SEMIS

Quotes & Photos and Reports ...
Action photos from Fritz Borchert www.squash-u-bild.net

NICOL: LUCKY CHANGE…

It was the weirdest match once again, due to the circumstances, I guess. Rachael Grinham and Nicol David were starting to warm up as the court attendants were taking the covers off, they played the first game up to 7/0 for Rachael, then stopped for the rain, then went back again, 2 rallies, walked off, 9/0 for the Australian, came back to start the second game, and as they were warming the ball, the rain started again.

So the two girls agreed to go and finish the match at the Salmiya Club, while the organisers and the men were hoping that the rain would stop, and that they could actually enjoy the pleasure of playing on the glass court.

As far as the men are concerned, we all know what happened…

So, back they were on the traditional court…. And everything just turned round like that! Up 6/0, Rachael let 7 points go by her racquet, managed to score one more point, and lost the game 9/7.

In the third, Nicol was totally transformed. From the “I’m staying behind and returning what I can”, we now saw a “I’m the boss, I’m distributing the cards here” young lady. And do not believe that Rachael just let go of points. The Australian was running, placing her famous drop shots and lobs, and made very few errors. Nicol was just in front constantly, placement wise and score wise. The game went to the Malaysian 9/4.

In the fourth, things were back to normal, Rachael well planted on the T, pushing her opponent around, and very logically finding herself way ahead, 6/0. We all thought we were on for the five-setter, and that the strong Australian had now regrouped, and would give no chance to the young player.

But one again, Nicol’s momentum started to unfold, she stepped up the pace to come back at 6/6. Two tins in a row for the Malaysian, and Rachael was 7/6 up. But it was her turn to make unforced errors, and in front of a stunned crowed, the … 22-year old gained her second victory on the World Number 1.

She was pleased…

[4] Nicol David (Mas) bt [1] Rachael Grinham
0/9, 9/7, 9/4, 9/7 (52m)

"I was 6/0 up in both game two and game four. And it’s not that I just lost it or anything. I think I got to the point in the rally where I wanted to end the point, and finish the game, as I was so close to 9. So I went for a short ball, where I know very well that you do not play short with Nicol, because she is so darn quick, and gets everything back!

"And I kept making mistake upon mistake, in particular my forehand volley. How many shots did I put in the tin that way! Everybody was telling me not to play that shot, it just didn’t sink in…

"No, she played very well, she was very confident, she was just more patient and took advantage of my mistakes…"

Rachael Grinham

"What became a disadvantage to Rachael, the change of court I mean, turned to my advantage. The time where I beat her was in China, where the court was very cold. So I was lucky to play on the air conditioned court, where the temperature was actually very low… So I was lucky really…

"I was comfortable as soon as I got back on the courts I had been playing on all week. The rain was my friend today. Rachael just didn't settle after the second start."

Nicol David (to ProActive)

PALMER: SO SHARP

Good Lord! If that’s what marriage does to a player, I’m telling you, EVERYBODY should get married!

In this tournament, David Palmer has soared way above all his opponents. And today, Lee Beachill faced the same situation as his mate James Willstrop yesterday.

Lee didn’t play badly at all, he was perfectly focused, in control, didn’t have any lapse of concentration, moved well, his lengths were as precise as ever, but David was just too quick to distribute the shots, and was forcing the Englishman out of his comfort zone by just a fraction of a second. And that was enough to force Lee to play slightly off balance, and to find the tin instead of the perfect angle.

If the first few points of the first game were close, 3/3, David took quickly the lead 6/3. He was taking the ball extremely early, and was clearly in control of the rallies. Quite rightly, he got game ball 10/6, and took the game 11/7 in 12 minutes.

Roughly the same scenario in the second, where Lee was really under pressure, and made some uncharacteristic unforced errors, offering a comfortable lead 7/4, then 8/5. But Lee found his game, delayed two cross court that wrong footed his opponent to come back to 7/9. With a backhand cross court, David got game ball. He mishits the ball. 10/8. The marker announces Dave’s ball down, David appeals, is denied, pulls up the top of his shoes like he always does to refocus, doesn’t say a word. 10/9. And with a low drive kill, he ends a very long rally and a game 11/9 in 16 minutes.

In the third, it was all David once again. He was up 8/5. The rally went on and on, attacks, retrieval, 200 miles/hour kind of feeling. Eventually, David gets Lee in the far right back corner, and goes for a simple, easy, backhand drop shot to end it all up, that was most probably giving him the match, as it would have made it 9/5.

And puts it in the tin.

A bit tired, a bit disappointed, David seemed suddenly out of focus. Lee took full advantage of the situation to turn the game around, and finding some exquisite volley drop shots, came back into the match 11/9 in 12 minutes.

But exactly like yesterday’s match against James, David cruised through the fourth, getting up to 7/0 before Lee was able to react scorewise. And with a last cross court kill, David Palmer will have now the pleasure and honour to play the Boss in the final of the second Sheikha Al Saad Open…

On a personal note, I was impressed by the excellent attitude of both players, and especially by Lee’s aftermatch interview, who had only praise for his opponent. Sometimes, it’s not that easy to lose as gracefully as Lee did today… I’m not sure I could.

