Nicol head Finals Field

Grand Prix Finals 2002
Tue 11th to Thu 13th June	Tel: 0115 941 7022 zoe@nsrc.co.uk	Season ticket: £25 Under 18s £2.50 per night
Nottingham Squash Club www.nsrc.co.uk
Men's finals draw & results Women's Finals draw & results
GRAND PRIX FINALS 2002 Finals photo gallery Men's Final: [2] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) bt [3] Alex Gough (Wal) 15/12, 15/12, 17/14 79m Women's Final: [2] Rebecca Macree (Eng) bt [1] Cassie Campion (Eng) 9/3, 9/3, 2/9, 10/8 58m BECKY AND BENGY CLAIM GRAND PRIX TITLES Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee claimed his first Prince Grand Prix finals trophy, beating home favourite and last night's conqueror of Peter Nicol, Alex Gough in three games. Beng Hee always lead in the first, and subdued the home crowd, taking the evenly-matched second game with three winners from 12-all. The third game was tight also, with the the players trading the lead, until Beng Hee reached match-ball at 14-13. A tin followed by a winner caused the Malaysian to plead, too late, for "one, please!". It was to be his soon enough, as he claimed the game 17/14 and the title. Rebecca Macree produced another Grand Prix Finals shock in Nottingham, as she overcame top seed Cassie Campion in a 58-minute final. Macree started strongly, streaking to a 6-0 lead before Cassie settled into her game. At 6-2 there was a long series of hand-outs, before Macree found the winners to take the first game 9-3. The pattern was repeated in the second, with a nick serve finishing the game with the same score. Campion recovered her composure to establish a quick lead in the third, and despite a series of collisions and lets which were clearly causing Campion some consternation, she pulled a game back, taking it 9-2. The fourth game started with a series of punishing rallies, but Campion moved ahead from 4-all to 8-5 and looked set to level the match. Macree was not to be denied though, as she recovered to 8-all, at which point another collision brought Cassie's frustration to the fore. A Macree winner followed by a Campion tin and it was all over. Finals photo gallery Men's semi finals: [3] Alex Gough bt [1] Peter Nicol 15/13, 11/15, 6/15, 15/9, 15/10 90m [2] Ong Beng Hee bt [4] Nick Matthew 11/15, 13/15, 15/10, 15/2, 15/6 85m Women's semi finals: [1] Cassie Campion bt Jenny Tranfield 10-9, 9-5, 9-3 [2] Rebecca Macree bt Pam Nimmo 9-0, 9-2, 4-9, 9-6 GOUGH STUNS NICOL IN NOTTINGHAM THRILLER AS BENGY BOUNCES BACK Semi-Finals World champion Peter Nicol suffered a shock defeat tonight when he was beaten by Welshman Alex Gough in the semi-finals. Gough, playing at his home club, took the first game and then produced a dazzling recovery from 2-1 down to beat the world No.1 in 90 minutes of pulsating squash. Nicol, the defending champion, was soon under attack as Gough rapidly constructed a 10-3 lead in the opening game. Nicol clawed his way back to 13-14 but then lost out to a "harsh decision" by the referee. Nicol then appeared to take control of a fast and furious match to lead 2-1. However, the effort seemed to take its toll and Gough stepped up a gear to seize the initiative and level at two-apiece. Gough jumped to lead 6-1 in the fifth but two monumental rallies helped Nicol close the gap. Parity was never reached and eventually the Welshman got home 15-10 to book a place in the final. Gough's victory follows a sensational victory over defending champion David Palmer in the recent British Open and once again he was in imperious form. On a night of high drama the finals nearly lost their second seed too, when Yorkshire's Nick Matthew lead 2-0 against Ong Beng Hee. Matthew had edged the second game 15-13 and when he tied things up at 10-10 in the third another upset looked on the cards. However, Malaysian Beng Hee is known for his coolness under pressure and a run of 5 straight points pulled one game back. From then on there was only going to be one winner with Beng Hee taking the next two games for the loss of only a handful of points from the valiant Matthew. Cassie Campion eased through to the women's final with a straight games win over Jenny Tranfield. The top seed looked to be cruising at 7-2 in the first but the athletic Tranfield battled back to lead 8-7 and 9-8. However, a trademark Campion forehand kill saved one of the game balls and after that she never looked back. Campion will play second seed Rebecca Macree in the final. Macree was racing away with her match against Pam Nimmo, taking the first two 9-0, 9-2. But the gutsy Scot dug in and edged the third before being out fought in the fourth. Men's quarter-finals (Tue): [1] Peter Nicol bt Mark Cairns 15-5, 15-12, 15-12 [3] Alex Gough bt Tim Garner 15-12, 15-8, 11-15, 15-4 [4] Nick Matthew bt John Russell 15-8, 15-10, 15-9 [2] Ong Beng Hee bt Bradley Ball 17-14, 15-11, 17-16 Top seeds progress in Nottingham Men's Quarters All top four seeds in the Prince BSPA Grand Prix finals progressed safely to the semi-finals, with Peter Nicol enjoying a more comfortable passage against Mark Cairns than he did in last year's 108-minute final. This time Nicol removed Cairns, now managing Winchester and playing part-time, in 48 minutes. The longest match of the night, and the only one to go beyond three games, was the 60-minute battle between third seed Alex Gough and Grand Prix champion Tim Garner. No.2 seed Ong Beng Hee had to work hard against Bradley Ball before squeezing home in 57 minutes. Ball attacked solidly but Beng Hee hung on to win 17-14, 15-11, 17-16. The quickest contest of the evening was Nick Matthew's 30-minute demolition of John Russell. GRAND PRIX FINALS The 2002 Prince Grand Prix Finals kick-off this Tuesday at the Park Squash Club in Nottingham. With their new exhibition court built as a result of lottery funding, it is the ideal location for an event of this calibre which boasts 7 players in the Worlds top 16 in the Men's and Women's competition. First match on court on Tuesday, features the mercurial talents of John Russell and the Yorkshire grit and determination of Nick Matthew, the fourth seed. Matthew knocked Russell out of this year's British Open in straight games and it is difficult to see any other result. Second match on see third seed Alex Gough take on Prince Grand Prix winner Tim Garner. These two players faced each other on three occasions during the season with Gough's exceptional racket work seeing him home every time, though Garner did extend him to five games on two occasions. With Gough playing at his 'home' club, he is the fancied player to progress. Third match on sees a re-match of last year's Prince Grand Prix Final with top seed and World number 1 Peter Nicol looking to triumph again over Mark Cairns. Now the General Manager of Winchester LT & SC, Cairns has always been a committed player and this is no easy first round match up for Nicol, though he will be expected to move into the semis. Last match on the centre court features second seed and World number 8 Ong Beng Hee and Bradley Ball. The 'Brads Attack' has been in outstanding form this year in Super League and he will be looking to unsettle Ong, no easy task as the Malaysian is one of the most composed players on the circuit. Once again, it is difficult to see an upset, and so Ong is the likely victor. Matches start at 6pm and tickets are still available for all three nights from Zoe@nsrc.co.uk
Men's finals draw & results Women's Finals draw & results

