[5] Nick Matthew bt [1] Lee Beachill
      6/11, 7/11, 11/6, 11/9, 11/10(5-3)  (93m)

Matthew dethrones Beachill
Steve Cubbins reports

At 2-0 and 4-0 to defending champion and top seed Lee Beachill, it looked as though Nick Matthew's disappointing set of results in his 'home' tournament and against Beachill was set to continue.

But then the match turned. Until then Beachill looked well in control, stroking the ball around, making Matthew do the work and picking off the loose balls his precision forced Matthew to offer him.

Suddenly though, the roles were reversed. Matthew started getting in  front, dictating the pace, forcing Beachill into uncharacteristic errors and hitting some spectacular winners of his own.

Matthew took the third 11/6 and continued in the same vein in the fourth, racing ahead and reaching 10/3. A couple of snatched errors gave Beachill some hope, a couple of deceptive boasts gave him some more, and Matthew was suddenly sweating as Beachill started to look like the player of the first two games.

It took a spectacular backhand volley nick for Matthew to level the match, to a roar of delight from the Sheffield crowd,

Come the decider, Beachill maintained the momentum, leading 4/2, 6/3, 7/4.

But Having got this close - again - Matthew was in no mood to let the chance slip. He levelled at 8-all as the match started moving into the realms of a classic.

Beachill struck to earn two match balls at 10-8, both saved. Matthew earned himself one at 11-10 ... saved.

Three consecutive lets at 11-all and the tension was immense. To cut a long story short, Matthew saved another two match balls, reached 14-13 courtesy of two strokes, and leapt with delight as Beachill tinned the final drop.

A spectacular comeback, a first win over Beachill for Matthew, the first time Beachill has lost from 2-0 up in a long, long time, and a standing ovation from the crowd ... it had pretty much everything.

MY IMPRESSIONS…

THE BOY IS NOW A MAN…

Not too many people predicted Nick’s victory last night. But for once, as I’m famous for getting it wrong, I did tell you to “watch out for this space, and that Lee was going to have trouble…” Not only because the world number two was lacking competitive matches, but also because Nick was ready. In his head. In his heart.

The Sheffield Boy was absolutely superb last night. Because he won, of course. But not just for that. Even if he had lost the match, as far as I’m concerned, it would have been a victory for the young man…

And for two reasons.

One. From his first ball to his last, Nick followed his game plan, and played his game, length, length, length, angle, width, patience, precision, waiting for the opening and back to length, length, length. Very few players on this earth are able to do this. Even when Lee came back from Hell 10/3 to 10/9 in the fourth, not once did Nick fall in the trap of trying to “finish it off” too quickly.

Remarkable.

Two. He came back from 2/0 against one of the most discouraging opponents you can ever face. Personally, I had never seen ANYONE coming back after a 2/0 lead from Lee, and the stats tell us that no one, in 65 matches, has done it...The mountain to climb so high, too high, players normally stay at the bottom, thinking, no way I’m going up there, mate, too high, too cold, never make it, why bother…

But Nick did bother. Nick did believe. So, as far as I’m concerned, when Nick got into the fifth, he had won. Won against himself, against his fears, his doubts. He will never be the same.

Tonight, the boy became a man.

[6] John White bt Olli Tuominen
      11/10(3-1), 7/11, 11/7, 8/11, 11/10(2-0) (88m)

PAINFUL…

This match must have been really painful for both… For Olli Tuominen, obviously, as he was sooo close to adding another prestigious scalp to his collection, and to cause a second upset in the same tournament, that “one victory further” he is desperate for (steve, link to his previous quote), being up 10/8 both in the first and in the fifth, both games he lost thanks to “under pressure” unforced errors…

Painful also for John White, whose change of life style makes him fit but with less chance to play top squash, which especially at the beginning of the season, could become a real handicap…

Last night, a few people like me I’m sure thought that, yes, Olli got Palmer on the first game, sure, but eh, two in a row? Naaaa.

Bloody hell were we wrong… Olli played once again top squash, at a great pace, a gutsy performance, running for his life, full extension, up and down the court, catching all John’s lethal attacks, and trust me, there were A LOT.

His only mistake (but it’s easy to talk about this sitting down at a computer) was to fight both John AND the referee. That is ALWAYS a mistake… One opponent is enough…

It was a great match though, although there was a bit of a tension between the players, as Olli seemed to have problem passing John to go to the ball, and asking for a few too many lets for John’s taste, getting the Tall Man frustrated and warned for racquet abuse after he lost the fourth game. And the looks that John was throwing at his opponent were not exactly filled with tenderness and care…

But still, John accepted to rally most of the match, not falling into his habit of attacking all the balls in sight, constructing rallies and looking for length and width, and Olli played at his best, giving 200% of himself, yet again…

“Next time” he told me as we were having a drink after the match. “I’ll get him next time”… And you know what? He means it…

"Olli played exceptionally well tonight, he was volleying everything, retrieving everything, he was also playing beautifully against David. Not many people can beat David 3/1 in the first round of a tournament, not to mention that David was actually tired at the end of the match, and that doesn’t happen often either. "It was just a very difficult match. And although it’s only my second competitive match, I’m tired, because training is so different from the pressure you find yourself under in a major event… The fitness is there, it’s just a question of getting the pace right… "And he had such a good chance, he made several unforced errors… At 10/9 he made three errors in a row… How lucky was that for me … He had me ragged on match ball, played that cross court nick and it hit the tin, I was walking toward him smiling, I thought it was all over… "I’m feeling the heat, I’m feeling the pressure, but I’m over the moon to win that one, after being down 2/1 and saving two match balls… It’s good to get it out… " John White

[3] Peter Nicol bt Joe Kneipp
      11/10(2-0), 11/2, 11/6 (42m)

Nicol one step closer

Peter Nicol has never won an Eventis-organised event. "I've never even reached a final," he reminded compere Malcolm Willstrop after the match.

He moved a step closer tonight, staging a recovery from 5-9 down in the first game against Joe Kneipp before moving on to complete a win that was, in the end, fairly comfortable.

Kneipp shone in patches, but Nicol's newly-recovered speed and mobility was generally too much as he manoeuvred the Australian around the court, setting up opportunities to attack which he took with relish.

So a semi-final awaits, and Nicol's quip after the match that he doesn't care who he plays has the ring of truth ...

[4] James Willstrop bt [Q] Peter Barker
      11/5, 11/10(1-3), 11/3 (42m)

Willstrop into Second Semi

James Willstrop tended to have the upper hand over Peter Barker in their junior days, and here tonight in Sheffield he maintained that advantage.

The match started evenly, as the score edged to 3/3, when Willstrop won a long, long rally with a lucky nick from a drive. That gave him the impetus as he went up quickly to 7/3. Barker pulled a couple of points back, but another string of winners from Willstrop gave him the lead.

Barker started the second well, leading 3/1, 5/3, 6/4, reaching 9/4 and looking likely to level it. But Willstrop edged back, won another huge rally at 7/9, and levelled.

Barker had one game ball, but couldn't take the chance, but Willstrop could, and did, much to Barker's frustration.

Willstrop came out fluid and relaxed for the third and raced to 10/2 with Barker looking dispirited. The only hiccup came when Willstrop served out on match ball, but that was soon rectified as Willstrop moved into his second consecutive semi-final at the Crucible.

MY IMPRESSIONS…

It must be so difficult to be in the shadow of James your whole youth. As Peter Barker is a year younger that the Giant Young Willstrop, he must have been frustrated more than once…

Today, Peter once again was competing with James, and had a real chance to equalise in the second, when he took a comfortable lead 9/4, and admits that he stopped playing until 10/9 game ball for James.

Well, if you have read his quote after the match against Rodney, he states that “when I arrived at 8, I relaxed because I knew you have to do something drastically wrong to lose the game.”

Well, I’m sure that next time, he won’t… And I fully agree with David Pearson. You have what it takes, Peter, it’s there, it’s all there …