French crowd go crazy for Camille 
By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Roving Reporter

So finals day has arrived and after yesterday’s semis, promise to provide another fantastic spectacle at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. I am especially looking forward to the women’s final as the French No. 1 will try to become the French Open champion in front of what is likely to be a highly vocal and supportive crowd.

Before all that, though, we travel over to the West of Nantes, as we have been invited to a spot of brunch at the home of Christophe and Marie Bouin. The Lings club has made fantastic links with Squash La Rochelle, where one of Christophe and Marie’s children is coached by Stéphane Brévard, a top coach in France. Squash La Rochelle is a major centre of coaching for up and coming French juniors.

Christophe is a squash fanatic, a member at La Maison du Squash where some of the early French Open matches were played, and is involved in the organising committee of the Open de France.

We are also joined there by Eric and Sylvaine Fargeas, who are also heavily involved in squash and have two juniors who love playing. Indeed, it is through Eric and Sylvaine that Mike first made contact with Squash La Rochelle as one of Mike’s friends played there and suggested Mike as someone who could host their daughter to play squash and improve her English.

As I wrote in an earlier blog, where I talked about ‘Squash a la Franglaise’, these kind of link-ups reflect the reality of the deep friendship that exists between our two countries. Yesterday was fully reflective of this, with a fantastically warm welcome and the most amazing of spreads.

Feeling perhaps a bit full to play squash, we nevertheless all head back to D’Sport and Co for the Lings Doubles Competition. The pairings have been carefully selected to be as balanced as possible and ensure a level playing field.

On arrival, the Squash Travel Tour are enjoying lunch after their morning playing session and have been joined by Sarah-Jane Perry. We are informed by our hosts that the Gilets Jaunes demonstration in the city centre is causing a bit of havoc, which actually caused Mel White from Squash Travel to cancel their afternoon plans for a Loire river cruise due to a lack of taxis. The group therefore stays longer than anticipated and has a try at the beach volleyball.

This also leads to the Lings group cancelling evening plans to go to the centre of Nantes for a bite to eat and a look around. Cyril and Gaelle at D’Sport recommend an area on the banks of the Loire called Trentemoult, which is apparently picturesque and has lots of restaurants and bars. I am left wondering if the Open de France will be affected and we wait with tenterhooks for updates from the organisers.

The doubles competition ensues with lots of fun on court, with Ray and Dave emerging victorious. I am partnered with Emily, the sole female member of the Lings Tour party, who competed to a high level as a junior and now plays for her university in Sheffield, as well as in the Yorkshire League. We finish a creditable fourth.

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Fortunately the Open de France is unaffected by the troubles in the city centre and is carrying on regardless. The Lings crew head off towards Trentemoult, dropping me off by the bridges over the Ile de Nantes for a short walk to the Chateau.

The final of the Amateur Open is just concluding as I arrive so I head into the arena to try to grab a decent view, ending up in exactly the same seat as the previous night. The atmosphere is already building as the eagerly anticipated women’s final is fast approaching.

After the usual amazing dance, music and lights performance (a big shout out to all the performers is most definitely in order), the players are introduced on stage. I think it is fair to say that the crowd lifted the roof off the arena for Camille.

Again I won’t go into great detail about the match, but I am absolutely certain that the crowd played its part. Camille, clap-clap-clap, Camille, clap-clap-clap … is still reverberating around my brain!

Onto the men’s final and Romain and Charlotte are again adept at building up the atmosphere and get into the spirit of the chateau with their costumes and hobby horses. They are then joined by a familiar face bearing a fine wig. Great to see Grégory Gaultier joining in like this.

After a close first game, that went to a tiebreak, I did wonder if we were in for another marathon match, especially given the monstrous length of some of the rallies. However, I think that the exertions of yesterday took its toll on Joel Makin and the freshness of Paul Coll allowed him to dominate from that point. I tried my best with the odd ‘Come on Joel’ but it just was not the same without my friends from Lings!

I stay for the trophy presentations, although with the number and length of some of the speeches, it feels like we have watched another match! I get that it is important for the organisers to reflect and thank everyone involved, plus allow the VIPs to speak, but it is always a shame that the arena then half empties for the crowning of the champions.

I then ponder the walk home as 30 Euros for a taxi is quite steep for a sole passenger. However, after a slight reflection, I call the taxi company and am picked up by the same taxi driver as the night before.

