| Colin McQuillan reports for
SquashTalk from Hong Kong, Aug 28, 1999
[see
also McQuillan's Report 3: "A Hill too far" on Day Two (8.26.99)]
[see
also McQuillan's Report 2: Eyles fails, Power survives on Day Two (8.25.99)]
[see
also McQuillan's Report 1: Haddrell and Hill shine on Day One (8.24.99)]
FROM McQUILLAN'S NOTEBOOK...
RIVALRY
RENEWED: Power and Nicol rested for final
© Colin McQuillan and Squashtalk, all rights reserved.
Photo of Jonathon Power and Peter Nicol © 1999 Stephen Line (for
reprints from Stephen Line, contact photos@squashtalk.com)
Power and
Nicol in a rematch
 Tomorrow's
final of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash Championship is to
be a reprise of the straight games match last year in which Canada's
Jonathon Power defeated Scotland's Peter Nicol to record his country's
first win the the long standing Super Series event and effectively evict
the left-handed Scot from world number one ranking.
The rematch follows two semi-finals which, disappointing though they
were for the keen Hong Kong squash audience, displayed just how skilled
the game's current leaders have become at deflecting their closest challengers.
48 a Lucky
Number
Power, the top seeded world champion, won the first all-Canadian semi
final in the history of the PSA World Tour by beating his lifelong practice
partner, Graham Ryding, 15-10, 15-7, 15-13 in 48 minutes, while Nicol
maintained his unblemished tour record against Egypt's Ahmed Barada
with a 14-15, 15-2, 15-9, 15,8 win that, oddly enough, also lasted precisely
48 minutes.
Both winners were pleased with performances they plainly felt were
improving to plan at the conclusion of a tournament vital to their preparation
for the World Open Championship in Cairo next mont.
Power makes
good use of familiarity
Power's control of Ryding was comprehensive, allowing his compatriot
no time at the front of the court and depriving him of the crosscourt
interceptions from which Ryding creates his best winners. "We know
each other's games inside out, " the World Champion said. "I
knew I had to keep him pinned down deep in the court. I was moving better
today that at any time this week and he had had a tough quarterfinal
with England's Paul Johnson. I planned on him being unable to stay with
the pace very long.
Barada
can't live up to his vow to win
Barada fell away from the pace of his semifinal extraordinarily after
a fifteen minute battle for the opening game which went narrowly his
way on a single point tie-break he clinched with an unanswerable backhand
volley drop.
"He was working deceptively hard," Nicol explained, "He
likes to volley a lot so he appears to be commanding the court, but
I try to make sure the ball is flying tight to the walls and of a length
that means he is always reaching and dipping to make those vollies.
"When you have to do that for 15 or 20 minutes you get pretty
tired and as the tiredness sets in you start to get frustrated."
The Egyptian's frustrations showed plainly in the second game, which
he virtually abandoned from 2-3, and were again evident as the third
and fourt were steadily worked away from him 3-7 down. The emphasis
of the victory may be useful psychology for the Scot should the meet
in the World Open at their next stop in Cairo.
"It won't be that easy in Egypt though, "Nicol acknowledged.
"The World Open in Cairo is a one-off event where Ahmed's performances
will be differently constructed for thousands of fans. Playing Barada
in front of 5000 baying Egyptian followers is like nothing else in the
world, I assure you."
Gentle
war of words
It may not be so easy tomorrow either. The Cathay Pacific final will
be the 16th clash between Power and Nicol, with the score
riding 9-6 in the Canadian's favour so far. Power has the world title
and the top ranking spot. Nicol has the Commonwealth Gold and the Super
Series crown.
Power says he is ready for the 16th clash. "I don't
want to reveal too much of myself here, but I think I have worked my
game up through the tournament well enough to have a chance of defending
his title against Peter. He knows as well as I do that I am the player
he least wants to meet anywhere, anytime."
Nicol has a different view. "I am stronger than when we met in
last year's final here, and a new element of yoga in my training has
made me more flexible in my movement," he says. "I know a
lot more about Jonathon than I did twelve months ago. This has the potential
to be a great match from which to go into the world open."
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