TOP TWO THROUGH
AS SCOTS CRASH OUT
Group roundup after day two:
In the Harrow Group Jonathon Power is into the
semi-finals, and tomorrow plays John White, who is out. The winner of Ong
Beng Hee and Anthony Ricketts will join Power in the semis.
The Fleet group is in a similar state, with Nicol through,
Heath out, and Lincou and Beachill meeting to decide who goes through with
the world number one.
Ian McKenzie reports from Broadgate
NICOL SQUEEZES INTO SEMIS
Tucked away on the second night of the Super Series Finals,
the last match on, was as fine a match was you are likely to see. The best I
have seen this year, for many a year for that matter. The late night crowd
stayed and muttered 'awesome,' 'unbelievable' and 'fantastic' and ooohed and
aaahed as they watch the impossible being performed before their eyes. At
the end they sprung to their feet in a standing ovation.
Nicol was superb. This was one of the great retrieving machines in squash
history, performing an excellence clinic for all to admire.
Take the second
game. Lincou played well. He was tight, his shots caressed the walls, his
length was excellent, he attacked with challenging well placed drops and
volley drops, moved beautifully, powerfully, rhythmically and yet Nicol handled
it with such ease it was embarrassing.
Lincou made one unforced error at 0-7, on a volley drop, was forced into error on a clinging ball at 12-1, and you
could understand his frustration, tinned as he struck for the nick off
serve. Nicol was awesome, he covered everything like an acrobat, not
arrogantly, but with total assurance, and in the end hit a whole variety of
winners, exceptional winners with touch and deception so as to bemuse and
humiliate.
The crowd were fascinated by this Peter Nicol masterclass. It wasn't a
whitewash it was a privilege to watch. Lincou, bemused, stuck to his task.
Only at 10-0 did he get a point and did it well holding a forehand and
pushing it down the wall. And he got another on an exquisite winning volley
boast that surprised, his only winner of the dozens he played in this game.
Perhaps the referee should have given a stroke against Nicol at 14-2, for it
was clear enough, but in the spirit of the game it was very agreeable to
play it again. So Lincou made two mistakes, one unforced error, hit one
winner and all the rest were Nicol winners, accomplished winners as if he
was one of the great shot makers of all time.
Nicol led 15-6, 15-2 with Lincou doing nothing wrong.
How this changed from
being so one sided into a great squash match is a mystery. Nicol did not
play badly, Lincou must had lifted his game. He kept thinking all the way,
calculating, trying to work out what to do, how to neutralise this onslaught;
and what unfolded is a credit to him. He had been thrashed by the world's
top player so he came out and upped the pace, then he played with the pace
of the ball. Crosscourts were wide out of reach, lobs falling out of the
high marquee roof, volley lobs to keep the T, volleys held and
pushed straight a little like David Evans at his best, and now shots, shots
with more precision, shots that Nicol could not get.
Nine winners
helped him to the third game 15-10 and eight in the fourth which he won
15-9. It was outstanding, difficult to believe you were watching the same
game. Nicol's confidence was dented badly.
The fifth was fascinating. An unnecessary no let, for this was a match
hardly marred with a stoppage, disrupted Lincou at 2 all and he fell behind
5-2 then regained his composure to lead 6-5, and it was only when he led 8-7
that Nicol got the crucial edge with a outstanding series of winners,
moving to 12-8.
They were out on their feet. It was 76 minutes of
sprinting, throwing yourself at the floor getting up and doing it again and
again. It is trite to say, but this was one of those matches when it is a pity
that there has to be a winner; but a winner there was and Nicol nipped the
last point with some luck to take it 15-10.
If they can keep playing like this they will be in the final and have to do
it all again. That's sold out but get down there tonight if you can.
BEACHILL STEPS FORWARD
Lee Beachill took a step forward with a convincing win in 42
minutes over Martin Heath, 15-7, 15-9, 15-8, to enhance his chances of
making the semi-finals.
He set up straight, tight, efficient rallies and selected
his shots easily to take charge in the middle of each game, moving through
from 5-7 in the first to 12-5 , from 5-6 to 10-6 in the second, and from 7-7
all to 13-7 in the third, all in single hands. The old Beachill was coming
back into evidence with holds and the full swing stopping to caress straight
drops.
He is now moving with confidence.
"Last night I got better as the match went on. It was tough but I am coming
back from the operation (on his ankle). I got better again tonight," said
Beachill.
Tomorrow he plays Thierry Lincou, and that could be for a semi-final place.
WHITE OUT AS BENG HEE
BATTLES THROUGH
John White is out of the Super Series Finals after an
entertaining and sporting encounter with a rejuvenated Ong Beng Hee which
slipped away from him, perhaps a little unluckily at the end of the fifth
game, 15-10, 12-15, 15-9, 4-15, 15-12.
White was the playmaker throughout this match but so wayward was his
concentration that it fluctuated wildly between bursts of brilliant power
hitting and deception and patches of numerous errors. The third game was a
case in point. White had come back to level the games after Beng Hee had got
away in the first, but then fell 10-2 behind as he made numerous errors and
lost the game 15-9, and with it the initiative in the match.
The fourth was a a complete turnaround 12 minutes of White's magic as he
dominated the T, easily slipping into deceptive mode, holding balls to
bamboozle Beng Hee and totally dominating the play.
So it all came down to the fifth. White was 4-0 up as Beng
Hee grimaced at his two opening errors and White stung in two winners. But
it all slipped away again and ended in a point for point struggle that
levelled at 9 all, 11 all and 12 all.
An unlucky bounce cost White a crucial point, Beng Hee
attacked front right with a winning drop as White dived spread-eagled on the
floor, to no avail, and smashed his racket on the wall in frustration. The
referee sensibly overlooked it, for he had already given White a conduct
warning for racket abuse and if a penalty were applied on match ball a
stroke would have been called for.
At 12-14 White held a ball mid-court, drew Beng Hee short and passed him
beautifully, forcing him to desperately flick off the back. With an easy
opening and his opponent trapped out of position White set up for the
easiest of winning backhand drops and tinned.
That summed up his game. He is out. Power is likely to go through with the
deciding match for a semi-final place in the Harrow Group between Ricketts
and Beng Hee on Wednesday.
POWER IN POLE POSITION
Jonathon Power enhanced his chances of a semi-final place with a four game
win over Anthony Ricketts at the Broadgate Arena that was in doubt until the
end.
Ricketts took the early lead with his athletic and
aggressive play but his seething frustration at the number of lets Jonathon
Power was winning disrupted his performance.
At one stage in the third Ricketts was off court and rather impertinent with
referee Rob Ward. "I don't know if you have seen him play before but every
time he is out of position he goes for a let," said Ricketts.
Power was very quick here, and Ward had the unenviable task of making the
decision. Power would have got many of the balls he won lets on, but he is a
straight line runner who finds it difficult to side-step an opponent
although he shows he can just get a ball to earn a replay which often seems
the more preferable option than playing on in difficult circumstances.
Ricketts play was fast and a bit loose but he was very tense. Perhaps the
crosscourts were rather short, for he rarely found his range in the back
corners although he did persist with his length and tried to keep Power
back.
"When he got into his rhythm I was a step behind," said Ricketts afterwards.
"But I still want to get to the semi-final."
Power was not quite at his best, his deceptive racket work is not there yet,
but he is sharp and he is winning.
"I took this match very seriously," said Power. He is one of the guys coming
up and he is getting better."
Power is not home yet but barring a three way tie of two games apiece looks
set for a semi-final place.
|
More photos
in
the Gallery
|