ONE can only imagine the raised eyebrows over the breakfast table this morning if in the cosy confines of a Morningside kitchen, an otherwise respectable Edinburgh gent had informed his wife that he had indeed spent the evening at his club watching a certain Ms Lust get a good thrashing from Ms Botwright who, furthermore, had been dressed in a thong, which, quite frankly, left little to the imagination.
As it turns out, the thong was nowhere to be seen, but our un-named gent would not have been too far wide of the mark after Vicky Botwright made short work of beating Vicky Lust 11-4, 11-1, 11-6 in the Edinburgh Squash Open.
Sponsored by Artemis, the Edinburgh based investment management company, for the ninth consecutive year, the event remains the richest on the BSPA Grand Prix with a total prize fund of £10,000. Squash in the UK is still largely regarded by many as nothing other than a way of keeping fit. In this global TV age it has suffered because of its difficulty to be televised and therefore broaden its appeal.
Having two folk facing a wall in the pub/club atmosphere of a darts match is one thing, watching two supremely fit, focussed and motivated athletes hit a tiny rubber ball against a white wall is another.
That is perhaps the reason why that when the aforementioned Ms Botwright challenged the traditionally conservative hierarchy of British Squash in 2004, saying she intended to compete in a thong akin to a beach volleyball outfit, it produced headlines.
It says a lot for the status of the sport that Botwright naively assumed the stunt would largely pass unnoticed, but the fact that Ms Botwright was infinitely more attractive than most professional athletes sent those headlines across the globe.
Ms Botwright, who has now largely retired from competing and works as a coach was in more traditional garb at the Edinburgh Squash Club yesterday and easily overcame her opponent with the headline-grabbing name.
World No 9 Peter Barker took the men's title with a 3-0 victory over John Rooney. Barker was in great form and Rooney also tired, finding it difficult to maintain the pace of the game after a long tournament in which he had to overcome Stacey Ross and Scotland's Alan Clyne in the semi-final.
The Edinburgh club, which is located next to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, remains one of the UK's most important centres for squash. It has seven courts, including the only hard ball squash doubles court in the UK.
The Championship Court has a capacity of 150 and is a focal point for major tournaments. All the courts are available for social play, competition, coaching and practice.
Simon Boughton, the club pro said: "It's true squash does suffer in the TV age, but that is largely because the world's top players make it look so easy. Once people see it live they appreciate the phenomenal skill and speed it is played at. Then they want to get involved."
That was certainly the case in Edinburgh over the four days with the club posting sold out signs amid record receipts.
Source: The Scotsman
Botwright lets her squash do the talking at UK's richest competition
Labels: Latest News, What's New, WISPA, WISPA News
IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL SPORTSWOMEN AWARD FOR OCTOBER: Madeline Perry
Some familiar names to our sportswomen awards were amongst our contenders again in October, including Jessica Kürten, winner of one of the richest prizes in her sport at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Cora Staunton, outstanding once again for Carnacon in the club championships, and Maria McCambridge, who produced an exceptional run in the Dublin City marathon.
Another multiple award winner, though, beat off the opposition and in doing so Madeline Perry becomes the only sportswoman to win one of our monthly awards every year since we got under way in 2004.
Reaching the semi-finals of the World Championships in Manchester might have been enough for Perry to clinch the award; getting to the last eight of the Qatar Classic a fortnight later, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the professional squash circuit, would have strengthened her claim, but it is the story behind Perry's displays that made her an easy choice for the panel of judges.
It was just a year ago that the 31-year-old from Banbridge, Co Down, in Italy for training, was knocked unconscious outside a restaurant in Milan, her attacker stealing her handbag and leaving her with a broken temporal bone in her skull and bleeding and bruising to the brain.
When she was finally released from hospital in Milan, Perry had to make it home to Banbridge by land and sea, having been advised not to fly, and was told by a local neurosurgeon that she had been lucky to survive.
Remarkably, just two months later, she won our December award when she made it eight titles in 10 years at the National Championships in Dublin on her return to action - it would probably have been a 10-in-a-row if injuries hadn't forced her out of the 2000 and 2005 events.
However, the prospects of Perry regaining lost ground on the international circuit seemed bleak, not least because she had been advised not to travel by air until she had fully recovered - she was also warned not to drive for six months.
In the November world rankings, though, she had climbed to 11th, on course to regain her place in the top 10.
"It's only over the last couple of months that I've started to feel back to normal," she said.
"What happened last year was pretty traumatic, I nearly died then, and I was told I'd never be able to concentrate.
"Getting up the rankings again is probably more difficult than it was the first time, but this is a fantastic boost."
Grumpier and angrier, perhaps, but indomitable and gutsy as well.
