball and Mudge and Gould continued their long reign as kings of the doubles court yet again.

Power/Bassett vs. Wyant/Shrubb

The doorman at the 58^th Street entrance of the New York Athletic Club kindly wanted to make sure I knew where I was going. To the squash courts, the doubles court I more specifically say. I see a list of the weekend’s events in front of him and in upside down letters I see “Big Apple Open.” I point at it. I think it’s on the top floor. He nods politely and says he’ll call to make sure. When no one answers, he says I can take the elevators at the end of the hall to the right, but I can only go to the 20^th floor. I must take another elevator or the stairs after that. I walk down the marbled hall toward the main entrance, the doors opening onto Central Park West and catch a glimpse of the still auburn and gold autumn leaves across 59^th Street. A horse and carriage trots by. I love New York City and its leftover old world charm. It may not be my world, but I like that I can still visit.

If you’re looking for something worthwhile but not too taxing to do on a Sunday in NYC, I’d suggest that you visit it, too. You’ll even have time to have a nice brunch and then a leisurely stroll over to Central Park. Then walk down to NYAC on Central Park West between 6^th and 7^th Avenues to see some excellent squash. Some of the best doubles players in North America will be playing there in the semi-finals of the Big Apple Open (part of the ISDA tour)  beginning at two p.m. As long as you’re wearing something a bit more formal than jeans (a kilt, perhaps?), the doormen will direct you to the elevators to the 21^st floor where the courts are located.

I took an early look at some of the competition in the Qualifying Draw on Friday as I knew players in the first three matches. Watching doubles is hard work in the morning though, so I was glad that I had picked up a latte and a muffin across the avenue at Le Pain Quotidian. The caffeine and carbs helped me focus on the first match featuring Nanda/Khan vs. Baglio/Erasmus, also known as touch vs. power. Nanda and Khan were more in control of the ball than their opponents and ran Baglio, playing left wall, all over the court, hitting a good percentage of their shots in his territory. But some players seem made to be great retrievers and Baglio’s fitness and speed, combined with his quick reflexes, are a good match for his partner’s impressive power. Unfortunately, quick reflexes don’t always mean perfect placement and many of Baglio’s shots put the ball more to the middle of the court where Khan (also left wall) could put the ball away with a reverse corner or volley drop, or a nice lob to the back to get Baglio out of position. And Khan was also getting a high percentage of nicks. As a novice doubles player and observer myself, I’m not sure how he does it, but I’d be willing to bet they aren’t just lucky.

Nanda and Khan won in three, but the points were long and they weren’t given the match easily. They had a solid game plan, keeping the ball out of Erasmus’s prime firing zone and patiently waiting for the optimum time and place to shoot to kill. In contrast, their opponents were often on the defensive and seemed more frenetic. I would’ve liked to have seen if there was any difference if Baglio and Erasmus had moved the ball around the court more and played more lofty lobs, but that will have to wait for another match.

I didn’t have to wait long for another player to do a lot of lob lofting. John Musto and Rob Dinerman came on next to face Eric Christiansen and Sean Johnstone. Musto is a master of the high float lob and it’s a good thing, because he needed it to give him time to move from one end of the court to the other. Christiansen and Johnstone were mixing up short and long and Musto was going for every ball he could. His volley drops weren’t especially accurate at first, but Musto isn’t one to keep making mistakes, he’s constantly fixing and reconfiguring and testing the wind patterns (or something) so that he can find the flight trajectory to a winning shot. He made quite a few, but, let’s face it, no matter how well built older engines are, it’s harder for them to out fly the stealth bombers of today. Christiansen and Johnstone flew both steady and fast and didn’t let a game get past them.

Tim Wyant

I was looking forward to seeing the third match-up because I’d seen Graham Bassett and Tim Wyant play in the DONAT tournament in Southampton back in August. They’re both great players, but virtually opposite styles and builds. Bassett is slender and long-limbed and moves the ball around the court with the look of someone who is continually practicing and perfecting shots. I had remembered his backhand volley reverse corner which is highly effective when it’s on and undoubtedly a bit frustrating when it’s not. I mentioned it to him after the match and he said something about needing to prove to himself that he can still pull it off after it flames out for a while, which I guess is like getting back on the proverbial horse. Problem is, his opponents sometimes see the horse before he does and lie in wait.  But maybe I’m getting too metaphorical here….

