MAMUT ENGLISH OPEN - final results
Lincou Maintains French Supremacy In English Open Final
Former world No1 Thierry Lincou maintained his PSA Tour supremacy over compatriot Gregory Gaultier when he won the first all-French final of the Mamut English Open at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield ...
Mamut English Open, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England
Men's Final:
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-6, 2-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 (71m)
Women's Final:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [3/4] Laura Hill (ENG) 9-4, 9-1, 9-3 (40m)
But Gaultier, the fast-rising 23-year-old who showed his promise in a devastating straight games dismissal of Peter Nicol which brought the UK career of England's most successful player of all time to an end in the semi-finals, made Lincou work hard for his third title on British soil this year.
The 30-year-old No2 seed from Marseille took the opening game, but seventh seed Gaultier fought back to take the next two to forge a 2/1 lead.
Lincou, who lost his French national title to Gaultier this year - but is unbeaten by his younger French team-mate now in five career meetings on the PSA Tour - pulled back the deficit before clinching the fifth game to record a mighty 11-6, 2-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 victory in 71 minutes.
"It was a very high pace, very accurate squash which demands a lot of energy and concentration," Lincou told the official website afterwards. "The third was a key game, and I was not happy to have lost it. But I felt that I had got my efficiency back, that I was not as dominated during the rallies that I had been in the second - and that if I could keep doing what I was doing, it would be fine eventually.
"I just wanted to congratulate Greg on his tournament, beating the top guys in straight games," added the world No3 who now boasts 17 PSA Tour titles. "Tonight, it was not an easy ride to play him, and I�m sure that he will be at the top of the rankings very soon."
A disappointed Gaultier added: "When I took the third, I thought that it would be the decisive turning point - but I had to dig in so deep, to come back in that game, that I was burned out by the end of it."
Earlier, the women's title stayed in English hands when favourite Lauren Briggs, the world No24 from Essex, beat full-time firewoman and part-time squash player Laura Hill 9-4, 9-1, 9-3 in the women's final.
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Men's semi-finals:
[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5] Peter Nicol (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [8] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-3, 7-2 ret. (20m)
Women's semi-finals:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [3/4] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-7, 9-2, 9-5 (46m)
[3/4] Laura Hill (ENG) bt [2] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-7, 4-9, 2-9, 10-8, 9-6 (68m)
Gaultier Brings Down The Curtain On Peter Nicol's Career
The mighty career of British squash hero Peter Nicol was brought to a close this evening at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where he was beaten in his final appearance on home soil by rising French star Gregory Gaultier in the semi-finals of the Mamut English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council.
Seventh seed Gaultier will face compatriot Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed, in the first all-French PSA Tour final outside France after Lincou came through his semi-final against Lee Beachill when the Englishman was forced to retire during the second game after sustaining an adductor injury in his right leg.
When announcing his retirement last month, after an illustrious career spanning a decade and a half, 33-year-old Peter Nicol felt he could successfully defend the 5-star PSA Tour title he won for the first time last year.
But Gaultier, ten years younger than the four-times Commonwealth Games gold medallist from London , demonstrated the qualities which made him one of the rising stars of the international game � and, in 45 minutes of exhilarating squash, defeated the title-holder 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
"I though I played quite well - but everything I did, Greg managed to counter," said fifth seed Nicol afterwards. "I was always struggling, always a couple of steps behind him, both tactically and physically.
"He's come on a lot. He was exceptional tonight � just too good."
Nicol, whose career includes more than 50 major international titles and a total of 60 months at the top of the world rankings, received a prolonged standing ovation from the packed Crucible crowd at the end of his historic match on the all-glass court.
"The response here has been wonderful - the crowd was very supportive, willing me on," agreed the Englishman. "And it was great to get that ovation at the end."
Nicol will play his final event of all next month in Egypt at the World Open, staged alongside the famous pyramids of Giza : "I've got some work to do over the next two weeks, to get myself up to speed. Just one last block of work before I retire," added the 1999 World Open champion.
When asked if he felt he had made the right decision to retire, Nicol said: "Yes, definitely. I'm ready to stop, without a doubt. It's time to move on."
The other Anglo/French semi-final was expected to be as dramatic as the first. But at 7-2 down in the opening game, Yorkshireman Beachill slipped badly and clearly suffered a painful injury to his right leg. The eighth seed saw out the first game and played through to the same points tally in the second game, when he conceded defeat with the score at 11-3, 7-2 in Lincou's favour.
While Gaultier is celebrating his 15th appearance in a PSA Tour final, Lincou will mark his 30th at the Crucible.
Favourite Lauren Briggs and 3/4 seed Laura Hill will meet in an all-English women's final after contrasting semi-final victories on the all-glass court. Briggs, from Essex, maintained the upper hand throughout her clash with Yorkshire 's Lauren Siddall to beat the other 3/4 seed 9-7, 9-2, 9-5 in 46 minutes.