"When I play against Lee, I feel I’ve got to attack, as he likes to play the whole rally at the same pace. The last time I played against him, I found myself playing too much up and down the wall, and getting into the sort of pace that Lee appreciates a lot. So I tried to twist and turn him as much as possible, going for crosscourts, using the angles to put him under pressure.

"In the third, I was 8/5 up, and I got thinking that I was probably get the chance to win in three, and after that long rally, I put that easy drop shot in the tin, and I lost my concentration, especially as playing against Lee, if you want to stay in front, it takes a lot of energy, so I guess I got a bit tired as well.

"So, after missing that easy shot, l dropped a bit of my composure, I got frustrated, as I was missing on the chance of a 3/0 victory. But I found myself again in the fourth, I found my game and my rhythm."

David Palmer

"David played extremely well. I don’t think I played too badly, let’s say that I played well in patches, but he was more consistent. And if I made a few more mistakes than normal, it’s all credit to him.

"He played some very good winners, I think I did too, but today, he played better than I did, it's as simple as that."

Lee Beachill

[3] David Palmer (Aus) bt
[2] Lee Beachill (Eng)
11/7, 11/9, 9/11, 11/3

GRAINGER TOPPLES WORLD CHAMP ... Steve Cubbins

In the second women's match the USA's Natalie Grainger won two close opening games against world champion Vanessa Atkinson, but the Dutch girl clawed her way back to level at two-all. But the comeback was in vain as Grainger regrouped to record a famous victory.

[6] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [2] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned)
10/8, 9/7, 1/9, 8/10, 9/5 (57m)

"You missed a great match, Framboise, it had it all! 10/8, 9/7, I was up 2/0, then lost the third 1/9, I’ve got match ball in the fourth, 8/7, end up losing the game 8/10. In the fifth, she is up 3/1, then I turn it round 5/3, then it’s 5/5… And then she made a mistake after a long rally, so I realised I had to keep motoring!

"No, it went really well, I’m so happy, because Vanessa has been so good recently, she has been so consistent, she's won everything, and to beat her at her top (she hadn't been beaten in her last 16 matches) is a great feeling. It’s a good start for me again, I’m on the right track…"

Natalie Grainger

THIERRY:
TOO MUCH RESPECT FOR THE BOSS

From the moment Thierry Lincou stepped on court to affront Peter Nicol, I’m sorry to say I knew he was not going to win the match. He had in his eyes the fear and the respect that he used to have a few years back, when he was an up and coming player with a great potential, playing against the Mighty Peter Nicol.

Peter did everything right, helped by the fact that Thierry didn’t do much to prevent him from doing so, to the point that Lee Beachill, watching the match not too far away from me, asked me “Is Thierry injured?”…

And when the Frenchman started to take a bit more confidence in his talent and ability, Peter, although tired, was able to contain his opponent's attacks by digging in deep as only he knows how, and in particular in the fourth, concocted for us a few volley drop shots that I had also seen him do against Anthony Ricketts.

Lethal.

The first game was very quick (8 minutes for 11/3). The rallies in the second were much longer, and although the score is also punishing, they battled much longer (13 minutes for 11/4). The last game would be the longest, 23 minutes. Who knows, if Thierry had won the fourth, would he have a chance to win the game? I’m really not sure.

So, a shot at a 50th title for the Boss. And that has made the crowd very happy, as Peter is much loved in this part of the world, and was chanting his name throughout the match…

[4] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt [1] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
11/3, 11/4, 7/11, 11/10(2-0)

"I didn’t really play the first two games, I was basically lost on the court, I didn’t know what to do. He was cutting off my attacks, he was volleying my crosscourts, he was finding the angles… I felt that I was watching him instead of playing squash.

"It has to be said also that I had trouble reading his forehand, so I was always slightly late, and he took full advantage of it. He varied his game very well, he boasted superbly, and I ended up paying the price.

"On top of that, I fooled myself. Because of the intensity of his match yesterday, I didn’t expect him to hang me to dry from the first ball of the match!

"I feel that he stopped me from expressing myself, prevented me from playing, that’s how I analyse what happened…"

Thierry Lincou

"Today, it was obvious to me that Thierry didn’t know what to do in the first two games. He was scared to go short in case I would counterattack, he couldn’t find his length or width… It’s only in the third that he started to relax, let go of his shots, and found his game, his length, that we had a game.

"I know I’m not at the top of my fitness, because today was not too difficult match a physically, and it should have been a hard match, but no more than that. But it was really painful, and in the middle of the third, I found myself having to dig in quite deep. And it should be that painful.

"For tomorrow’s match against David Palmer, I’ve seen him play against James and Lee, and they both feel that they didn't play badly, but David is in great shape at the moment, he is extremely sharp. So it will have to be a very controlled match, and I’ll have to make sure that I don’t allow him to dominate the rallies…"

Peter Nicol