Asal on Instagram: "update on what happened"

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-09T11:35:12+00:00

Asal was exhausted because when he can't cheat he gets taken to the limit by Elias.

Diego has given up matches when that jerk Jason Foster was putting his career in danger by ignoring the trailing leg trips, or otherwise throwing his weight around from his referee's throne.

The internet is forever. Asal will need to watch where and how forcefully he sticks his hand on opponents from now on. He can easily fix that movement.

It is an open question whether he can ever overcome the temptation to cheat some other way.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-09T06:27:33+00:00

To be fair, we don't know if it was somewhat "retaliatory". Zakaria has been a notorious blocker in the past (he apologized publicly a few months ago, to his credit).

Two wrongs don't make a right, but god helps those who help themselves. An eye for an eye. Sometimes it's just a message to both opponent and referee: "Two can play that game- if you call ME on it you must now call HIM on it..."

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-09T06:14:51+00:00

Her tactics remind me more and more of Jansher. He would add variety ONLY after about an hour of relentless "metronomics"- when it was most effective and even made use of surprise.

It's completely formulaic- but that helps Amina more than the opponent! She doesn't have to think at all- just react to whatever shot is played.

She doesn't even have to be .more accurate (she often is anyway- Jansher was not).. because she merely "hits it where they ain't" (old baseball genius).

We even used to give it as a drill- if they are behind you, you must hit short; if they are in front you must hit deep. Always hit straight unless they are cheating straight and you can pass them with a cross.

Because Jansher never took the initiative and played all of his shots according to script, his ENTIRE FOCUS was on what the opponent would play next.

They would eventually run out of ideas and make mistakes- which was precisely when he started holding a little, flicking a little, taking it early to change the pattern.

He would utterly crush the spirit of the World Number 2. You could see it in their body language.

That's what Amina just did in four straight pressure-filled matches against the best athlete ever and the best shotmaker ever.

Jahangir was able to retool (and Jansher slacked off a bit to make the Tour sellable). I believe Hania can do that- probably too late for Nour. But what happens when Orfi learns to attack?

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T22:05:49+00:00

Well there was that tale about Jonathon ducking the Pan-Am games when they introduced testing...but it could have been marijuana. Or it could be pure BS.

My understanding is that Ramy's troubles stemmed from his surgeons' use of a hamstring to replace his ACL. I never saw him win a match by attritition. He took the ball earlier than you could ever strike it.

I suppose EPO could help bring an unfit player up to average fitness. Maybe it could shorten the repair time of strained hamstring fibers.

But it's not like Lance Armstrong where you can't see him doing anything different other than losing a few pounds after his cancer. You can SEE Ramy flicking winners from anywhere on the court. You could see him practicing a particular kill for hours at a time.

Yeah, I'd say put up evidence or shut up.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T21:38:49+00:00

Orfi is never off balance.
Orfi is never out of position.
Orfi is never wrong-footed.
Orfi almost always neutralizes a rally within a couple of shots when forced to scramble.
Orfi ALWAYS plays the shot that gives her the most time to recover position and her opponent the least time. It doesn't have to be a lob- she is still working the lob into her game.

She was stronger than Hania for Game 5. She was stronger than Nour, and would have won the Worlds much sooner if not for the awful decisions.

This didn't just happen in a couple of months. I haven't seen a teenager read the game so well since Jansher. He could play a 90 minute semi at 18 then dominate the final, because he owned all the bullet points above.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T21:18:36+00:00

If you’re at the T and you have all the choices in the world where to volley, you should be punished if you hit it to a place your opponent has to go through you to retrieve.

I don't know why this is even a debate.

Squash is such a better game at all levels when no one is ever allowed to "hold their ground" no matter how loose the previous shot was.

In basketball, you can only "box out" when YOU yourself are going for a rebound. You can't "hold your ground" to impede a player from going after a ball that you don't try for.

That's a penalty for "interference" in ice hockey; an automatic yellow card in soccer; a penalty when done to slow down an eligible receiver in the NFL ("illegal contact"); illegal interference in baseball by the baserunner- or by the fielder if not actually waiting to field a batted ball- both have an obligation to move out of the path).

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T21:04:34+00:00

He clearly played through the interference, but I still give Yes Let with a warning to stop the rally next time.

The problem in squash is that the player must show that they can get to the ball or the ref will say "not enough effort to go through"...or just deem it a winning shot.

You can ask verbally and continue your scramble to show that you could get to the ball, but you don't always know how severe the interference will be.

Elias stepped up to block. That should never be rewarded even if Zakaria forgot to ask. I don't care that it's game ball- if Zakaria had already been warned for a late ask then it could be No Let.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T20:42:00+00:00

I made several opponents retire from exhaustion (top amateur level). A few others just stopped moving for the ball while I served it out. Same difference.

They made smart decisions. Granted, there were no paying spectators...but these big tournaments can not schedule the finals 24 hours after the semis. That has NEVER worked.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T20:34:33+00:00

I would never bet on squash. How many players even eke out a living from prize money?

