The Jonah Barrington Column: October 2022

One of the sport’s greatest thinkers and a pioneer for the professional game, Jonah Barrington offers his thoughts on all of squash’s biggest talking points in his monthly column.

In this month’s column, Jonah discusses the Grasshopper Cup, Mostafa Asal and who to watch in the women’s game.

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By Jonah Barrington

I am increasingly uneasy about the ever-growing attention placed on Mostafa Asal’s movement and what might develop into almost a witch hunt with an increasing group of his opponents playing the victim to referees both prior and during matches against the young Egyptian.

I was pleased to see him rebound so well from his understandable disqualification at the U.S. Open by taking the Grasshopper title, and he was exemplary despite the obvious focus on what he was allegedly doing on court.

Mostafa is a very special player and, in my opinion, he has been the recent target of a growing number of opponents working the ref in terms of his movement, none of which is new, believe me. 

There was one match in which his opponent kept waving his arms to draw the attention of the referee to this alleged infringing, and this was because he was being out-played by possibly the best player in the world, and that was a disappointment to me.

There is a perfectly natural recovery movement when going to the side across the line of the tee and taking the ball straight both long and short. Clearly, when bigger specimens are involved there is inevitably more likelihood of a traffic problem.

Indeed, one of the many wonders of squash is that it doesn’t happen more often! However, for me, it basically centres around whether it is deemed to be excessive.

The worst example I have seen recently was in Zurich, at 7-7 in the third and final game at a critical stage where Fares Dessouky was battling Paul Coll. 

Fares took the ball straight, close to the backhand side wall, and then came backwards so far and so excessively that Paul was completely shut out and was then given a no let – 8-7 to Fares.

That should have been a stroke to Coll or at least a conduct warning to Dessouky. Although perhaps I am not clear these days on the contact protocol!

Regrettably, in the very next point, in a similar position, Coll went down the line and was unable to clear as Dessouky shoved him into the back with his left hand and obviously pushed the Kiwi much closer to his own ball – stroke to Fares and 9-7.

The point is that squash refereeing is and always has been notoriously difficult, as no two situations, just like fingerprints, are exactly the same, but those two decisions were, for me, fundamentally wrong.

Dessouky, who incidentally should have settled the argument much earlier in the second game, should have been penalised on both occasions, and if so, the ultimate result of this match would most probably have been reversed.

For me, if what initially is the natural movement is extended, it has to be penalised. If an excessive push in the back effectively prevents the opponent from clearing and propels him closer to the ball, then that is also a discipline factor.

I must make it clear that I am not putting any blame on the refs, but Lee Drew [PSA Refereeing Director] needs to look at these two situations and determine what he considers the outcome to be. 

While I apologise for belabouring the point, I do have some experience of over excessive activity on the court! It was recorded that the remarkable and so gifted Abou Taleb struck me 13 times with the ball in the quarter-final of the 1966 British Open, with seven drawing blood – he received no warning, but these were different days! 

Indeed, Rex Bellamy of The Times recorded the number of strikes and came into the changing room after to confirm them, and he was not left disappointed!

That said, I must add I did win!

The new season has indeed been fascinating with the leading men, in the main, starting slowly and the elite echelon gate-crashed by Victor Crouin, a young Frenchman who hit the ground running in Qatar and then won in Nantes and in so doing broke the top 10.

Young Victor beat Marwan ElShorbagy in a thrilling final on his home soil but the resurgent Egyptian turned the tables in Egypt, and it now becomes harder for Victor – the enemies will be even more on their mettle.

Most in the top group have been stepping up their momentum with both Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy reinvigorated, Paul consistently close to the mark, Ali [Farag] looking very good until his current injury, which I hope is now on the mend.

Meanwhile, Diego [Elias] is looking and moving better since these now distant physical setbacks. With the U.S. Open in his treasure chest, he has some real momentum early in the season.

Of course, Tarek [Momen] is just Tarek, always in contention and ageless!

So the pot is really starting to bubble and further down the rankings, things are getting interesting. More of that next month.

I must make special mention of the final in Zurich between Nour [El Sherbini] and Hania [El Hammamy] in what was a thrilling and historical first women’s Grasshopper Cup final – what a match!

Yet Nouran [Gohar] took the U.S. Open to endorse her No.1 status, producing her over-powering pressure game to perfection, while Nour El Tayeb is now right back in the mix and Amanda Sobhy is world-class and playing better than ever.

Joelle [King] is just one of the greatest competitors and her homeland is now calling, while Rowan Elaraby is getting stronger and now closing in on world-class. Sabrina Sobhy, the rare talent, took down Hania in Philadelphia and the Gilis sisters fought out the final of the Nantes tournament.

Olivia Fiechter is becoming increasingly dangerous to those ahead, and there are not many of them now, while Tesni Evans, with the backhand drop to die for, re-joined the pack in Zurich. SJ [Perry] is SJ and is still there. 

So, when it comes to the women’s game then it is a case of ‘Wow’!

Before I go, I must say I am delighted to see the coaches back on tour and advising between games. Rodney Martin with a growing list headed by Nouran and Marwan, the ‘French General’ [Gregory Gaultier] with El Sherbini (she obviously must work on her deficiencies!) and Mohamed, now with mojo rediscovered.

Amanda with the wiliest one, Wael El Hindi, and Elias too, although obviously the ‘Peruvian Puma’ still has Jonathon Power in his corner, and of course Paul & Nele et al with Robert Owen.

All of which adds up, in my humble opinion, to simply the best show in town.