Power Saves Dramatics for Semis  [draw]
November 18, 2004, Martin Bronstein Live From Toronto; © 2004 Squashtalk, all rights of reproduction reserved.     

Jonathon Power reaches the finals at Toronto © 2004 Canadian Classic

It was a typical Power match containing jokes, a tumble to end up horizontal on the canvas - sorry floor-, a conduct stroke and an exciting comeback.

Although Power is known for his showmanship and superb racket skills, he can be a very disciplined basic player when needs be and in the first game against Ricketts, the needs were there. Indeed, for much of the first game we might as well have regressed 25 years and been watching Bruce Brownlee and Phil Kenyon. The ball was grooved down the left wall with a regularity that would have made a Swiss watchmaker jealous. These were long rallies – 50/70 shots – with only an occasional drop or boast. The players were expressionless as they waited for each other to blink first. It was usually Power, chopping in that backhand drop hoping for a weak reply, but no matter how tight the shot was, Ricketts could either counter drop or send it soaring to the back of the court in a perfect lob.

Power took a 4-0 lead with the help of two exquisite forehand drops from the back of the court. It’s a shot that nobody expects and a winner every time. As this very long game progressed, Power’s backhand came into play more often, but not with the usual results.

It was mesmerisng squash, the sort where you suddenly realized you haven’t breathed for five minutes. Power kept his lead to reach game ball 10-8, only to hit two errors to bring on a tie-break. Power controlled his urges and finally forced an error out of Ricketts as he stretched for another soft drop. The end of the game came with a sizzling forehand crosscourt that was fast enough, wide enough and low enough to leave Ricketts no option but to dive headlong in an effort to reach it. But it was too good and Power had the game 12-10 after 23 minutes of gripping squash.

After such a game the next game is usually over much quicker and so it was today, in just over half the time Power had his second game secured 11-6. Ricketts revealed some fatigue as he started going for winners and making errors. Power had forced him to work hard, stretching his long frame forward to pick up drops an inch from the front wall and then sending him to the back of the court.

WHERE'S THE FAT LADY?
When Power took a 4-1 lead in the third you could hear the fat lady clearing her throat. But prematurely, as it turned out. Even with Power leading at 8-3 it was premature because suddenly everything went topsy turvey. Power said he got nervous and wanted to finish it too quickly but Ricketts seemed to get a second wind and with the help of three Power errors Ricketts reached game ball 10-9 only to be refused a let which made the score 10-10 and put the game into another tie-break. A penalty stroke put Ricketts at game ball again and he made no mistake this time forcing another error from Power.

So from 3-8 to a 12-10 winner! Power must have kicked himself for losing that game. His head was certainly jangled because at 3-2 in the fourth he left the court to get a new racket and then came back with not only a racket but also a new grip which he was going to put on before play resumed. (Power could easily redefine the word ‘Chutzpah”) Referee Graham Waters stopped all that nonsense, made him play with his old racket and docked him a conduct stroke for wasting time.

PREY BECOMES PREDATOR
He recovered his composure to lead 7-4, but then Ricketts somehow gained control and it was his backhand drops that were working and it was Ricketts who was now the predator.

Going for one shot Power fell over, lay on the floor, making everyone hold their breath in case this was another injury. But he finally got up and the floor was wiped by an army of little girls one of whom brought on the racket that the referee had stopped Power from using. The referee was on the court in case there was an injury issue. He looked at the new racket, said nothing, and play resumed. And so they reach 10-10 again with Ricketts looking in pretty good shape.

During the next rally Power went for a ball down the front of the court, found Ricketts in his path, called let and reached over to hit the ball for a perfect nick. He picked up the ball and walked to the service box. The referee, sitting 20 meters away, never heard the call of let and was about to give Power the point. (If those luddite referees stopped sitting behind the court and sat where I did, in front of the front wall, they would have seen everything clearly. Ricketts kept his cool (this is the new Ricketts) and had a quiet word with Power who admitted to the ref that he had asked for a let. Which the referee gave. Then Power asked whether he could retract the call. Even Graham Waters had to laugh and explained that no, he cold not retract it.

And so they reached 12-12 and Power committed hari-kari: a backhand drop (HIS GREAT SHOT!) went into the tin. AND THEN HE DID IT AGAIN!!
Game over, 14-12 for Rickets. Match score 2/2.

THE GRAND DECEPTION
The fact was Power was looking worn and Ricketts was seemingly ready for another two hours. Oh how looks deceive. Boom, bang boom, thank you Anthony, it was all over 11-2 in Power’s favour after 91 minutes of pure golden entertainment.

Both player were pleased with themselves: Ricketts said he felt in the last three weeks that he was finally getting back to the form that he was at before his knee problems put him out of action for six months. He also said that the effort of coming back from two games down and 3-8 was simply too much and he had nothing left for the fifth game.

Power was delighted that all the injuries were behind him and that he was able to move so well. His plan to comeback for the Toronto date was working and now he was looking towards the world open where he hopes to score enough points to put him back in the top trio again. He still thinks he can make number one again and if he continues to play in this form he will.

LINCOU TOO GOOD FOR RYDING
Graham Ryding would liked to have made it an all-Canadian final and made a fine start by winning the first game against Thierry Lincou, but could not keep up the standard of precision needed to beat the solid Frenchman.

“You have to play perfect squash to beat him and I didn’t. I made too many mistakes,” Ryding told me after he lost the next three games. Not so much mistakes, in my opinion, but inconsistency of length was one area of weakness, and his cross courts were not wide enough, allowing Lincou to cut them off with his cunning reverse backhand cross-court.
But a good tournament showing for the Toronto native and a fine warm up for Lincou for his final against Power.

Who is going to win? I think the partisan Toronto crowd will keep Power motivated.
But I would not put money on it.

PACE CANADIAN CLASSIC - SEMI FINALS, Thursday 11/18/04 BCE Place Toronto:

Jonathon Power (CAN)(7) def Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 11-10(2-0) 11-6 11-10 (2-0) 10-11(2-4) 11-2
(2) Thierry Lincou (FRA) def Graham Ryding (CAN) 8-11 11-6 11-6 11-6