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Nash Cup : Day SIX

The Women’s Final. Reporting Jay Francis

Emily Whitlock 3-1 Samantha Cornett 11-9, 13-11, 11-5( 36m)

A Sunday afternoon final at London Squash & Fitness Club! Having the home favourite Canadian Sam in the final ensured a packed house! There seemed to be a few green tinged pro’s in the crowd watching on! Was this just pure envy of the 2 players in the final – or maybe the after effects of a fantastic London ‘night out’ for the Nash Cup pros’?

Emily would start as the favourite in the final, but it was Sam who came out fast taking a hard earned 5-2 lead! The opening rallies were a little edgy for both players, then Emily started to relax and her squash tightened up. She started to boss the T. Her strength cutting off the ball on the backhand side was key to her comeback; Emily slotted, another, backhand volley drop winner to nick the 1st game 11-9!

Sam was cheered back onto the court. I think Jen Layman was the lead cheerleader. Her energy really kicked up the crowd! Good luck Brad with that one later!

The 2nd game was “THE” game. Sam started to push Emily deeper and keep her off the T. This allowed Sam to work all four corners with more efficiency! The 2 ladies went toe-to-toe. The crowd were totally behind Sam. They are totally fair with regards to applauding quality shots from the non-Canadian; however it’s definitely dad Phil making the most noise as Emily creeps closer to the all-important 2 game lead! There are some lung-busting rallies towards the end of this game! Sam gets a game-ball, but a gutsy volley kill winner after a monster rally from Emily ties it up again! Emily shows her class, taking 3 points in-a-row to crush the home crowds’ fervour!

Love hearing that home town Mancunian accent from Emily as she storms over to her chair, I was needed to translate what “eh up Dad, narly time fur pint doon Rovers” actually meant! Emily was flowing in her words and more importantly her squash. She came out for the 3rd very relaxed, that’s what makes the 2nd game so important in squash! Her game was in full on kill mode now and as Sam’s length and width started to drop short Emily went for the jugular! This was a pretty quick and dominant 3rd game and Emily is the 2018 Nash Cup champion.

Emily was incredibly well spoken in her speech, about the great members, the joy of playing in a 100% squash club and of how important these medium-sized tournaments are to the Ladies World Tour. Obviously being a fellow Northerner I was able to quickly translate all this to the local Canadians! Well done Emily on a fantastic dominant performance throughout the entire week!

It’s been a fantastic week here in London, great squash, excitement, drama and of course PLENTY of fun in the evenings, as always! I hope many of you enjoyed the streams and reports and hope you’ll all tune in next year for the next installment of this amazing series….”The Nash Cup”….rumours have it Netflix may be calling!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day FIVE :

The evenings’ matches have been sold out since May and it’s safe to say that nobody is asking for their money back. WHAT A SHOW!!!

Men’s Final:

Alfredo Avila 3-2 Christopher Binnie 8-11,11-3,7-11,12-10,11-2 (67m)

Women’s Semis:

Emily Whitlock 3-0 Milou vd Heijden 11-9,11-6,11-6 (39m)

Samantha Cornett 3-1 Nadine Shahin 12-10,10-12,11-9,12-10 (48m)

Emily Whitlock vs Milou vd Heijden 11-9,11-6,11-6(39mins)

Match reporter Brad ‘Stingray’ Hanebury back again by popular demand. Tonight’s first match is the women’s semi-final between Van Der Heijden and Whitlock. After typing Van Der Heijden once (now twice), I’ve come to the conclusion that she needs a nickname. Preferably something short and easy to type. The Vandal? Darth Heijden? Let’s have a popular vote to decide. Call in with your vote in the next 20 minutes.

The first rally is a quick one while the players warm up. Whitlock takes it with a quick drop shot. Second rally of the game sees Heijden slip on court and roll her ankle. Three minute timeout injury. Dr. Phil (Stables) runs on court to help, mistaking the crowd murmurs of ‘ankle roll’ with ‘home flipping’. Victoria Soo, a real doctor, arrives soon after and helps with the diagnosis.

A few minutes later (about 3 to be exact), Heijden returns to the court looking ready to play. She moves well and wins the point with a tight drop from the back. She continues the momentum, winning the next several rallies. Whitlock pushes back with a long point to take back serve.

The players trade points as they reach the end of the first game. Neither one seems able to string multiple points together. Final points of the game and Whitlock appears to be pulling away. Heijden is doing a lot of work to stay in the points. Final point sees Whitlock hit a winner in the back right.

Whitlock takes the first game.

During the intermission, let’s do one of our more popular segments: talking with the audience.

Me: Rob Doherty, what did you think of that first game?

Rob: I slept for three hours last night. I just drank five Red Bull’s and a pint of beer.

Me: that sounds astonishingly unhealthy.

Rob: I CAN SEE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE

Me: *slowly backs away*

The second game is underway and Heijden looks ready for a battle. Whitlock meets her shot for shot and takes the first two points. Whitlock’s length is just a little bit tighter and deeper than Heijden’s, which is allowing her more opportunities to attack from winning positions. However Heijden refuses to quit, and with her tremendous court coverage she is forcing each rally to extend.

Mid game and Whitlock begins to pull away, gong up 8-4. Heijden does her best to battle back, but Whitlock’s lead is too great. She takes the second game to go up 2-0.

I’d like to welcome our co-reporter for the third game, Gary Sullivan. Gary, what do you think Heijden has to do to come back?

Gary? Has anyone seen Gary?

Apparently Gary is at the bar. We’ll check in with him later.

The third game has Whitlock go up 3-1 with a succession of quick points. Heijden needs to change something up if she wants to give herself a chance. Whitlock is in the zone, and proceeds to execute a strong game. Heijden is unable to respond, allowing Whitlock to rack up the points. The third game ends fairly undramatically (new word) with Whitlock taking the win and a place in the finals tomorrow. This reporter is curious how much of a factor Heijden’a rolled ankle was on her play. Although she was moving well, knowing that you have an injury can always affect how you move on a subconscious level.

