Day 3 Wednesday
5pm
|
Jonathon
Power bt Amr Shabana
11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (27m) |
6pm
|
David Palmer
bt
Lee Beachill
5-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (64m) |
7pm
|
Thierry Lincou bt
Anthony Ricketts
11-8, 8-11, 12-14, 15-13, 11-5 (71m) |
8pm
|
James Willstrop
bt Nick Matthew
10-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-10
(2-0) (47 mins) |
Round-up
Lincou the only player to have
won three matches tops the Fleet Group with Power on two wins runner-up.
In the more complicated situation in
the Harrow Group Palmer came through to top the group his win putting
Beachill in the runners-up slot.
Willstrop beats Matthew
In the final match of the
evening, with the semi-final line-up already decided, England's James
Willstrop ended an impressive debut appearance at the event with a 3-1
victory over compatriot Nick Matthew.
Willstrop completed his 10-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0) victory in 47
minutes to take third place in the Harrow Group.
Lincou top Fleet
It all seemed a bit bizarre
but Nicol's replacement Ricketts did have a chance to go through if he
won. In the end though it was a gripping encounter with Lincou facing
off three matchballs in the fourth to finally take it 15-13 and then
come through in the fifth with fine shots and touch. He wanted to win
and was not saving himself.
"I knew I had to win to be sure I went
through and I wanted to top the pool," he said. "I relaxed and tried to
use his pace and power to play shots off and save energy. I tried to be
precise."
"It was a good game and mentally
important to win."
Palmer tops Group
with win over Beachill
It may have been prophetic
that on Monday night after he had lost to James Willstrop and when his
prospects did not look too good that David Palmer said, " the year I won
it (2002) I lost on the first night."
With that loss and the 3/0 referee
assisted win over Nick Matthew Palmer needed to beat Beachill to give
himself a chance to make the semi-finals. He started slowly went 2/1
down but then strangely Beachill conceded the centre ground to him and
the Australian's came onto his game with incisive volleys and kills as
Beachill's committment wavered.
"I knew I probably needed a game to go
through and I got that," said Beachill. "It's a fine balance. David had
to win and he was prepared to go that bit further. I wasn't sharp
enough. I relaxed mentally."
Palmer's
5-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4
win put him level with Beachill on matches won, and also level on
the positive difference between games won and lost, so he tops the
group with the win under the head to head rule.
Willstrop who lost 3/0 to Beachill
falls behind on game difference and even a 3/0 win will not put him
through.
The Rules
The top two players in each
group go through to the semi-finals. This is firstly decided on ties
one, then on the positive difference between games won and lost and then
on the players head to head.
Power Overwhelms Shabana
Perhaps it was all going to be
a bit predictable but Shabana was not going to go through and Jonathon
Power the winner in 2003 still had a chance and he was motivated to go
for the win with the Egyptian just managing four points a game.
Perhaps the most significant event of the match was on matchball when
Power rolled an ankle. He was able to finish the match and it is to be
seen whether it will affect his play.
“It was really
bizarre,” said Power. “It was the last point of the match, I had it well
it hand at 2/0, 10-4, and I rolled my ankle. It’s a little swollen but
hopefully I’ll be better for the semis tomorrow so I’m happy to have
qualified,” said Power.
Preview
Nicol Out
Peter Nicol is out of the
Super Series Finals, under doctors orders not to play. The little finger
he injured, bizarely, on Tuesday while diving against Jonathon Power, is
swollen and he cannot hold a racket.
"I'm gutted," said Nicol. "I was
playing and moving well and looking forward to playing. This was to be
my last event before a good summer's training."
Under Super Series Finals rules the
Australian Anthony Ricketts comes in as Nicol's replacement and will
inherit his points. He faces Thierry Lincou. A win could give him a
semi-final place.
Elsewhere all is still to play for. In
the Harrow Group Palmer needs to beat Beachill to give himself a chance
but that could set up a three way tie - between Palmer, Beachill and
Willstrop - putting the Group into a countback situation if Willstrop
beats Matthew.
In the Fleet Group, Shabana is out,
Lincou is in a strong position to go through, with Ricketts the joker in
the pack vying for a semi-final place with Power who is also in a must
win situation. |
|
Lincou comes through marathon
against Ricketts. |
Lincou on winning against Ricketts
"It was important to win. I lost to him in New York and I wanted
revenge."
|
Beachill goes 2/1 up and then fades
as Palmer comes through to top the group. |
|
Power through over Shabana. |
|
|
Cut finger following dive puts
Nicol out. Ricketts comes in. |
|
|
Power needs to beat Shabana to have a chance of going through. |
Shabana on
playing in London.
“I trained the last two weeks in Cairo and it was really hot, about 37
degrees Celsius, and last year I came here it was really hot so I
thought I was going to come here and play comfortably. But it’s been a
bit cold for me. I tried my best yesterday and the day before but today
he was just fantastic, I couldn’t do much about it, but I’ll be here
next year,” said Shabana.
|