Reports:
While the live coverage on CathaySquash might *almost* make it feel as if you're actually there, there's no substitute for the real thing.
Hong Kong squash fan Amir Hoosain is watching the squash all week, and sending in a fan's view of the action. He points out that "I should note that I came off a lengthy hiatus from playing/watching/having anything to do with squash last year, so the last two HK Open's have been my only exposure to most of the current pros."
Here are his reports ...
It was an entertaining final to the 2002 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open. Spectators were asked to drop their lucky draw tickets into a box marked "Power" or one marked "Nicol" according to their prediction for the eventual winner. I had no strong opinions one way or the other and dropped mine into the Nicol box, expecting most of the audience would be betting on Power (see poll results). The pre-match entertainment consisted of a playful exhibition game between Thierry Lincou (wielding an archaic Dunlop Maxply racket) and local player Dick Lau, followed by a slapstick doubles spectacle involving a local twosome and the pair of Anothony Ricketts and Mark Chaloner.
THE MAIN EVENT
The amusements drew to an end and the mood turned to one of anticipation as Power and Nicol made their entrance. After a solemn knock up, the match got underway and it looked early on as though we were in for a display of attritional rallying. The players were feeling each other out, striking the ball deep without much of a short game. Power pulled ahead, benefiting from early Nicol errors, taking a point by hitting to perfect length and a couple more by misdirecting his opponent. Nicol tightened his game and won a series of exchanges to even the score at 8-8. At this point, Power requested injury time for treatment of back pain. Some in the crowd expressed disbelief, but to be fair, I did in fact spot Power stretching his back on two occasions before his lead was lost. Play continued after a three-minute pause. Power fought on but appeared to be in continued discomfort and went on to lose the game.
POWER'S PROBLEMS BACK
Power started the second game opting for a more freestyle tactic of cutting the ball short, mixing things up and moving his opponent around. Nicol was sweating profusely at this point, but wasn't slowing down in the least and uncooperatively returned everything he was given. Power's back continued to bother him and he didn't appear quite in tune for the style of play he was aiming for. Several attempts to put the ball away were mis-hit or struck into the tin (aside - why is there no tin within this "tin?" Balls struck down sound about the same as balls struck up, so that many spectators and even the referee are often not sure which was the case). It was in the second game that Power began quarrelling more with the ungenerous referee and several spectators expressed disapproval by applauding no-let decisions or possible stroke situations that were declared mere lets. Nicol took this game 15-9.
POWER AND REFEREE DISAGREE
In the third game, Jonathon Power adopted a sort of hybrid between a standard length game and the failed shot-making stratagem of the previous game. It seemed to work, as he now made fewer errors and began moving very fluidly, as though his back troubles were long behind him. The downside of this game was that his proclivity for calling every possible let-entitlement resurfaced - as a result of which, the referee's reading became slightly mis-calibrated and several lets were denied on important exchanges where perhaps they were warranted. It should be said that Power often has valid points in his disputes but his need to overplay any interference causes referees and spectators to view him with undue skepticism (for instance, during a rally where Peter Nicol was caught dead in his swing, the referee offered only a let, saying, "he was trying to clear out of the way." In response Power cried, "it doesn't matter that he was trying to clear OUT of the way, he was still IN the way!!").
In any case, various factors caused this game to go to
14-14 and Power chose "set 1." I suspect that even the Power detractors in
the audience momentary willed the Canadian to pull through, as things were
suddenly quite exciting. He won the point on a daring forehand drop that
apparently was good (I couldn't tell for myself due to a video camera
positioned over that very spot and the aforementioned 'silent tin' problem).
Everyone heaved a sigh as the awful tension was lifted and perhaps the
referee was more relieved than anyone else, as Power had made a big issue
about the soundness of her calls.
NICOL TO THE FORE
We all wondered if that had been the turning point of the match. Power was
now playing with solid nerves and making impressive recoveries, while Nicol
had been covering a lot of court. Alas, that was the high-point of the
final, as Nicol quickly took a comfortable lead in the fourth and held on to
claim the match.
I realize that I've written a very Power-centric account of the final and
that's partly because J.P. draws so much attention to himself, but it's
mostly that (as a common enthusiast) I have a very hard time relating to a
player as fit and disciplined as Peter Nicol, who always seems to make the
correct move. What goes on in his mind? I think the tournament emcee asked
him a question about his mental preparation during the trophy presentation,
but he gave a rather rote answer that I couldn't extract much wisdom from.
