Nicol Overcomes Shaky Start To Survive Bermuda Masters Opener

Competing in his first PSA Tour event since winning two Commonwealth Games gold medals in Australia last month, Peter Nicol overcame a shaky start in his opening match against fellow Englishman Jonathan Kemp to earn his predicted place in the second round of the Virtual Spectator Bermuda PSA Masters, presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance.

The sixth seed won just two points in the opening game, but rediscovered the touch which took his career haul to a record six Commonwealth Games medals in Melbourne to beat Kemp 2-11, 11-6, 11-10 (4-2), 11-8 in 51 minutes.

"It was a very tough first round," said the twice former PSA Masters champion. "I played well. There was always a danger after the Commonwealths that I'd be a bit sluggish but I'm hitting it well, moving well and I enjoyed that a lot. Joey played at an unbelievable pace with no errors, it was just great squash."

Nicol now faces Karim Darwish after the tenth seed beat fellow Egyptian Hisham Mohd Ashour 11-1, 11-4, 11-5 in 23 minutes - the quickest match of the day.

Darwish said later: "I know Hisham is talented so I had to be focused to beat him as well as I did. I tried to play tight and it worked, I played well. Next I play Peter Nicol on the glass court. It is always hard playing Peter but the glass suits my game, I am looking forward to it."

Australian Cameron Pilley caused the only upset on the second day of first round action in the PSA Super Series Platinum event in Hamilton, Bermuda, when he survived a 64-minute battle against Welshman Alex Gough to beat the 16th seed 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9.

Masters debutant Pilley, a 23-year-old from Yamba, NSW, will now face compatriot David Palmer. The third seed prevailed in the event's most eagerly-awaited match, against local hero Nicholas Kyme.

The contest immediately followed the official opening ceremony, featuring all the requisite pomp and ceremony for the tiny British colony - as Hamilton's Town Crier gave a proclamation, the Bermuda Regiment Band Drum Corps marched on court, and the Deputy Premier officially declared the tournament open.

It was then time for wildcard Kyme, the world No69, to make his entrance to the beat of a military drum roll in front of an enthusiastic, stamping and cheering home town audience. His opponent, the current world No2 David Palmer, also resides in Bermuda when he is not on tour.

If Kyme was nervous, he certainly showed no outward signs as he traded the first few points with Palmer, and with the score at three-all, the packed audience cheered every rally with gusto. Unfortunately for Kyme, Palmer was in no mood for an extended match and after a long drawn out rally which saw Palmer dispatching his opponent to every corner of the court - and then some - the former World Open champion turned on the power and wrapped up his 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 victory in 29 minutes.

The second encounter of the evening turned out to be the match of the tournament, in which Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee saved two match balls to beat long-time rival Wael El Hindi, of Egypt, 7-11, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-10 (5-3) in a marathon 98 minutes.

1st round (bottom half of draw):
[10] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-1, 11-4, 11-5 (23m)
[6] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 2-11, 11-6, 11-10 (4-2), 11-8 (51m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [16] Alex Gough (WAL) 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9 (64m)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt Nicholas Kyme (BER) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (29m)
[11] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (32m)
[7] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-6 (38m)
[14] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Wael El Hindi (EGY) 7-11, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-10 (5-3) (98m)
[2] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (29m)