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Australia's Day: White, Palmer, Ricketts

By Martin Bronstein © 2003 Squashtalk, all rights of reproduction reserved.
October 2, 2003

Olli Tuominen ousts Ong Beng Hee photo © 2003 Fritz Borchert

GREAT FOR ONE GAME
It fell to Aussie Anthony Ricketts and Nick Taylor, who seems to have the city of Manchester as a sponsor, to open the historic proceedings at this new venue.
And for one game Nick Taylor, ranked 27 in the October rankings, was the equal of Ricketts, who has risen to a career-high number six on the PSA list.

Indeed it was the tough Mancunian who dominated most of the match, keeping Ricketts on the hop and making him work very hard to stay in contention. This was squash at the pace of a hurricane – not just bish, bash, bosh squash, but beautifully precise drives and slams that hugged the walls or stuck in the nick. Every so often Taylor pulls out a stunning performance from his large bag of experience and it appeared as though today would be one of those days.
He showed know fear in his drops and boasts and they paid off as he lead most of the way to 9-all and then pulled ahead to 12-10. A cracking drive from Ricketts and costly error from Taylor put them on even footing again. Ricketts took the next point, Taylor the next two to get to game ball only to lose the next point on a disputed call. Still Taylor kept his head and found Ricketts a yard short on a backhand boast and a fine backhand cross-court, to stand at game ball again. But then that tiny ounce came into play: Taylor went for another winner on his backhand and hit tin and Ricketts hits a lucky backwall nick to draw level and then gain the final point on stroke. Cruel luck, because although he would not have won, Taylor played well enough to deserve that first 26 minute game.

From then on it was diminishing returns for the 32 year old Taylor, who simply could stay the pace of his 26 year old rampaging opponent who, on present form, is expected to end the year in the top three.

WHITE UNTROUBLED
John White, at a new career-high of number two in the world, having jumped over David Palmer in the latest rankings, played like he deserved the spot and was simply too good for the bread and butter game of Mansoor Zaman, Pakistan’s leading player. In 38 minutes he cracked the ball against the front wall with impossible pace and hit impossible winners with impossible ease. It took him 38 minutes to finish off the Pakistani, fighting off a spirited challenge in the third to win 17-15.

ONG OFF SONG…OLLI VERY JOLLY
What should have been the closest match of the evening between two comers turned into a pretty one sided victory for Olli Tuominen the fast and furious Finn over Ong Beng Hee, the mournful Malaysian. Tuominen likes to play hard and fast and Beng Hee made the mistake of allowing him to dictate the play. In the third game, Beng Hee started floating the ball and slowing the pace, which had some effect, but if the ball was just the slightest bit loose, Tuominen banged it down the nick. The fact was Tuominen could do no wrong and Beng Hee could do no right; he went short at the right time, but his game was just off enough to send the ball into the tin. It was by no means a rout – the match lasted 56 minutes and there was some punishing rallies which Tuominen always seemed to win. Beng Hee looked mournful at the end, as though not knowing what he has to do to get back on the form that once made him the prime candidate for Peter Nicol’s world crown.

PALMER AND SHABANA ENTERTAIN
The last match of the evening was the most entertaining with the variety of shot and pace provided by Amr Shabana and David Palmer. Shabana can pull winners out of the hat at just the right moment and can punish his opponents by slamming their hard earned service straight into the nick to lose it again. But as good as Shabana is he has yet to acquire the consistency and perisistence of Palmer.
The first game was level but from 9-9 it was Palmer who pulled away to win 15-12 with the help of two Shabana errors in the last three points. Shabana could never catch up in the second game and Palmer started to take control to win 15-9 and then run through the third as he kept upping the pace and using his clinical short game.

Not a great evening of squash, but it had its moments. It’s the top half of the draw tomorrow and that’s when things should start hotting up.
FIRST ROUND , BOTTOM HALF OF DRAW
Anthony Ricketts (Aus) bt Nick Taylor (Eng) 17-16, 15-6, 15-8
John White (Sco) bt Mansoor Zaman (Pak) 15-11, 15-3, 15-17
Olli Tuominen (Fin) bt Ong Ben Hee (Mal) 15-11, 15-10 15-7
David Palmer (Aus) bt Amr Shaban (Egy) 15-12, 159, 15-8