05/10/2005
Guildford break South Coast Hoodoo
Ian Robinson reports as UniSport Guildford go two for two at Chichester ...


Chichester  2-3  UniS Guildford
  Ben Garner  1-3  Stacey Ross            3/9, 9/7, 4/9, 6/9
  Pete Genever  3-1  Stephen Meads    5/9, 9/7, 9/7, 9/6
  Tim Vail  1-3  Jesse Engelbrecht        6/9, 9/4, 2/9, 6/9
  Tom Richards  3-0  Neil Frankland       9/5, 9/4, 9/1
  Suzie Pierrepont  0-3  Alison Waters   3/9, 1/9, 0/9

Also:  The Away Supporter ... Barry Hitchcock

Guildford break South Coast Hoodoo
Ian Robinson reports as UniSport Guildford go two for two ...

UniSport Guildford travelled to the south coast with an abysmal record against close rivals Chichester and in particular after losing a one sided contest last year at this time by a hefty 5 - 0 margin.  Matches are always tough with Chichester and this one was no exception.  So it was a major plus and good for the points balance to record a pleasing but tough 3 - 2 away win.  In fairness Chichester were without world number 6 Linda Elriani for this match with a long term thigh injury, which helped the Guildford cause as this has often meant an immediate points advantage to the south coast team.
 
As usual the star attraction was followed by a tough uncompromising squash match and, of course, I refer to the pre-match introductions onto the court. 

Suzie Pierrepont  0-3  Alison Waters  (3/9, 1/9, 0/9)
 
Alison Waters opened the batting for UniSport and was quickly into her stride against a tall rangy opponent, Suzie Pierrepont, who has made great strides since leaving the junior game.  This was a different Alison Waters from the one that played last week against Laura Lengthorn.  The key element here was sharpness, both of thought and deed.  Waters hit the ball fiercely and moved onto her shots easily and decisively reaping a big reward.  Pierrepont had no answer to the pace in the rallies and as gamely as she tried to gain a foothold in the match it was not to be as Waters was completely overwhelming, allowing her no more than 4 points.  In fact such was the difference between the rapidly maturing Waters and the young pretender that even her mishits went for impossible winners and as well she produced a wild mix of winners at will. 

A welcome early advantage to UniSport and by a comfortably soothing margin.

Tim Vail  1-3  Jesse Engelbrecht  (6/9, 9/4, 2/9, 6/9)
 
Jesse Engelbrecht was re-acquainting himself with the PSL expert Tim Vail, the general factotum of the home side.  This was a fascinating match in prospect with both players showing great determination to impose themselves on the match early.  In the event the UniSport man hit lower and to better depth and by right could claim the centre ground, which deprived Vail of his best opportunity that of attacking with his lethal vollies.  A shrewd and disciplined start by Engelbrecht gave him the first game. 

The second was derailed as a more scrappy rally pattern gave the advantage back to the home side and a growing confidence to Vail.  At 1 - 1 the odds had to be with the home player as he thrives on his centre court with the crowd behind him, however that reckoned without the growing professionalism of Engelbretch who matched intelligent placements with sound disciplined rallying.  Engelbrecht fashioned good opportunities as well with his pace around the court and working his opponent out of position to choose exactly the right shot on the night to end the rallies.  Capitalising on Vail's loose shots in the third and hitting winners of his own, UniSport found themselves the third game to the good.  The fourth was a hard struggle as Vail was not giving this away easily and though Engelbrecht tended to have the upper hand it was no given and Engelbrecht was made to work hard for the points.  This was a good contest and served notice of the good improvement the ex Zimbabwean international is making, which should reflect well in his improved PSA world rankings. 

The UniSport faithful were now on edge as a 2 - 0 lead looked promising.

