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World champion Peter Nicol has issued a warning to his rivals at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open: "I'm feeling really strong both mentally and physically."
The world number one made it clear to challengers that they will face a tougher and stronger Nicol as the 27-year-old Scot begins his defence of the Hong Kong Open today.
"I just can't wait to get on the court and play again. It's nice coming back to Hong Kong. But there's a big difference from last year because I have had a lead-up tournament going into Hong Kong.
"I competed in the Al Ahram International Championship [in Cairo] last week and won that," said Nicol, who is hot favourite to retain his Hong Kong title. "It's the first time since I have been coming to Hong Kong that I have had a lead-up tournament, so my preparations are better than before."
Nicol, who lives in Chingford, London, said the Hong Kong Open would also serve as a final tune-up for the British Open, a title he hopes to regain in Birmingham in October.
"When I competed in the tournament last December, I had to pull out of the final against Jonathon Power because I was ill. "I had food poisoning and I practically passed out at 1-1 in games. I couldn't continue to play and I just hope I won't have that misfortune again.
"The British Open is the one title I want to win again," said Nicol, who last won the prestigious title in 1998 and has won five out of six tournaments he has entered this year. Although Nicol is favoured to win the Hong Kong Open, the left-handed Scot said he would encounter a few "tough matches" before he takes his expected place in the final against Power on Sunday.
"I will probably encounter [Ahmed] Barada in the semi-finals, but I still have a few tough matches before that. It's a hard draw. I play Joseph Kneipp [of Australia] in my first match and Kneipp beat Power 3-0 in a tournament in Antwerp so he's capable of playing extremely well. "I then might meet [fellow Scot] Martin Heath, who was the last person to beat me this year in the Tournament of Champions in New York [semi-finals] in January," said Nicol. "But I am in a better condition than I was last year and I am hoping to win again in Hong Kong."
Meanwhile, former world champion Rodney Eyles has made it into the main draw of the Hong Kong competition after winning his qualifying match yesterday. The 32-year-old, who won the World Open title in 1997, beat fellow Australian Cameron White 10-15, 15-5, 17-16, 15-11 in a 40-minute tussle to take his place in the main draw. Pakistan's S. Islam Khan also made it through after he held off the challenge of Finland's Olli Tuominen, 5-15, 15-4, 15-11, 11-15, 15-9 in 54 minutes. Others to go through were Australians Dan Jenson, Anthony Ricketts and John Williams and Belgium's Stefan Casteleyn.
Reprinted with permission of the South China Morning Post online. (www.scmp.com)
Peter Nicol in action last year against former champion and qualifier this year, Rodney Eyles (199 File Photo © Squashtalk)
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