SF : Zeina to the wire against Torrie, 14/12 in the 5th…

[2] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-2 [3] Torrie Malik (ENG)  12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12 (60m)

What a match. Not for the fainted hearted. Hit hard, hit harder, and this doesn’t work, just punish that front wall even more.

I don’t think I ever saw Zeina hitting so many cannonlike low kills. I did see Torrie doing it though, and the young English girl matched Nouran Gohar with her pace and accuracy at the back. She was leading most of the rallies, kept short by both girls mind you …

I feel the first game was the key. Zeina, coached by Ramy Ashour, and got married only a few weeks before her coach, clinched that opener, and I feel that if Torrie had managed to take that one, the match could have gone to Torrie. But what do I know. The young lady had an opportunity at 10/9 in that opener, but Zeina went for one of her gutsy Egyptian out of nowhere attacks, then found a deep shot that Torrie couldn’t retrieve.

An excellent second game from Torrie, not losing patience, or her nerves as, when up 10/6 game ball, she served out, then broke a string, tinned a return of serve, and saw her opponent back to 9/10. A bit of a lucky last shot, she apologise, but sighted in relief, 11/9. 10m game, like the first game.

Another solid game from Torrie in the third, both dominating at the start each their turn, then not much between the two, 5/5, 7/7, 9/9. A stroke for Torrie, and a lovely nick to finish, 11/9in 9m, and she is up 2/1.

In the fourth, Zeina does her “Zeina Magic”, while Torrie is getting more and more frustrated with herself as she keeps opening the court for her opponent – who let’s be honest, doesn’t much to kill the ball!

5/0 to the Egyptian, 9/5, 10/6. Torrie seems to focus again, but it’s still 11/8 for Zeina, shortest game of the match, 7m.

The 5th is a classic, with both girl hitting wining low kills every other point, playing at an incredible fast pace, most of the shots being reflex and instinct more than game plan stuff!

Ok, I must stress that in my opinion and my opinion alone, I felt the ref – who had done a pretty good job in the first 4 games- seemed to lose slightly the plot in the 5th. Not that it advantage anybody in particular mind. But Russian Roulette comes to mind…

Still, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 5/5, 6/6, 7/7. Then Zeina finding some incredible shots, 10/7, match ball.

Torrie saved them all, 10/10, then saved another one 11/10, setting up her own, 12/11, but it’s the Egyptian that clinches the decider, 14/12, 15m game…

Zeina : This was a very tough match.

It became a bit scrappy, although Torrie played really well. I have a lot of respect for her, she is so.. unexpected! I was on my toes from the first rally to the last shot.

Any opening, and she goes for it. I was trying to get to the ball, no matter what, in particular in the last points, I wanted to stay in  the rally.

Today, I felt I couldn’t find the correct balance, I didn’t seem to be able to hitt the ball at a medium pace. When I was slowing down, the ball was boucing so high, she would just kill it, going for it every time.

So I made the pace a bit faster, even if it was very scrappy, and I couldn’t find my length, my usual pace. I didn’t play my best but I just dig in, and fight hard to get the points.

Very very glad I managed to get through, it could have been either one of us, it went my way, and I’m so happy to be in the final here, in Monte-Carlo.

I changed my game. With Ramy, we are trying to keep me on the court as long as possible, sometimes, he keeps me on court for 2h, and I can only play back court. I am trying to learn patience, instead of just attacking from anywhere. But nowadays, the game is so physical, so I try to stay in the rallies, to find the balance, the correct pace, the right shot, when I can really hit it.

So mainly, what I changed is the duration on court. Patience. Which is really not my comfort zone…