Now it's a Knockout
The semi-final line-up was decided in tonight's final round of group matches, as John White and David Palmer qualified from Harrow, squeezing out Mark Chaloner, with Thierry Lincou winning the crunch clash in Fleet to join Peter Nicol in the semis. Nicol plays Palmer in a repeat of last year's final, while White and Lincou bid to make their first Super Series Finals final.

Ong Beng Hee  0-3  Mark Chaloner
Chaloner bt Ong  15-4, 15-7, 15-8

CHALONER DEMOLISHES ONG
Mark Chaloner, the England No.3 now that the former Scot Peter Nicol has made his debut in this month's England rankings, demolished the Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in the final group round.

"The last two times we have played he has hammered me," said Chaloner. "I had the pressure on him and the glass court suited me."

It is problematical however whether Chaloner can go through to the semi-final stage. His destiny is in the hands of the former Australian John White. If White beats the top Australian David Palmer he will top the group and Chaloner will go through in second place.

"John can do me a big favour by winning. I deserve to make the semi-finals," said Chaloner.

Stuart Boswell  1-3  Thierry Lincou
Lincou bt Boswell  15-14, 13-15, 15-3, 15-7

TITI TAKES SEMI-FINAL SPOT
Thierry Lincou was up for it in the all to play for Fleet Group decider for second place against Australia's Stuart Boswell and strangely his opponent was not. Sharp and focused but still claiming that he needed match practice Lincou dominated the play after he edged ahead in the third and Boswell wasted points, fell behind 5-0 making a comeback difficult, and then moped around the court before going down 15-3, 15-7 in the final two games.

"He was not consistent and went short too early," said Lincou of the Australian who earlier in the week had hit superb length. "The first was crucial. It was a psychological battle. I had the advantage but then let him have opportunities in the second."

Lincou, second in the Fleet Group, will come up against the Harrow Group winner. This could well be John White who beat him last in tournament play.

"I have the advantage of playing Nicol the first day so I have recovered," said Lincou. This match will not have taken too much out of him and he will be up for the semi-final.

David Palmer  3-2  John White
Palmer bt White  15-5, 6-15, 15-10, 8-15, 15-9

PALMER SCRAPES INTO SEMI-FINALS
England No.3, Mark Chaloner was surprisingly dumped out of the tournament when World no.2 David Palmer beat John White 15-5, 6-15, 15-10, 8-15, 15-9.

In a three way tie on matches won, Palmer came second in the group on games countback with 7 games to Chaloner's 6. It was a stunning return to form by Palmer, who was beaten by Chaloner in the opening round in a contentious match that saw the Australian penalised for language and conduct infringements.

"That was one of the worst matches of my career," said Palmer. "He (Chaloner) should be happy with the win. It won't happen again. I'm getting better every round. If I played him like I played tonight I would have beaten him 3-0."

Peter Nicol  3-1  Chris Walker
Nicol bt Walker  8-15, 15-6, 15-5, 15-12

NICOL COMPLETES THE FORMALITIES
The last match of the round-robin stages saw Peter Nicol wrap up the Fleet group, as expected, with an entertaining win over Chris Walker.

Nicol now faces David Palmer in the semi-finals, a repeat of last year's final, while John White plays Thierry Lincou.
 

Nicol bt Boswell  15-7, 13-15, 15-12, 15-4
Lincou bt Walker  15-9, 15-3, 15-7
Palmer bt Ong  15-11, 10-15, 15-5, 15-7
White bt Chaloner  15-12, 15-9, 15-7

Peter Nicol 3-1 Stewart Boswell (Fleet)
Nicol bt Boswell 15-7, 13-15, 15-12, 15-4.

NICOL SECURES SEMI SPOT
Peter Nicol laid down his claim to a record fourth title in the opening match on day at the Super Series Finals at Broadgate with an emphatic win over the tough Australian Stewart Boswell who is now ranked No.4 in the world, a win which guarantees Nicol a semi-final spot on the day he topped the English rankings for the first time.

"I should never have lost the second," said Nicol later. "It was just lack of concentration."

Boswell was a serious opponent, coming back from 12-10 down to take the second and then having his chances when 9-7 in the third in the crucial period of the match. Nicol responded to the Australian's lead with a superb deceptive backhand drop that faded across the court and left his opponent sprawling on the floor. He followed that with a winning forehand drop to level before Boswell tinned three times, tensely from good position, and the match swung Nicol's way 15-12.

