10-May-04:
NICOL SLUMPS TO
SHOCK DEFEAT ...
Tom Maidment reports from Broadgate


England's world no.9 Nick Matthew caused a major upset at day one of the Brit Insurance Super Series Finals in London tonight, thrashing compatriot and world no.1 Peter Nicol by 3-0.

Matthew, England's fastest rising squash star, produced a stunning performance at The Broadgate Arena to confirm his growing stature in the game. The 23-year-old, making his debut appearance at the Finals, demolished Nicol in just over half an hour as he raced to a 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 win.

"I'm amazed, almost speechless. I knew Peter was looking a bit tired but I never expected that," said Matthew.

"I was joking before the match that I would do well to take a game off Peter so to win like that was unbelievable. I rate Peter as one of the top five players of all time and it was my ambition to beat him before he retired."

Tomorrow Matthew will face defending champion Jonathon Power of Canada who crashed to a 3-0 defeat against Scotland's world no.2, John White in the opening Harrow group match of the evening.

Power, a late call-up for the injured Anthony Ricketts, was brushed aside in just 27-minutes as White, the Nottingham-based no.2 Seed, opened his title bid with an impressive 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 victory.

Earlier in the evening England's Lee Beachill defeated Egyptian world champion Amr Shabana 3-1 to get off to a winning start in the Fleet Group. Beachill, the world no.4 from Yorkshire, looked in superb form as he withstood a ferocious onslaught of attacking shots from the left-handed Shabana who was making his first appearance at the Finals.

The match was the first in history to be played under the PSA's new scoring system of point a rally to 11 instead of 15.

"The scoring system is interesting and players will take a while to adjust to it," said Beachill. "The good thing is that the finishing line comes in sight a bit earlier so you are encouraged to attack."

Top Seed Thierry Lincou, the French world no.3, defeated Australia's Super Series Finals debutant Joe Kneipp by 3-1 in the evening's other Fleet Group match. Lincou, who finished third in the event last year and runner-up in 2002, played some stunning squash in a high quality match to claim victory in 70 minutes by 11-9, 11-8, 10-11, 11-4.

Results:

Harrow Group
John White (Sco) bt Jonathon Power (Can)
  11-4, 11-6, 11-4
Nick Matthew (Eng) be Peter Nicol (Eng)
  11-5, 11-7, 11-4

Fleet Group
Lee Beachill (Eng) bt Amr Shabana (Egy)
  11-9, 4-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-8
Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt Joe Kneipp (Aus)
  11-9, 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4

Broadgate TODAY

Broadgate TODAY

Action Gallery
by Fritz Borchert
www.squash-u-bild.net


Matthew's major upset



White gets past Power


Beachill grounds Shabana



Lincou outlasts Kneipp