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this page updated June 8, 2001 12:11 AM
Second Round:
Peter Nicol Makes his Mark
June 7, 2001
Martin Bronstein reports on the British Open Second Round, Birmingham. © 2001 Squashtalk. File photo D Tessier © 2001
NICOL MAKES HIS MARK
As most of my other predictions have bitten the dust, I might as well make
another one: Peter Nicol will win this British Open and 
go
back to world number one. I
watched him closely in his match against 11th seeded Mark Chaloner and he
was effortless.
Even after 71 minutes of fairly continuous activity Nicol appeared not to be even breathing heavily. This never promised to be a thriller; Chaloner has got more of a reputation as an athlete than a scintillating squash player and his thighs are those of a footballer compared to the skinny things that Nicol moves around on.
BUTTING
HORNS
The nature of the first game revealed itself inside the first two points –
after 5 ½ minutes the score was 1-all. It promised to be a long evening as
the two players thrashed the ball to the back in 30- or 40 shot rallies, the
squash equivalent of deer clashing horns.
The interesting thing was that Chaloner kept the ball on the left side, Nicol’s forehand. Right handers tend to do this out of instinct, sending the ball to the opponent’s backhand. According to a top ten player sitting next to me, it was entirely the wrong thing to do. “With Peter you throw everything on to his backhand; he has trouble turning on that whole side of the court,” he said. And after the first game had past the 20 minute mark, he said with ill-concealed contempt: “This is like watching paint dry.”
NOT
A LOT OF DIFFERENCE
Playing this sort of ‘length’ squash, there was not a lot to choose between
the two players as the ball spent most of the time in the back court with
just the odd trip to front. It was tight and well controlled squash but not
the sort of stuff that makes you hold your breath. Nicol’s consistency finally
told and he pulled ahead to win 15-7 after 27 minutes. Chaloner came back
for the second, still determined and took the upper hand to lead 10-6 with
the help of some fine winners and some dying length. But then Nicol started
working Chaloner front and back, drop and lob and side to side, to pull back
to 10-all and, when Chaloner was denied some lets, to 14-10 – a run of eight
points without reply. Chaloner got one more point with a forehand straight
nick before Nicol completed the game with a forehand drop to win 15-11 after
24 minutes. The gas tank were beginning to run dry and the third game was
over in 14 minutes , 15-9 in Nicol’s favour.
A
CONFIDENCE BUILDER
Nicol keeps looking better as he gets used to the very special qualities of
this dazzling glass court. With each match his confidence improves, and with
Power out of the way, he must feel, quite rightly, that a second British Open
title is a real possibility, to add to the historic title he won in 1998 when
he beat Jansher Khan.
SECOND ROUND
Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Mark Chaloner (Eng) 15-7, 15-11, 15-9 71 mins
OWENS: THREE WINS AND A HICCUP
Second seed Carol Owens looks better than she has looked all year and her
controlled, unhurried accuracy and placement is a joy to behold. I could not
see the possibility of Fiona Geaves unseating her despite her vast experience
on the circuit. And so it proved with Owens exuding confidence and rarely
putting a foot or ball wrong. Geaves was not overwhelmed but Owens seemed
in control, using her precision rail shots on the backhand and finishing off
with backhand volley kills. After 15 minutes of good squash Owens had the
first game 9-4, and then ran like a train through the second game in five
minutes, 9-0. And then for no apparent reason, one of her cogs stopped meshing
and she was asking for lets and not getting them and Geaves was getting strokes
and somehow she could not get that control back and Geaves had the game 9-5.
After the break, Owens was on song again, running to a 6-0 lead in one hand,
and then to match ball before Geaves could earn a point. And then it was all
over 9-1 and we can only hope that Owens can take that confidence into the
final to give the other finalist - Joyce? Fitz-Gerald? – a real challenge.
THE
ONE AND ONLY BATTLE
The final second round match in the woman’s tournament provided the only real
battle as Rebecca Macree and 8th seeded Rachael Grinham fought for 79 minutes
before Macree upset the seedings by hitting a backhand volley drive that nicked
to give her a 3/2 decision and he first ever appearance in a British Open
quarter-final. Seeded 13th Macree should really be in the top ten and if she
continues her comeback with her new mental outlook, she will make it. She
faces Owens in the quarters and will make a dogged opponent.
SECOND
ROUND
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Fiona Geaves (Eng) 9-4, 9-0, 5-9, 9-1. 43 mins.
Rebecca Macree (Eng) bt Rachael Grinham (Aus) 9-5, 9-4, 4-9, 6-9, 9-7 79 mins.