Boswell fell behind early in the fourth and hardly showed after that as Nicol smoothly covered everything. He is starting to play well. "I felt fine. He played good length but his technique breaks down when he is under pressure. He got a bit tired at the end of the third," said Nicol. "Gough beat me last week. He played very well but it was valuable match practice for me."

Boswell down here is not out. He could be vying with Lincou for a semi-final place. "I'm getting more used to playing him," said Boswell. "I haven't played Lincou since he beat he last year in Hong Kong but he beat Peter Nicol then as well."

"It’s great to be in the Semi-Finals once again as this is one of my favourite tournaments. It’s special to play in front of a home crowd who are both supportive and knowledgeable. I’m playing well and it doesn’t bother me who I face in the Semis as I’m feeling confident and just need to concentrate a little more than I did today,” commented Nicol after his victory.

Chris Walker 0-3 Thierry Lincou (Fleet)
Lincou bt Walker 15-9, 15-3, 15-7

LINCOU SLICES UP WALKER
It only took 37 minutes and Thierry Lincou had pulverised Chris Walker, despite all his protests, 15-9, 15-3, 15-7 and set up a final group round clash with Stewart Boswell for a semi-final place.

Walker, a late replacement for the injured Jonathon Power only arrived at 11.a.m. on Monday, day 1, and he still looked as it he was on American time.

"It's good to come over here to get absolutely annihilated," he said to laughter.

Lincou who had beaten Walker almost as convincingly in the European Team Championship final was ruthless and had the edge over his opponent all around the court.

"Chris looked very tired," said Lincou. "I haven't played since the Europeans. I needed a break and had two weeks off, then I had exams for a week and started my training late. This event is not my target. I didn't have time to get fit and in shape but I'm playing O.K. and looking forward to it."

David Palmer 3-1 Ong Beng Hee (Harrow)
Palmer bt Ong  15-11, 10-15, 15-5, 15-7

"I'M BRANDED", CLAIMS PALMER
PSA president David Palmer apologised to Super Series Finals tournament director Satinder Bajwa for his behaviour in his crash to England's Mark Chaloner on day one, which saw him in ill humour and demanding a change of referee several times. Palmer received a conduct warning and a conduct stroke for improper language in a grouchy encounter that involved 69 lets and 11 strokes.

"I apologised because I was out of line," Palmer told Squash Player, "but I still feel the referee was 100% against me. Since that match I had with Jonathon Power here last year I have a lot of problems with English referees. Against Chaloner I lost my self control and my brain but the referee was one sided."

Palmer explained to Squash Player the reaction of English referees to him since that now notorious encounter. He feels he has been branded as a troublemaker and that there is now a bias amongst English referee against him. Palmer claims that he has encountered this throughout England, even in league matches.

"They keep refereeing to that match with Power and they even bring it up when refereeing me," said Palmer. "I go on and try to play fairly but they are against me and I get a one sided deal. I'm branded."

On court today Palmer was impeccably behaved and in the end Ong Beng Hee, who has looked jaded throughout, faded in going down 15-11, 10-15, 15-5, 15-7.

"I'm still in said Palmer. I still have a chance. Jonny White is next. I thought that he was the form player going into this event. We will see."

Mark Chaloner 0-3 John White (Harrow)
White bt Chaloner 15-12, 15-9, 15-7

WHITEOUT FOR CHALONER
Mark Chaloner fought valiantly to lead in the first and second games leading briefly 12-10 in the first and 9-8 in the second but White's firepower, held in check, was unleashed in each game to take the first 15-12 and the second in one hand 15-9. That second burst of power from White blew away any chance Chaloner had and in the third White took points at will to go 13-2 ahead and only at the end relented to give Chaloner's score some respectability.

Chaloner however is not out. The Harrow Group could be very tight. If there is a tie in the matches whoever is to go through will be decided on a count back on games won, then the number of games lost and then on a head to head. If White beats Palmer and Beng Hee beats Chaloner, White would go through with three wins and Chaloner, Beng Hee and Palmer would be in a count back tie.
 

