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Floor problem ...
what floor problem ???


As you all know, we had a few teething problems with the glass court this year.  It's the same court as the last two years, but the floor is the new(ish) all-glass one from ASB.

The first problem was that, having decided to turn the court through 180 degrees and move it to the other side of the sports centre, there was an 8-centimetre slope to correct. Fortunately there's no shortage of local filling material - sand - and after a few hours levelling the floor was laid nice and flat.

The floor is made up of twelve panels, and the small gaps between them need securing and sealing. This is usually done with silicone sealant, and that was used here in Al Khobar, completed on the day before play was due to start.

After we returned from the Heritage Village trip a few of the players tried out the court, just messing around as it was getting late and we had a heavy day coming up, and it seemed fine.

So, the next day during the first round matches on the inside courts, the court surroundings were completed, the air-conditioning units brought into play, which meant that the court wasn't used during the day.

However, as soon as Ramy Ashour and Jonathan Kemp went on for the first match it was clear that there was a problem, with neither being able to push off. After one quick game it was decided to move the match 'inside'.

At this stage no-one was sure what the problem was. The floor wasn't wet, the players weren't sweating enough to cause the problem ... was the air-conditioning causing rather than solving the problem?

Stewart Boswell and local wildcard Mohammed Al-Saif managed to complete their match after the opening ceremony, but it was far from satisfactory, with both players struggling to keep their footing - or rather, to push off.

So, the final match of the opening day, Amr Shabana v Omar Mosaad, started and finished on the inside courts while Hadi Mitri - ATCO's Logistics and Maintenance Manager, who has the job of preparing and maintaining the venue -and his team tried to find the problem.

Close inspection revealed that the silicone between the panels had spread, and was now covering parts of some of the panels with a thin, slippy film. No wonder the players had trouble!

Was it a bad batch of silicone, had the players gone on before it was ready ... who knows, but the main thing was that te problem had been found and we knew it could be sorted.

It wasn't easy though - it wasn't just a case of brushing the floors, this film had to be removed painstakingly, little by little, with a lot of elbow grease (an English term for hard manual labour) involved.

Hadi and his team worked late into the night, and were back at 6am in the morning. By mid-day they had completed their work, and we all watched as Lee Beachill, Nick Matthew and James Willstrop gave the 'new' floor a run-out.

A few lunges ... a couple of sprints ... some training routines ... some full-speed rallies and the verdict came back .... "it's perfect."

So, no need for plans B, C or Z ... the show would go on, thanks to some dedicated hard work ...  thanks Hadi, have a well-earned rest !!!

Now it's just down to the cleaners to keep the floor in perfect condition when those pesky players sweat all over it ...


A well-earned rest for Hadi ...

Heritage Village Gallery & Slideshow
22-Oct:
The Heritage Village


On the eve of the action all the players headed out towards Dammam for a visit to the Heritage Village and an official introduction to the tournament. It's a special place, stone walls with mysterious alcoves, winding stone staircases and a central lake imparting real atmosphere.

After some Arabic coffee and a liberal dusting with incense, Ziad welcomed everyone back to Saudi and presented players with mementos of the event.

Then it was a trip round the museum – two levels of artefacts, some ancient, some not so (not sure what 1377 is in the Arabic calendar, but in Gregorian terms I'm pretty sure the batteries on that calculator will have run out by now), in no particular order so it made for a fascinating few minutes' walk.

Off to the tent for some Arabic music – really can't think why they made a bee-line for Wael to join them, he's normally such a shy, retiring guy – before enjoying a sumptuous meal where, in Arabic tradition, far more was left than we could actually manage to eat!



If we thought the temperature was subsiding, a temperature gauge perched high on a tower on the way back soon dashed those hopes, 97 degrees (old money) at 8.21pm …

Once we got back to the venue though we cooled down rapidly as the industrial-strength Air Conditioning units had been switched on, creating a lovely cool breeze and hopefully perfect playing conditions for Tuesday …
  

Heritage Village Gallery & Slideshow

20-Oct:
Saudi set for Squash Spectacular


Tuesday 23rd October sees the start of the richest squash event the world has ever seen. Set in the spectacular venue of Al Khobar's Sunset Beach resort, the Saudi International Squash Tournament 2007 boasts a $210,000 prize fund which has attracted every one of the world's top professional squash players to the kingdom's Eastern Province.