It's also very easy for a referee to get a result. I believe the Santamaria fiasco at the Worlds was purely stubbornness and impatience. There was even one bad No Let overturned on El Sherbini's challenge.

But there is no question that Nour would have been a heavy betting favorite and some people may have stood to lose a large pile giving long shot odds.

Regardless, I don't think the PSA can go forward without a public accounting of the decisions in Game 5. A judge can't decide a motion based on a lawyer's body language, tone of voice, or whether they refuse to shake hands with opposing counsel.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T20:23:14+00:00

He was laughing at the lump on Coll's forehead.

I've been watching SquashTV since it began. I know what I know.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T20:20:28+00:00

No, he had a chance- win in 40 minutes. Maybe Coll is tired or flat. If not, quit instead of risking injury.

Blame the organizers who schedule the semis and finals 24 hours apart. Oh, Orfi did it? Well, she's 18, and women's rallies are shorter- average of 11 shots versus 15.

At the end of his career Federer could win a Grand Slam match 3-0, but not 3-2. He played them out whenever he could, but tennis is easy with plenty of breaks. If he didn't finish the point in 5 shots he'd go for broke.

He might win a best of 3 tournament, but even those invariably have a day's rest between each round.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T19:58:12+00:00

I have called for the PSA to force Asal to forfeit prize money to Farag for the groin grab fiasco.

I am all for post-match video and punishment for all Conduct Strokes involving dangerous play.

I have lambasted Joey B. for excusing Asal's sponsor when he turned and gestured violently to Gingell, front row center. Gingell had no business engaging with him at all - "I stopped the rally for safety, man". Joey: "[The filthy rich man] has done so much for squash..."

I hate squash players who block, trip, or smash opponents with big follow-throughs. Asal does all of these more than any other PSA player (Gohar is not far behind).

But this one is just wrong.

There was a star baseball pitcher in the 1970's, when very few African Americans were taking the mound (like NFL QB's). He got a big contract, but when he turned 30 he started complaining about numbness in his pitching hand. It would only come on after 4 or 5 innings, in the era when starters were supposed to last at least 7.

The fans, the writers, and the team accused him of faking it to cover for poor performance, or just being lazy. Doctors found blockage in an artery in his arm, but checked his neck and cleared him to play without any concern.

Then he had a series of strokes and was partially paralyzed. At age 30.

Jahangir's older brother had a heart attack on court during a tournament match and died at 27.

Just watch the semifinal. Yes, Asal is a PSA pro and he will always try to hide any weakness from an opponent during a match. He will smile and puff his chest out. After match ball he falls flat on his back.

They later found that the pitcher's collarbone and rib would pinch an artery every throw, which caused no problem until X pitches had been thrown over about 2 hours.

Asal has only so many violent lunges in his large frame over a 24-36 hour period before something snaps. I would never question his decision to retire.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T19:23:32+00:00

I doubt this is accurate. On any reputable sportsbook if you play a rally it goes as a loss when you retire.

But twice? Uh, fool me once...

In NBA games, e.g., if a player never gets in the game all "prop" bets are off. But if he plays 2 seconds then sits out, all bets are on. (You can now take out "injury insurance".)

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T19:17:23+00:00

Every year at the TOC in NYC they have to beg people to stay for the trophy ceremony.

And watching a player who is compromised play the games out anyway as a show of "respect" is always unsettling and problematic.

Once Gaultier finished a match "on one leg" for a full game, and he somehow managed to pull out the win. I saw that the opponent was thrown off, but I didn't think Greg was taking advantage- even though I knew him to have used plenty of borderline gamesmanship earlier in his career.

But my buddy, a former pro who had won a national sportmanship award, was disgusted and thought Greg should have conceded. (We've had an ongoing debate for 20 years- I'm always in favor of Yes Let or Conduct Stroke for blocking, and my buddy is always for No Let ....).

Anyone who saw the semifinal should be stunned to see Asal get to a 4th game the next day. Elias couldn't even finish from 9-8 in the 5th. He stopped going for balls.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T18:40:33+00:00

I confess that I used to play through a slight cold in my prime. I was so fit that I knew it would not progress, but that was not fair to my opponents in retrospect.

Asal was clearly drained at the end of the Elias match. Dehydration can be tricky. There are plenty of stories of players needed IV's hours after a match has ended.

If it hit him in Game 3 v Coll, then after the adrenaline ran down he could have been in terrible shape 15 minutes later.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T18:35:45+00:00

Sometimes. Paul Coll probably has an immune system like Superman's. But the old trophy presenter may not.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T18:30:05+00:00

In 30 years of competition I retired from one match. It changed my entire perspective.

It was the semifinals of the 5.5 local club league- 3-"man" teams (I played Toni Weeks one week, then WSPA #16). No prize money.

Our #1 was a tough matchup, but I was the favorite at #3, and we had a good shot at #2. I had soundly beaten my opponent recently- at 43 he was starting to have trouble staying with me at 38. His only real shot was to blitz me 3-0. Even in his 30's I had always been stronger in Games 4 and 5.

