Fri 14th May, 2004:
Thierry Lincou bt Joseph
Kneipp
10-11 (0-2), 11-9, 11-2, 11-1 (58 min)
LINCOU'S WEEK
Ian McKenzie reports from Broadgate
THE FINAL
In the
final Lincou played well but lost the first game despite leading throughout.
“I was
consistent but he was aggressive and attacked before me. He didn’t let me
play as I wanted,” said Lincou afterwards.
Lincou was
onto his game in the second, which reached a climax when he led 10-9. The
point on which the match turned followed. Kneipp's strings went.
“I had to
keep the rally going. I floated it, tried to keep it tight and hoped we
would be able to play a let,” said Kneipp. “The longer you play with broken
strings, the slacker they get and the less control they have. I played a
tight one, he pulled the ball out loose and I had to take a chance. It
clipped the tin.”
That was
the second game. Kneipp tried a variety of rackets after that, a borrowed
Prince and an old Dunlop, five in all but did not adjust to the feel – and
he was tiring. He is a confidence player and that too was now sagging, like
his strings, as Lincou’s was rising.
The
Frenchman was now thoroughly into his game, professional, and clinically
effective.
Kneipp was
out of control, losing the third 11-2 and the fourth even more convincingly
11-1.
It was a
stylish performance from Lincou. “It means a lot to me,” he said. “I’ve lost
so many finals and it’s great to have my first big win and do it in front of
my parents and my coach. It’s a great feeling.”
Broadgate
has become a special stop on the PSA Tour and now has full houses of
enthusiastic fans from the beginning of the week.
Everyone
was pleased. Neil Eckert, Chief Executive Officer of Brit Insurance, the
event’s promoter, said: “It was a wonderful, topsy-turvy week of brilliant
squash.”
It was
Lincou’s week.
“It’s
great to have my first
big win in
front of my
parents
and my coach.”
LINCOU ON
WINNING THE FINAL
|