THE SHOWDOWN BECKONS
From the moment the draw was announced this version of the Pace Canadian Classic was seen as a head-to-head meeting between the new world champion and the new world number one. They were seeded one and two and sure enough they duly made their way to the final with only a slight glitch - when Gregory Gaultier took a game off Power in their semi-final.

The 3/1 scoreline does not do the Frenchman justice, but it does indicate once again that experience pays off in the big points. The longer a rally went on, the greater the chance that Power would win, that Gaultier would blink first and go for a winner, only to hit tin.

These two players train together and last Monday gave an exhibition at the MAAA club in Montreal, so they not only know each other’s game, they can swear at each other in two languages.

Jonathon Power's wrist takes him into Saturday's Finals Photo courtesy Savatore Sacco © 2006

Gaultier is one of the toughest and most determined players on the tour and hates to give up a single point, which accounts for the number of times his Gallic temper flared up as he attempted to change the referee’s decisions.

After one heated discussion he said “Shit!” and was immediately penalised a penalty point by referee Mike Reilly, who also dispelled the commonly held notion that a warning must come before a point is docked. If a player’s conduct is really bad a referee can give a match penalty without warning.

Gaultier was tough and clever; he played some nice deception which had Power going the wrong way a number of times, and knew how to handle the notorious Power backhand drop. Other players counter drop or drive down the left wall, both of which are low percentage shots in that situation. Gaultier drove or lofted it across court into the back right corner, forcing Power off the T and taking away control.

Despite this caginess Power led most of the first game, to win 11-8 after 19 minutes.

He was slightly fortunate in the second game when Gaultier made a comeback surge from 5-9 to get to 9-all only to spoil his own party with a backhand drop into the tin to put Power at game ball. On the next rally Power’s working backhand cross court luckily hit the nick at the service box, and he had the 19 minute game 11-9.

Both players were puffing, showing the effect of many long rallies - not-up-and-down- the wall rallies but all-over-the-court rallies that worked heart and head equally well. In the third game Gaultier put the penalty stroke behind him and played well enough to take a 7-4 lead but then three errors in a row let Power back into the game to move to 8-8, three points from victory. But Gaultier would not give up and hit an audacious drop from the backof the court which even Power couldn’t get to in time to play controlled shot and he counter-dropped into the tin. this put Gaultier at game ball and then he finished with a splendid forehand straight nick to win the 29 minute game. (Yes, there were some very long rallies).

At some point in the game Power had run into Gaultier and bent the little finger of his left hand backwards, so he took a three minute injury break before the fourth game for his usual “Is there a doctor in the house” moment. There was, the finger was strapped and the match continued.

I surmised that Gaultier, motivated by his success, would come back like a whirlwind. Surprise - his race was run. Power went into shotmaker mode and was soon 8-2 up. After he won the next rally Gaultier was wincing from a minor collision. Power was surprised: “How could I hurt you with my ass?” he asked. It was a rhetorical question.

Gaultier was tired and his final shots were sloppy. Power wrapped it all up by winning the fourth game in 10 minutes 11-4 to clinch his expected place in the final.

It was a red-eyed, tired Power who spoke to the press later.

“It was my hardest match tonight - Gaultier is always tough to play. He doesn’t like to give anything away. Sure, I’’ll be stiff tomorrow, but that’s normal. I know Shabana’s game and he know mine. I will have to more well against him or I’ll be in trouble. Amr is a shooter, so I have to get on the ball quickly and counter punch,” Power said, but his heart was not in the interview. He was tired.

SHABANA RULES EGYPT
It took Amr Shabana just 31 minutes to subdue the second best player in Egypt and advance to the final. Shabana, the reigning world champion and now ranked two in the world, had beaten Karim Darwish, ranked 11, six times in seven meetings before tonight. History was on his side -as well as a mountain of confidence from his world title.

Shabana held the upper hand from he first rally; he was on a different plane: faster, more accurate and devastating with his stream of winners. Darwish, who won the world junior championship six years ago, seems to have lost the flair that he exhibited as a junior. Shabana’s speed in this meeting was stunning and Darwish simply could not stay with the pace and was constantly left flatfooted by Shabana’s lightning reactions. Furthermore Shabana was reading Darwish like a book with large type. Some of his reaction shots at the front of the court brought gasps from the packed auditorium. On form Shabana is quite wonderful and tonight he was on form and looked completely relaxed.

He won the first game 11-6 in 10 minutes and the second 11-3 in nine minutes. By the third game Darwish had lost his fight and Shabana cruised to an 11-4 win in just seven minutes.

Asked whether it was his best squash Shabana replied:

“Probably. I’m comfortable with my game and I am not anxious. I’m enjoying my squash because I don’t have anything to prove any more. Only two other players have won the World Open more than once so I can relax.

When he faces Power in the final, the history shoe will be on the other foot - he has only beaten the Canadian once in seven meetings. In the last month they have been training together and giving exhibitions.

Did he have a game plan for the final?

“No. I will play the same as with Darwish: don’t give any loose shots because he will put them away. You have to keep him tight,” Shabana said, exhibiting a confidence and maturity that is quite new to this feisty and likeable player.

Tomorrow’s final is sold out...they will start selling tickets in the balcony and will probably make promoter John Nimick more money than he’s ever made from a final. He deserves it.

PACE Canadian Classic
Semi final Results:
[1] Jonathon Power (CAN) def [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-8 11-9 9-11 11-4 (76m)
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) def [4] Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-6 11-3 11-4