RICHMOND WELCOMES KING RAMY
By ALAN THATCHER
Ramy Ashour is the top seed in the 2010 North American Open, having entered 2010 as the PSA world number one. At just 21 years of age, he is the youngest player to top the world rankings since the days of Pakistan’s all-powerful Khan era.
A group of Egyptians now have a stranglehold on the upper echelons of the sport, much like the redoubtable Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan did in a previous generation, and in Ramy Ashour they have a young man who seems destined for a decade of dominance.
He returns to Richmond as reigning champion and top seed after a year of phenomenal triumph for Egyptian squash. Twice during 2009, the Nation of Pharoahs enjoyed the unique and historical position of holding the first three places in the rankings, with Karim Darwish and Amr Shabana occupying the top two positions ahead of Ashour.
Ramy’s claiming of the number one spot came in dramatic circumstances as he and England’s Nick Matthew contested the final of the Saudi International one week before Christmas Day.
Whoever won the match would enter the new decade on top of the rankings and it was Ashour who emerged victorious, triumphing 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 in a battle lasting one hour and 50 minutes, the longest match of Ramy’s career.
That epic battle was a rematch of the 2009 North American Open final in Richmond, where Ramy clinched another amazing five-setter 11-8 in the fifth.
He and Matthew also met in the final of the PSA Masters in India, one week before their showdown in Saudi, with Ramy 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9.
I have had the pleasure of watching Ramy’s spectacular rise up the rankings from close quarters.
He emerged from the junior ranks having become the first player to win the World Junior Open twice. He first success was in 2004, when he became the youngest player to win the title at the age of 16. He won it again in July 2006, by which time he had entered the PSA World Tour.
Most teenage players take some considerable time to adjust to the physical and mental demands of the senior game but Ramy was quickly into his stride.
I saw him play Australia’s David Palmer in the Liverpool Open in May 2006, and, although the result was a straight-games success for the former world champion, Ashour clearly possessed dazzling racket skills.
Once he had added some discipline to his game he would be unstoppable.
Within a few months, he was beating Palmer, and most of the other guys at the top of the game, with some comfort.
In January 2007, he toppled Palmer in the final of the Canadian Classic in Toronto in just 32 minutes.
Not only was he winning matches, he was clearly doing something special with the ball.
His matches were always entertaining and his breakthrough was so warmly received because here was a young man who played with a smile on his face.
He followed his Canadian success by beating John White in the final of the Dayton Open, and then achieved a major breakthrough by overcoming compatriot Amr Shabana in the final of the Kuwait Open.
His run of success continued throughout 2007 with victories over Palmer in Qatar and Gregory Gaultier in the Super Series Finals.
He began 2008 by beating England’s James Willstrop in the Tournament of Champions in New York, and followed that with two more victories over Shabana, in Toronto and Hurghada.
Then, in October 2008, he became senior world champion at the age of 21, beating Karim Darwish in Manchester to become the first player since Jansher Khan to have won both the junior and senior world titles.
Last year Ashour lost to Shabana in the final of the World Open in Kuwait as the stylish left-hander collected his fourth title. Shabana also beat Ashour in the final of the US Open in Chicago before the youngster stepped up a gear to finish the year as he had begun it, with a run of success that propelled him to that number one slot in the rankings.
FACT FILE:
Name: Ramy Ashour
Born: September 30, 1987
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Height: 5ft 11in
Club: Heliopolis
Racket: Prince
Coaches: Ashraf Hanafi, Anthony Hill and Ahmed Matan
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
World Open champion 2008 in Manchester:
Beat Karim Darwish in the final 5-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5.
World Open runner-up 2009 in Kuwait:
Lost to Amr Shabana 11-8, 11-8, 11-5.
2009 RECORD:
Dec Saudi International Winner
Dec PSA Masters, India Winner
Nov Qatar Classic, Qatar Semi-finals
Nov World Open, Kuwait Runner-up
Oct Hong Kong Open Quarter-finals
Sep Sky Open, Egypt Semi-finals
Sep US Open, Chicago Runner-up
Apr Hurghada International, Egypt Winner
Feb North American Open, Richmond Winner
Jan Tournament of Champions, New York Semi-finals
RAMY HITS THE ROAD
Ramy Ashour may have lost the final of the Aon US Open in Chicago to compatriot Amr Shabana in September, but he certainly won plenty of friends with his sportsmanship and transparent love of the game during his stay in the Windy City.
During the fifth game of his final battle with Shabana, Ashour was clawing back the points as his more experienced opponent seemed like he was powering to the title.
After one explosive rally, Ashour played a ball into the front left corner that the three officials saw differently, only for Shabana to complain furiously that the ball was down.
After much heated debate between Shabana and the referee, Ashour completely diffused the situation by calling his own shot down. It was an extraordinary act of sportsmanship because that put Shabana on match ball.
Although Ashour claimed one more point, Shabana duly finished off the job to secure his first US Open title.
That act of sportsmanship was not the only moment of generosity shown by the 21-year-old Ashour during his week in Chicago.
Following a sponsors’ reception a few miles away from the city centre, Ramy was being given a lift back to the tournament hotel by event official Jill Domke, with the PSA’s US official Gus Cook also on board.
Suddenly the car struck a large pothole and a tyre blew out.
I’ll let Gus take up the story from here. He said: “As it was around midnight, Jill wanted me to take Ramy back to the hotel in a cab and not hang about, but Ramy was having none of it and so we changed the tyre together.
“It took a while because we did not have any tools until a friendly neighbourhood cop stopped to see what was happening and lent us what we needed.
“All told it took over 30 minutes and we were both filthy by the end. It just goes to show what kind of guy he is, though, and I hope he stays that way.”
I can’t think of many world champions from other sports who would behave in such a humble and helpful manner, and long may it continue in our wonderful game.
We may have lost the Olympic bid, but we can continue to set a shining example to other sports that may not always enjoy the same levels of honesty and sportsmanship.