[Source]
In one of the most radical changes in the sport in recent times, the World Squash Federation has voted to change the scoring system in Squash to ‘Point-A-Rally’ (PAR) to 11 points per game. The new scoring system will take effect worldwide, across all areas of the sport, from 1st April 2009. The decision was taken by an overwhelming vote by Member National Federations at the WSF AGM in Manchester last week.
Whilst PAR scoring has been used on the men’s professional circuit for many years – and was more recently introduced by the WISPA women’s tour - ‘hand-in-hand-out’ scoring to nine points a game has been practiced globally by recreational players for many decades.
Thus from 1st April 2009, the principal scoring system for Squash will change to PAR to 11 (going to two clear points if 10-all is reached).
Already used in both PSA and WISPA Tour events – and, as such, seen regularly on TV –PAR scoring will now extend to all WSF championships, and all Major Games in which squash is featured, e.g. Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games, World University Games, World Games, and others.
It was also agreed that next month’s Women’s World Team Championships in Cairo will use PAR 11 for all matches in advance of the official April 2009 start date as this is a high-profile event which will feature a large number of WISPA players who are already familiar with the scoring system.
The recent experiment of using it in the European Squash Federation (ESF) Junior Circuit and Championships will now become the norm - and it is certain that other WSF Regional Federations will also introduce it, as will many MNA's for their domestic championships and leagues.
In a further vote taken at the WSF AGM, PAR to 11 was also introduced for international doubles (changing it from PAR to 9 which was introduced in 2007) – and will be used in the WSF International Doubles Championships in Chennai in December. However, the principle of sudden death at 10-all will be retained.
World number one Nicol David has criticised proposals made to the World Squash Federation which would impose a professional scoring system upon the whole sport.
But David - now a Datuk, a rare and highly prestigious title bestowed upon outstanding Malaysian citizens - believes it would be a mistake to abandon the traditional hand in hand-out scoring used for more than 80 years.
Asked if there was a risk of such a change producing very short matches, David replied: "Yes, definitely. Normal scoring would be so much better for the juniors and grass roots.
"The game is all about how to come back when you are down. It's never over till it's over: the essence of the normal scoring.
"But with American (point a rally) scoring you will get less fightbacks.That would be such a shame and I really hope it doesn't go that way."
David, who is a strong favourite to regain the title at next week's World Open in Manchester after topping the rankings for 26 consecutive months, also has doubts about the effects of the point-a-rally scoring upon the women's professional game.
The new system was only adopted by the WISPA Tour in July, copying the PSA (men's) tour, and will be used for the first time in a world championship here.
"It's a big change," David said. "Having established women's squash at such a good level with the normal scoring, and changing it to American scoring, it's a bit difficult for most girls to have to adapt straight away.
"But in the end you have to deal with what's going on. Hopefully the quality of what we produced with nine-point scoring will transfer to American scoring.
"But there are some variations in our matches now. Some top players don't like it. Somehow we have to adapt. It could be disruptive."
Rachael Grinham, who will defend the world title against David's challenge, is also unsure how the new scoring will affect the women's professional game."I wasn't keen on the change in the beginning but I understand it was inevitable really so I've been trying to look at the positive sides of it," the Australian said.
"I agree that it makes it more interesting from a spectator's point of view, although it's only because it makes so many games much closer - I don't think it makes the actual squash more interesting.
"That's down to the players you watch; the scoring system will never make a difference there.
"From a player's point of view, it's taking a bit to get used to. I'm finding myself quite unsure a lot of the time as to how to play, whether to attack or play safe.
"So I think it's going to take a good six months to settle into it. I'm still getting used to it and need to play a little more to form an opinion."
The chief executive of women's tour (WISPA), Andrew Shelley, was also critical of point-a-rally scoring being imposed on the whole sport. But he thinks it is good for the women's tour.
"We spent 16 months testing it, and we knew there would be disadvantages," Shelley said. "If someone has a long lead, the chances of recovering are reduced (with point-a-rally), but if a match is close the scoring adds a frisson of excitement. So overall it works.
"But we wouldn't advocate it for the game as a whole," he emphasised, referring to the WSF's forthcoming decision. "Pro scoring, as we prefer to call it, works for the leading players. We wouldn't advocate for the general public."
