Nicol Wins, Boswell and Beachill Emerge

The YMG Classic represented a recent rarity—a pro squash tournament for men

By Martin Bronstein

Photos by Hugh McClean

Six months ago not many of the top 20 players in the world would have entered the YMG, wanting to save their efforts for the World Open in India two weeks later. But 9/11 changed all that. The US Open was cancelled, and then the Pakistan Open and finally the Open in Mumbai. Suddenly the YMG Capital Pro Squash Classic in Toronto was the only game in town.

John Nimick's Eventengine has a very good tournament going after only its second year. He sold out almost every night, and with some swivel-neck (sidewall) tickets going at around $60, it just goes to prove what we already knew: Toronto is one helluva squash city. Culturally caught between Brit roots and Yankee neighbors, Toronto was historically the only city where a multitude of narrow and wide courts sat side by side. And it was mostly the Canadian players such as Sharif Khan, Gordon Anderson and Clive Caldwell who could switch from softball to hardball without giving a second thought. Mark Talbott was one American who could play both, and of all the softballers, only Geoff Hunt and Jahangir Khan could handle the hardball game.

The most important aspect of this tournament was proof positive of the coming-of-age of Stewart Boswell of Australia and England's Lee Beachill. They met in the semifinal with Boswell winning, but Beachill could well lay claim to the best win of the tournament when he soundly beat top seed and world No. 1 David Palmer in the quarters. There was a touch of déjà vu for those of us who had seen him take Peter Nicol apart in the British Open earlier in the year.

The “B's” have it: England's Lee Beachill took out World No. 1 David Palmer in the quarters, before dropping games to Stewart Boswell in the semis

Beachill is a man with a totally focussed vision, and that vision is one of winning, most apparent when facing a world No. 1. He shows no signs of nerves, never allows his concentration to dip and walks the court as a winner. The same look of frustration was on Palmer's face that was on Nicol's when he had the court—and his game—taken from him.

Boswell would make a fine poker player; he is virtually expressionless. He looks thin, underfed and permanently exhausted but is as tough as the Australian outback. He beat Martin Heath and David Evans with room to spare and then a 73-minute match to beat Beachill before demonstrating in the final that he was not far off the standard of world champion Nicol.

There were three Canadians in the 16-man draw with wild card Graham Ryding losing in the first round to Australian fifth seed Paul Price, while top Cannuck Power disposed of up-and-comer Shahier Razik. This meant that Price and Power faced off in the quarters. It was a mean, bruising match with a lot of stroke hunting, ensuring a referee's decision with each rally and a unique plea from him: “Stop, Stop, finish with the elbows!”

Stewart Boswell made it to the final, where he lost in four to the World Champion. “He is certainly headed for the top 4,” was Nicol's assessment

This is not to say that the match was without drama as fortunes swung back and forth: Price led the first game 13-9 only to lose it 15-13. Power led the second 5-1 and lost it 11-15. Power led the third game 11-6 and helplessly stood by as Price made a dazzling comeback to tie it 11-all and then move to game ball at 14-11. It was Power's turn to come back with a sizzling winner and then a stroke. Price called 'set three' and lost them on two errors and a stroke. The fourth was even more back and forth until Power had match ball at 14-13. Price won the next point—14-all—and Power, ballsy as ever, called 'no set.' And lost the point on a stroke!

Price poured it on in the fifth and led all the way to 14-10 and it seemed all over for Power. But two exquisite winners that brought hoots from the crowd, and two errors from Price and it was 14-14 in the fifth. Unbelievably Price called 'no set' to prove he was just as ballsy as the Canadian and must surely regret that decision, as Power won that point with a beautifully disguised cross-court that caught Price on the wrong foot. That's how matches are won and legends made.

“It was very physical but the Australians know that to get into my head they have to get physical,” Power commented. There is truth in that: two of his last meetings with David Palmer have been equally as physical. Power could prove his own innocence in his semifinal match with Nicol—it was totally free of any contact or ill feeling.

They met in the semis because Nicol had dropped to three in the rankings. It was a matter of luck whether he was drawn into the top or bottom half. Palmer, the number one seed, must have smiled when he saw the draw, knowing that Nicol and Power would have to play each other, the winner getting to the final somewhat tired.

What Palmer didn't know was that Beachill was waiting for him in the quarters and instead of having a cruise to the final, found himself on the end of Beachill's beautifully balanced game of defense and attack. Beachill had beaten the English No.1 Mark Chaloner in four, losing the first game. He did exactly the same with Palmer, losing the first game—which he had initially led—13-15. He made no mistake on the next three and sensationally Palmer, world No.1 for four months, was out.

Palmer had a delayed effect on the semifinals, however, because he had accidentally kneed Beachill in the right calf, causing a 10-minute delay. Beachill came back seemingly all right, but in his match against Boswell, the knee was being overused and by the third game Beachill was feeling it badly and by the fourth was hardly moving. This is not to say he would have beaten the Australian, but the Palmer knee had robbed us of a very interesting match between two young turks who could well take over from Power and Nicol.

Nicol did not have an easy ride to the final being tested in four long games by Anthony Ricketts, another rapidly advancing Australian, and then another long, four-game match with his stable mate Ong Beng Hee.
Nicol looked fresh and eager while Power must have been suffering after his Price fight. And so it went for most of the first game, but Power suddenly found his touch to send the game into overtime, where split decisions from the referee and appeals referee helped Nicol to the 17-15 decision.

Suddenly it was all Power, the man who had shaken the squash world four years ago. He was rampant and he simply could do no wrong, constructing rallies beautifully to end with a winner while Nicol was still trying to recover from his last shot. When Power is on this level, Nicol has no answer to him, and Power took the next two games 15-9 and 15-6 with the prospect of the fourth being even quicker.
Nicol, however, is world champion, and he took the next game, stringing eight points together to go from 6-6 to 14-6, too much for Power, and Nicol had evened the match with a 15-7 win.

Nicol came back looking grim while Power looked even more grey and red-eyed. He started well to lead but Nicol has been here before and persisted in the way only he can to reach match ball, 14-8. Power can also persist in his own way and amazingly came back to 13-14, to the cheering, whistling delight of the hometown crowd. But then Power's golden forehand volley drop, which had served him so well through two rounds, let him down. It clanged the tin like a death knoll and Nicol screamed in relief while all Power could do was launch his racquet into space over the back wall. It had been 103 minutes of wonderful squash displaying two entirely different approaches to the game.

The final was a bit of an anti-climax. Boswell has simply not had the years at the top that Nicol has, nor the experience of playing four or five hard matches in as many days; Nicol has been in dozens of finals, Boswell but a handful. But while the outcome may have been forecastable, Nicol had to fight all the way and it was obvious that a year from now Boswell will be that much stronger and more experienced. Nicol won in four but needed 98 minutes to do it and recognized Boswell's rapid advancement.

“I was frustrated because he pinned me back. There were times that I dominated the game, but then I would let him back again. He is playing at a much faster pace and improving. He is certainly headed for the top four,” was Nicol's summation.

Nicol's win still left Palmer at No. 1 in the December rankings, but January should show a lot of movement at the top.