Nicol Confident about Capturing Championship

10.6.00 London SRA

UPBEAT NICOL CONFIDENT OF SECOND BRITISH OPEN TITLE Top seed Peter Nicol, the world champion and world No1 from Scotland who is unbeaten on the professional squash circuit since February, is confident that he will regain his title at the 2000 British Open Squash Championships at the NIA in Birmingham from 11-15 October.

The London-based 27-year-old secured his sixth title of the year - and 30th in his career - when he beat arch-rival Jonathon Power in last month's final of the Hong Kong Open.

It was his fourth successive straight games win over the Canadian since conceding last year's British Open final to Power after being struck down with gastro-enteritis in his hometown of Aberdeen. In April the previous year, Nicol became the first Briton for twenty-five years to win the prestigious British Open title, when he beat Pakistan's great Jansher Khan in the final at the NIA - on his 25th birthday!

"I've been really pleased with the way I've played over the last few tournaments," said Nicol. "Since then I've been training harder and I'm physically in even better shape - and I really want to get this title back." "It's going to be really special to be back at the NIA, from the very start of the tournament, and I'm sure they are going to be five great days."

Making its debut at next week's British Open will be a brand new state-of-the-art all-glass squash court - which Jonathon Power believes will favour his game. "There is no doubt that Jonathon does play better on a glass court, as opposed to the Perspex court," conceded Nicol. "However, I have beaten him recently on a glass court when I've not been playing my best, and I'm now truly on top of my game so I have nothing to fear."

On the opposition he is likely to face, Peter acknowledges that the British contingent will be the toughest. "This is, after all, our major home event and I'm sure this will spur them on - particularly English players like Simon Parke and Paul Johnson, neither of whom have had a great couple of months and will be eager to put things right."

Nicol, the 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, has vivid memories of his maiden British Open victory. "It's amazing that I can remember that final against Jansher in more detail than almost any other. At 16-16 after a very long first game, I recall thinking that I could not afford to be defensive as I would normally be, and played a volley drop which won me the point - and the game. If it had gone to Jansher instead, I would have been in an almost impossible position to fight back," the Scot explained.

"My other abiding memories were of the fantastic capacity crowds at the NIA," added the 1998 champion. "I'm sure it'll be even better this time - and I can't wait!"

Tickets for the NIA are available via the ticket hotline 0121-780 4444.

Issued on behalf of the SRA by Howard Harding, email at howhard@aol.com

Peter Nicol (Top photo © Vaughn Winchell , 2000 Bottom photo © Squashtalk , 2000)

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