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Nicol Eliminated from Own Event
Anthony Ricketts Scores the Upset
By Martin Bronstein © 2003; all rights of reproduction reserved.
August 14, 2003 

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QUARTERFINAL RESULTS, ENGLISH OPEN

Anthony Ricketts very focused (photo © 2003 Fritz Borchert)

RICKETTS BEATS NICOL – FINALLY

Whatever else happens here in the Prince English Open, Anthony Ricketts will be declared Man of the Moment. His five-game victory over the world number one Peter Nicol was a fine squash match between an elder statesman and a young up-and-comer and in the end it was the youngster whose hunger for success was a greater drive than that of the player who has been on the victory podium scores of times.

It was not, however, any sort of comprehensive crushing of Nicol, Indeed it came down to 13-all in the fifth, when Nicol hit a cross court lob out of court to put Ricketts at match point and then, in the next rally, a Ricketts lob to the back hit the nick and died, dead as a pile of doorknobs. But the fact is Ricketts won and won because he kept focussed and played with superb discipline throughout the match.

Oh yes, there were still the Ricketts growls, howls, yowls and pointed remarks to the referee; “Do you realise how bad a job you are doing? It’s disgraceful”) but once the safety valve had been opened and the steam allowed to vent, Ricketts was straight back on course.

Ricketts had to be fast and determined to keep pace with Nicol, who among other things has now added deadly volley drops to his constantly increasing repertoire. Whenever the ball went short the odds were on Nicol to take the point. Ricketts took the first game very steadily, as he was to say later, ‘to make a statement’. That first statement was 24 minutes long and although he lost the game 15-8 Ricketts knew that Nicol had got the message.

Peter Nicol in desperation (photo © 2003 Fritz Borchert)

The second game was a beauty: leading 8-5 Ricketts saved the point three times as Nicol threw everything at him –drops, lobs slams and wrong-ways. Three times Ricketts saved the point with superhuman effort and nano-second reactions. Nicol finished it with a wonderful drop to win the point, but Ricketts had communicated another lesson: He was giving no easy points this time around (Ricketts had lost in their previous five meetings this year).

Nicol got to game point with a stroke but Ricketts tied it with a backhand drop. Ricketts was denied a let to give Nicol his 15th point and then perhaps showed signs of fatigue when he tried a drop from the back of the court that hit the tin: 15-all . Ricketts did a slam-dunk,m jumping overhead volley drop into the nick to get to 16-15 and Nicol tied it with a drop of his own: 16-all. Ricketts had lost most of the dropping duels at the front but on the final point of this game he bamboozled Nicol with a forehand roll corner to win the point and the 25 minute game. Fifty minutes of incredible squash and the score was tied one game all. Ricketts’ statement was being chipped in marble inside Nicol’s head: “No more Mr Nice and Easy Guy. I’m here to win!”

Nicol won the third game with the help of his deadly touch at the front, his ability to take a rocket like ball on the volley and dead drop it at the front. But it was in this game that the odd sign of fatigue started to appear, unable to scrape a ball of a the wall, or a yard slow on a Ricketts drive. Age is catching up with him. A few years ago he only lost to Power. In the last 12 months he has lost to Power, Palmer, White and Darwish.

The fourth game was all Ricketts, his shoulders hunched, his body poised and looking just as fresh and determined as the first point of the first game. He led all the way through to win 15-12 in 21 minutes.

And so the fifth: A quick Nicol lead, a Ricketts recovery to 6-6 and then point for point to 10-all (The Bronstein Watershed Point). Ricketts won the next point (very telling) and then hit two winners to lead 13-ll. He was foolish enough to get into a dropping duel with Nicol in the next rally and lost it. Lost the next point too, on a stroke. But he kept his cool; this was the new Anthony Ricketts – no headbanging, no temper, no self pity. He forced a fast reaction from Nicol who rushed his crosscourt lob over the red line and then the shot that gave Anthony Ecstasy - a lucky nick at the back wall to give him victory.

He threw his racket high into the air, clutched his head, looked to the heavens and finally turned to shake Nicol’s hand. He had finally beaten Peter Nicol, the biggest victory of his career, he said later. And the entire audience agreed with him.

“I’m, delighted at my first win – I’ve been so close before. I’ve learned a lot from Peter and I knew I was capable of beating him. From the beginning tonight I thought I could beat him. I’ve learnt from my past mistakes which was going for silly shots. In the first game Peter was taking advantage of my weak cross courts. I knew that he is deadly at the front while I am weak, but I could not let that stop me from going short. This is the best win of my life,” declared Ricketts.

THE UNDERCARD
Everything else paled beside this match. John White was always in control against Ong Beng Hee, Lee Beachill simply doesn’t have the strength for a sustained challenge to the likes of David Palmer. Although Beachill can play at Palmer’s level – he took a game from him tonight – his health is a worrying factor.

Jonathon Power was still cruising and local hero Nick Matthew could not handle the Power guile, snap and range of shots. The 3/0 victory took 49 minutes (two minutes longer than my forecast) but Power was never threatened.

Quarter-finals:
[5]Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [1]Peter Nicol (ENG) 8-15, 17-16, 12-15, 15-12, 15-13 (110mins)
[3]John White (SCO) bt Ong Beng Hee (MAL) 15-10, 15-12, 15-14 (67mins)
[4]Jonathon Power (CAN) bt Nick Matthew (ENG)15-8, 15-9,15-5, (49 mins)
[2]David Palmer (AUS) bt Lee Beachill (ENG) 15-10, 11-15, 15-9, 15-9 (78mins)

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