ANTHONY RICKETS. is another very promising Australians who is destined to make his way to the top ten. Was he nervous at meeting world champion Peter Nicol? "No, I was excited," he said, after losing in straight games.
But Nicol, taking to the court in the Aberdeen Conference Centre to the excited screams of 200 schoolkids who almost drowned out the screech of the bagpipes played by a young woman who led the players on to the court, didn't have it easy.
After being beaten by Barada in Cairo and Simon Parke in Boston, Nicol's self-confidence must be under severe strain, but he doesn't show those sort of things.
The match started with a very long rally, won by Peter Nicol, and then it was obvious that Rickets was not there to play Nicol's game and started slamming the ball low. Sometimes it worked but Nicol was in control and ran to a 13-7 lead. Rickets took over and took four points before he skyed the ball out of court to give Nicol the first game 15-11
In the second Nicol again took a good lead and seemed to be tightening the screws at the front of the court to lead 9-3. Again Rickets fought back: a perfect backhand drive, a boast, a disguised backhand flick followed by a stroke and Nicol hitting it out of court got Rickets to 8-9. Nicol hit a forehand volley into the tin and it was 9-all with Nicol showing the slightest bit of anger at himself.
Rickets said afterward that he was determined to play positive squash but he tried just too many winners which went down and Nicol was suddenly at game ball 14-ll. Still the 20 year old Australian refused to lie down and realised that Nicol could be fooled and played a superb disguised forehand boast to get to 13-14, only to be stroked on the next rally to lose the game 15-13.
At this point the more experienced player can usually sustain his level of performance while the younger player tails off. Although Rickets constantly deceived Nicol with forehand drives that the world champion expected to go across court, Nicol took the third with some fine winners of his own and some Rickets errors, 15-9. Nicol will face another Australian Dan Jenson in the second round.
STUDENT LOSES TO ELDER
Jenny Tranfield, the world university champion and winner of the Student Sportswoman of the Year, was given a bit of a lesson by the experienced Fiona Geaves in the second round of the British Open. Geaves dominated the first two games (9-4, 9-5) with her all court game and control but Tranfield got into her stride in the third and kept pace from 3-3 to 6-6, falling only to Geaves' delightful backhand cross court drops.
Tranfield's persistence paid off as Geaves showed annoyance that a simple 3/0 victory was not to be hers. Tranfield took the game 6-9 but could not maintain her pressure and Geaves took the fourth 9-3 to earn a meeting with world champion Cassie Campion, who had disposed of Australian
Jenny Tranfield, the world university champion and winner of the Student Sportswoman of the Year, was given a bit of a lesson by the experienced Fiona Geaves in the second round of the British Open. Geaves dominated the first two games (9-4, 9-5) with her all court game and control but Tranfield got into her stride in the third and kept pace from 3-3 to 6-6, falling only to Geaves' delightful backhand cross court drops. 