WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: PSA Qatar Masters Squash Championship, Doha, Qatar

Final:
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [6] David Palmer (AUS) 15-4, 15-7, 10-15, 15-8

Nicol Masters Qatar

England's Peter Nicol returned to his winning ways at the Khalifa International Squash Complex in Doha with a four games victory over Australia's David Palmer in the final of the $120,000 PSA Qatar Masters.

It was a surprisingly straightforward win for the third-seeded Englishman over Palmer, the sixth seed who was still clearly feeling the effects of his two tough earlier battles - a 114-minute five-game quarter-final marathon against title-holder John White, and a close-fought 73-minute four-game semi-final with Qatar Classic champion Lee Beachill.

Nicol, playing in his first PSA Tour event since returning from a two-week charity fund-raising expedition to the Himalayas, triumphed 15-4 15-7 10-15 15-8 to claim his third successive win over the Australian in a final on the all-glass court in Doha.

"I was impressed with my squash," Nicol told the Gulf Times.  "When I came here I was pretty tired.  I definitely didn't expect such an easy win in the final," remarked the PSA Masters champion for the second time since 2000. 

The Australian, who has been plagued by injuries this year, told Gulf Times that he was back in business and would return for the Qatar Classic at the end of the year to have another shot at the silverware on the all-glass court.  "This court is not jinxed for me.  In fact, this is one of my favourites, I will be back for the Classic," said Palmer.

Nicol's win takes his career PSA Tour title tally to 48 trophies from 66 final appearances.  With his half century now only two titles away, and world No1 White ousted at the quarter-final stage in Doha, the former Scot can perhaps also look forward to reclaiming the world No1 ranking when the next PSA list is published in May.