"I'm really looking forward to this one - it is the star in the crown - the ultimate event," said tournament director Robert Edwards, the Professional Squash Association's World Tour Technical Director, who has overseen hundreds of tournaments in a career spanning over twenty-two years.

He has been instrumental in showcasing this spectacular game with a "Show" style that brings an extra drama to a tournament. His record includes many World Opens - British Opens as well as dozens of Super Series events - from Wales to Saudi Arabia via such wonderful countries as India, America, Qatar, Holland, Kuwait, Bermuda, Canada, Belgium, England, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, where he has earned himself the title of "The Voice of Squash".

Since moving to the professional game in the 1980s, Edwards has witnessed a dramatic rise in the size and quality of new tournaments coming on to the PSA Tour. "The last two years have been especially dramatic with the Middle East driving a new revolution in Prize money on offer to the players. Saudi Arabia together with Kuwait and Qatar have all raised the bar," he added.

The Saudi International, brainchild of Ziad Al Turki of the ATCO group of companies, leads the world with the highest prize fund ever offered at a squash event.

"When Ziad first approached me in 2005 I was immediately struck by his tremendous love of the game. He clearly wanted to help the tour and the especially the standards for the players and also to focus the eyes of the world on Saudi Arabia. He was young - exciting - full of energy and also a giant in the commercial world. I was walking on air when I left him. Here was a man with a desire that matched my own. I left his office wondering if squash had found the benefactor with the qualities to help lead professional squash into the 21st century."

The answer to Edwards' question came quickly with the advent of the first Saudi International which was held in Dammam and hosted at the magnificent Sunset Beach Resort in December 2005.

"The success story had started. We returned at the end of 2006 with an even bigger and better tournament. Now the formula continues but again Ziad has raised the bar - the biggest prize fund ever offered in the games history!!

"This visionary man continues to lead the world. He is the perfect promoter for me - he lets the professionals get on with what they do and quietly leads us all with a pointer here and there. His style has produced a loyal team and the admiration and respect of every player in the game. On a personal note my respect for what he is trying to do has been instrumental in me extending my retirement so that I can be at his shoulder to help push this revolution on through to the Saudi World Open in 2010."

Proceeds from the tournament are donated to the Eastern Province Rehabilitation Society, a charity benefiting the disabled children of the region.

"Having visited the hospital where the Society do their life saving work," Edwards said, "I saw at first hand the difference that they make to peoples lives," adding "it makes you very humble and puts life into perspective when you see some of the miracles that they perform - it is an honour for us to be associated with this amazing Society."

Favourites to take the title and the $31,000 winners' cheque are two Egyptian superstars. World number one and top seed Amr Shabana is a double world champion who won here last year in front of a packed crowd who enjoyed every moment of his triumph. His anticipated opponent in the final is Ramy Ashour, the teenager who has taken the squash world by storm since becoming the first player ever to win the world junior title twice.

The pair contested the finals in the last Hong Kong and Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Opens, and Ramy's sensational run which includes claiming the ATCO-sponsored end-of-season Super Series Finals title in August, has taken him to within a few points of his friend and mentor at the top of the world rankings.

The crowd shouldn't expect an easy ride to the final for either of their favourites though – the men's professional game has never been so open, and the winner could come from any of the top names.

British Open champion Gregory Gaultier, runner-up to Shabana last year, will lead the French challenge alongside Thierry Lincou, with whom Gaultier contested the first ever all-French British Open final last month.

The English will have their say too, with newly-crowned US Open champion Nick Matthew coming to Saudi in good form along with James Willstrop, winner of the English Grand Prix, and of course reigning World Champion David Palmer of Australia is renowned for peaking for the big events.

Action starts at Sunset Beach at 13.00 on Tuesday 23rd October with evening sessions on the all-glass court starting at 6pm each day, through to the final which is scheduled for 8pm on Sunday 28th.