Martin Bronstein reporting from THE EYE GROUP BRITISH OPEN
AHMED BARADA AND OMAR EL BOROLOSSY grew up together playing squash at the famous Gezira Sporting Club and so know each other's games like brothers. Barada is the shooting star of Egyptian sport firmly ensconced in the world number three spot while El Borolossy has just risen to the highest ranking ever - 19. But they are both out of the traditional Egyptian template of gifted shotmakers and any match involving both of them is a must for squash lovers.
These two 'Lions of the desert" - the MC's words, met in the second round of the Open in the cavernous Conference Centre in Northern Scotland and did not disappoint one bit.
Barada won in straight games, which is almost beside the point; the object of this meeting is an exhibition of squash. Indeed, if El Borolossy had won, I get the feeling he would have been seeking political asylum in Bosnia.
Not that the tall skinny one was brushed aside easily by the short stocky one; he is far too good and experienced and his knowledge of Barada's game gives him an advantage over other players. But Barada is playing so well that even if you know where the ball is going, it is going there with such speed and accuracy, you're still under pressure.
Barada loves hitting the ball in mid-air - that's his body, not the ball - and the resulting shot is usually aimed at one of the front corners. And he would commit five shots in a row to the front corner, making the tall El Borolossy lunge and bend to get under the ball to lob it backwards only find Barada in mid-air volleying it to the other corner. And then it was lunge-and-bend again for the choreography to be repeated.
El Borolossy could also put in the drops but the very tough Barada got right under the ball and witht the merest flick send it soaring into the back corner as he raced to the T, on his toes ready for the next shot.
Barada took the first tight game, 15-12, raced to 10-4 lead in the second, only to hit a bad patch - as he often does - which allowed El Borolossy back into the game to even at 12-all. There was one glorious episode when Barada, two yards from the front wall hit an inside out backhand slam three times in a row. His opponent got the first two back but the third was hit with such speed and accuracy it simply died in the back corner. El Borolossy hit the ball at himself (should we call this the suicide shot?) to give Barada a 13-12 lead, a stroke gave made the sore 14-12 and Barada finished off the game with another glorious backhand drive to length, 15-12.
In the third, the effort began to tell on El Borolossy while Barada was still full of strength, hitting some astonishing forehand rails that were ungettable.
Barada took it 15-6 to earn his quarter final spot against either Peter Marshall or David Evans.
JOHNSON RECOVERS FORM AND CONFIDENCE
After a nervous start Paul Johnson, the fourth seed, beat Rodney Eyles, the former world champion, to recover his form and some self esteem. Johnson had a bad time in Cairo and things didn't improve when he went out to John White (who also beat Barada) in the US Open.
"It was all due to lack of match sharpness. It was all very sporadic and so I was back in unknown territory. But with more activity, I'm getting my confidence back," Johnson told me after beating Eyles 3/1.
He was nervous and allowed Eyles to dictate the first game and win it 15-10. After a talk with coach David Pearson, Johnson returned with a more positive attitude, took the T and got a yard in front of Eyles. From that point on Johnson asserted his position, taking the second game 15-13 and the next two 15-7, 15-8 with ease as Eyles failed to find an antidote to Johnson's energy and fitness. It is likely that Johnson will play Simon Parke in the quarters where he'll need all the confidence he can muster
CASSIE ON COURSE
Everyone's choice for the Women's title is Cassie Campion and it is hard to argue with that bit of handicapping. She whacks the ball with power and authority and has two of the best brains in squash in her corner. Fiona Geaves may be seeded seven, but she has never exhibited the iron hard drive that is needed to go into the top four. There was very little doubt about the outcome of their quarter final match and Cassie took it in four to book a meeting with Linda Charman.
This will be a very different contest. Charman is serious! She has two squash coaches, Neil Harvey (Nicol's coach) and Mike Harris and between them they are turning Linda into a fine, shrewd player. She was two games down and 4-7 down in the third against Sarah Fitz-Gerald but then relaxed, started lofting the ball and slowing the game down to take control, save the third game and go on to win the next two.
In her second round match against former British Champion Suzanne Horner, she showed her full range of shots and her shewd shot selection.
She jumped into a lead in the first only to lose her length and allow Horner to level it at 7-all. Charman got back her length to win 9-7 and then in the next two games kept Horner on her heels with her variety of shots and superb high game. Horner's weakpoint is high on her backhand and Charman peppered that point with shots. Indeed in the third game Horner made six errors as she tried to volley those shots into backhand winners. Horner got just two points from the two games and Charman goes into her match against Campion knowing that if she keeps to her game plan and doesn't get sucked into Campion's power game, she will have a chance of
Barada won in straight games, which is almost beside the point; the object of this meeting is an exhibition of squash. Indeed, if El Borolossy had won, I get the feeling he would have been seeking political asylum in Bosnia.
Everyone's choice for the Women's title is Cassie Campion and it is hard to argue with that bit of handicapping. She whacks the ball with power and authority and has two of the best brains in squash in her corner. Fiona Geaves may be seeded seven, but she has never exhibited the iron hard drive that is needed to go into the top four. There was very little doubt about the outcome of their quarter final match and Cassie took it in four to book a meeting with Linda Charman.
In her second round match against former British Champion Suzanne Horner, she showed her full range of shots and her shewd shot selection.