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 Amsterdam
EN BREF Issue #2
Everything you never knew you needed to know
about the Forexx World Open ... |
HAIL ANDREW…
If there was anyone who deserved an accolade
at the 25th WISPA Anniversary, Andrew
Shelley is the man, and we were only too
happy to give him a Hollywood Style standing
ovation last night…
Mister Shelley is the only person I know who
doesn’t use a mobile, and although President
Natalie Grainger gave him one he
still doesn’t use it, and still seems to be
able to work and survive…
Andrew, whose sense of humour borders on
comedy act, I must say he cracks me up, and
I’m always reading all the WISPA newsletter
till the end, as that's normally where he
starts speaking about his successful career
as a body builder and other nonsense…
 His
knowledge of squash history is limitless,
like his passion and dedication for our
sport. The fact that WISPA is as strong as
it is today has a lot to do with his
contribution, hard work, ideas and diplomacy
skills in my view.
Andrew thanked two people in particular, his
“long suffering wife, who is playing the
lottery to try to afford to leave me”, and
Heather, who seconds him at the WISPA
office back in London, “who does exist, I
promise you” he adds, as very few people
have actually met her (I have, she is
adorable..).
May you go on serving WISPA in particular,
and squash in general.
To you Andrew, with love…
WISPA Jubilee Gallery
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CARING FOR NICOL
 There
is a man you see a lot wherever Nicol David
is around. His name is Ronald Fauvel,
of Canadian origin, married to a lovely
Malaysian lady with whom he has two gorgeous
boys, and he travels the world caring for
athletes of different sports, hockey and
squash in particular.
He is the official physio for the Malaysian
team, he looks after – among others - Beng
Hee, Azlan, and of course, Nicol David who
he admires deeply. “There is not an ounce of
malice in that girl, she is so amazing, she
never got big headed, and trust me, with the
way she is adulated in Malaysian, she could
be rather easily.”
When that rather larger than life character
speaks about Nicol, all the love and care in
the world shines through, it is obvious he
absolutely worships her, and whenever she is
ever so slightly in danger during a match,
or if she is getting tense or worried, you
can hear a typical "come on, nic", or "go,
girl" coming from him.
Ronald is part of the Support Group that
Nicol has chosen to be surrounded with, like
Liz Irving her coach and all her
friends here in Amsterdam, where she's lived
part-time since 2003, I guess to escape the
pressure from living at home, along of
course with the training she is doing with
Liz day in day out.
And if for so many of us, Nicol is Queen, to
them, she is still a Young Princess that
needs and deserves a lot of looking after… |
World Champions |
WISPA Presidents |
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FOOD,
GLORIOUS FOOD…
Forgot to tell you about the food here. You
know me, I’m French for crying out loud,
food is a great part of my life – as it
shows clearly on my figure! And there again,
we are spoiled for choice here.
We have at our disposal a lovely bar area,
where drinks and light hot snacks are served
during the playing hours, and at the top of
the stairs, in the Squash Club as we
normally know it – which has welcomed so
many European Teams Championships – you have
the main restaurant, where the food is
varied, of great quantity, and I have to
stress, of excellent quality. Healthy, well
presented, and honestly, we are spoiled for
choice.
Ah, forgot to mention… Tommy gave us a
magnetic card that allows us to eat and
drink for free… Love that man…
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THE LADY’S SMILING…
I can’t help smiling every time I think of
Natalie Grinham. We’ve got in common
a duality, that energy that makes things
happen the way WE want it, and at the same
time, an extremely frailty and need for
support…
 In
Tommy, she found I believe somebody that
gives her everything she always needed, and
vice-versa I suppose. “I kind of dictate to
him what he ought to do. He's done a good
job, I can't complain!" she laughs when
asked if she is participating to the
organisation of the Worlds. I can see it
from here, though, Tommy smiling, and then,
ignoring completely what she said to just do
whatever he had decided in the first place…
Or is that the reverse??? I get confused…
Another thing that I find extremely touching
with Natalie, the utter love she and her
sister Rachael shared for each other. She
tries to hide it, like when asked why she
didn’t go to the British Open last week -
“that’s the only way I can make sure that
Rachael will win a title these days” – but
quickly the truth comes out, as she shows
explicitly how nervous she gets when Sis is
playing: “That’s why I always insist for her
match to be after mine, it’s too nerve
wracking”!!!!”
Natalie looks radiant here, in Amsterdam,
working and living next to the man of her
life. She is immensely happy, and it shows.
Am I jealous? Oh yes… |
Amsterdam
EN BREF Issue #1
Everything you never knew you needed to know
about the Forexx World Open ... |
QUICK TRANSFER…
I have to say I’m not sure where I was this
morning when the maid at the tournament
hotel ignored my “do not disturb” sign and
woke me up at 8.30. Opened an eye. Where the
heck am I?
