|
|
Top four through
The top four seeds all won through to the semi-finals of the
richest men's event to be held on Dutch oil this century,
but as ever, some of them had to work harder than others to
get there ... |
Fri 27th, Day FOUR: Quarters:
[3] Azlan Iskandar
(Mas) bt [6] Tom Richards (Eng)
11/3, 11/2, 11/7
(37m)
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Simon Rosner
(Ger)
11/3, 14/12, 11/7
(41m)
[4] Daryl Selby (Eng) bt [8] Julian Illingworth (Usa)
6/11, 15/13,
11/4, 11/9 (80m)
[2] Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt [7] Davide Bianchetti
(Ita)
11/3, 11/3,
11/8 (46m) |
|
[3] Azlan
Iskandar
(Mas) bt [6] Tom Richards (Eng)
11/3, 11/2, 11/7
(37m)
Azlan on Song
 This
was a fine performance from the third-seeded Malaysian, and
he will be more than happy with his two straight-game wins
that have seen him through to the semi-finals with something
to spare.
From the outset he was in charge. There were long rallies,
plenty of them, as there will be on this type of court, but
Tom Richards was always the one just struggling to get
there, always the one who made the error, while Azlan,
moving smoothly and hitting well, didn't need to do anything
special, he was just in charge.
Tom got a bit rattled with some decisions, and probably
himself, fairly early in the match, which didn't do him any
good. It was Azlan who always seemed to get the nick at the
back, the ball that bounced awkwardly, which didn't make
Tom's mood any better.
After taking the first comfortably, and with a healthy 7/1
lead in the second, Azlan sent Tom scurrying from corner to
corner, and when it was obvious he wasn't going to make the
last trip the Englishman hurled his racket into the back
corner after the ball ... that got him a conduct warning.
 It
got better in the third, Tom hung in the rallies better and
Azlan made his first three unforced errors of the match.
Leading 7/5 it looked as though Tom might extend the match, but Azlan
knuckled down again, went through to 10/7 and won it with a
defensive reflex volley into the nick that summed up his
opponent's day as the racket went for another flight ...
|
 "I
felt quite comfortable in the first two, I was content to
put him under pressure, trying to make him heavy-legged.
"I knew he would come into it, I expected it in the second,
but in the third he definitely made the court longer and I
panicked a bit after winning the first two so comfortably,
but I managed to get it back together.
"It's been a good tournament so far, I don't mind who I play
in the semis, as long as they have a hard 3/2 !"
 |
|
"I was playing
well in the first game, but in the second I was too loose
and going short too early. It allowed him to play his game
and start dictating things too much.
"I needed to come back to get the second, it was a make or
break moment and two-nil was a big plus for me and a
disappointment for him.
"He played well, but I'm not too unhappy with how I played
either ..."
 |
[1] Laurens Jan
Anjema (Ned) bt Simon Rosner
(Ger)
11/3, 14/12, 11/7
(41m)
A little tester for LJ
 After
the first game it looked as though home favourite LJ Anjema
would be cruising through to the semis. He eventually took
the match in straight games, but Simon Rosner certainly made
him work for it.
In that first game LJ was catching Simon out time and again,
principally with short cuts and flicks. But from the outset
of the second the German was much more aware, picked up on
most of what LJ was doing, and giving as good as he got as
he led for most of the game.
He extended the lead to 10/6, but LJ just wouldn't let go.
Some determined retrieving and some lovely drops saw the
Dutchman force extra points, and on his third game ball
another tight volley drop gave him that two game cushion.
The third was equally competitive, but from 5-all LJ managed
to pull away, gluing one to the side wall to earn match ball
and despatching the next for a place in the semis.
|
|
[4] Daryl
Selby (Eng) bt [8] Julian Illingworth (Usa)
6/11, 15/13,
11/4, 11/9 (80m)
Daryl toughs it out
 For
the first game and a half Julian Illingworth had Daryl
Selby, if not on the run then at least under more pressure
than the American was himself.
It was a match of more patient rallies than the previous two
quarter-finals, but when there was some scurrying to do it
was generally the Englishman who had to do it, and
consequently was more likely to make the error or put up a
ball loose enough to put away.
He trailed by a game and 7-4, and it wasn't looking good.
But he wasn't about to let go, and patiently worked his way
back, picking off the points to level at 8-all.
 It
was approaching the hour mark when he finally avoided going
two down, and the look on his face said relief, yes, but
also suggested "have I got to go through another two or
three games of this?"
Fortunately for the Englishman it only took another two
games. Going 4/1 down in the third it was Illingworth who
looked more sprightly, but suddenly it all turned around,
Selby started turning the screw and Illingworth was doing
the chasing - in vain, as Selby reeled off ten points in a
row to take the lead.
 It
still wasn't over though, as the American steadied, and led
a patient fourth game 4/1 and 7/4. Just as in the second
Selby worked his way back, few risks taken, rather slowly
squeezing the life out of his opponent. And it paid off,
again he came back to 8-all, squeezed his way to match ball
and fired one last drive wide of Julian's despairing racket.
And tomorrow he has to do it all again, but this time the
crowd will be on his opponent's side ...
|
 "The
second was crucial. At a game and 8-6 down I just had to
hang in there, going two down would have made it very
difficult, it was really important to win that one.
"I got really annoyed in the third when he sent me the wrong
way on a simple crosscourt to go 4-1 up. I thought come on,
you're not going down without a fight here and just dug in.
"It wasn't the tightest game of squash, we can both play
better than that, but you can't play well all the time. If
you can come out of a match where you don't play at your
best with a win, that's the most important thing. At least
you give yourself a chance of playing well in the next
round.
"It will be tough tomorrow against LJ, but at least I'm
there ..."
 |
|
 |
[2] Cameron Pilley (Aus)
bt [7] Davide Bianchetti
(Ita)
11/3, 11/3,
11/8 (46m)
Pilley books into the semis
 The
last match of the day saw second seed Cameron Pilley book
his place in the last four with an impressive straight-games
win over Davide Bianchetti.
Always in control in the first two games, the Australian's
attacks were too much for Bianchetti to control, and
although the third was more competitive, with Bianchetti
finding some delightful winners of his own, Pilley was in no
mood to be extended beyond three games.
There were a few discussions with the refs, of course, and
it was a cruel ending as the Australian found a fortunate
nick to finish the match, but in truth there was only likely
to be one winner.
 "I
thought I played pretty well there. Davide's very talented
with the racket, as he showed in the third, I had to hang in
there and make it tough for him again.
"I'm seeded to reach the final, but it's going to be tough
even getting there - I played Azlan a few weeks ago in Hong
Kong and he got me 3/0, so it's good to have a chance of
revenge."
 |
|
