RECEIVING THE SERVE WITH THE VOLLEY-NICK II.: AMR SHABANA vs. TAREK MOMEN

This morning we had a spectacular receiving of Amr Shabana's serve by Tarek Momen and I pointed out that putting away a loose serve into the nick is a standard drill for Egyptian players at training. 

Not just to make things more symmetrical, but here we have the mirror situation: the lefty Shabana receiving Momen's serve and putting it into the nick as well. Being on the forehand it had more pace, but the real difference was that the serve was not even bad at all: Shabana scrapped it off the sidewall. This version requires even more training, and on club level, I would just satisfy myself watching - and never trying - it.

RECEIVING THE SERVE WITH THE VOLLEY-NICK: TAREK MOMEN vs. AMR SHABANA

(British Open 2012, first round, Amr Shabana vs. Tarek Momen 3:2)
In Egypt one of the standard drills at training is to feed each other with weak serves (serves that either don't tend high towards the sidewall or are not hit straight to the body of the receiver). You have to put the ball each time into the nick at this drill. Yesterday we had Ramy Ashour showing an example from the forehand side, now it's Tarek Momen showing a soft version from the backhand.
This drill has two purposes. 1) you train hitting the nick from different heights 2) you learn and memorize which are those bad serves that really allow to go for this shot.
The serve is the only moment in a rally where you can allow yourself to stand almost still. Hence you can go for your shots with a near-perfect static balance. Going for the nick requires the highest level of precision, and standing still favors your chances to be precise. 

RAMY ASHOUR WARMLY WELCOMES YOU AT THE 2012 BRITISH OPEN

(British Open 2012, first round: Ramy Ashour vs. Daryl Selby). 

The truth is that there were a lot less of these volley-nicks off the serve today as one might expect it from Ramy Ashour. I guess it was down to a two main factors. 1) First round of a tournament, you are always a bit more conservative 2) Daryl Selby served throughout the match very cleverly, varying wide serves often with serves hit straight onto the body. In fact, the current serve is one of the latter ones, just too high, which allowed Ramy to put it away the way he likes it. Ramy won 3:1 and will play Borja Golan on Wednesday (and Amr Shabana on Friday if both make it to that stage. Rather likely. That should make a near full house, shouldn't it).

THE BRITISH OPEN IS BACK: 14-20 MAY 2012, LONDON O2 ARENA

Can you imagine that suddenly there is no Wimbledon? Well, crazy as it sounds, the British Open - the Wimbledon of squash - has not been held for the last two years. But it's back now, and it's back in style: finally re-trans-located to London, to the O2 Arena.  

Main draw matches start on Monday 14 May, and the final will be played on Sunday, the 20th. With the recent rule of only eight seeds, already the first round feature some tough encounters: Ramy Ashour vs. Daryl Selby, James Willstrop vs. Simon Rosner, Gregory Gaultier vs. Nicolas Mueller and Amr Shabana vs. Tarek Momen. There are still some tickets to grab (check them out here), or if you are not lucky enough to hang around in London these days, then there is still excellent psasquashtv to transmit all the matches live.

The below rally is from the 2009 final, the last edition of the British Open. This is that famously poisoned match between Nick Matthew and James Willstrop where Nick accused James of blocking, and more severely: of having been thought by his dad to do so. 

To add to Willstrop's nightmare, it has been the second consecutive year that he lost the final of the British Open by holding, both times, matchball. In 2008, against David Palmer, he was denied the victory by a clearly wrong decision of the referee at matchball; had the three-referee system or video review existed those times, Willstrop would already be British Open champion. 

He is now world #1, and there will be few better occasions to fulfill this story. Even if, according to the seedings, he will have to overcome first Ramy Ashour in the semi, and then possibly again Nick Matthew in the final. None of them would be shy to cause another heartbreak to James if they have to.

WEEKEND BAGATELLE XIX.: DARYL SELBY vs. MARWAN EL SHORBAGY - YES LET OR NO LET?

