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Irish squash ace back on court for testimonial

Thursday, 02 October 2008

DUBLIN squash players and fans enjoyed a rare treat when world No 2, Greg Gaulthier from France, arrived at Fitzwilliam LTC to play at Derek Ryan's testimonial night last month. Gaulthier proved a more than adequate substitute for English No 1, James Willstop, who was forced to pull out injured. Ryan, described as one of Ireland's most successful sportsmen and a true gentlemen, was given a memorable send off by fans, family and friends. Ryan, the former world No 7, has been concentrating on his job as a physiotherapist since retiring from the pro game in 2002, but he has continued playing league squash and had put in a few months of extra practise for the testimonial. The former Irish No 1 showed plenty of his old flair in an entertaining match, where Gaulthier underlined his huge potential. Ryan lost out in the end but he managed to crack a few jokes in defeat. "People must have wondered why I wasn't responding but I was desperately trying to catch my breath!" he said afterwards. The scoreline at the end read 9-11, 10-12, 6-11. Earlier, Gaulthier had given young players David Ryan (U13), Sean Conroy (U15) and Max Gillanders (U17) the thrill of a lifetime when he played a game with each of them. Afterwards came an auction for items conducted by Alex Gough, Chief Operating Officer of the Professional Squash Association, including what must surely by now be the world's most expensive squash racquet - an old wooden Dunlop signed by legends Peter Nicol and Jahangir Khan. "I feel very humble tonight," said Ryan. "I love this court in Fitzwilliam, which I know so well. To come out and see it absolutely packed for my testimonial match was a great thrill."