January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Bermuda's wildcards face uphill battle
Bermuda's wildcards face uphill battle
Realistically the hopes are slim for Foster and Nick Kyme, who will have to rediscover the best form from their professional days to compete with some of the world's best at the qualifying tournament on Friday and Saturday.
For the two other team-members Mel Caines and Chase Toogood, playing in the biggest games of their lives, the challenge is even tougher.
The four have been working towards this tournament for months - fitting in training sessions in between work and family commitments.
On Friday they will be up against full-time pros whose chance of a payday depends on getting them off the court as quickly as possible.
The format for the World Open sees the top 23 players in the world and Bermudian wildcard James Stout, qualify automatically.
The 28 next highest ranked players in the world and the four Bermudian wildcards play off for the final eight spots in round one, which begins under the lights at the majestic new glass-court overlooking the south shore, on Sunday.
The draw for the qualifying round will not be conducted till immediately before the first game at the Devonshire squash club on Friday. All the Bermudian players know is that they are in for a tough time.
Caines, who runs PC Bikes, has been involved with various national teams for years. He was, as a teenager, among the first Bermudians to compete in the World Junior Team Championships.
But he admits it's going to be a whole different level this time.
"The fact that it is the World Championships is something else. Just to have the event held here in Bermuda is amazing. It has to be one of the greatest spectacles in Bermuda.
"To compete in it is a huge honour. Win, lose or go home early after 20 minutes, I'm proud to represent my country.
"It's no easy job. I can't under-estimate the other guy. I've just got to go all out and just go for it."
Caines' team-mate Chase Toogood who will compete with him in the World Team Championships in India next month agrees that - despite his lofty surname - he's probably on a hiding to nothing.
"I'm just thrilled to have the opportunity. My main goal is to stay out there long enough to enjoy it. Realistically it's going to be tough. My opponent is going to want to get on and off the court as quickly as possible and I just have to try and hang in there."
One player who may have a chance to hold his own against the pros is Nick Kyme. Kyme gave up playing professionally only a year ago and has been Bermuda's Wildcard in the first round of the PSA Masters - coming up against consecutive world number ones Thierry Lincou and David Palmer - the past two years.
He missed out on the automatic wildcard this time to James Stout. But for him it makes a change to be approaching a match of this stature in Bermuda, with a fighting chance of a victory.
"I'll obviously miss the big stage but it's not completely out of the question for me to compete.
"This is about the level I was playing at (as a professional) but these guys have got better. To be honest I'd have to kill myself to win one game. If I did that then I'd have to play again the next day against somebody even better to get into the first round.
"It's not impossible, but they do this full time. They have to win these type of games to make any money."
Fitness is going to be a big issue for the Bermuda team. They are likely to be leagues behind their professional counterparts in that field.
Club pro Patrick Foster, who was well within the top 100 in the world, during his playing career, believes his racket skills are just as good, if not better than when he was a pro.
He's beaten a few of the players in the qualifying tournament in the past and on paper should be in with a shout.
"That has to be taken in context. I'm a few years older and less fit. I feel like, squash wise, I'm not out of my depth by any means but fitness is a major part of the game.
"If I can win 3-0 I'd have a better chance than in a five-set game." Foster and the Bermuda players have not had much court time together. Differing schedules have made regular group sessions difficult and for the most part their preparations have been an individual process.
They've taken differing approaches to preparing for the fitness battle. While Caines has supplemented his work on the court with regular sessions at the gym, Foster has done everything on court. "Running in a straight line will only help you so much. Most of the time when you're playing squash you are only running two or three steps at a time. Most of the running I've done is on the court."
Training drills - practicing different shots - and ghosting - running on the court playing shots without a ball, have all been part of the build up.
But despite the intense preparations, even Foster admits he's in for a hard time on Friday.
"All four of us are up against it. We're all playing people who are much higher ranked than us. Actually none of us actually have a world ranking anymore. On paper we are lambs to the slaughter."[[In-content Ad]]
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