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8th - 12th May 2006
Broadgate Arena, London
  

THE FINAL:
 
The pre-final entertainment started with the 3rd/4th playoff between Amr Shabana and Thierry Lincou, with the Frenchman getting his 'revenge' for defeat on the opening night.

Then in the final, Lee Beachill and Anthony Ricketts relived their own  battle from opening night, with Ricketts also reversing that result to claim the Super Series Finals trophy.

Semi-Finals

Day 3 at Broadgate

Day 2 at Broadgate

Day 1 at Broadgate

Fleet Group

Harrow Group

Wed 10th May, Day THREE   SUPER SERIES GALLERY
Quick summaries from Steve Cubbins, quotes & impressions from Framboise

IGNORANCE IS BLISS…

Oh well, if I tell you that the whole of the arena, not to mention the entirety of the squash world, knew that the only chance David had to qualify was to win the match 3/0, expect Thierry to be oblivious to the “calculator syndrome” that was raging around the place…

Bless…

“I don’t understand”, he told me after, “when I served out in the third game, David asked me ‘why couldn’t you do that in the first game’, he must have thought the first one was crucial”. Crucial, yes, that was the exact term for it, David couldn’t lose the first game, or any other, for that matter. And that’s the worst, isn’t it, when you add more pressure on yourself, when you are not allowed to make any mistakes, that’s normally when you pile them up…

And boy was that first game close, 1/1, 2/2, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6. And boom, David makes his first error of the match. 7/6. Then a stroke. 8/6. And then a monstrous rally, that goes on, and on, and on, where Thierry succeeded to send David the wrong way three times, ending on a backhand drop shot nick from the Frenchman, 9/6.

It has to be stressed that at the end of that rally, David announced his redrop not up, and I thought that was a superb demonstration of his sportsmanship, as there is a huge difference between being led 9/6 or 8/7…

And on a last forehand drive kill, Thierry sealed David’s fate. But the match wasn’t finished yet, and the Liverpool 08 Champion still wanted/needed to win that encounter to secure his place in the semis…

After being quite understandably a bit down and letting the second game go quickly, David refocused, went for all his shots, Thierry lost a bit of concentration, even served out, and the Australian saved a match point in the third to eventually force a fourth.

But now he “really had enough”, and didn’t really try in that last game, confirming that Thierry had, against all odds, qualified for the semi-finals of the Super Series Finals for the fifth consecutive time in five appearances …

"My mind is on other places, the last week was very tough, I did the job, I’ve secured the number two spot for the rest of the year, and later I’ll try and have a crack at the number one position. "I just had enough today, and this was one match too many…"

Beachill through as
Nicol bows out ...

As dead rubbers go, this was one of the more interesting examples of the species.

Beachill, already group winner, against Nicol, the legend playing his final SSF match after eleven years.

They put on a show for the packed audience, Nicol dazzling everyone with an array of winners in the second, and threatening at the end of the fourth to extend it to five games.

Beachill resisted to close out the match, but it was Nicol who received the prolonged standing ovation.

"I had some fun without doing too much. It was his final game in the Super Series and it was nice to play him. But I did the hard work on Monday and Tuesday and I feel like I've got off lightly and will be raring to go on Thursday. "I've been in this position for the last couple of months, with Peter making his last appearance at the Commonwealths, Bermuda, the European Teams and so on. "He's been an idol, a rival, a friend on and off court and he's had a great impact on my game and on all the English lads. "He's won everything, but it's not just that, it's the way he's done it, the way he's conducted himself. "It will be sad not to see him on court, but I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him ... "

Ricketts wins the
Quarter-final...

Yes, we know there aren't any quarter-finals here ... but the position in the Harrow group was clear-cut, with the winner of this match joining Lee Beachill in the semis.

In a quickfire opening Anthony Ricketts raced to a 7/4 lead, and although James Willstrop fought back well to lead 9/8 he had to work hard for it, as the Australian put his young English opponent under constant pressure, taking the game with a trio of unanswered points.

Willstrop came out firing in the second, hitting all sorts of winners, and converted an 8/0 lead to equalise.

But he surely couldn't keep up that standard of play, and sure enough Ricketts reapplied the pressure in the third, denying Willstrop the space to play as accurately.

Ricketts continued to press, and after a momentous rally at 5/1 in the fourth where Willstrop strived to return shot after shot from all corners of the court, James came to a virtual standstill.

The match was effectively over, and although James found four winners from 8/1 down he was never going to be able to keep it going, and after 49 minutes and an unanswered dropshot from Anthony the 'quarter-final' was over.

"I wanted to win that match, obviously, but in a way I'm not that disappointed because like I said earlier, physically I don't feel up to it. "I haven't trained for ... so how can I expect myself to play at the same physical level as Anthony. "I played alright tonight, but then I got stuck. In the second I got in front and all my shots went in, but my length wasn't very good. "Anthony won tonight because he put me under a lot of pressure and got his length and width right."

Shabana spares the calculators ...

After a frantic afternoon of calculations and permutations it eventually transpired that in the final group match Nick Matthew needed to beat Amr Shabana 3-0 or 3-1 to reach the semi-finals in the world champion's place.

In the event the calculators weren't needed as Shabana completed a straight games win against an opponent who on the night just couldn't find his best game.

Shabana took the first in nine minutes, and despite some tremendous retrieving from Matthew took the second to seal the British Champion's fate, at which point Matthew's racket went flying, ensuring he started the third a point down.

Matthew held his own in the first half of the third, but another flight by his racket cost him another point and spurred Shabana to unleash a flurry of trademark winners to finish the match and clinch the group.

"I heard that Nick said that his squash performance tonight was poor and unacceptable, well, that puts me in the garbage can really… Nick is a very professional player, sometimes, you just have a bad match, it happens… "Today, I was playing much better, a much more sensible squash, because also I was thinking of my ankle, I didn’t want to put too much pressure on it. Sometimes, it takes an injury to play better… "Tomorrow against Anthony, I know that the pace is going to be very fast, and that you need to win the point five or six times, and I’m ready for that…"

MY IMPRESSIONS…

I know, Nick insists that he is feeling great, that he is not tired whatsoever, that I’m wrong in thinking that he is exhausted…

Well, I do believe that he is, both mentally and physically.

Sue me.

And yes, Amr has got a sore ankle, but it made him more prudent, more focused. And more lethal.

The Prince of Egypt is the best player in the world at the moment. And when he is concentrated and with his brain connected, I do believe that nobody, nobody can beat him. But as ever, it’s his mental disposition that determines the outcome of his matches…

Tue 9th May, Day TWO       SUPER SERIES GALLERY
Quick summaries from Steve Cubbins, quotes & impressions from Framboise

Ricketts back in contention

They both lost on day one, so a win tonight was vital for their prospects of advancement to the semi-finals, and it showed as they fought out a tense, high-paced encounter.

They matched each other point for point in the first, but Nicol pulled out three fine rallies from 9/8 down to take the lead. The next two games were brutal. 23 minutes, then 24 minutes and Ricketts came out of both tie-breaks the winner.

And that was it. Ricketts was quickly back on court raring to go for the fourth, Nicol returned slowly and had nothing left to give as the Australian raced to 7/0 and 10/2, finishing the game off in just five minutes.

So Ricketts is back in contention, and Nicol knows a record-equalling fourth Super Series Finals crown will not be his.

"I was just too tired, I couldn't pick up any more balls in the fourth. I needed the second or third. After that I was dead - I didn't give up, I just had nothing more to give. "I didn’t think Jansher’s record was ever possible. Mentally and physically I’m not capable of winning this event, for the last three years I’ve lost all my games. "Tomorrow I'm going to try and enjoy myself, whatever that may be ... " Peter Nicol

MY IMPRESSIONS

WHAT A START…

This one between Intense Anthony and the Boss was in complete contrast with both their matches of the night before. Against Lee, Anthony was playing a very “hit and straight’ match, whereas tonight, he found some superb variation in his shots, and if Peter against James was very relaxed, the tension and involvement tonight was palpable…

This was a very intense and committed performance from both players, Anthony as ever finding his concentration and motivation in anger, the Australian needs this to play at his best, or he will choose the ref, or the crowd if they are supporting his opponent in an unsporting manner (can’t say I blame him on that last one), and Peter who on this match was as determined as ever to finish a winner.