So in summary, a great tournament and a worthy victor. I look forward to
future encounters between these two.
And we
look forward to your reports next year!
Thanks, Amir ...
Steve Cubbins, webmaster, CathaySquash.
We hope everyone has enjoyed the coverage, and see you all next year ...
I don't have very much to add about the semi-final matches. Nicol/Boswell was a short affair - Stewart Boswell looked drained from the previous night's encounter and never was able to mount a very serious challenge. Peter Nicol, seemed to know he was in for an easy time and appeared in good humour as he chatted with Ong Beng Hee in the corner between games (Ong seemed to be in good spirits himself and happily posed for photos with local fans).
Boswell is a player who doesn't look like he's enjoying
himself on court but has so far managed to keep the pressure on his
opponents. He didn't have much to offer on this occasion and many in the
audience were looking forward to Power/Palmer as the match wrapped up.
Jonathon Power vs. David Palmer
A good match between two of the more creative shot-makers in the draw. Power
was dominant in the first and appeared more focused than usual - not a
single complaint until late in the game when he was awarded a let rather
than a stroke. Palmer settled into his game and played intelligently to take
the second.
The players grew testier into the third game. Power loudly vocalized his
displeasure when awarded mere lets and took a few tumbles manoeuvring around
Palmer to recover deep balls. An annoyed Palmer suggested that Power was
just dropping to the floor whenever he had difficulty covering the
back-court.
All the same, Power was in control of the third and took it 15-5. He
enthralled the crowd twice with his favourite fake, which involves moving in
early as though to play a backhand drop, playing a rapid wristy mis-hit then
smashing the ball deep down the forehand side (I try this shot myself from
time to time but usually bungle the timing or make it painfully obvious).
It's remarkable when he wins points with this shot, as he did against Paul
Johnson, but Palmer (a crafty player himself) was not fooled.
The fourth game was a close contest and Power developed a very visible cut
above his right eye after a scramble on an early point. He seemed unaware of
this as several tournament officials approached the court to recommend
treatment. When the referee announced "Stop. Mr. Power you are bleeding," he
shrugged and asked to continue. The game went on and Power eventually took
it 15-13 (with a bit of luck from a yes-let call at match-ball).
Boswell can't stop Nicol ...
Palmer can't stop Power ...
So it's the top two
to meet again.
Jonathon Power vs. Thierry Lincou
This first match, was the least arousing of the night. The opening game was tight, but didn't feature any spectacular exchanges. Lincou looks supremely fit, but his shot-making wasn't inventive enough to place Power in real danger. He mounted a mini-comeback to take the first game to "Set 1," but lost the crucial point on an unlucky "no-let" call. The next two games weren't as competitive.
Having read coverage of Power matches for quite some time, I must say that his performances here haven't been quite deserving of his reputation as a wizard-like shot-maker. There are occasional flashes of brilliance, but his rallies have been mostly conventional and he seems more interested in fishing for strokes than with putting the ball away. He acknowledges that he's been off his usual game in today's South China Morning Post, blaming improved fitness so perhaps things will be different in his semi-final encounter with Palmer (and there I was, thinking I would improve my fitness) .
Peter Nicol vs. Lee Beachill
It took a while to become involved in this match. Nicol and Beachill showed up sporting identical Beckhamesque haircuts and donning awfully similar all-black outfits. To make matters worse they share certain facial features and have similar playing styles. It was like watching two clones battle it out. I pity anyone who had to watch on webcam (ok, so Beachill is slightly taller and Nicol has the more pinkish hue and does that grimacing thing when he strikes the ball) (and he's left-handed, Ed). Nicol won in straight games, but every one of them was tightly contested. I'm gradually warming up to Nicol's style. I love his backhand crosscourt and he's simply relentless on every point. Never gripes and doesn't ask for lets unless absolutely necessary.
Stewart Boswell vs. Ong Beng Hee
A real heartbreaker, and easily the best match of the tournament. I was really rooting for O.B.H. to have a breakthrough at this Open and most of the crowd was clearly behind him as well. What's not to like? His strokes have a unique aesthetic, he's polite and a consummate sportsman (albeit a little more assertive this year) and he seems always to be doing something interesting and different with the ball. In the first two games, he dictated play like a master tactician. Keeping the ball tight down the backhand wall, regulating Boswell's momentum with daring touch shots and slice-like volleys midway through rapid exchanges (and ultimately finding an awful lot of nicks). The score was always close but Ong Beng Hee was in control and Boswell was visibly frustrated.
