Martin Bronstein Reports on US Open Squash 2003

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US Open First Round - Evening Session
By Martin Bronstein from Symphony Hall Boston
© 2003 Squashtalk, all rights of reproduction reserved.

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Beachill Hits the Wall Against Nicol
Sept 13 2003, Boston Symphony Hall, Boston Mass

NICOL ESCAPES VIA BEACHILL’S STOMACH

Lee Beachill almost continued the excitement of the afternoon’s upsets and only another stomach bug prevented him for notching up his third win over Peter Nicol. In the first game of their match, which opened proceedings at Boston Symphony Hall, Beachill played with imperial disdain as he overwhelmed Nicol with his length, control and clinical drop shots on both his forehand and backhand.

It took me back to the British Open a couple of years back when Beachill handed Nicol a lesson in court craft with a 3/0 victory. Today in Boston, that version of Beachill was back and had there been another betting man around, I would have put big money on Beachill once more winning in straight games. Lucky, there wasn’t and I save a bunch of money.

Beachill simply dominated and Nicol wore that bemused expression which is becoming more common these days as he finds his former supremacy deserting him. It took Beachill just 13 minutes to win that first game 15-6. The second started well enough for Beachill but the error rate began to rise. Nicol was showing more and more annoyance – something that rarely happened before, but never relaxed as he gradually caught up to take the lead for the first time in the match at 8-7.

He let his annoyance show with a vengeance when denied a let at 11-11 all. “How many times have I asked for a let so far? “ he demanded of the referee inferring he only asks when he is certain he should get one. The referee took his point but stood by his decision and Beachill was ahead once more 12-11.

But at 13-13 Beachill made the mistake of pushing for a winner and a backhand drop hit the tin. This was a critical point to make an error, but he recovered to send the match into overtime and once more, trailing 15-16, he went for a winner only to hit tin and allow Nicol to win the 29 minute game and even the match.

THE BEACHILL CENTER FOR COMMUNICABLE AILMENTS

Peter Nicol easily took the 4th.
(photo: ©2003, Debra Tessier)

And then in the third it all went wrong; at 3-3 Beachill seemed to hit a brick wall and within a minute Nicol was ahead 10-3 . Beachill was slow to the front. And just when we thought he was completely gone, he staged a comeback to get to 13-11 but Nicol now had the upper hand and finished the next two points with superb winners.

When Beachill failed to appear for the third game when Time was called the pieces began to fall in place. Once more Beachill was hit by his injury jinx. He was still in his chair throwing up into a towel. He has had so many things go wrong; car accidents, viruses, colds, bad ankles etc that he could well open his own medical consultancy. It seems in Boston he had a stomach ailment and while he made it back on court for the fourth, he should have gone straight home to bed.

The fourth game was over in six minutes 15-5 in six minutes and Beachill left the court to fill another towel. I think this man needs some serious chicken soup injections.

THE POWER AND KNEIPP COMEDY HOUR

It was time for the comic relief and on came Jonathon Power dressed in his own line of squash clothing and Joe Kneipp wearing his own brand of head scarf and spouting his own brand of repartee. Kneipp is the one player on the circuit who can keep up with Power in the verbal department. In fact sometimes I get the impression that Kneipp enjoys the repartee more than the squash. The trouble is when you get these two together things happen so fast because they think so fast, you keep wishing for a slo-mo replay so you can see clearly what they did and if they did really hit a backhand, side-spin knuckleball to perfect length while looking at the woman in the second row. Don’t ask me, I was just watching. Kneipp showed exceptional consistency in losing 15-8, 15-8, 15-7. With that sort of grouping he should take up archery. Power spent much of the time smiling which is a good thing because tomorrow he faces Thierry Lincou and that will be a whole different ball game.

FINE FINN

David Palmer needed 57 minutes to beat Olli Tuominen of Finland because despite their difference in ranking (20 odd places) Olli did not look out of place on that court with the world number two. As soon as he learns long distance consistency this intelligent young player will really start worrying the top five boys.

The final match of the day showed that Adrian Grant is a tough hombre. He seemed to suffer no ill-effects of his 125 minute match last night. He played White tight, which is why none of the trademark White winners were present and was fearless in his approach to the world number three.

Grant, a qualifier has yet to break into the top twenty, but on this showing, that should not be long coming. He fought well to lose the first game 15-11 and then led most of the second game, at times being five points ahead. But White reeled him in to get to game ball and when Grant tied it up, White called No set, which is becoming a very popular call these days. Grant lost that final point because White’s drive found the nick at the back wall: a cruel stroke of luck for Grant and he was two games down. He kept fighting leading the third game 5-1 but his effort dropped just a fraction and White went on to win 15-12 for another meeting against Anthony Ricketts.

Olli Tuominen (front) kept defending champion David Palmer on court for almost an hour.
(photo: ©2003, Debra Tessier)

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

EVENING
Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Lee Beachill (ENG) 6-15, 17-15, 15-11, 15-5
Jonathon Power (CAN) bt Joe Kneipp (AUS) 15-8, 15-8, 15-7
David Palmer (AUS) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 15-9 15-9 15-13
John White (SCO) bt Alan Grant (ENG) 15-11, 15-14, 15-12

AFTERNOON
Graham Ryding (CAN) bt Karim Darwish (EGY) 15-10, 3-15, 1-15, 15-11
Nick Matthews (ENG ) bt Ong Beng Hee (MAL) 11-15, 17-15, 15-12, 11-5.
Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt Amr Shaban (EGY) 15-12, 15-6, 15-8.
Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Martin Heath (SCO) 15-14, 10-15, 15-11, 15-12.