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Super Series Final: Day 3, Report 1

PALMER MAKES THE SEMIS

by Martin Bronstein, London, 20 June 2001
All content © 2001 Squashtalk, file photos: © 2001 Fritz Borchert

PALMER MAKES THE SEMIS

After yesterday’s tumult, David Palmer returned to the arena for his final Fleet Group match, facing Paul Johnson. Most of these third round matches are of no consequence, the top two players in the group having won their first two matches and secured their place in the semi finals, leaving the others to go through the motions. But Palmer losing to Nicol and Johnson beating David Evans, had altered storyline.

Now this was an important match, the winner probably to face Jonathon Power in the semi-finals. Palmer did not have his normal crispness and the match was played, with some exceptions, at a slower pace than the Palmer/Nicol affair. Palmer was in full control to take the first game 15-6, but a quite different scenario was rolled out for the second game as Johnson increased the pace and cracked the ball to the back rather than his measured semi-lob. From trailing 4-1 Johnson suddenly found wonderful length while Palmer found himself waving his racquet at balls lost in the back corner. It was an eye-opening run and Johnson led 8-4. Furthermore he was reading Palmer with the ease of a one-word billboard and was constantly cracking winners before Palmer had finish his follow-through.

DID A BROKEN STRING DECIDE THE OUTCOME?

Johnson quite rightly took the game, 15-12, creating the possibility that he, rather than Palmer would be around on Thursday. The third game was the battle, this is where the outcome was settled and Palmer decided that his winners would have to be put on ice as he worked Johnson hard around the court.

But Johnson was equal to the task and they went point for point from 6-6 to 12-12. Palmer then hit a cracking, low cross court that died by the wall before Johnson could get at it to lead 13-12. The next point ended when Johnson smacked the ball into the tin because a string broke, giving Palmer game ball. Johnson saved it after a dynamic rally when he hit a cross court backhand that found Palmer a yard short.

Now Palmer had a third try at game ball and scraped up two balls, mis-hitting the second one for a winner. Johnson pleaded that there had been a double bounce, but referee Jill Wood gave the point to Palmer for a 15-13 game. Johnson was easy meat from the beginning of the fourth game allowing Palmer a 5-1 lead, then suddenly pulled himself together to tie the match at 8-8. But his tank was looking empty and Palmer sailed through to 15-8 in one hand to earn his semi-final place, dreaming, probably of beating Power to get another crack at Nicol.

JUST A THIRTY MINUTE PRACTICE

Peter Nicol took 30 minutes to win his final Fleet Group match, beating a lame David Evans 15-7, 15-8, 15-7 to finish with a perfect record. Evans was barely moving in the end and surely just wants to get back to Wales, rest his ankle and prepare for the coming season. Nicol was glad for the rest after yesterday’s exhaustions and will be watching the last two matches with interest to see who he will face in the semi-finals.

[For Day 3, Report 2]

Results:

Fleet Group:

David Palmer def Paul Johnson (15-6, 12-15, 15-13, 15-8) 62 mins
Peter Nicol def David Evans (15-7,15-8,15-7) 30 mins

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