Nash Cup Friday September 21st
NASH CUP DAY 5: SEMI FINALS
After a number of amazing matches already this week, the atmosphere in the club was electric. Members could be heard discussing the form of the players over the week and what they should and could do (rather like the majority of the nation chatting about football (or soccer as they call it here!).
Well, the crowd was not let down tonight. There were 2 great matches which could have gone either way. They had everything- breathtaking retrieving, outright winners, deception, controlled length….
Ironically, both matches were 3-1 and both matches lasted 56 minutes!
Tonight we had 2 pro players give their thoughts on the game as well as the thoughts of the players themselves.
First on court were local hero Andrew Schnell from Calgary in Alberta, and top seed Julian Illingworth from Connecticut on the East coast of the USA. Both players had marathon five setters the day before – did they have anything left in the tank?
JULIAN ILLINGWORTH (USA) beat ANDREW SCHNELL (CAN) 7-11; 11-8; 11-7; 11-9 (56 mins)
MIKAH FRANKLIN (lost in final qualifying round to Fred Reid) REPORTING:
It was a shaky (nervous) start for both players – there were 4 unforced errors in the first 6 points. Schnell made his move and tightened up his game whilst Illingworth appeared to get frustrated and lacked speed off the T. A relatively slow place first game which Schnell won 11-7.
Andrew continued attacking in the second and the pace was raised. Julian was more settled and confident now. It was a close game with both players playing good attacking squash. Julian controlled the pace better and executed some great volleys.
Julian played a strong 3rd game, placing the ball effortlessly where he wanted. Schnell did not just sit back though and dug deep to stay in the game with some incredible retrieving. Julian’s FH drop was lethal.
A five setter looked on the cards as Schnell raced to a 5-1 lead. An exchange of unforced errors (2 from Schnell to 1 from Julian) and the score reached 8 all. A huge rally followed that had everything in it, with Schnell winning it. Sadly this was followed by a couple of unforced errors from Schnell and Julian won the match on his first match point.
JULIAN ILLINGWORTH:
“I felt that I played well, the match was hard fought but I was able to pressure Andrew into making some unforced errors which allowed me to take the win. There were times during the match where I felt flat, almost pancake like. However, a win is a win so I will take it. I hope I have saved the best of my matches for last, Oliver is a good player and I will need to bring my A game. But all in all I am happy to win and advance to the finals, and I am looking forward to playing Oliver.”
ANDREW SCHNELL:
“I have to give credit to Julian; he played a very solid game and deserved to win. I just did not capitalize on my chances like I did yesterday. I played an impatient game at times, went for some risky shots that did not always pay off so Julian benefitted from my mistakes. There was also another element to the game that I had to contend with and that was the attractiveness of the crowd, it was just too distracting at times. Overall, loved the experience! London Squash is great!”
OLIVIER PETT (ENG) beat CLINTON LEEUW (RSA) 11-7; 7-11; 11-8; 13-11 (56 mins)
YANN PERRIN (lost in quarter finals to Oli Pett) REPORTING
Oliver started the match very strong – with precision and patience; he took the ball early. Clinton wasn’t there. At 6-1, the first long rally, Oli still controlled the pace. The rallies were getting longer but Oli was in really good shape and finished the game with good shots. The real match started in the second game. There were long rallies and Clinton tried to take the ball earlier and got on to the volley more – and it was working. He was to put more pressure with his backhand drop, and he won the second. After the 3rd and the 4th, it was really close; but a few errors from Clinton gave the opportunity to Oli to finish the point. Still the game was really close, with good squash played by both players. The last point exemplified what the match was all about – a great rally and some fantastic retrieving, ending with a cross-court flat dead nick from Oli reaching back under pressure high on the forehand.”
CLINTON LEEUW:
“Credit to Oliver, he played a great game, had good length and an overall strong match. Oliver is just too good of a player to not play 100% against. If I played 100% I still would only have had a 50% chance at winning, that’s how good he is. I had a great tournament though, played some amazing matches and had some good wins. The London Squash Club made me feel at home and comfortable which helped me to play my best. Thanks to Dave, all the organizers, the members and of course the amazing interviewer for a great tournament experience!”
OLIVER PETT:
“It was a hard fought match! Clinton was playing with a lot of confidence and I was nervous because I knew I was next on his to-do-list. Luckily, I was able to squeeze some mistakes out of him and take the match. To be honest, the longer the match went on the more nervous I became so I was very happy to get the win. Clinton was running me around the court for a good portion of the match, thankfully I enjoy burning calories. I love London Squash, everyone is really nice and the gym is great, although, this interview is like getting blood from a stone (only joking, just a bit of good old British humour!)”
We also decided to get the views of the referee! Players often give their views! Steve Flude officiated both matches.
“Illingworth versus Schnell: I had the impression that Andrew was a bit nervous at the start and really was in the end 1 or 2 shots away from winning this match. The big difference was in the big points which Julian played better – just that little bit more steady and controlled. A year from now could be a completely different story. Andrew has gained so much experience from this tournament. He is bright and has a great attitude. They were indeed a pleasure to referee”.
“Pett versus Leeuw: Clinton started way too slow and let Oli run over him in the first but to his credit he came back strong and made a real match of it. They looked evenly match from up top, with similar styles. It was an easy match to officiate – both players got on with it.”
The Nash Cup amateur draw started tonight with 112 players from all over Ontario descending on London Squash. There is no doubt that watching the pros is a draw card and added bonus to coming to London for this event.
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Photo Credit: Kim Atkinson