Jahan wraps up Brownlee

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 28

Jahan wraps up Brownlee

By

TIM DUNBAR

Hiddy Jahan’s strong right wrist worked Asian wonders when he whipped Bruce Brownlee (New Zealand), 9-7. 9-0, 9-1. in the final of the Ballins international squash series yesterday. The contest lasted only 26 minutes but the packed gallery at Queen Elizabeth II Park was stunned by the mastery the Pakistani showed in thoroughly earning his $lO5O first prize. Earlier in the eight-match series Brownlee had been only two points short of his first victory over Jahan ranked fourth in the world — but on this occasion he was given no chance. “Sometimes he lets you into the game a little more," said Brownlee wryly after the contest.

One statistic recorded clearly reveals Jahan’s dominance in the match. He was taken into the corners on only six occasions while Brownlee, on the other hand, was frequently forced to make miraculous scrambling returns from the back wall.

Jahan was cutting off everything before it got dangerous and his skilful wrist often made it impossible to tell, before it was too late, whether his shot would be a deadly drop or a very hard drive.

“I got a little puffed there,” Brownlee admitted. “He was just standing there and making me do all the running.” Brownlee won $750 for his efforts. This match was to some extent the calm after the storm of Murray Lilley’s 72minute encounter with the tempestuous Torsam Khan (Pakistan). The New Zealander clinched third spot in the series by winning, 4-9, 3-9, 9-2, 9-7, 9-4, but the result might well have been reversed if Torsam had spent less time talking and more exhibiting his exciting brand of squash. Torsam made complaint after complaint about the let decisions by the referee (Mr Sam Leary) and the most prolonged of these arguments — at 7-7 in the fourth — ended ly“Play” was ordered but the Pakistani continued to make his plea and a frustrated Lilley duly served twice (from either side) for the game while Torsam stayed immobile and thus paid the penalty for “time-wast-ing.” That game would have given Torsam the match and it should have been his earlier after he had taken a 7-1 lead. In the fifth Torsam was a little more subdued and even joked (almost) “You’re against me,” when another decision went in Lilley’s favour. Before the game

ended, though, there was the sight of Torsam angrily slamming his racket against the glass-backed wall. In the final, Brownlee was at his best in the closing stages of the first game, when he came back magnificently from a 2-7 deficit to trail only 6-7. There was a series of fine rallies and some great winning nicks from Brownlee and he was a little unlucky not to get past seven. The second was a different story and it went to Jahan in only smin with a forehand cross-court smashed into the nick the highlight of a series of irretrievable shots.

It was in this game and the third — won almost as comfortably — that Hiddy revealed the power of his wrists that has earned him the tag of world’s hardest hitter. By the third Brownlee was getting so frustrated by his opponent’s brilliance that he made a number of “simple” volleying errors. Lilley retrieved superbly in the other contest yesterday but Torsam, aged 26, had only himself to blame for not winning. He lacks squash maturity but has a beautiful technique and some of his backhand cross-courts into the nick had the gallery gasping. The fitness of Lilley played a large part in his win — strangely, Torsam has beaten him only once in about six meetings — and this aspect was even more evident when Brownlee met the Pakistani in the semifinals on Saturday. Brownlee, now ranked sixth in the world, had had to come from two games down to beat Torsam (No. 10), 5-9, 3-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-7, and was made to look almost ordinary early on in the contest.

His superior fitness eventually carried him through to victory in the 53m in match but what Torsam lacked in stamina he certainly made up for in shots. Time and again in the first two games he set himself up for nick shots that went dead or cross-court drives that went hard and low and did not come off the back wall. For the first time in his ei g h t-month professional career, Lilley took a game off Jahan in his semi-final before losing, 9-10, 9-4, 9-3, 9-5 in 63min.

This was a great effort by the bearded New Zealander who had recovered from 3-6 and 5-8 to take the first but there was still the feeling — borne out yesterday — that Jahan was only at half-pace. He did only enough to win and only a few shots were hit with his renowned awesome power.