11 Points with Simon Rosner
Interview by ALAN THATCHER Also available on the main CW site
1: Simon, welcome back to Canary Wharf. You have enjoyed a fantastic start to 2018, winning the Tournament of Champions, finishing runner-up in the Swedish Open and reaching the semi-finals in Chicago. What are you doing differently this season?
I don’t think I am doing anything different, really. I haven’t changed anything technically. I work hard with my coaches, as per usual, and I am trying to play each match as it comes.
In New York I enjoyed each and every match, point by point and enjoyed the whole experience.
2: How did the German media respond to your victory in New York?
I was very pleased to see some good coverage back home. In the local papers in Paderborn it was huge, but I was pleased to see the story picked up several national papers and the online publication Sport Bild.
The story also got one whole minute on our national TV channel and that was great. The response on social media was crazy. There were so many kind messages and I wanted to write everyone and say Thank You.
3: I remember interviewing Thierry Lincou at the ToC many years ago, in the snow in Times Square, and he was talking about overcoming mental barriers. That evening he beat Jonathon Power for the first time and it was a major step on his path to becoming world champion. How many mental barriers do you think you have broken through in the past few months, and would you like to describe them?
In a way, beating Marwan ElShorbagy in Qatar in November was a similar kind of moment for me. Beating Gregory Gaultier in the World Series Finals was another significant result but that was best of three so possibly did not have the same impact.
However, these results can only boost your confidence going forward. That certainly helped me as I prepared for the Tournament of Champions and I am trying to maintain that mindset with every new tournament.
4: With an increase in prize money, this is our strongest Canary Wharf draw for many years. How much have you been looking forward to playing in the event?
It’s a tournament I always look forward to a lot. I have played probably eight or nine times and that shows my passion for both London and Canary Wharf. It has been a busy time of year with so many tournaments back to back, with Sweden, Chicago and Canary Wharf so close together.
5: With Nick Matthew sadly forced to withdraw with a hamstring injury, the top four seeds are all Egyptians. What do you think other nations can learn from this wave of Egyptian success?
So many players are coming through from their junior set-up and having such big numbers they are pushing each other. In terms of numbers, if you have maybe a thousand players competing in a system you will have more coming through than if you only have 20 or so.
That kind of competition can only be inspirational and, sadly for the rest of the world, there is no end in sight. Every day there seem to be new juniors coming through from Egypt.
6: It’s a shame that the Canary Wharf crowd won’t be able to say a proper farewell to Nick in his farewell season on the PSA Tour. How much has he influenced our career?
Nick has been around for so many years and is still producing very competitive squash at the age of 37. I wish I will still be able to move and be injury free when I am that age. It’s all down to Nick’s professional approach. He is very disciplined in everything he does and really is the ultimate professional. That shows his class, still being able to compete at the level beyond the age of 35.
I have got to meet him lots of times, on and off court, and have the utmost respect for everything he has achieved. Interestingly, after my experience in New York, I respect the top four guys in the world even more.
I was so full of emotion after winning the ToC that it was difficult to go back to zero to start the next tournament. It made me think a lot about how the top guys keep getting results back to back and how they must deal with the emotional highs and lows.
7: Now, time to get personal. After the Windy City Open, your proposed to your girlfriend in Chicago and she accepted! Congratulations from all of us at Canary Wharf. Who is this lucky lady and what can you tell us about her?
Vivien is from Paderborn. Amazingly, we met in Chicago three years ago. She had finished her studies and was working over there as an au pair and learning the language. I proposed to her in the Hancock Tower, which was where we met three years ago!
8: Will she be joining you in London this week?
A: Sadly, no. She will be at work back home in Paderborn. We have lived together for the past two years and she works as a PA to one of my sponsors, Ralf Eckel, whose company is called Zaun Kreisel. You can see the name on my shirts.
9: How did you feel when you saw that you had been drawn against your best buddy Nic Mueller in the first round?
That came as no surprise! It’s funny how that works in squash, you make the main draw then get paired against your best friend or someone from the same country. I said to Nic before the qualifying competition “You will make the main draw and we will play each other in the first round – and that’s what happened!” After Chicago I was mentally and physically prepared to play Nic. He is deservedly back in the world top 20.
10: What are your thoughts on the best-of-three format being used in the early rounds at Canary Wharf this year?
I like it. Playing best of three, my heart rate was up right from the start. It’s a very intense kind of squash, the same as in Dubai last summer. There is no waiting. You have to go straight on to the attack. It will be interesting to see how it pans out. I imagine there will be a lot of 50-60 minute matches.
11: Who are your main sponsors these days? Feel free to give them all a mention.
My main sponsors are the DRS Group. They are a major car repair company and the guys love coming to tournaments. Danny and Martin used to play Bundesliga and love coming to the PSA events.
They are based in Hamburg and are really nice guys. They have been so helpful to me in so many ways and I am so happy that they are in the team with me. Oliver are my racket and equipment sponsors and have been with me for 10 years.
These long-term relationships are very important to me, to stick together and build a team. Everyone looks after me so well and I would like to mention all of my other sponsors, Lightpower, FlyerAlarm, Deutsche Sporthlife and Zaun Kreisel, who I mentioned earlier.
Thank you, Simon. Good luck this evening.
Also available on the main CW site
