14/09/08 - Clyne takes first title in Charleston

report by Richard Millman - SquashSite.co.uk

Last night in Charleston South Carolina in the USA, Jonny Harford from England and Alan Clyne from Scotland, played a rip-roaring, roller coaster of a five set final, that included amazing squash, heart stopping gets and ferocious attacks and an extraordinarily sporting contest that, despite a very hot court, included few lets and an integrity which was exemplary.

Harford, a fine exponent of the game and currently 61 in the world, was expected to win the event. However his quiet and unassuming opponent Clyne, at 142 in the world, had other ideas.

The match was a genuine see-saw of emotions and control of the game. Clyne won the first in a gritty 20 minute battle as the two players searched for chinks in each other's armour.

In the second, which was almost as long at 13 minutes, the two players moved each other around the court at a seemingly impossible-to-maintain rhythm, the final rally elicited wild wolf whistles and hoots and cheers from the normally somewhat reserved American crowd.

Things looked to be going Harford's way as, wearing the name of his country across his back in large letters, he appeared to engineer the Scot's collapse in a fairly one sided, error filled third game, as Clyne fell 11/3, apparently with no answer.

Both players left the court and a restless crowd began to mutter that it seemed as though the Scot's resistance had crumbled. However Clyne reappeared after the two minutes break donning a navy blue shirt with the word 'Scotland' emblazoned across his back in white.

While there was no hint of antagonism between these two wonderful professionals – Clyne's change into his national colours seemed rejuvenate him as he once again set to the task against 'the auld enemy', Harford of England. There then ensued an up and down, guts and garters battle royale where both players sought to at the same time survive and incapacitate the other.

In a fourth game of almost 30 minutes, Alan Clyne delved in to reserves that perhaps even he didn't realize that he had. Jonny Harford sought to find the coup de grace, but in the process committed the last ounces of energy in his possession. In an unknowing tactical error akin to Napoleon's march into Russia, Jonny spent himself trying to find that last finishing rally.

In the fifth the Scot was rampant, as Harford despite brave resistance early and late in the game, couldn't find an answer to the ubiquitous Clyne.

What a treat and what a great advertisement for our sport! Thanks to Alan and Jonny.

I have been watching, teaching and playing this game for more than 30 years and I can rarely, if ever, remember seeing a finer contest.

 

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