Point by Point Play – Day 1
Sunday 25th November – World Open First Round
Shabana vs Lavigne
The first match gets underway. At 2-3 Shabana wins a long rally, then plays some delightful drop to move to 4-3. He then tins it for the Frenchman to serve at 4-4. Shabana then takes the next few points, but Lavigne hold in to serve at 8-9. Shabana then plays a cracking winner to go 10-8 up. Game ball. Lavigne plays a great winner on the next ball, but a long rally sees him tin the next – 11-9 to Shabana.
Game two begins with a couple of quick points from Shabana before Lavigne wins a stroke. Lavigne serving 1-2. Shabana reels off another couple of quick points before Lavigne plays a winner 2-4. Several let plays ensue. Lavigne then wins a disputed rally to move to 3-4, before Shabana anticipates a volley at the front left to move to 5-3. Two more quick points from Shabana, but the Lavigne plays some fast, hard-hitting squash to come back to 5-7, then wins a stroke to go to 6-7, then 7-7. He tins the ball, then plays an exquisite drop to serve at 8-8. Shabana then takes the next three points to win the game 11-8.
In the third game Lavigne takes an early 5-1 lead before Shabana plays 3 great rallys to comeback to 3-5. Lavigne then makes a mistake, and Shabana is back to 4-5. Several let plays then Lavigne asks for a let after the ball clips his racquet. 5-5. Then a stroke to the Frenchman – 6-5. A great drop front right takes Lavigne to 7-5, the Shabana scrambles for a shot and fails to make it. 8-5. They trade points and Lavigne is serving 10-7. He then wins a stroke to take the game 11-7.
Lavigne is now serving in the fourth game. Both players tin shots early on. Lavigne is then denied a let call and Shabana serves at 2-1. A great boast from the left takes him to 3-1, then he pins Lavigne in the back left corner to move to 4-1. A stroke moves the World number one to 5-1 before Lavigne plays an exquisite drop off the serve – 2-5. Powerplay from Shabana, then a tinned shot takes the match to 3-6. A fast low drive from Shabana for a winner, but he tins the next shot whilst in a dominant position. 5-7 to Lavigne. A fantastic cross-court drop winner from Shabana, but he then tins the next two. Lavigne then drops two winners to go ahead 9-8. Lavigne then tins two balls to go 10-9 down – match ball to Shabana. Lavigne then tins a drop front left to give Shabana the match 11-9.
Boswell vs Stout
Robert Edwards introduces local wildcard James Stout to rapturous local applause. This will be the biggest game of his life. He then introduces Stewart Boswell – who has been working his way back from injury.
Edwards asks the crowd – “Is there a leaning towards one player or another?” “James Stout perhaps?” Massive applause. “Stewart Boswell?” The cheering is more muted. Edwards says the young people in Bermuda who want to take up sport should look at Stout at a role model.
In the first game Stout serves. Plays the ball down in the first rally then hits a hard low winner. 1-1. Boswell plays a winner then hits it out of court. 2-2. A crosscourt drive winner takes Boswell to 3-2, then he drops for 4-2. Applause as Stout volleys for 3-4, but then tins a boast. Boswell leads 5-3. Stout then fools him with a drop front left. 4-5, then a low shot front right 5-5. Boswell plays a tight winner down the right wall, and another to the back right to progress to 7-5. Boswell plays a winning drop front right, the Stout tins two in a row, then plays the ball out of court. Boswell takes the game 11-5.
In the second game Boswell serves. Some tight boast play from Boswell, then both players tin balls. 2-2. Boswell then plays hard, fast squash to move to 5-2. A great length shot winner from Boswell and a tinned drop effort from Stout take the game to 7-2 in Boswell’s favour. Two quick points and it is 9-2. Boswell’s boasts and drops are too good for the Bermudian. The players then trade points and Boswell takes the game 11-3.
Boswell serves at the start of game three. Stout wins the first point with a great low drive down the left court. Boswell then plays a tight winner down the right. 1-1. Stout then tins a boast. Boswell leads 2-1. Two quick points and the Australian leads 4-1. Stout then plays a winner into the back left, but then plays the ball down twice in a row. 6-2 to Boswell. A cat and mouse rally is lost by Stout when he tins the ball, then Boswell plays a deft boast to move to 8-2. Another mistake from Stout – 9-3. Then he plays a winner to serve at 3-9. Boswell plays a winner down the left. 10-3 match ball. A winner from Stout 4-10, then Boswell finishes it 11-4.
Edwards asks Stewart Boswell “What is it like to be the most hated man in Bermuda?” The answer – “With that crowd it is a bit like Egypt”. When asked how he thought the Bermudian played – “I thought he played well, especially in the first match.”
Stout is then given the microphone then thanks the sponsors, organisers and the local support – “it was a very special night”. He thanks his parents – “they have always supported me”. Finally he thanks his opponent – Stewart Boswell – “a fanstastic opponent and I wish him the best of luck in the rest of the tournament”
Palmer vs Delierre
First Edwards introduces Canadian qualifier Shawn Delierre, then David Palmer -twice World Champion. Edwards says that Palmer ranks as one of the all-time top professionals in the game. As Palmer is a part-time Bermuda resident, Edwards tells the crowd that they can cheer him on now Stout has been eliminated – “even though he has a bit of an Australian accent”.