Hill, a firewoman from Duffield in Derbyshire, fought back from 2/1 down against No2 seed Rebecca Botwright to record a impressive 9-7, 4-9, 2-9, 10-8, 9-6 upset in 68 minutes over the world No28 from Manchester � ranked more than a hundred places higher than Hill.
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Quarter-finals:
[5] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [1] David Palmer (AUS) 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (3-1), 11-8 (63m)
[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Stewart Boswell (AUS) 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (42m)
[8] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [4] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 (68m)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [6] Nick Matthew (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 (62m)
Women's 1st round:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Emma Chorley (ENG) 9-4, 9-5, 9-5 (36m)
[3/4] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt Karen Leach (WAL) 3-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-7 (38m)
[3/4] Laura Hill (ENG) bt [Q] Adel Weir (RSA) 9-1, 9-1, 9-1 (20m)
[2] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt Emma Beddoes (ENG) 9-3, 9-5, 9-3 (28m)
Peter Nicol In Dramatic English Open Comeback Win At Crucible
British squash hero Peter Nicol gave little credence to the fact that he is on the verge of retiring when he staged a dramatic comeback to beat long-time adversary David Palmer, the world No2 from Australia, in the quarter-finals of the Mamut English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The 33-year-old from London , playing his farewell event in the UK , was a game down to top seed Palmer, and game ball at 5-10 behind in the second, when he mounted an incredible fight-back. In a single hand, Nicol saved five game balls to force the game into a tie-break, which he then duly won to draw level.
The third game of this re-match of March's Commonwealth Games final in Melbourne � won in similarly dramatic style by the Englishman - also went to a tie-break, with Palmer twice saving game balls before Nicol forged a 2/1 advantage.
With victory in his sights, fifth seed and defending champion Nicol charged on to secure his remarkable 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (3-1), 11-8 victory in 63 minutes.
"For the first game and a half, David really controlled the game and played exceptionally � but then he got edgy and lost a bit of his concentration," said Nicol after the pair's 20th clash in major international events, with the Englishman now 14-6 ahead.
"But then I got a better length, especially from the end of the second through to the fourth game � and started to volley a lot, something I haven't been doing for a while now. And because I was volleying, I was controlling the game more.
"But what I was very happy with was the fact that I stepped forward and started to control the rallies," explained the four-times Commonwealth Games gold medallist, cheered on by a capacity Crucible crowd.
"There was fantastic support � I felt the crowd were really behind me, and it really does help!"
Earlier, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier claimed the first semi-final place when he beat Australia 's surprise quarter-finalist Stewart Boswell. The unseeded 28-year-old from Canberra was unable to reproduce the same form which saw him upset third-seeded compatriot Anthony Ricketts in the opening round � and went down 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 to fast-improving Gaultier in 42 minutes.
Gaultier, the 23-year-old world No8 from Aix-en-Provence , will meet Nicol for a place in the final. "It'll be a tough match," admitted title-holder Nicol. "I watched Greg tonight and he was exceptional. He'll be desperate to do well � and he is ten years younger!"
Despite being the top-ranked Englishman in the event � six places higher than opponent Lee Beachill � James Willstrop failed to end the career-long sequence of losses to his Pontefract club-mate in tonight's all-Yorkshire quarter-final.
"I got off to an unbelievable start, and James didn't � he made a few mistakes and I took advantage of them," summed up eighth seed Beachill after his nominal 'upset' over fourth-seeded Willstrop.
"I'm happy with the way I'm playing � and happy to be in the semi-finals," added the 28-year-old following his 11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 victory in 68 minutes � a win which marks Beachill's sixth PSA Tour victory over 23-year-old Willstrop since their first meeting at the Crucible two years ago, when Beachill went on to lift the English Open title.
Willstrop, however, had a different story to tell after tonight's match: "I was awful, I'm really disappointed. It was a pretty poor performance on my part really � but then again it seems like it's a pattern every time I play Lee. I struggle to impose my game on him at the moment - and that's all there is to it!"
The second semi-final will also be an Anglo/French clash. Hopes of a second successive final appearance for Sheffield 's own Nick Matthew were dashed by French No1 Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed.
After dropping the first game, Lincou came back to beat the 26-year-old local hero 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 to set up his second meeting this year with Beachill.
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1st round (bottom half):
[8] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (35m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 (36m)
[6] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (30m)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt John White (SCO) 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (53m)
Yorkshire Trio Trounce English Open Opposition In Sheffield
Yorkshire squash trio Lee Beachill, James Willstrop and Nick Matthew trounced their opposition in the first round matches of the Mamut English Open at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to ensure local interest through to Thursday's semi-finals of the 5-star PSA Tour event hosted by Sheffield City Council.
