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MY GAME: Ali Farag: Parts 1, 2,
3 & 4 |
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Part 4
Extract from Squash Player Magazine (PDF)
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Part 3
Do you have favourite shots where you are trying to set up these
opportunities?
The straight drive is always going to be the number one shot. A good
straight line cannot be intercepted but any other shot, no matter
how good it is, can be intercepted.
So when rallies get messy you straighten up and rebuild? Are you
doing that continually throughout the match to repair your rallies?
Absolutely. When I first started on Tour, when the rally got
frenetic, I just kept at it. It was inexperience. You have to reset
the rally sometimes when you are out of position. You need to just
lift the ball once (better in a straight line rather than cross
court) and go back to square one rather than pace, pace, pace
without accuracy. I’d rather play this one shot to reset the rally
and then start from scratch.
As the match went on today you played more lobs. Is that because
the ball is cooler?
Yes, so if you hit it harder and lower it doesn’t reach the back
corners. At the same time, Nicky [Muller] likes to guess a lot,
especially when I am in the front corners, so I started to go for
the body shot down the middle of the court and to lob. If I play a
straight drive or a cross court, it becomes a 50/50 shot, because he
may be there [because he’s guessed correctly] so I would rather lob
it and see the next one. I knew he was tired, so I would rather not
lose the rally than risk it by going for a winner. The longer it
goes on the better it is for me, so why take the risk? Just lob it
or hit it hard down the middle
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COMING UP:
Part 4: Ali on Ibrahim and Asal
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FROM:
Squash Player magazine 2022 Issue 3
See the full Ali Interview and magazine Contents
here.
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Part 2
Extending the rallies with Paul Coll presents another problem
because he has improved his game. When you put the ball short, he
lobs, so you aren’t able to disrupt him by pouncing onto the next
shot. He has pushed you back in the court?
The biggest problem is that Paul has really improved on two things.
He now knows how to win the rally rather than just getting the ball
back – and he is moving more efficiently. Even though previously he
was fitter than me (and still is), I made him do a lot more work.
Now he is moving more efficiently so he doesn’t get as tired. When
he gets the chance, he can put the ball away. The last few times we
played I was not happy with my performance. I would like to get the
chance to play him again.
In watching you play him, and I mean this with respect, I thought
you had not worked out your game plan?
I do have a game plan but just didn’t execute it well. I need to
execute better next time. That is why I am eager and excited to play
him again.
When I look at your game there seems so much variety that it is
hard to work out the game plan structure. Can you explain it for us?
I basically I try to hit good length, mostly straight on the
backhand side, then I take the ball early, then try to volley the
next one, and do that again and again.
So you play a backhand length, hang in to see if you can volley
and once you get that opportunity, that puts you in the driving
seat. When you get that volley opportunity where do you place it,
short, long or cross court?
That varies from one opponent to another. If I play someone that I
have the physical advantage over, I will take it and go to the back
again, take it and go to the back again until, I wear them out. If I
play with someone I know I can deal with in the front corners I will
go short from the very beginning and then read their next shot. This
frustrates them.
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Part 1
I think you are playing better than in 2021. What’s your view?
I am playing better but I lack consistency which is something I’ve
always taken pride in. The US Open was a blip and Chicago [the Windy
City Open] another.
You have three guys now vying for the no.1 spot as Mohamed
ElShorbagy looks interested again. He has firepower and his forehand
is lethal. What do you look out for in playing him?Mohamed
is explosive and powerful. If you give him anything loose his body
position is very good and he can kill the ball very well. I move
efficiently so I try to capitalise on this and extend the rallies
hoping that he tires so I have the advantage in the later stages.
The beginning of matches are always extremely hard with Mohamed.
The press used to ask Jansher Khan how he would play Chris Dittmar
and he would say, ‘I play long game’.
Ha! The thing with Mohamed is that he can play for two hours so you
don’t just want to extend the rallies, you have to win them as well.
Mohamed is lethal everywhere, especially on the forehand side, so
you can’t be complacent. Mohamed has it all. He is the one that
pushed our generation to be this good.
Ali Farag puts Tarek Momen in the back corner and hangs in to the
side looking for the intercept.
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FROM:
An interview in Squash Player magazine 2022 Issue 2
See Contents
here
Part 3 coming soon.
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