MARTIN BRONSTEIN in Richmond, Virginia     [THE DRAW/RESULTS] [PLAYERS CUP STANDINGS]

WILLSTROP STUNS DARWISH
He sometimes starts slowly, but in his semi-final against Karim Darwish in the Davenport Professional Squash Championship, England‘s  James Willstrop started in overdrive with turbo blaster on full. The 24 year old Yorkshireman had heard that the latest rankings pushed him up to number four in the world  and he played like it.

From the start he was hitting superb length and volleying everything that wasn’t stuck to the wall. Darwish seemed sluggish; perhaps he was suffering the effects of yesterday’s battle with Ramy Ashour, but he certainly seemed slow at getting to Willstrop’s  drops and finely cut boasts.

Willstrop simply dominated the play and Darwish found himself digging the ball out of the back corners or hustling down to the front to pick up the drops and boast. It was an all-out attack for which the Egyptian simply had no defense and  Willstrop won it,
inevitably, with ease.

Darwish was on the defensive against Willstrop. (photo:©2008 Patricia Lyons)

The second game was a different story with Darwish no showing that he could move well and he was up for the fight. He was no longer being dominated and started to take the front of the court of the court to run to a 5-2 lead. Willstrop was not affected by this and kept up his all-attack squash and was looking for winners at the least opportunity. This was good, high pace squash and when the score reached 7-7 there was the promise of a long marathon. Some of Willstrop’s backhands were beautiful – tight and inch perfect and in retrospect Darwish did well to stay in the game.

Willstrop hit one of his special backhand volley drop to reach game ball 10-8 but Darwish did not give up and hit a backhand winner of his own to save the first game ball and was given the second when  Willstrop’s volley drop hit the tin to force a tie break. The next really ended when the referees denied Darwish a let – a questionable decision, but the Gods were watching and Willstrop snatched at a shot and sent it into the tin to make the score 11-all.  Another backahand chop drop put Willstrop at game ball again and when the ball hit the Bermuda Triangle in the back left corner Darwish was cruelly foxed and hit the ball into the tin to finish an entertaining 2- minute game.

That really was the end of  the match. Darwish came back and was unable to compete at any decent level, so Willstrop ran through it 11-1 in a few minutes, to put him in the final.

Willstrop withstood game three and finished game four. (photo:©2008 Patricia Lyons)

GAULTIER  OUTSHOOTS WHITE

Gaultier outshot White in three games. (photo:©2008 Patricia Lyons)

The second semi was a bit of an anti-climax; John White could not – or was not allowed to to play the brilliant game he played yesterday. Gregory Gaultier moved up several gears and everything he tried at the front of the court came off. White admitted later that he was unable to do anything: “When you come up against someone playing as well as Gregory, there is really nothing you can do. It’s very frustrating. Yesterday was great. Today was crap.”  
Well not crap exactly, because the standard was still very high and the three games still took 39 minutes, but it was Gregory’s day and quite rightly.

[4] James Willstrop (ENG)  bt  Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-4,11-10(3-1), 11-1(39mins)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)  bt [7] John White (SCO) 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 (41mins)

 

 

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