|
The Final:
[1] David Palmer (Aus) bt [6] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
15-9, 10-15, 15-7, 10-15, 15-4 92m
Palmer
powers to Super Series Title
David Palmer hit hard, played hard, and got away in the first game of the
final of the Super Series Finals at Broadgate, taking it 15-9 to go one
up.
But Thierry Lincou was not overawed. He
came back in the second with four points in a hand, two of them strokes
and a winning mis-hit and got a little jump from 9-8 to 12-8 and then took
the game 15-10.
Palmer's power took him away in the third
to a 6-1 lead that Lincou was never able to pull back and the match had
apparently swung decisively the Australian's way. Lincou however was
having none of it.
The fourth was a tempestuous affair. The Australian still drove deep and
tight with penetrating shots but Lincou worked the ball easily around the
court to go ahead 7-3 when the match entered a contentious period. Palmer
received a conduct warning for unnecessary physical contact when he pulled
Lincou to the floor in a incident reminiscent of his controversial
semi-final against Power here last year.
The crowd booed. "You took him out," said referee Clayton.
A
whole series of lets halted the score and Palmer fought back with
brilliant successive forehand volley drops to close to 7-8 before Lincou
surged away with six points in a hand to snatch game ball 14-8, and
although he then wasted a few the games levelled 15-10.
Lincou is up there. He was worthy of a scintillating final place but as
Peter Nicol had found the day before, Palmer's domination of the T, his
power, length and a crunching volleys that rarely gave the Frenchman time
were a draining experience. He fell behind at the start of the fifth 3-0,
snatched a point with a miss hit but although there were still brilliant
rallies Palmer's shots were more severe and he pulled out a whole series
of winners to surge to 8-1. The Frenchman slowed, sensing that it was all
over, as Palmer continued to go 11-1 up. Lincou rallied briefly, but
Palmer took the final game 15-4.
"I
knew I had it in me," said Palmer afterwards. "Every match I got sharper
and stronger. I had to pace myself at times tonight, but I played well
when I needed to, and I knew that getting a good start in the fifth was
crucial."
Lincou was not unhappy and neither should he have been. "I was tired," he
said about the ending. He beat me with low kills. It was a good lesson and
there is plenty to work on."
PhotoGallery
|
It was a fun
sort of match ... |
The warm up to the main event included a
3rd/4th playoff that many expected to be the final, and an exhibition
doubles.
3rd/4th Playoff
Peter Nicol bt John White
14-15, 15-9, 15-10 |
... but Nicol won in the end |
Thursday's Semi-Finals |
David Palmer bt Peter Nicol
6-15, 17-16, 15-12, 15-7
|
Thierry Lincou bt John White
15-9, 15-13, 15-7
|
[1] David Palmer (Aus) bt [2] Peter Nicol
(Eng) 6-15, 17-16, 15-12, 15-7 95m
Palmer dashes
Nicol's Dream
Nicol,
the world no 1. Nicol, who had moved through the group stage with
consummate ease while all around had struggled, launched into David Palmer
in this first semi-final as if the fourth record Super Series Finals final
was in his grasp. But then everything collapsed around him. In the end
this was a different Palmer from the demoralised and angry competitor who
had crashed out to Mark Chaloner on Day 1.
Nimble Nicol covered everything with ease in the first game and moved from
9-6 to 15-6 in a hand. Although he lead 11-8 at one stage in the second
Palmer was improving all the time and his powerful winners were starting
to take their toll. Five outstanding winners took Palmer to 14-12 and the
game seemed his.
"I
should have had it 15-12," said Palmer, "but he came back and showed the
qualities of the world no 1. I got it though and that was crucial."
Overeager Palmer had tinned twice when he was pressurising his opponent
and had half chances to let Nicol level at 14-14. In desperate rallies
Palmer won a stroke, and hammed it up a bit, but again Nicol levelled with
one of the little deceptive crosscourt drops that he had troubled his
opponent with all night. Again it levelled at 16-all, both on deceptive
shots, before Palmer poured the pressure on and as Nicol scrapped a tight
floating recovery drive down the wall, he plucked a spectacular crosscourt
volley nick of the wall that Nicol could not get near.
In
the third Palmer was away to a 5-1 lead, Nicol having worked hard his
nimbleness now gone. Palmer's length, totally indifferent on Monday was
now superb; he used his volley to dominate the middle and his thudding
power regularly punched the ball past Nicol who could not respond. At 13-6
it seemed over, although Palmer took it for granted and was almost
embarrassed as Nicol got back to 12-14 before uncharacteristically wasting
the last point on a speculative volley nick.
"I knew from his body language that he was tired after the second," said
Palmer. "I was controlling the rallies and he had done a lot of work. It
gave me confidence."
The fourth was all Palmer - not just length but powerful precise drives
and power again on the volley. At the end of 1 hour 35 minutes he was in
total and awesome control winning 15-7, and while Nicol will have to wait
for his fourth title, Palmer will take some stopping in his quest for his
first.
|
[6] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [4] John White (Sco)
15-9, 15-13, 15-7 51m
Titi drops White
"I
was lethargic going on," said White after crashing to a superb Thierry
Lincou at the Broadgate Arena. This Lincou was focused, busy about the court
and accurate, mixing playing deep with superb drops, while White found none
of the easily hit power or angles with which he had troubled his opponents
all week. It was an error prone and disappointing performance and Lincou
took full advantage.
"He played well," said White. "When he went short it either hugged the side
or nicked. I wasn't positive. The old John White came out. I got frustrated
and my concentration was poor. "Once you give him room he hogs the T. He has
improved and his length and drops are better."
Lincou
was always ahead, moving away from 8-6 to take the first 15-9 when a
frustrated White threw his racket, earned a warning for racket abuse and
broke the thing into the bargain. After a long stalemate in the second with
a dozen lets Lincou won game ball 14-11, White came back at him with a
little bit of brilliance but then tinned a easy backhand drop which summed
up his night.
In the third when White was behind 7-10 it all disappeared in one hand of
mistakes and Lincou was through, 15-9, 15-13, 15-7 and into the final with
Palmer.
|
|