New World ... TOC, College Title, more ... Global Gallery, March 1, 2004 Martin Bronstein, writes this month from New York, where he traveled to cover the Tourney of Champs. © 2004 All rights reserved. photos © 2004, Suashtalk, D. Tessier,

NEW ENGLAND, NEW SQUASH BOOM
There was a lot of activity around New England in the last week of February. Apart from the Tournament of Champions attracting sell-out crowds (and even the attention of the Wall Street Journal) there was a teaching pro’s tournament won by local hero Preston Quick, a major doubles tournament, and 70 miles away in New Haven, Yale University hosted the college championships which involved dozens of nine-man teams. Something like 350 squash players milling around, proudly wearing their university colours.

THE CHURCH OF ST HASHIM

Yale's Payne Whitney Gymnasium photo: (© 2004 Debra Tessier)

At one point the gym had 22 American singles and doubles courts, but when the switch to soft ball made the courts redundant, Dave Talbott set about updating the facility. Amazingly he raised $7 million from former squash playing graduates. One man wrote a cheque for $3.5. And so in 2000, the new facility was opened: 15 brand new courts including the only permanent four-wall glass court in the world. There are also two courts with three glass walls (solid front walls). All other courts have glass backs and a balcony runs around the entire facility allowing viewing on two levels.

THE YALE CLASSIC?
It is no wonder that so many squash tournaments take place at Yale, not only university events, but nationals and Squashbusters challenges and so on. Dave Talbott told me he has had talks with John Nimick about hosting a major pro tournament.

“But there has been so much going on this year, we’ll think about it for next year,” Talbott told me. His brother, the great Mark Talbott (still considered one of the greatest squash players ever produced by the US) is the coach of Yale’s women’s team which won the college title last week.

Harvard's Siddharth Suchde and Trinity's Michael Ferreira photo: (© 2004 Debra Tessier)

SIX IN A ROW FOR TRINITY
Dave was not as successful as Mark this year as Trinity took the college title for the sixth year running. I was in Yale for the final and my ears are still ringing from the noise made by hundreds of whooping, cheering, screaming students as they urged – implored – their team-mates on. Trinity, under former US national coach Paul Assaiante, faced Harvard, coached by our old mate Satinder Bajwa. Surprisingly, Baj’s men won at one, two and three, while Trinity showed strength in depth, but only just scraped the 5-4 win for their sixth title.

A UNITED NATIONS OF SQUASH
The teams had players from all over the world – at least a dozen different nations were represented on the teams. I particularly enjoyed the match between Trinity number two Michael Ferreira of South Africa and Harvard’s Siddharth Suchde from India. They played at a standard that would surprise many. I was particularly impressed with the all-round game and maturity of Suchde, who I’m sure will be an important member of Indian’s national team for many years to come.

TOC – GREAT COFFEE AND RED SHOES
The Tournament of Champions was deemed a success and new sponsor Bears Stern will be happy with the exposure. In the ‘trade centre’ Melitta were showing their new coffee machine which works on hot water being pressured through ‘coffee bags’. So we got free coffee all week, which was a good thing because the journalists were otherwise left to their own devices.

Martin Bronstein admires the "object of desire for 2004" at the Hi-Tec booth. photo: (© 2004 Debra Tessier)

What is the next big shoe, the object of desire for 2004 I wanted to know. Arnie picked up a bright red shoe. “This is what all the kids will want when they come out later in the year,” he assured me. I handled the Viper 400 and looked hard at the brilliant red colour. Would I wear them? Only if I could find a matching jockstrap.

LOOKING FOR A NICE SQUASHY JOB?
Ted Wallbutton, chief exec of the World Squash Federation has announced his retirement at the end of this year. We all knew it was in the wind but it still came as a surprise. He’s been there for 14 years, and you sort of get used to him. Under Ted the WSF has seen a lot of growth and become an efficient organization. If ever I needed information or a view, Ted would have it for me by return email. He ran the WSF quietly, without any major hysterics and I am quite sure that the board and the 150 member countries will be concerned that they can find a replacement to measure up to Ted. The job is up for grabs. Any one can apply, but I won’t be putting my hat in the ring. I have found that very hard work is not good for my mental health.

IS THIS THE NEW VOICE OF SQUASH?
Grand Central was the chosen site for a new departure in squash – webstreaming.
What this meant was that you could log on to the PSA website and watch live matches from the Tournament of Champions. The semis and final were covered in their entirety with me as the commentator. What I didn’t know was that the number of loggers on was finite – 300 and for that the picture quality had to be reduced, which resulted in emails saying, ‘crap picture, great commentary”. This didn’t worry Adrian Battersby of Horizon who was delighted at their ‘first’ and is already planning to webstream more events and he is certain it will get better.

The point I really want to make is that I was stuck in the back room with a tiny nine inch, black and white monitor, and I could see the ball and cover the play quite easily. So, if anyone, anywhere in the world tells you that squash doesn’t televise, tell them they are talking though a hole in their foot. If I had a 21” colour set, I would have been in heaven. Squash televises, it’s only the blinkered view of sport that pervades television sports bosses that prevents squash becoming a TV sport.

PETER NICOL…AN APOLOGY
I keep writing Peter Nicol off, saying he’s too old, that he’s always ill and his body is finally breaking down. Peter ignores mys expert opinion and keeps winning. As you know by now he did it again in New York winning without losing a single game. Alright Pete, I was wrong. And if it’s any consolation, when you won the Tournament of Champions, I lost money, having put my dollars on John White.

Mind you, it was Steven Line’s money. We had a $5 bet on the Willstrop/ Palmer match. Willstrop went two down and I was dejected: I have never won a bet with Line in 20 year of wagering. But Ho HO!! That lovely player Willstrop came back to beat Palmer 3/2 and Line had to give me a crisp five dollar bill. He refused to pose for a picture actually giving it to me, the WIMP.

But he got his revenge; when an article in the Wall Street Journal described me as “the dean of squash journalism” Line started calling me Mr. Deanstein.

Jealousy of course.