Latest Tournament News - Gregory Gaultier vs. Ong Beng Hee

Welcome to the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2006 presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance - a festival of squash hosted in paradise.

April 6th 2006

Gregory Gaultier vs. Ong Beng Hee

Edwards speaks to some of the Brazilian group who have travelled here. They love the hospitality on the island. They planned the trip 6 months ago. A pleasure for them to be here - 'Thank you Bermuda'. Edwards presents them a shirt signed by all the players in the tournament for their club.

Game 1

  • Gaultier serving
  • Long, cagey first rally. Mostly concentrated down the left. Ends with Beng Hee missing a simple shot. 1-0 Gaultier.
  • Gaultier tins a shot to the front left. 1-1.
  • Gaultier tins a simple cross-court from the left. 2-1.
  • A long rally ends with Gaultier tinning another ball down the right. 3-1.
  • Marathon rally - Beng Hee mixing it up with boasts. He then hits the top of the tin. 2-3.
  • Gaultier skies the ball down the left. 4-2.
  • Some early pressure from Gaultier, but play ends in a let.
  • A drop from Gaultier into the front left is too good. 3-4. Gaultier then tins a shot. 5-3 to Beng Hee.
  • Ball out from Beng Hee. 4-5 Gaultier serving.
  • Beng Hee plays an unbeatable drop. 6-4.
  • Long rally ends with Beng Hee playing ball down. 5-6.
  • Rally starts with a great recovery from Gaultier - but more pressure and depth from Beng Hee down the left wins the Malaysian a point. 7-5.
  • Gaultier serves after Beng Hee let is denied. 6-7.
  • Beng Hee tins an attempted drop front left. 7-7.
  • Another let call from Beng Hee denied. 8-7 to Gaultier.
  • Beng Hee has to hop over Gaultier to try and recover drop. Let play.
  • Beng Hee tins a potential winner. 9-7.
  • Great shot from Gaultier takes him to 10-7 game ball.
  • Beng Hee fails to pick up a volley tight down the right side. Gaultier wins game 11-7.

Game 2

  • Gaultier serving.
  • Drop in the left from Gaultier too good. 1-0.
  • Gaultier plays the ball down. 1-1.
  • Nick shot from Gaultier into the right hand side beats Beng Hee. 2-1.
  • Gaultier under pressure. Beng Hee keeping him moving around. Then Gaultier plays into the tin. 2-2.
  • Beng Hee boasts from the left into the tin. 3-2 to Gaultier.
  • Several let plays. Then a great reaction drop from Gaultier into the front right. 4-2.
  • Sustained pressure with hard-hitting down the right from Gaultier pays off. 5-2.
  • A fine low drop to the left corner takes Gaultier to 6-2.
  • Beng Hee plays a lazy boast into the tin. 7-2.
  • Long rally using all four corners of the court ends in a let play. 7-2 to Gaultier.
  • Lovely drop from Beng Hee following a Gaultier boast drops into the nick. 3-7.
  • Beng Hee uses same technique again for same effect. 4-7.
  • Lively rally ends with a stroke to Gaultier. 8-4.
  • Fast rally ends with Beng Hee hitting the tin. 9-4.
  • Beng Hee denied a let down the right. 10-4 game ball to Gaultier.
  • Gaultier wins the game with a superb cross-court drop. 11-4.

Game 3

  • Gaultier serving
  • Great drop into the nick from Beng Hee. 1-0.
  • Several sublime drops from each player. Gaultier wins it. 1-1.
  • Another quick point from Gaultier. 2-1.
  • Let play in what is a very good-natured game.
  • Gaultier fails to recover a Beng Hee boast. 2-2.
  • Tight ball down the right from Gaultier is too good. 3-2.
  • Beng Hee tins an attempted drop on the left. 4-2.
  • Cross-court from Beng Hee is too good for Gaultier. 3-4.
  • Three let plays. Then Beng Hee fails to capitalise on a drop. 5-3 to Gaultier.
  • Beng Hee denied a let after a drop front right. 6-3.
  • Beng Hee plays a winner on the right in a quick rally. 4-6.
  • Another tinned drop from Beng Hee. 7-4 to Gaultier.
  • Gaultier then plays a similar tinned drop to the front left. 5-7.
  • A fantastic tight shot down the right line from Beng Hee is unretrievable by Gaultier. 6-7.
  • Early pressure from Gaultier, but Beng Hee plays a well-disguised backhand to move to 7-7.
  • Gaultier plays a cut shot on the left which is too good - Beng Hee calls a let but it is denied. 8-7.
  • Gaultier plays ball down. 8-8.
  • Gaultier plays a great cut shot into the left nick. 9-8.
  • Beng Hee cannot recover a Gaultier drop. 10-8 game ball. Then quick hard-hitting point from Beng Hee. 9-10.
  • Fantastic long, skilled rally. Beng Hee given a let when it should have been a stroke.
  • Several let plays. Some hard-hitting from Gaultier shows he is trying to up the pace to finish Beng Hee off and win the match.
  • Gaultier fails to recover a Beng Hee drop. 10-10 tie-break.
  • After several let plays, Gaultier plays a winning shot down the right. 11-10.
  • Disputed ball from Beng Hee is good. 11-11.
  • Stroke to Gaultier. 12-11.
  • Fantastic deep cross-court to the left corner from Beng Hee. 12-12.
  • Great drive into the left nick from Gaultier. 13-12 match ball.
  • Gaultier plays ball down. 13-13. Beng Hee serving.
  • Some cagey rallies now as it gets close to the wire. Then Gaultier tins a simple drop. 14-13 game ball.
  • Gaultier tins a shot front left trying to play a winner. Beng Hee takes the game 15-13.

Game 4

  • Beng Hee serving
  • Beng Hee plays ball down twice in a row. 2-0 to Gaultier.
  • Gaultier now plays the ball down. 1-2. Nervous start to this game.
  • Beng Hee fails to make a tight boast. 3-1 to Gaultier.
  • Beng Hee slightly too casual with a drop front right - it ends up in the tin. 4-1.
  • Quick point for Gaultier. 5-1. Then Beng Hee denied a let. 6-1.
  • Another quick point for Gaultier takes him to 7-1.
  • Stroke to Gaultier. 8-1.
  • Great length down the left line from Beng Hee. 2-8.
  • Gaultier plays the ball down. 3-8.
  • Great drop from Gaultier front left - too good. 9-3.
  • Long rally ends with Gaultier missing a drop from the back left corner. 4-9.
  • Quick point from Gaultier moves him to 10-4 match ball. Then he tins it. 5-10.
  • Beng Hee tins it. Gaultier wins game 11-7, 11-4, 13-15, 11-5.

Post Match Interview
Robert Edwards speaks with the victor, Gaultier. He asks him if this is a defining point, and if he is ready to take on the big boys like Palmer at the top. Gaultier says he has to work so hard. He is happy to be playing well this week. Edwards talks about his talent - referring to him as magician. Is it all coming together for him? Yes, he is definitely more focused. Edwards signs off by saying France should be proud of him.

Our Summary
The magician from France really did not have to work too hard to overcome Beng Hee, who made more than his usual share of errors tonight. Gaultier reamined in control and must relish the opportunity to play in the semi-finals. Credit must go to both players for such a clean, well-tempered match.

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