Taking it seriously
Czech adds to overseas flavour
The decision to take his squash more seriously seems to have paid off for Czech Daniel Mekbib.
The 24-year-old from Czech Republic is in Manawatu this week to compete in the New Zealand international classic tournament at Squashgym Palmerston North.
It is the first trip to New Zealand for the world No 153 and even though it is his third year on the PSA professional tour, it is his first year of taking really seriously and not ‘‘slacking off’’ as much.
‘‘Everybody told me you can do better you have the talent and you need to get on with it,’’ he said. ‘‘I was between school and playing squash and I started full-time squash.’’
Mekbib is coming off the West of Ireland Open at Galway, where he reached the semifinals and was beaten by German Jens Schoor.
Mekbib was also in the Czech team that finished sixth at the European Team Championships, keeping them in division one, which was the Czech Republic’s best finish.
The bottom two teams of the eight-team competition are relegated to division two and Mekbib had an important win over Finland’s Olli Tuominen, the world No 46, to help keep them in.
‘‘For the past two or three months I’ve played pretty well,’’ Mekbib said. ‘‘I’ve had tough training so now I’m just trying to play the best I can. I hope I can sneak some finals and semifinals from qualifying.’’
This year he has been knocked out in the semifinals of the Czech nationals, reached the quarterfinals at the Open D’italia in Riccione, Italy, and was runnerup at the Open du Gard in Nimes, France.
He will also play the World Games in Poland next month.
Mekbib, who lives in Brno in southern Czech Republic, is in New Zealand for three PSA
"Everybody told me you ... have the talent and you need to get on with it." Daniel Mekbib
tournaments, in Palmerston North Invercargill and Auckland, over the next month.
He chose to come to New Zealand after seeing the three PSA tournaments in a row, and the advice he got from Kiwi players in Europe was he had to come.
Mekbib won 3-0 (11-2, 11-2, 11-5) over Kiwi Sion Wiggin in qualifying
on Tuesday night and had been hopeful of beating Englishman Bradley Masters, who Mekbib has beaten before, in the final round of qualifying on Wednesday night.
World No 203 Masters reached the final round of qualification
because Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini didn’t arrive due to visa issues. The other qualifying matches on Tuesday night all went to seeding.
Addeen Idrakie of Malaysia and Sean Conroy of Ireland beat Manawatu players Kashif Shuja and Hugh Jackson, both 3-0.
Kiwi Luke Jones beat countryman Jason van der Walt 3-0 and Ben Grindrod beat Zac Millar 3-0.
Matias Tuomi of Finland and Valentino Bong of Malaysia both faced locals Corbin Faint and Richard Bell respectively and despite the best efforts of the New Zealanders, Tuomi and Bong both won 3-0.
World No 63 and Welshman Peter Creed is the top seed for the tournament Kiwi Amanda Landers-murphy is the top women’s seed.
Women’s qualifying starts at 10am today, where Manawatu players Danielle Fourie, Annaleise Faint and Courtney Trail will be in action.