Samantha Cornett vs Nadine Shahin 12-10,10-12,11-9,12-10(48mins)

Tonight is the woman semi-final night and the crowd favourite, Canadian Samantha Cornett is playing the #2 seed in the tournament. The match started with the Egyptian Nadine Shahin serving and the crowd is already going crazy. The rallies are long and the players’ patient as they look for the right opportunities. Nadine builds a lead and it looks grim for Sam, but she rallies hard to come back from a 7-10 deficit to win the first 12-10!! This game was crucial, and the crowd gave Sam a huge ovation as she walked off the court. She must have been adrenalized by the packed house going crazy!

The second game began and the crowd are still going nuts. What a crowd!! Samantha and Nadine alternate shots again and Sam has a late game lead. Three consecutive tins however gives the game to Nadine and they are tied up.

In the 3rd game Sam came out firing and went up 6-0. She then kept the pace going, but the Egyptian got a few points. Same won the game by the minimum 2 point margin again and the crowd goes insane! She must have been amazed at the support she was receiving, the club was packed, a few drinks in, and were going mental.

Onto the fourth. Sam keeps the same pace! The game plan is working and she’s working hard. Neither player is giving up easy point. Both keep looking for opportunities. Errors are rare. After switching leads back and forth Sam builds a 10-8 lead and then the Egyptian came back and made it 10-10. Two shots into the next rally the Egyptian hits the tin and the crowd is shocked. The next rally is a solid one when Sam hits a shot that’s a bit loose down the left wall. Nadine goes for the stoke call, but was early in her efforts. Players need to make every effort to play the ball. Perhaps if she had waited a fraction of a second longer she would have been right, but ref calls NO LET!!! No way!

The game is over. The crowd didn’t believe it. It was the correct decision, but hardly an easy one to make. This reporter is very happy not to have had to make it. The Canadian is in the final!!!!! It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere tomorrow!! Good luck her opponent!! Jayden Shortt reporting

Alfredo Avila 3-2 Christopher Binnie 8-11,11-3,7-11,12-10,11-2(67mins)

Match reporter Stingray Hanebury back again after a quick break (needed a pint). Tonight’s match should be an excellent one. Both players are Nash Cup veterans with Avila being runner up 9 years ago (2010) to the legendary Jan Koukal aka the person that brought the 'Borovička’ we all love and hate.

Binnie begins the first game looking very strong and steady. He’s managing to control the Tee and force Avila to move around him. He racks up the first few points to take an early lead.

Avila shows that he has an extra gear and forces Binnie into some very long, grueling rallies. Binnie struggles through them, being a much larger player, but he manages to come out on top to win the first game with a small lead.

In between games let’s check back in with Gary Sullivan for some colour commentary. Gary, what are your thoughts on this match so...wait…why are you holding 5 empty cans of beer? Whose are they?

Gary: what do you mean? I’m just clearing out my locker.

The second game has Avila displaying amazing athleticism and forcing Binnie to stretch himself around the court. Binnie attempts to maintain control of the T, going too far at times as to guess on several shots in one rally. Binnie looks to be feeling it more physically.

This reporter has just learned that there’s a silent auction at the club tonight. No one told me, of course, because it was silent.

The third game starts with Binnie upping the tempo of play. He needs to do something take away Avila’s speed advantage and give himself breathing room. The strategy starts off well by winning him the first few points, but he’s paying a heavy cardio cost for each one.

Midway through the game, Binnie slows the pace and focuses on hitting quality straight drives. The strategy helps, but no amount of running appears to affect Avila. He’s the Super Soaker (upper) of punishment.

6-6 in the third game and the crowd is thoroughly enjoying the match. The clash of styles on court is facilitating long, exciting rallies.

Avila hits two consecutive unforced errors, followed up two wonderful drops by Binnie. 9-7 Binnie. Two more hard fought points and Binnie takes the game 11-7.

During the intermission, Avila can be seen on the phone talking to his coach. Let’s listen in on what they’re saying:

Avila: Yes, that’s right. Pepperoni, mushroom, and anchovies. No onion, please.

Huh. Okay then.

Fourth game has Avila take an early lead 3-0. Binnie needs to be careful or else this game will slip away from him. At 3-1 the players have one of the longest rallies of the match. The players take turns in control and on the run. It unfortunately ends in a let ball.

At 6-6, Binnie has Avila on the run from corner to corner. Avila displays some Superman-like abilities to retrieve the shots. Well, no flight. Or heat vision. No cold breath either... maybe that was a poor analogy. How about Flash-like abilities?

The points get longer and more difficult for both players. Binnie is given a lifeline at the end when Avila hits a trickle boast into the ten, but the following rally Avila rebounds to take the game and bring this match to a fifth and final.

Let’s have some more colour commentary from our favorite Trottier, Fraser Trottier. Fraser, thoughts on the match so far? Wait, Riley, what are you doing here?

Riley Trottier: Damnit, Brad. I hate you. I hate you so much.

Me: Sooo, Fraser isn’t here?

Riley: No, obviously. He lives in Toronto. You know that.

Me: any chance we can do a Trottier trade?

Riley: No!

Me: sigh. We can always dream.

Fifth game starts and our host, Jay Nash, has to concede that he was wrong when he told Sam Cornett that whoever won the third game would take it in four. For the sake of his wife Diane we would like to repeat – “Jay admitted he was wrong”. There some commotion as Binnie takes a racquet to the back of the head. All smiles on the court and the play continues within seconds. Despite the intense rallies and the questioning of the odd call these guys are gentlemen on the court.

Early in the game, Avila plays long, consistent rallies. He’s letting Binnie know that he’s ready for a battle. Binnie hangs in there, but begins showing signs of fatigue. Avila runs up a quick lead to 6-1. Binnie is attempting to take the ball in short for winners, but clips the tin. He’s going to need a big recovery if he wants to make a comeback on this game.

8-2 Avila and Bonnie doesn’t have an answer for him. Three unforced errors give Avila the championship.

