Sat 12th, FINALS DAY:
Extra: Jonathan Power bt
Peter Nicol 11-4
 A
last minute addition to the evening’s schedule, and a guaranteed
crowd pleaser, event director Patrick Foster said it best when
he introduced these two players as “the most iconic rivalry in
the history of the game”.
Both players were there to play and put on a show. The match was
quick, consisting of only one sudden death game, but included
memorable moments such as Nicol’s"good effort to clear" (as
declared by the referee) on a shot that landed high between his
legs, (Power was awarded the stroke, putting him in the lead at
7-1) and again when Power got caught up with Nicol, asking for a
let, explaining that the audience and referee might have missed
it as it all went down in "lightning speed".
The ref responded in turn with "well it used to be…"Nicol
struggled to regain his footing at 2-8 and while he did seem to
be gaining ground (4-8 Nicol), in the end he cranked the ball
into the tin. So Power took the first... and only game. As he
put it in the post-match interview: "one I'll be tallying in the
head-to-head of our rivalry".
Doubles: Nick Kyme & Patrick Foster bt Lee Beachill
& John White 11-10
A night of surprises, super legends LeeBeachill and John White
teamed up to face off against a Bermudian based team consisting
of Nick Kyme and a special guest - the tournament’s very own
director - Patrick Foster!
It was everything you could expect from four large men contained
within one small box. You can do the math but as expected it
equaled nothing but pure entertainment. During the first game
Lee Beachill, stepping into a coaching role mid-rally, noted the
tin as a source of potential error for the Bermudians. Always
full of inspiring chat, Beachillthen took a beer break mid-rally(score:
4-3), declaring to the audience "I can't play with him (John
White)".
Not to be outdone, White took the subsequent rally off, followed
seconds later by opponentKyme, leaving Foster and Beachill to
battle it out solo. The rally continued with all players (with
the exception of Foster) taking multiple breaks to quench their
thirst with brewed beverages. White - mid-rally – started an
impromptu lesson with Kyme, a move that may have ultimately been
his undoing. The game became at times physical, with White
having to hold back Foster to delay his ability to get to the
ball.
At 10-all, the referee proclaimed“sudden death!” Kyme served and
White smoked the ball into the tin. The crowd went wild. Bermuda
wins! Bermuda wins!
Most memorable quote had to go to White and the referee:
"Why is that a let?" - White
"Because I have no idea who was hitting the ball" - Referee
Final: David Palmer bt Thierry Lincou 8-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7,
1-0
In the main event of the night, the format was to be played best
out of 5 games, but with the caveat that if the match went to a
fifth and deciding game, the two would only play one point to
decidethe title. Both Palmer and Lincou came to win, but only
one would hoist the trophy to become THE legend of all legends.
Lincou took the first point with a tight drive. Palmer answered
with an unreachable forehand cross. Both known for their
fitness, this was natural selection at its finest. It quickly
became apparent that though both had shown up to win, neither
had lost their sense of humor in the process. This match would
prove a joy to watch for the packed audience of squash
enthusiasts. Lincou took the first 11-8.
The second game opened with a rally that set the tone of the
game, and left the audience in awe, if not breathless on behalf
of the players involved. Endurance was the name of the game with
both players only becoming more precise in their movement and
placement on court. A memorable moment came when Lincou asked
for a let, calling interference on his own foot/shoe. The
referee called“no let”to which Palmer exclaimed: "Good, a ref of
less experience might have fallen for that!" Palmer took the
second, 11-5.
The third game showcased both players’ strengths, ability and
again, humor. Both battled to outdo the other, dropping shot
after shot into the nick. At one point, Palmer left to change
his racket, and a young audience member lent a hand to warm up
his new racket. The additional rest didn’t prove enough however,
with Palmer losing the game 11-7.
The fourth game had Palmer in the lead early on, but Lincou was
quick on his feet and worked hard to push Palmer to his limits.
In the end, it was Lincou who placed the final ball into the
tin, and Palmer tied up the match, 2-2.
In the end, the match culminated in sudden death, one rally
takes it all, fashion. Expecting a long, attritional rally,
Lincou surprised everyone by going for it in the first three
shots and hitting a ridiculously tight length that forced
Palmerto hit a loose shot down the middle, affording Lincou the
opportunity to take the win by stroke. He immediately threw up
his hands in victory… but no!
The ref called“let ball” giving Palmer a reprieve (to the
audience’s great delight!) Palmer quickly took advantage of his
good fortune, looking to end the match with a nick that rolled
out, but Lincou calleda dubious let.Although it was a clear
winner and very little interference was there, the referee -in
an unprecedented move - called for the point to be replayed.
Palmer re-enacted the previous point driving home the ball, and
his point, to finish it all with a beautiful smash directly into
the nick! Palmer defeated Lincou 1-0 to take the 2014 Bermuda
Legends Title.
Full Draws & Results
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