Peter Nicol Claims Third Commonwealth Games Gold In Melbourne
In a marathon men's squash singles final today (Monday) at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne, England's Peter Nicol clinched his third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal with a sensational four-game victory over the top-seeded Australian David Palmer.
“I am in shock. I can’t believe I have won it," said the 32-year-old from London after his remarkable 9-5, 10-8, 4-9, 9-2 victory over the world No2 in 109 minutes – the longest match of the tournament.
"I was overcome with emotion and I have never felt that before in my entire squash career. I wanted to win so desperately, and I wanted to make amends for Manchester.
"This is everything I have been working for, for the last sixteen months, and for my whole career really," added Nicol, one of the oldest players in the tournament, who won gold in the men’s singles for Scotland in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and gold for England in the men’s doubles in Manchester. He also took silver in the men’s singles in 2002.
“During that last game, I was so tired - but it was the best game of squash I have ever played. It was a constant mental battle. I knew he was tired and was giving it everything he had to get back in the third game. I knew that if I could get ahead it would be very hard for him.”
“I almost felt that it was my destiny win,” he added, after winning his 52nd major international title.
After winning the first game, Nicol led throughout the second but needed four game balls from 8-5 before finally securing the long energy-sapping game 10-8. Palmer took the upper hand against the increasingly tired-looking Englishman in the third and, after a brief break while a cut to a finger on Nicol's left hand was treated, the Australian reduced the deficit by winning the game.
However, it was a rejuvenated Nicol that returned for the fourth and, in a single hand from 5-2 up, took the game and the match with a sensational display of the highest-quality squash.
Lee Beachill, from Pontefract, won the men’s singles bronze in an all-England match against Nick Matthew, which finished with a scoreline of 9-3, 9-7, 9-3.
"I came off the court last night, having lost the semi-finals, and didn’t really feel that I had done anything wrong, so I was hoping to get back on the court today and just pick up where I had left off," said Beachill afterwards.
“After my operation at Christmas, the Commonwealth Games were a big target for me. I would have been devastated to miss it. To come here and get a singles medal is brilliant."
For Nick Matthew, from Sheffield, it was the third all-England clash that he had battled and the second he had lost. Afterwards he revealed: "Motivation wasn’t a problem - I just felt mentally drained. It was definitely hard to be at 100% level, but Lee deserved to win.
“I have slightly mixed emotions. I am delighted with the way I performed here. I have played some of the best squash of my career and came incredibly close to the finals. But I'm disappointed that I have ended up with nothing.”