In the first game Palmer serves. Delierre plays the first ball down, and is then denied a let. 2-0 to Palmer. Delierre takes the next point, but Palmer then controls the tee for several points and moves to 5-1. The players trade points, the Delierre gets two in a row to move to 4-6. Palmer then plays a devastating winner front right, followed by a deft boast. 8-4. He then plays a sublime drop front left to move to 9-4, then a drive down the left – 10-4 game ball. Delierre tins the next shot and Palmer wins 11-4. The last five winners were executed in less than three minutes.
Game two sees Delierre hit the tin in the first rally. Then they trade points and Palmer is serving at 3-2. A quick winner then a tight line drive on the left take Palmer to 5-2. Delierre drops front left for a point, but the Palmer drops front right to move to 6-3. A fast winner from the Australian and it is 7-3. Palmer wrong-foots the Canadian and it is 8-3. A denied let call for the Canadian, but then Palmer can’t reach a drop. 4-9. Delierre then tins a drop and Palmer has game ball 10-4. A rally down the left, then switch right, and then Palmer crosses low to the left to win the second game 11-4.
In the third game Palmer takes the first four points, then tins n attempted drop. Delierre serves 1-4. Palmer is awarded a stroke, the wins a great rally with both players at full stretch. 6-1. The Canadian gets a point back, but then tins a shot. 7-2 Palmer. A deft cross-court drop from Palmer moves him to 8-2. Delierre then plays a great cross to the left court which Palmer cannot reach. 3-8. Another tin from Palmer and it is 4-8. Palmer the repeats the same cross-court drop to move to 8-4, then plays a winning boast. 10-4 match ball. Delierre recovers a drop, but the Palmer finishes it 11-5 in 24 minutes.
Edwards asks Palmer how special it would be to win the World Open for the third time – “very special”. And his opponent Shawn Delierre? “He played well with limited glass court experience”. And now Stout is out – will Palmer want support from the local crowd? “I would like it, but I need to earn it”.
Beachill vs Gough
Edwards introduces Welshman Alex Gough and Englishman Lee Beachill from Yorkshire. He tells the crowd they are best of friends. They shake hands and warm up. Edwards asks a player in the crowd, Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, what we should be looking out for in this match. He says that Beachill is “a great hitter of the ball. And is very deceptive. Look out for the deception and the way he holds up the ball”.
Gough serves in the first game and immediately takes the first point. The second point is long but Beachill wins it with a hard shot into the front right corner. 1-1. A hard drive winner down the left from Beachill, then a ball played down by Gough and it is 3-1 to Beachill. A long rally ends when Gough tins it front left. 4-1. Gough loses a let call decision and it is 5-1. He seems annoyed with the decision. A winning drop front right from Beachill, then another quick winner and it is 7-1. Gough then tins the ball 8-1. Then a great drop from Beachill sees him in a commanding 9-1 lead. A great mini-boast takes Beachill to game ball 10-1. Another disputed decision – this time by Beachill, means it is 2-10. Beachill then plays the ball down twice in a row. 4-10. A deceptive drop front right from Beachill wins him the match 11-4.
Game two sees the players trade points early on. At 2-2 Beachill gets two quick points for a 4-2 lead. Gough then comes back to lead 5-4 after a winning some very long rallies. A winning drop front right from the Welshman take it to 6-4. He then plays another great drop at the front right which Beachill cannot get to. 7-4 to Gough. The Welshman seems to have slowed it down and is playing a few more lobs. He gets another point to move to 8-4. Beachill then tins an attempted boast from the back left and it is 9-4. A quick winner from Beachill, but then he cannot reach a Gough drive and Gough is serving 10-5 for the game. Beachill then plays a great winner to move to 6-10, and then an unreachable drive down the left. It is now 7-10. A drop from Beachill front right is a winner, but he then tins the next point and Gough takes the game 11-8.
Game three and Gough is serving. He tins an attempted corner shot at the front right, then tins a boast effort. 2-0 to Beachill. Gough wins the next two points – Beachill struggles to convert drops. 2-2. Beachill plays a low hard drive front left which is a winner, and leads 3-2. Beachill then wins sevevral points in a row to move to a 7-3 lead. Boswell wins the next point, then there is some discussion about a let call. 4-7 Boswell serving. A fast winner from Beachill then a nick drop takes him 9-4. The players trade points and Beachill serves for the game at 10-5. Gough can’t complete a boast and Beachill takes the game 11-5.
In the fourth game there are several let plays at the start of the match. At the end of that let sequence it is 2-2. Then Gough disputes a stroke decision with a shout – he is not happy. Beachill leads 3-2, then 4-2 as Gough lets the decision affect him. Beachill then fails to convert drops at the front right twice in a row and it is 4-4. Gough then plays a sublime drop front right, and Beachill tins the ball twice and it is 7-4 to the Welshman Gough. Another tin from Beachill and Gough leads 8-4. Beachill then seems to give up on the game and Gough wins the next three points to take the game 11-4.
In the fifth game Beachill is upset with a decision early on, but recovers his composure with a great drop front right to lead 2-1. Then a long rally with most of the play down the left ends with a great backhand drop front left from Gough. 2-2. Beachill then tins an attempted drop front left and Gough leads 3-2. Another very long rally ends with Beachill tinning a backhand overhead drop. He then tins the next point and Gough leads 5-2. In the next rally Beachill has Gough scrambling – the Welshman recovers several great shots but Beachill converts to serve at 3-5. Another long rally and Beachill tins a drop front left. He then tins another and Gough is leading 7-3. Beachill seems to be overhitting the ball now, and fails to make a drop front right. 8-3 to Gough. They then trade points and Gough plays a deft front right drop to go to 10-4 match ball. A great winning drop from Beachill and it is 5-10. But Gough wins the next point to take the match 11-5.
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