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2002 Super Series Final ($50,000)
Broadgate Arena, Liverpool Street
London, England
June 17-21

[last update was 21-jun-02 ]

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PALMER AND LINCOU OUST THE FAVOURITES

The upsets in the Soccer World Cup in Japan and Korea are catching. Just as Argentina and France were expected to reach the final rounds, so Peter Nicol and John White were expected to brush aside David Palmer and Thierry Lincou in the semis and create a wonderful final. Except both Peter Nicol and John White fell over, figuratively and literally. And surprisingly.

FROM TARNISHED HALO TO GOLDEN WINGS

After a first match in which David Palmer was penalised and almost sent to the Tower of London for bad behaviour (he wasn’t because the Lord High Executioner thought that losing to Mark Chaloner was punishment enough) the world number two played himself back into favour with an outstanding piece of controlled squash to beat the world number one. Palmer controlled the ball, the rallies, his temper and his mistrust of English referees whom he feels are out to get him. The once-tarnished halo was gleaming and he had grown golden wings on his back by the time he left the court after grinding Nicol down over 95 minutes.

NICOL IN CHARGE

Palmer (left) overtook an uncharacteristically tired Nicol (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

From the bell Nicol showed who was boss and demonstrated clearly that his all-court coverage and meanness with errors was going to force Palmer to work for every point. But Nicol also had to work hard for every point. He outplayed Palmer to win that first game 15-6 but it took him 24 minutes to accomplish. How long, I wondered, would it take a really close game if they continued to play like this? I found out in the second game as Palmer gained in confidence and showed Nicol he was willing to play long rallies. His winners were nowhere to be seen and Nicol was playing a purely reactive game. Where was the Nicol from four months ago, the player who stood up the court volleyed everything with venom and precision and virtually blasted his opponents into submission? Where was the Nicol who looked virtually unbeatable until a thigh pull retarded his game? He was nowhere to be seen. Palmer was surely surprised at the way the match was proceeding and you could almost see the confidence seep into his bones.

A LITTLE NEEDLE DON’T DO NO HARM

They went point for point, every rally a lungbreaker and at 8-all Nicol hit a crashing winner into the front right nick and then mouthed something at Palmer, which, from the look on his face, was far from Merry Christmas. This one small fleeting moment showed that Nicol was slightly flat: when he is in full flight and fit, he rarely displays any negative temperament. Palmer is an aggressive, temperamental player and there were four or five moments when I thought he would allow that cauldron, that always seems to be boiling just below the surface, to boil over. But thankfully he kept the lid tight and continued to work Nicol: a high floating lob, a drop, a drive, a boast – nothing vicious, you understand, just keeping the ball – and Nicol – in motion.

Nicol went to an 11-8 lead and Palmer looked as though he was going to bottle those last few points, but he fought back to lead 14-12 with the help of four winners. It was obvious now that as he gained in confidence and relaxed he felt good enough to use his shots. But Nicol was let back in after two Palmer errors and the Australian chose set three. The had now been playing for an hour – and still in the second game. A stroke to Palmer and he led 15-14. Nicol hit a cross court into the nick and held his shot before a delicate drop to get to game ball, 16-15. Another stroke to Palmer to tie it 16-all and then he unleashed a cross-court slam into the nick to finish the game with a flourish, bringing a roar from the packed gallery. It had taken him 38 minutes and 30 seconds to win that game. As it transpired, it was time well spent. Palmer had taken the legs and determination out of Nicol.

PALMER STAYS UPRIGHT

Nicol fell over three times in the match. Peter Nicol never falls over. It was just another indicator that Nicol was not prepared. Palmer took a 7-2 lead in the third, Nicol game back to 6-7 only to see Palmer take the next six points, hitting winners chopping volley drops so they were unplayable and winning delicate dropping duels at the front. Nicol was now hitting tin with his volley drops and the third game was over in a trice, 12 minutes, 15-12 to Palmer.

Nicol was now demoralised and quickly into the fourth game it became apparent he was no longer interested in winning . Little by little his efforts deteriorated while Palmer seemed as fresh and as accurate as ever. In just over 11 minutes Palmer had that fourth game 15-7 and the match 3/1 for a very famous and unexpected victory. He said that he knew that no-one expected him to win and he used that to keep him focussed. Nicol said that he simply got tired and when Palmer got in front he could do nothing about it.

“I am not playing the way I was earlier in the year because I am half-way through my training for the Commonwealth Games, so I don’t yet have the fitness to stand up the court and volley everything,” he said, appearing to be untouched by the loss.

PALMER VERSUS WHITE? WRONG AGAIN.

Lincou (front) played with skill and concentration. (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

Just when we were expecting – relishing – the prospect of another Palmer vs White encounter in the final, along comes French champion Thierry Lincou and pulls off another upset. Well, honestly, after last night’s scintillating display you felt that White could take on Hashim, Hunt and Barrington at the same time while playing the Didgeridoo with his left hand. But White is human and he was to tell me later that he felt lethargic as soon as he got on court. Once again, where was that astonishing player from yesterday, all fireworks, howitzers, jokes and impossibly hard shots? Well, Thierry Lincou played him so tight that he could not operate. Lincou won the first game 15-9, thanks to a bundle of tins from White, and then stifled a revival in the second at 8-8 to win 15-13. Once again we saw a top player lose heart and virtually give the final game away: the last four points were simply hit into the tin to get the thing over.

Lincou had played with skill and concentration. He kept the ball tight and he was on to everything so fast that his opponent got the feeling there were two of him.

“Thierry played too well. His short game was too good and everything came back tight. Normally his short game lets him down but today he was nearly perfect. He controlled the rallies and I couldn’t get him off the T,” White explained. “It was the old John White come back, hitting tin. I don’t know why, I shouldn’t be tired because my training has been going very well.”

And so the top Frenchman will play the top Australian. Who will win? Just flip a coin. You won’t catch me betting.

Semifinal results:

David Palmer (Aus) bt Peter Nicol (Eng) 6-15, 17-16, 15-12, 15-7. 95 minutes.

Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt John White (Sco) 15-9, 15-13, 15-7. 51 minutes.