Abdullah does a ‘Houdini’ to deny Ghosal
25 Sept 2014 4:28 AM IST
If rallying from a one game to two deficit in the semifinal against world no. 20 Lee Ho Yin Max of Hong Kong was not enough, Abdullah came back from the brink in the third game, after losing the first two, to stage one of the finest comebacks in Asian Games squash history.
Poised at 12-11 in the third game after winning the first two, Ghosal, a massive favourite before the final, stood on the doorstep of victory. Just as he was about walk out of it, Abdullah pulled him back in and turned the match on its head to walk out a winner instead. Full of tricks and not just in the way he moves on court, creating space and delaying his racket movement till the very last, Abdullah executed shots that other players seldom go for. Even Ghosal admitted that. And when he was running out of energy, he used and created every extra opportunity to catch his breath and add just that tiny bit to his battery and battle on. He played not just with the racket but with the mind too. Maybe, Ghosal played into his hands.
After 90 dramatic minutes of mentally draining and bruising squash, the two gladiators emerged, one holding the gold medal and the other grappling with thoughts of ‘what-could-be’.
Abdullah dropped to the floor exhausted, while a devastated Ghosal threw his racket up in the air and then rushed out of the glassed cage to the restroom. Later Ghosal said, ‘It’s obviously disappointing to lose the match like that. We all know how good he is. I didn’t think I played badly performance-wise. I give credit to Abdullah for how he played on Tuesday. Congratulations to Abdullah for what he did on Tuesday.’
Ghosal was graceful while saying, ‘Some of the shots he executed or even attempted were amazing. He played very well and we are good friends, despite all the tension you might have seen in the match.’
Abdullah called his biggest win ever, though he does have a few over top-10 on the circuit. ‘After the second game I thought I was done. It was over. But I gave it another shot and slowly it worked. It was a very tough match and Saurav played very well. We know each other and are good friends,’ he said.
Poised at 12-11 in the third game after winning the first two, Ghosal, a massive favourite before the final, stood on the doorstep of victory. Just as he was about walk out of it, Abdullah pulled him back in and turned the match on its head to walk out a winner instead. Full of tricks and not just in the way he moves on court, creating space and delaying his racket movement till the very last, Abdullah executed shots that other players seldom go for. Even Ghosal admitted that. And when he was running out of energy, he used and created every extra opportunity to catch his breath and add just that tiny bit to his battery and battle on. He played not just with the racket but with the mind too. Maybe, Ghosal played into his hands.
After 90 dramatic minutes of mentally draining and bruising squash, the two gladiators emerged, one holding the gold medal and the other grappling with thoughts of ‘what-could-be’.
Abdullah dropped to the floor exhausted, while a devastated Ghosal threw his racket up in the air and then rushed out of the glassed cage to the restroom. Later Ghosal said, ‘It’s obviously disappointing to lose the match like that. We all know how good he is. I didn’t think I played badly performance-wise. I give credit to Abdullah for how he played on Tuesday. Congratulations to Abdullah for what he did on Tuesday.’
Ghosal was graceful while saying, ‘Some of the shots he executed or even attempted were amazing. He played very well and we are good friends, despite all the tension you might have seen in the match.’
Abdullah called his biggest win ever, though he does have a few over top-10 on the circuit. ‘After the second game I thought I was done. It was over. But I gave it another shot and slowly it worked. It was a very tough match and Saurav played very well. We know each other and are good friends,’ he said.
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