Bronstein on Qualifier Day Two 2000 British Open

GLASS FOR MEN, PLASTIC FOR LADIES.
In this vast arena there is not just one transparent court but two with seating every which way. The Men are playing on court one which occupies the main focus. This is a brand new, all glass court of radically new design and it looks quite wonderful. The ceramic dots that make up the two -way viewing system are not stuck on but burnt on during the manufacture of the glass.

The Women (In England they still refer to them as Ladies) are playing on the old Perspex court which is as dead as dead can be, which makes for a lot of winners and some short games. They were also playing some games in the Edgbaston club which accounts for so many more women's matches completed.

GREAT VENUE, PITY ABOUT THE MUSIC
I was watching Sue Wright making her comeback after a virus put her out for almost a year. She was playing Rebecca Macree, another English player, when music started blaring out for no apparent reason. They refused to play on, quite rightly, until the volume was pulled right down. Finally it stopped. Who are these idiots who think that no human activity is complete without music as a continuous background noise?

ALL WRIGHT IN THE END
While the other comeback girl Sarah Fitz-Gerald, waltzed through her match against Dane Ellen Peterson in 22 minutes for the loss of just two points, Sue Wright was having a harder time against Mcree. She won the first game because Macree made too many errors, and led the second 6-0 but Macree, between glaring and screeching at the referee, dug in and fought back.

It was entertaining squash with both player attacking the ball and volleying, probably not wanting to let the ball die in the back corners on this dead court. They gave each other a lot of grief by not clearing the ball but their enthusiastic volleying more than made up for this. Macree won the game 10-8. Wright again led in the third, 4-0, and again Macree fought back to win it 10-8. But it was Macree rather than Wright who ran out of steam and Wright took the final two games 9-1 and 9-2 to go through to the second round where she will play Tania Bailey.

HERE COMES THE JUNIORS
Bailey, from England, has come on very well since her world junior title three years ago and showed she was ready for the big girls when she beat Linda Charman in the Al Ahram in August. In the first round here she played one of the greats Liz Irving, the Australian, whose career is slowly winding down. She has just been appointed coach of the Dutch women's team and although aged 35 still is ranked high enough to get into the first round. Bailey beat her quite easily to continue her promising progress.

Another very promising Junior is Omneya Abdel Kawy the 15 year old Egyptian wonder girl. This is a player of immense promise and despite being ranked 36 beat England's Jenny Tranfield, ranked 16. Tranfield won the first two games but is essentially a hitter and runner, while Omneya, a qualifier, has the magical Egyptian touch with the racket and as Tranfield ran out of steam, took the final three games of the 71 minute match.

HILL AND SHABANA OUT IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME
Two Australians opened the tournament on the new glass court and Joseph Kneipp had a nice easy ride - what else?- as he beat Anthony Hill in three in under 30 minutes. Amr Shabana failed to live up to his reputation giving Martin Heath an easy 3/0 route into the second round in 28 minutes. Two other Australians , Paul Price, ranked 20, and John Williams, a qualifier ranked 30, finally put up on a fight worthy of the venue. They battled for 96 minutes with Price, now on the way back from injury, prevailing 3/2. I saw a dejected Williams sitting in the corridor, a dark cloud of depression over his head. He really is the forgotten man of Australian squash, and a win could have brought him out of the shadows.

RESULTS WOMEN FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Cassie Campion (Eng) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZ) 9-0, 9-2, 9-1.
Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt Vicky Botwright (Eng) 9-3, 8-10, 5-9, 9-7, 9-2.
Tania Bailey (Eng) bt Liz Irving (Aus)9-3, 9-1, 9-0.
Sue Wright (Eng) bt Rebecca Mcree (Eng) 9-4, 8-10, 8-10, 9-1, 9-2
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Salma Shabana (Egypt) 9-5, 9-2, 9-3.
Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) bt Jenny Tranfield (Eng) 7-9, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5.
Natalie Grainger (Eng) bt Latasha Khan (US) 9-2, 9-1, 9-6.
Sarah Fitzgerald (Aus) bt Ellen Peterson (Den) 9-0, 9-2, 9-0.
Fiona Geaves (Eng) bt Annelise Naude (RSA) 10-8, 4-9, 3-9, 10-8, 9-1.
Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Maha Zein (Egy) 9-4, 9-1, 9-4.
Pamela Nimmo (Sco) bt Sabine Schoene (Ger) 5-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-6.
Linda Charman (Eng) bt Agnes Muller (Swi) 9-5, 9-7, 3/0 ret.

MEN FIRST ROUND
Joseph Kneipp (Aus) bt Anthony Hill (Aus) 15-4, 15-3, 15-3.
Martin Heath (Sco) bt Amr Shabana (Egy) 15-11, 15-12, 15-3.
Paul Price (Aus) bt John Williams (Aus)15-11, 8-15, 15-4, 11-15, 15-10.
Simon Parke (Eng) bt Stephen Meads (Eng) 15-12, 15-6, 17-16.

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