WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Volvo Motor City Squash Open, Detroit, USA

Final:
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 3-11, 11-3

Gaultier Drives Away With Motor City Title

France's Gregory Gaultier secured his first PSA Tour title of the year - and the eighth of his career - when he beat unseeded Finn Olli Tuominen in the four-game final of the Volvo Motor City Squash Open at the Birmingham Athletic Club in Detroit, USA.

Hitting his strokes with consistent depth, and using his speed to chase down Tuominen's attacking shots, the fourth-seeded Frenchman earned himself a cheque for $5,225 and a new Rolex Explorer II watch from sponsor Greenstone Jewellers.

The 21-year old from Aix-en-Provence - who arrived in Detroit as both the 2004 French National Champion and the 2004 European Champion - had not been tested in the quarters and semis, as both his opponents, Mohammed Abbas and Jonathon Power, had retired early with injuries.  Nevertheless, the Frenchman came out sharper than his Finnish opponent, jumping to a 7-2 lead on a series of errors by Tuominen, before quickly closing out game one 11-4.

But losing out in the first game had been Tuominen's pattern all week, a week in which he had overcome three straight seeds to reach the final - seventh seed Mark Chaloner, No2 seed Amr Shabana and third seed Karim Darwish. True to form, he came out ablaze in game two, seizing an 8-4 lead as his game steadied and Gaultier made some uncharacteristic errors.  A perfect, wall-hugging, forehand rail and a brilliant reverse boast brought Olli to game ball at 10-7. Facing three game balls, Gaultier dug in.

"I tried to slow down my game," said Gaultier later, "and make him hit some more balls." Two errors by the Finn, a beautifully-disguised Gaultier cross-court forehand and a front-court nick, suddenly brought the Frenchman to game ball. Another Tuominen error, and the game was Gaultier's: 11-10 (2-0).

"There are many points I wish I could have back, but that second game especially," Tuominen would sigh afterwards.  "But I was still playing well, so I thought I could still come back."

Indeed, game three was all Tuominen. Forcing the pace and nailing his shots, Tuominen took a 3-1 lead with a cross-court forehand winner, a 5-1 lead on a reverse backhand kill, and a 7-2 stranglehold on the game with another crosscourt drive. A combination Tuominen forehand drop and drive deep into the right corner gave him the fourth, 11-3.

Still leading 2-1 in games, Gaultier really found his form in game four.  Accelerating to a quick 4-0 lead, Gaultier won a series of long rallies, including a 75-shot marathon to give him an insurmountable 8-1 advantage.  "I bad a bad start with a couple of errors," said the Finn, "and he was pretty patient, didn't make any errors, and then managed his lead very well."

After 50 minutes of hard-fought squash, a Tuominen forehand error handed Gaultier his first MCO title.  "It was a pretty hard match," said the gracious winner afterwards. "It seemed a little hot today, the ball was bouncy, and a little harder to control. After I took a quick lead in game four, he never gave up. I just had to keep working hard to the end."

The loss was bittersweet for Tuominen, who took home $3,575 from the $30,000 tournament presented by Suburban Volvo.  His three upsets - including two players in the world's top ten - had made him the talk of the tournament, but against the world No11, he had come up just short.