Duncalf Knocks Out Botwright

WISPA Play takes place overlooking Hyderabad. Photos 2006 ©Martin Bronstein and Alex Wan .

SQUASH ON TOP OF THE WORLD

The  view from the back garden of the Falaknuma Palace is quite marvelous,  overlooking the city of Hyderabad and a very real reminder of the days when Britain ruled most of the globe in the name of the British Empire. Hyderabad was the site of a major British garrison, being in the dead center of the country and so convenient to suppress the natives- with the co-operation of the princes, of course. We were told that when the British finally decided to give the natives their country back, the first government was a nominated government, that is, appointed  by the British Government in Whitehall. “Just like in Iraq today,” said our guide.  That was in 1947 when a unified India was created, getting the  various princes to add their kingdoms in exchange for no taxes and bank accounts abroad.(Like buying Manahatten from the those other Indians for a bag of beads). Two princes  said ‘not bloody likely’, so the British sent in the army and took the lands just the same. Does history repeat itself?

The Falaknuma Palace at sunset. Photo 2006 ©Martin Bronstein. (above) Nicol David and Alison Waters (below) photo 2006 © Alex Wan

I sit in the back of the bleachers with electric points and tables for the journalists, a perfect view of the court (which looks superb with its first-ever glass floor). The illuminated Palace is the backdrop –not quite as jaw-dropping as the Pyramids, but pretty damn good.

HONOURS GO TO DUNCALF AND BOTWRIGHT
Two English players had the honour of being the first pros to play on a glass floor  and they put together a pretty good opening match. Although Botwright is currently ranked above Duncalf (they are 5 and 6 in the WISPA rankings), there is not a lot to choose between them.

 It was Duncalf who got the better start, seeming to enjoy the court and taking the dominant role. There were no surprises from  Botwright  and Duncalf cruised through to a 9-6 win, looking comfortable.  Botwright  upped her game in the second game and they both worked hard all over the court in this muggy temperature. Neither player could establish  a dominance and so they sweated all the way to a tiebreak with Botwright squeezing home  10-9.

As in her match yesterday, Duncalf came back for the third with a little more fire in her  racket and again dominated play from a player who lacked her usual skills.  Botwright was not doing very much with the ball and Duncalf, using her occasional kill shot, took the game 9-5.

In the fourth Duncalf relaxed, hit some dreadful errors that had her biting her racket (she had already been warned for racket abuse) in frustration. In this heat, she certainly didn’t relish the prospect of a fifth game. But Botwright had a 7-2 lead and a fifth game was seeming like a certainty.

There are not certainties. Duncalf concentrated, Botwright unwisely went for two winners and hit tin which  helped Duncalf string togther  seven points in a row to win the game 9-7 and the match 3/1.

My first question, naturally was about the court and the glass floor.

“Great court, I really liked it,” Duncalf responded. “If I were blindfolded I could not tell the difference between that and the normal floor.”

Botwright agreed and added: “ On this floor you can see the insects more clearly – they crunch when you  tread on them.”  Asked for an assessment of her performance she admitted that she felt really tired in the fourth. “But I was back to running around, my old ways. I couldn’t seem to do anything with the ball.”

WATERS SURPRISES  DAVID
England’s Alison Waters came out for her first game against world champion Nicol David full of confidence and wonderful length. Her shots were dying in the back left corner and even her cross courts left David with nothing to play with.  The world number 11 was dominating the world number two and that shouldn’t happen. It is true that David was making an inordinate number of errors but I put this down to the pressure that Waters was creating all over the court. Deservedly Waters –nominated as the most improved player of the year by her fellow members – took the first game  in 12 minutes, 9-4.

In the second game the world turned around. David stopped hitting tin or out of court and Waters found it hard to hit  a backhand straight down the wall. Time after time the ball would hit the side wall and end up in the center of the court giving David either a penalty stroke or any easy put away. David gave nothing away and just waited for the opportunities which kept on coming and she grabbed the second game  9-1 in seven minutes. The third game disappeared even quicker  in just over six minutes and David was 2/1 up.

The fourth was the best game of the match and one that Waters could have won had she played with the consistency that gave her a 3-0 lead Sadly she could not keep it up and whenever she played a slightly loose ball David was there to put it away. Waters did not give up and  played solidly making just three errors in the game the same as David.  She pulled back from  trailing 6-3 to get to 5-6  but David stopped the run with by smacking a serve to length to get hand in  and won the next point  when Waters played herself out of position. This was hard intelligent squash and the world champion  was being made to work for every point. In the end it was David’s consistency that gave the game 9-6 after 12minutes , but Waters must feel happy with her performance  which proved she can play at the top level in patches. Time will give her the consistency of those ranked above her.

KAWY  GIVES UP –AGAIN
Omneya Abdel Kawy  played the first game against Natalie Grinham as only she can  with complete control of her racket, the ball and the game. It was a lesson in how much you can do with a racket and she reached  game ball 8-3 with ease. On the next rally she called a let, sure that Grinham had failed to clear and give up a penalty point. The referee called a let and Kaway had to serve again. Once again there was a clear case for a penalty point against Grinham, butonce again the referee again gave a let and she lost the point and then the point and then the  game as  Grinham ran through to win 10-8.  Kawy simply gave up the next two games as she used to do, a mental abherration that I hoped she had outgrown.

Grinham needed no second bidding and took the match and a place in the final where she will face big sister Rachael.

GRINHAM SHOWS BAILEY THE WAY TO WIN
I  looked forward to the final match of the evening, wanting to see how Tania Bailey would fare against Grinham the Elder. The quick answer is not bad, but not good enough. She is a powerful hitter and  a good mover but she still needs another six month of playing the top ten players before she has improved her all round game.  It was a fascinating battle, with Bailey always on the edge of taking the dominant role, but Grinham has had so much experience at the top – and a few moves that defy description – that she always knew how to  turn a rally around  and exactly where to put the ball.   

Although Bailey led the second game 7-5 she simply could not up the game to take those final two points while Grinham  never looked the slightest bit troubled. It ended 3/0 the Grinham, but there were indications that Bailey can still make the top four.

QATAR AIRWAYS CHALLENGE
QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
[2]Rachel Grinham (AUS) bt  [6]Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-6 9-7 9-3, 52 min.
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 10-8 9-0 9-1, 35 min.
[5]Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [4]Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-6 9-10 9-5 9-7
[1]Nicol David (MAS) [10] bt [8]Alison Waters (ENG) 4-9 9-1 9-2 9-6, 47 min.

                    [Main Draw]

The new ASB tour court with class floor innovation. Photo 2006 © Alex Wan.