15 April 2012

GREAT SQUASH IS ALWAYS FAIR SQUASH TOO: RAMY ASHOUR vs. NICK MATTHEW

We had one of the craziest rallies ever yesterday, and here we have another one from a later stage of the same match. It is a bit shorter, but still crazy enough to rather just enjoying it instead of any analysis. 
Let's point out just one thing that stands also for yesterday's rally: the very high degree of fair-play between the two players; there is absolutely no blocking and no fishing - or when there is some unintentional blocking, like at 0:29 by Nick Matthew, Ramy chooses to make the extra effort to go around his opponent albeit the collision. Not only there is no fishing, but they even continue playing when whit a bit of extra hold or extra backswing they could have easily fabricated a cheap but convertible stroke situation (first Nick at 0:38, then Ramy at 0:49).
I think, when fair-play is demonstrated on such high levels, it is always a sign of respect; the players respecting each other mutually, but also respecting the game itself and the spectators, knowing also that they - being the best players in the world - have an extra responsibility to showcase the best aspects of the game.