Ricketts cruises to Colets Win
April 24, 2005, by Martin Bronstein
SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2005 all Rights Reserved;

Ricketts Doesn't Lose A Game in Winning Colets BSPA

Anthony Ricketts, Colets winner, with Basil Moss and Dave Peck. photo © 2005 Martin Bronstein

Anthony Ricketts, the voluble Australian star whose world-class play is often accompanies by a fiery demeanor and physical play, was at his finest game and on his best behavior, thus showing considerable class in collecting the inaugural Colet's BSPA Crown.

The presence of the likes of Ricketts and Adrian Grant in this local event is the gaping hole in the PSA calendar presented by the lack of any major ranking events betweeen last week's Bermuda Open and the August English Open.

Nobody expected Anthony Ricketts emerge from the Colets Open with anything less than the winner’s trophy, and this likeable 26 year-old from Australia duly obliged in the final at Colets Health and Fitness Club in Thames Ditton.

Anthony Ricketts and Azlan Iskandar kept up a furious pace. photo © 2005 Geoff Howes

Not that his opponent, Mohd. Azlan Iskandar disgraced himself, but there is more than the eleven ranking points difference between the two players. Ricketts was world number six and heading for the top three at the start of last year when a knee problem took him out of the game for six months. He has worked his way back up to number seven and is the in-form player on the circuit. Iskandar was ranked 30 at the beginning of 2004 and worked his way up to number 16 last month. He is a an experienced player but has not yet had the length of experience on the circuit that Ricketts has, a toughening up process that is essential to progress to the top ten.

Ricketts is fast and accurate – and very focused. He can run all day and has proved that he can play four hard matches in four days and still be ready for more. They started at a furious pace and Iskandar showed that he could handle the pace, although he was always the first to go short. But the courts at Colets are more than thirty years old and the tins are stuck at nineteen inches. For the professional men the tin has been lowered by two inches to make drop shots harder to pick up. Throughout the match Iskandar found his attempts at winners hitting the top of the tin whereas on the lower tin they would be winners or putting pressure on his opponent.

For most of the match however, the ball was flying around the court at speeds rarely seen on these courts – even Colets’ first team players rarely attain this sort of pace.

Anthony Ricketts, Colets winner, collects his cup. photo © 2005 Martin Bronstein

Iskandar gave up five unforced errors in the first game, which is not the sort of tactic that will earn a player anything but defeat against Ricketts. To rub salt in, Ricketts got a couple of fluky bounces to give him two more points and he duly won the game 11-4 sin eight minutes.

Iskandar settled down in the second game and made Ricketts work for every point. Meanwhile his deception was working and with a fine low forehand drive went to a 4-3 lead – the first time he headed Ricketts. He was learning that he would have to use all his guile – deception and disguise – to fool Ricketts who, at times was reading his game so quickly that he was ready with his response even before Iskandar had hit the ball. The middle stretch of this game was the best of the match as the two player swapped point for point until 7-7. At which point Ricketts hit a backhand drop to get to 8-7 and raised the pace just a little more to forge ahead. Iskandar hit another winner with a backhand boast to give himself hope at 8-9, but then two errors gave the Australian the game 11-8 after 13 minutes.

There was hope that the young Malaysian would have the legs to stay with Ricketts but the pace was now telling on him and he started the third game with three tired errors. When Ricketts hit another inch perfect backhand drop to lead 4-0 it seemed all over, but Iskandar fought back to 4-4 and spoiled his own run when he tried a forehand cross court slam, which hit the top of the tin. Ricketts hit a five point run to get to match ball. Iskandar hit a cheeky high lob to the back of the court that died so perfectly Ricketts could do nothing. That was Iskandar’s last point as he ended the final rally with a forehand drive into the tin to end a game that lasted a mere six minutes.

For Colets the tournament had been a huge success attracting a record entry and some top ten players all fighting for just £5,000 in prize money. Tournament director David Peck plans to do it again next year with more prize money and a women’s tournament, which is ambitious for a club that does not have one glass back wall.

Colets Open Finals results:
[1]Anthony Ricketts bt [3/4] M. Azlan Iskandar 11-8 11-2 11-5 (30 min)

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