Consistent Lincou Breaks Through
By Colin McQuillan
May 14, 2004 All content © 2004 Squashtalk
[last update was 14-may-04 ]

Thierry Lincou wins the 2004 Superseries Finals (photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert)

[also read finals report by press officer Tom Maidment]

Thierry Lincou of France, the most consistent player on the PSA World Tour, finally broke through to final success tonight at The Broadgate Arena in London when he defeated Australia’s Joe Kneipp 10-11 (0-2), 11-9, 11-2, 11-1 in the 58 minute final of the Brit Insurance Super Series Finals.

The 28-year-old Paris based top seed last won a PSA title at the Pittsburgh Open of 2002, although he was briefly World No1 when he reached the World Open final in Lahore at the end of last year, reaching that rank from a series good tournament performances that always fell short of an actual win..

“At last I have won a big title to boast about,” he said with a grin last night.
It was a win worth boasting about too. He deliberately drew Kneipp into a long battling 24 minute opening game because he was certain the 30-year-old Amsterdam based Queenslander must have suffered in the 80 minute semi-final he played with Scotland’s John White just 20 hours earlier. Then he astutely reduced the pace of the rallying from the second game to allow himself time for delay on his front court shots to increasingly wrongfoot his tiring opponent.

“That was my tactic from the start, although Joe made it difficult by attacking himself earlier than I would have preferred. He had the first game from a really tough finish in the tiebreak so I was worried that he could force through to take another game. In the end, though, my approach paid off.”

Kneipp was riding high until he broke his third racquet (photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert)

Kneipp was not helped by a repeated breakdown of equipment. He change two of his Klip rackets with broken strings in the early phase of the match, borrowed a Dunlop racket from a spectator and then a Prince racket from another professional for the third game and then came back for the fourth with one of the first string-faulted models. “I am thinking of asking all three racket companies to pay me for reaching the final,” he said.

"I came with three rackets for the match and thought that would be enough," said Kneipp who, at World No12, was lowest ranked player in the tournament. "Once I started having to use different rackets my confidence just went. I was beginning to tire physically in the third game anyway and a combination of that, the rackets and Thierry playing so well spelt the end for me."

Thierry Lincou wins the 2004 Superseries Finals (photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert)

Lincou acknowledged that the racket problem inhibited Kneipp as he applied increasing pressure towards the end of the final. “He was angry towards the end, but not with me I hope. It was not my fault he had so many broken rackets.”
Lincou’s improving curve is obvious from this tournament. He was runner up in 2002 and finished third last year. "I'm really, really happy. It means a lot to me having lost so many finals. This is my first win in a big tournament and to do it in front of my parents and my coach is the best feeling. Having come so close before, this tournament really means something to me and I'm delighted to win it."

While his equipment survived, the Australian looked capable of pushing through to his own first tournament win since his 2000 Greenwich Open victory in New York. He chased persistently from 8-10 in the opening game to reach the tiebreak at 10-10 and then forced two tinned errors from Lincou before clinching the game with a measured forehand straight drive into the deep right corner and an adventurous backhand cross court volley into the top right nick.

But he gave Lincou a penalty stroke in the opening exchange of the second game and then failed completely to understand the slight reduction of pace that allowed the Frenchman to wrongfoot him in six of the next ten rallies, advancing to 8-2 either on outright winners or errors from his unbalanced opponent.
Still bothered by failing strings, Kneipp cleverly began to float the ball softly high along both side walls, waiting for opportunities to attack and winning points with chancy kill shots, some of which might have been called down as easily as they were judged good by the referee, John Massarella of Yorkshire. But Lincou was in command by now and, even as Kneipp edged towards a second tiebreak winning 8-10 with a backhand return of service straight into the lefthand nick and 9-10 with a running rally that brought aa tinned backhand volley from Lincou, he seemed to be just waiting for the mistake, a backhand volley into the tin, with which Kneipp would relinquish the game.
It was one way traffic from there on. Kneipp served twice in the eight minute third game and once in the seven minute fourth game. The top seed had his big win at alst.

Brit Insurance Super Series Squash Finals
Broadgate Arena, London

Final Result

[1] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [6] Joe Kneipp (Aus) 10-11 (0-2), 11-9 11-2 11-1 (58m)

Third Place Play-off:
[2] John White (Scot) bt [7] Nick Matthew (Eng) 11-9 9-11 11-6 (44m)

Special Offer! Get the SuperSeries Videos 2003, 02, 00 produced by Jean De Lierre including the great '03 Nicol-Power match.