SquashTalk > British Open 2002 Squash Website > 2002 British Open Qualifier Final Report

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[men's qualifying final results]      [women's qualifying final results]

FRANCE’S NEW THREE MUSKETEERS
London April 9 2002 © 2002 SquashTalk.
Photos special to SquashTalk by Fritz Borchert, © 2002

For the first time ever France has three players in the first round of the British Open and, though this is not certain, is this the first Open without a Pakistani player since Hashim appeared in the early 1950’s? Renan Lavigne and Jean Michel Arcucci won their final qualifying matches to join Thierry Lincou in the main draw which begins on Wednesday at Lambs. Acucci took 51 minutes to beat the pre-qualifier Ben Howell while Renan Lavigne had to battle for 94 minutes before beating his lower ranked opponent, Tim Garner, in five. And but for an injury to Garner, when Lavigne trod on his achilles heel, he might have lost.

Jean Michel Arcucci, French #3, British Open Qualifier

Thierry Lincou, French #1, British Open Main Draw, file photo: ©2001 Debra Tessier

Garner, ranked 44, has been playing much better this year, having gotten rid of a string of niggling injuries. Although Lavigne is ranked 29, there was very little in it between the two. Indeed in the fourth, with Garner leading 2/1 in games, they went through the entire game never more than one point apart. These were long punishing rallies with neither of the players able to kill the ball outright so it was really a matter of waiting for the other man to make a mistake. Garner got to match ball 14-13 and during the next rally tried to kill the ball with a wonderful smash. He missed the nick by a hair and the ball came up just enough for Lavigne to play it, and then go on to win the point, then push through to win the game on a stroke at 16-all. Garner had to forget that he had been on the edge of victory and muster his determination for another game. Lavigne got a two point lead and at 11-9 stood on Garner’s heel when going for a ball. Garner winced in pain, hobbled around a bit, but failed to reach two boasts and suddenly the Frenchman had match ball. Garner saved two points but it was obvious he could no longer play at full power and the victory went to Lavigne 15-11.

His prize? A first round main draw contest with Peter Nicol.

THE LAST PAKISTANI
Derek Ryan and Mansoor Zaman, the only Pakistani left in the tournament, played a match full of skill, craft and delicate drops that also went to five games. Zaman, ranked 31 should be thinking about beating these older players like Ryan (ranked 38) but those older players have a closet full of experience; they know when to blow hot and when to blow cold and they can recognise the big points from a mile away. Ryan won the first game 15-11, lost he second 14-17 but made sure he won the third 17-16, by which time he was looking tired. He ghost-walked the fourth to give it to Zaman 15-3, to save himself for the fifth.

Egyptian Wael El Hindi - one of four Egyptians in the British Open draw, file photos: ©2002 Debra Tessier

He led almost from the word go and allowed himself no errors as he applied the pressure through feather drops and tight drives to win the game 15-10 after 83 minutes of hard work. His reward is Alex Gough of Wales in the first round, a match he could well win.

Nick Matthew, an unsung English player who plays a very good basic game – good enough to get him to 36 in the world, surprised everybody, especially Rodney Durbach, whom he beat 3/0 in 54 minutes. Durbach was ranked 27 last month but has dropped to 30 in April and should have been too experienced for the young Matthew. Now Matthew must face last year’s finalist Chris Walker, seeded 8, in the first round. On paper, Walker has too much for the youngster, but Matthew has loads of fitness and this could prove a great asset against the 34 year old Walker.

A WEE PIECE OF LUCK
Nothing of great excitement in the women’s qualifying. Sharon Wee of Malaysia beat Kim Hannes of Belgium to get a place in the main draw. She was drawn out of the hat first and got Stephanie Brind of England, but Brind had withdrawn at the last minute, so Wee goes straight through to the second round, guaranteed second round points and money. Brind had picked up a bug in Egypt and had hoped to get rid of it before the Open started, which is why she left her withdrawal so late. This is a disappointing piece of news as Brind is a strong improver and could have made a few waves in the neat order that is presently WISPA squash.

THREE GOOD LEGS
Sarah Fitz-Gerald was on hand today and assures me that there are no leg problems and that she has been back on court for a couple of weeks, playing men and league games, and that the calf problem has been dealt with. Geoff Hunt made an appearance as well, walking like a normal person, after having two “Barrington” hips put in. (the new treatment for hip replacement pioneered by a Birmingham surgeon who treated Jonah Barrington). Hunt reports no pain, but has no plans to get back on court to contest the age group titles. Not just yet anyway. Wouldn’t it be good if he played the Open next year in the Over 55’s? That would throw a panic into them all.

TWO FINALS ... WHAT A DIFFERENCE FIVE YEARS MAKE.
Two finals were played today, the Men’s Over 60’s and 65’sm wit the over 65s making its debut this year. Pat Kirton and Lance Kinder play a very similar game, all delicate lobs and drops with the occasion drive thrown in. I kept asking how we could turn off the slowmo button and get back to real time, but as this was live, it WAS real time.

Pat Kirton won in three in 30 minutes, after which the ball was still cold. In complete contrast, the Over 60’s was a barrel of fireworks with Mike Thurgur of England and Egyptian Mo Khalifa showing amazing speed and movement for two guys over 60- it was positively unseemly.

They both sported wild, electric shock white hair and Peter Yik, (formerly of the Canadian junior team and Princeton, now a banker in London) came up to me hooting with laughter saying I had to name it the Einstein Open. They both had a range of shots too, but it was Thurgur’s ‘floaters’, cross court high shots which weren’t quite lobs, that gave him an advantage which allowed him a two game lead.

Khalifa came back with a lot of clever front court stuff, denying Thurgur his floaters, and so took the next two games. Khalifa, a small man, has delusions of reach and on too many occasions expected a stroke when the balls was long gone or two yards away. There were discussions with the referee which started to irk Thurgur. It all blew up in the fifth when Khalifa got too close to his opponent and got thwacked in the face with racquet. “Hand out” intoned the referee giving the point to Thurgur.

Khalifa’s eyes widened as big as dinner plates, his mouth dropped open and he charged out of the court, up the bleachers to the referee pointing to the blood on his face. Thurgur, unaware of the injury thought his opponent was merely arguing, so he threw a fit saying this was unacceptable and he was leaving and got as far as the exit.

Hey come on chaps, you are a couple of old guys playing a game of squash, lighten up! Thurgur calmed down and referee Dean Clayton announced that this was a self-inflicted injury because Khalifa had been too close to his opponent, but as there was bleeding, he was allowed as much time as was necessary to stop the bleeding. Ten minutes later he returned, a bandage all around his head, imprisoning some of the curly white locks and with his bronze complexion, making him look like a Sioux brave. Thurgur never quite regained his composure and so Khalifa took that fifth game in short order and Thurgur left the court like a bullet out of a gun. A lot of good squash and a lot of good clean fun. Tomorrow it all gets serious.