Super Series Finals

A Good Win, But Was it Presidential?

By Colin McQuillan

Photos by Steve Line/Squashpics.com

In order from top to bottom is: Beachill (L) and Nicol; Lincou (L) and Palmer; Walker (L) and Lincou

Champions come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes against all the odds. In London at the start of June Australia's David Palmer survived, in this order: an appalling start against Mark Chaloner in the Harrow qualifying group; the shrewd calculations of his last pool opponent, John White; the beginnings of a straight-games defeat from the world champion, Peter Nicol; the disciplinary inclinations of the English referees; and the vocal disapproval of the London spectators—all to win his First Super Series title.

Palmer, the 25-year-old top seeded world No. 3 took the Bank of Scotland Super Series Finals over the French Champion and world No. 4, Thierry Lincou, 9, (10), 7 (10), 4 in a 92-minute final playoff at the Broadgate Arena.

Palmer was almost out of the tournament at the very start when he lost in the first qualifying round to England's Chaloner. But he squeezed into the semifinals when placed second in a three-way countback after White, the Australian born Scottish No. 1, let him win the last qualifying match in the Harrow Group 3-2, taking just enough points for himself to stay top of the group but ensuring that Chaloner was forced out in third place. Then in the semifinal Palmer beat Nicol for the first time in seven meetings (last year Nicol defeated Palmer in a rumbustous final to win the title for a third successive time) to reach the final against Lincou.

“That was the match of the tournament for me so I had to work quite hard to get myself up again for the final,” Palmer said. “Then I had to keep myself in the game until Thierry eventually broke in the fifth.”

(To read the complete article, including the reason why Jonathon Power pulled out of the Super Series Finals at the last minute but still ended up with the most Super Series points after the event, see the August/September 2002 issue of Squash Magazine.)