Pool Matches day one:
Mark Chaloner bt David Palmer  15-11, 8-15, 15-11, 15-8
John White bt Ong Beng Hee  15-11, 9-15, 15-6, 15-7
Peter Nicol bt Thierry Lincou  15-7, 15-13, 15-5
Stewart Boswell bt Chris Walker  15-11, 15-11, 15-9

David Palmer 1-3  Mark Chaloner (Harrow)
Chaloner bt Palmer 15-11, 8-15, 15-11, 15-8  104m

PALMER FAR FROM PERFECTION
Perhaps David Palmer, the PSA President was still mentally in his board meeting, for the best part of his game was his verbal skills with the referee which earned a conduct stroke after he had lost the first game 15-11. That put him 1-0 down in the second and may have been beneficial for that was the only game he took, 15-8.

This was a disruptive match, with Palmer well out of sorts putting in a distracted performance and showing none of the brilliant sharpness he demonstrated here last year.

Chaloner grafted well, in hot and humid conditions over 1 hour 44 minutes and in between lets at the end stung in some deadly forehand kills of the back wall, which is almost his trade mark shot and out of the air. Palmer lacked any consistent length in a rather random performance and moments of penetration were rare.

"It was a bit scrappy," said Chaloner. "It is hard to be sharp when we are in the middle of training and looking forward to the Commonwealth Games. It was useful for match practice however. I played well against Jonny White in the French League and I'm feeling O.K."

Don't look for Palmer in the semi-finals after this performance. It's back to the drawing board.

John White 3-1 Ong Beng Hee (Harrow)
White bt Ong 15-11, 9-15, 15-6, 15-7  72m

WHITE IN DETERMINED STYLE
White had a casual air about him against One Beng Hee, but it belied a serious purpose. He had never beaten Beng Hee before and he took time out before this match to 'clear his head.'

Beng Hee could have done the same because he came up with little in the head department. All White's angles were on display and he seemed to play within himself and with help from his opponent ran up hands of 9 unanswered points in the third and 10 in the fourth to run out a comfortable winner.

White hit his angles easily ­ a corkscrew rolling down the back wall, a stinging kill off the back and a narrow crosscourt on the inside of his opponent on match ball that Beng Hee could only look at sheepishly and then hold out his hand.

White has started this tournament well, "I have put in some serious fitness work and I was quite confident to let the rallies go on and wait for the right ball," he said. "I have never beaten him before so I'm pleased. Perhaps when I've played him before I've played the front too much and he's very quick there. I was able to get my length before I went short."
 
Peter Nicol 3-0 Thierry Lincou (Fleet)
Nicol bt Lincou  15-7, 15-13, 15-5  46m

SMOOTH NICOL
Peter Nicol made amends for his loss to Alex Gough last week with a speedy and efficient performance again Thierry Lincou, who perhaps having one win over the World No.1, last year in Hong Kong, kept the titleholder on his mettle and was close in the second. The first went to Nicol 15-7, but the second, which settled into a point for point struggle, was level all the way until two tins from Lincou, who was forced into low margins by Nicol's purring speed, gave him a 13-10 lead.

The Frenchman seemed to be on the way out but a brilliant inch perfect backhand drop, a deceptive fading backhand crosscourt, held then flicked, which Nicol read too late, and a crosscourt deep into the corner which didn't come out, levelled the scores at 13-all.

Suddenly the prospect of a game apiece loomed. Eager, perhaps over-eager, Lincou dominated the T and pounded away on the volley and swung at a clinging ball, only to tin. Then, when he had earned an opening in pacy play, put the ball in the middle of the tin when a winner was begging. Nicol was two games up 15-13, and although Lincou played a few fine shots at the start of the third, to be two games down to Peter Nicol is not an especially favourable position to be in and Nicol motored on comfortably to take the match 15-7, 15-13, 15-5.

It was a good start by the reigning champion, and he will be hard to beat here now that Jonathon Power has pulled out with a pain in the ass (otherwise known as his gluteus minimus Ed) . Lincou was sharp enough and he cannot be discounted.


Chris Walker 0-3 Stewart Boswell (Fleet)
Boswell bt Walker 15-11, 15-11, 15-9  55m

BOSWELL CONVINCING
In the final match of the first day, Stewart Boswell, driving deep and powerfully, gave England No.1 Chris Walker a lesson in basic squash at the Broadgate Arena to win convincingly 15-11, 15-11, 15-9 in 55 minutes. Walker, the last-minute replacement for Power, will need to perform better than this to make the semi-finals, but boswell looks a strong prospect for a semi-final place.