Wyant, in contrast, is much more compact and reminds me of those toys that you push down and when you let go they go flying about ten feet. He doesn’t have Bassett’s reach or perhaps his deliberation, but watching him is as thrilling and as perplexing as watching a hummingbird; he’s here and then he’s there and you don’t know where he’ll turn up next. But you know if a ball is there, he’ll be buzzing there, too, his racquet ready.

carter/crozier vs. scharff/barker

I’m not very good yet at keeping two eyes on four players, so in each match I seem to neglect at least two, and in this match I lost sight of how Shrubb and Power were faring. Bassett and Power took the match 4-1, and extremely decisively in the last game, so next time I’ll try to refocus (and recaffeinate) before each match. They went on to win against Scharff and Barker, a Canadian team who pretty much blew away their first opponents Carter and Crozier. Wish I had seen that match, the second one that is.

As of this writing, Badan/Mathur will play Mudge and Gould (surprise surprise) and Nanda/Khan will play the winner of Jenson/Leach vs. Russell/Park. Play begins at 2 p.m. I strongly suggest a double shot latte from Le Pain Quotidian. The doorman will let you in with it, provided you’re not on your cell phone or baring your midriff…..

Semi finals update: Damien Mudge/Ben Gould d. Manek Mathur/Yvain Badan, 3-1; Matt Jenson/Clive Leach d. Imran Khan/Raj Nanda, 3-2. Full report here on the ISDA website.

Finals update: See my full article Lob. Lob. Lob. Smash. The ISDA Big Apple Open Finals

Amr Shabana and Laura Massaro - 2011 U.S. Squash Champions

Now that the women’s final is a wrap (full report here) , on to the Men’s Final of the Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships: World #1 Nick Matthew (England) vs. World #5 Amr Shabana (Egypt). Matthew is in his signature blue and white shirt and Shabana is in red. Nuff said.

Game 1
I get into writing about the game a little late because I’m talking with a fellow fan. Sorry, it happens. So the score is already at 6-3 Shabana. Who just has such fine beautiful control of the ball. Speeding up and slowing down as he likes. They seem to be feeling each other out right now. Shabana gets a nice nick on the right wall for 8-4. Then gets in the way of the ball and gives the point to Matthew for 5-8.  Tins it dramatically for 6-8. Then 7-8. Shabana! What are you doing, man? Matthew is all about control and consistency, so restrain your flash a little, huh? The videographers have a great camera angle that shows a close-up of one of the walls, so we can see the ball marks on the wall – as well as how tiiiight the ball sticks to the wall. Very cool.
9-7 now and Shabana actually heads the ball after winning the point. I like that. Low corner drop by Matthew for 8-9. Are all the games gonna be this close? Matthew hits the ball high and out of court and now it’s 10-8 Shabana. Then he tins it in the front left for 9-10, but gets the next point for game at 11-9.

Game 2 (Shabana 1-0)
Quick first point for Matthew. And a VERY nice first point for Shabana down the right wall that Matthew can’t come close to. But then Matthew flicks a switch and quickly gets the next few points, so fast I can’t type and watch at the same time. “The guy’s Gumby’ the man says next to me. “He just doesn’t make any unforced errors; it’s unbelievable.” Yeesh, it’s already 6-1 Matthew. He’s totally turned on the heat. 7-1 with a drop to the front left. “He’s in the zone,” announces the man. And then Shabana hits a ball out of court on the left wall. Finally, Matthew does make an error, tinning into the right corner. 2-8. And then 3-8 with Shabana hitting a low long left wall cross. 4-8 with another tin by Matthew. Hmmm, I guess that some of him fell out of the zone? But then 9-4 Matthew. He is not messing around. The points are flying by! 6-9. Then 7-9! It’s like they both decided to turn up the speed dial. Another video review. No let for Matthew. I totally agree; it was a very nice deep left rail and Matthew just gave up hitting it too soon. Oh these lets, guys. Please. And then it’s 10-8 and then 11-8. 2nd game to Matthew.

