Tired Willstrop Fails To Repeat 'Huge' Win In Gerrard Opener

Local hero James Willstrop failed to repeat his career-best upset over the world's best squash player when he went down in five games to Frenchman Thierry Lincou in tonight's (Friday) opening match in the Gerrard Grand Prix Championship at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

The 22-year-old Yorkshireman, who represents Manchester/Pontefract in the Premier League, beat the world No1 in a major world tour event in St Louis, USA, earlier this week.  At Sportcity, Willstrop twice came from behind against Lincou - but was unable to stop the defending champion winning 11-6 9-11 11-7 4-11 11-4 in 53 minutes.

"It was a huge win for me in St Louis," admitted Willstrop, who only returned from the USA 24 hours earlier.  "But I just wasn't able to convert my comebacks tonight.  It's one of the most difficult things in the world to beat someone like Thierry, but tonight he just did what was needed."

The world champion from Marseille was determined not to let Willstrop win again – and agreed that the US clash was a huge match:  "That match was pretty tough – and it was another tough five-setter tonight.  But I felt I put him under more pressure than I did last time, and I was moving better than him.

"I was really up for this one - I didn't want to let him do it to me twice," added the 29-year-old top seed.

Later in the evening, Willstrop's England team-mate Nick Matthew came back from a game down to beat Egypt's world No12 Karim Darwish 7-11 11-3 11-9 11-7 in 58 minutes.

Unlike Willstrop, world No9 Matthew had not competed in last week's US event – preferring to train for the Gerrard Grand Prix.  "Though my lungs were fine, I did begin to feel a bit heavy in the legs midway through the match - but unlike the other guys who are feeling the effects of travel, I'm just lacking match practice," explained the 25-year-old from Sheffield.

"But I'm especially pleased with my win tonight as I'm competing in new clothing and with a brand new racket, having just signed a new deal with Slazenger.  That's given me a lot of confidence," said Matthew.

One player who showed no ill-effects of his St Louis sortie was fourth seed Amr Shabana.  The talented Egyptian won the title in Missouri, only eight days after clinching the Heliopolis Open title in his home town Cairo.  It took the left-hander 49 minutes to overpower Scotland's hard-hitting John White 11-9 11-6 9-11 11-3 in the second match in the Manchester Group.

"Shabana's improved out of sight," said a seemingly shell-shocked White, a former world No1, afterwards.  "He's much more relaxed – and last week beat Anthony Ricketts in the St Louis final in just 27 minutes –that's just unbelievable!

"I've always played well on this court, but tonight Shabana just outplayed me.  He didn't give me any opportunities and his shots to the back of the court were punishing," explained the US-based Scotsman.

The smiling Egyptian, now sporting strikingly blond hair, had misgivings about his win over White.  "We flew back together, we're rooming together and we've been to the steam rooms together – it's very difficult then to play against each other," said the recently-married 26-year-old.

"My wife Najla and I have been together for four years but we've only started living together since we got married," explained the Egyptian.  "So for the first time we are with each other all the time – she is always there for me and I'm always there for her.

"But that's only 50% of the change in my life:  I now also have a manager, the ex-player Omar Elborolossy, and a new coach Ahmed Tahir – and they do everything for me, so I don't have to worry about anything but playing on court.  My whole life is much more tidy," added Shabana.

"Ahmed Tahir has taught me that there are no such things as trick shots.  The real talent, he tells me, is to play the right shot at the right time."

The last match of the long opening session proved to be the longest of the day!  England's world No2 Lee Beachill made up for his shock first round upset to a qualifier in St Louis by beating the event's runner-up Anthony Ricketts 11-9 7-11 11-5 11-2 in 61 minutes.

The number two seed from Yorkshire was pleased with his performance against the third-seeded Australian:  "That's just the game I needed, I played tons better than I have done for a month or so," said Beachill.  "It was perfect for me, and allowed me to get my confidence back."

Tickets for the 2005 Gerrard Grand Prix are available exclusively from www.isportticketing.com or by telephone on 07973-544719.

RESULTS:                 Gerrard Grand Prix Squash Championship, National Squash Centre, Manchester

1st qualifying round:

    Manchester Group
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt James Willstrop (ENG)                           11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-4 (53m)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt John White (SCO)                                  11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 (49m)

    Gerrard Group
[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [3] Anthony Ricketts (AUS)                      11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-2 (61m)
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Karim Darwish (EGY)                                  7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 (58m)