PLAYERS CUP Playoffs Second round qualifying; Monday March 3  2008
Martin Bronstein reporting from  Harvard University.

ILLINGWORTH AND GORDON THROUGH TO MAIN DRAW

Luck was with both American players tonight  as Julian Illingworth beat  Hisham Ashour in straight games  helped by some outrageous winners, and Chris Gordon benefitted from John White being struck down with stomach flu.

Julian Illingworth controls the front of the court. (photo:©2008 Patricia Lyons)

For the second time in nine days, Illingworth, America’s top player, defeated Egypt’s Hisham, older brother of Ramy , who is ranked 17 places above him (38-21). This was  solid evidence that last week’s victory in Richmond  was no fluke.  Illingworth showed the same resolution and  all-round game, a solid defence backing up his many winners. The only difference was the court floor: the lights had been changed  from the yellow of the of the other Harvard courts to white and this caused a great deal of dust. Although promoter John Nimick carefuly mopped the floor before the match, there was more dust around and three times Illingworth slipped necessitating   more floor wiping. (Was this McWil  court trying to ape the ASB glass floor?)

While Illingworth  was displaying his usual confidence and lack of nerves, Ashour  was never settled  and the mental tension affected his play.   He could do everything Illingworth could do, but he simply could not prevent the string of errors that undid  all his good work.  His boasts from the back of the court kept the tin clanging. He also found that Illingworth was pretty fast around the court – especially going up to the front to pick up his meticulous drop shots.

Illingworth led from the start, earned a useful 8-4 kead but  relaxed and Ashour caught up to 7-8. Illingworth’s first lucky strike arrived when his ball hit the nick at the back of the court (no player in the world could aim for that unique winner) to break Ashour’s run  and he then went on to win the game 11-8.

A similar scenario unfolded in the second game, Illingworth 6-2 ahead and  Ashour fighting back to tie the game at  7-all. This was very watchable squash, with few left wall duels and good use of all the court, including the height. Leading 9-8 Illingworth slipped  and asked for the floor to be wiped. It could have caused a bad torn muscle but  Illingworth emerged in one piece to win the game 11-9.

It was Ashour’s turn  to take charge in the fourth and he played his best squash of the match to lead 7-4  - and then came the pointless errors helping Illingworth to six points in a row and giving him match ball. After he had won the tenth point Illingworth walked toward the front wall and  whether he slipped on the dusty floor or not is not certain, but he turned his ankle. This wa at match ball remember. He took an injury break and gingerly walked around the outside of the court, felt the ankle was ok and continued.

Hisham grabbed the chance to take the next two points and then followed a huge rally, easily the best of the match, which must have gone 50 shots with both players making some marvellous retrievals.  Illingworth  did a horizontal dive to get the ball to the front wall but there was no was he could get up and chase Hisham’s drive and so the game went into a tie break. Hisham was denied a let to put Illingworth at match ball again (more about that later), then hit a winner to take the score to 11-all. Then came an outrageous overhead reverse slam into the nick (which Illingworth later called the most ridiculous winner of his career) to lead 12-11. Again Hisham tied the score with a fine backhand drop, to catch up but then he ended the next rally with a backhand boast into the tin. Illingworth made sure of the final point to win the game 14-12.

“I wanted to play five games, I was ready to play five games, I would have beaten him,” said an agitated Ashour. “That point was a let and if they had given me a let I would have played five games.  Julian was so relaxed, he was just hitting winners. I was uptight.”

Illingworth was still laught at his outrageous overhead drop into the nick but was slightly worried about his ankle.

I”ve turned it badly playing basketball and soccer but never in squash. If it is still hurting tomorrow, I will default against David Palmer. I’m not going to risk it,” he told Squashtalk. (He told that to Squashtalk because Ron Beck and I were the only press there).

MCWILL COURTWALL PLAYERS CUP PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
Julian Illingworth (USA) def Hisham Ashour (EGY) 11-8 11-9 11-10(4-2) (40 min)
Chris Gordon (USA) def John White (SCO) withdrew through illness.

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.squashtalk.com