SquashTalk > British Open 2002 Squash Website > 2002 British Open Second Round Report

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POWERING PAST PRICE
London April 11 2002 © 2002 SquashTalk.
Photos special to SquashTalk by Fritz Borchert, © 2002

PALMER AND BOSWELL OUT
While I fought my way through London traffic, Alex Gough, the 31 year old Welshman who should be hanging up his racket by now, was fighting his way through the lanky arms

and legs of reigning British Open Champion David Palmer of Australia thereby knocking another Open champion out of the tournament. (David Evans, the 2000 champion was despatched in the first round).

	Alex Gough successfully stalks David Palmer (photo Fritz Borchert © 2002)

And then to add to the Australian misery Stewart Boswell, world number five, was sent to the heap by Scot Martin Heath in four hard games. Jonathon Power showed his steely determination by dismissing Aussie Paul Price in three, meaning that the only Australian left in the last eight is a Scot. John White had a pretty comfortable win over Mark Chaloner, but it still gives the Brits six players in the last eight, a situation that nobody in his right mind would have forecast three days ago.

POWER SHOWS HIS CLASS

The match to watch however, was Jonathon Power and Paul Price which, despite the chance of total combustion, was played with almost gentlemanly good conduct.

Power showed again that he has discipline as well as all the other magical things attributed to him. He showed time and time again that he is willing to wait for just the right time to play the kill shot. On the other hand Price was not right on the top of his form and his lethal forehand straight kills were simply not happening for him.

Jonathon Power Wins — Disciplined Style Today

Lee Beachill will face the on-fire Power

Mentally, they are chalk and cheese: Power blows up at a referee’s decision, but within seconds, his mental slate is wiped clean and he is back on the job, all concentration. Price gets down on himself, and the ref and sometimes his opponent. On the final point of the first game, he reached around Power, played the shot, which tinned. He asked for a let which was denied because he had played the shot. That he was upset at the decision showed his state of mind.

Power won the first game 15-8 but it was not easy; he was forced to earn almost every point but showed he was prepared to do the work. In the second game Price worked a 1-4 deficit into an 11-6 lead and seemed set to tie the match. This was not flashy squash, but it was of the highest quality in the tightness and accuracy.

This is when Power really showed his mental strength, working the points patiently, either forcing the error or slotting in the winner. He worked his way back into the game to 12-12 at which point Price uttered the ‘f’ word in frustration and was immediately penalised with a stroke against him.

This put Power at 13-12, but Price smacked the ball into the nick in the next rally to get even. The next point harkened back to the days of Hunt and Barrington – it went on for at least 80 strokes and Power – normally considered the unfit player – was there for every stroke and patiently waiting for the opening. It never came – Price finally hitting tin. Power got a stroke on the next rally to win 15-13 after 27 minutes of industrial strength toil. Price led the third game 14-ll and even then Power refused to give it away. Once again he showed how to play the big points and carved his way back to 14-all and then on to a 17-15 win with a casual half volley into the nick.

Power keeps looking better and Lee Beachill, who beat Ong Beng Hee in four, will need to be at his very best to beat the Canadian in their quarter final match. Geoff Hunt was advising Price during the match and I asked him why Price lost when he had not played badly.

“He just went wrong on three or four shots, playing for winners when he wasn ’t quite ready and his racket was not in the right place. Paul did not play the crucial points well: Power did. And then Power chanced his arm a few times and they came off,” Hunt said.

POHRER REGRESSES

Vanessa Atkinson Patiently Waits for Pohrer to Shoot (photo Fritz Borchert © 2002)

Natalie Pohrer's dazzling run came unstuck today when was outplayed by Vanessa Atkinson (with the help of former Australian great Liz Irving in her corner) to lose in five. For this result Pohrer must at least put half the blame on herself, regressing to her old ways of going for shots like an alcoholic reaching for the bottle. Irving , who coaches in Holland, had told Atkinson to keep the ball wide, away from Pohrer's racket. "Make her work for the ball," Liz told me as I picked her brains during the match. With the odd exception - which Pohrer punished - Atkinson kept to the plan. This may have frustrated Pohrer into going for shots, but she assured me only yesterday those days were over and now she had learned to wait for the right moment. Atkinson looked completely bushed at the end of the third, when she led 2/1 but 'rested' (her word) for two games and found new strength in the fifth to win a momentous victory. As for Pohrer she will lie abed tonight kicking herself.

BAILEY KICKS CHARMAN-SMITH OUT OF THE TOURNEY

Bailey Gets Through on Charman-Smith Injury (photo Fritz Borchert © 2002)

Tania Bailey crashed into Linda Charman-Smith in the fourth game when trailing 1/2 causing Charman-Smith to limp a little and then request off-court physio and finally an hour to recover, which the rule book allows for a 'contributed' injury. She failed to get the leg going again and now seems to have the calf problem in the left leg that she had last year in the right leg. Bailey gets an unexpected trip to Manchester for the quarters on Saturday where she plays Carol Owens, who dropped a game to Nicol David, the first time ever in five meetings. Without Pohrer around, and Cassie Campion looking distinctly under par when beating Vicki Botwright, Owens seems the only player around able to give Fitz-Gerald a game. Maybe that's a little harsh on Cassie who may have played just hard enough to win.

RESULTS, Round of 16, 2002 British Open

Men's [view men's draw]

[1] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Paul Johnson (Eng) 15-8, 15-11, 15-4
[8] Chris Walker (Eng) bt [Q] Peter Genever (Eng) 7-15, 17-15, 15-10, 13-15, 15-14
Thierry Lincou (FRA) [4] def Omar Elborolossy (EGY) 13-15, 15-9 15-9 15-6
Lee Beachill (Eng) def [7] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 15-11, 15-12, 15-13 68m
[3] Jonathon Power (Can) def Paul Price (Aus) 15-8, 15-13, 17-15 84m
[6] John White (Sco) def Mark Chaloner (Eng) 15-7, 15-10, 15-10 43m
Alex Gough (Wal) def [2] David Palmer (Aus) 15-13, 8-15, 15-8, 15-9 110m

Women's [view women's draw]

[1] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus) bt [11] Rebecca Macree (Eng) 9-3, 9-0, 9-2
Jenny Tranfield (Eng) bt Sharon Wee (Mas) 9-0, 9-4, 5-9, 9-2
Fiona Geaves (ENG)[4] def Shelley Kitchen (NZ)(13) 9-0, 9-6, 9-4
Vanessa Atkinson (NED)[8] def Natalie Pohrer (ENG)[11]9-6 2-9 9-3 4-9 9-5
[7] Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt [12] Natalie Grinham (Aus) 9-7, 9-2, 10-8 50m
[3] Cassie Campion (Eng) bt [14] Vicky Botwright (Eng) 9-2, 9-7, 10-8 39m
[15] Tania Bailey (Eng) bt [5] Linda Charman-Smith (Eng) 6-9, 8-10, 9-3, 3-0 ret 55m
[2] Carol Owens (Aus) bt [16] Nicol David (Mas) 9-4, 9-0, 9-10, 9-1 40m