I tell him all about squash and the fantastic squash tournament that happens every year in his home city.
 

Pictures by JAMES ROBERTS 

Former Scotland rugby international Matt Duncan says his "playing mindset" is helping him deal with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Duncan famously scored a crucial try at the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 to earn Scotland a draw with France.

The 60-year-old revealed he had been diagnosed with secondary progressive MS in December.

"It's not like getting injured while playing rugby," Duncan told BBC Radio Scotland's John Beattie programme.

"In rugby, you get injured, you get treatment, you recover and you get back playing again.

"Even big and bad injuries, the mindset is that you always get back. That's my kind of approach, though it doesn't work like that.

"My MS won't get any better, but I can manage the symptoms so that I can keep going."

Former wing Duncan won 18 caps and scored seven tries in an international career spanning three years from 1986 to 1989.

He says he first developed symptoms around the age of 35 but shied away from investigating the root cause.

"I had some paralysis in my arm out of nowhere," he said. "The medics thought at first it might be a stroke, but following the tests, it was clear that it wasn't a stroke but it was something that needed further investigation.

"Even back then, I had an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture and those are still the two key pieces of work to establish what was wrong.

"I feel that there wasn't enough detail in either of those things to make a definitive decision.

"They were reluctant to make a diagnosis and I don't think I was looking for one either. I didn't seek it."

While struggling to come to terms with how the disease has affected his motor skills, Duncan is keen to maintain a positive attitude.

"I have a tremor in my hand, I don't write," he added. "My balance is dreadful and that's quite hard when you are used to being a player.

"You're used to your body being strong and any kind of change in that means you have to have a different psychological profile.

"I'm very lucky, I have secondary progressive MS - that's the latter stage.

"I'm very lucky that I'm able to get around and do as much as I do. There are lots of folk who are much worse and struggle much more than I do."

MISANO ADRIATICO, Italy – Marc Marquez bested Fabio Quartararo in a thrilling finish to earn his 77th Grand Prix victory on Sunday at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Maverick Viñales led the field at the start from the pole as Quartararo slotted into second. Behind them, Marquez quickly made his way from the second row to third by the eighth turn on the opening circuit.

The front trio, the fastest riders all weekend, began to stretch their lead on the rest of the field. On the second lap Quartararo dove under Viñales, snatching the lead away as Viñales fell into the clutches of Marquez.

On the fourth lap Marquez moved past Viñales in turn 10, taking the second position and setting his sights on Quartararo at the front of the field. Viñales struggled to hold the same pace as the lead duo, slowly falling out of contention.

Lap after lap, Quartararo continued to lead as Marquez continued to hound him. In the final 10 laps Marquez stayed right behind, waiting for his moment.

Finally, on the final lap, Marquez struck. Coming down the front stretch as they took the white flag Marquez got a run, diving under and past Quartararo to take the race lead.

Quartararo was not going to sit back and let Marquez take the win. Quartararo was back in the lead by the time they reached turn four, but Marquez struck back a few turns later in turn eight to regain the lead.

Quartararo got a good run through turns 11 and 12 and had a shot at Marquez in turn 14, but Marquez raced defensively and forced Quartararo to back out of the run. That assured the victory would go to Marquez, with Quartararo settling for second.

Marquez’s win, his 77th, moved him past Mike Hailwood for fourth all-time on the Grand Prix winner’s list.

“Honestly speaking, I knew it wasn’t necessary to win because I saw that (Alex) Rins was out and (Andrea) Dovizioso was far from us. but I had some extra motivation,” Marquez said. “I just tried to stay with Fabio as close as I could and in the end I was weighing up whether to try or not. On the last lap I decided to go. I knew Fabio was very fast in sector three, so I made my move before that and closed the corner as much as I could. Fabio rode a very strong race today. I raced as smart as I could and in the end it is nice to win in Italy, but even nicer to have 93 points of advantage.”

Viñales finished a distant third, with Valentino Rossi coming home fourth and Franco Morbidelli finishing fifth.

CONCORD, N.C. — There’s a question that’s been asked since the first day there were enough cars to race: Is auto racing a contact sport, or is it not?

Decidedly, motorsports is, in fact, a contact sport. It can’t help but be one. Why?

