Commonwealth
Games 2002:
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2002 Commonwealth Games Day Two
by Martin Bronstein in London, July 27 2002

[last update was 5-aug-02 ]

THE BREATHLESS BOAST
Minutes before Nicholas Kyme of Bermuda (and Trinity College) took to the court for his match against world champion Peter Nicol, I asked his mother, one-time manager of the Bermuda junior squad, how her son was feeling. "He's having trouble breathing," she laughed. Kyme seemed to be in good shape despite lack of oxygen and losing the spin to give Nicol first serve.

The rally ended with a pretty good forehand boast at the front of the court that was good enough to leave Nicol wanting and Kyme now had service. I'm pretty sure that Kyme will remember that shot for the rest of his life. He couldn't capitalise on it to take a point - he saved that for later - but was probably glad that he was not totally humiliated in front of a large crowd that gave Nicolas a rapturous home-town reception on his introduction. Kyle was on court for 19 minutes, had his share of serves - not many, true - and managed to convert one into a point at 5-1 in the first game. His mother video'd the whole thing and will almost certainly have it bronzed.

SO WHAT'S 50 PLACES BETWEEN FRIENDS?

Graham Ryding saves best for last against Farrukh Zaman (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

Graham Ryding had one of those days today. The world number 28 from Canada faced Farrukh Zaman of Pakistan, ranked 80, and treated him like an equal. He took the first game but then Zaman, nephew of the great Qamar Zaman, decided he didn't favour equality and started to play beyond his station to take the next two games.

It wasn't that Ryding played badly; he simply hit tin when the shots should have been winners. The increasing frustration caused by these errors didn't help his concentration too much and when he was 0-3 down in the fourth, he realised a defeat was a real possibility. The errors started to disappear and the difference in rankings started to show as Zaman's former energy and movement started to wane.

When you have been up in the top 20 and on the circuit for a decade or more, the one thing you learn is to play five full games. Zaman has yet to reach that point: Ryding has. Ryding turned that game around, won it 9-5 and then had a fairly simple time of mopping up the fifth 9-1.

He will now play Ong Beng Hee who should have won in three but fell apart in the third game when Neil Frankland of Scotland started hitting some superb nicks. Frankland took the game 9-1 but Ong came back spitting fire and crashing the ball at a pace that Frankland simply could not stand. Ong closed out the fourth with ease but has to realise that at his level there has to be a consistency. He has hung on to his number eight spot despite a very roller-coaster ride this past year . Whether he needs a holiday or a damn good talking to is hard to say, but that golden future forecast by Peter Nicol just a year ago has accumulated a few clouds.

POWER HAS FUN

Power (r) warms up against Jersey's Hopkins (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

Michael Hopkins is from Jersey in the Channel Islands just off the French coast. Despite the minute size of these islands, they have produced a fine crop of squash players including Lisa Opie and Martine LeMoignan, who ruled the roost before Michelle Martin and Sarah-Fitz-Gerald. Hopkins would have looked good against most players….in fact he looked good against Jonathon Power and despite the score line, kept Power busy for 42 minutes before going down 9-0, 9-3, 9-5. He has a good squash brain and the shots to go with it, certainly deserving a ranking higher than his current 104.

But Power has more of everything in all departments including energy: this is where the good players learn something about the top players….they can play five games at the same speed at which they started. By the middle of the third Hopkins was using well known delaying tactics in order to regain a little breath. He rolled the ball slowly along the floor for Power to serve and even at one point asked the ref if he could have a rest. All this was taken in good humour by the officials and Power and Hopkins was given the sort of lattitude that would not be allowed in a critical match.

For his part Power probably enjoyed the opportunity to get used to the court again without having to put out too much energy. He should be in good shape for Mansoor Zaman in the next round. Left-handed Mansoor, like his father Qamar, has the ability to volley a head-high ball into the nick with his eyes closed. It should be an interesting match.

ENTER THE LADIES
The Women's draw is just 32 and they commenced without their big guns who all had byes into the second round.

Kitchen (l) handles Canada's Green (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

Not a great deal to watch, but New Zealand has another fine squash player in Shelley Kitchen. She took out Canada's Margo Green with ease because she knew exactly what to do with the ball while Green was quite limited in her strategy. Kitchen also found that good length pays off on these wonderful new glass courts and she was hitting winner after winner on pure length, leaving Green scratching the walls in the back corners.

Neven Barbour, the former Kiwi great, was watching and told me that Kitchen had real promise when she was 15 or 16 but had a lapse. She trains with the New Zealand squad in Auckland and if she ever decides to go for it in a big way, she could be knocking on the door of the top three.

SUNDAY IS NO DAY OF REST.
Tomorrow's marathon is being run on the roads around the stadium which means they are blocked off to the shuttle buses….not what I would call good planning. Hopefully I'll make it in good time because finally we should be getting some hard-nosed competition. Which should keep me awake. Did I drop off today. I'll never admit it.

Sharon Wee and Nicol David with the Games Mascot (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

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