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Windstorm Disrupts Palmer-Harris Match
by Chris Walker © 2002

March 25, 2002 Photos by Chris Walker © 2002 may not be reproduced without express permission.       

  [Pakistan Open Draw]        [Saturday Report]       [Friday Results]

Just When You Think it is all Going so-o-o Smoothly!

Fortress Stadium Venue, Lahore, Pakistan (photo by Chris Walker © 2002 SquashTalk)

With all concerns that the players had over security issues quelled, it seemed that everything was going to conclude with no real drama here in Lahore. Well, last night provided yet another twist in the tale of the Pakistan Open 2002.

The evening started off as at any other tournament. The matches began at 6.30pm on the brand new 'Fortress Stadium' court, which the Pakistan Squash Federation acquired especially for this, and future events, at a cost of US$130,000. You've seen the picture - an outdoor venue, matches played when the sun has gone down and the air has cooled. A very pleasant environment for watching, and playing, world class Squash.

NICOL WINS, AMJAD LOSES
So, Peter Nicol went on first and gained a comfortable victory 3-0 against the flying Fin, Olli Tuominen; then Amr Shabana defeated the last remaining Pakistani in the draw, Amjad Khan, 3-1 in a match that only went on as long as it did because of some of what I would call 'home territory advantage' referee calls!

Amjad is just coming back from time out of the top flight of the game and would be the first to admit that he was probably in better physical shape a couple of years ago. But fair play to him - he defeated Alex Gough in the first round, so he has got that going for him, which is nice.

PALMER - HARRIS: THE WET BALL TRICK
Anyway, back to the script. The third match on was Dave Palmer, World No.2, and Del Harris, World No.16. The match got underway, and Dave Palmer won the first comfortably. In the second game the court began to get a little damp and the floor became unusually slippery in places. It was still hot and humid out there, despite the time, and the players were soaked through, kit dripping and those drips laying beads of sweat on the surface of an already damp floor.

Palmer slipped a couple of times and then mid-way through the game served a ball Harris went to volley as it came off the side-wall on his backhand side. Generally this is considered a simple return but Palmer had had the ball in his sweaty hand and the ball was now wet. As the ball came off the side-wall to meet Harris' racket it skidded through missing Harris' racket and thus gaining a cheap point for Palmer.

But why am I telling you that? Well, the 2nd game was reaching it's conclusion and Palmer was up 14-10 game ball. Harris got back to 12-14, it was getting pretty tense, and decided to try the same trick. As he prepared to serve the ball on the right side of the court he wet the ball extensively on his saturated shirt, gave the players watching a little wry smile through the side-wall and proceeded to serve to an unsuspecting Palmer.

Harris hadn't planned his "touché" too well though for as he hit the ball across the court it was so wet it didn't even grip the strings on his racket properly. The ball skidded off Harris' strings and hit the front wall a good foot below the cut line, never making it to the other side of the court. 'Fault' was called, and it was, 'Game Palmer'!!

I don't think Del will be doing that trick again some time soon. I was talking to Del between games and during that 2 minute interlude something extra-ordinary happened.

Court Floor Covered Up Sunday Night after Wind Storm Hit (photo by Chris Walker © 2002 SquashTalk)

There was a change in the weather that I have never witnessed myself before.

When the players came off the court it was calm and quiet. As the players went back on to the court there were incredibly strong gusts of wind blowing through the stadium. Which were clearly growing stronger as the seconds went on. By the time Palmer was about to serve at 0-0, there was an alarming crashing sound behind the court as an iron sign was blown over, and then a line of seats at the top of the side viewing gallery were pushed over by the winds force.

The referee called the players off court immediately and then security called us, the fellow players who were watching, to move inside the stadium for shelter as the winds blew through the venue turning over advertising boards and churning up so much dust it seemed like we were in the middle of a mini sand storm. So there we were, Dave Palmer and Del Harris at 2 games to love, some of the other players who had been watching, and Johnathon Power and Paul Johnson who were playing after Palmer and Harris had finished.

All of us in this little room at the back of the stadium chatting away waiting for a dust storm to pass by. The stadium had, in the meantime, been evacuated and after half an hour there was no sign of the winds relenting. By now it was 10.15 pm. The court was getting dustier and dustier and it was clear that there would be no imminent restart so the players decided to play the remaining squash of the evening at the squash center (a 10 minute drive down the road). It was like Wimbledon as the court floor got covered to save it from damage from dust and potential rain.

The picture (Below) shows Lee Beechill looking on as the court covers were brought in, and then (above) the court covers on for the night.

To top off an entertaining evening of squash we all got shipped to the Punjab squash courts for the remaining part of the Harris/Palmer encounter (which Palmer won 3-0) and the Power/Johnson encounter which Power won 3-0.

Power and Johnson eventually came off court at 12.15am, their match being intermittently disrupted by a sparrow that was rudely awoken by the squeaking of their court shoes while they were playing. Just the usual stuff really. I have a motto for playing in places that you are unfamiliar with, 'expect the unexpected'! Good night from Lahore.

Match Between Palmer and Harris Interrupted by Rapid Weather Change. (photo by Chris Walker © 2002 SquashTalk)

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