2001 Finals

Men's & Women's Draws

03-May - Finals

[1] Sue Wright bt [2] Jenny Tranfield
9-4 10-8 9-5 (35m)

[1] Peter Nicol bt [3/4] Mark Cairns
15-8 10-15 15-12 12-15 17-14 (108m)

World champion Peter Nicol and British National champion Sue Wright claimed the inaugural BSPA Prince Grand Prix Finals titles at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury - but their victories over Mark Cairns and Jenny Tranfield, respectively, were achieved in contrasting styles.

Top seed Wright, the England No1 from Kent who won her fourth National title in Manchester in February, dominated the court throughout most of the match against her Yorkshire opponent, ranked No9 in England. Only weeks away from submitting her PhD thesis in 'Sports Psychology', Tranfield led just once in the match - at 7-6 in the second game - and reeled off four points to save a matchball at 8-1 in the third before Wright triumphed 9-4 10-8 9-5 in 35 minutes.

By his own standards, it was a lacklustre performance by top seed Peter Nicol which led the 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen to a five-game victory over Mark Cairns, the 33-year-old former British National champion from Oxfordshire ranked 33 places below him in the world. The underdog established early leads in all five games, and looked sprightly throughout the 108-minute encounter - belying the fact that he had collapsed at a tournament last weekend and had considered withdrawing from the Prince Grand Prix Finals.

Cairns led 9-5 and 13-12 in the fifth-game decider, before Nicol - dazzlingly retrieving everything his opponent put in his way - fought back to 14-13 and matchball. A cruel 'no-let' call for "not trying to get to the ball" brought Cairns back into contention with the score poised at 14-all. A crosscourt nick at the front of the court followed by a ball which died in the back wall nick gave the world champion his second matchball - which he duly converted when Cairns hit the ball into the tin to give Nicol his long-awaited 15-8 10-15 15-12 12-15 17-14 victory.

