Will’s World 2012: Transformations and New Eras

By Will Carlin

In December of 2012, the world was supposed to end. It didn’t.

The 2012 “phenomenon” was due to numerous beliefs that a number of cataclysmic or transformative events would occur on December 21, 2012. Most famously, the date was noted as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mayan calendar, but there were other theories, as well.

Some suggested, for example, that the end of the world would be due to the arrival of something called the “solar maximum,” an interaction between Earth and the black hole at the center of the galaxy, while others forecast that Earth would collide with a planet known simultaneously as “Planet X” or “Nibiru.”

Wikipedia also reported on a New Age belief that the date marked the start of “a period during which Earth and its inhabitants would undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 21 December 2012 would mark the beginning of a new era.”

Most of these are relatively easy to dismiss (because, um, the world did not end), but if we apply the New Age theory (transformation and the start of new eras) to squash in 2012, we might be a bit more hesitant to rule it out.

First on the list has to be the End of Trinity’s Streak. Hartford’s Trinity College hadn’t lost an intercollegiate squash match for nearly 14 years and 252 matches, but the era finally ended in February at the hands of a determined Yale team in New Haven, 5-4. Yale was poised to win its first national title since 1990, but untimely injuries gave the opening to Princeton, who defeated Trinity 5-4 in the intercollegiate tournament and won its first national title since 1993. As James Zug noted in his February article about the event, the Princeton era has begun with streaks of “seven and one—seven straight wins and one straight national title.”

Everyone hopes that a new era started in 2012 with the Return of the British Open. The tournament—long considered the most prestigious title in the game—had been cancelled in both 2010 and 2011, but it returned in 2012 with new sponsors and a new home (the 02 Arena in London). Nick Matthew defended his title from 2009 and Nicol David won her fourth British Open title.

Back in the US, the Sobhy Era Took Hold. While Julian lllingworth continued to shatter the men’s record books with his eighth consecutive US title, Amanda Sobhy announced her arrival as the top US woman. After making a name as one of the best junior women players on the planet (she won the world junior title in 2010), Sobhy turned 18, began her freshman year at Harvard, went undefeated in intercollegiate squash, and won both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. At the US Nationals, she ended former World No. 1 Natalie Grainger’s five-year US title streak. Many think 2012 may have been the start of Sobhy’s own lllingworth-like streak of US titles.

Sobhy also was part of another first: Two World Junior Champions Playing US Intercollegiate Squash—the other was another Harvard player, Ali Faraq, also world junior champion in 2010. Though coming to Harvard as a sophomore, Faraq blazed through his own undefeated season in his first year of intercollegiate squash. His opponent in the finals was another international standout, Ramit Tandon, who led India to a second place finish in the WSF Under-21 Championship. College squash has become a viable alternative for top world juniors.

Two former intercollegiate and national standouts, brother and sister Preston and Meredith Quick, became the First Brother-Sister to win National Men’s and Women’s Doubles Titles in the same year. Preston and partner Greg Park took the men’s title while Meredith and partner Stephanie Hewitt took the women’s. Two of the most popular players in the US, Preston and Meredith are former Mixed Doubles nationals champs (and Preston won two national singles titles and three other doubles titles); now they have separate men’s and women’s titles to go with their combined championship.

Popular is a good word to describe the success of James Willstrop in 2012. Long one of the most personable players on the planet, his popularity rose to new heights with the simultaneous release of his remarkable squash book “A Shot and a Ghost” and his regaining of the No. 1 world ranking. The hard work Willstrop has put into his game over many years was recognized not only with results (he won the North American Open and appeared in six major finals) but also by his fellow players, who championed his success.

Willstrop’s rivalry with fellow Englishman Nick Matthew also garnered a great deal of Olympic Publicity and Support during the London Olympics. We don’t know yet whether the era of Olympic squash will officially start at the 2020 Games (the decision will be made in Buenos Aires in September), but we do know that a whole new era of Olympic effort was made during 2012. The 2020 campaign (“Squash 2020: Back the Bid”) has seen an amazing combination of terrific marketing materials, smart “cocktail party” strategies, and enormous effort. The whole campaign was enhanced by the Games being in London and the press picking up on the fact that two of Britain’s best athletes (Willstrop and Matthew) were not able to participate, garnering significant British newspaper and television coverage during the Games. The hope is that Olympic officials took note.

If the New Age theory of 2012 has some credence (and it is declared in perfect astrology-speak language—applicable to almost everyone and impossible to dispute), many transforming moments happened in squash in 2012, and new eras have begun. Let’s see how long they last.