The third movement was a tragedy from the start: the first five points consisted of four unforced error and a stroke. It was then that Power moved into the Bolero and his shots starting hitting out the rhythm on the tin. At 6-6 he hit the tin again and then burst into song (more like a scream) “Stop hitting the tin!!” But he could not and when the movement was over 15-9 in Boswell’s favour, Power had committed ten unforced errors.

Power could not get it back in the fourth and while he was level at 9-all, he was hitting the tin at critical points. At 11-12 he played Boswell out of position and with Boswell in the vicinity of the back wall, Power’s drop hit the tin. He slung his racket on the floor, earning conduct warning for racket abuse , but he didn’t care because he was now 11-13 down and two points from defeat. Boswell got to match point on a forehand drop and the final point, well, what a crash of cymbals and blaring of brass while the kettle drums rumbled. I wish I could describe what happened but I would need a slo-mo replay to do that. There was a-leaping and a-jumping as though the Bolshoi had joined in, some wonderful retrievals and dives but in the end it was Boswell’s point with Power flat on his back.

How the audience whistled and stamped: I bet Bach never got it so loud in this place.

NICOL PUSHED AGAIN

He lost the first 15-12 and was at game point in the second 14-13 when he hit a shot that went round Nicol and clung to the back wall. Ricketts walked off thinking he had won, but Nicol had not played a shot fearing that he would hit his opponent. Ricketts was called back on court when Nicol’s let was given and was so aggrieved at the decision he lost that point and then the final tie-breakpoint with another error.

The third game saw some wonderful rallies with both players using their heads, but at 11-all, Nicol kept on using his head while Ricketts made errors of judgement that cost him a chance of a fourth game, and Nicol was through to the semis.

True, Chaloner did hit a purple patch in the second game that allowed him to recover from 3-10 down to 15-15, but Palmer made sure he got those last two points to win 17-15 and then continue to win the third 15-12. It was desultory squash, with no rhythm and few exciting points. Perhaps Palmer felt he didn’t need to get out of second gear, but it might have been good practise for his semi-final meeting with Nicol, if he had concentrated on precision.

LINCOU TOO SHARP FOR OLLI

Thierry Lincou had no room for sentimentality. He crushed a below par Olli Tuominen, the qualifier 3/0 in 24 minutes in a match that, far from being the battle I anticipated, held absolutely no excitement. The officials and press had to stay and watch it….I can’t understand why the spectators did. From a high of about 600 people, their numbers had dwindled to about a hundred and the match was played with very little applause. It does mean,however, that Lincou will be sharp and fresh for Boswell in the semis. If he plays as well as he did today and with the same killer intensity, Boswell may have to forego a final place.

RESULTS. US OPEN QUARTERS
Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 15-12, 17-16, 15-13. (60 mins)
David Palmer (Aus) bt Mark Chaloner (Eng) 15-12, 17-15, 15-12. (65 mins)
Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt Olli Tuominen (fin) 15-9, 15-7, 15-5. (24 mins)
Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt Jonathon Power (Can) 9-15, 15-12, 15-9, 15-11. (74 mins)