"I've definitely been struggling over the past few weeks," conceded Nicol, whose concentration over the past two months has perhaps been deflected by his shock switch of loyalty from Scotland, his country of birth, to England, his country of residence.

"I just can't explain it - I've been training hard, moving and hitting the ball well, but the results haven't been going my way. Mark played really well - better than I've seen him play for some time, particularly after his illness at the weekend.

"I'm going through a continual learning process and, in hind-sight, miss-timed my preparation for last month's event in Egypt by peaking too early. My next focus is the Irish Open in Dublin at the end of the month, but I am working to peak at next month's British Open," Nicol added.

02-May - Semi-Finals

[1] Peter Nicol (England) bt [3/4] Tim Garner (Sussex) 15-7 15-6 8-15 8-15 15-13 (59m)
[3/4] Mark Cairns (Oxon) bt [2] Nick Taylor (Lancs) 15-12 11-15 11-15 15-5 15-7 (104m)

[1] Sue Wright (Kent) bt Carla Khan (Middx) 9-1 9-1 9-7 (33m)
[2] Jenny Tranfield (Yorks) bt Lauren Briggs (Essex) 9-5 9-2 6-9 9-2 (48m)

LUCKY NICOL SURVIVES SECOND
SCARE IN GRAND PRIX SEMI
World squash champion Peter Nicol has reached the final of the $10,000 Prince Grand Prix Finals after his second successive close win at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury - but only after stemming a courageous comeback by London Connaught Club team-mate Tim Garner, then benefiting from two lucky shots to get to matchball in the fifth.

Top seed Nicol, the 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen who switched allegiance from Scotland to England in March, seemed to be coasting to a 3-1 win when 8-3 up in the fourth game against the Sussex champion. An inspired Garner, however, ranked 40 places below the London-based world No2, won back the serve and took the next 11 points in one hand to level the match.

It was 12-12 in the decider when the fortunate former Scot claimed a dead nick on the back wall, then a winner off the rim of the racket, to reach match ball - which he duly converted to claim a 15-7 15-6 8-15 8-15 15-13 semi-final victory after 59 minutes.

Nicol will meet Oxfordshire's Mark Cairns in the final after the former British National champion came back from 2-1 down to upset Lancashire's second seed Nick Taylor 15-12 11-15 11-15 15-5 15-7 in a 104-minute marathon.

The top seeds will contest the women's final after favourite Sue Wright, the
Oxfordshire-based England No1 from Kent, beat Middlesex's Carla Khan 9-1 9-1 9-7 in 33 minutes, and Yorkshire's No2 seed Jenny Tranfield overpowered Lauren Briggs, from Essex, 9-5 9-2 6-9 9-2 in 48 minutes.

01-May
NICOL SURVIVES ENGLISH DEBUT IN
PRINCE GRAND PRIX FINALS

World squash champion Peter Nicol survived his first encounter as an Englishman on 'home soil', but was severely tested by compatriot Paul Lord in the opening round of the $10,000 Prince Grand Prix Finals at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury.

The 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen, who switched allegiance from Scotland to England in March, took the first game - but Lord, the Jarrow-based England No15 from Cheshire, fought back to within a point of taking a 2-1 lead, with game-ball at 14-10 in the third game. The London-based former Scot clawed back to 14-14, however, and clinched the game after Lord chose the sudden-death 'set one' option. Nicol had to work hard to maintain the upper hand against his tireless opponent, before ultimately triumphing 15-10 7-15 15-14 15-6 in 62 minutes.

Top seed Nicol now faces London Connaught Club team-mate Tim Garner, the Sussex champion who needed 44 minutes to overcome Hertfordshire 20-year-old Chris Ryder 15-12 15-11 15-13.

The other semi-final will feature Oxfordshire's former British National champion Mark Cairns and this year's Nationals' runner-up Nick Taylor. Cairns, 33, from Abingdon, prevailed in a bruising 82-minute battle against Sussex's Julian Wellings, eventually winning 15-6 14-15 15-8 15-12.

Second seed Taylor, the England No5 from Manchester, was two points away from a straight games victory - then allowed his Suffolk opponent Bradley Ball to win eight points in succession from 13-2 down in the fifth, before clinching the 67-minute match 15-13 15-2 13-15 11-15 15-11.