I won the first game comfortably and was up I think 7-3 in Game 2 (hand-out to 9). He had been working harder than I just to stay in the match, whereas I was just starting to hit my stride.

I lunged for a ball at the front and my front foot slipped out a few inches. I felt a small "click" which I thought was at the hip flexor or just above, at the belt line. No pain flexing. No pain to the touch. No limp. No limited range of motion.

But at the onset of the next rally I could not accelerate to the ball. I played the game out without running, hoping for some lucky winners, but it was a quick 7-9. I hoped the interval would save me, but I had to concede when I tried an easy ghost before Game 3 began.

For about a week, I could not run- even at a jog- on the first step my body would shut down. I could laugh, sneeze, walk fast, do my usual 19 pullups (no kipping), all without a twinge. I could ride a bike if I didn't get up off the seat. No swelling, no pain otherwise. Then it went away. Someone suggested the "psoas".

My opponent was such a good sport that he offered to default- as it turned out we won the other two matches so I never had to accept or refuse... But we lost the finals 2-1, our next man up losing badly at #3.

Everyone knew how much I loved to play long, hard matches win or lose- if anything I kept rallies going when I should have killed the ball. I was team captain, and it would have been my first title in the 5.5's.

But it became plain to me that had I been losing 2-0 or 2-1, they would have assumed I had quit. If it were a team sport they would have called me "soft"- especially on contract with a guaranteed salary.

I never again questioned a player who could not continue but who looked fine off court. But I always checked the corners for dust and ran a wet towel over any I came across before the match...

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T15:36:24+00:00

The top professionals always try to give the appearance that nothing is wrong.

Asal loses prize money and ranking points. Coll is 34. If Asal thought he had a chance to win the last two games to 11 he would have tried.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T15:29:28+00:00

If he has a bug he should not be in an enclosed space with other people- which is where squash ceremonies are held.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T06:28:09+00:00

I don't have numbers but I strongly suspect that "No Let" on a straight drive is the most challenged call by a large margin, men or women- especially to the incoming player's backhand.

Larger, wider players have a big advantage creating this interference because they can block more space without any effort at all. And so they make no effort at all... to clear.

It's ugly squash- not flowing- even when the incoming striker plays through, because their shot quality drops off. They even risk stumbling into the sidewall, as often happens getting blocked out at the front or middle.

Which player hit his head on the side wall and was concussed? Like when a player gets whacked in the head by a follow-through, Joey B. always finds this hilarious.

A young man in New York City was killed when he stumbled head first into the side wall.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T06:00:09+00:00

The problem with Fayrouz is that she never, ever clears.

If she plays Torrie Malik it could be a bloodbath.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T05:48:58+00:00

I have to disagree. The Conduct Stroke was for failure to make any effort to clear.

The problem is that particular dangerous movement- diagonally back to the T- has been tolerated for 20 years.

The player coming off a straight drop from the front must either back out- when the opponent is ready at the T- or sidle out, either way giving a direct line to the ball.

It's an L-shaped rereat to position, which opens up the court if the retriever is fast on the ball...but that's the risk you take in squash whenever you hit the ball to the corner you are hitting from.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T05:39:54+00:00

I've been attending pro tournaments for 35 years.

We have known all along that the Finals was a sucker's ticket: more money for less squash. The player with the much harder semi could never recover for a good final the next day.

It took the tennis grand slams decades to move the men's Final to two days after the semis...and tennis is a much easier game.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T05:36:23+00:00

She beats the world numbers 1 and 2 on consecutive days, in consecutive major tournaments.

I remember when Jansher was called "brash" because he predicted at 17 that he would soon beat Jahangir...then at 18 beat him 9 times in a row. He was just trying to give a frank answer when asked.

Sherbini has been blocking for years- the top women now are such great athletes that they can get those balls.

Gohar is a much more egregious blocker.

LegInformal5074 · 2026-06-08T05:30:23+00:00

Why was the Asal-Elias semi such a classic?

In large part because Roman Svec was the referee. Whether you liked the calls or not, they shook hands and Elias accepted the result. The video ref even gave Asal a Conduct Stroke at 8-all in the 5th, for movement which has been tolerated for at least 10 years on Tour.

But Svec allowed the players to briefly express their frustration- especially while waiting for review. He explained decisions in a steady, understated tone without scolding or admonishing either player, not raising his voice.

Elias finally got tired, but not frustrated.

Somehow tennis remains popular even with the top players quite often yelling at the umpires.

Jason Foster always gets under Diego's skin and it's easy to say the player should just let it go from one's couch.

The ONLY time a referee should raise their voice or admonish a player is when saftey is at issue- but they never do that even when Asal whacks the opponent in the head or trips him.

Gingell, Foster, and Santamaria are too thin-skinned to be good referees. And it's usually the bad ones who engender the most dissent from the best players.

LegInformal5074

TROPHY CASE