It took 9 years for Avila to go from ‘finalist’ to ‘champion’….this reporter has it on good authority that Binnie plans to do it in less than half that time.

As the trophy presentation is completed and the unbelievably dedicated NASH Cup Committee is commended a NASH Cup tradition is maintained as our new champions has a drink from the cup.

That ends the men’s draw for the 2018 Nash Cup. Everyone tune in tomorrow for the Women’s final feature Emily Whitlock and Samantha Cornett at 2pm EST.

Amateur & Challenge

Nearly 100 amateur players from across Ontario and Michigan completed play today in 9 divisions. Congratulations to all who took home some great prizing from Salming, and thank you for being part of this event.

The annual “Challenge Match” was hosted for the first time by Julia Nash, oldest daughter of the events founder. At 13 she showed remarkable poise and was completely unphased by the crowd of 80+ who were taking in the spectacle. In simple terms this event is a “king of the hill” battle where the serving player must complete a challenge to earn points and stay in control of the court. Nikki Todd; Nicole Bunyan; Holly Delivigne; Sanne Veldkamp; and Julianna Courtice were great sports and had a blast completing over 50 different challenges including playing with a junior racquet; a tennis ball; completing a push up within the rally; touching all four walls; playing two opponents at once (pictured) and playing with the lights out. A great way to start out the night.

Day FOUR Women Quarter’s & Men Semis

What an incredible night! A sellout crowd and nearly a hundred amateurs resulted in a very busy and energy filled club. Spectators were ready for some great squash, and they weren’t disappoints. At least half the matches will be talked about for years to come….

Women:

Emily Whitlock vs Olivia Fiechter 11-8,11-8,11-4(36mins)

Game 1 Players getting used to each other, hitting length and looking for opportunities and weaknesses. No one taking control yet. Later in game Whitlock starting to take the T more and wins game 11-8. Game 2 Whitlock came out strong controlling pace and T pulling to early 5-2 lead. Fiechter went from retrieval mode to cutting the ball off more which was successful for a while. But in the end Whitlock wins 11-8. Game 3 Whitlock controlled game 3, pouncing in everything Fiechter tried to attack with. Wins 11-4. Lena Spettigue reporting

Haley Mendez vs Milou vd Heijden 11-9,9-11,7-11,11-9,11-13(56mins)

It was a tense match between the number 4 and 5 seed of the Nash Cup. Milou van der Heijden and Haley Mendez played some amazing squash going all the way to a tie-breaker in five games. The first game started with both girls hitting tight lengths and some great shots. Haley was just on top of Milou taking the game 11-9. Second game was the other way around. Still high quality squash, 11-9 to Milou.

In the third she looked a bit more comfortable taking it 11-7. Haley regained herself in the fourth game, getting to 10-7 but Milou battled back to 9-10. It was not meant to be with Haley forcing a decider. The fifth game was tense with both girls trading points, Neither could more than a point or two ahead. Milou got the first match ball, Haley battled back, match ball Haley, then match ball Milou, a long and tense rally with an errant ball catching Hayley on the rebound. Point and match to Milou 13-11. Sanne Veldkamp reporting

Samantha Cornett vs Julianne Courtice 11-8,11-9,8-11,12-10(53mins)

This was a fantastic match, with 2 strong, athletic ladies going toe to toe! Every game went point for point up to 8-8! Sam’s strength across the T and from cutting the ball off was the only difference between these 2 great players. Their movement and cleanliness of play was an example to all watching. Sam needed the 4th and dug in deep to win the tiebreak and the packed house went wild for the Canadian victory!! JF

Melissa Alves vs Nadine Shahin 9-11,11-8,6-11,6-11(34mins)

Shahin is using a lot of boasts in the first 2 games, moving Melissa around constantly. Even though the games are tied at 1-1, all the work Melissa had to do starts to tell in the next 2 games! Melissa’s crazy week started to catch up with her, and Shahin just is too strong taking the last 2 games. They were hard work, but comfortable! We’ll see how Nadine does tomorrow but she looks good so far. JF

Men:

Vikram Malhotra vs Alfredo Avila 11-6,7-11,11-7,7-11,7-11(57mins)

Vikram started strong taking game one. Very fast paced second & third games with both competitors trading points up to 7- Avilla took the 2nd and Vikram the 3rd.

Avilla leads the fourth 6-2, early on in the game with explosive shots. He’s placing the ball tightly and out of Vikram’s range. Extending his lead to 11-7 to take the game. The match is tied 2-2!.

Vikram started the fifth with a few great rallies and shoots to take a 6-1 lead; but Avilla answered with amazing mental strength to tie it at 6-6! Surely Vikram will refocus and push through….nope amazing comeback from Avila as he accumulates 9 straight points and eventually take it 11-7!! This match was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd from start to finish! Sahand reporting

Mostafa Asal vs Christopher Binnie 6-11,7-11,11-6,11-5(61mins)

What to say about this match!! Feisty is probably the right term! From the first moments it was clear that Chris was not going to take any antics from the world champion junior. The match was more about the atmosphere than the squash unfortunately! At times the quality of squash was breathtaking, but there were none stop discussions and collisions on court! Mostafa is going to be a top player, but has to learn to be a man on court before this will happen. Chris fought to a 2-0 game lead. Mostafa changed the pace of the game and managed to get the third. These are two large, strong and skilled players.

The match was at 9-5 in the 4th and ended with 2 conduct strokes against the young Egyptian! He walked off court, without asking, and never came back (earlier he was warned on a time violations between games!). When he finally did return to the court and was informed that the match was over he exploded! There was a shouting and poor behaviour towards the ref! But the match was done!! Over. No further discussion.

Chris will be happy to be in the final but not with the way the match was played. I hope young Mostafa will learn from this.