Liz Irving, a former world no.2, one of the sport’s top coaches and coach to World Champion Nicol David is critical of the WISPA move to PAR 11 "Why does the club player get addicted to this wonderful game of squash? I have had a racket in my hand for 41 years – from the age of two – and I still love the game! I love what it stands for and what it gives you as a person. You learn so much about yourself as you struggle away: how to control your emotions, solve problems and deal with pressure. You are forever learning how to better yourself. The women’s game over the last 20 years has been all about building credibility. The men in ‘my’ day did not want a women’s event attached to their events. We were the poor relations and were put under a lot of pressure to follow the men’s way of scoring (PAR to 15) – or we wouldn’t even have events in certain countries. Later we decided as a group that this didn’t enhance our game or give us TV exposure or generate more top women's events. We felt that the time had come to stand alone and not be put on the back courts at men’s events. On top of that we believed that traditional scoring was the best way to ensure the quality of matches. Today, I think the women’s game is great the way it is. The length of matches is right and the women are supporting their own events well. With traditional scoring it is always possible for there to be a great comeback. How satisfying it is to come back from 8/0 down and win a game ... especially the fifth! And on the other hand, how soul destroying it is to lose those matches. This is what makes great squash. In all sports you have the defender and the attacker. Traditional scoring allows this to hold true for squash. You see a game develop strategically. You also see players rewarded with a point for good strategy. Men are and always will be at a completely different physical level from women and shortening the women's matches will, I feel, detract from their credibility as athletes and generally. It will make the sport look easy – and who wants to travel to watch a ten-minute match, whether it be a first round or a final? I also feel that PAR to 11 scoring will lower the quality of the game, as it will be hard sometimes to see any substance in a match. I have seen many of the top players throw games or matches when there is no chance of recovering a deficit – which certainly does not go down well with the paying public. I find it hard to believe that people cannot understand the simple concept of winning a point when you are the server. Squash is an intelligent sport and there is nothing better than playing in front of an understanding, articulate crowd. The aim of a unified scoring system seems to be to get squash into the Olympics in perhaps eight years’ time, which I would love to see. But if the move to pro scoring does not achieve Olympic status for squash, enhance the women's tour, improve credibility, increase worldwide exposure or guarantee top-level events, then I hope we can revert to traditional scoring before all that we worked for is lost!" Liz Irving --Interview by Squash Player
19 June 2008
http://www.wispa.net/NM/anmviewer.asp?a=944&z=1
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In a groundbreaking initiative due to be unveiled in 2009, the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) is developing a Global Grand Slam major championships series to link with the Women's World Open at the pinnacle of women's professional squash.
Discussions are already underway with a number of prospective hosts for these events which will staged on all-glass courts in exciting locations - featuring prize funds of US$150,000 and with television highlights programmes being distributed to all continents.
Planned titles are Asian, European, North American, South American, African, Oceania and Gulf Grand Slams.
Each event will feature main and qualification draws of 32 players each, and will have places reserved for top players from the host region and country.
"Recognising the special status of these events, we will be introducing a new elevated ranking points band for these championships, together with the World Open - one step higher than our current top Platinum level, which features titles such as the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open," explained WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley.
"These Grand Slam events will add a major new tier to our integrated World Tour, which ranges from the World Open, through the Grand Slam, into Platinum and then to our Gold, Silver and Tour levels: A really strong backbone providing competitive and promotional opportunities at all levels.
"WISPA is confident that this exciting step forward will significantly strengthen the WISPA Tour as well as public and media interest as we go forward - and hopefully support the momentum towards gaining a place in the Olympics programme," he added.
--WISPA
May 2008
For the Full Version: http://www.squashweb.nl/cms/nieuws/nl_squash_nieuws/dunlop_sponsor_van_forexx_dutch_open.html ____
Leading British sports brand Dunlop has been appointed as 'Official Ball & Racket Supplier’ of the 2008 Forexx Dutch Open, continental Europe’s biggest squash championship this year. The Forexx Dutch Open Squash 2008 will be staged at the beginning of the new squash season at the renowned Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, from 2-7 September. The event will feature a US$53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold championship and a PSA Tour 3 star tournament boasting a US$30,000 prize-fund.
Tommy Berden, tournament director for event organisers Next Events, said: “We are delighted to have secured the support of Dunlop. Over the last two years we have developed a great relationship with the worlds leading brand as we are both committed to developing squash. To have them on board again is great news for the Forexx Dutch Open and we’re very excited at the prospect of working closely with Dunlop during the build up to the tournament.”
With a total prize fund of US$83,500 - a rise of more than 30% compared to last year - the Forexx Dutch Open 2008 is sure to attract the world’s best players to the capital of the Netherlands. Among them will be Dunlop sponsored players Dylan Bennett, Margriet Huisman, Dutch based ‘Aussie’ Bradley Hindle and British Champion Alison Waters, as well as the female’s world number one Nicol David, the newly Dutch world number two Natalie Grinham and 3-time Dutch national champion Laurens Jan Anjema, currently ranked 17th on the PSA World Rankings. Other participants will be announced at a later stage, closer to entry deadline (August 5).
Tickets for the Forexx Dutch Open 2008 are now available exclusively on the event’s website www.dutchopensquash.nl.
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