Nicol & Nour: It’s all about consistency
[1] Nicol David (Mas) 3-1 [5] Nour El Tayeb (Egy) 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8 (60m)
If home favourite was a bit nervous to start with, 3 errors in 4 points to open the game, she soon found some gorgeous backhand drives combined with volley drop shots that killed Nicol’s movement, 11/6 in 9m.
The second is the turning point of the match I think. From 5/2, 8/4 and cruising, Nour just couldn’t stop the Malaysian from finding her way mentally into the match. Patiently, Nicol “lenghtened” her way in, finding a good balance between attack and defence, to claw back at 8/8.
Brilliance from Nour, the talent she showed on that court tonight was just astonishing, 10/8. Then, in a single point, three decisions for the ref that were - correctly may I add - overturned by the video ref: no let becoming let, another no let, another correction to let, and a stroke, again turning to let! Note, he kept on having 2 more corrections right after… Bad night…
So, we are still at 10/9 game ball for Nour, but she finds the tin twice, 11/10 Nicol, who will finish the game on her first attempt with a lovely backhand crosscourt kill, 12/10 in 20m…
In my humble opinion, that’s the key of the match: consistency. Nour alternated brilliance, and I mean utter brilliance with going too soon for too much, and finding tins far too often. I dare say she is a more gifted player than Nicol – pure squash speaking – but Nicol’s consistency made the difference today
Nour took a little time to recover mentally from the loss of the second, wen 7/2 down, 8/3, 9/5. She came back strong at the end, forced two errors from the Malaysian, but a little bit too little too late, 11/8, 13m.
The 4th was very close up to 7/7 – not a point between them – but then again, 3 tins at that point for the Egyptian, still in contention though, 8/9. A harsh stroke for Nicol – confirmed by the video ref – give her match ball, one is enough, 11/8….
I learned from our last match that she was just going to play her game and I had to really step up and stay composed with that I needed to do. I couldn't get too caught up, I think she has flair when she has time and it's really hard to read. I needed to really enforce my game, I needed that second game to push me through to the end.
My consistency paid of today and I needed to stay in there and work as hard as I could because you don't want to be staying in there too long. I'm just pleased to win 3-1.
This season has been my toughest training-wise. It's the recovery that's very important because there's not much time between sessions. But each session I train is all 100 per cent, so you need to bring that level up if you are going to stay on top.
Egypt has produced so many world champions, world number 1, the kids have so much to be inspired, and then, they grow up looking up to those champions, consistently competing against each other and emulating each other. They are producing so many different style of squash, it’s remarkable, and very good for the game.
You have always things to improve, things to work on and bring into your game. So it’s a question of putting it together and enjoying my squash out there.
There are a long way before I think of retiring, and as long as my body is willing, I’ll be staying on the tour for sure…
