YMG Capital Classic 2002

Canada's Jonathon Power tonight reclaimed the YMG Capital Squash Classic title at BCE Place in downtown Toronto, beating England's top seeded world champion, Peter Nicol, 15-8 15-3 16-17 15-7 in a final that stopped twice, for ankle injuries to each player, was suspended for 41 minutes on a doubtful 'contributory injury' decision from the referee, and concluded on a forehand volley boast that left the loser standing hopelessly on one foot two hours and 14 minutes after the opening rally.

Tonight was a battle of gladiators, each taking the others best shots and kept coming back for more battle. They ended the night all-even in their 5 plus year rivalry, 16 wins apiece and virtually even in games won and points one over the entirety of their tournament meetings

Nicol, the 29-year-old left-handed defending champion, went into the match with a heavily strapped right ankle having had a week of intensive treatment on a sprain picked up in last week's National Squash League action in England. But it was Power who hobbled from the court at 1-0 in the third game after stubbing his right foot hard into the court floor and wrenching the ankle that he severely injured some three years ago when playing backyard basketball with his father.

Power, a 28-year-old former Torontonian who now lives in Montreal, was in almost complete command of the final by that time, having strung together a single hand of 10 points from 4-7 down to win the 21 minute opening game 15-8 and another hand of 12 points to get control of the 11 minute second game before tidying it away 15-3. "I was moving well and hitting my shots almost on demand," he said. " I think if I had not fallen the way I did, it would have been all over in about 40 minutes."

Yet, by the strict rules of the game, Power should either have played on three minutes after the fall or conceded the match if unable to play. The referee, Mike Riley, decided that Power had tripped over Nicol's foot in a desperate chase from the top left corner behind a ball dying in the centre of the back wall. Because this interpretation of events could be classified as 'contributory injury', Power was granted unlimited time to recover, and arguments were launched about whether the final could be finished on another court the next day because the new glass showcourt mounted at BCE Place was due for immediate demolition later tonight.

In fact there was no trip involved. Later examination of a video tape of the final showed that, while Power had swerved around Nicol in his chase, there was no actual foot contact and the ankle wrench was technically self inflicted, thus worthy only the three minute time allowance.

To add insult to injury, so to speak, Riley then gave Power a let on the point despite the fact that he had fallen to the floor and failed to retrieve the ball.

Nicol pushed back into the match when they returned to the court after the 41 minute break and, despite Power's apparently unfettered movement, clinched an argumentative tiebreak on a superb forehand cross court killing pass to win the game 17-16 in 33 minutes of actual play. Normally the most placid and concentrated of players, Nicol left the court punching the air and snarling in triumph, having thoroughly berated his opponent prior to the last serve over what he later described as Power's 'drama queen' antics in pursuit of unnecessary lets.

To further salt the wound, so to speak, when Nicol crashed his previously injured leg into the side wall in pursuit of a wrongfooting clinger when leading 4-2 in the fourth game, he was naturally allowed just three minutes to recover and lost the point.

"The jar wasn't too bad," Nicol said "I have got through this week largely thanks to having unusually flexible ankle ligaments and receiving twice daily mobilisation and ultrasound treatment. It hurt a lot when I jammed the ankle the wrong way on the wall, but a bit of mobilisation beside the court put me back in action.

"I am actually very pleased with the week. The ankle has stood up well to a punishing series of matches, although I moved better in the semi-final than in the final, and I think by the time we get to Antwerp for my defence of the world title, I will be 100 per cent again. I probably benefited from deciding to play here because the treatment has been so good, probably better than I would have managed at home.

"Frankly I think Jonathon could have been back tonight just as quick, but he does do this drama queen bit," Nicol went on. "When I sprained my ankle last week it was hugely swollen and seemed so bad at the time that some thought I might be out of the game for eight weeks. I rolled about a bit and shouted. There was nothing wrong with his movement at all when he came back on court and I bet he plays in the invitation hardball doubles that start tomorrow at the Cambridge Club."

Having said all of that. Power had been cleverly exploiting his opponent's reduced movement until the first fall. Nicol started his defence in fine style, taking the first rally with a wonderfully accurate forehand dropshot and showing typical stoic determination in the face of some pretty heavy barracking from the partisan Toronto crowd. "He's a pretty hard character," said a visiting Detroit enthusiast said in my ear. "He's going to tough this out isn't he? I watch all the sports. I know a hard man when I see one."

The hard man reached 7-4 with a no-let call on Power's appeal over access to a sharp forehand drive to the deep left corner. That was enough to make the Canadian come storming out of the court to complain. When Riley sent him back with a flea in his ear, Power's irritation fed into the first dominating hand of the final and he won ten points in a row either on winners or forced errors. The first unforced error of the sequence came when Nicol relinquished the game unsuccessfully trying to duplicate a delicate backhand dropshot with which he had interrupted the run at 8-14.

Power went straight back on the offensive from the start of the second game, taking 12 points, and only two of them from unforced errors before crowding his opponent's backhand backswing to give away a penalty stroke. The points allocation was 22-1 in two hands across the game break, and the final seemed all over.

In fact from there it became, in the words of the tournament organiser, John Nimick of Event Engine, more of an event than a squash match. But the third game was a grand scrap with the Toronto crowd, fuelled by an extra 40 minutes of bar time, in full cry for their man, and when Power tidied up the fourth with three hands of four points each to conclude on an imperious forehand volley boast to which Nicol could raise no mobile response, it was hard to argue with their joy at the outcome.

"I didn't want to give it to him," said Power at the end. "I played so well here today. He didn't deserve it. So I just wanted to go for it hard, and that's what I did." The result brings the head-to-head score between Power, the Commonwealth Games Champion, and Nicol, the World Champion, to 16-16.

Once the thunderous applause faded, Power thanked the crowd, saying it was the fans that gave him the inspiration tonight to come back and fight this fight to the finish and take back the YMG Capital Canadian Squash Classic title.

Power and Nicol rejoin their battle in Antwerp in two weeks time, and both know that the real bragging rights for the year will come out of that upcoming meeting, at a venue which has seen Power yield to several unexpected early round upsets in the past

YMG Capital Canadian Squash Classic
Toronto, Canada

Finals Results:

Jonathon Power (Can) bt Peter Nicol (Eng) 15-8 15-3 16-17 15-7