2003: Second round of pool matches:

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.
 

  

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