Well, most of the racing done around the world (with notable exceptions in the case of desert racing and racing that is done in the air, on water or on ice, etc.) has defined limits. There is a course, marked by an inner barrier and an outer barrier. Racing must be done between the two.

When there are limits to where you can race, there is a further limit that involves relative physics, which means two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time without effect. Not to go all Carl Sagan on you, but it is a physical fact.

Hence, auto racing is a contact sport. Just because two cars can’t occupy the same space at the same time doesn’t mean in the least that a driver cannot move someone off the space he or she wants to occupy, and it is done quite frequently at most of the hundreds of tracks in operation around the world.

As with any action, there is a reaction, and it is usually at the very least an equal and opposite one.

YouTube is full of videos of racing crashes and their aftermath. North Carolina’s Bowman Gray Speedway features in a fair number, for some reason, and the reactions can be quite over-the-top on occasion.

All of that has been to tell you this: If you ain’t rubbin’, you ain’t racin’.

Can it be carried too far?

Certainly, and it can get drivers, crew members, spectators and track workers hurt or worse.

Now that we’ve determined racing is a contact sport and an action usually engenders a response, what can be done to control it?

Officials can do the Formula One thing, which is to assess time penalties or disqualifications based on the action, or officials can let the boys (and girls) police themselves. Somewhere between the two lies the proper response, but it can vary depending on who it is, why it happened and the end result.

For instance, say Driver A wants the lane that Driver B is using bad enough to move him/her out of the groove. The bumper is applied, physics happens, the two swap places. Driver B can return the favor, either in the same manner or in a slightly more vigorous manner. Bump turns to shove, shove turns to flat dumping the other car, and the battle keeps going.

Then what?

Well, there are always the circumstances to consider, and the potential for harm. If it settles down, let the racers race and have the security folks on call after the race. If it doesn’t, throw the yellow flag and sort it out then and there. If it keeps escalating, throw the red flag, park the cars and tell the offenders to retire to the pit area for cool-down and continue sans combatants, preferably with all those involved keeping to their own pit areas.

A lot has gone on in the nature of retaliation over the past several weeks. At Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway in July, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had enough of Kurt Busch in the late stages and turned him sideways down the Long Pond Straight, collecting Michael McDowell in the aftermath. Were there any penalties? No … at least none that were announced. That’s an example of letting the racers sort it out. That approach usually works when bigger stakes are at play.

I’ve seen it get much worse and I can tell you the intensity varies. At long-lost Flemington (N.J.) Speedway some years ago, during a huge multi-division event, the entire street stock pit area was embroiled in an old-fashioned donnybrook because one driver turned another on the final lap. That is an example of a touch too much for regular racing.

Most of the people fighting were not members of the two teams involved. That’s happened in NASCAR on many, many occasions, too. That’s when it gets scary.

I am firmly of the opinion that retaliation is fine, if done properly. If a veteran driver chooses to administer a time-honored okeydoke on a younger, more impetuous rival, so be it. Experience is a potent — and expensive — teacher.

When it gets to where it can hurt or maim someone not involved, it’s time to send a message. Make it stick, make it expensive and make an impression.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – When you combine the last names of Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier, it’s not quite as catchy as 'Moliwood.' But the pair of European standouts had perfect weeks at the Solheim Cup.

Hall and Boutier each went 4-0 at Gleneagles, teaming up three times as near-perfect complements – twice in foursomes – and then coming from behind to nab their singles matches. 

“Pretty special,” said Hall, playing in her second Solheim Cup. “Four out of four.”

Hall notched a 2-and-1 victory over Lexi Thompson, who injured her back in her warmup Sunday. Thompson led 2 up after eight holes, but Hall started to make putts – and Thompson began to miss them. 

Thompson missed short par attempts at Nos. 10 and 11, and Hall found herself 2 up after another Thompson par miss at the par-4 15th. Hall clinched the match with a brilliant up-and-down par at the par-3 17th.

“I played 33 holes [Saturday] and you saw the weather. I was pretty tired, but you go on adrenaline as well,” Hall said. “Lexi, she's absolutely an amazing player, so I had to kind of be switched on from the start. I'm very happy to have the win.”

Boutier, a rookie, beat Annie Park by the same score after a slow start. She double-bogeyed the first hole and fell 2 down after four holes. But she was able to square the match after seven despite not making a bogey.

