Nicol makes Power powerless to win title

By Raju Chainani

HONG KONG, SEPT.3 Defending champion Peter Nicol cruised to a 15- 11, 15-10, 15-6 win over Jonathon Power in the final of the $ 74,000 Cathay Pacific squash Open. It was a mundane affair and lasted just 43 minutes. The only time Power was ahead was at 2-1 in the third, such was Nicol's vice-like grip on the match.

Power had suggested yesterday that he was in the hunt. But the hunter never got close to the hunted and the man from Inverurie won with a degree of comfort. The initial rallies were long. It was 5-3 to Nicol after nine minutes, two strokes helping his cause. As usual, the Scot was discipline personified as

he played the ball close to the wall or angled it so that Power had to retrieve from the back court. The Canadian was on the backfoot and when he is under pressure, the odds of an unforced error increase. His touch of class came at 7-10 when he found the nick with a calculated backhand drop.

He lost the next four points as Nicol turned on the tap and 18 minutes into the match, the Scot was one up. Nicol soon established a 8-3 lead in the second. Power had words with

referee Fahim Gul at 6-3 when a no-let decision was given on Nicol's backhand drop. ``What are you doing?'', he quipped but the words were lost in the gallery as Fahim sternly told him to play on. Three tins from the Canadian saw Nicol go from 9-7 to 12-7. A backhand crosscourt volley left Power standing as Nicol reached gameball. Power tried his luck with a backhand drop but it kissed the top of the tin and gave the Scot a commanding two game lead.

The third game was a ten minute affair with Nicol breaking away from 5-5. Power looked disinterested and Nicol lapped it up. ``I felt comfortable. I was confident of winning the final. Today, I was much more relaxed and played better than I have all week. This was probably the easiest win I have had over Jonathon this year. Hurghada was tough and at Dublin he played quite well'', said the champion.

Nicol's first Cathay Pacific Open was in 1993. The following year he lost to Jansher in the final. This was his fourth final in eight years and his second success. More important was the psychological advantage he has secured over his rivals and the 27 year-old Scot says with confidence, `` I am the man they have to beat at the moment''.

Power was unhappy with his showing. ``I couldn't get anything going. It was my worst performance. Had it been a qualifier or somebody easier, it may have been different but with Peter, I had little chance. He was playing about 60 per cent of his normal game. I am a lot fitter than I was last year. I have had a bit of bad luck with injuries. I have gone through patches where I have not enjoyed my squash. I am going to give my hand a bit of a rest. It isn't my playing hand so I should be able to get back sooner''.

This was Nicol's sixth title this year and has taken his tally on the PSA circuit to 31. Seven of these have come at the expense of the charismatic Canadian and the last three have been in straight games. Head to head, Nicol has inched ahead 11- 10. The Cathay Pacific Open was his sixth title this year. ``I shall have a couple of weeks off and then start preparing for October's British Open'', said Nicol.

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