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Last updated 01/08/2002
US Open Quarterfinals
- by Martin Bronstein
Kneipp in Amazing Form as he Overwhelms John White
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The
Memorial US Open - Quarters, Monday Evening
January 7, 2001 Back Bay, Boston, MA--
Martin Bronstein reporting from the Boston Sheraton
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| World #27, Joseph Kneipp,© 2002 Debra Tessier |
KNEIPP QUALIFIES FOR KUDOS If Joe Kneipp ends up winning this tournament, don't be surprised. He is on a terrific roll right now and he is so full of confidence, he could have stayed in bed and sent his mountain of confidence on to the court with John White and still won. You've got to remember (this is for new readers) that John White is world number three and Kneipp a lowly qualifier ranked 27 in the world.
The way White played yesterday against Parke promised dynamite, but that is not taking the Kneipp brain into consideration. He worked out a game plan that saw him hitting as many winners as the very talented White and gradually whittling away at White's confidence. It must be said that White was a smidgen off his game, and any luck that was going went to Kneipp.
YOU WANT WINNERS? KNEIPP'S GOT 'EM
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| Joseph Kneipp and John White, © 2002 Debra Tessier |
From the word go Kneipp acted like a winner, took a 3-1 lead and then at 6-all hit a series of winners that visibly sapped White's confidence. Further more Kneipp, who has played White numerous time, was reading his game superbly and picking up the White slam-dunk shots - normally winners - and sending them to the back of the court with interest. Kneipp took that first game 15-7 and stuck to his plan in the second game. Although White led 8-6, he failed to find a way to stop the Kneipp campaign and after nearly 19 minutes he found himself two games down.
White was still trying to turn in the third game and while they were level at 12-all, the situation had not really changed, with Kneipp acting as fresh as ever, while there was a discernible droop to White's shoulders. Kneipp was awarded a stroke to get to 13-1, a whipped forehand boast from White from the back of the court hit the tin, to make it 14-12 and then another stroke, the result of a loose shot from White, gave Kneipp the match point and a memorable 3/0 victory.
A MAN. A PLAN. AND JU JU BEES.
Kneipp was relaxed and still on his feet, fresh as ever after the 45 minute
match and told me that he was focussed and hungry. "I also think that it's
a good idea to have a game plan and mine was to slow it down. White likes
a fast, furious and open game, which is when he hits his winners best. Today
he wasn't at his nick-slapping best and I kept it straight. I also kept him
away from the front of the court where he is lethal," Kneipp said, chewing
on handfuls of ju ju bees to stock up on his glucose.
The last time he played White in a PSA tournament he won 3-1 but that was some time ago. He lost to him 3-2 in a recent league match, but thought it was always close between them. He now faces Peter Nicol, another player he almost beat last month in a German league game .so, can he keep going? Don' t bet against it.
THE SCOTTISH PLAY
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Martin Heath and Peter Nicol,
© 2002 Debra Tessier
|
The next match was an all Scottish affair (Yes, yes, I know Nicol wears Union Jack Y-fronts under his kilt, but he still speaks Scots). Martin Heath has spent his squash life as number two to Nicol in Scotland. He has beaten Nicol (two years ago at the Tournament of Champions in New York ) but that was the exception. Today he made the mistake of playing to Nicol's strength - long rallies - and the second mistake, or omission, was not to put the ball away when the opportunity arose. The first game was probably the longest and most punishing in the tournament so far with some lung busting rallies that surely must have been 50-60 shots long.
And Nicol won every one of them, highly damaging to the morale when your lungs are burning and the legs are turning to jelly. Nicol won the 22 ½ minute game 15-11 and, as suspected, this was the extent of Heath's challenge. The second game was over in nine minutes, 15-4 in Nicol's favour and when he stood at 13-3in the third it was virtually over. Nicol was putting away loose balls with an assurance I have never seen before and Heath also hit a few winners, but it was too few, too late and after 8 minutes the game was over 15-7 to put Nicol through to the semis.
CANADIANS FOLLOW THE SAME SCRIPT
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| Graham Ryding and Jonathon Power, © 2002 Debra Tessier |
Graham Ryding has spent his squash life very much in the shadow of Jonathon
Power and must sympathise with Martin Heath's predicament. He lost the first
two games, but led the third all the way 10-8, which is when Power put his
foot down a little harder on the loud pedal and as expected took the third
game 15-12 to book his meeting with Chaloner in the semis. It is difficult
to say whether Power is playing well, because both of his early round matches
failed to push him. But he will have to play very well indeed if he does meet
Nicol, as expected in the final. But with Kneipp around, nothing is certain.
WHAT HAPPENED TO YESTERDAY'S MAN?
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Stefan Casteleyn and Mark Chaloner, © 2002 Debra Tessier
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The question we were all asking after Mark Chaloner beat qualifier Stefan Casteleyn is 'What happened to the Stefan Casteleyn that knocked out Paul Price in the first round?' It was almost a different player on court against Chaloner, lacking in precision imagination and guile. Chaloner was his normal efficient self, getting everything back and slamming the occasional ball into the nick. Casteleyn talked to himself - without noticeable improvement in his performance - and directed rambling sentences at the referee, but Only got down to playing his usual game for spurts in the third game, by which time it was too late and the spectators were going home to bed. Chaloner won in three and will face Power with bags of confidence.