Then in the third, he appeared distracted and nonchalant,
tinning the ball and making errors as Boswell persisted with his attacking
game. In the fourth, it may as well have been me playing - he was slow off
the T and came out on the losing end of a string of drop-shot exchanges.
Suddenly in the fifth, the first Beng Hee was back but Boswell wasn't giving
anything up (diving and tumbling when necessary). They seemingly traded
point for point (they did - see the Graph, Ed) and the crowd was
riveted. Then it was 14-12 to Ong and we all felt he'd soon pull it off, but
Boswell somehow evened things to set 3 to everyone's dismay. I'm not sure
exactly how the rest of the match proceeded, but there were an awful lot of
let-calls. The crowd felt that a couple of let decisions should have been
strokes to Ong and then it was 16-16. The ball-kids rushed in to give the
floor one last wipe, Ong served and another let was granted on the ensuing
rally. He served again, they rallied for a bit and Ong called a let on his
way to a forehand drop. The ref paused for a moment and nervously uttered
"no let." It could have probably gone either way, but the crowd felt it
should have gone the other and let out a collective groan (evoking the sort
of anti-climactic sensation you get when you think you've won the lottery,
but upon closer inspection realize that your third number was a "16" and not
an "18," or when a beautiful lady smiles at you and you smile back, but
realize she was actually smiling at some person behind you). Fantastic
match, nevertheless.
David Palmer vs. Anthony Ricketts
These two dark-haired Aussies must have coordinated their wardrobes, or
caught on to the clone theme of the earlier Nicol/Beachill match. They
showed up in white shirts and black tracksuit pants. After knocking up, they
returned to court in identical navy shorts. I thought Palmer would sweep the
match, but Ricketts took the first game. Fairly high quality game, but I
left at that point, experiencing squash fatigue and also hunger.
the nail-biting fifth ...
Power/Price opened with a hotly contested first game, Power as usual expressing amazement at any decision that wasn't a stroke in his favour. Most of the audience seemed amused and even appreciative of the entertainment value in Power's antics. You sense that it's largely playacting but there's a contingent of indignant spectators, aching for some sort of comeuppance to occur.
Anyhow, Paul Price soon chimed in with objections of his own, complaining that Power was pushing off him and chatting during play. The ref concurred and asked Power to refrain from further touching. Power went on to win the game by a point. In the second, Power was in fine form and maintained a comfortable lead throughout. The quibbling over contact continued. The ref issued further cautions and an aggravated Power cried out that he was merely maneuvering around his opponent. Price's temper flared -- he punched the wall after one rally and threw a much harder blow on a later occasion. Late in the third, Power pulled off a beautiful fake that delighted the audience. After losing a point at 12-something, Price hurled his racket at the backhand corner and was penalised a conduct point. The match ended without further incident (Power kept uncharacteristically quiet on the last two points).
The next match was Stewart Boswell against Karim Darwish. Boswell (a seemingly quiet sort) attempted a most unconvincing tantrum when he cast his racket early on to protest an unfavorable call. He's one of those players with what I'd call a stoic playing style, snapping off powerful strokes with subdued body language (downcast eyes and faint shouldery-lateral movement). It's really pleasing to watch and he played the aggressor to win the match. To his credit, Darwish was never demoralized and played with sustained resolve, pushing the second game to 16-17 and winning the third 15-13. When they returned for game 4, Boswell appeared haggard but managed to surge ahead and take the game 15-5.
The last match featured David Palmer against Amr Shabana. Palmer, appeared a bit cocky at last year's Open, but was polite and easygoing throughout last night's affair. Shabana took an early lead and stirred up anticipation of a possible upset, but Palmer inched back into the game and took it 15-13. For the rest of the match, Palmer played effectively to his opponent's backhand. A series of tinned shots, "no-let" calls and a vibration dampener repeatedly popping out of place added to Shabana's problems. He muttered to himself routinely and at one point lamented, "he's too big! I can't see around him!"
The highlight of the night came close to the end of the match when Shabana played an exquisitely timed drop-volley off a back wall boast. Palmer recovered it in an astonishingly nimble manner, even as Shabana was making his way to the service box. Shabana shook his head speechlessly when told that he'd lost the point, and the match was over shortly thereafter.
I'm certainly looking forward to tonight's matches, especially Ong Beng Hee vs. Boswell and Power vs. Lincou (but the latter is schedule at 5:15 and I'll likely be stuck at work!).
Reports: