The comeback hope

In Hurghada, Peter Nicol intends to once again be the world's best squash player. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab assesses his chances
The girls in Hurghada lunge and swing and at times pirouette
photos: Hossam Diab
Despite the strong breeze and lively balls of Hurghada, the champions are dominating. Peter Nicol of England and Canadian Jonathon Power are cruising to the finals of the Professional Squash Association Masters and, of course, are hoping not to meet in the ultimate match. Nicol, a former world champion, dropped to second place in the international rankings on points difference but believes a Masters victory will help him regain the crown he had held for 14 months. "It will be tough but with some concentration and luck, I'll keep the title and regain the top ranking," Nicol said.
Power, the 26-year-old from Toronto who lost to Nicol in their only meeting so far this year -- in February's final of the Tournament of Champions in New York -- has gone ahead of his arch rival as a result of a better points average over the past 12 months in eight events. In two, (the British and US Opens), Nicol was forced to withdraw following an ankle injury.
Nicol's decision last month to become a British citizen might help his game but has stirred up trouble back in his native Scotland. "The Scots are mad after my defection and that made me really sad," Nicol said. "But it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete on the world stage against players who are being supported both by comprehensive performance backup programmes as well as through government awards and grants. By moving to England, and being a nominated player within the SRA's World Class Performance Programme, I hope to maintain the position I have worked so hard to secure over a number of years."
As a Briton, Nicol, awarded an MBE in June 1999, plans to take advantage of the lottery-funded World Class Performance Programme run by the sport's English governing body, the Squash Rackets Association (SRA).
England's World Class Performance Programme was launched in October 1997 and came into full operation in January 2000. The programme, supported by Sport England through the Lottery Sports Fund, put in place a performance environment designed to provide players with a full range of facilities -- sports science, sports psychology, sports medicine, funding for tournaments, coaching and video analysis -- needed to move players to the top positions of the world game.
"Peter has had to watch a number of his key opponents receive support from their own government agencies which has enabled them to move closer to him," Matt Hammond, the SRA's performance director, said. "He has acknowledged that our World Class Programme represents the best all-round support programme in the world and wants to take advantage of that opportunity. He is not only a great athlete but also a fine ambassador for the sport and he will provide the ultimate role model for the younger up-and-coming players in our system."
Since Nicol, 27, lived and trained in England during his formative years under the guidance initially of current England national coach David Pearson and now Neil Harvey -- both of whom were awarded the National Coaching Foundation's prestigious Mussabini Medal earlier this season -- there will not be any immediate difference in his training, preparation and competition schedule. The significant changes, however, will be made in the areas of sports science and sports medicine, in particular the introduction of match analysis information for all-round technical and tactical improvements.
Nicol's move has been ratified by the World Squash Federation, though he will not be able to represent England until 2002, three years after he last played for Scotland. He said, "I have had an opportunity to look at the state-of-the-art application of information technology to squash and want to be part of the game's evolution as well as being the highest ranked player in the world."
Since the launch of the SRA's World Class Performance Programme, England has won a number of world squash titles, including the men's world team crown in 1997; the women's world team trophy in 2000; the men's world junior team titles in 1998 and 2000, and the World Cup in 1999. Also in 1999, Norfolk's Cassie Campion became the women's World Open champion for the first time. In the sport's Commonwealth Games debut in Malaysia in 1998, England claimed seven medals (two gold, one silver and four bronze), more than any other country. In addition, England recorded its 25th men's title in last year's European Championships while the women extended their amazing 23-year unbeaten run.
This Masters might become the launch pad for the Malaysian 1998 world junior champion Ong Beng Hee. Ong is aggressive and famous for his powerful killing nicks. Ranked 13 at the tender age of 21, his only real problem in the tournament is facing Egypt's Omar El-Borollossi.
El-Borollossi, ranked 17, is the only Egyptian contestant left in the tournament. Egyptian hope Amr Shabana lost to Power in the first round of the tournament 3-0, giving up with hardly a fight. Egypt is missing the talents of Karim Darwish who is the defending Canadian Open champion.
Hurghada is simultaneously hosting the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) Grand Prix finals which groups the best eight players in the world. But missing is Briton Natalie Grainger, ranked fifth, who opted to stay home and tend to her sick brother.
The eight players are divided into two pools. New Zealand's world No 1 and British Open champion Leilani Joyce has a seemingly easy route to the final in pool A.
In pool B, Australia's Carol Owens, seeded second and title holder of the tournament, will not give it up easily.
Three-time world champion and winner of 40 WISPA tours, Australian Sarah Fitz-Gerald, won the inaugural Hurghada Grand Prix title in 1998. After holding the No 1 ranking for two consecutive years, Fitz-Gerald, now No 3, underwent knee surgery in December 1998 and May 1999, returning to competition in January 2000. Since then she has won eight WISPA titles, including the Apawamis and Greenwich Opens, the Women's Tournament of Champions and the US and the Munich Opens. Fitz-Gerald is not only a player; she doubles as WISPA president.
The spectacular outdoor setting in Hurghada -- the action takes place on an island-- has caused problems for some players. Winds lashing the court are causing the ball to slightly dip and rise. The results are what look like clean shots on the approach often turning into awkward swings.
Recommend this page
Related stories:
The finest in Hurghadah 12 - 18 April 2001
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Send a letter to the Editor