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HONG KONG SHOWDOWN
England's world number one Peter Nicol met Canada's world number two
Jonathon Power in the final, with their record standing at fifteen wins
apiece.
After a titanic 108-minute battle it was Nicol who
emerged the winner, to claim his third Cathay Pacific title and edge ahead
16-15 in their personal duel.
Power started the stronger, racing to a 7-2 lead in the
first game. Nicol clawed his way back to 7-8, at which point Power needed
an injury 'time-out', feeling his back. The referee allowed the delay,
declaring it to be a new injury, presumably as opposed to the head wound
he received in the semi-finals. Nicol was unconvinced.
"A new injury? He's been getting
that for five years," said Nicol, much to the amusement of the capacity
crowd.
Once back on court, Power looked to be in some distress,
holding his back and conducting his usual discussions with the referee.
"Power's back looks really painful," said observers at courtside. The
Canadian managed to hold it together to reach 13-10, but Nicol took the
last five points to clinch the first.
"At the start I was getting to the
ball much earlier but after the injury I began to slow and allowed him to
dominate," a sorry Power told the South China Morning Post..
Power, who yesterday suffered a racket blow to the head
(see photo), was attended to by the doctor in the game interval, with ice
packs applied to his back, but
looked at times to be in sufficient pain as to make his continued participation in
the match doubtful.
He came out for the second, but was struggling with his
movement as Nicol quickly established a 2-0 lead, with Power adopting an
attacking philosophy that didn't pay off.
The third saw Power moving more easily, and they traded
points until Power reached game ball at 14-12, then Nicol levelled at
14-all.
It's a brave man who calls 'set one' at 2-0 down, but
that's what Power did, giving match-ball to Nicol. After several lets
Power finally clinched it, and was smiling once again rather than
grimacing.
"It was match ball and I was
definitely surprised to see him ask for set-one. It isn't the norm, but
then it is Jonathon," said Nicol.
"I always call set-one, said
Power.
But the miracle comeback was not to be, as Nicol
took an early lead in the fourth, 9-2, and this time there was no way back
for Power. Power revealed afterwards that his back was suffering from an
old injury that had flared up again.
"I got spasms in my back and that was the beginning of
the end. I have had this problem for a long time. It is too bad it
happened today for I was playing well and dominating. But the injury
affected my movement," Power, who had been hoping to remain undefeated
since wearing his new line of sports shoes, told the SCMP.
"I thought I had him. I thought he was tired and that I
would win. The spasms had gone away by then and I was starting to feel
good. But then I came back and played such a bad fourth game and gave him
a 9-2 lead. He was tough mentally today," Power said.
Power was philosophical in defeat - his first wearing
his new shoes. "I'm tired after a hard week," said the Canadian. "It's
been a hard draw for me here, no easy matches. But I've got 10 days rest
now before the US Open in Boston, so I'm hoping to be back on top form
then."
Nicol was clearly pleased with his third Hong Kong
title. "I knew that leading 2-0, it would be very difficult for him to
come back. It would have been nice to win in three, but I knew after the
third that he didn't have much left in the tank for the fourth," said
Nicol. "The biggest thing for me was not to lose today and go 5-0 down to
him this year. I knew I was moving well enough to be able to soak up
anything he threw at me in the match. I'm firmly back on track now."
Nicol and Power moved further ahead of the field in the
new PSA
rankings for September, announced today. Their next appointed clash is
in the US Open in
Boston, assuming they both make the final again ...
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Ouch!
Power cut during the semi
The Fan's View
Our man Amir
reports on the final
from HK
Nicol and Power have met
in four
Hong Kong Finals,
1998, 1999, 2000
and 2002.
Nicol leads 3-1.
Full HK History
Their career record
now
stands at 16-15
to Nicol.
Nicol v Power
the Full Story
The presentations
Photo İHorizon Software
the view from the
TeleEye camera
The Fan's View
Our man Amir
reports on the final
from HK
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