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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Squash fiesta minus Barada
By Nashwa Abdel-TawabIt is the Masters -- but without our master. As Al-Ahram's $70,000 Professional Squash Association Masters Championship got under way last Sunday at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egypt's top player, Ahmed Barada, was absent. The world No 3, who would have been the third seed, was forced to withdraw after being stabbed in the lower back last week by an assailant whose motives till now remain unclear. Barada is recovering in Cairo and will continue his physiotherapy in Germany next week. Doctors have told him he is unlikely to train or play squash again for at least a month. This is unfortunate because Barada, a superstar in his home country, was likely to have fared well in the Masters after reaching the final of the World Open in Cairo in September, and beating the then world champion Peter Nicol two months later in the final of the Heliopolis Open, also staged in Cairo.
Without Barada, Egypt participated in the Masters, being held from 26 to 31 March, with just two players, Omar El-Borollossy, ranked 18 in the world, and young talent Amr Shabana, ranked 27. However, both were eliminated in Sunday's first round. Australia's Billy Harddell, ranked 26, beat El-Borollossy 13-15, 15-11, 15-12, 15-13 while Shabana had an early encounter with the world's best player Jonathan Power, the Canadian coming on top 10-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-10.
Scotland's fourth seed, Martin Heath, was the highest seed to fall, losing 15-13, 10-15, 12-15, 15-11, 15-12 to a determined John Williams of Australia. Another Scot, John White, took five games to overcome Australia's Byron Davis.
England's British champion Peter Marshall, playing his first tournament since fracturing his ribs in a fall, was unable to capitalise on a matchball at 16-16 in the third game against 12-seed Welshman David Evans and ultimately went down 10-15, 7-15, 17-16, 15-10, 15-10 to the player he beat in February's British Nationals' final. Irish champion Derek Ryan, the eighth seed, was also ousted from the event by Australia's former world champion Rodney Eyles 15-13, 14-15, 15-13, 17-16.
England's Nick Taylor had the easiest ride to the second round, beating sixth seed Anthony Hill 15-3, 15-4, 15-1 after the Australian's request to have referee Nasser Zahran changed was refused by tournament official Andrew Shelley.
Power heads the seedings in the 32-man tournament. The betting is that he will meet Nicol, the No 2 seed, in the final tomorrow in what would be their 19th career clash. Nicol avenged his defeat by Power in last December's British Open final when he beat his arch rival in straight sets. In the final of the $30,000 Millennium Irish Squash Open in Dublin, it was Nicol who again won.
Despite his form, El-Borollossy (right) was beaten by an opponent ranked lower in the world Nicol (left) fared better beating the English, Mark Cairns
photos: Hossam Diab
It was the pair's first meeting since the British Open climax in Nicol's hometown of Aberdeen, where the Scot conceded his title to Power after falling ill with food poisoning. Nicol's win at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club reduces Power's career head-to-head lead over him to 10-8.
At the same tranquil site of Hurghada the world's top eight women will compete in the $41,000 Al-Ahram WISPA (Women's International Squash Professional Association) Grand Prix. The event was originally scheduled for 27-31 March but was changed to 4-8 April to enable Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, currently with President Mubarak in the US, to attend the final, which she did last year.
World champion Cassie Campion maintains her hold on the world's No 1 ranking. New Zealand's British Open champion Leilani Joyce retains the No 2 position, ahead of England's Linda Charman and Natalie Grainger at three and four respectively, followed by Australia's Carol Owens at No 5.
England's Fiona Geaves, who celebrated her 32nd birthday in December, moves up to a career-best No 6 after reaching the final of the Marsh & McLennan Apawamis Open in January.
Australia's former three-time world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who was out of action for much of last year recovering from surgery on her left knee, has charged back into the top 20 at 18 after winning three successive WISPA world tour events in January. The former world No 1 from Melbourne won the Glidden Open and Greenwich Open in the US -- in both cases after qualifying -- then clinched the Rosebowl Classic title in England.
Both the men's and women's events are the last of the big championships on the international squash calendar. That it is Egypt which brings the curtain down on the squash year is testament to how far the country has come in the sport.
Al-Ahram has sponsored the women's grand prix twice before but this is the first time the organisation plays the same role in the men's Masters. The decision to do so was taken early this year. "We are delighted to have signed a three-year agreement with the Al-Ahram media group to launch this exciting new addition to the PSA tour," said Gawain Briars, executive director of the Professional Squash Association (PSA). "The deal further cements the excellent relationship the PSA has enjoyed with the Al-Ahram group in Egypt for the last four years."
Hurghada has played host to both championships before and, as a result, is rightly regarded as the squash capital of the world. The site, a glass court in the open air on an island in the sea, is in marked contrast to the high intensity of the competitions. "At a place like this you are forced to get into harmony with it," said Nicol, "and the only way is to hit the ball beautifully."