The putts then started to fall. She birdied Nos. 9, 10 and 14, and then added another at the par-5 16th. Like Hall, Boutier won on No. 17 with an up-and-down par.

“It's unreal,” Boutier said. “I mean I would have never expected to do so well, but I had a great partner in the doubles with Georgia, and then today I just tried to focus on my game. And after that me and Annie both played very well and steady all day. We just have to make birdies to win holes. And that's the kind of golf we like to play, so it was a very good round, and kind of an incredible experience, four points for the European team.”

AMSTERDAM – Sergio Garcia won the 100th edition of the KLM Open by one shot Sunday, holding his nerve for a par on the final hole to finish on 18 under and leave Nicolai Hojgaard in second place.

Garcia kissed his young daughter Azalea and threw her up in the air on the 18th green after holing a short putt to seal his victory with a 3-under 69 in the final round that mixed four bogeys with seven birdies.

"Great week, amazing," Garcia said. "We had a great week and it's great to win again."

The Spaniard played it safe on the final hole, just moments after 18-year-old Hojgaard (68) had narrowly missed an eagle putt on the same hole to finish 17 under.

"It was nice I only needed a five on the last," Garcia said.

Matt Wallace (68) of England finished third on 15 under.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – With the Americans’ one-point loss to Europe on Sunday at Gleneagles, Juli Inkster fell short of a Solheim Cup-record third straight victory as captain.

Inkster will likely end up just shy of another record, too.

After her team’s narrow defeat, Inkster was asked if she’d return to lead the U.S. team in two years at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, and in the process join Europe’s Mickey Walker as the only four-time Solheim Cup captains.

“No. No. No,” Inkster said, emphatically. “I'm not even getting on the call.”

Inkster, 59, has left quite the mark on Team USA. She injected an energy into her teams unlike many had before her, starting in Germany in 2015 and then again in Iowa two years ago. She danced. She deejayed. She led.

And on Sunday, after Europe’s Suzann Pettersen drained the winning putt Sunday on the 18th green, she reassured.

“We had a few tears,” Inkster said. “And I said it's OK. But the bottom line is we had a great week, and you know what, the Europeans played great. And we're going to have a great party.”

Added Lizette Salas: “She just encourages us to play with heart and class and integrity, and that is something that – it's indescribable. She's an incredible role model on and off the golf course, and this team is going to miss her.

“But I know she'll be there in Toledo, and she'll be cheering us on as we try to get that Cup back.”

And to that, Inkster replied: “You bet.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – As the European players rushed the 18th green to congratulate their hero, Suzann Pettersen, Sunday at Gleneagles’ PGA Centenary Course, the highest-ranked player in the field watched with her American teammates.

This certainly wasn’t the Solheim Cup that world No. 3 Lexi Thompson had envisioned.

Thompson entered the week needing to step up as a leader for Team USA, especially without her longtime partner and American spearhead Cristie Kerr, with whom she had gone 11-1-2 with in international team matches. But in her pre-tournament presser, Thompson declined to anoint herself as one, and in some ways, it foreshadowed her performance.

Thompson paired with three different players in team play, going 0-1-2 and failed to make a single point. She struggled with her ballstriking in the wind, and her only real putt of consequence came on Friday evening, when she sank a 15-footer for birdie at the last to earn one of those half-points.

Things got worse Sunday, when she tweaked her back during her warmup and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to compete in her singles match against undefeated Georgia Hall. Thompson’s agent, Bobby Kreusler, told Golf Channel’s Jerry Foltz that Thompson’s back was in “full spasm.”

She ultimately teed off but needed caddie Benji Thompson to tee up her ball for her on the first tee.

Eventually, Thompson’s back loosened up, but with it the American star also saw her lead dwindle and then disappear. Thompson missed short putts for par at Nos. 10, 11 and 15 as Hall secured a 2-up lead with three holes to play. Two holes later, Thompson again bogeyed to end her disappointing week.

“I don't think her back injury had anything to do with [her loss], U.S. captain Juli Inkster said. “She tweaked it a little bit, but she was fine after a few holes. Golf's hard. It's hard. You're going to go through ups and downs, and I know she felt like she didn't hit it the way she usually hits it. But you're going to have weeks like that.

“She'll be back. She's No. 3 in the world. And she's got so much talent. I would take Lexi Thompson on my team any day.”