I have to add that at the time of writing, Mostafa very maturely came into the office and personally apologized to all the referees. We had a good chat and I have to say he was genuinely upset and realized he was in the wrong. Kids today!!! JF

DAY THREE :

It was an evening full of twists and turns. In the end the women’s top seeds all advanced, but the men have now seen their top 5 removed. This isn’t to suggest that there were no surprises on the women’s side. Both Nikki Todd and Lucy Turmel faced opponents who have recently refocused on their PSA goals….early season can be very unpredictable.

Women: Top Six Seeds reach the quarters

Emily Whitlock vs Lisa Aitken 11-4,11-6,11-5(35mins)

This was a high quality match with a lovely flow. Both Emily and Lisa are strong, fit ladies and their movement was a joy to watch. Most people watching would say the difference between the 2 players was Emily’s quality going in short. But I can tell you throughout every game Emily’s length and width was impeccable! Time and time again Lisa was being forced to dig the ball out of the corners and off the wall; this opened up the attacking options for Emily constantly. Lisa managed to stay in every game up until the midway point, then all the pressure started to tell with Emily closing out the games with aplomb! Emily was glad of the 3-0 as it’s very warm here at the moment, so she’ll be fresh for tomorrow. JF reporting

Lucy Turmel vs Olivia Fiechter 11-8,10-12,7-11,8-11(47mins)

As the match starts with Turmel serving and looking strong off the start with a 5-0 lead. Fiechter is starting to adjust to the court! Turmel leads the match 1-0 and looked very strong and fast off the T position. As the 2nd begins both players are looking strong but both players are making a few errors. 10-10 and now Turmel is really opening up the court for Fiechter who wins the game to make the match 1-1. After the 3rd Turmel is still really opening up the court. Fiechter is taking advantage and putting them away. 4th game goes to Fiechter as she wins 3-1. Turmel couldn’t get the rhythm going but played well! Jayden Shortt reporting

Haley Mendez vs Ali Hemingway 11-5,11-7,11-5(23mins)

Both players seem little nervous, but Haley managed to establish a better T position, kept everything tight down the backhand side and took a tough, but comfortable 1st game. In the 2nd game Ali definitely settled down a bit and started to use some good boasts, but Haley is just moving a little too well and playing more constructed squash. She takes the game. Haley started to open up in the 3rd to create a bit more space on the court, which gave her more time to use some holds, volley boasts and great drops. Haley goes through against a potential tricky opponent. Ashley Davies/Paula Jenkins reporting

Marina Stefanoni vs Milou vd Heijden 8-11, 4-11, 7-11(25mins)

As the young junior Stefanoni and van der Heijden start up both come out strong but Milou pulled ahead fast after the first couple points and won the first to make it 1-0. Marina has real strength at the T and Milou does a wonderful job of keeping her off it. Marina is having difficulty gaining control of the rally.

Milou is still moving strong off the T and has control of the pace very well winning the 2nd & 3rd pretty comfortably; but this is an amazing experience for the young up and coming junior! Watch out for Marina ladies!! Jayden Shortt reporting

Samantha Cornett vs Alison Thomson 11-5, 11-6,11-8(31mins)

Sam is looking as fit as ever and moving really well, using her reach to great advantage against the smaller Ali. Ali is playing some great squash, but Sam’s tempo is just that notch higher and this stretches Ali out of her comfort zone continually. The theme of every game is Sam pulling away towards the end of the games to close out a 3-0 win! It’s a great lesson to all about how to keep stretching an opponent and then working the front of the court more as your opponent gets tired towards the end of games. I have to say Ali played really well and hope she keeps the improvement up going forward! JF Reporting

Salma Youssef vs Julianne Courtice 7-11,7-11,6-11(35mins)

The start of this match was a challenge as Salma’s racquet made contact with Julianne’s tooth. There was a short break and then the women went at it. This match was a perfect example of the stronger player pulling away from 7-7 area of the game. This was the story of the 1st and 2nd games; this broke Salma and Julianne raced to a 9-1 lead in the 3rd before closing it out. Julianne certainly has her game face on ladies!! A special thank you to Dr. Paul Vig who was able to do a quick assessment of Julianne’s tooth. It was chipped, but does not look major. JF & JN reporting

Melissa Alves vs Nikki Todd 11-6, 12-10, 11-13,11-9(41mins)

Likely the match of the evening by the ladies and so it proved to be. Melissa is a strong young lady and hits a powerful ball. Both the 1st and 2nd games followed a similar pattern: both hitting powerfully to the back and then looking for the boast or volley drop to the front to attack; Melissa finished incredibly strong in both these games to take the 2-0 lead. At 10-9 in the 3rd to Melissa it looks all over for the hugely popular cutie Nikki, but no she ups her game, finds the shots and has the London crowd cheering taking it 13-11. Game on! Surely Melissa’s last moment travels from China, jetlag and matches must be catching up with her, or is she Wonder Woman?? The 4th is a great game, brutal rallies, both players jumping on the ball to smash the crosscourts in hard and low. Nikki is really taking it to Melissa, who is starting to look a little tired and taking her time between points! Nikki can small blood but unfortunately clips the top of the tin with a drop shot for Melissa to take it in 4! Again, this young lady HAS to sleep well tonight! JF reporting

Nicole Bunyan vs Nadine Shahin 7-11,6-11,6-11(24nins)

The next Canadian was faced with the task of stopping the number 2 seed Nadine! Nicole is another Nash Cup regular and also dearly loved by the London crowd. Why are all the Canadians such amazingly nice, polite people!!?? Well Nicole is up there with the best I can tell you! And just want to send a big Hi to Nicole’s mum who’s just as lovely!

Anyway, enough Brad Hanebury style reporting, onto the squash: This was always going to be a tough game for Nicole, and sorry to say - it was! I wouldn’t say Nadine is the smoothest most natural player in the world…but damn does she see it clearly and gets the ball to go where it needs to go time and time again. Nicole was working so hard but had no answer to the tempo, then followed up by a wicked shot to the front, from Nadine. This turned into 3 games looking the same, every game close up to about 6-6 – then Nadine would speed away to take the games. I hope people realise that even though games may look quite close,(I only just lost 0-3, 7-11,7-11,7-11 I could have won on another day is absolute nonsense…you had no chance!). Nadine like many of the winners only did about 30% of the work every game upto 6-6, this means your opponent starts to falter in the 2nd half of the game. Nadine looks good, and is here to win!

