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October 28-November
3 2000 at the Harvard Club, Boston MA USA
The SG Cowen US Open Pro Squash Championships
Semi finals: Jonathon
Power and Simon Park both win in Three
Tournament
online draw Day Three photogallery
Quarterfinal report
POWER OUTGUNS JOHNSON
November 2, Boston, by Ron Beck. - At eleven to six in the first game, Jonathon Power had Paul Johnson running all over the court. It was all Johnson could do to retrieve Johnathon's drops, drives and lobs. At the end, though, Power tinned on an easy drop from point blank range.
It didn't matter though - Johnson was doing the scrambling and Power was doing the thinking and the ultimate result was somewhat predictable.
Paul Johnson just couldn't provide offensive pace or shotmaking to put Power off balance, while Power's length and touch was well enough on to give Johnson complete fits.
Harvard hall was completely packed for this semi-final, a vibrant mix of young and old, squash fanatics and casual spectators. On hand too, were USSRA's Eben Hardie and PSA's Gawain Briars.
And despite Power's dominance of the scoring, the match itself was interesting and entertaining. The object lesson of the even was the value of well honed offense over defence. Power showed time and time again how to break down an "attritional" defensive approach to the game, by moving and mixing up the player and eventually working him out of position. Power did not allow Johnson to bring complete fitness into the picture as a strategic element of the match.
The view, again and again, was of Power, relatively calm, smooth, and in control, gliding to the ball, and flicking it onward in an unexpected direction causing Johnson to scurry endlessly. By 8-1 in the third, Power's dominance was almost complete. He was playing smart, error-free attacking squash.
(photos ©2000, SquashTalk, Ron Beck)
Power has too much offense tonight for Johnson (photos © 2000 Ron Beck Squashtalk)
Johnson tries to make Power stretch (photos © 2000 Ron Beck Squashtalk)
Parke and Heath moved each other all over the court (photos © 2000 Ron Beck Squashtalk)
Johnson finally picked up his second point after the score had reached 10-1. Power was ready to regroup for the final and let Heath and Parke battle it out on the hot exhibition court.
PARKE VERSUS HEATH - 8 PM
Simon Parke and Martin Heath came tonight prepared to do battle. A lot was at stake - for Parke, a chance to repeat as US Open Champ, for Heath a great chance to advance in the rankings at the event where he had to stop last year with a racing heart. Heath sought to built on his recent win over Parke - just a month ago in a non-ranking invitational event in Santa Barbara.
The first game saw some incredi ble rallies, as both players were completely unafraid to attack and go for shots, each player ready for long and punishing rallies. Parke got the early advantage while almost every rally was virtually evenly played, with Parke benefitting from some pinpoint accuracy.
At five - three in the first game, a long and fascinating rally that saw each player moved to all corners of the court, ended with Parke getting a perfect drop.
At 11-7, an even more brilliantly played rally ended with Parke scoring an unlikely backhand overhead volley nick of of Heath's lob. At 14-11, Heath dug in and produced some unlikely gets to move to 12-14. Parke held on to take the first game 15-12 on a backhand passing shot.
In the second game, Parke came out fast again, earning a 5-1 lead after several spectacular rallies. Heath charged back, evening the frame at 5-5 with some magic of his own.
The next fifteen minutes produced absolutely scintillating squash, with breakneck rallies, and all aspects of the attacking game on display. At 10-9, Heath oddly served the ball out at the front wall, tieing it at 10-10. Heath then regained a 13-11 lead but Parke relentlessly attacked again and again, finally evening it at 14-all.
More spectacular squash brought the second game to 16-all where Parke won the point and game on an attacking boast to the nick.
After that, the third game was an anticlimax as Parke was sailing and Heath was struggling to stay focused. Heath said later, "Parke just kept on running. I wanted to make him run until he couldn't do it anymore, but he just kept running and getting the breaks when he needed them."
RESULTS, Semifinals, US Open
Simon Parke vs Martin Heath 15-12, 17-16,
15-8
Jonathon Power def Paul Johnson 15-7, 15-9, 15-12
© 2000 squashtalk.com
