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Nicol starts fast in Cathay Pacific
Round one from Colin McQuillan
29.8.00. FROM COLIN McQUILLAN IN HONG KONG World Champion Peter Nicol today enjoyed the best start he has ever managed in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash Championship, defeating Australia's Joe Kneipp 12-15 15-6 15-7 15-5 in 61 minutes , and he puts it all down to non-stop travel.
"I was playing high speed squash in 40 degree heat outdoors at The Pyramids in Egypt at Midnight on Friday, didn't bother to go to bed before getting on the London flight, hung about Heathrow Airport for a few hours, then slept all the way to Hong Kong to appear early Tuesday on a cool slow-playing ball-hugging air-conditioned indoor court," he explained.
"I think it is actually the middle of my night but this is the best start I have ever had in the Hong Kong Open. I lost the first game but I was playing in it. Sometimes here I cannot even start to rally until the second or third game. This court is always a shock for me but this year, coming in with no stops at all along the way, I seem to have adjusted without problems from one ending of the playing spectrum to the other.
The lefthanded Scot recovered well enough last year to win his first Hong Kong title, beating Canada's Jonathon Power for the first time on such a shot-hugging court. Power is in the field again this year, due to meet the experienced local professional, Faheem Khan, in today's second session of the first round. But it is open to doubt if he will last with a knee injury that late last week threatened to put him out of the game for weeks
As he left Egypt Power was threatening to become the first player to post an official complaint against another player after Egypt's Ahmed Barada swept his feet from under him during their semi-final under The Great Pyramids. He was talking of huge losses from being unable to play either ion Hong Kong or in September's British Open in Birmingham.
Then he arrived in Hong Kong telling local reporters that he had a late second medical opinion and decided to play after-all. He may be calculating that Faheem Khan is a bit over the hill these days and not well travelled on the world circuit of late; in all something of an easy first round mark in the second session of first round matches But those who recall Jansher Khan's last visit to Hong Kong, when he withdrew from the first round after trying to return too early from fairly unsuccessful knee surgery, may also remember that it was the wily Faheem Khan who was the opponent wiloy enough to work the then world number one up and down the righthand wall, with the odd twists across to the top left corner, until the pain in his knees became unpleasant enough to call a halt from which he has never returned.
As if that were not bad enough for a man who could not stand up on his pins last Thursday, winning against Faheem would bring the prospect of a succession of rough and tough Australians in successive rounds. How much would any man with a suspect right knee fancy the prospect of David Palmer, Anthony Hill and Rodney Eyles on successive days ?
Eyles, the former world champion and 1996 Hong Kong winner, at least managed to qualify in Hong Kong. He beat Cameron White in the qualifying finals to reach a first round match against Scotland's John White. In Egypt he went out in the new world junior champion, Karim Darwish, in the first qualifying round.
Nicol in action (© 2000 Squashtalk file photo)
With Darwish replacing him on the junior scene, Ong Beng Hee of Malaysia has obviously decided to make a move at last at senior level. He defeated Thierry Lincou of France 7-15 15-9 7-15 15-11 15-7 in 66 minutes today in the first Super Series main draw match has ever played. Although he has four PSA World Tour titles tyo his name, the Malaysian 20-year-old has never before managed to break out of the qualifiers in a Super Series event.
Australia's rising youngster, Stewart Boswell, also started well in Hong Kong, beating Canada's 11thy seeded Graham Ryding 17-14 12-15 15-17 15-3 15-3 in 83 minutes To reach a second round encounter on Thursday with Ahmad Barada, while Ong Beng Hee goes to England's Paul Johnson.
Nicol plays Alex Gough, the Welshman who put out the talented Egyptian, Amr Shabana, in straight games today, with Scotland's Martin Heath facing Mark Chaloner of England meeting in the adjacent quarter. Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong Open Squash Championship
Qualifying Finals Results
Rodney Eyles (Aus) bt Cameron White (Aus) 1-15 15-5 17-16 15-11
Dan Jenson (Aus) bt Zarak Jahan (Pak) 11-15 15-5 15-3 15-6
Shamsul Islam Khan (Pak) bt Olli Touminen (Fin) 5-15 15-4 15-11 11-15 15-9
John Williams (Aus) bt Shaier Razik (Can) 15-8 15-6 15-9
Anthony Ricketts (Aus) bt Byron Davies (Aus) 17-15 15-8 15-6
Stefan Casteleyn (Bel) bt Tommy Berden (Neth) 15-14 15-8 15-9
Ong Beng Hee (Mal) bt Victor Berg (Can) 15-8 15-7 15-8
Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt Juha Raumolin (Fin) 15-4 15-4 15-11
First Round Results
Peter Nicol (Scot) bt Joe Kneipp (Aus) 12-15 15-6 15-7 15-5
Alex Gough (Wal) bt Amr Shabana (Egy) 17-14 15-11 15-8
Martin Heath (Scot) bt Omar El Borolossy (Egy) 15-9 15-10 15-10
Mark Chaloner (Eng) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (Pak) 15-10 15-10 15-4
Ahmed Barada (Egy) bt Stefan Casteleyn (Bel) 15-9 15-11 13-15 15-10
Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt Graham Ryding (Can) 17-14 12-15 15-17 15-3 15-3
Paul Johnson (Eng) bt John Williams (Aus) 15-11 15-4 15-8
Ong Beng Hee (Mal) bt Thierry Lincou (Fra) 7-15 15-9 7-15 15-11 15-7
- Golestan Radwan: Egypt
- Tomas Barva, Czech Republic
- David Blick, Alaska USA
- Kim Tunney: Midwest USA
- Andre Maur: Atlanta USA
- Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
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