Men : Seeds suffer as semis are settled

JF reporting

Men:

Shawn Delierre vs Vikram Malhotra 7-11, 4-11,8-11(37mins)

The match started off with an exciting few points all to Vikram’s account. At 0-4 Shawn found his groove and tied it up. Hard fought points with a few stroke calls and it’s now 6-6. It seems to be game on! Vikram pushes ahead with 3 quick points and soon it was over. 11-7 in 13 minutes. Game 2 was all Vikram. Drops and drives, he has it all going on. A fun game to watch but the opposite of a “nail biter”. Under 8 minutes and it was over 11-4. Game 3 started like “Groundhog Day” Shawn rallied through the middle as the great warrior he is, but Vikram simply proved to be the better player today walking away with the win in under 8 minutes 11-8. Michael McDonald reporting.

Alfredo Avila vs Jesus Camacho 11-8,8-11,11-5,15-13(71mins) 28min 4th game!

Amit Shah reporting…..report is pending

Charles Sharpes vs Mostafa Asal 6-11,11-9,5-11,8-11(54mins)

Put the kids away and break out the Champagne or discount sparkling wine. Back by popular demand, match reporter extraordinaire, Brad ‘Stingray’ Hanebury aka Chris’ Brother.

While the players warm up, let’s take some questions from the audience.

John Anderson: “Have you seen Shawn Delierre...”

Me: “Uh yes, he’s right over there —“

John Anderson: “..in the sauna.”

Me: *awkward silence ensues*

I think that’s enough questions for now.

The players prepare to start the first game with Asal sporting a nifty pair of eye guards. Asal, for those unaware, is the current world junior champion and, as the PSA rules dictate, juniors are required to wear eye guards. Plus, they look cool. See kids, being safe can also be cool.

The first few rallies of the match see the players finding their length and feeling each other out. Not literally, of course. There are children in the audience.

As we get midway into the first game, neither player is able to pull away in points. Several unforced errors and a few well-places shots allow Asal to creep ahead a few points into the tail end of the first. Sharpes appears to be having difficulty finding his game.

Asal takes the first game with a comfortable 11-6.

This intermission brought to you by Sleeman Beer.

“Sleeman: the real reason you play squash”

The second game sees several let calls in a row, with one of them robbing Sharpes of what appeared to be a won point. The following rally sees Sharpes make an unforced error, likely due to lack of focus. Sharpes rebounds with some very smart and aggressive squash to tie the game 2-2. At 3-2, Asal is given a no let on a call that apparently shook his core so deeply that his racquet inexplicably dropped from his hands and his eye guards fell from face. I suppose gravity might have also played a factor.

Sharpes rides the gravitational wave and takes the lead 8-5. Asal and Sharpes trades points until Sharpes reaches game at 10-8. Sharpes is on the receiving end of the following rally due to a bad return of serve. 10-9. But he’s let off the hook when Asal hits an unforced error into the tin. Games are tied 1-1.

Let’s take some more questions from the audience.

Mick Joint: “Brad, I’m not even in London. You can’t possibly think anyone will believe this is a real statement from me?”

Me: “Yes! I also think we’re best friends!”

The third game begins with a very physical rally, after which Asal tries to educate Sharpes on his idea of proper court movement. Sharpes appears to disagree. As the game continues the play becomes more and more choppy. It’s like Lake Erie out here. (Can someone fact check this with Peter Carson?)

This reporter misses two consecutive rallies due to Matt Henderson — a UWO player of average skills — giving him a back rub. Not that I’m complaining. He’s has oddly strong hands for someone with such a feminine physique.

While this was going on, Asal wins the third game to go up 2-1.

The fourth game has Asal jump to an early lead. Sharpes will need to refocus if he wants to give himself a chance.

Joining us now in the reporting booth is local legend (in his own mind), Derek ‘Sugar’ Moore. Derek, what do you think Sharpes has to do to come back in this game?

Derek: I think he needs to hit better shots than Asal and be faster than Asal.

Very insightful, thanks Derek.

Business end of the game now. Sharpes puts in some good work, only to be cut short when Asal hits a roll out nick off the next serve. The next couple of points are like Groundhog Day. ‘Let’. ‘Let’. ‘Let’. Bill Murray driving off a cliff with a groundhog. ‘Let’. ‘Let’. The tension on the court peaks when Sharpes falls on the ground during a collision and refuses help up. There’s someone who will never need a Medic Alert bracelet.

The final point is very heated, with Asal winning on a front left drop. Asal wins 3-1.

That’s all this reporter tonight. Tune in tomorrow night, because that’s when this match reporter will be drinking beer!

Christopher Binnie vs Andrew Schnell 11-8,14-12,11-7(45mins)

The loveable boy next door Canadian was here for business! Could Andrew back up last night’s monsteeeeeeeer match today? No!

It’s incredibly difficult for any player of any level to come out fresh after such a match at the start of the season! For those of you who don’t realise why it’s simple….no matter how hard you train it’s impossible to replicate a real match – with the extra 2cm lunge, the nerves, the pushing past the highest pain barrier…that is squash at the highest level folks!! So once players have more tournaments under their belts it becomes “slightly easier” to back up a brutal match the next day!

This was basically the story of the entire match, Chris is a big boy who controlled the T perfectly against Andrew through the entire match. Keeping Andrew tucked into the back corners allowing himself to move Andrew around! I feel a fresh Andrew could have used his silky smooth movement and speed to trouble Chris. But I felt Andrew was half a step slower than he was yesterday and at this level that makes the difference. The games were close and the 2nd game was “THE” game, 14-12 for Chris and that seemed to sap the energy out of Chris who moves on to the semi-finals.

DAY TWO :

Jay Nash reports

For most participants the NASH Cup is one of the first tournaments of the new season.

