2001 Finals

Men's & Women's Draws

03-May - Finals

[1] Sue Wright bt [2] Jenny Tranfield
9-4 10-8 9-5 (35m)

[1] Peter Nicol bt [3/4] Mark Cairns
15-8 10-15 15-12 12-15 17-14 (108m)

World champion Peter Nicol and British National champion Sue Wright claimed the inaugural BSPA Prince Grand Prix Finals titles at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury - but their victories over Mark Cairns and Jenny Tranfield, respectively, were achieved in contrasting styles.

Top seed Wright, the England No1 from Kent who won her fourth National title in Manchester in February, dominated the court throughout most of the match against her Yorkshire opponent, ranked No9 in England. Only weeks away from submitting her PhD thesis in 'Sports Psychology', Tranfield led just once in the match - at 7-6 in the second game - and reeled off four points to save a matchball at 8-1 in the third before Wright triumphed 9-4 10-8 9-5 in 35 minutes.

By his own standards, it was a lacklustre performance by top seed Peter Nicol which led the 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen to a five-game victory over Mark Cairns, the 33-year-old former British National champion from Oxfordshire ranked 33 places below him in the world. The underdog established early leads in all five games, and looked sprightly throughout the 108-minute encounter - belying the fact that he had collapsed at a tournament last weekend and had considered withdrawing from the Prince Grand Prix Finals. 

Cairns led 9-5 and 13-12 in the fifth-game decider, before Nicol - dazzlingly retrieving everything his opponent put in his way - fought back to 14-13 and matchball. A cruel 'no-let' call for "not trying to get to the ball" brought Cairns back into contention with the score poised at 14-all. A crosscourt nick at the front of the court followed by a ball which died in the back wall nick gave the world champion his second matchball - which he duly converted when Cairns hit the ball into the tin to give Nicol his long-awaited 15-8 10-15 15-12 12-15 17-14 victory.

"I've definitely been struggling over the past few weeks," conceded Nicol, whose concentration over the past two months has perhaps been deflected by his shock switch of loyalty from Scotland, his country of birth, to England, his country of residence.

"I just can't explain it - I've been training hard, moving and hitting the ball well, but the results haven't been going my way. Mark played really well - better than I've seen him play for some time, particularly after his illness at the weekend.

"I'm going through a continual learning process and, in hind-sight, miss-timed my preparation for last month's event in Egypt by peaking too early. My next focus is the Irish Open in Dublin at the end of the month, but I am working to peak at next month's British Open," Nicol added.

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02-May - Semi-Finals

[1] Peter Nicol (England) bt [3/4] Tim Garner (Sussex)  15-7 15-6 8-15 8-15 15-13 (59m)
[3/4] Mark Cairns (Oxon) bt [2] Nick Taylor (Lancs) 15-12 11-15 11-15 15-5 15-7 (104m)

[1] Sue Wright (Kent) bt Carla Khan (Middx) 9-1 9-1 9-7 (33m)
[2] Jenny Tranfield (Yorks) bt Lauren Briggs (Essex)    9-5 9-2 6-9 9-2 (48m)

LUCKY NICOL SURVIVES SECOND
SCARE IN GRAND PRIX SEMI
World squash champion Peter Nicol has reached the final of the $10,000 Prince Grand Prix Finals after his second successive close win at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury - but only after stemming a courageous comeback by London Connaught Club team-mate Tim Garner, then benefiting from two lucky shots to get to matchball in the fifth.

Top seed Nicol, the 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen who switched allegiance from Scotland to England in March, seemed to be coasting to a 3-1 win when 8-3 up in the fourth game against the Sussex champion. An inspired Garner, however, ranked 40 places below the London-based world No2, won back the serve and took the next 11 points in one hand to level the match.  

It was 12-12 in the decider when the fortunate former Scot claimed a dead nick on the back wall, then a winner off the rim of the racket, to reach match ball - which he duly converted to claim a 15-7 15-6 8-15 8-15 15-13 semi-final victory after 59 minutes.

Nicol will meet Oxfordshire's Mark Cairns in the final after the former British National champion came back from 2-1 down to upset Lancashire's second seed Nick Taylor 15-12 11-15 11-15 15-5 15-7 in a 104-minute marathon. 

The top seeds will contest the women's final after favourite Sue Wright, the
Oxfordshire-based England No1 from Kent, beat Middlesex's Carla Khan 9-1 9-1 9-7 in 33 minutes, and Yorkshire's No2 seed Jenny Tranfield overpowered Lauren Briggs, from Essex, 9-5 9-2 6-9 9-2 in 48 minutes.

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01-May
NICOL SURVIVES ENGLISH DEBUT IN 
PRINCE GRAND PRIX FINALS

World squash champion Peter Nicol survived his first encounter as an Englishman on 'home soil', but was severely tested by compatriot Paul Lord in the opening round of the $10,000 Prince Grand Prix Finals at the Moonrakers Club in Salisbury.

The 28-year-old world No2 from Aberdeen, who switched allegiance from Scotland to England in March, took the first game - but Lord, the Jarrow-based England No15 from Cheshire, fought back to within a point of taking a 2-1 lead, with game-ball at 14-10 in the third game.  The London-based former Scot clawed back to 14-14, however, and clinched the game after Lord chose the sudden-death 'set one' option.  Nicol had to work hard to maintain the upper hand against his tireless opponent, before ultimately triumphing 15-10 7-15 15-14 15-6 in 62 minutes.

Top seed Nicol now faces London Connaught Club team-mate Tim Garner, the Sussex champion who needed 44 minutes to overcome Hertfordshire 20-year-old Chris Ryder 15-12 15-11 15-13.

The other semi-final will feature Oxfordshire's former British National champion Mark Cairns and this year's Nationals' runner-up Nick Taylor. Cairns, 33, from Abingdon, prevailed in a bruising 82-minute battle against Sussex's Julian Wellings, eventually winning 15-6 14-15 15-8 15-12.

Second seed Taylor, the England No5 from Manchester, was two points away from a straight games victory - then allowed his Suffolk opponent Bradley Ball to win eight points in succession from 13-2 down in the fifth, before clinching the 67-minute match 15-13 15-2 13-15 11-15 15-11.