Last week's Yes Let/No Let sample between James Willstrop and Nick Matthew was rather straight forward: 'No Let!' This week's seems to me a bit more complicated, even if the appealing player was not contesting it. In any case, it is a borderline situation, it was not even far away from being a 'Stroke' to El Shorbagy, but the referees were not hesitating to call it a 'No Let!'. A let-ball would  have  definitely been the more conservative call, but would it have been also more appropriate?

MONSTER RALLY: KARIM DARWISH vs. MOHAMED EL SHORBAGY, 2012 EL GOUNA INTERNATIONAL

We have had a few extremely demanding rallies in the past - for example that epic one between Peter Nicol and Gregory Gaultier, or a few heavy metal versions (I., II. and III.) between Nick Matthew, Ramy Ashour and James Willstrop. 

Here we have a recent one between Karim Darwish and Mohamed El Shorbagy. The high intensity balance is a result of an old master on decline and a future master not yet at the peak of his art. Just a year ago, Darwish gave Shorbagy some simple and straight forward lessons in terms of high pace squash coupled with accuracy and subtle deception, but at the end of last year Shorbagy already managed to get his first win over the former world #1. Darwish managed to get his revenge at the PSA World Series Finals in Queens and a few weeks ago in El Gouna (current video).  But  to be honest, seeing how much slower Darwish is compared to himslef in 2010 and beforehand, and how much this has influenced his confidence in his short game, I wouldn't wonder if this has been one of the very last times he's got the better of El Shorbagy.

WEEKEND BAGATELLE XVIII.: JAMES WILLSTROP vs. NICK MATTHEW - YES LET OR NO LET?

PSA Squash TV have very wisely launched a series of controversial rallies/decisions to encourage debate about refereeing. No Let! The Squash Video Blog welcomes the initiative and asks you to have your say. We have our own opinion - but first we would like to hear yours. 

By the way, there is also some fun artistry from James Willstrop's part, hitting a reverse forehand from behind of his body. It's not the first time we've been seeing him doing this, you probably remember a previous example when he already behaved like an invisible man on the court.

But to get back to our theme: 'Yes Let!' or 'No Let!'?

THE ALL TIME GREAT CROSS COURT VOLLEY NICK: by JONATHON POWER

This is a rare good resolution compilation from 2004 showcasing seven world number ones. If you have time, watch the whole video, every single rally is worth it. If you are in a hurry wind forward to 9:08, and you might see probably the shot of the century, but for sure a serious contender next to David Palmer's nonchalant magic shot from the 2011 TOC. 

Just like Palmer's drop, Jonathon Power's over-the-head-cross-court-backhand-volley-nick was played from behind the body, hence extremely difficult to control. I also thoroughly like Power's expression after receiving Peter Nicol's compliments (a 'conduct code' that I love in squash and another proof of  the mutual respect between these two greats). 

Not bad either the following rally, showcasing the famous Jonathon Power forehand top spin drop shot. The opponent, Nick Matthew was left almost in a shock there.

Another one to observe here should be Lee Beachill, a former world #1 we have not yet had the opportunity to present in the blog. What a shame though! Beachill has had a stellar rise  in his carrier; however, as quick as his ascension has been, as quick was his decline. Up and coming he finished 2003 as world #9, six months later in June 2004 he was already #2, another three months later #1. A year later he he dropped back to #5, and in 2006 to #10, and retired at the end of 2008. Compared to such squash mammoths as Palmer, Lincou and Nicol, it can be said that Beachill's carrier peak has had a modest span. 

Nevertheless it must be pointed out that he has reached the top in a period when a high number of established top world stars mingled with a bunch of up-and-coming future stars. As a matter of fact, in December 2004, when Beachill held for the last time the world #1 spot, all names in the top10 were either future or former world number ones, and none of them at a decline stage of their carriers. 

