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DAY 1
 
5pm  Thierry Lincou bt Jonathon Power
11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9 (72m)
6pm Lee Beachill bt Nick Matthew
11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-2 (65m)
7pm  Peter Nicol bt Amr Shabana
11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (44min)
8pm James Willstrop bt David Palmer
7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 (65m)

Preview: A good start needed
A good start will be everything here at Broadgate. There are no easy matches. David Palmer put it well just before the start of play.

“A good start is crucial in this tournament, it is hard to comeback. I don’t want to be playing catch-up on the third night,” he said.

In prospect is a brilliant programme, the world champion against the inform Jonathon Power, the winner in Bermuda; Lee Beachill versus Nick Matthew, who played brilliantly against him in the Nationals; Peter Nicol against Amr Shabana, who would pick a winner there and then James Willstrop against David Palmer.

“It’s important I’m ready for the occasion. I’m going away to get ready psychologically,” said Willstrop.

Power is first on court against Lincou. He was up for it he said but he was straight off the plane after winning the Canadian National title. He looked eager however and clear eyed. In Bermuda Power took his own physiotherapist to help him get through the three marathon five setters before he destroyed Beachill in the final. Here it would be a big week, Lincou was first up.

 

THE PLAY

Power out to Lincou

Defending champion Thierry Lincou displayed all the consistency, that has seen him hold the world no.1 slot for a year when he saw off Jonathon Power 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 72 minutes to launch his campaign to retain the Brit Insurance Super Series Finals title.

Power, who left for the Toronto airport on Saturday, immediately after winning the Canadian National title, arriving in London on Sunday and was still a bit up in the air in the first game.

“I kind of anticipated that start. I just needed to get my legs going in one warm-up match. Overall I’m in good shape right now so tomorrow I’ll be OK.”

By the second game he was more on song snatching the advantage from 5-5 with four decisive points and saw out the game 8-11 after five lets in the final rally.

Lincou however came back to take the third from 6-7 in a hand and got away to 10-6 in the fourth in a succession of lets. Power’s comeback was tense, gripping but always slightly improbable as he just failed to, level and let Lincou through 11-9.

Lincou said: “He’s really unpredictable. When he’s really on  form he can beat anyone on the circuit. I think today I played it pretty tight and didn’t give him many opportunities to attack the ball. I was moving him around me.

“I was pretty patient and relaxed and that’s probably why I won – just!”

Power now must beat both Peter Nicol and Amr Shabana to get into the final, a tall order but not one beyond him.

“I was terrible today. I really wasn’t in good shape at all. It was too bad I had to play Thierry on the first day because I was really tired and stiff from my week in Toronto, but it’s ok, I’ll get warmed up. I can still win my next two matches and get in and win the tournament,” he said.

Matthew suicide in fifth

Nick Matthew would like to play one shot again in his match with Lee Beachill. It was in the fourth game when he was cruising to level the match at two games all. An easy volley presented itself which he tinned and thereafter he never regained his momentum. He did see out the game 12-10 with nine lets and a no let against Beachill but in the fifth he just lost direction to hand the match to Beachill 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-2 in 65 minutes.

Nicol beats Shabana in Cold

It had suddenly got cold down at Broadgate. The word was that there would be a frost this night and that the temperature would be down to 2 degrees. The crowds huddled and wrapped up in their coats.

“I wasn’t ready at the start,” said Nicol on his game with Shabana. “I wasn’t ready for the conditions, my body wasn’t ready. I needed a game to get going.”

After that game which he lost 8-11 to Amr Shabana Nicol was away.

“I got forward and got moving,” he said, “Then I was able to attack him. I got the ball past him. I had to up the pace and get it past him. That meant he had to attack from behind. He hit a few winners and a few purple patches but he couldn’t do that the whole match.”

That summed up Nicol’s 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 win.
 

Willstrop revives in fifth

James Willstrop, recovered from a game down to establish a strong position with at 2/1 lead against David Palmer then lost it in a lackadaisical fourth that looked like he was drifting out of the match but then he roused himself to throw in a stirring performance in the fifth and snatch it from the Australian. Palmer was spitting at the end and very unhappy with referee Clayton.

The fifth was played at a terrific pace with a ball that could not be trusted to rebound.

“It’s good that you can retrieve like that when you are 6 feet 5 inches,” said Willstrop of himself. “The ball was dead. You have to move fast. It was so quick. At the start of the fourth I got it wrong and it got worse. I had to get back over my toes. It is psychological. I beat him in Canary Wharf and told myself I could win.”

He did that
7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7  in 65m minutes

 

 
'A good start is crucial,'David Palmer tells Alan Thatcher before play.

 

Power, still jaded after winning the Canadian title, goes down to Lincou in four games.

 

Lincou moves Power around the court in four game win.

 

Matthew implodes in fifth against Beachill.

 

Willstrop just has the edge in the explosive fifth game against Palmer.

 

Nicol chases everything down and pushes Shabana back in the court.