Game 3 (1-1)
What will follow the fastest game ever? A let of course. Called by Matthew. And another video review. I say ‘no let’ and…. I’m right! What do I win? Now Matthew is talking to the ref, but I can’t hear a word and it doesn’t seem to do much good. One love Shabana. Then 2-0.  Nice cross by Matthew and he brings it to 1-2. But he puts the next ball into the tin for 3-1 Shabana. The pace has slowed quite a bit. More rails. Resting, guys? I would, after that last game. Shabana finally crosses a ball into the middle down by Matthew’s feet and he can’t pick it up. Nor the next. 5-1 Shabana. Interesting. Shabana calls for a let and Matthew asks for a video review. . . . I say Yes Let. And it’s….Yes!! I am so right. The guy next to me thinks Matthew was foolish for asking for a review. And then Shabana gets to 6-1 with a lovely low left cross court. Then 7-1. But then Shabana dramatically tins a ball he should’ve gotten and or won the rally with. Come on man. Okay, he heard me. He picks off a ball near the front of court for 8-2. Then 9-2. 10-2. 11-2. I honestly don’t know what came over him. Brilliance? Or is Matthew falling apart?

Game 4 (2-1 Shabana)
What will Matthew do this time? Not much yet. It’s already 3-0 Shabana by the time I put my camera away for a few bad shots of my own–too far away for anything good. 1-3. Then 4-1 after a tin by Matthew. Beautiful drop by Shabana for 5-1. He’s on fire. A cross drop for 6-1. This may be the fastest game yet? Another cross drop for 7-1. Matthew, what’s up?? Okay, he gets the next with a low cross court to the back right corner for 2-7.  But then somehow he hits a ball over the front wall that goes high into the bleachers for 8-2 Shabana. Yikes. Close up of Matthew with his tongue out (looking…concerned? would warming up a new ball be good or bad for him at this point?) while they’re searching for the ball. But it’s found and is thrown back in the court (on the second try, to a few boos – tough crowd). Another let. Nice drop by Matthew in the front left corner. 3-8. Then Shabana quickly retaliates and gets the next for 9-3. 10-3 with a tin by Matthew. It’s match ball. This soon. A let. Match ball. A drop and a point for Matthew. Let again. 4-10. And then it’s over. With a low corner drop by Shabana. Wow. So fast. So few points again for Matthew. Last game is 11-4.

Amr Shabana is the Men’s 2011 U.S. Open Squash Champion! We may all be wondering what happened to Matthew; he’s usually so steady. And so fit. But this is Shabana’s night. Congratulations, Amr!

National Anthem begins the U.S. Open Squash Finals

In case it’s not clear from the photo, I’m at the Delaware Investments U.S. Squash Championships Finals. Now. At 6:25 p.m. on Thursday evening. I’ve never blogged live before —  but for a change I’ve got my computer in front of me and a sweet seat overlooking the full front of the court.  First up is the women’s finals: England’s Laura Massaro (World #5) vs. Australia’s Kasey Brown (World #6).  Massaro took the semi match from World #2 Jenny Duncalf. And Kasey Brown, after her already famous upset match beating #1 Nicol David in the quarters, overcame #3 Madeline Perry in their semi final match.

Right now, they’re warming up on the court. I’m a woman, so indulge me observing their fashion statements for the finals. Massaro is in a hot pink skirt and white tank with plaid accents. And Brown is in her signature racerback dress – this one black with a shiny silver design from below the bust down. Okay, that’s it; I’ll do the same for the men later; I’m sure you’re dying to know….!

And the match begins.

Game 1
First point to Massaro – very quickly. Both are right handed. So a lot of left wall rails and then a bunch of cross courts. Massaro tins a cross. One all. Okay, I won’t bore you with every point… These women look remarkably alike with their blond ponytails, athletic builds, and similar heights (5′ 10ish?). I walked by Massaro in the hall as I came in and she looked just a bit taller than me (at 5’8″).  Brown is already at 6-2, so I’m wondering if this is going to be a rout….but maybe not, Massaro brings it to 3-6 as I type that. Then 4-6. Forget that. But regardless, Brown’s shots just look crisper to me, and more accurate; she has very effective volley drops. Like just now, there’s one into the right corner. Nice. And she follows that point with another drop and then a low cross court that Massaro can’t return. It’s now 9-4 Brown. There’s a close-up of Massaro on the big screen and she looks slightly stunned. Well, at 10-4, I don’t blame her. At 5-10, there’s a weird gonging sound after the ball hits high (but in) on the front wall and the ref calls a let – because it’s distracting? Soon after, Brown hits a low, hard shot down the left wall for the first game. I’m beginning to think that I saw the best matches when I was here over the weekend. Come on Massaro!