Technically Beachill has been one of the cleanest strikers ever in my eyes. Instead of simply hitting the ball he was kind of caressing it. As strange as it might sound, he didn't use his racket as a hammer, neither as a knife, but rather as a spoon. This is why all of his shots had a kind of double slice, making the ball always escape from his opponents and fade towards the side-wall. In addition he disposed of a stupendous deception (watch that fake head-turn at 2:32 against Amr Shabana) and he's never been shy to go for all kinds shot (attacking boasts, volley nicks).

Beachill was probably not the physical beast that some of his peer's have been, but you can tell that - beyond being naturally gifted - he must have been a diligent analyser, deconstructing and putting together the best of the different squash schools and styles. Exactly because he is not too physical,  basing his game more on skill and understanding - he is one to watch for us, club-players, who will never dispose of the power of a Palmer or a Lincou, or the speed of a Gaultier or a Nicol.

Unfortunately the video we were originally embedding has been withdrawn in the meantime by youtube due to a copyright claim. This is why we had to look for another version of Jonathon Powers's extraordinary shot, that can be seen from 0:55 onwards in the below video:

this is the original video that has been withdrawn unfortunately:

GREAT SQUASH IS ALWAYS FAIR SQUASH TOO: RAMY ASHOUR vs. NICK MATTHEW

We had one of the craziest rallies ever yesterday, and here we have another one from a later stage of the same match. It is a bit shorter, but still crazy enough to rather just enjoying it instead of any analysis. 

Let's point out just one thing that stands also for yesterday's rally: the very high degree of fair-play between the two players; there is absolutely no blocking and no fishing - or when there is some unintentional blocking, like at 0:29 by Nick Matthew, Ramy chooses to make the extra effort to go around his opponent albeit the collision. Not only there is no fishing, but they even continue playing when whit a bit of extra hold or extra backswing they could have easily fabricated a cheap but convertible stroke situation (first Nick at 0:38, then Ramy at 0:49).

I think, when fair-play is demonstrated on such high levels, it is always a sign of respect; the players respecting each other mutually, but also respecting the game itself and the spectators, knowing also that they - being the best players in the world - have an extra responsibility to showcase the best aspects of the game.

IT WON'T GET CRAZIER THAN THAT - 2012 EL GOUNA - RAMY ASHOUR vs. NICK MATTHEW

Sometimes it's just wiser not to say a word. No way I could describe the complexity level of what is going on in the below rally. Long live Ramy and Nick.

THE GUY BOUNCES, THE BALL ROLLS OUT FLAT: RAMY ASHOUR vs. GREGORY GAULTIER

Ramy Ashour is probably the only player on a constant basis who after a not perfectly executed volley nick attempt is not shy to go for a second one straight afterwards, and often with success. This one is even more special as he hit it by jumping very high and slightly from behind his body. 

You might say: genius, and that you can not teach this. I however will keep saying that if you force your players to stay on court for solo "angle-sessions" - feeding themselves all around the court, different angles, different heights, with aiming to put the ball each time into the nick, drop or smash - they will end up feeling the kind of geometry that is needed to find the right lines at the right times. I do not deny Ramy's genius, but be assured, he has spent more time doing these kind of solo sessions than anyone else in the world.
The other thing to note is how extremely Ramy bounces to prepare for his split-steps. You probably remember our post about the split-step, but to be honest I wouldn't recommend to many people to try to implement this boxer-kind of movement as it is very very demanding. It's part of Ramy's genius that his stamina is capable to deal with  such a high rate cardiac investment, but for more ordinary people it is also possible to have an excellent split-step in a much more economical mode (best examples probably would be Gregory Gaultier, Peter Barker or Karim Darwish for this version).

But there is another reason to today's post; does anybody remember, or even better: posses on video a similar shot, just executed in even more extreme conditions by Jonathon Power? He did it against Peter Nicol, but from the very back of the court, jumping even higher, and if I remember well, he has even climbed on the side-wall to reach Nicol's lob. I don't know where and when I saw that rally, it's been now a few years that I desperately try to find it on Youtube, with no success. Anyone has got good news for me?