SquashTalk's Al Ahram Coverage:

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

SquashTalk exclusive interview with Simon Parke by Martin Bronstein © 2000

England #1 Simon Parke speaks exclusively to Martin Bronstein before the Al Ahram tournament.

SIMON PARKE has emerged in the last year as a real challenger for the top three positions. After his US Open title last November he has shown the skill and ability to beat Nicol, Power and Barada.

His performance in the Super Series final when he narrowly lost to Nicol is still being talked about in superlatives.

What has been your program over the summer to prepare for the season?
I've been doing a variety of training - lunges, squats, gym work, all over body conditioning. I've also been doing some special footwork exercises with Damon Brown, the physiology expert with the SRA. We use a sort of plastic ladder on the floor and you have to do quick footwork patterns on it. It improves your balance. And there's been lots of court work with Peter Marshall, Alex Gough, Derek Ryan or Johnny White who are all based in Nottingham now.

You are going into the Al Ahram with that superb performance in the Super Series still fresh, so are you full of confidence?
Yes, now it's a matter of taking the next step. I went into the Super Series believing that I could win it and I very nearly did. And I've been very close a number of times before. The next step is winning.

I have to ask you; how did you feel after getting so close, 11-all in the fifth and then a bad decision against you followed by a freak nick from Peter, only to lose ?
I was gutted. I couldn't believe. You get so close and a bit of bad luck takes it away from you. At that stage 11-all in the fifth, it was anyone's match.

But you must have come out of that match thinking 'I'm his equal'?
Oh yes I think that's very valid. But I still think I'm improving. I used to have problems getting rid of my opponents quickly in the early rounds, but in the last year if you look they are mostly 3/0 and 3/1 scores. There have been very few 3/2s on the way to the semi-final which is why I have been doing better. I was disappointed with period after I won the US Open. I wanted to capitalise on that but I got injured and that messed me up for the Tournament of Champions. I was getting to my seeded position but then I was losing to Nicol or Power without getting that close and that was annoying. By the time I got to the Super Series the injury was gone.

Have you watched the video of the Super Series?
I've watched it several times, hours and hours of squash. I've watched every single rally and paused a few things. I don't want to give anything away, but there are one or two things where he is relatively weak.

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You have made the number four spot your own, so you must now be seriously thinking of taking the third spot off Barada?
When I beat Barada in the semi-final of the Super Series that was the first time I had played him in three years. He's only beaten me once before, so I've always had that confidence against Barada. We had a charity event in Nottingham last week and Barada came over. There was myself, Marshall, White, David Evans - seven of the top twenty played. I won that event so that was a good test of my form. Barada lost in the first round to Gough. Pete Nicol came up on Tuesday, so we've all had some pretty good games in preparation for the Al Ahram.

You've just reached the ripe old age of 28, but you seem to be just reaching your peak aren't you?
Yes, I'm feeling stronger now than ever. But there's maturity too, on and off the court. You're learning all the time. Geoff Hunt said after eight British Open wins that he was still learning. And I'm still learning.

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• Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
  

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