TODAY at the Saudi International 2007:
Steve Cubbins in Al-Khobar ...

Wednesday 24th, Round Two, Part One:

Round Two, Top Half:

[5] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [10] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
               12/10, 11/6, 11/8 (52m)

[1] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [9] Karim Darwish (Egy)
               10/12, 4/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (67m)

[3] David Palmer (Aus) bt [13] Adrian Grant (Eng)
               11/7, 11/9, 11/7 (47m)

[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
               12/10, 8/11, 11/6, 11/3 (60m)
 

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[5] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt
[10] Stewart Boswell (Aus)  12/10, 11/6, 11/8 (52m)

Thierry grateful for three

For a player renowned for his slow starts, Thierry Lincou did pretty well to see off Stewart Boswell in three today. In a very even, high-quality first game with never more than two points in it, it was the Frenchman who proved the stronger at the end - winning a huge rally to level at 9-all and taking it on his second game ball as Boswell made two rare errors.

From then on he was never headed, although he never led by much. Lincou's shots were that little more accurate as he kept his nose in front for the next two games before gratefully closing out a rare 3/0 win over the Aussie with a clear-cut stroke ...

"I played a better match against him in the US Open, but he was pretty sharp today.

"I just wasn't accurate enough and left the ball out in the middle too often – you can't afford to do that, you end up doing all the running …"

"It's not like it used to be, all the players are very close to each other and there are battles right from the first round. Normally Stewart and I go to four or five games, so I'm really pleased with that.

"I've changed my preparation, especially the mental side of it to try not to give games away, and I'm trying to enjoy myself more.

"I thought I was pretty solid today. It's never finished until it's finished, I had to try and stay focused to the end and I'm really pleased with how I did that today."

[1] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [9] Karim Darwish (Egy)
               10/12, 4/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (67m)

Shabana leaves it late

We nearly lost our champion tonight.

Karim Darwish simply dominated the world number one for two games. Yes, the first was close all the way, but Shabana was always on the back foot, a few untimely tins from Darwish kept him in contention, but ultimately Karim's greater determination saw him through that one. He was better in the second, winning comfortably as Shabana gave it up the last two points.

Karim looked to be playing safe at the start of the third, content to wait for mistakes which had been coming, but now stopped and the tactic proved to be a costly mistake. Shabana started to pick up the pace and at the same time cut out the mistakes, winning a few hotly-contested points before easing away to take the third as easily as Karim had the second.

And in truth, there was only one winner from the middle of that third. Karim was on the back foot now, and having wrested control the defending champion never looked like relinquishing it ...

"I was out of breath in the first two, I wasn't sure what shape I was in coming into this tournament after an injury in the British and losing early in New York. He just outplayed me in the first two though, too good.

"In the third I tried to make him work. I wasn't thinking about winning, just about getting into it and getting into some for the tournaments coming up, and slowly and slowly I got into the match and started to feel better.

"It's a fine line between winning and losing and I could easily have lost tonight - I had to give 100% and all the rest to win that one ..."

"I was controlling everything in the first two games, controlling the 'T' and I felt good. I felt he was getting tired after the second – he started going for shots in the third and they were going for him, and he got the control.

"I had to keep the same pace as in the first two, but I couldn't manage that. I also got upset with a few decisions which broke my concentration, so he took control and played his shots …"

[3] David Palmer (Aus) bt [13] Adrian Grant (Eng)
               11/7, 11/9, 11/7 (47m)

Palmer at the end ...

What's that well-known phrase or saying - "when the going gets tough ..."

It's not the first time, and it won't be the last, that David Palmer has won a close match by pulling clear in the nitty-gritty stage of games, once it gets to 7, 8, 9-all.

Tonight he did it three times. 8/7 up in the first, he won the next three points. A slight lapse in the second, reaching 10/6 and having to win a huge, lung-busting rally at 10/9 to double his lead. Three points from 8/7 in the third clinched it, leaving Adrian aggrieved at having got so close for no reward and David well satisfied with his evening's work

"Adrian plays a very slow game, it's hard to build up a rhythm. My game was to try to step forward and take the volley, a counter-punching game. It was more a concentration thing in keeping it up, and it was only at 10/6 in the second that I relaxed at all.

"I felt I was pretty solid in the second half of the third so it's good to get through in three, no damage done …"

"It's just those final bits – I knew I would be able to back it up even after a long match yesterday, and I was with him rally for rally, but he just focused a bit more when it got to the crucial points.

"Mentally he was more switched on, that's what I have to learn to do.

"I think I deserved a game at least out of that, so I'm pleased with the performance if not the result. There's a few lessons learnt there though, and I'll try to take those positives into the next tournaments …"

[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [12] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)               12/10, 8/11, 11/6, 11/3 (60m)

End of the line for LJ ...

As the only player to upset the seedings yesterday, Laurens Jan Anjema wasn't expected to win today, although clearly no-one had told the Dutchman that ...

He took the game to the US Open champion from the start, opening up a 3/0 lead which soon became 7/2. Nick wasn't playing badly, but neither was he on top form, and at 7/10 down the first game looked gone. Rather than play safe though, the Englishman went for it. Three fine, quick winners and it was level, and he took an unlikely lead.

Nick looked on his way to a quick victory at 6/2 in the second, but now it was LJ's turn to fight back as he took six points in a row from 8/5 down.

But that was it, really. Nick's volleys started to click from the beginning of the third, and LJ's demeanour as he came off court after losing that game didn't bode well for a comeback. And sure enough, Nick kept the momentum, closing out the match to set up a meeting with the world champion ...

"Things evened out – he deserved to win the first, and once I snuck that I relaxed a little, but I still should have closed out the second.

"I'd never played him before in PSA so it was very different to yesterday – new court, new opponent, you're not on autopilot, you have find out their game and adapt to the conditions at the same time.

"I had to find my length and width and angles, but I wasn't pleased with my short game today, I'll have to work on that for my match with David – it's good to have a day off to prepare for that, we'll both be better for it …"