SquashTalk USOpen Report by Ron Beck 11/29/99 Diversities of styles marks first evening of play at US Open. First round, first four matches: (additional first round photos will be online 11-30-99) Evans starts fast, can't finish... Martin Heath def David Evans 12-15, 15-12, 15-12, 15-9 [photogallery for this match] Martin Heath, one of the few players on the tour who can match up to David Evans in size, was equal to the best attacking game that David Evans could muster this evening. Evans started strongly, playing flawless length and short shots. Taking advantage of having played on the same court the afternoon before, Evans seemed much more comfortable than Heath at the outset. Evans played crisply, and as he had the day before, employed solid tactics. The players traded points up to 11-11. At 12-11 in the first game, Evans ran off three consecutive tight drops to end rallies and took the first game 15-11 on a final error by Heath. Evans looked to be taking charge of the match. Evans continued his pressing attack in the second game, taking the ball early, moving effortlessly on his lanky frame. The bulk of the running was done by Heath. Having built an 10-3 lead, Evan's inexperience began to show. He relaxed and uncharacteristically became conservative, letting Heath relentlessly drive himself back into the game, finally reaching 11-11 on a punishing volley-drive down the forehand that caught Evans wrong-footed. Evans recovered his attack and punished Heath with a number of short shots to either side. But Heath had now gained his legs on the court and the momentum, and he took the second game 15-12 on a finishing drop that Evans couldn't scrape out of the forehand corner. Evans came out strongly again in the third, but this time Heath was more determined to push Evans continually to the back court. With Heath holding a 10-7 lead, a long rally ended with a stroke somehow manufactured by Heath to bring the score to 11-7. The next defining rally saw both players punishing each other with attacking boasts and drops again and again. Heath made two remarkable gets off the back wall but Evans ended the electric exchange with a feather drop that was irretrievable. That was all Evans could do, and Heath took the game 15-12. Now in the third game, Evans tactics deserted him as a number of loose boasts kept him on the defensive. Evans regrouped, but the lead was already too great, and Heath took home the win at 15-9 Parke keeps Gough on the run: Simon Parke defeats Alex Gough 17-16, 15-8, 15-12 After the match, Simon Parke remarked, "I felt that I had to just keep on pressing him... Alex kept on coming." Parke played his game to the max tonight, playing a very steady length game that made the penalty for a loose shot high. Alex Gough tried to match Parke at his game, but it wasn't going to work because Parke was focused and accurate all night and came in strong and fit, not ready to concede any point. The tone of the match was set on the first point. It seemed to go on forever. It was fitting having Jonah Barrington watching on the sideline, as it was an approach that he had championed -- show the opponent what he's in for immediately, and try to discourage him. Gough finally won the point. Parke looked over at him and almost grinned. The stage was set. The crowd of 350 was in the match and excited. Parke was at the outset very defensive. And he wasn't playing quite tight enough yet, providing the occasional open ball for Gough to pounce on and build up a 4-0 lead. When Parke served out to make the score 5-2 for Gough, the momentum brought Gough onward to 7-2. At that point Parke bore down increased his pressure and set himself to retrieve all balls. He stood at 10-13 when he embarked on a much more aggressive style, moving Gough around the court and bringing the score to 13-13, and then 14-14. Parke then inexplicably changed his game, hitting the ball short and giving Gough 1 16-14 lead. After Parke hit a dead winner from the back to bring the score to 15-16, Gough's drop was called down by the referee to make Parke lucky to draw even at 16 all. On the final point, Parke made two incredible gets in succession, one into the forehand back wall, the next at the backhand front corner. Then with lightning comeback, he volleyed an ungettable drive down the forehand to give him the 17-16 first game and the momentum. In the second game, Gough came out determined and refreshed. With both players pursuing a strategy of attrition, it was Parke giving Gough the occasional opening, and Gough move ahead to 5-2. The next rally started slowed, building suspense as the players worked first the backhand wall then the forehand wall. The occasional foray to the front was quickly abandoned. The rally reached a climax as Parke made more terrific gets, several off the back wall and several in the front, finally winning the point to close to 3-5. Then at 5-7, Gough lost his discipline. He played into four strokes in seven points, to fall behind 12-7. The game was Parke's at 15-8. Now Parke was ready to start moving Gough up to the front of the court. Gough was pushed forward again and again, and he couldn't keep up the punishing pace, finally falling in staight games, 15-12 in the third. The Canadian Mouth Contest Jonathon Power defeats Graham Ryding 15-11, 15-9, 15-8 [Photogallery for this match] Jonathon Power sat outside the court chatting with a small boy. "Where's Graham?" he asked the referee. He seemed a bit nervous coming into the match. Power and Ryding wore contrasting bandannas, Power's blue and Ryding's red. Peter Nichol was in the front row. As the match started, Power seemed to be working his way into a rhythm, but leaving Ryding plenty of loose balls to build up his confidence. As Ryding failed to wilt, Power became more serious. Ryding started in questioning lets and gets. It looked to be a tactic to keep himself focused on the match and not allowing himself to be psyched by his opponent. But as Ryding started to argue, Power picked up the gauntlet, and the two of them kept up a continual conversation with the referees. However, for many of the less knowing fans in the audience, the constant complaining by both players left them quizzical. "What's he doing now?" I heard behind me in the stands on almost every point. In Power's defense, Ryding had started the whining, while Power had been clearly intending to focus on the game. Then a missed call by the referee set Power into full swing. "That's the greatest example of a scoop that's ever been played," Power informed Sam Jernigan, the referee. Power picked up the pace and the accuracy of his volleys enough to close out the first game 15-12. Ryding came out focused in the second game and built up a 7-2 lead in the second game. At this point Power became totally focused and picked up the level of his play. His fluid movement and quickness in playing his shots, evening the game at 7-7 and then moving ahead to 13-9. Ryding's determination had been broken. Power closed out the game at 15-11 and the match in short order. After the match, master of ceremonies Jonah Barrington asked Power to comment on his fitness. "I felt really good out there," said Power, "For the first time in a long time I felt that I was able to move really well. To play good squash you have to be able to move well, and I'm moving well now." He's laid the challenge down to Barada and Nicol for the week. Anthony Hill outclasses Chris Walker Anthony Hill def Chris Walker 3-0 Tonight, Hill was totally focused on squash, totally on, and at ease on court. Chris Walker was his foil, returning the ball but not able to do much to put Hill under any sort of pressure. Hill's touch and court movement were in synch and Walker seemed somewhat tired, especially by the third game, after a grueling match the previous day in the qualifier. Hill had Geoff Hunt and Dan Jensen in his corner, ready to coach him, but he didn't need any advice or reminders. In the third game Walker started breaking up play with a number of let calls, evidently designed to get Hill going and lose focus on the game. "They'll always try it," Hill said after the match, "They know its the only way they're going to beat me". Hill did diverge into some discourses with the referee in the third game and some vigorous head shaking. But he kept his game focused and dispatched Walker after he had gotten to 9-10 in the third, sending the crowd home at 11:00PM. advertisement advertisement Live at the US Open by Ron Beck 29 Nov 1999