Thu 13th, Semi-Finals: Joe Kneipp
bt John White
8/11, 5/11, 11/8, 11/6, 11/5 (80m)
Kneipp Exuberant Ian McKenzie & Tom
Maidment
Thierry Lincou bt Nick Matthew
11/5, 11/10 (2-0), 11/6 (42m)
THIERRY LINCOU:
TOUT EN FINESSE …
I’m sure I don’t need to translate that one, do I?
Let me start by confirming (if you had any doubt), the exactitude of my
predictions. Didn’t I write that I didn’t see who could beat John White
this week? [You sure did, Ed.]
Nobody to blame but himself, said his mental coach Ellery Hanley: “John
probably knows that he gave it away, by making too many mistakes”.
My final was John White against Nick Matthew.
How wrong was I….
So my hopes grew (sorry Nick, Thierry always comes first…) when I saw
that, once again, I was totally wrong in my prognosis. I came to hope that
maybe…
4/0 for Thierry. It did start well. The Frenchman was calm, sure of his
balance, of his touch, of his squash. He started his attacks “tout en
finesse” from the start. As we just saw 80 minutes of constant hammering
between the 2 Australians, it was quite refreshing. Nice boasts, soft
volley drop shots, delicate drop shots that seem to float in the air…
Nick was retrieving like a man on a mission, covering a lot of ground,
while Thierry was directing the rallies while firmly planted on the T. The
Englishman was also reading the Frenchman’s game quite well, and
anticipated a cross court, reacting with a splendid drive kill that left
the Frenchman powerless. That was Nick’s first point.
He scored only 4 more, making a lot of mistakes, put under pressure by
Thierry's relentless domination, and lost the first one 5/11 in 12
minutes.
But Nick was far from throwing in the towel, and decided to fight back.
This time, he went up 3/0, then 6/2. The rallies were long, with superb
skills from both players, another great anticipation from Nick, on exactly
the same shot as in the first game (maybe something Thierry has got to
work on, too many crosscourts when close to the front wall???).
If you read my portrait on Mrs
Lincou, she describes her husband as “a fighter”. And she is so right!
From 6/2 down, Mr Lincou came back to 9/9. Nick had one game ball at 10/9.
The rally was extremely long, Thierry played two remarkable cross courts
lobs that put Nick under pressure once again, forcing him to play the ball
out of court. 10/10, tie break. No quibble. 2/0. Lincou is now 2 up.
But Nick remembered that he found himself down in the
Bermuda Event against the Frenchman and still won the match.
“I knew that I could still win, if I could find some energy…”
But that’s what Matthew didn’t have enough of. Energy. He went up 3/1,
6/2, but that was the last time he scored, as the legs had gone on strike.
Thierry scored 9 points in a row (5 errors from Nick). Festival of
backhand drop shots, fantastic attacks from Lincou, great defence and
retrieving from the Englishman.
But at 8/6, Nick couldn’t fight anymore. Thierry just finished the game,
the place in the final of the 2004 Super Series was his, the second of his
career (last year he lost a match against Peter Nicol that more than a
few, including Neil
Harvey, consider to be one the best games of squash ever played) .
“Thierry pushed me to the back, his width was too good tonight,” Matthew
told me, “and I was yards away from where I wanted to be. That forced me
to cover extra yards at each point, and when you add all those extra
yards, it's a pretty long distance!
“I had the feeling that I didn't have
anything left in the legs. At every game, around 6 up, I couldn't find any
energy to fight back. Maybe the week caught up with me, or maybe it's that
Thierry's length was just too good today”.
And what Thierry said to us (his parents, his coach, Frank Carlino, whom I
have the great pleasure of interviewing tomorrow), would definitely be
lost in the translation.
But Daniel Lincou, father of, told me “Thierry always plays well when
Frank is there. I don’t know what he tells him, but it always calms him
down.”
Bless you Frank, bless you…. |
Today's PORTRAIT:
Nick
Thierry's proud parents
|