WISPA Qatar Airways Squash Challenge Hyderabad 2006

Rachael Wins Battle of the Sisters

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

Duncalf Outplays David ... For Two and a Half Games

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

Nicol David will want to forget the first two games of her semi-final against Jenny Duncalf, the English player presently ranked four place behind her second place spot. Her performance was lamentable, unthinkable strings of weak shots and errors that could not begin to suggest that we were watching the reigning world champion.

The small Malaysian has never seemed on top of her form this week, but this was easily her worst stretch of squash. Duncalf was playing well with a real purpose in her body language as she produced solid squash. Nothing spectacular mind you, but it was easily good enough to win the first game. True David did fight back from a 2-7 deficit but continually spoiled her own fight by giving away silly points. She made Duncalf serve five times at game ball but there never seemed a time when she would win the game. There were some long rallies, but not that many. More to the point there were not that many good rallies.

If we thought little of the first game, the second game surprised us by getting worse. Duncalf took a simple 3-0 and then just as simply lost it with three silly errors. Nicol strung six points together to lead 6-3 to give the impression that she had gotten over her horrendous start and was back to form. But no: In the next ten rallies she hit seven errors and two winners. Despite her drops hitting tin she persevered to her own detriment. She also continued to attempt winners off Duncalf’s serve and failed miserably. The final point of the game was a backhand drop into the tin off David’s racket and Duncalf now had a two game lead over the world champion. Not a great game - eight errors in all from David , four from Duncalf.

In the third game David had still not settled down, while Duncalf looked very comfortable, handling David’s game with ease. This was understandable because David was not doing anything clever with the ball. Duncalf worked her way to a 6-1 lead and was three points from a massive upset. I simply could not envisage David getting out of this predicament. But she did, which is why she is a world champion.

THE COMEBACK

Her comeback started with a Duncalf forehand drive into the tin and from that moment on it was game over. The positions were reversed with David in the driving seat and an ever-increasingly rattled Duncalf hitting the errors, allowing David a string of six points to lead 7-6. Duncalf stopped the run with a winner from David’s serve, ended the next rally with backhand boast into the tin to lose serve and then hit two more errors to give the 14 minute game - and a lifeline – to David.

David was now picking up the drops and beginning to use a little guile while Duncalf was beginning to tire. David kept up the pace of the previous games while her opponent was showing signs of wear. The fourth game was over in eight minutes, 9-3 and the fourth game in seven minutes, 9-0, a scoreline which tells its own story.

While there was rarely great squash in this semi-final, in its own way there was drama throughout and the changes of fortune worthy of any soap opera. If Nicol wins this tournament she will be top of the rankings UNLESS….. there is always an unless …. Vanessa Atkinson does better than David in the Malaysian Open in two weeks.

THE SISTER BATTLE RENEWED
In recent tournaments Natalie Grinham has been getting the better of older sister Rachael and even overtook her in the rankings. But Cairo based Rachael reversed the positions in the July rankings to make this face-off a battle for third spot behind Atkinson and David.

This was a much different type of squash – more creative - than the first semifinal with Rachael still playing a brand of squash that is unique to her. She uses height beautifully and her change of pace can put the ball into slow motion. Her Cairo base has effected her positively and now she has a touch of the Egyptian shotmaker in her. So her opponents don’t know whether the ball will come screaming back at them, float down slowly from the sky with ice on it or be cut into the nick at the front.

There is also a wealth of experience and very fast hands. Yes Rachael Grinham is a very formidable opponent.

Although Natalie has said that nobody know what her big sis will do with the ball, she of all the other players has a better guess at it. Between them they put on a match resemble a chess game and a battle of wits rather than who could hit the ball hardest to the back corner.

Rachael struck first blood with a 9-4 game but found that nullified as Natalie played near flawless squash to take the second game by the same score. Rachael regained control in the third to lead 6-2 and withstood Natalie’s comeback to 6-4. Natalie’s error count began to creep up and they all came at the front of the court where Rachael kept dropping the ball. Rachael won the third game, 9-4 again to go 2/up.

If anybody was going to tire it would be the young sister, constantly being sent to the front to pick up those soft drops. But not yet, and she tried delaying her shot to wrongfoot her sister as well as a few other tactics, but Rachael reads the game well and seems to be at the right place to put the ball away. Her fading boasts were now catching Natalie a yard short and in the fourth game she built up a safe 5-1 lead.

She won her sixth point using drops, drives, a Philadelphia boast ,which lead to a weak reply from Natalie and Rachael put it away. She was beginning to look unbeatable.

She reached match ball on a Natalie error and then lost serve by hitting the ball out of court. Natalie got her second point with a cross court into the nick but lost serve to another perfect drop from Big Sis. The final point was another textbook drop and drive from Rachael to put an end to highly entertaining 55 minutes of intellectual squash.

QATAR AIRWAYS CHALLENGE

SEMI- FINAL RESULTS
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 4-9, 9-4,9-2 (55mins)
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 5-9, 6-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-0 (65mins)

[Main Draw]

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