MANCHESTER, July 31: World champion Peter Nicol made light of a difficult opponent and the extra pressure of his nationality change to reach the final of the Commonwealth Games men’s singles in straight games Tuesday.
The top-seeded titleholder, and Scot turned Englishman, beat the former world number one from Australia David Palmer 9-7, 9-1, 9-5 with his best performance since winning the British Open three months ago.
Nicol will now play his arch-rival Jonathon Power, the second-seeded Canadian, whose 7-9, 9-2, 9-1, 5-9, 9-0 success over the Australian Stewart Boswell gave the tournament the final it most wanted.
The volatile Power spent much of the first part of the match getting involved in arguments about refereeing decisions, and finished it in near silence and with a sublime sequence of winners.
But afterwards he returned to this particular night’s target for his bile, the Kiwi referee Charles Evans.
“I don’t know what he was trying to do,” Power said.
“But maybe that’s just the way they do things in New Zealand. I prefer that to yesterday’s match though, with constantly giving away free points.”
Nicol dominated his match from the middle of the first game until the middle of the third against an opponent who had beaten him while winning the Super Series title in London last month.
“I didn’t give him anything,” said Nicol.
“And it’s great to play like this in England,” said the former Scot. “It’s a great team and a great bunch of guys and it’s great playing for them.”
Nicol’s words were not mere propaganda. At the end of a hot, sweaty match he embraced all of the England team as well as his father Pat, the former teacher who first taught him the game in the small Aberdeenshire town of Inverurie.
Earlier, Australian top seed Sarah Fitz-Gerald reached the women’s final.
The world number one beat her compatriot Rachael Grinham 9-2, 9-2, 9-6 and she might have won even more easily had she capitalised on a 6-1 lead in the third game.
She will now face the Australian-raised New Zealander Carol Owens in Wednesday’s final.
Owens defeated former world champion Cassie Jackman of England 3-9, 9-5, 9-1, 9-5.
Semifinal results
MEN
Peter Nicol (England) bt David Palmer (Australia) 9-7 9-1 9-5; Jonathon Power (Canada) bt Stewart Boswell (England) 7-9 9-2 9-1 5-9 9-0
WOMEN
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Australia) bt Rachael Grinham (Australia) 9-2 9-2 9-6; Carol Owens (New Zealand) bt Cassie Jackman (England) 3-9 9-5 9-1 9-5—AFP/Reuters