Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-2 Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-8, 7-11, 12-14, 11-8, 12-10 (85m)

A very very close match, riddled I’m sorry to say with calls that seems extremely inconsistent to both the players, the coaches, and myself. But what do we know.

In a nutshell, Fares seemed to get stitched in the 3rd, while Mathieu got the same treatment in the 5th. At least no favouritism…. One spectator had the perfect description: “It looked like the ref didn’t know what he was doing”….. Moving on, both players played a very high level of squash, gave it everything, and both kept their heads throughout the errancy of the official, bless him. Well played both, Fares wins the coin toss today…

Fares

The very least I could say is that the ref had no consistency and on a warm bouncy court, it didn’t make our life easy. We adapt to what the ref is telling us, if it’s a no let, we go stronger, we just adapt and play the ball according to the guidelines that the ref is giving us. But today, we just didn’t know where to play the ball anymore! It’s such a fine line between let and stroke… I have been a bit poorly recently, since my last event in Wimbledon, and with the anti-doping rules, it’s hard to take medicine to cure it. I think the warm and bouncy court suited him game more than mine. He was able to move me around a lot, and very few drop shots were played. My last event, in Wimbledon, I was playing under the same conditions, that was against Marwan, and I tried to learn from that match, trying to find out what I could or not do in those conditions. After losing the third, I came back with a completely different game plan, and it worked. The fifth is never about how good you play or how accurate you are. It is a mental battle. Today it was a bit scrappy. As I lost last time we played, that was in Canary Wharf, best of 3, it was playing a bit on my mind. So really happy to get the win today…

Mazen Hesham (Egy) 3-1 Mathieu Castagnet (Fra)  11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8 (57m)

Mazen Hesham got off to great starts in the first two games, and although Mathieu Castagnet closed the gap he could’t quite get there. It was the Frenchman on top in the third tough as Mazen let the last few points go, but e regrouped to stay ahead through the fourth. 

Mazen

“I think playing Castagnet you can never give him an inch to get back into the match because he will just keep on fighting and fighting.

“I admire it and I take a lot from him off court, because I thought if he was doing it why couldn’t I going into the fourth. I’m happy that I was mentally strong today and I’m really pleased to beat a player like Castagnet today.

“I’m playing so much better. If you have watched me recently then I am playing so much better than the last few months. I’m getting back better and better slowly and hopefully I can keep going up. I miss how I used to play and how I used to play on court and the crowd enjoying my matches, so hopefully I can get back to that.”

Daryl Selby (ENG) 3-0 [9] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (49m)

Mathieu I do not want or need excuses. I come here to play, and I should not be having that pubalgia that seems to reoccur when I try and play hard matches… It’s taking away my choices, but most of all, it’s taking away my confidence. And I come from wining matches easy to not being able to take a game. 

You have got good moments in an athlete career, and bad moments. This is a hell one. It didn’t happen to me for a long time, and I will sort it out. It’s just hard to lose the grip you had on  your career, and other players see you struggling, and you lose the credibility it took you so long to establish. So yes, it’s not too much of a pleasant moment, but I will get out of it and will come back even stronger.

Daryl

Mathieu is a great fighter and he plays every point at 100%.

The last few times we play he as beaten me. I always felt I was close and getting him tired in those matches but I was coming from behind in all of them, so was up against it.

So today I knew the first game would be very important and I got off to a good start. I feel like I played solid squash - there was a good mix of attacking play, mixing pace and lifting, and I think he got a bit frustrated. I felt good out there.

It was a weird one for me in the first round - it's unfortunate for Tom. For me it was difficult because you get pumped up for a match and have the adrenaline pumping, then it's a let down when you don't play. You have to balance the emotions carefully - so today I had to make sure I didn't go all out from the start and burn myself out.

I got the balance right. I was playing well and moving well and he's a top ten player - so that's a good win for me.

At 1-0 and 5-0 up, I maybe took my foot off the gas a little and he probably pushed on at the same time. But these things happens in squash and I used my experience to come back and win the game. Then at 2-0 up I think his body language showed he was in a battle but I felt strong.

Now, whether it's Ramy or Steve it will be a great occasion for me to play a last sixteen match on the glass, and I'm looking forward to it.

When Maradona came to TownSquash Dubai and played squash with Miguel... Plus a few photoso with the Squash Stars...

R1: [3] Omar Mosaad (Egy) 3-0 Mathieu Castagnet (Fra)   15/13, 11/4, 11/4 (62m)

Thirteen No Lets for the Warrior that never gives up…

Six not lets in the first game, 3 in the second, 4 in the 3rd. Then finally a stroke as Mathieu begged for access bless him…. When one knows the style Mathieu plays, it’s a bit surprising stat, but hey, what do I know… I guess he was pretty cooked at the end of the season!

Still first game was crucial, as Mathieu was playing in his comfort zone, long rallies but medium pace. The Frenchman played a bit catch up at the start, 2/5, then very close the rest of the game, only to set up 4 game balls to lose the last two points on two no lets, 15/13 Omar, 33m.

Interesting stat, Omar made 3 tins and lost 5 points on strokes, whereas Mathieu made two errors and conceded 2 strokes…

In the next two games, Omar picked up the pace beautifully, and just shortened the rallies, no more giving points away, controlling the rallies from the front, letting Mathieu do the windscreen wiper from side to side and from front to back…

Omar: Today, I played in front of my people, so I wanted to give my 100% of course… The conditions were very hard, so it was crucial I would take the first game, because I could have got tired….

Mathieu is very strong, both physically and  mentally, so when I saw him coming back in the 3rd, I gave it a big push, because I wanted to win in 3, I have a quarter final tomorrow, and I wanted to save my energy…

Mathieu

In the first game, I played well, and it was crucial, because it is the end of the season, losing that game really hurt me in the head, but I’m sorry to say, I just don’t understand the line of the referee. 

I think I always play with one direction, and people know what to expect with me, but today, giving me 13 no lets, I can’t do anything. I just cannot…. I know they are all doing their best, but I just do not understand the line they take….