|
| |
|
Power Controls World No1 Lincou To Reach Bermuda Semis |
|
RESULTS: Virtual Spectator Bermuda PSA Masters, Hamilton, Bermuda
Quarter-finals:
[6] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11,
11-8 (96m)
[12] John White (SCO) bt [7] Nick Matthew (ENG) 9-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 8-11,
11-8 (97m)
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [5] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-5, 10-11 (1-3), 11-4,
11-3 (50m)
[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [8] Karim Darwish (EGY) 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (54m)
Power Controls World No1 Lincou To Reach Bermuda Semis
"Squash at its best" was how one observer described the dramatic quarter-final
in the Virtual Spectator Bermuda PSA Masters between sixth seed Jonathon Power
and top seed Thierry Lincou - in which the mercurial Canadian prevailed in a
five-game marathon to upset the French world number one and world champion to
reach an unexpected semi-final berth on the all-glass court at the Jessie
Vesey Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda.
In a remarkable semi-final line-up of the $120,000 PSA Super Series event
presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance which features four former world
number ones, Power will face Scotland's 12th seed John White, whilst second
seed Lee Beachill will take on third seed Peter Nicol in an all-English
affair.
The Power/Lincou clash promised to be spectacular and more than lived up to
its name. The match started at a slow pace, with both players making
uncharacteristic unforced errors, trying to play the tightest of shots from
the outset. The first game remained close to 9-9 until Lincou rattled
off two points to take a 1/0 lead.
The pace picked up in the second with Power showing his amazing array of
deceptive shots which caused even the world champion to be constantly changing
direction. At seven-all it was anyone's game until Power reeled off four
unanswered points to level the match at one game each.
>From the third game on, the quality of squash was superb - with neither
player giving any quarter. Power continued to demonstrate why he is
considered one of the greatest stroke players in the modern game and soon
moved into a 2/1 lead. But Lincou, chasing every ball and playing
superbly, seized the initiative in the fourth and won a closely-fought duel to
set the scene for a fifth game thriller. If the first four games were
hot, the fifth was a sizzler!
Both gave it their all and constantly fought to dominate the tee. Power
had been questioning the referee's decisions from the third game, always in
the belief that he can retrieve every shot, no matter how impossible - and
even Lincou started to question decisions in the final game. It was
clear that both badly wanted to claim victory and the game progressed
absolutely evenly.
At three-all, Power was accidentally struck on the right wrist by Lincou's
racket and took an injury time out - much to the consternation of his
opponent. When play resumed they went straight back into the fray until
seven-all. The next rally was unbelievable and had the audience on edge
while each player put away irretrievable winners only to see them returned
with interest. A perfect back hand drop shot by Power forced Lincou into
the front left corner where he played a cross court lob, only to have Power
hammer an overhead smash into the front right nick to end the rally - and
raise his racket as if victory was in sight.
But the match was not quite over. During the next rally Power flinched
when struck in the face by Lincou's racket but went on to win the point before
claiming a second injury time out to stop the bleeding to his lip.
When they finally returned to the court, Lincou took the next point. But
Power was not to be denied and he put away the last two points to take the
game and the match 9-11 11-7 11-6 9-11 11-8 after a gruelling 96 minutes on
court.
The last time the pair met, in the quarter-finals of the Windy City Open in
January, Power beat the Frenchman to set up a semi-final meeting with John
White. The Canadian will hope, however, that history will not be
repeated in Hamilton - as White defeated Power in Chicago en-route to picking
up the title.
Both players will clash following almost identical quarter-final workouts - as
White needed a minute more than Power to see off England's Nick Matthew in the
next match on the all-glass court.
Seventh seed Matthew won the first game after being given a conduct warning
with the score at 3-3 when he continued to argue with the referee after what
he considered to be a dubious let call. White, the 12th seed, was
visibly playing himself back into form, as he has throughout the tournament,
and won the next two games before Matthew, tenaciously chasing down every
ball, took the fourth to force the match into a decider.
There was no telling who would triumph as they each vied for the lead, but
White suddenly decided to play a series of devastating drop shots as Matthew
perhaps showed slight signs of slowing down. The Scot ultimately took
the fifth game to win the match 9-11 11-10 11-9 8-11 11-8 in 97 minutes.
The rigours of James Willstrop's epic 96-minute encounter the previous day
against Australia's Anthony Ricketts were clearly evident as he faced fellow
Englishman Peter Nicol in the next quarter-final.
Nicol, by contrast, looked sharp and fresh in the first game, pushing
Willstrop from corner to corner and generally looking the more aggressive.
In the second, Willstrop started to get it together - more by sheer will power
than anything else - and what followed was a spectacular exhibition of
athletic squash. One rally in particular - won by Willstrop, which saw
both players at full stretch and included a full-length dive by Nicol at the
back of the court to stay in the rally - will live long in the memory.
As Willstrop clinched the tie-break game with a delicate forehand drop-shot
into the nick, the enthusiastic crowd could have been forgiven for thinking
they had a serious game on their hands.
But the wily Nicol had other ideas in the third, retrieving with grim
determination and stubbornly refusing to concede the centre of the court.
As hard as fifth seed Willstrop tried, his legs were simply not there and by
the end, his shoulders slumped with sheer fatigue, it was clear Nicol had it
in the bag as he eventually wore down a willing but tired-looking England
team-mate 11-5 10-11 11-4 11-3.
The final match of the day was a rather flat affair between England's Lee
Beachill and Karim Darwish of Egypt - with the world number two Beachill
taking the game in four 7-11 11-7 11-7 11-9.
Check out the live action on www.PSALIVE.tv
Issued on behalf of: PSA |
|