Game 2 (1-0 Brown)
Massaro gets the first point–yeah. And the second with a tin by Brown. But that’s what I’m talking about, Massaro’s mis-hitting much more than Brown; a lot of shots are going into the middle and Brown puts away one for 1-2. Would Massaro have been able to beat Joelle King who gave David such a tough match at the beginning of the tournament? I’m not so sure…. Then again, she’s now up 5-2 in this game. And there are a lot of lets in this game; they barely have to ask for them. Brown gets another neat low left corner drop to bring it to 5-7. But Massaro is forcing a number of errors and now it’s 9-5 Massaro. And then 10-5 with a front right drop. 11-5! Okay, call me very wrong. Or my cheering worked?

Game 3 (1-1)  in which I try to pay better attention and not look so much at my keyboard….. Okay, Massaro does look more relaxed. And controlling the T. Despite that, Brown gets the first point with her amazingly fast reflexes. Some of her shots now, though, are coming into the middle and Massaro is taking advantage of that. At 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-1, 7-1, 8-1, 9-1 – wow – the tide is definitely turning in Massaro’s favor. A lonnnnng point now to 10-1 where Brown is cutting almost everything off, but finally can’t get her racquet on a deep low cross court. She gets another 2 points after that, but Massaro wraps it up at 11-3. Wow.

Game 4 (2-1 Massaro)
Massaro comes out first and is looking extremely confidant as she waits for Brown to return. The game begins with a let. And another. Then the first point goes to Massaro after a nice cross court. But she hits it out of court on the next rally for 1-1. Now 3-2 Massaro after another out of court by Brown. And then a cross court drop by Massaro to bring it to 4-2. A long point at 3-5 and Massaro finally outwits Brown to bring it to 6-3, then 7-3. Amazing how confidant Massaro looks now. And cool. And relaxed. As if she’s just waiting  for Brown to make the mistakes, moving her around the court. A review is asked for by Brown on a ‘no let’ call where she tries to go through Massaro. “No Let” is upheld. Huh. I would’ve called it the other way. Guess that’s why I’m not a ref. 8-4 Massaro. 9-4 Massaro after Brown tins. She’s gotten tight, or tired, or both. Too much tinning; I’m sure she’s not happy with herself. 10-4.  Match ball. But Brown hits a clean low left rail for 5-10. Last point is made on a lovely low boast that doesn’t come up and it gets the match. Laura Massaro is the new women’s U.S. Open Champion!

next up…the men in just a few minutes….Nick Matthew vs. Amr Shabana; they meet again.

Glass court at the Delaware Investments U.S. Open

The frustrating thing about the first few days of the 2011 Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships is that you want to watch every match, and if you want to watch both men’s and women’s matches, you have to choose. So sitting in the bleachers at Drexel University on Saturday,  I watched two Australian countrymen, David Palmer vs. Ryan Cuskelly, in the early afternoon, and then I decided to go looking for the women.

The men’s draw was being played in the glass court in the middle of the basketball stadium. The court is lit up like a jewel box, while the bleachers on each side are dim–the better to focus on the action inside the box. Palmer isn’t playing his most consistent squash ever, but he seems more in control of it and on the offensive. He’s a big, solid guy and lots of players look a bit scrawny next to him, including the more slender Cuskelly. Cuskelly has a powerful stroke, however; he makes Palmer work for every point and forces quite a few errors out of him. The games are close and early in the third game (2-0 Palmer) Palmer contests a ‘no let’ call and is pretty unhappy when the ref tells him to play on. The frustration about the call, however, gives him an adrenaline boost and before Cuskelly knows what’s hit him, Palmer is up 8-3. He should contest points more often if this is the result. But just as I think this, Cuskelly stops the onslaught, staunches the blood loss, and forces Palmer to give up point after point, all the way to 9-10. In the end, though, it’s not enough and Palmer wraps up the last two points for 11-9 and the match 3-0.

