The people of Toronto crowded into the John Bassett Theatre to cheer on three Canadians against the world. At the end of a long evening the Maple Leaf rested solely on the shoulders of Jonathon Power, predictably, because he is, after all, the world number one.

Torontonian Graham Ryding had the honor of opening the Pace Canadian Classic on the stage of the theatre, the first time a four-wall glass court has been used on the stage in Canada, with the audience viewing through the back wall.

The glory was short lived as his opponent, Borje Golan from Spain, continued his progress in the squash world by capturing another scalp of a higher ranked player. (Ryding is ranked 19, Golan is 47). It was by no means easy and Ryding twice fought back before Golan just pipped him in a five-game marathon.

Golan took advantage of Ryding’s slow start to steamroll his way to a one game lead winning 11-5 in just eight minutes. Golan’s constant use of the front left corner with inch perfect backhand drops caught Ryding unawares, but he settled down in the second game and started to read Golan’s drops. He took the lead at 7-6 and then putting in some fine winners of his own won the game 11-8 to even the match.

Golan is a tough competitor who strokes the ball with the precision of a brain surgeon and every time he played a drop shot he had Ryding at full stretch. He used this weapon mercilessly to win the third game11-8 and lead most of the fourth but Ryding raised his game catch up at 9-9. Golan tried one dropshot too many on the next rally, hit the tin and put Ryding at game point. The Canadian made no mistake on the next point with a backhand drop shot of his own to take the game 11-9.

Golan held the upper hand for the fifth game and despite some dazzling rallies Ryding simply could not catch up. Trailing 7-8, Ryding made a crucial error to put Golan two points from victory. Golan hit a passing drive to win the next point and on match point Ryding tried an overhead backhand which hit the tin to seal his fate and give the up-and-coming young Spaniard another important win -and a quarter-final date with Jonathon Power.

POWER THROUGH TO QUARTERS
Jonathon Power had to contend with some Italian emotion as well as his opponent’s skill in taking a straight game victory over Italian champion Davide Bianchetti, ranked 34 in the world.

In the first game Power was ruthless winning 11-1 and leaving Bianchetti realising that he had to change his approach or get truly whipped. Remember, last year beat Peter Nicol, so he’s no patsy.

“You cannot open up the court with Power because he will play a winner. And you cannot match him in pace. So in the second game I had to slow the game down and play tighter,” Bianchetti said after the match, his first-ever meeting with Power.

The strategy worked and Bianchetti played well enough to hold two game points before Power managed to win the tie break 14-12. The world number one continued his domination in the third and despite some impassioned pleas from Bianchetti (in this part of the game, Bianchetti could teach Power a thing or two)when the referee made decisions he thought unjust, Power kept that magic wrist working, cutting shots from all angles and playing a game that he has made uniquely his.

“Nobody else plays like Power,” Bianchetti commented. “He does so much with very little wrist movement and you cannot read his shot.”

For his part Power said he felt the court was very slow and found it hard to get the ball to the back. His overall comment was forthright:

“I could get nothing positive out of the match. I allowed him to dictate the pace instead playing at my pace.”

SHABANA CRUISES IN THREE
World champion Amr Shabana from Egypt showed why he is the world champion with a controlled display of shotmaking that left his young opponent, Laurens Anjema from the Netherlands, powerless. Shabana, ranked two behind Jonathon Power, is known for his ability to hit winners from all over the court. Part of that ability is to disguise his intention, leaving his opponent going one way while the ball is going the other. He has matured to the point where he no longer tries to hit a winner with every shot and his length is exemplary.

Anjema has shot up the rankings in the last year - he is now number 23 - but simply has not developed the skills to combat the range of Shabana who won in straight games despite a fighting challenge from Anjema which forced the third game into a tie-break.
Shabana will now face fellow Egyptian Wael El Hindi who knocked out Jonathon Kemp in a hard fought five games.

ARCUCCI TAKES ANOTHER SCALP
Earlier in the day at the Ftiness Institute, Jean Michel Arcucci continued his streak by knocking out Alex Gough, the Welshman who is ranked 33 places above him. He will meet another French player, Gregory Gaultier, the man responsible for knocking out the third Canadian, Shahier Razik. Theirs was the last match of the day and the least interesting. Razik has decided that he will try and wear his opponents out - or even bnore them into defeat. The rallies seemed like endless practice rountines down the left wall with just the odd drop shot thrown in. Gaultier tried to break the routines by suddenly rocketing the ball off the front wall, but the ball was so hot, it bounced enough for Razik to keep the rallies going. Gaultier played with immense confidence and won in three, but thematch took almost an hour, which gives some idea how long the rallies were.

F I R S T R O U N D R E S U L T S
Jonathon Power (CAN) def Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-1, 11-10 (4-2), 11-7 (47 mins)
Borje Golan (ESP) def Graham Ryding (CAN) 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 (76 mins)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) vs Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (59mins)

Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) def Alex Gough (WAL) 6-11,11-7,11-4, 11-6 (82 mins)

Mohammed Abbas (EGY) def Mark Chaloner (ENG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (27 mins)

Karim Darwish (EGY) def Alister Walker (ENG) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0) 11-4 (30 mins)

Wael El Hindi (EGY) def Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 10-11 91-3), 11-4, 11-8, 10-11(3-5), 11-8 (62 mins)

Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Laurens Anjema (NED) 11-7, 11-3, 11-10 (3-1)  (36 mins)