Doubles Scoring ... WSF Interviews, Superseries, more ... Global Gallery, May 5, 2004 Martin Bronstein, writes this month from Broadgate Arena in London. © 2004 All rights reserved. photos © 2004, Suashtalk, D. Tessier,

DID I JUMP THE GUN OR DID THE WSF BEAT ME TO IT?
Regular readers of the Gallery will remember that last month I ended my piece on the scoring maze with these words:

"It only needs the WSF to make a courageous step to change doubles scoring to nine and we would have that conformity. (The quicker the better: most doubles to 15 are just a bore and when played on singles court, as most are in Britain, the constant string of lets make watching a paint dry an attractive proposition.)"

Having written that, I resolved to embark on a campaign to persuade the WSF to make the change. So when I saw Susie Simcock, at Broadgate Arena to watch the Super Series Finals on the second night , I made a beeline for the seat next to her and started my spiel.

(In case you didn't know, Susie was a tremendously popular and effective president of the World Squash Federation and when her term of office came to an end, they all conspired to keep her involved in world squash).

I had hardly gotten into my second sentence when Susie interrupted. With a broad smile she told me that the WSF had already made that decision! Doubles scoring is coming down from 15 to nine at the end of this year, starting with the doubles tournament in India.

My jaw hit my knees I can tell you. Why hadn't they made the announcement? She never answered that question, but it didn't matter. It means that the scoring conformity in squash is coming closer. The PSA decision to play to eleven will be the only exception and, according to the reports coming in from the leading players, that could be short lived.

At least two leading PSA members are in favor of a return to traditional hand-in scoring to nine. But with one change: early rounds should be played best of three and only quarter-final onwards would be best of five.

As one player (who shall remain nameless) put it: "The early rounds are usually not seen by many spectators and they simply tire us out. Better to save our energy for the later rounds."

There are also questions as to why the PSA changed to eleven without consulting the players. This brings up the question as to whether the board serves the members or the other way around.

A STRANGE SATURDAY
Chris Stahl, chief honcho of the European Squash Federation, turned up at my club for a vets match on Saturday. He asked me if I knew who was being interviewed for the job of chief exec of the WSF, to replace Ted Walbutton, who retires this year. I hadn't a clue, I had no idea they'd even started interviews.

Anyhow, later that day I met up with Beth Rasin at the Old Vic Theatre to see Hamlet with Britain's newest super-actor, a guy called Ben Whishaw who is getting rave reviews. Beth is a New Yorker who acts as press officer for the Tournament of Champions and she had emailed me earlier in the week to say she was on a quick trip to London and could we meet up.

So we sat down in our incredibly expensive seats at the back of the auditorium and I asked Beth what she was doing in town. "I am being interviewed for the WSF job," she replied. Several moments of stunned silence from me — it was only two hours earlier that Stahl had brought the subject up.

I don't know how many applicants there were, but I do know that they were all grilled by Susie Simcock, Neven Barbour, Jahangir Khan and other WSF board members, which is why Susie was able to visit Broadgate. I looked Susie in the eyes and asked her who the next WSF chief exec would be. She smiled that smile again and said she couldn't tell me. The person has been chosen and the announcement will be made on June 1st. The only whisper I have heard is that it could be an Australian. We'll just have to wait a few weeks.

WORLD CHAMP GETS AGENT AND COACH

Shabana - flatfooted against Joe Kneipp tonight in London. photo: (© 2004 Fritz Borchert)

Amr Shabana hasn't done too well since he lifted the world title last year. At the Super Series he lost his first two matches which put him out of the playoffs. But he may soon have to start delivering because he now has an agent and a coach. The agent is Wolfgang Denk, who we know as one of the men behind McWil Courtwall, who are erecting courts all over Europe. It is not his first sortie into management: a dozen years ago he managed Mir Zaman Gul who was then being coached by Super Series boss Satinder Bajwa. Wolfgang was also a partner in Cheedah rackets who sponsored Chris Dittmar.

Shabana's coach is that delightful Egyptian Ashraf Hanafi, who has spent much of his adult life in Germany. I think this will be a very beneficial move for Shabana who is a bit of a rebel and does not get very much support from the Egyptian squash federation. With Wolfgang and Ashraf guiding him, Shabana will have to buckle down to producing some solid results.

SUPER SERIES — CHAMPAGNE ALL THE WAY
Maybe the good times are returning to squash. Journalists used to get all sorts of goodies back in the eighties. Recently we were lucky to get a press pack, a program and a cheap T-Shirt. At the Broadgate press conference, the Veuve Cliquot flowed, the press were given a large paint tin which contained four bottles of that fine champagne and a goodie bag from Kingfisher Premium Lager that contained a CD of Indian grooves, a watch and other great stuff. The press room contains a fridge full of Kingfisher beer and mineral water as well as sandwiches. I can tell you, the press boys are still in shock — and totally sober despite the free beer.

THAT'S HOW YOU WIN AWARDS
The promotion company that works with Satinder Bajwa on the Super Series event is called WSM and they do such a good job that they?ve won a sports industry award for their handling of the Super Series last year. This year tickets sales have been the best ever: the final was sold out three weeks ago and the last three nights are completely sold out. Brit Insurance, the name sponsor, are delighted at the response and although they only sign year by year, you can bet that they will be back next year.

Baj deserves this success, he has put a lot of hard work into making the Super Series Final into one of the best events on the calendar. And he does it while making Harvard one of the best college squash squads in the US. Are Trinity's days numbered?