[4] David Palmer (Aus) bt [7] John White (Sco)       7/11, 11/4, 11/4, 11/6 (50m)

Palmer takes away White's title ...

The first game went well for John White who yesterday had stayed on court for five with Mohammed Abbas. It initially looked like patrons were in for another spectacular match. White explained, “I had good success getting deep against David.”

But White never regained control of the match once David Palmer stepped up the pace in game two, and maintained it through three and four.

“I was a half step off the pace and it’s a fast court. I got slow and tried to volley.”

White’s volleys weren’t working and he gave Palmer, “Millions of opportunities to put it away on me.”

Assertive attacking White, on fire last evening, now tired and fizzled through out the remainder of the match, becoming the retriever.
  

[2] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [8] Nick Matthew (Eng)       11/6, 6/11, 11/6, 7/11, 11/8 (77m)

James' turn again ...

Prior to this match, second seed James Willstrop said he knew it would be an especially difficult one between he and fellow Englishman Nick Matthew as although he won the last three times they played, in each case it was only just, two of the three going the full five games. Tonight would be the same.

Matthew, who won this tournament some years ago when it was a $30,000 event, had many fans in the audience who called out his name urging him on throughout the match. Willstrop took no notice of it and played through to garner the win.

Willstrop took the first, third and fifth games with Matthew, strutting and fretting around court questioning the refereeing. Had the two been allowed to play on through the night they may have called it on the flip of a coin.

Matthew stayed as even-keeled as he could with the refereeing. Though on the last call of the night retrieving a forehand short shot that he described in the following way:

“I stumbled but I was behind him. If I had been balanced and on my feet, it would have been a stroke: If I had been off balance then it should have been a let. But there should have been no reason for it to have been a ‘no let’. “Even James was shaking his head in the back of the court.”

"It’s just two guys battling point to point in a tight space. So it was neck and neck throughout, just a real fight. "I was having purple patches and I just wanted to have mine in the fifth." James Willstrop

 

"To say I wasn’t happy with the last call would be an understatement. But I don’t want it to overshadow the game." Nick Matthew

[5] Jonathon Power (Can) bt [3] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)       11/7, 11/9, 11/7 (44m)

Power on his Game

Jonathon Power was on his game tonight ,even though several hours prior to his match he had the house doctor look at the bottom of his right foot for a blister. But the callus did not affect Power’s play this evening taking out  Anthony Ricketts in three.

The crowd expected a argumentative match with a Power screaming out a few choice one-liners to the refs like, “That ball was as good as it gets”. And Ricketts kept pace with Power in all three games.

On his game, Power found the nick repeatedly throughout the match effectively containing Ricketts who admitted that he couldn’t play his own game style.
 

"I had some good patches. I was a little frustrated by the refereeing on some of the lets, but I feel I have a lot of improving to do." Anthony Ricketts