Squash NM 2012

It is once again ready for the Norwegian national champioships.
This year it will be held at Richard Larsson's squash centre in the middle of Oslo, and the home of Centrum squash club, Condis Fredensborg.
If I remember correctly, it houses 6 plaster squashcourts, and this year, just under 100 players signed up in a winner-takes-all format to fight for the most honorable achievement in norwegian sports, the kings trophy.

I am reigning champion the last 2 years, and it is a very important tournament for me personally. This years approach has been, however a lot different from former years. Previous years I have been more active on the norwegian tour, as opposed to this year, where the profesional tour has been more in focus. I have not really competed with my fellow countrymen in a while, so I do not know their exact standard at the moment. This goes both ways naturally, and I know many are also wondering about my level.

I always feel the most amount of pressure to perform during this tournament, and I feel it gets more and more every year as people expect more and more from me. This year I have chosen to look away from all this commotion. I have put all the training down, prepared as well as possible and will act as professional as possible during the weekend. I will play my very best in every match and give nothing away for free. It is naturally not given that I win, as 85 players have the same goal as me, but I feel I have a good chance if I play well. This year I will look to have a lot of fun, seeing old friends, coaches and squashplayers again as well as enjoying playing the greatest sport in the world against good players.

I have a good draw, where I face top 10 players and former champions from the very first match, and hopefully until the very finish. i can not wait to get started :))
This year I will travel with a big company as Squash Jordan from Haarlem in Netherlands will send 8 players to have a look as well as play some squash themselves. My girlfriend with her parents will be there, as well as my biggest fan: MUM!!!

Let's do it!!!!

Links:

-Trashtalk from the former no1 Richard Larsson conserning a possible 3d round encounter. (NO)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcullm7VCog

- The draw:

http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draw.aspx?id=66FCCCAD-CAFA-4F52-BCD5-974A35A1387F&draw=4

Updates will follow ;)

Day 1:

- My first opponent was Simon Nordstad, who won his match against Even Berg in the first round, while I got a bye. Simon is a former top junior from Norway as well as based in Germany at the moment. He is a technically good player and will take in every lose ball well. However I stayed focused and did not give him a lot to work with and got through comfortably 3-0. He went on to win the plate, so congrats to Simon! :)

- Second round took place straight after my first match, and here I met former triple (senior, 35+ and team) norwegian champion a few years ago. Length and debth worked well and I got through 3-0.

Day 2:

- Preperations through the weekend was really good, both diet, sleep and preperations. I finished my carbing and cooldown and went home for a good nights rest to take on tournament organizor and local youtube hero Richard Larsson the next morning. I ended up losing the first game 10-12 to the referee, and it was an intense and mentally tough match. I got frustrated and angry, but used this to my advantage in hitting the living daylight out of the ball and eventually winning it 3-1. Richard is 4 times former national champion.

- The quarter finals were played against Lasse Klæning from my squashclub in Stavanger. He just beat former national champion Hans Olav Torgersen 3-2 in a marathon match, and should be really proud of his performance this weekend (also at the party I heard ;) I took advantage of this, and even though Lasse played really well it was a bit too much in the end, and I took it 3-0.





- The matches were scheduled with 3 hours break in between, so semi finals were soon around the corner. I was facing my good friend and team mate for the norwegian team and hafrsfjord squash club, Ronny Aasbø, who got through a tough 3-2 versus Audun Thronæs. It was a close match point for point up to 6-6, 7-7, but in every game I pulled away in the end, and in the last game, Ronnys former match caught up to him, and I noticed his tiredness. I also won this match 3-0.


Day 3:

Last day, and as expected my opponent was the second seed Kristian Solhaug from Stavanger. He has been in the last 5 National finals, and won most of the Norwegian tournaments he played. He has been 1 in Norway and is the no2 player on the Norwegian team. I was well prepared and focused, played better than the day before and kept sharp through the whole match to take it 3-0. More relieved than anything to take my 3d consecutive title in front of my girlfriend, mum, friends, support and sponsor :D and naturally veryvery happy.

I would like to direct great thanks to
- the best shoe company in the world ASICS,
- the greatest rackets in the world DUNLOP
- the Norwegian squash federation
- a great group of training partners in Netherlands (you know who you are ;)
- Liz Irving and Mark Hornby
- Jordan squash fan club
- Karen Sierveld and Jeannotje van Diem
- My girlfriend Cigany
- MUUUUUM!!! Hilde Marie :)

and great photographies by Trond Ottesen and Steven Frische

Below is also a video (1930 style) from the final. From Marinka Meilink ;)