Mixed Fortunes For British Champions In New York

There were mixed fortunes for the recently-crowned British National Champions on the second day of quarter-final action in the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions in New York. Three-times men's champion Lee Beachill, the world No2 from Yorkshire, went down in a shock straight games upset to Egypt's world No7 Amr Shabana, while the rejuvenated 33-year-old women's title-holder Linda Elriani claimed her first victory over Natalie Grinham for more than a year when she overcame the world No3 from Australia in an 80-minute quarter-final marathon.

A further upset saw the demise of defending champion Peter Nicol, the three-times winner from England who was making his eleventh successive appearance in the established PSA Super Series event. Nicol failed to make the last four for the first time in ten years when he lost out to tenth seed Anthony Ricketts (pictured) in a classic confrontation of offence versus defence.

The Australian's 80-minute victory means that there will be a new champion at the conclusion of Friday night's finals on the all-glass court at Grand Central Terminal. Playing gutsy, aggressive squash, Ricketts eliminated Nicol in the last of the men's quarter-final matches - Ricketts attacking the ball at key moments in the match and Nicol retrieving balls from every corner and angle of the court.

The defending champion started well, displaying the deft footwork, strategic play and quick racquet skills that made him the game's dominant player for last seven years. After winning the first game 11-7, and with a big lead in the second, Nicol appeared to be in control of the match. But Ricketts was just getting started: "I felt that I was playing within myself and keeping a reserve," said the 25-year-old world No11 from Sydney.

The fiery Australian stepped up his play and nabbed the second game 11-8. Again in the third, Nicol jumped out to a big lead. Down 1-5, and then 4-8, Ricketts attacked the ball and moved it corner to corner. An uncharacteristic error at 9-8 by Nicol tied the score. A forehand winner by Ricketts gave the Aussie game ball; a stroke call by the referee in Ricketts' favour gave him the game.

The three-time champion who occupied the No1 spot in the game for 60 months since 1998 was unbowed; he reasserted himself in the fourth and won the game 11-5. By this time, the capacity crowd was buzzing at the anticipation of a do or die fifth game and they were not disappointed. Down 3-5, Nicol literally flung himself to every corner of the court to chase down the Aussie's missiles, at one point diving to the floor, making the return, getting back on his feet and hitting a forehand winner past the Ricketts racquet. The crowd jumped out of their seats, roaring with appreciation for the supreme effort and skill displayed by both players. Nicol followed with a perfect lob to tie the score.

Ricketts stepped up again and jumped to a 9-5 lead. Nicol dug deep, continuing to move to every corner of the court, cutting and floating the ball to put Ricketts out of position and off pace. It looked as though a ninth successive semi-final appearance was within reach for the Englishman. At 8-9, with Nicol serving, Ricketts hit a backhand crosscourt nick that died before Nicol could get to it. The Aussie closed out the match 11-8, avenging his defeat by Nicol in his last appearance in the event two years ago.

"He was incredibly gutsy and he really stepped up," said Nicol, whose defeat ensures that a new name will be engraved on the championship trophy.

In his first ToC semi-finals, Ricketts will play the other upset-maker in the men's draw, ninth seed Amr Shabana. "This was the second best match I have ever played," said the winner of the match against second seed Lee Beachill. "I went for my shots and they worked." After explaining that his best match was against the same opponent just three weeks ago in Chicago, Shabana added: "He is such a solid player, I didn't think that I could beat him that way again."

But the Englishman had very little in the way of a response for Shabana's shot-making. "I thought he was nervous, and I tried to take advantage of that," said Shabana. Whether it was the memory of their last confrontation or just a bad night on the court, Beachill could not find a single answer to counter Shabana's devastating shot selection. In less than 40 minutes, Beachill's hopes for a first Tournament of Champions crown had evaporated in an 11-6 11-9 11-10 defeat.

In the women's draw, Australia's top seed Rachael Grinham made short work of Englishwoman Jenny Tranfield, even though the world No1 wasn't thrilled with her play. "I'm glad I got that out of the way," said Grinham. "I didn't feel that I played my best, but I still managed to win."

Grinham will not be meeting sister Natalie in the semi-finals, as anticipated by the draw; the third seed from Toowoomba in Queensland was eliminated by wily tour veteran Linda Elriani in five games. "I didn't play my best," said the younger Grinham sister. "But then, Linda didn't let me play my best. She really kept the ball deep or high in the lights, which really made it difficult to see the ball."

Down 1-2 in games and 4-7 in the fourth, Elriani used height and depth to keep her championship hopes alive. After the match, Elriani was flabbergasted when told that she had been that far down in the fourth. "A year ago, I would not have been able to win the match if I had been that far down," said the Englishwoman from Eastbourne in Sussex. "But I have done some really good training over the past several months and I am feeling confident."

Men's quarter-finals:
[10] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [3] Peter Nicol (ENG) 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8 (80m)
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [2] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0) (38m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [7] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 9-0, 9-3, 9-5 (37m)
[5] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 2-9, 9-10, 9-7, 9-5 (80m)