Life Begins at 40 Again ...
Nov 30, 2004, Colin McQuillan Reporting from Doha for SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2004;

[Draw/Results]                                            [also Womens second round from Doha]
Peter Nicol wins 40th Meeting With Jonathon Power

Power started fast but fell in four to his long-time rival in their 40th meeting. Photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

Peter Nicol returned to winning ways in Doha today with a 62 minute 7-11 11-8 11-5 11-4 win over Canada’s Jonathon Power that was not just his 22nd victory in 40 meetings between the two, but a master-class in the text book squash style that has kept 31-year-old Scottish born English player at the top of the game for more than a decade.

The two former titleholders met in the second round of the Qatar Men’s World Open Championship on a notoriously unforgiving glass showcourt and with the prospect of a second championship win on offer for them both. Power beat Nicol in the 1998 final on the same Qatar court, while Nicol defeated Egypt’s Ahmed Barada in Cairo a year later.

After their 11 minute opening game yesterday, Power looked the more likely candidate for a quarter-final against his unseeded compatriot, Graham Ryding, who had earlier defeated Alex Gough of Wales in straight games. But Nicol, who lost to Power in the Canadian Classic earlier this month after twisting his ankle in the run-up to last month’s British Open, had by that time worked out his strategy for a court that gives life to a well struck ball, takes an accurate shot into the deep court, but often leaves a paceless delivery begging for execution.

Peter Nicol established control in game two. Photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

His control of the next three games was almost absolute. By the end he had his opponent shouting out loud in frustration and firing in eight errors as he pushed and placed the ball around the court with complete precision. A deft forehand drop across the face of the front wall began the assault in the second game and a backhand flat racket push drive tantalizingly beyond the reach of Power at the end of the fourth were bookend examples of the skill with which the lefthanded third seed dominated the match.

“I am really pleased with the way I played,” Nicol said after the match. “I had some doubts about whether I could get back to my old standard of play, about regaining that level of fitness, about the ankle standing up to things. I think I can put those aside now. I can still play a bit and I do have some touch with the racket.

“To be able to shape a match like this on a court like this is pretty demanding. I have put in a lot of court time since Canada. I work at Lambs Club these days in London and there have been a lot of 40 minute sessions with the guys there over the past couple of weeks.

“I did not have the match readiness in Canada so this is a bit of a relief, frankly,” Nicol admitted. “It has taken a lot of hard work, a lot of thought and a renewed appetite for the game to get me back to this pitch. I am aiming at the Commonwealth Games, but I wouldn’t mind another world title along the way.”

English Contenders In Strong Position

Joe Kneipp fell afoul of the referee and Lee Beachill. Photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

The win was one of three that put England into a strong position for the later stages of the championship. On an outside court, while Nicol was playing Power on the center court, James Willstrop reversed his fortunes in last year’s World Open in Lahore by defeating Egypt’s Karim Darwish 6-11 11-6 11-7 11-7 in 54 minutes to reach a quarter-final against his Pontefract training partner, Lee Beachill.

Those who watched the 6 ft 5 in Yorkshireman fight back from a sharp Egyptian attack in the opening game to dominate the front court and win with good invention, especially in the top left corner, say that tomorrow’s confronatation could be the best yet between the two Pontefract stars.

Top seeded Beachill defeated Australia’s Joe Kneipp 11-10 (4-2) 11-6 11-4 in a 50 minute second round encounter and also described the glass showcourt of the Qatar Tennis and Squash Centre as one of the least forgiving courts on the world circuit.

“It certainly is a court that needs to be respected,” Beachill explained. “If you attend to your game and play well it can be quite rewarding. It will hold an accurate placement and deliver a well judged drive. But if you are just slightly off, it flings the ball up and around, and sets you up. It is something to do with the atmosphere in the air conditioned building, I think. The front wall is quite springy for a well struck ball but oddly dead for a paceless delivery. If you want to slow things down or lift the ball about high in the court, you have to judge it carefully. It can change from day to day, and depending upon how many people are around the court.”

In an intramural French contest, world #2 Lincou came out on top. Photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

All of this seemed to be on display as Kneipp, normally a clever worker of the ball and a fine judge of court conditions, contested the 23 minute opening game with some skill to lead 8-7 and 11-10, only to lose the tiebreak after an altercation with the referee, Jack Allen of Ireland, over a no-let call on the game ball.

The Australian was probably hoping for a stroke as he held his backhand shot behind the partially shielding body of Beachill close to the backhand wall. With Beachill moving rapidly out of way, the situation seemed worth a let, especially on game ball, but the referee decided not to give a let on a ball that might have been played.

“This is a pretty important point for a bad decision, Jack,” Kneipp argued, only to be told to stop making such remarks. “Don’t make bad decisions then,” he retorted.

That was just about his last smart contribution to the match. Beachill, seemingly fully recovered from the adductor injury that stopped him in the Canadian Classic a week or so ago, secured the game thanks to a brace of fine volley drops to either hand and a tinned volley from his opponent. He then astutely widened the play away from the forehand crosscourt drives that had cost him several points in the first game and moved into the quarter-finals with increasing fluency.

“It is fortunate that we have the England Squash Physiotherapist, Phil Newton, on this trip. He can loosen the muscle for me better than I can manage on my own and then helps me warm down properly, so I am hopeful he can get me through to the end of this tournament without more trouble.”

Two More Champions In Top Half Of Draw

David Palmer positioned himself for another battle with Amr Shabana with is victory over Adrian Grant. Photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

The other top half quarter-final is between David Palmer of Australia, the 2002 champion and Egypt’s Amr Shabana, the defending champion, while in the bottom half of the draw the second seeded Thierry Lincou of France faces Australia’s Anthony Ricketts.

Palmer, the third seeded 2002 champion, eased comfortably past England’s Adrian Grant 11-5 11-4 11-4 in 44 minutes and commented afterwards that he was pleased to have managed so well after a shoulder strain stopped him in the Canadian Classic earlier in the month, and against a player he had not met before in a PSA event.

“Amr Shabana in front of something like a home crowd might be a different proposition,” he admitted candidly.

Lincou finished the day’s programme with a 54 minute 11-8 6-11 11-8 11-6 win over his young compatriot, European Champion Gregory Gaultier, and looks in good enough shape to deal with Ricketts, who needed 50 minutes to get past Finland’s unseeded Olli Touminen 11-5 2-11 7-11 11-4 11-5.

Ricketts, however, has in his corner Rodney Martin, the man who defeated Chris Dittmar, Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan to win the 1991 final in Adelaide, becoming the only man in history to beat both the mighty Khans in one tournament, so there is a fair amount of know how around on how to beat higher seeds.

Qatar Men's World Open Squash Championship Doha Second Round Results:

[1] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [10] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 11-10 (4-2) 11-6 11-4 (50m)
[12] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [8] Karim Darwish (EGY) 6-11 11-6 11-7 11-7 (54m)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) bt [13] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-5 11-4 11-4 (44m)
[6] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [16] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-7 11-5 5-11 11-6 (45m)
Graham Ryding (CAN) bt [Q] Alex Gough (WAL) 11-10 (2-0) 11-5 11-3 (42m)
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [9] Jonathon Power (CAN)7-11 11-8 11-5 11-4 (62m)
[14] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-5 2-11 7-11 11-4 11-5 (50m)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [11] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-8 6-11 11-8 11-6 (54m)

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