(updated 8-feb-10 10:00 )  

SWEDISH OPEN COSTS WILLSTROP AN ARM AND A LEG {RECAP OF THE FINALS AND SEMIS}
[PSA DRAW/RESULTS]   [WISPA DRAW/RESULTS]

Injuries in squash finals are what hurricanes are to sailors…. an ever-present danger.

Matthew checks his hurting arm, before bowing outphoto © 2010 Courtesy Simon Hansevi.

In the much-awaited final of the Swedish Open, the demons struck again forcing James Willstrop to abandon his match against his old Yorkshire adversary Nick Matthew.

The injuries – first to his right arm and shoulder and then to his right thigh – must have been particularly depressing to Willstrop who has just made a triumphant come-back from an ankle operation.  His beating of Ramy Ashour  in the final of TOC was surely the sweetest victory of his career and one that announced to the world that he had fully recovered.

THE SEMI-FINALS
In his semi-final yesterday against Amr Shabana Willstrop had shown all his usual skill and flair and although Shabana put up a pretty good fight for two games, by the third his hunger for the fight quickly diminished as a hobble began to manifest itself, hampering his movement. The first 9-minute game seemed much longer, full of cracking rallies all over the court, superb length from both player  and some delicious shotmaking. Willstrop seemed to have the edge, cruising to an 8-6 lead and despite being tested by the usual array of Shabana shots seemed to be in control. But Shabana looked as though he wanted revenge for his 3/0 loss in the semis in New York and moved into ‘purple streak’ mode, hitting winners and reading Willstrop like a book. Suddenly he had reeled of six points in a row, finishing with an audacious long forehand drop from the back of the court that found the nick.  He walked off the court a somewhat surprising 11-9 winner.

Willstrop took the lead in the second game and never lost it.  Again Shabana showed that he can hit beautiful length with consistency – something he did not bothered with in his younger years – but Willstrop was simply on top of the rallies. Trailing 9-7 Shabana put in some real effort in probably the longest rally of the match. A punishing all court rally that stretched both players to the limit with Willstrop coming out on top with a thundering cross court drive to give him game ball.  A forehand drop took Shabana to the front and from his counter drop  Willstrop drove down the court to take the game 11-7.

Vanessa beats out Dutch rival Annelize Naude in the women's final photo © 2010 Courtesy Simon Hansevi.

That was more or less the match. Shabana has obviously got a real problem  with his leg  which stopped him competing properly in New York when he faced Willstrop.  This injury severely limited his competitive ability,  and  his six errors as he tried to win with his racket brought the game to a quick close in just six minutes, ll-4 to Willstrop.

Shabana made more of a game of it in the fourth hitting six of his beautiful winners but Willstrop , aware of his opponent’s condition played percentage squash to take the 7 minute game 11-7 to earn his place in the final and another crack at Matthews to whom he had lost in their last two meetings.

PILLEY’S HEROICS COME TO AND END
 This tournament will certainly belong to the lanky Australian Cameron Pilley, ranked world number 17 who knocked out the rampaging young Egyptian El Shorbagy and established French star Gregory Gaultier to earn his place in the semis. But his match against the tough Frenchman was long and regardless how fit a player is, to go back on court within 24 hours after such an effort, will always end in tears.

Nick Matthew, hewn, it seems, from Yorkshire granite, can go on forever.  He started with ruthless efficiency winning the first game 11-3 in just 8 minutes. Just when we thought it was going to be a massacre, Pilley showed exactly what he was made of  as he forced Matthew to  battle for  24 minutes before winning the second game. Pilley had gotten up to speed and moved beautifully around the court playing the right shots at the right time. Suddenly this had become a match of equals and Pilley’s effortless striking of the ball combined with immense reach  (he is at least 6ft4”) posed a real problem to Matthew – how to win a point.  Indeed Pilley got to game ball, 10-8 and threatened to tie the match but Matthew played a shrewd boast to get to 9-10 and then another forehand boast to force a tie breaker. Twice Pilley took the lead and twice he made critical errors to allow Matthew to survive. A third error gave Matthew game ball at 13-12 and then Matthew finally ended the game with a forehand drop.

That 24 minutes of brutal activity finally took the legs away from Pilley and eight minutes later Matthew had the third game  11-2 to end the 46 minute match. I cannot imagine Pilley being too disappointed:  Sweden had been good to him and he had been good for Sweden.

THE FINAL

How we all waited for this final to start.  There had been bad blood between Willstrop and Matthew after the British Open. From the England squad camp came the news that they had kissed and made up (well they would ssay that, wouldn’t they?)…..they must have kissed kindness goodbye and made up their minds to beat the crap out of each other on their next meeting. I’m sure they don’t go out to dinner together. 

However, on court, they are perfect gentlemen, sportsmen to the tips of their fingers, calling their own balls down when necessary  and rarely arguing with the referee.

The match started well with some good length played at pace with nothing to choose between them – but this was early days. At 3-3 there was a huge rally – 40, 50 shots? Who’s got time to count? – eventually won by Matthew. But something had happened during the rally and at the conclusion Willstrop was  windmilling his right arm and clutching his shoulder. We held our breath. He continued. The referee asked if he was all right. Willstrop said yes and the referee said ‘it doesn’t look like it’. (How comes all Swedes speak terrific English? Coloquial too).

Matthew  took control  and ran to an 8-3 lead when Willstrop finally asked for a  three minute injury break. The physio was right there, off came the shirt, kneading and poking took place, we could hear the odd word and it seemed like there was a trapped nerve.  Within the three minutes, Willstrop put his shirt back on and resumed.  He fought back looking his usual terrific self to  8-9  and then 9-10. Matthew served  for the game and his serve died in the back wall nick. Cruel, very cruel.

With Injuries the game had taken 20 minutes, but the good news, it seemed was that Willstrop was working on all 12 cylinders again. 

In the second game at about 4-4, TV commentator Lee Beachill, who grew up with Willstrop and is like an elder brother, commented that something was wrong with Willstrop’s movement. And as the game progressed  Willstrop became a shadow of his usual self, failing to get to balls or recover from a lunge into the corner.  Matthew moved him around the court, but the sad writing was on the wall. The game lasted ten minutes and ended 11-6 for Matthew.

In the break, we could see Willstrop’s right thigh being bandaged. This was really dreadful luck for Willstrop who later this week would be challenging for the British national championship.  He came back for the third but at 6-2 down he shook Matthew’s hand and they left the court, neither of them happy men. This was just a lousy way for a match to end, but especially a final.

CASE Swedish Open
SEMIS
NICK MATTHEW (ENG) BT CAMERON PILLEY (AUS) 11-3, 14-12, 11-2 (46 mins)
JAMES WILLSTROP (ENG) BT  AMR SHABANA (EGY) 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 (36misn)

FINAL
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt James Willstrop (ENG)
11-9, 11-6, 6-2 ret.

WISPA ZACK SWEDISH OPEN
Final:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [2] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-11 11-8 11-5 11-6