ISS CANARY WHARF CLASSIC NICKMATTHEW WINSISSCANARYWHARFCLASSIC
Nick Matthew continued his crusade to the coveted World No.1 ranking by claiming a maiden ISS Canary Wharf Classic title with a comprehensive 12-10 6-11 13-11 11-3 win over Frenchman Gregory Gaultier at the spectacular East Wintergarden venue at Canary Wharf in London.
victory in such conditions and offered his rival a three-minute break which unfortunately was still not sufficient for him to recover, and Willstrop had no alternative but to concede the match.
Despite his semi-final exertions and earlier efforts in overcoming Chris Ryder and former World Champion Thierry Lincou in the first round and quarter-final respectively, Matthew showed few signs of fatigue in the final and it was indeed Gaultier who blamed tiredness for not capitalising on the opportunities that he had created in his first World Tour final of the year.
Despite the Frenchman serving for the opening and third games, it was Matthew who clinched both following dramatic tie-breaks and eventually ran out an easy winner in the fourth game as Gaultier’s challenge wilted.
“I got a bit lucky,” said a jubilant Matthew after his third successive World Tour title success of the year and his thirteenth consecutive win.
The 69-minute victory crowned a magnificent week for the Englishman, who was kept on court for more than two hours in a semi-final battle with compatriot James Willstrop. In a dramatic finish to their astonishing 127-minute clash, the longest match in the tournament’s seven-year history and the longest in both players’ careers, which included a 20-18 tiebreak finish to the third game, Willstrop was forced to retire injured on match ball down with cramp in his left leg after he crashed into the back left corner of the glass court,
chasing a winning drive from his rival.
Having initially punched the air with relief at winning the point after one of many physically depleting rallies, Matthew’s expression turned to concern for his fellow Englishman who lay in agony.
As Willstrop received treatment, referee Dean Clayton informed the sell-out crowd that as the injury was self-inflicted the reigning champion would have to concede the match unless he was able to play on immediately.
However, Matthew refused to accept
INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE June 2010 | 25
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine
“Greg could easily have won 3/0 but I won some big points at the crucial stages. If there’s two tie-breaks in a match, you sort of expect them to go one each. I was feeling and playing better at the end and it may have been preying on his mind that he could have won 3/0,” concluded Matthew, having secured his thirteenth World Tour title success.
ISS Canary Wharf Classic East Wintergarden, London, England
Final: [1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 12-10, 6-11, 13-11, 11-3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33