Chan vs. Urquhart in Women's Qualifying match

The women are still playing thier qualifying round matches, so they’re in one of Drexel’s regular courts – same building, different level. I arrive in the middle of a match between the tall Australian Donna Urquhart and the more compact Joey Chan from Hong Kong. I’m not sure how tall Urquhart is, but she’s a good head taller than Chan and her wingspan is impressive. Chan needs to move the ball to the corners to get it out of Urquhart’s reach. But Urquhart does what she can to not let her do that; she plays a lot of boasts that barely come off the front left wall and Chan cannot seem to get to them effectively, mishitting one too many. Then, early in the 4^th game (2-1 Urquhart), Urquhart calls a double bounce and the ref overrides her, which visibly upsets her. And it feels like a repeat of Palmer’s reaction to the ‘no let’ call. Her power volume turns up and she quickly gets the next point, talks back to the ref after another call she doesn’t like and turns it up further. I think of Palmer’s answer to the announcer’s question after his match, that he disagreed with the referee and how that affected him. I didn’t catch his answer word for word but he clearly knew how to make his anger work for him. And so does Ms. Urquhart. She gets the 4^th game 11-6.  A 3-1 match for Urquhart.

Admittedly, I don’t know many of the women in the qualifying rounds, so I’m not sure if I’m going to stay for the next match. The warm-up, however, intrigues me. Victoria Lust (England) hits the ball with such determination and deliberativeness; she ducks her head down before almost every shot as if going under water. I am not knocking it, it just has a very unique look. Her opponent, Delia Arnold (Malaysia) has a much smoother stroke in contrast and it appears to take less energy.  I place my bets on Arnold for that very reason, that and nothing seems to fluster her. Even when she has to call let after let when Lust does not clear well enough. Both women are right-handed and they like to hit deep rails down the left wall.  But Lust also prefers to stick as close as she can to her opponent and time and again she just doesn’t get all of her body out of the way of Arnold’s swing. Arnold doesn’t hit her, but it’s clear that she has to stop her backswing. To my mind, she has no option but to call the let.

Lust vs. Arnold in Women's Qualifying match

The officials don’t think that Lust is the only player crowding her opponent, however. Lust also asks for plenty of lets and she gets them as well. She’s a bit more physical about it, however, running into Arnold when it sometimes seems that she would have no chance at the ball. But I can empathize; she’s an athletic player and I’ve already seen many players get to balls that I thought were lost to anyone. It’s also interesting to me when a player makes weak shot after weak shot, barely getting a ball back, and then is either able to put it away or the opponent flubs the weaks shot instead of putting it away. Despite some of these, Arnold gets the second game 11-9 to lead 2-0.

Early in the third game, Delia gets a warning from the ref: “Miss Arnold, please clear your shots.” And as cool as Arnold seems, the warning seems to fluster her a bit. They go shot for shot, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, etc. and it’s looking like more of a battle now. I can’t help wincing every time they get too close to one another, as if I’m a backseat driver and am trying to step on the break. I actually find myself ducking a few times…. At 7-6, Arnold starts to pull away, despite her second warning from the ref. She gets to 10-7, match point and then tins again and again and again. Match point slips away and she loses the third game to Lust 12-10.

Two to one game matches are pretty common. Especially when a player is down two love and gets the third. I’ve been there; you know you can do it, win a game, but you don’t always believe you can win a match. Who knows what Lust was thinking, but it’s clear early in the fourth game that Arnold, as cool a player as she is, that she’s also damn determined. She moves the ball around the court a lot more than she did before, speeding up and then slowing the pace, mixing everything up as much as she can. At 9-6 it looks like she might go all the way to eleven without too much trouble, but Lust is not one to give up and it appears as if she may repeat the third game, bringing the score up to 9-10. And then Lust has not one but four lets called against her, until Arnold finally gets the match 11-9. I breathe a sigh of relief. I won’t have to run out in-between games and add money to the Muni-Meter….

In fact, I have enough time to run to the restroom and then catch Ms. Arnold in the hall for a brief chat. I wonder aloud if all the lets Ms. Lust called shook her up at all, even though they didn’t seem to. She quickly dismissed that, suggesting that most women are used to that in pro events. It was the third game that shook her up. Lust had changed the pace and Arnold went along with it, losing her own timing in the process. Her decision before the fourth game was to go back to her own game, focus on every point,  and control the pace herself. It worked. And she also wasn’t going to let more match points go.

I watched more squash after that, but my own timing was off. You can only focus on so many points, even as a fan. We get inspired, but we also get tired. Maybe tomorrow I’ll head back to the glass court. I just wish I didn’t have to choose. . . .