Going off the current PSA calendar, the Canary Wharf Classic was my last event for the season, unless of course something pops up at the last minute. Canary Wharf was won by Palmer who beat Willstrop in the final 3-1. It was a great tournament by the big fella who was in some special form all week.
2008/09 has been a fairly long season, my first event at the start of the season was the Dutch Open back in September. There was the Petrosport Open in June but it was basically in the middle of the players off season training period! From September to December it was really full-on with a lot of travelling. My best event was probably the Hong Kong Open where I made the Quarter Finals, beating El Hindi and Matthew then losing out to Willstrop. I also played well in Saudi Arabia, where I made the last 16, beating Tuominen before losing out to Guiltier 3-1.
January and February were not great in terms of results, though I thought I actually played quite well. My training in Australia over December and January was disrupted by an eye injury but I was happy with how I competed despite this.
We also saw a new World No.1 get crowned in Darwish. It ended the rein of Shabana which he held for about 33 months or so. On the women's side of the game, Nicol David is just dominating the game! Undefeated in 2008 and you could count the number of losses she's had in the last 3 years on one hand!
In my next blog I'll be having a look at what training I'll be doing during the upcoming months.
Cam
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
CANARY WHARF CLASSIC
Now that I base myself a lot in The Netherlands, namely Den Haag, it's great to see Tommy Berden and his team secure the rights the to 2011 Men's World Open to be staged in Amsterdam! It should be an unbelievable event which will be held in conjunction with the Womens World Open. But for now my main focus is the Canary Wharf Classic starting on the 23rd. It's a pretty strong draw this year as I've got current World No.3, Frenchie, Greg Guiltier first round. He lost first round last year and I managed to make the final so we'll see if I can continue that trend this year....
With not many big events on the calendar at the moment it seems all the top guys have chosen to play this event, with 8 of the worlds Top 10 competing. It's a split first round and I'm on the 2nd day (23rd).
With not many big events on the calendar at the moment it seems all the top guys have chosen to play this event, with 8 of the worlds Top 10 competing. It's a split first round and I'm on the 2nd day (23rd).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Virginia
The next stop on tour is in Richmond, Virginia, USA! I arrived Friday night and the Main draw starts play on Monday with a split first round. This is a Super Series Silver event so we've got the Top 8 players in the world competing as well as a few Top 20 too. I'm playing a qualifier first round. This is another really well run tournament; the hotel is unbelievable and the glass court will be set up on the grounds of the University of Richmond.
There's not a lot of big events coming up on the calendar in the next few months which is a bit disappointing. We played quite a few events back to back towards the end of last year it's a shame it can't bit more evenly spread out over the season. My next event after this is the Canary Wharf Classic in London from the 23-27th March. I was seeded 7 last year and finished Runner Up to Willstrop. This year I am seeded 11 and playing No.2 seed Guiltier first round. It's probably the strongest 5 star event I've seen in a while and for those who are going to watch, it should be a real spectacle!
There's not a lot of big events coming up on the calendar in the next few months which is a bit disappointing. We played quite a few events back to back towards the end of last year it's a shame it can't bit more evenly spread out over the season. My next event after this is the Canary Wharf Classic in London from the 23-27th March. I was seeded 7 last year and finished Runner Up to Willstrop. This year I am seeded 11 and playing No.2 seed Guiltier first round. It's probably the strongest 5 star event I've seen in a while and for those who are going to watch, it should be a real spectacle!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Game day preparation
On the day of my match, I don't do a lot different to be honest. It will involve having a light hit/jog in the morning, hydrating myself, chilling out, and maybe watching some of the other matches. Obviously I don't want to be exerting a lot of energy shopping or walking around the city, that can wait for a rest day or after the tournament.
From about 3 days out from the tournament, I try to get a lot of carbs in my meals. Usually brown rice and pasta, brown bread, foods with slower releasing energy. The morning of my match I'll eat what I always eat. When I first started playing tournaments and going to these big hotels with massive buffet breakfasts, I would eat till I burst! I've learned my lesson of the years and now eat as I normaly would. Cereal, toast and juice. Pretty simple. Lunch - maybe a sandwhich or pasta or something. In between I'll snack on fruit, nuts, protein bars...
Then if all goes to plan - win the match!
From about 3 days out from the tournament, I try to get a lot of carbs in my meals. Usually brown rice and pasta, brown bread, foods with slower releasing energy. The morning of my match I'll eat what I always eat. When I first started playing tournaments and going to these big hotels with massive buffet breakfasts, I would eat till I burst! I've learned my lesson of the years and now eat as I normaly would. Cereal, toast and juice. Pretty simple. Lunch - maybe a sandwhich or pasta or something. In between I'll snack on fruit, nuts, protein bars...
Then if all goes to plan - win the match!
Monday, January 5, 2009
2009
With 2009 off and running, I'm sure a lot of people have made new year's resolutions for themselves. I can't really say I have made any, though squash wise there are a few things I'm trying to improve on. Number 1 would be to get more consistent. Although I had some nice wins in 2008, I also lost to some lower ranked players which I really shouldn't of. I'm really going to work on that this year and try and find some solid consistency.
I'm not a huge goal setter myself. Obviously I have things I want to achieve in the game but I tend to keep them to myself. I have experimented with writing them down, looking over them, and trying to reach them, but I find it didn't work for me. Everyone is different. Some athletes may find they have to write their goals and aims down, otherwise they don't push themselves to reach the top. I feel if I train properly, prepare well and focus on the task at hand, then things should fall into place. I can say that my biggest aim of 2009, is to play better than 2008!
Cam Pilley
I'm not a huge goal setter myself. Obviously I have things I want to achieve in the game but I tend to keep them to myself. I have experimented with writing them down, looking over them, and trying to reach them, but I find it didn't work for me. Everyone is different. Some athletes may find they have to write their goals and aims down, otherwise they don't push themselves to reach the top. I feel if I train properly, prepare well and focus on the task at hand, then things should fall into place. I can say that my biggest aim of 2009, is to play better than 2008!
Cam Pilley
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