Months of recovery or training get put to the test, and a player’s current ‘ranking’ is not always reflective of their current abilities. When a lower ranking player beats a higher ranking player in competition many fans consider it to be an “upset”….and sometimes it is. Other times it’s just a reflection of a player’s new status.

Such matches have been commonplace at the NASH Cup.

Tonight was full of them

Anna Serme vs Lisa Aitken 5-11,7-11,2-11(23mins)

Lisa took control from the first minute. She moved well and looking good across the t-line. The play and intensity was one or two levels too high for Anna who couldn't cope with the speed and the power hitting from Lisa. This was good news for Lisa she still a few areas to work on - a few too many volley drops finding the tin. All in all it was a very comfortable start to the tournament and we’re sure she'll be happy that she has lots of energy for the match tomorrow.

Catalina Pelaez vs Olivia Fiechter 6-11,6-11,4-11(25mins)

A really good match for Olivia here coming out strong from the first moment. Three powerful games and never looked in any danger against Catalina. What a difference it can make when you start to concentrate on squash - instead of on studying and squash. Olivia is looking very strong, physically fit and could be a real danger in this draw. Watch this space as I think this girl could improve a lot over the next year or two!

Jelena Dutina vs Ali Hemingway 3-11,4-11,5-11(17mins)

A very straight forward victory for Ali who’s back in her 4th NASH Cup appearance. Jelena played well, but has some things to improve on to be able to compete at this level. Ali was moving way too smoothly and economically for Jelena to cause damage. It was a very quick match allowing Ali to conserve energy for tomorrow. Ali is looking very controlled in her game and seems to be enjoying the warm temperatures here in London, Ontario!

Marina Stefanoni vs Sanne Veldkamp 11-2,11-4,11-5(21mins)

Marina is a young up-and-coming American squash player, probably one of their biggest hopes to follow in the footsteps of Amanda and the other American girls. Sanne is from Holland and trying to make strides forward on the tour. Marina played at another level. She had more speed, more control and better movement. She made very few errors and remained very calm when they happened. This was a very comfortable match for Marina, but she will be tested in the next round against a second consecutive Dutch opponent - Milou vd Heijden.

Eva Fertekova vs Alison Thomson 5-11,7-11,5-11(25mins)

Ali looked strong throughout the match. Playing with an incredibly high T position which allowed her to volley at will and keep Eva moving. This also resulted in Ali being very quick to reach balls at the front, and she used her drop with great effectiveness. All in all a fun game to watch.

Salma Youssef vs Paula Jenkins 11-4,11-2,11-2(16mins)

Salma had the task of making sure the local wild card didn’t cause her problems. Paula is new to the PSA, but has participated in 3 past NASH Cup and is re-energized in her focus on competitive squash. She showed flashes of brilliance, but the pace and control from Salma was too much to handle. Salma kept Paula deep then would cleverly/cruelly play a lovely ball in short. This happened time and time again for a comfortable victory. Following the game Paula noted how effective this tactic was. She will be back stronger next year!

Melissa Alves vs Jasmine Hutton 11-7, 11-9,6-11,11-9(45mins)

What a great advertisement for ladies squash! Powerful hitting from both players and amazing movement for 45mins! Melissa arrived in Canada, from China (via Montreal) this morning! She played powerful, high tempo squash for games 1 and 2, leaving Jasmine to work incredibly hard! All credit to the young Jasmine as at 2-6 down in the 3rd, she changed her game and started to cut off more volleys and storms through to take it 11-6 in one hand! Is the travel starting to tell on Melissa? The 4th game was split into 3 segments. Part 1: Melissa storms out to 5-0 with numerous winners that the crowd our loving! Part 2: Jasmine digs in and storms back to take a 7-5 lead…are we going to a 5th?? No! Melissa realises she needs the 4th and powers through to take it 11-9! She’ll sleep well tonight and therefore have no jetlag issues tomorrow!

Men:

Nathan Lake vs Vikram Malhotra 9-11, 11-6, 7-11,5-11(57mins)

On paper you would normally say the first match for the number one seed would be quite straightforward. This was anything but. Everybody knew, including Nathan, that has Vikram had the upper hand in the last couple of matches. So this was a semi-final level match in the making. There's really nothing between these two players as they have quite similar games, tall big boys, good reaches across the T leading to long extended rallies in the first game – swapping points right up until 9-9 , Vikram had a couple of good holds and flicks to take it 11-9. In the second game Nathan comes out stronger increasing the tempo taking a high T position, it paid dividends by putting more pressure on Vikram, Nathan accomplishes a comfortable yet hard-earned 11-6 victory. In the 3rd and 4th games Vikram played great tactical squash, starting to stretch the tall Nathan with more straight drops and volley drops, opening up the court for Vikram to punch winners to the back. A very impressive match for Vikram. Watch out, as he wasn’t totally pleased with his game and felt there were things to do better in the next match!!

Addeen Idrakie vs Shawn Delierre 8-11,9-11,11-9,3-11(54mins)

Canadian Shawn is a hard core Nash Cup competitor and always seems to enjoy his time in London. He is the 2012 champion, and this is his 7th appearance in London. Shawn made the first couples of games hard as he kept the rallies long and error free. This was to test and work Addeen after his 80min battle last night. A 2-0 lead for Shawn, but Addeen comes out strong in the 3rd. He’s moving quicker and hitting harder to take a 8-3 lead. However, Shawn is a wily player and doesn’t give up the game, he decides to put more work into Addeen. Addeen wins the game, but Shawn’s thoughts were correct as Addeen “died” in the 4th. Shawn strolled to a comfortable victory.

Alfredo Avila vs Michael McCue 11-9,11-3,11-6(37mins)

This was a highly entertaining match, Alfredo is a fun player to watch. He’s extremely fast and was using his flicks and holds well to keep Mike from finding any true rhythm! The score line may look comfortable, but the rallies were long and hard. Alfredo I’m sure is enjoying the summer temperatures in London and looked totally relaxed. Mike tried to change the game up, but Alfredo kept Mike moving to all 4 corners throughout the match and will be pleased with his play in this 3-0 victory!

