Event: CSRC Open 2010
Held @ Canterbury Squash Rackets Club, CT2 7LR.
Dates: 3rd-5th December 2010

Final position: Quarterfinal.

This was the third tournament I have participated in since i arrived here in England two months ago. I can say that the result acceptable considering this was my first event since I contracted a shin injury during the Coronation London Open two weeks back.

I had a bye in the first round, and in the second round I played Canterbury's Tom Woods beating him in straight sets, 11-8, 12-10, 12-10. He was a very talented player who had a very wide forehand swing and that in addition to him being a lefty made it really hard to read what he was going to do in the front of the court. We exchanged short rallies in which both of us were in a hurry to put the ball away on the first opportunity we got.

In the quarterfinal I drew the inform Obaid Jahan Khan, brother of the legendary Hiddy Jahan Khan, Zarak and Zubai Jahan Khan. I won the first game quite convincingly, 11-4 but then then lost focus loosing the next 11-5. The third was a close game with both of us going head to head on till 5-all and then he pulled away with a few quick winners and got to 10-5 holding 5 match balls. I did recover briefly by lost the game 11-9.

The fourth was similar as we went on till 8-8 but Khan managed to pull of a winner and a mistake from me game him two match-balls. I saved the two match-balls rallying up and down, playing a game I am very uneasy playing, and leveled the score at 10-all. He then went up twice and i managed to save two more matchballs. Getting my first change at 13-12 i finished the game off with a cross court flick wining 14-12.

The fourth seemed to have taken its tool on me and I seemed to be struggling a lot physically. I went in attacking and was quickly holding a 5-1 lead, but Khan steadied himself and rallied back to 5-all and then took the lead to go 8-5 up. We then exchanged a few short rallies and i found myself 10-8 match ball up. Two errors from my racket got Khan back in the game and he went up 11-10 serving for the match. I saved two match-balls but he put it away in his third try wining the match 14-12.

I was quiet disappointed but knew that I played the fifth game purely on my will power as I had nothing left physically to give. So all in all it was an entertaining match and apart from the result I enjoyed it tremendously.

My next engagement is the Beds County Championship's Quarterfinal on Wednesday followed by the Boston Open which will be held from the 10th to the 12th of December.

Will keep you all posted.