WORLD SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: Brit Insurance Super Series Squash Finals, Broadgate Arena, London
Semi-finals:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 15-11, 15-12, 15-7
[2] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 15-7, 15-8, 15-7
Power & Nicol In Super Series Finals Showdown
Tonight's (Friday) final of the 2003 Brit Insurance Super Series Squash
Finals at London's Broadgate Arena will provide one of the sport's most
irresistible clashes - featuring England's world No1 Peter Nicol and his arch
rival Jonathon Power, the world No3 from Canada.
It will be the pair's first meeting this year, but the 33rd of all-time -
with the balance of power delicately poised at 16 wins apiece! Furthermore,
each is marking an individual milestone - with Power celebrating his 50th
appearance in a PSA Tour final and Nicol boasting his 60th!
Both players produced top class performances to despatch their opponents in
last night's semi-finals of the $65,000 event, staged before a packed crowd
surrounding the all-glass court in a specially-constructed marquee in the
heart of the city of London.
Nicol, the 30-year-old No1 seed, extended his unbeaten run in 2003 with an
immaculate display of squash against young Super Series Finals debutant
Anthony Ricketts, the world No7 from Australia. The Englishman's 15-11 15-12
15-7 victory in 57 minutes puts him just one match away from equalling
Jansher Khan's five-year-old record of four Super Series Finals titles.
On the prospect of a final against his great rival, Nicol said: "It'll be
the 33rd time we've played and most of them have been finals - currently we
stand at 16-all. It should be a wonderful game. Jonathon is playing well,
he's focussed and wants to win, and when he's in that mood he's very
difficult to beat. But I also want to win and I'm quite difficult to beat
too!"
Earlier in the evening Power, the No2 seed, produced a squash master-class to
comprehensively despatch France's Thierry Lincou in straight games. The
Canadian was in imperious form, brushing off the Frenchman's challenge in
just 44 minutes to reach his first Super Series Finals final. Power was
behind just once in a match he otherwise dominated from start to finish,
recording a scoreline of 15-7 15-8 15-7.
"It's my first final here so I'm pumped up," said the Montreal-based
28-year-old afterwards. "I was really happy with my performance. I never
had much luck in England until the Commonwealth Games, but now I think I've
turned the corner, so this could be my new place!"