Lyell Fuller vs Jesus Camacho 11-13,11-6,3-11,11-13(63mins)

A really entertaining match. Just to give you an idea the 1st & 4th games accounted for 43 minutes of the match! First game went point-for-point all the way with nothing separate the two players. Quite a contrast in styles with Lyell, a little bit steadier/more conservative and Jesus flying around the court like a smaller guy has a few more holds and flicks -nothing to separate them 13-11 1st game to Jesus. Second and third games were totally different: Lyell coming out in the second really pushing forward and upping the tempo taking the ball much earlier. This took away the speed advantage from Jesus - 11-6 to Lyle. Could Lyell keep this going in third game… Jesus came out hard, Lyell’s pace dropped off ever so slightly…. what happens? 11-3 for Jesus. Would Lyell be able to recover and come out for the 4th strongly? What a game, 25 minutes long!! Both come out strong, but Jesus gets a jump and looks to be running away with it at 9-3. Lyell looking little bit tired after the effects of a long match- but Really digs in deep and somehow manages to get to game ball in the fourth! Jesus responds well with steady play; but some great finishing to win it 13-11 65 minute match for four games says everything!

Charles Sharpes vs Ashley Davies 11-6,16-14,11-8(46mins)

This had the makings of a fun game to watch. Both have an attacking style and are great players to watch (well for English guysJ). The first game is actually a lovely game, very controlled pace with width shots by both players, but still looking to attack as soon the chance was there. Charles’ front game was a little sharper, tight drops and volley drops leading to a 11-7 1st game! The 2nd game was a monster, the quality was still high, though the match got a little disjointed with quite a few decisions and both players feeling hard done by. It’s a crucial game for both players, Charles manages to play a couple of delightful winners to take it 16-14! The 3rd was well contested but Ashley was a bit broken and Charles took the match 3-0.

Nick Sachvie vs Mostafa Asal 11-9,11-8,7-11,9-11,5-11(114mins)

What a match! This one had everything: a lead, aggressive play, a comeback, who would finish it off? Warnings, injury brakes, blocks, roll nicks – everything! Nick came out fired up and playing some of the best squash I've ever seen from him. He is truly back from his injury issues playing at a high tempo finishing the ball at will Mostafa looked in trouble, not just the first game but on through the second game. Nick has the big surprise on the cards for the Canadian home player! Mostafa is clearly troubled with his game - Nick takes a lead in the 3rd game and then the turning point of the match….. an injury timeout for an innocuous collision on court between the two players. Mostafa is off court for 15 minutes. Is it for an injury time-out or is it to regroup? Only this amazing young player will know! Mostafa is playing a lot steadier and starts to get a grip on the match. Nick is getting frustrated with some blocks, decisions and discussions; he's doing his best to keep his game at the same levels as the first two, but Mostafa has cut out errors and he's playing tight to squash with some really solid play. At the end showing some great length, width and court knowledge. At the start of the fourth it looks like the match has really turned. Mostafa is now in control and bossing the T. Fourth game goes to Mostafa - it looks as though the chance for Nick has gone. Mostafa if using every trick that he knows to take control! Nick tries hard in the 5th but Mostafa is now relaxed and in control. What a silky touch at the front!! Nick is really struggling, Mostafa is now using his physical strength to really work Nick. Fifth game to Mostafa and he makes it through. A very entertaining match with a bit of everything for the purist and the anti-purist ; it was definitely exciting and a great effort from Nick.

Christopher Binnie vs Juan Camilo Vargas 11-5,11-5,6-11,11-8(45mins)

Didn’t get to see too much of this one. But in both the 1st and 2nd games Chris stormed out to big leads and held on to take the games quite comfortably. Even though Juan is incredibly quick, Chris seemed to be moving well and kept control. Juan’s pace certainly increased in the 3rd and it payed dividends at the front of the court, taking the game quite quickly. Was Chris tiring against the speedy Juan??? At 8-3 up in the 4th, the answer is no. Chris closed out a very impressive disciplined display.

Andrew Schnell vs Chris Hanson 11-6,11-6,4-11,9-11,14-12(70mins) – Commentary by Jay Nash

One couldn’t ask for a better final match of the night. Andrew and Chris play very similar games with tight rail shots down the wall followed by blistering cross courts. They both had the ability to drop the ball at will; and the ability to retrieve just about anything. Interesting they both also likes to questions the officials calls, often with firm tone but a smile that said “no really….it’s all good…but are you sure?” Fun to watch.

Andrew really maintained control well in the first two games taking them 11-6 each and looking like he was going to cruise to a quick victory over the tournament’s #2 seed. But Chris has other plans. The rallies got longer and the physical game got tighter. Both players seemed to have endless amounts of energy. In the third game Chris gained a health lead and Andrew seems to check out for the final few points. The fourth game went back and forth many times and let calls were common. A heartbreaking flat nick off the serve at 9-9 put Andrew down and Chris was able to tie things up. It was clear early in the fifth game that this one was going to go to the limit. Neither player was willing to make a mistake. Both waited patiently for the right opportunities. Each made some stunning points and it was great to hear them complement each other when the shot really was perfect. As the game progressed to extra point each had an opportunity to end it. Andrew managed to move from a 11-12 deficit and captured the final 3 points in a crowd pleasing 14-12 victory

With the top 2 seeds removed from the men’s draw the field is wide open. Seven remaining players are ranked between 67th and 82nd in the world, and Andrew Schnell (112) has proven that he’s here for a fight.

Second Round Women’s matches begin tomorrow at 4pm with the Men’s quarter finals staring at 6pm EST. Matches are scheduled on the hour, but one would be foolish to even hope that the four men’s matches will be kept within this time frame.

Men’s Round One :

Ahad Raza vs Vikram Malhotra 2-11,10-12,7-11(26mins)

(Reported by Amit Shah)

This match featured two great players with equally great back stories.

