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Kneipp and Nicol get Symphonic
Standing Ovation
By Ron Beck
©
2004 Squashtalk, all rights of reproduction reserved.
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CURRENT
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Beachill
and Palmer Get Elbows Swinging
Sept 20 2004, Symphony Hall, Boston
MA
WILL
THE REAL DAVID PALMER PLEASE STAND UP
David Palmer, who came out Sunday for his quarterfinal contest wearing
white, decided on a black shirt today. It set the tone for the evening.
Palmer, who had been on his absolute best behavior all week, picked today
to become more emotional.
From the start, the Palmer — Lee Beachill contest resembled a back alley brawl. Beachill, decked out in red and Palmer, decked out in black, spent most of the evening trying to occupy the same space, get their own ideas across to the referee, and in general get into the space and heads of the opponent. The referee got involved, drawn into discussions with the players, and the players got the crowd involved too, with the seven-hundred fifty spectators dividing their loyalties between the Aussie and the Manchester man.
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| David Palmer and Lee Beachill played in close quarters (photo © 2004 Stephen Line) |
There were elements of what famed former Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most always referred to as the "Stanislovsky" — as the two competitors took turns trying to outdo each other in acting jobs, as Beachill and Palmer took turns appealing to the referees with facial expressions, gestures, exaggerated positioning, and real or imaginary elbows to the ribs and arms. In short, the contest was far from subtle.
What got left behind were the finer points of the game. Both players were having trouble keeping the ball tight to the walls, the result being a lot of open balls and constant opportunities for contact and interference. Despite the open balls, both players were having trouble turning those openings into winners. Both of these two competitors can do much better. But part of it was just how the game developed.
The
match had several phases. Phase one had David Palmer playing sharp and
crisp squash while Beachill was having trouble getting things going. After
a big discussion and argument, about nobody knew what and won by noone,
part way through the first game, Beachill completely lost his concentration
and hit about five straight completely unforced tins. Game one to Palmer
11-5.
Beachill came out a totally different player in game two and suddenly Palmer couldn't find the rail. In rapid fashion, Game two to Beachill 11-3.
In game three, the David Palmer we thought wasn't going to make an appearance in Boston came front and center.
After surrendering an early lead, and letting Beachill catch up to 3-3, Palmer fired the ball high into the Symphony Hall audience.
David continued in that vein as he began exhibiting his patented, pained facial expressions each time Beachill was awarded a let on a good Palmer attacking shot. The fact was, neither player was making a particularly strong effort to go after the ball rather than go right at the opponent.
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| Neither player was able to keep the ball tight (photo © 2004 Stephen Line) |
When the facial expressions didn't have an effect, Palmer decided on the replay approach, demonstrating his position and Beachill's. Still no effect on the referee.
So the obvious next step was some jostling, pushing and shoving. That served to get the audience into the match, mostly on Beachill's side.
Meanwhile, it was Beachill who was concentrating on his squash, always playing the percentages, waiting, waiting, waiting for the right time to make the punishing drop or cross court drive.
With Palmer leading 6-5 in the third game, there ensued an incredible series of points, which ended in a let six times in succession, with the players getting more and more testy. And then one shot which Beachill played into the tin. Or did he? The referees insisted they couldn't see the ball. "Both of you blocked our view." The referee insisted. Play it again. It was Beachill who's calm exterior served him well through this long stalemate. Suddenly it was 11-7 and the lead for Lee.
The fourth game was when both players got very serious and the accuracy and intensity took a quantum leap. Now Palmer was playing more like the Palmer of 2001 and 2002. Crisp attacking squash, confident attacks to the forehand front court. Lee Beachill was on heightened alert as well. The match became a chess game. Each probed for the weak link.
David Palmer was maintaining just enough of an advantage to get to 8-6. While Lee Beachill has that competitive advantage of calm — no panic at all. A long point ended with a crosscourt backhand nick for Lee Beachill and he was at 7-8. But Palmer engineered a stroke on the next point as he whirled on an open ball and had Beachill in his sights.