Thing is people, as you may have noticed, a
few of last night's reports here had my name
on them. I did take a flight yesterday
morning – as in the day right after the
final in Cairo, to arrive here in Amsterdam
and cover the second session of the second
round.
First impression, grandiose settings, I love
it. Lots of people to help you everywhere,
glass court has been set up on some of the
indoor tennis court of the Frans Otten and
looks stunning, lovely bar/seating area with
smiling people, intelligent seating, good
circulation around the court/venue.
 And
what about the Big Man, Tommy Berden?
What a joy that man is really. He is all
around, keeping an eye on everything and
everybody, always available, except when
wife Natalie Grinham is playing, of course.
There is not a problem you raise that won’t
be sorted within minutes and with his
cheeky/charming smile as a bonus.
God you make it look so simple and easy,
Tommy, you make us believe it’s a doddle to
organise such an event. Another promoter
that has chosen to make everybody’s life a
joy at events. Quel Bonheur…
Thanks for that. |
From here ...
... to here |
OUPS
Another faux-pas for the Frog. Here am I
chatting happily with Alison Waters’
parents, who I hadn’t seen for a while now.
And who do I notice right behind? Nicol’s
parents.
“Oh, nice to see you again”, I smile, “I’m
sure Nicol will be in great form this time,
last time I saw you in Madrid, she lost, but
this time, none of that I’m sure, she’ll win
it!!!”.
To which Alison’s mother was quick to retort
“hey, hold on a minute! We are here too!!!!”
Yes, oups, of course, they wouldn’t fancy
Nicol winning of course… Oh well, another
foot in it, only excuse, I just landed, do
you think the Waters camp will ever forgive
me ??? |
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What's in
a name ...
 As you may have noticed, all the WISPA girls
are wearing their names on the back of their
shirts at this event.
For a while it's been a requirement for
WISPA Gold events from the quarter-finals or
the glass court stages onwards, so the top
few players who habitually get to play at
the business end of major events are
comfortable with the drill and no doubt have
several sets of suitable kit ready prepared,
some professionally done, some more spur of
the moment personalisations ...
But for the majority of the players here
this was the first time they've had to
identify themselves to the spectators in
this way, and some we, shall we say, better
prepared than others ...
 Top award goes to
Dipika Pallikal
whose silver scheme looked suitably stunning
... best improvisor was
Latasha Khan,
who resorted to safety pins after her sewing
skills were found wanting ... most
innovative was
Kanzy El Dafrawy
who simply wrote her name on the back of her
shirt - and good it looked too, in a font
we've christened
In the first round two more awards were
claimed -
Alison Waters'
innovative vertical effort ("they wouldn't
do it across the stripe, so I just told them
to go down it"), and
Lauren Briggs'
bright one ("I asked them to do something
that matched the colours, and when it came
back I said, mmm, yes ...)
There will be some mistakes of course, like
the printer who had already done several
shirts for Jenny D, but got confused with
the letters of a new font and sent it back
spelt incorrectly ...
And of course we have some nicknames, such
as Birgit Coufal's "COUFI"
... now that could definitely start a new
trend... |
Cover girl Nicolette signs the
2010 WISPA calendar
for a fan
Main Draw Made ...
view the draw
At 11am on Sunday, just a couple of hours
before the qualifying matches were due to
start, the Main Draw was made at Frans Otten.
WISPA Chief Exec
Andrew Shelley
and Tournament Director
Tommy Berden
were masters of the ceremony, with
Rachael and Natalie
Grinham
representing the players and
Hans Arens
representing Squashbond Netherland.
After putting the top seeds Nicol David and
Natalie Grinham at opposite ends of the
giant draw, Tommy drew groans from the crowd
as the first ball he drew out was that of
Orla Noom, the Dutch wildcard, to play the
top seed, defending champion and world
number one.
Good start, Tommy, and it didn't get any
better, as the next two balls drawn, to play
each other, were
Isabelle Stoehr
and Camille
Serme,
France's two main draw representatives!
Further down the list Tommy needed a shake
to stop him pulling out qualifier after
qualifier, but that little hiccup over the
draw was duly completed.
There will be no repeat of the all-Grinham
2007 final in Madrid though, with
Rachael
coming out to join little sis Natalie in the
bottom half. Rachael faces a potential
second round clash with Holland's former
champion
Vanessa Atkinson
before she can even begin to think of
meeting Natalie in the semis.
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We
showed you earlier the indoor tennis courts
where the glass court will be erected. With
three days to go it was virtually empty, but
it's filling up nicely now with seating,
merchandising areas, giant draw, media
office, and lots of other goodies ....
