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2000 EVENT
[last update was 10-aug-01 ]
Super
Series Final: The
Semi-finals
SET ONE?
Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene in London's Broadgate Arena.
[also: Press report]
by Martin Bronstein, London, 21 June 2001
All content
© 2001 Squashtalk, photos:
© 2001 Fritz Borchert
MOST UN-ENGLISH
There
was a strange feeling in the air at the Broadgate Arena; blue skies above,
not cold and people smiling. It hasnt rained for four days and it is
beginning to affect the locals sanity. There they all are at the bars
surrounding the marquee in which the court is situated, all these men
and women in their business suits, and yet with the sun and the drinks,
they keep thinking they are on vacation in the Bahamas. Four days of sun
will do that to a Limey.
EVEN MORE UN-ENGLISH
The last word you would even choose to describe Jonathon Power is English. This man can emote, physically and verbally, more in one squash game than an English family does in seven generations. He played the semi-final against David Palmer at only 70 percent angst of yesterdays trial-by-referee but there was still a lot of lung and vocal chord use, as well as an awful lot of pushing, barging and falling over. If this had been a wrestling match Power would have lost at the beginning of the third when he was horizontal three times in four points.
THE QUESTION WITHOUT ANSWER
The
problem for the referee is whether one player is blocking, or his opponent
is fishing for a stroke or preventing the outgoing striker from clearing.
At the speed at which squash is played today, it is a very difficult question
and the poor referee has to make an instant decision. On top of this Palmer
was getting antsy because Power kept barging him in the back in trying
to get to the ball. It got really messy for a while and referee Jill Wood,
who has a schoolmarmish sort of delivery, was unable to control these
two boisterous head-strong players.
POWER IN TOP GEAR
For two games it seemed as though Power was going to win it at a trot. He took the first game 15-9 and second 15-6. While he was in top gear, Palmer couldnt seem to get out of second. Perhaps this was his game plan; play it cool and wait for Power to blow up. The second game was foretaste of the bodily contact that was to mar much of the next two games. After one collision Jill Wood said to Palmer "Steady please." Power turned round to the face her and said, his eyes wide with incredulity: "Steady please?" This sort of Brit politeness coming in the middle of a head-bashing pro squash match was too much for Powers sense of irony and he had to make his comment.
THE BIG COMEBACK
You
have to admire Powers ability to come back to full concentration after
losing his rag to eye-popping levels. He fell three times in the first
four rallies of the third game surely no other player spends as much
time spread-eagled on the floor as he does. Palmer was now getting some
control of the match and he led 8-5 and took the next point on a stroke.
Powers screaming rage at the decision earned him a warning for unacceptable
behaviour, although we never found out what that was. While Power was
recovering from this blow, Palmer kept going to lead 13-7, two points
from game. Most players would give up at this point, but not Power. He
dipped into his bag of shots and simply outplayed Palmer, a forehand smash
into the nick here, a high lob serve next, a drop and drive combination
and his special backhand cross court deeply cut shot that never rises
more than an inch above the floor.
DUNLOP MEAN WITH THEIR RACQUETS?
Power got back to 14-all , led at 15-14 and then tinned a counter drop. He bent over and banged his racket on the floor and then looked aghast at the shattered frame. He walked out of the court still holding his mouth in horror, picked up another racket and said "this is my last racket". I dont think he even heard the conduct warning. He won the next point to serve for the match only to be denied a let. It was 16-all and another match point. Palmer was steady and Power tinned a forehand drive to end 25 minutes of sheer drama and emotion.
THE WRONG RACQUET
Power was quieter now, almost as though he had either given up or realised that it was no use blowing his top. At 3-6 he was denied what he thought was a surefire stroke. A drop from Palmer, Power right up his backside ready to crack the ball for a winner. The ref says no let. Power in a quiet rage stomps off the court, grabs the broken racket and breaks it asunder over his knee. He is immediately penalised a conduct stroke to make the score 8-3 for Palmer. "But it wasnt the racket I was playing with," Power pointed out. A legal nicety that I shall have to discuss with a World referee. Power decided to save his energy for the fifth and Palmer soon has the fourth 15-6 in 11 minutes.
A STROKE A STROKE! KISSES ALL ROUND
Power
and Palmer were now playing squash, but Palmer was the steadier and gradually
drew away to lead 11-7. A forehand drop, a backhand drop and an error
from Palmer and Power was back in the game at 10-11. The next rally ended
with Power getting a stroke in situations that had previously been judged
a let. When he heard the word stroke his face lit up and he blew kisses
to Him upstairs and then to all people who on earth do dwell.
It was 11-11 and we had a real squash match served up on a bed of tension. Palmer drew away to serve for the match at 14-12 and Power ended the rally with a tight backhand that Palmer could not scrape off the wall. Power served and Palmer went for a glory with an attempted nick off the serve which hit the tin to make it 14-all.
Nobody was breathing as the referee asked Palmer for the setting. He put up one finger: set one. Was this man very brave or very foolish? On this sort of situation, Id bet my house on Power. And Id be homeless. Mind you Palmer had to win it three times. He hit one winning shot which Power miraculously got back to the front wall. Palmer drove deep and once more Power rocketed to the back and somehow hit an impossible boast. Palmer hit a cross court to the right service box and Power was at full stretch, almost horizontal, when he got his racket on the ball, but the ball hit the tin.
Palmer had the game 15-14 and the 100 minute match 3/2. He also had a rematch with Nicol in Fridays final, where he will be looking for revenge for his Group match defeat. A new referee is being brought in by the name of Dean Clayton. An honest man: he sold me his old car which is still going. What greater sign of honesty than that?
SEDATE SQUASH
By
contrast the other semi between Peter Nicol and Martin Heath was a model
of decorum, with hardly a decision from the chair. They treat each other
with the greatest respect and Peter Nicol rarely gets into a snit about
a decision.
He took the first two games with his incredible all court coverage, but Heath suddenly found his rhythm to take over in the third. His measured shots and shrewd shot selection soon had Nicol doing the running and Heath was slotting in some sublime winners. There were some seriously long rallies with Heath making Nicol do court sprints, only to finish the rally with a winner. Heath won the game 15-11 and Nicol was looking tired. In fact Nicol has not looked fit for a couple of months now.
Nicol picked up again in the fourth, leading until Heath levelled at 9-9, which I now see as the break point, when the better player usually maintains the pace while the lesser one falls away. And so it came to pass, Nicol hitting some fine disguised boasts to pull away and win 15-11 and keep alive his hopes for a third Super Series title. But as I said earlier in the week, Palmer is the man of the moment and as I still own my house, I will, metaphorically, bet it on Palmer.
Semi-final Results:
David Palmer def Jonathon Power 9-15,
6-15, 17-16, 15-6, 15-14 (100 mins)
Peter Nicol def Martin Heath 15-7, 15-9, 11-15, 15-11 (71 mins)
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