But after three very close, disputed and high standard games, the Boss ran out of steam, not qualifying for the semi-finals in his last Super Series Finals, which led him to say jokingly “I used to like coming and playing here at Broadgate, now I hate it”….

No, he doesn’t hate it, and something tells me that next year, he’ll feel a little pinch in his soul when he doesn’t qualify for the first time in 12 years ...
 

Beachill maintains his grip

The winner of this match would be in pole position for a place in the semi-finals, but Beachill went into the match knowing he had never lost to his Pontefract training partner.

Beachill raced away to 7/1 in the first, not needing to do anything special  as he took it 11/3. He started the second well too, leading 6/2, but Willstrop fought back to take it on the tie-break.

That effort took a lot out of James, and the third slipped away in just four minutes with Lee dominant throughout.

Although James fought well in the fourth the momentum was with Lee, and it was he who kept his unbeaten record and looks forward to the semi-finals while James meets Anthony for the second berth ...

"It was a great match, the quality was good, very tight, and we moved around well. "I'm probably one of the only players James hasn't beaten yet but because we've been training together for years and we're good mates that doesn't come into it. We've had really close games but I've managed to squeeze out the last few. "I know he's not 100% confident in his movement so when I got a good start he would let the game go which made it hard to play - from easy rallies at the end of one game to fighting hard at the start of the next." Lee Beachill

Shabana squeezes past Palmer

Top seed David Palmer found his prospects of a semi-final place hanging by a thread after world number one Amr Shabana made it two wins out of two.

Shabana mixed patches of brilliance with spells of lapsed concentration, but it was enough to eke out a win.

Palmer recovered from 7/2 down to take the first, but found himself playing catch-up in the next three games, errors at the end of the second and third proving costly.

There was a series of brilliant rallies in the fourth, with both players flinging themselves around court, but Shabana held on for the win, again aided by mistakes from the Australian.

"I'm disappointed, but we always knew it was going to be mission impossible to back it up from Liverpool. It would mean 10 matches in 10 days, and today is 7 in 7 days for Thierry and I. "You might be able to get away with it in a normal tournament where you don't have to push so hard in the first two rounds, but here you arrive and bang - you're up against the top five in the world. "I'm happy and proud of the way I've pushed to be able to play like that. I had my chances but didn't take them, and even when you're not tired you just can't afford to do that." David Palmer

Thierry digs deep again

This was a must-win match for Thierry Lincou. Defeat against Nick Matthew and the group was finished.

The 2004 champion and 2005 finalist started well enough. It wasn't easy, far from it, but he managed to sneak the first two games, and held it together up to 8-all in the third. Two errors gave Matthew game balls, and although the Frenchman saved them it was at a cost as he got the better of long, hard, gruelling rallies, unusually crying out as he retrieved ball after ball.

In the end Matthew took the tie-break and it looked as though the match had turned. But from somewhere Lincou found his fifth wind, took a quick lead in the fourth, and try as he might Matthew couldn't close the gap.

The last point was a dying length to the back, and Matthew's despairing upward glance said it all. The Group of Death was still alive and well ...

"I'm not tired, I feel great. "I keep feeling disappointed when I play Thierry - I've only beaten him once and I keep on losing without feeling outplayed. After each match I feel I could have done better. "There were a few opportunities I could have taken, I'm disappointed I didn't seize them. "He's more consistent than I am, his length and width are so good. During the rallies I can lose my basic game for three or four points and when that's at say 8-all it can't be good. "I have a game plan when I play Thierry, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Maybe I think about it too much instead of playing a more instinctive game, but when I play too instinctively I can end up playing loose shots ... I need to find the right balance. "I knew this week I had a good chance to qualify, so I may have wanted it too badly." Nick Matthew

Mon 8th May, Day ONE        SUPER SERIES GALLERY
It was a bad day for the top seeds at London's Broadgate Arena, as Australians David Palmer and Anthony Ricketts both lost to young English opposition. Match of the day was a stirring comeback from Thierry Lincou that fell just short against world number one Amr Shabana.
Framboise reports from Broadgate

Eight beats One on Day One

The 2006 Super Series Finals got under way with a fine win for Nick Matthew over top seed David Palmer, putting the Australian under pressure in a strong Fleet Group.

