Jonathon Power bt Martin Heath 15-10, 15-13
[1] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt [7] David Palmer (Aus)
15/7,
15/11, 13/15, 17/14 83m
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Peter Nicol retained his Super Series title in a thrilling four-set match. In the first two games it looked as though David Palmer's hard series of matches this week was was taking its toll. Nicol was well in command, moving Palmer around the court, and picking off winners when the opportunity arose.
It looked like it was going to be a straightforward 3-0 as Nicol went to 7-3 in the third, with Palmer making little effort on a couple of points. Asked afterwards about the match, Nicol said he was "wondering when David would collapse after all his effort this week. He was dead tired all the way through, but somehow just kept going".
And keep going the Aussie did. He pulled back in the third, finding winners when he could, but rallying when he had to. Nicol was forced to scurry after the ball, and at the end of the third he failed to reach three of Palmer's shots as the British Open champion pulled one back fro 8-13 down.
Nicol led 10-6 in the fourth. Surely it was all over now. At 2pm Palmer was rated only 50/50 to turn out in the final at all, suffering with his back after the pummeling it received in last night's semi-final. But back he came back again, and led 14-13 - was another 3-2 thriller on the cards? No. Time had finally run out for the plucky Aussie as Nicol levelled it, then took the next three points to clinch a third title in a row.
The end of a hard week for Nicol and Palmer, but Nicol's the champion - again
15/7, 15/9, 11/15, 15/11 70m
David Palmer bt Jonathon Power
9/15, 6/15, 17/16, 15/6, 15/14 99m
Defending champion Peter Nicol progressed to his third successive Super Series Finals final, beating ex-compatriot Martin Heath 3-1.
In a contrast to the Palmer/Power duel, this was a match where all the oohs and aaahs from the crowd were in appreciation of the shots and retrieving rather than the more physical aspects of the game!
Nicol moved smoothly through the first two games, keeping Heath at bay and picking the right time for his winners. In the third Heath started the better, and at times had Nicol scrambling furiously for the ball, getting two, three or even four seemingly impossible balls back.
Heath took the third 15/11, and when he recovered from 2-5 and 5-8 to lead 9-8 in the fourth it looked like we might be in for another remarkable comeback. Nicol was not to be denied his chance at three successive titles though, and he eased ahead with a couple of his own winners allied to errors from Heath to take the game 15-11 and set up a meeting with David Palmer tomorrow.
In their last final, the Irish Open, Nicol won comfortably, and he beat the Aussie earlier this week here, but given the gritty performances Palmer has put in here this week, all that means nothing.
Tomorrow's another day ...
"I controlled the first two, but I let my length go in the 3rd," said Nicol afterwards. "It was a tough game on Tuesday, but I can't wait to play him again."
David Palmer scored a memorable victory here tonight, in a thrilling match that had everything - great squash, a fantastic comeback, spill, thrills, arguments galore and the tightest finish you can get.
Power started well in control, streaking ahead from 4-4 in the first, and from 5-5 in the second to take what seemed like a winning lead. Power was in total control at the front of the court, winning point after point with exquisite drops.
It was always a physical match, with players colliding, diving, slipping, holding, and complaining throughout. Power received 2 conduct strokes, but it could have been more, for either player.
Palmer clawed his way back, getting the better of a very scrappy third game, although he almost blew a 13-7 lead, with Power coming back to 14-all before Palmer finally took it 17-16.
Palmer took and held an early lead in the fourth, and went ahead again in the fifth. There were less stoppages now, and this appeared to favour Palmer. But it was Power's turn to stage a comeback, and from 11-all it went point for point until Palmer chose the sudden death option at 14-all.
The final rally saw both players scrambling desperately, but it was Palmer who hit the final nick.
"I never really felt out of it", he said at the end. "Jonathon played too well in the first two, but I got better as it went on. We're both pretty physical, but we both had good fun. There was some unbelievable scrambling on that last point."
Palmer said he wasn't going to watch the second semi - he didn't care who he played in the final.