SquashTalk USOpen Report by Ron Beck, photos by Vaughn Winchell 11/30/99 The John White - Ahmed Barada contest electrifies the hall. First round, last four matches: (report on the first day's matches) [Full tournament draw sheet and results] John White beats Ahmed Barada in 5 in a great squash marathon. John White defeats Ahmed Barada 15-13, 10-15, 15-6, 13-15, 17-15 John White and Ahmed Barada both came to play tonight in Boston. Tonight, White needed to be nearly perfect to defeat the motivated and mobile Egyptian, and he was. Barada's eyes and legs showed that he wished to show that his victories in Egypt over Power and Nicol were not going to be followed by a let-down. But White showed that he could reach to the highest levels as well. Barada was totally focused from the start, moving well and exuding energy. White took a quieter, but also determined approach. He continued his shotmaking style that he had exhibited in the qualifier. The difference tonight was infinitestimal, as the players finally stood at 14-14 in the fifth game after having played for well over an hour. What brought John White to that point was accuracy and a short game that rarely failed him throughout the match. On Barada's side, it was his court coverage and artistry with the ball that kept him in the match. Despite his focus and motivation, his shotmaking was not on target tonight, as he left loose balls and made errors at crucial points.  It was not his best night with a racket up front, and it speaks to his talent that he reached the edge of victory in the absense of his finishing game. Barada, though, had played with fire throughout the match, falling behind again and again, only to bring himself back to par. Finally, at the end of the fifth, without the emotionally support of his supporters that had urged him on only a few weeks ago at Heliopolis, his luck failed him and despite some brilliant play he fell short. White was huge on the court, bringing all dimensions of his game into play. He took the advantage whenever Barada let up a bit and that was the difference. In the first, it White's attack and loose balls and mistakes on Barada's part that gave White the game. White moved to an 11-5 lead on nearly perfect shots up to the front. Barada created a punishing pace and moved to 8-12 and then to 11-13 and finally 13 all. Now he seemed to be creating the momentum. White reached back and at 13 all produced a lightening cross-court drop off Barada's serve that gave him the point at 14-13. With no margin for error and White's confidence creating movement, White won a long rally to take the first 15-13. This first game turned out to be crucial for Barada's hopes. He had let it go too long and fallen too far behind. In the second, Barada suddenly picked up the pace, and White couldn't keep up with it, reaching a crisis point. It seemed then that White might fold.  But Barada didn't keep up the attack, and almost gave up the second. In the third, White came out with the momentum and on the attack, and Barada let himself fall behind again. This set up a terrific battle through the fourth and fifth with rallies all over the court, both players punishing each other front and back and making phenomenal gets. Easily these two games were the best of the tournament so far. In the fifth, Barada fell behind 12-7 and then 13-9 but with supreme effort brought himself back to 14 all. At the end though, his extra emotion and attack had been used up, and White had the match, 17-14. Eyles teaches Casteleyn a lesson Rodney Eyles def Stefan Casteleyn 15-8, 15-8, 15-11 Stefan Casteleyn, the only Benelux player to reach a top ten ranking, showed up for a showdown with experienced Rodney Eyles without a clear game-plan. Eyles though, knew he needed to have one. Eyles explained, " He is always going to hit it so early and play so fast, you just need to be prepared for that. It may have looked easy, but its just a different style he plays." Eyles did make it look easy. With the tactical advantage, Eyles moved Casteleyn consistently to the back of the court with the excellent length that you would expect from Eyles.  Casteleyn appeared slightly off his game and did not have an answer for Eyles early striking of the ball and severe spin that kept Casteleyn off balance. When Eyles began moving the ball up in the court, Casteleyn was lost and the game went to Eyles. The dangerous Eyles now moves to the quarterfinals with his fitness intact. He can still make an impact on this tournament. Peter Nicol comfortably moves past Dan Jensen Peter Nicol def Dan Jensen 15-5, 14-15, 15-7, 15-5 "The perfect match - just what we wanted," reported Neil Harvey, Peter Nicol's coach after the match. " I felt better out there," indicated Nicol - he had been feeling stiff earlier in the evening. The Nicol - Jensen contest followed directly after the Barada - White masterpiece. As such, it was such an anticlimax that the crowd was still out in the lobby discussing Barada's fall and getting refreshments, and most of them missed the first two games. These were the best of the contest and showed Jensen's danger to the top players. Jensen was eager to do damage to Nicol's hopes for the tournament. After a long first game, closer than the 15-4 score would indicate, Jensen found his range and employed his height advantage to move Nicol relentlessly around the court. Even Nicol's great range and controlled play couldn't reach all of Jensen's excellent placements to the front and back corners. At fourteen all in the second, Jensen called no-set and got the break immediately to take the last point 15-14 on an irretrievable shot to the front. But Nicol came out in the third with his new attacking look fully in gear. He attacked again and again to the front, and Jensen tired quickly. By midpoint in the fourth, Jensen had mentally given up and failed to even return the serve when Nicol served at 12-4. Nicol coasted home with a hard match, but not too hard. As Harvey said, the perfect result, given Power's short time on court in the first round in the other half of the draw. Paul Johnson in a routine win over Derek Ryan Paul Johnson def Derek Ryan 15-13, 15-12, 15-8 After the exitement of White's win over Barada and Nicol's stylish win, Paul Johnson and Derek Ryan faced a virtually empty hall. The hour was late and the audience was emotionally exhausted. Johnson and Ryan, both students of the classic British squash approach, played symmetric conservative games. Johnson, though, predictably, executed his game better. Johnson played the reactive game, providing the human backboard to Ryan's every attempt. And he very gradually wore Ryan down, chipping away point by point. Johnson, with his effortless court coverage and accuracy, made it look easy. He closed out the evening with a 3-0 win that seemed inevitable by the end of the first game. advertisement advertisement Live at the US Open by Ron Beck 30 Nov 1999