The points were getting better and the score reached 9-9. Four times Palmer worked the point strategically and maneuvered Beachill so that he could play the attacking drop or drive. Four times Beachill stretched to the limit and requested a let. Four times he was awarded a let. Four times Palmer registered a pained protest. Palmer's face said it all.
But Lee Beachill, ever calm, ever cool, waited and in the end played a hanging changeup soft crosscourt that clung to the forehand wall and left Palmer swinging at air, and Beachill had the match.
It wasn't pretty, but the defending champion was out.
POETRY
IN MOTION
Contrast that cacaphony to the harmony of the
Joe Kneipp - Peter Nicol contest. The two matches took the spectators
to two extremes, a contrast that many of the spectators couldn't fathom.
The simple view was that Kneipp and Nicol were playing a much higher-level
brand of squash. But that simple answer wasn't correct. The Palmer-Beachill
match was plenty good squash, it was just a different set of tactics and
competitive situations.
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| Peter Nicol's dangerous front court game kept Joe Kneipp thinking (photo © 2004 Stephen Line) |
Joe Kneipp and Peter Nicol came out tonight in a rematch of their memorable semi final matchup at the memorial US Open in 2002. Joe Kneipp, seeded only eight, and ranked #10 put a lot of pressure on world #1 Peter Nicol. The result was some fantastic squash that the audience rewarded with a standing ovation when the match ended three games to zero in Peter Nicol's favor. The match ended with a scoreline of 11-6, 11-6, 11-6, but the scoreline in this case was not at all indicative of the quality of the play, the competition, or of the opposition that Kneipp mustered in battling Nicol.
Too, it was a totally clean match, in 100% contrast to the Palmer-Beachill match which followed.
Joe Kneipp has seemed totally unbeatable the night before, with his fluid, creative and unpredictable attacking game and patient position play. Peter Nicol demonstrated how one can effectively combat the offensive skills and athletic ability of a Kneipp. Nicol raised his game up to the level he is capable of, and which has made him #1. His counterpunching short game is so effective that it had the double effect of making Kneipp reluctant to attack Nicol up front, especially on Nicol's left-handed forehand, and at the same time made Kneipp press from time to time, trying to press the attack in a more unpredictable, and low-percentage way.
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| David Palmer and Lee Beachill played in close quarters (photo © 2004 Stephen Line) |
So Kneipp was left with a less fluid attack and that subtle difference gave Nicol the advantage. It was only a subtle advantage however. The points were fantastic. Both players were on. Kneipp at times was breathtaking in his offensive, forcing Nicol to demonstrate his all out retrieving and ability to move and concentrate.
Kneipp probed and probed, looking for a portion of the court where he could effectively attack. Nicol countered and countered, showing Joe that he could handle each of the various types of attack that Joe mounted. The effects were cumulative. Little by little the errors crept in and despite the fact that Kneipp forced some Nicol errors and beat him several times on perfect length, it was Kneipp who made just that many more tiny mistakes to give Peter Nicol the advantage and a berth in the final.
"I wasn't dissatisfied with my play," Kneipp told SquashTalk. "I though I played really well. Peter just played better. He's so dangerous up front, I really didn't want to attack him up there. I didn't feel that I was being tentative, I just couldn't use the attack I wanted to." The crowd agreed - Joe Kneipp played extremely well, and Peter Nicol played like the #1. It was entertaining, high quality squash.
US Open
Squash 2004
Semi finals, Sunday at Symphony Hall: [complete draw]
Peter Nicol
(ENG)(1) def Joseph
Kneipp (AUS)(8) 11-6 11-6 11-6
Lee Beachill
(ENG, 2) def David Palmer (AUS)(4) 5-11 11-5 11-7 11-9
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| Joe Kneipp, satisfied with his performance, chats with SquashTalk's Ron Beck (photo © 2004 Stephen Line) |
