by Martin Bronstein reporting from Egypt, Aug 19 2000 20:00 hours © 2000 squashtalk

AL AHRAM INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2000 SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING

CAIRO EXCLUSIVE TO SQUASHTALK From Martin Bronstein in Cairo

YOU CAN ONLY BE LUCKY FOR SO LONG….
Nick Matthews was a member of England's winning junior team in Princeton two years, the week after he got knocked out of the individual tournament by Ong Beng Hee. So it was payback time in Cairo when he beat Ong Beng Hee in the first round qualifying.

He felt even in the next qualifying round when, leading 15-7, 6-1, his opponent Tommy Berden retired, complaining of dizziness and double vision. He was immediately whisked off to hospital for examination. Matthews, with an easy ride into the main draw, felt good for about 30 minutes and then his name came out of the hat last. He would play world number two Jonathon Power. And he will play him in front of the Pyramids on Sunday night.

BYRON POETIC BUT NO CIGAR
One of the toughest matches of the day was Australian Byron Davis's fight with Egyptian Mohammed Abbas. Davis came back from a large gap to grasp the first game 17-15, but then lost an equally hard-fought second game 17-16. This wasn't squash for the eye, but the battle engaged the emotions.

Matt Hammond, England's performance director, at one point muttered " This game is crying out for a drop shot" and he was right - the back wall saw a lot of action. Abbas retained the upper hand in the third to win 15-9 and repelled Davis in the fourth to just scrape home 17-15. Abbas's reward is a meeting with world champion on Sunday night in front of the Pyramids.

JENSON HALTED
Dan Jenson, the former world number five, almost made it to the first round of the main draw, but he has to make up for two lost years due to a nagging back problem. From a high of five in 1998, Jenson has dropped to 32, but in may an Australian specialist gave him an epidural (isn't that what they give women in childbirth?) and , Dan claims, within weeks he was as good as new. He now has to get his fitness and sharpness back.

In his match against England's Peter Genever, Jenson lost the first two games and had almost given up the ghost in the third when he started using his exquisite drops to put Genever in all kinds of trouble. He inched by to win that game 17-15 and then run away with the fourth 15-4. It all fell apart in the fifth as his shots hit the tin and he lost heart to lose it 15-8. Genever will not be pleased at having to face that well known squash machine Peter Makrshall in the main draw.

QUALIFYING FINAL ROUND
Faizy bt Medhat 9-15, 17-16, 15-12, 15-9.
Boswell bt Raumolin 15-13, 13-15, 15-10, 15-9.
Casteleyn bt Lavigne 15-12, 7-15, 15-12, 10-15, 15-10.
Beachill bt Williams 15-8, 15-10, 15-12
Olli Tuominen bt Essam 11-15, 15-15, 15-9, 15-11
Genever bt Jenson 15-13, 15-9, 16-17, 4-15, 15-8
Abbas bt Davis 15-17, 17-16, 15-9, 17-15
Matthew bt Berden 15-7, 6-1 ret.

FIRST ROUND MAIN DRAW'
Nicol vs Abbas;
John White vs Nick Taylor,
Martin Heath vs Lee Beachill;
Mark Chaloner vs. Amr Shabana;
Simon Parke vs. Derek Ryan;
Peter Marshall vs. Peter Genever;
Anthony Hill vs Karim Darwish;
David Palmer vs. Olli Tuominen;
Billy Haddrell vs. David Evans;
Joseph Kniepp vs. Del Harris;
Omar Elborolossy vs. Thierry Lincou;
Stefan Casteleyn vs vs. Ahmed Barada;
Stewart Boswell vs Alex Gough;
Ahmed Faizy vs Paul Johnson;
Mark Cairns vs.Graham Ryding;
Nick Matthew vs Jonathon Power.

• Golestan Radwan: Egypt
• Tomas Barva, Czech Republic
• David Blick, Alaska USA
• Kim Tunney: Midwest USA
• Andre Maur: Atlanta USA
• Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
  

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