Eighth seed Beachill, the 2004 champion, survived a close first game against Mohd Azlan Iskandar before imposing his authority on the rising Malaysian star to win 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 in 35 minutes.
Meanwhile his Pontefract club-mate and England team-mate James Willstrop, the world No4 and highest-ranked Englishman in the event, despatched French qualifier Renan Lavigne 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 in 36 minutes.
The fourth seed, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Tuesday, will face Beachill for the third time this year in tomorrow's quarter-finals � hoping to achieve his career-first victory over his close friend and training partner.
Winner of last week's Cleethorpes Invitation � a non-ranking event in England � Willstrop acknowledged the importance the event had played in his build-up for the Mamut championship: "That allowed me to get three solid matches before arriving here," explained the former world junior champion. "People do not realise the huge difference there is between training and real matches. And no matter how hard, nothing compares with playing in an event in front of an appreciative crowd."
Sheffield hero Nick Matthew completed the line-up of three Yorkshire-based quarter-finalists when he dismissed compatriot Mark Chaloner, a qualifier and former world No7 from Lincolnshire , 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 in just 30 minutes.
Born, raised and still living in Sheffield, Matthew has never failed to reach the quarter-finals in four years of the English Open at the Crucible � and last year bravely fought through to the final before bowing out to England team-mate Peter Nicol.
"I wasn't settled on the court today � I wanted to be sharp as Mark is a very experienced player, so I'm happy with the win," said 26-year-old Matthew. "I can't really say that I want to win this tournament more than any other as I want to win ALL the tournaments I play!"
Two former world number ones battled out the only non-Yorkshire encounter on the all-glass Crucible court when France 's Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed, faced Scotland 's US-based John White, the inaugural English Open champion in 2003.
Lincou overcame a first game scare to beat the hard-hitting Scotsman 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 in 53 minutes and will now face home hero Matthew for a place in the semi-finals.
Official Website: www.englishopensquash.com
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1st round (top half):
[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [Q] Alex Gough (WAL) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (41m)
[5] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Peter Barker (ENG) 5-11, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-7 (57m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [3] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6 (74m)
[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (50m)
Nicol Survives Initial English Open Hurdle
British squash hero Peter Nicol survived the opening encounter in his final event in the UK before he retires when he fought back from a game down to beat his young England team-mate Peter Barker in tonight's first round of the Mamut English Open at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
"That was almost just what I wanted," conceded the 33-year-old Englishman who is bowing out of the game after an illustrious career which includes 60 months at the top of the world rankings and more than 50 major international titles including the World Open, British Open and four Commonwealth Games gold medals.
"Peter really came out for it and played really well in the first game," said title-holder Nicol after his crowd-pleasing 5-11, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-7 triumph in 57 minutes.
"But slowly I managed to exert pressure on him until he started making mistakes and then could see the match falling away from him," added the fifth seed.
Barker, a 22-year-old from Upminster in Essex who is ranked just outside the world top 20, claimed that he did not feel under any pressure before tonight's much-hailed clash.
"When I heard I was drawn to play Peter in his last event in the UK, I was really pleased- �I felt quite honoured," said fellow left-hander Barker. "It's never nice losing in the first round of a tournament, but even though I did, I'm sure the match will benefit me in the future."
Nicol will now meet his great rival David Palmer, the top seed from Australia, in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Palmer, whom Nicol beat earlier in the year in Melbourne to win his second Commonwealth Games singles gold medal, dashed hopes of Welsh interest in the last eight when he defeated qualifier Alex Gough 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 in 41 minutes.
Unseeded Australian Stewart Boswell claimed the first upset in the 5-star PSA Tour event hosted by Sheffield City Council when he rallied to a five-game victory over Australian team-mate Anthony Ricketts, the No3 seed, on the all-glass court at the Crucible.
In a match described by both players as "patchy in places", Boswell stemmed a late fight-back by his close friend and training partner to overcome the world No5 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6 in 74 minutes.
It was the 28-year-old from Canberra's first PSA Tour win over Ricketts in recent years - "but we used to play each other in almost every tournament we entered when we started on the circuit," conceded Boswell afterwards.
"The fourth game was a bit of a disaster for me, but I repeated what I had planned to do in that game in the fifth, and it seemed to work better for me," explained Boswell, the former world No4 who recently endured a two-year lay-off with a mystery back injury.
Both Australians are UK-based - Boswell in Manchester and Ricketts now in Pontefract in Yorkshire.
The opening match of the evening saw the first of the event's three British/French encounters, with first blood going to France when Gregory Gaultier, the seventh seed making his debut in the event, beat English qualifier Daryl Selby, from Witham in Essex, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 in 50 minutes.