Vikram played for Trinity College, and is now based out of New York. His training partner roster includes none other than Ramy Ashour. Vikram has some 10K wins under his belt, and is coming off of a finals appearance last week at an invitational in New York. He was victorious over Nash Cup #1 seed Nathan Lake in the semifinals last week, and a win tonight would get him a second round rematch with Nathan.

Ahad’s story will resonate with every squash aficionado. He didn’t start playing until he was 15 years old. Falling in love with the game, he started training heavily in his free time, and career wise pursued a Masters in Economics and eventually a banking job. At the age of 31, he decided he had enough of the corporate world, and he would give PSA squash and fitness his full attention. In the last 18 months he has trained heavily, also become a fitness coach, and taught high level juniors. This reporter was sorely tempted to emulate Ahad's pathway, until I remembered that I hurt my back tying my shoes yesterday. And it may be a crime to teach someone my backhand technique.

The first game was a quick lesson from Vikram and finished at 11-2. As Ahad settled into the experience, he began to stretch the rallies and put some pressure on Vikram. Vikram’s focus moved to tomorrow’s match and Ahad was able to take a lead in the second game. Vikram returned to form, and he wrestled back control to put the game away in extra points. Game 3 gave Vikram an opportunity to showcase his crisp technique, athleticism and length. He dominated the T and kept Ahad moving. Ahad elevated his game further, and demonstrated patience and resilience. Vikram prevailed with a combination of steady length and impressive retrieval. His match with Nathan on Wednesday will be an afternoon delight at 3 pm.

Addeen Idrakie vs Cameron Seth 12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9(79mins)

This on paper should have been a really comfortable win for Addeen, but Cameron has been improving immensely over the last 2 years now that he's playing more full-time squash. A summer of training came forward.

This was your total contrast of two players Addeen kind of a small nimble quick Malaysian player against Cameron who is a lot taller larger build with a bigger reach.

This was definitely the match of the night every game, every rally being highly contested some mammoth rally's lasting 60, 70, or 80+ shots. What a way to get the crowd going!

Cameron will feel that he let a chance slip by as he was playing some of his best squash he's probably ever played.

Quite simply there was nothing to separate these two players over 80 minutes of brutal squash at 10-9 in the 5th game Addeen hits a crosscourt nick off the serve return to win the match.

Cameron next time hit a better serve! J

Dave Mills vs Nick Sachvie 2-11,2-11,3-11(24mins)

Both players are well known and well loved by the Nash Cup crowd. Nick is a scion of the Sachvie squash dynasty, former US Junior Open Champ, former top ranked Canadian player, and multiple year Nash Cup participant. He has been rehabilitating from a shoulder injury and undertaken an intense rehab and training period over the past several months. He has come back in true Bionic form - faster, stronger, smarter, and is hungry to regain his former world ranking.

David is a key member of the stellar Western University Squash team, originally hailing from the Windsor region. He has incredible dedication and a legendary work ethic, and this is propelling him into his early PSA career.

Game 1 started as expected — two heavy hitters pounding each other with drives, cross courts, smashes. Sachvie pulled away quickly and early with consistency and length.

Game 2 saw David growing in confidence. Long rallies were punctuated by thrilling gets at the front, lobs, and a number of topspin boasts from Nick that died just past David’s racquet head.

The final game showcased Nick’s physicality on the court combined with his touch with the ball. It was a road map for where David is headed with his game. David put forth a superb effort against a Canadian squash icon. He was unable to overcome Nick’s speed, strength and experience, and the superior coaching that Nick received from his billet.

Nick will play Wednesday at 7 pm against the current No. 1 World Junior, Mostafa Asal (Egypt). This should be an amazing ticket.

Reporting Amit Shah

Another report from a relatively new squash player:

Two young Canadians went at it tonight in a very fast paced, electric game. Mills, one of the local favourites, played a high energy but nervous first game at times leaving the ball in the middle leading to winners by Sachvie. Too many mistakes by Mills leads to a first game that went to Sachvie 11-2

In the 2nd game Nicks speed starts taking over wearing Mills down in some hardworking rallies early in the game. Mills wasn’t able to take advantage of his opportunities and the 2nd game went similar to the first with an 11-2 Sachvie win.

The hardworking rallies continued into the third with Nick leaning on his experience, using holds and deception to keep Mills on the run proving to strong in the end. 11-3 Andrew Zanatta reporting for the PSA.

Lyell Fuller vs Jean Pierre Brits 11-7,11-8,11-8 (37mins)

This was a tight battle throughout, but Lyell maintained control and pushed through to a 3-0 win.

Fernando Magdelano vs Michael McCue 11-7,2-11,4-11,3-11(45mins)

Fernando came out quick in the first game surprising Michael taking it 11-7, with some really good disciplined squash. Mike’s shots were a little off catching the red line more than he would like. He didn’t look comfortable.

Mike woke up in the second game and from that point on was in total control of the match, 45 minutes for the games also tells the story of some long, gruelling rallies! But after the first game Mike was never really in any trouble.

Thomas King vs Ashley Davies 6-11,6-11,9-11(31mins)

Thomas put up a solid fight, but Ashley proved to be too much and will advance to the second round.

Matt Henderson vs Juan Camilo Vargas 9-11, 7-11 7-11(28mins)

The young Western player Matt was up against Juan tonight, who is an incredibly quick Colombian player. Matt played well at times probably not quite handling the shot choices correctly, but was in every game with a good performance. But at the end of the day Juan was way too fast and experienced and towards the end of every game managed to pull away and cut out errors or loose shots to win the games.

Andrew Schnell vs Mark Broekman 11-6,11-4,11-8(30mins)

This on paper could have been a tricky match for Andrew - Mark has great hands and can shoot winners from anywhere on the court - he's an incredibly tall guy but the lack of playing full-time recently definitely showed up. Andrew’s pace and speed really started to wear Mark down; twisting and turning him and retrieving balls that kept surprising him. At the end of the day he couldn't quite keep up the pace even with flashes of brilliance there were too many errors thrown in as well.

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