Tom Richards  3-0  Neil Frankland  ( 9/5, 9/4, 9/1)
 
Neil Frankland was next into the fray taking on the youthful Tom Richards.  The younger Surrey man is nothing like the young man, who recently went with the England Junior team to the Junior World Championships.  There is a harder more professional edge to his game that the older Surrey man and UniSport stalwart found hard to cope with.  Frankland was clearly short on timing in his normally rock-solid reliable strokes.  On this evidence the lack of confidence and form made it easy for Richards who wasted no time in imposing his sharp volleying game.  In fact, Richards missed nothing and completed what was an abject night for Frankland who needs to rediscover his confidence as soon as possible as so many loose shots on any PSL night will be punished.  This rather dented what had been a good night so far for UniSport when some were thinking the unthinkable and that is a possible 5 - 0 win - this was completely banished by Richards and the normal tooth and nail contest was resumed. 

Nonetheless Guildford were still 2 - 1 to the good.

Pete Genever  3-1  Stephen Meads    5/9, 9/7, 9/7, 9/6
 
The normally reliable Stephen Meads bounced onto court and surged into a 1 - 0 against Chichester veteran, Peter Genever.  Time almost seems to standstill if not rewinds the clock when these two play each other.  Both Meads and Genever are adapting their games to make way for diminishing youthful exuberance.  Dare I say it, there are more shots and winners sought and rallies are not as interminable as they once were.  Nonetheless there is a healthy dose of attritional squash forming the base on which both these 2 warriors found their games.  UniSport were delighted that a very attacking Meads nosed in front but as the rallies became longer, the tension increased and Meads slow-balled to such an extent that Genever found himself with a lot to hit and at the appropriate moment, 7 - 7, he was the more positive going for winners to clinch the second game.  The third was to follow the same pattern as was the fourth.  All the time the feeling was that Genever was more positive and therefore the more likely to win big points at crucial times in this match.  There was not much to separate the two players on the night - there never has been. 

There is the impression that in the head to head statistics these 2 have played many many matches together and the overall score is .........probably about even.  It was not pretty, it was never going to be and Meads gave his all but on the night this one slipped away.  It was a popular win in front of his home crowd for Genever and more importantly the scores were level.

Ben Garner  1-3  Stacey Ross  (3/9, 9/7, 4/9, 6/9)
 
The mouth watering prospect of Garner v Ross was to decide the outcome.  Garner and Ross should have played each other in the final of the Surrey Closed on Sunday, Ross pulled out with a tummy bug.  Ross was due to play several events through the summer a niggling leg injury kept him lame for about 3 months off and on.  Garner is a powerhouse, physically well-prepared and strong on the ball and his volleying is improving all the time.  So the contest was always going to be totally unpredictable.  It was a relaxed confident Ross who was immediately into his stride.  Such was the calibre of his strokes that Garner was somewhat taken aback to find himself running into empty spaces trying to find the ball.  Garner, however, does not roll over and after making what can only be described as something of a gift of the first game to Ross fought back hard to take the second.  Ross, broadly, was controlling the rallies Garner was defending as though his life depended on it.  Garner did however find enough of his attacking game in the second to steal home from 7 - 7.  There were nerves all around at the start of the third.  Word from Ross's corner was that, although he felt dreadful after the first, he was beginning to warm to the task after the second, all of which was encouraging to Guildford.  In fact the skills on show here were text book in their precision and Garner must have wondered quite what he could do to stem the tide.  The answer was he tried to ride out the storm and wait in case there was any let up and take any opportunity to attack when he could.  There was little let up from Ross and in the end finished the match with an exquisite cross court drop shot that actually never lifted from the floor and it was nowhere near the nick - not that it needed to be that good as Garner was already stranded in another part of the court.

 This was a terrific exhibition of all court squash from Ross and one that could trouble some very good players should he find himself in that company at any stage on the world tour.
 
UniSport Guildford were delighted to clinch winning points especially away from home and this consolidates to some degree the lead at the top of the group table.  It needs to do, however, as we now visit Tewkesbury who were last year's group winners and most likely without the in form Jesse Engelbrecht, who is going to Canada for PSA commitments.  This is the best start to the season in all the UniSport campaign's in the PSL.  The next home match after that sees UniSport entertain Croydon who are led by World Number 1 Peter Nicol on Tuesday 25th October start time 7.00pm and that promises to be a sell out.
 
Keep the faith and hit the ball.         

Ian Robinson

 Contributor: Ian Robinson
Club: Guildford

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