NICOL ON TOP
Scotland’s Peter Nicol is the
new World No.1. His elevation to top status follows an outstanding 1997 in which he
reached at least the semi-finals of all major PSA events.
Dropping the low ranking points from the Hartford event,
which he won at the start of 1997, has given him enough points to slip ahead of Jansher
Khan. Jansher has played more low prize money events including the HCI Cup which he won
and the Heliopolis where he was runner up - while Nicol has saved himself for the major
events.
Crucially Nicol has scored three wins over Jansher
throughout 1997 at the Al-Ahram International in Cairo, the Kuwait Open and in the
Mahindra Challenge.
Crucially too Jansher did not defend his world title in
Kuala Lumpur due to a maintenance dispute with his first wife and was deprived of the
potential ranking points a $130,000 event would have given.
Nicol, from Inverurie, near Aberdeen first came to
prominence at the British Open Junior Championships in where he was expected to win but
lost to a hard hitting an determined performance from the Finn Juha Raumolin. From that
setback he has consistently worked on his game developing a reputation for speed,
brilliant court coverage, and ability to apply consistent pressure particularly on the
volley.
He won the British National title in 1996 and moved to No.2
in the World Rankings in July 1997.
Ironically his consistent run started at the British Open
in 1997. When asked to fill in the ‘Biggest career disappointment’ section on
his PSA Biography before the tournament he wrote ‘British Open. Not won a game in 4
years."
And it was almost so again when he was matchball down to
Paul Johnson in the first round but he survived to run Jansher close in the final, beat
him in the Al Ahram and Mahindra and at the start of 1998 supplant him at No.1.
"I’m prepared to go to the very end to win,"
said Nicol to The Squash Player, "and Jansher isn’t so he tries to finish me off
quickly."
Nicol may take some time to get used to his new status. He
has moved from the hunter to the hunted. The first wound was cut by Mark Chaloner in the
National Championships semi-final, the second by Jansher Khan in the Super Series Finals
semi-final. Following that victory when Jansher Khan was asked when he would regain his
No.1 ranking. "Very soon," he said confidently.
Nicol can briefly bask in the glory that has been no other
British players since Barrington. But soon he will have to defend his new status. It is
just as well he has broken his duck at the British Open. He will be seeded No.1 for the
event which starts at the end of March.
