Pace Canadian
Classic 2006
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From the 11 matches that
were captured to film for this event, only four made their
way to our editing suites
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All four were recorded in
tight close-up fashion using five broadcast cameras and
eight distinct soundtracks
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All encoded in crystal
clear high-definition
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Slow motion replays where
you want them
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DVD menu navigation from
game to game and a best rallies features (DVD #4 Only)
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Ex-World #4 Martin Heath
teams up with veteran commentator Vic Rauter for these
matches. (To the exception of
that which features B. Golan and G. Ryding at #2 since our
commentators had not reached the venue at the time this
match was recorded)
For
a while now, we’ve been writing about the eminent “changing
of the guard” at the top of the men’s world
ranking…well since Jonathon Power and Peter Nicol have now
decided to retire from the tour a few weeks after this event
was played, that time has come. But even without Jon &
Peter in the mix, the shifts in ranking positions at the top
will surely continue to be as volatile as ever; a player
ranked first one month could very well be 6th the
next. The young players featured in these matches compete to push
the masters over the edge and into the double digits ranking points, well at
least those who haven’t yet retired. Meet the new
challengers who for the first time are taking center stage at
the John Basset Hall in Toronto, and more importantly a place
in squash history. Here as follows are the four featured matches
captured for DVD:
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Jonathon
Power Vs Gregory Gaultier:
Power was pushed to the limit by
this young Frenchman who, together with James Willstrop,
is seen by many as the next #1 in a not too distant
future. One story that the current world ranking doesn’t
tell us is that Gregory has not yet lost to James in their
many encounters over the years, however James has made it
to the #2 position just recently… One thing is certain:
if Greg and James make it to the top and if their rivalry
is anything close to that of Power & Nicol, then
we’re in for a treat.
Gaultier played attacking squash
from start to finish by bringing Power to the front
whenever he could - a tactic not used by many as most fear
Power's devastating counter attacks in front court
territory… But Gaultier did this with confidence, and
that is a definite sign of great things to come from this
young man. A great clash between players of similar styles
and attitudes as both despise losing any point, especially
those decided by referees…
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Graham
Ryding Vs Borja Golan:
Ryding, the Canadian veteran who
just a few months back had beaten Shabana, Matthew, Nicol
and had fallen just 2 points short of making the finals of
the World Open 04 against Lincou is a player that poses a
real threat to anyone he faces on tour. Leading to the
event, the Canadian national media had built a story
around Graham and on the prospect that he could face and
possibly finally beat his friend who’s now world #1 -
Jonathon Power, the man he’s been chasing around the
globe throughout his career… Through the “luck” of
the draw Graham could play him in front of his home crowd
in the round that followed this one… But first things
first – he had to get passed an up-and-coming Spanish
prodigy whose quickness and mental sharpness strangely
resembles that of his famous countryman tennis star Rafael
Nadal. Looking sharp from the top of the match, Ryding
took a quick lead then lost it but got it back again… 70
minutes later he was still trading shot for shot &
point for point with a determined Borja…The acoustics within
the JB Hall were so amazing that the only sounds you could hear from that point on and to the conclusion of the match were that of the ball being struck to the wall and the journalists beating the unfolding story furiously onto their keyboards...if anyone was breathing within the venue -- we couldn't tell.
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Karim
Darwish Vs Mohammed Abbas:
Two players who know each
others’ game inside out since growing together within
the same remarkable Egyptian squash training system. When
mentioning ‘remarkable’ – Egyptian juniors won an
impressive 6 of the 8 categories played at this year’s
prestigious British Junior Open. If this is a sign of
things to come in the senior ranks in a few years, well
the rest of the world could be in serious trouble…
For now however, Shabana
leads the way for his country followed closely by our two
featured players - Darwish & Abbas, then by El Hindi
and the young rising star BJO Champion and already top 30
in the world, Ramy Ashour - talk about credential for the
Egyptian federation… What you can expect to see from
this fantastic encounter is an extraordinary array of
attacks whether with great volleys and nicks, or feather
touch drops, this is your Egyptian prescription for grade
A squash entertainment.
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Amr
Shabana Vs Wael El Hindi:
It’s another real treat
to watch two great players attacking the front part of the
court with such confidence and efficiency. Shabana is at
his peak; he’s quicker and more deceptive than ever…
would it be that his manager and friend Jonathon Power is
starting to rub off on him? If so, then it’s nice to
know that someone with younger legs will continue to
entertain us the way the ‘master’ did so well over the
years.
Wael has already beaten Amr and
other top players such as Matthew, Ricketts and Ryding in
the past so trust that he has what it takes to beat any
top 10 players at anytime. He’s an incredible cat-like mover for an athlete his size,
but then again so is Amr… Just sit back and savour this
fantastic match.
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