By Will Carlin
It was fitting that in the last year of the decade, a number of squash stories were of major interest. Perhaps that is why I had newspapers and magazines on my mind as I went through the list. Somehow, each of the stories that I picked out as one of my nine highlights seemed to go with a periodical title. So, let’s proceed in alphabetical order.
Architectural Digest
The largest squash facility in New York City opened in May. It is a gorgeous, glass-filled space with eight courts, three floors, four classrooms, two sets of locker rooms and a large library. Cool. And it is not part of some old school, blue-blood club; it belongs to StreetSquash, the George Polsky-led inner city squash program. Really cool.
Cigar Aficionad
When Red Auerbach was coach and then general manager of the Boston Celtics, he won a total of 16 NBA titles. After each, he famously lit up a cigar. Paul Assaiante, head coach of the Trinity College squash team, probably doesn’t ever light up a cigar, but he might think about starting. Trinity won its eleventh straight national intercollegiate championship and 202nd consecutive match in 2009—the longest streak ever in US sports. It is nearly unimaginable, and while many of those matches were demolitions, the streak has been in jeopardy more than a few times, including this past year against Princeton. But the Bantams once again rose from the dead, and the streak stayed alive. Unreal.
Rolling Stones
The magazine is one of the biggest music rags in the nation. The group is one of the longest continuing music acts in history. The song talks about a “traveling” man (“wherever he laid his hat was his home”). Julian Illingworth and Natalie Grainger fit all three. Julian won his fifth national title in a row, moved his world ranking into the 20’s and was called by Jim Zug “the greatest American squash player ever.” Natalie won her third national title in a row, and maintained her seventh top-five world ranking in a row. Born in England, raised in South Africa, she is the best US woman (she became a citizen a few years ago) we have ever had. Keep those stones rolling.
International, Herald, Tribute
In an effort to help the failed Olympic bid for squash into the Games, squash organizations on every continent in the world got together and created special events on World Squash Day (May 23rd). It was a galvanizing event that showed squash’s true international reach.
2009 also saw the introduction of a reformatted World Hardball Doubles, where country’s SRA’s nominated teams for inclusion. The event captured the interest of the world in a way that past efforts have not. This may herald a new era for the definitive version of doubles.
Most people think of the Tournament of Champions as synonymous with Grand Central Terminal, but the tournament has been around for a long time. A very long time. In fact, 2009 marked the tourney’s 75th anniversary, making it the oldest pro squash tournament in the world. Hats off, everyone.
Outdoor Life
The US Open found a new home in Chicago, and despite the city’s windy nickname (for its past politicians, actually, not the weather), the home was outside. The outdoor spectacle was not without daytime issues (sun reflecting off glass office buildings occasionally blinded the players), but the tournament was a press and spectator success. My theory is that if you can get the players to wear sunglasses, protective goggles are just a step away…
Town & Country
The British Open had not seen two Englishmen battle for the title in 70 years. But when Nick Matthew beat James Willstrop for his second title, the two were not just countrymen, but also both are Yorkshiremen who grew up just three years apart. Their final, which went to overtime in the fifth, is already considered a tournament classic.
US News & Worlds Report
At this year’s world championship, the US had high hopes of finishing as a top ten country for the first time in history. The team, led by coach Chris Walker, finished 12th, but won a number of remarkable matches and let the world know that it truly is knocking at the door. Led by Julian Illingworth, the team of Chris Gordon, Gilly Lane and Preston Quick are all players committed to playing pro events, and the next time should be worth watching.
Egypt, on the other hand, at one point this year had the top three ranked players in the world, yet they were still pushed to the limit in claiming their second title. The dominant squash country in the world right now, they had been to the finals four times in the past decade, but this was only their second world title. At one point, Ramy Ashour, the world’s fourth ranked player at the time, was playing number three for the team. They truly are a team worth watching.
Vanity Fair and Woman’s Day
The men’s and women’s winners of the World Championships each won their fourth title, and they each had to overcome major setbacks to do so. Amr Shabana spent much of 2009 on the sidelines with various injuries, and each time he came back, his psyche was shaken a bit through worry about his body. Nicol David, the dominant player in the women’s game for the past five years or so, suffered a number of surprising losses this year, and her road to the World title had to go through her own psyche as well. Both Shabana and David had reasons to feel particularly proud this year.
Let’s hope the next decade proves as exciting. Happy New Year.
