Matthew wins North American Open 2010

#2 Nick Matthew def. #1 Ramy Ashour 11-9 16-14 5-4 ret. (48m)



Nick Matthew fought back from 9-7 in the 1st game and 7-4 in the 2nd game to break the heart of current No.1 and defending North American Open Champion Ramy Ashour.
Ashour seemed to be playing the kind of freeflowing squash that is his trademark, though Matthew kept pegging him back, using his straight volley drop to force Ashour to reach uncomfortably into the front corners.
It wasn't obvious that Ashour was injured, though maybe because he doesn't play traditional physical, length-based squash. He attacks into the front corners, especially crosscourt, and his wins are predicated upon when he can force the loose shot and how far forward he can get to reduce the risk of playing a winning shot.
The second game was make-or-break for Ashour; win it and he might have gone on to dominate the match. This wasn't to be - Matthew wouldn't let his opponent break free, forcing Ashour deeper and deeper in the court, eventually getting the error.
Matthew's steely resolve and physicality means that he is incredibly hard to break down when he is in a rythym, and also hard to dominate in more random conditions due to his insistence on making his opponent play one more shot to finish the rally.
Matthew's 2-0 lead proved to be unassailable. Ashour tried for a few points in the 3rd game, though it was a half-hearted effort. He knew he couldn't summon the effort required to come back and win, especially while carrying a niggling injury.
Matthew fully deserved his victory. He labored through a couple of average matches during the tournament, finding his volley drops and short game in the semi-finals and finals. The interest now lies in a potential rivalry for the top spot on PSA. This win pushes Matthew closer to that goal, one which he is yet to achieve.
Congratulations to Matthew for his deserved victory and also to Gus Cook and his team for building one of the showcase North American events on the PSA World Tour.