Nicol new world champion.... Martin takes women's too easily
Final Report From MARTIN BRONSTEIN:
Martin Bronstein's Exclusive reports from Egypt
NICOL IS NEW WORLD CHAMPION
FROM MARTIN BRONSTEIN AT THE PYRAMIDS
WORLD OPEN, Sept 16, Thursday PM 1999, Gaza
High Quality Squash
After so many let downs over the last few days, the final of the Al Ahram World Open provided a squash match of rare quality. Peter Nicol, who has been so close so many times only to come second, raised his game to near perfection in defeating Ahmed Barada in three straight.
TOO ANXIOUS IN FRONT OF HOME FANS ?
Without subtracting from Nicol's triumph, it has to be said that Barada's forehand drop, which has been a gold mine at the front of the court for all of his career, let him down badly. At least a dozen points were given away as this normally exquisite shot hit the tin.
NICOL PUTS REVAMPED GAME ON SHOW
Nicol played the perfect game, keeping the ball high or tight and putting in a couple of dozen drops that you would never have seen this determined Scotsman play a year ago.
He has realised that his great basic game would not be good enough with the likes of Barada and Jonathan Power around and he can now tuck the ball away with the rest of them. From the word go, Nicol controlled the game. A nervous Barada stayed with him until 4-all but he was always behind the eight ball - especially in his backhand corner where he made four errors. Nicol steadily drew away, and from 9-5, just ran away to a 15-14 win after nineteen mintues.
BARADA RALLIES
It was 4-all in the second game that Barada finally got going; a stroke at the front of the court, a forehand drop (one of the few that went up), a cut forehand cross court drop a backhand volley drop put him at 7-4. he continued to dominate to lead 11-7, but Nicol wants this title badly and he hit a series of winners two backhand drops, a volley drop and a winner hit at full stretch fromt he back of the court took some of the heart of Barada,
UNTIMELY ERRORS LEAVE BARADA SHORT
He continued the barrage to lead 13-11. Then Barada recovered for two more delicious backhand winners to tie at 13-13 but Nicol hit another drive and Barada symbolically made an error on a forehand drop and Nicol was two up after 40 minutes.
Barada continued his errant ways and Nicol kept up the pressure, always returning the ball with interest, never allowing Barada to settle., Nicol led 7-3, Barada made a countercharge to lead 8-7.And from then on it was all Barada: either winners or losers. Unfortunately the majority were errors and Nicol too the chanting out of the thousand of chanting fans with a backhand drop to win 15-11.
It was squash at its best and Nicol is a worthy world champion. Barada will have his day, I have no doubt about that.
DAMP WOMEN
The women's all-Australian final was a damp squib with Carol Owens showing just the occasional form that got her to the final. she went quickly 0-8 down in the first game with Michelle Martin hardly breaking sweat. Owens made it respectable to get five points in the first 11 minute game. It appeared that she was ill between games and lost the second game 0-9 in just over three minutes. The third game was at last a tussle which went to extra points with six change of hands at 9-9, before Martin finished it with a forehand drive.
Will they get invited back to Al Ahram next year? Not likely on this showing, but hopefully Sarah Fitz-Gerald will be healthy and able to give Martin opposition worthy of a final.