Palmer took the first game easily enough, but his exertions in Liverpool seemed to take their toll as Matthew took the next three against an increasingly frustrated Australian.

"He was physically struggling and I just wanted to grind him down. David looked sharp early on but I knew he'd be heavy physically and I wanted to stay in each game until about 6-6 and then I knew he would start feeling heavy. "I know exactly what David feels, I’ve been in that situation so many times, like at the last Canary Wharf, coming from the finals of the Nationals… You want to do your best, but you don’t have any explosiveness left… "I was putting extra pressure on myself as I knew I had a great opportunity, and I was tense in the first game but after that I managed to relax and now I have the first win under my belt. Nick Matthew

FLUID GAME…

After a tense match between a very determined Nick and a willing but exhausted David (sorry, guys, arrived late from Liverpool, so missed the first two games of the opening match), this encounter between James and the Boss was a delight of friendship and good spirit.

Although losing the first two games, the Boss didn’t come to London to play the second fiddle, and hung in there, seizing the third in beautiful fashion. Still, Peter looked tired, and James went for shots that came in today, whereas they seemed to find the tin last week in the Liverpool 08…

"I wanted to take a good start. We just had a great match, we really enjoyed it, we just get on with it, and it’s the way it should be. But it didn’t stop it to be a competitive match either… "I'm very happy to win, Peter has been in the form of his life of late so to get a win is great. "But he is only just getting back from America so I'm sure he wasn't at his best, he said he moved well but he was probably about an inch off his best and that makes all the difference. "If you've had a six hour flight there is no way that can't affect you especially if you only get back a day earlier." James Willstrop

PRIDE AND LUNACY…

What can I say about this yet again stunning performance from my compatriot…. That he is a complete lunatic??? Yes, I guess I can, bless him…

Everybody was expecting a flat performance from the Liverpool 08 Champion today, after his astonishing performance against David Palmer in the final the day before. And that's what we got to start with… I could hear my colleagues commenting on the shortness of the first two games, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, as Amr's winners were zapping from all corners of the court…

But as ever, the “I don’t want to lose” label stuck on Thierry’s forehead started to glow, and the closed fist reappeared, and his shots became winners, and nicks, and glued to the walls drives…

A seduced and supportive crowd enjoyed every minute of the comeback. Was he going to pull it off once more??? But as it often does, it came down to three tins at a crucial time, at 4/4 in the fifth, especially as the Prince of Egypt was starting to show signs of extreme fatigue, quite understandably, as this was his first match since the recurrence of his wrist injury three weeks ago…

So, Mr Lincou didn’t accomplish another miracle recovery yet again today, but in a few tournaments, in a few matches, he has re-established himself on the Tour and has made sure that his opponents are aware that “The Man who wouldn’t lose” is back….

"This is my first match since the Bermuda final. The morning I woke up after the final, I just couldn’t move my wrist again, exactly like last time, it was like the cortisone shot had just vanished. So I went to see the same doctor again, and we did exactly the same treatment, injection, ultrasound, etc… "It’s my second win here in seven matches, people here see me play only when I lose, hopefully this year it will be different… "After I won the first two games, maybe I relaxed a bit, and I should have remembered what you said, that he was the King of the Come Backs! I should have listened to you! "My thoughts in the fifth were, “he’s done it again!”. Thierry is such a legend with the way he keeps coming back. And maybe he lost today, but he should feel like a winner, because if he hadn’t had that enormous final yesterday, he would have blown me away…" Amr Shabana

One in the bag for Lee

In the final match of day one Lee Beachill beat Anthony Ricketts to make it a bad day for Australia - and the top seeds - at Broadgate.

It was an up-and-down match, with Beachill racing away from 6-6 in the first and Ricketts responding with a sprint from 6-6 in the second.

Ricketts appeared to be in his comfort zone in the third, but Beachill regained control in the fourth and stayed pretty much in his comfort zone in the decider.

"I’m playing well, physically, I’m feeling good. "I know that Anthony has had a break of two and a half, three weeks since Bermuda, and I think that maybe he lacked matches. We had patches where he was playing very well, then he seemed to switch off…. "There was not much between us today, the difference is that I hung in there in the end, and to be honest, I was surprised to win tonight…" Lee Beachill

SS Finals HISTORY