Power repulses Boswell
Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene at Grand Central Terminal

by Martin Bronstein, Live at Grand Central Terminal, New York, 25 Feb 2003
All content © 2003 Squashtalk, photos: © 2003 Debra Tessier

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But it wasn't to be in New York although the promise was there after they split the first two games. Nicol won the first 19 minute game and surprisingly fell behind in the second, finally giving up when Ricketts had opened a 10-4 lead. Nicol returned for the third and played ruthless squash to show that the previous game was just a hiccup. This was fast and furious squash, Nicol making his opponent move ceaselessly around the court and then taking the heart of him by getting an impossible ball back to the front wall. Ricketts was intense and each lost point brought a brief explosion of anger. At one point he threw his wrist band over the back wall for which he was docked a point. (Wrist band abuse? Dangerous stuff).

Nicol's edge is his consistency; his opponents have to win every point - he gives almost nothing away. And Ricketts did win a lot of points, many when he had Nicol at the front of the court and then driving to perfect length. But on the long rallies, where he had put in several lungsfull of effort, he would let Nicol off the hook with an unforced error - his backhand low crosscourt letting him down on numerous occasions. This was also true in the game scenario, Ricketts staying with Nicol to 10-10 and then committing two errors on critical points to allow Nicol to open up a gap which he could never close, Nicol winning 15-11.

"He didn't play badly," said Rodney Martin who was coaching Ricketts between games.
"He started too tentatively and was being too precise. He also made a few bad decisions but he hasn't been at this stage too often and it would be expecting too much to do again what he did in the world open. But Ricketts is learning and it won't be too long before he gets a result over Nicol.

POWER STARTS DREADFULLY, BOSWELL FINISHES EVEN WORSE

Down 0-5 Power managed two points when awarded strokes and made four more errors in the next five rallies. It was a nightmare situation, and at 4-9 Power looked bewildered. He managed to cut his errors out but he could do nothing to save the game, a 14 minutes disaster 15-8 for Boswell. Power didn't just give Boswell the game, he had it gift wrapped and delivered by a naked FedEx driver.

Power went back to sensible squash in the second - and that is what it was - sensible and scrappy. With Power leading 7-5, it was Boswell's turn to lose grip on reality and he committed five unforced errors - on simply, straightforward balls, to lose 15-5 in 12 minutes. This was Boswell, good old reliable Boswell, so reliable you could set the tides by him. But maybe there was a full moon tonight and the cows are gathering under the trees while the bats crash into church steeples. Boswell played badly in the third too, with at least seven errors helping Power to win 15-5 in 13 minutes. The giftwrapping people and naked drivers were doing a landmark business.

QUARTER FINAL RESULT [Full Results]
Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Anthony Ricketts (Aus) 15-8, 6-15, 15-11, 15-10.
Jonathon Power (Can ) bt Stewart Boswell (Aus) 8-15, 15-5,15-5, 15-8.
David Palmer (Aus) bt Lee Beachill (Eng) 13-15, 15-12, 15-4 retired.