SquashTalk's Al Ahram Coverage:

• Sarah Fitz-Gerald announces entry (7-16-2000)
• Nicol's coach Neil Harvey interview. (7-17-2000)

SquashTalk exclusive interview with Neil Harvey by Martin Bronstein

Peter Nicol's coach Neil Harvey talks exclusively to Martin Bronstein before the Al Ahram tournament.

Has Peter got the measure of Jonathon Power?
I wouldn't say that but I would say that Peter's learned a lot from playing Jonathon whereas I don't necessarily think that Jon has learned the same amount.

But Power did beat Nicol in the French league final. Or doesn't that count?
We don't count that. That was with the new ball in preparation for the Super Series Finals. Power had been practising with it but Pete had not seen the new ball and had not played with it before. The real point is, how fit Power is. Unless he's done some work he's not going to challenge Peter.

What has Peter been concentrating during his summer training?
He's been looking at his short game. His length and his width, he's very happy with that. He's taking more opportunities to finish rallies, like Jansher used to do.

After the Super Series final, is Peter worried by Simon Parke?
They were equal in all parts of the court. Peter and Simon have always had good games and that goes back a long way. But Peter felt very flat for the Super Series final after the semi-final with Power. But once he stepped up a gear, he took control of the match. It ended up quite close, but had he been fresher at the start he would have beaten him 3/1. Simon is improving without a doubt and with a good summer's training will be challenging Barada for the number three spot. One of the things with Simon is that he finds it very difficult to win a tournament because of the way he plays, he has to play five very hard matches whereas Peter and Jonathon are getting their opponents off in three in the first couple of rounds, whereas Simon is dropping a game here and a game there. When he gets to the semis, it's bloody hard work.

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But in the last year Simon too has been going short as quickly as possible to end the rallies. That's true, but we've looked at Simon technically, and when he gets tired he tends to clip the top of the tin. He needs some technical work to correct that. The point I want to make is that the Al Ahram is the first tournament of the new season and there are always upsets in the first tournament. That's why there were always upsets in the Hong Kong Open, it used to start the season.

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