RESULTS: British National Squash Championships, Sportcity, Manchester

    Men's semi-finals:
[1] John White (Scotland) bt [6] Adrian Grant (Kent) 15-11, 11-15, 15-9, 15-8 (79m)
[3] Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt [2] Peter Nicol (Yorks) 15-11, 15-6, ret. (33m)
    Women's semi-finals:
[1] Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) bt [4] Fiona Geaves (Glos) 9-2, 9-4, 0-9, 9-1 (45m)
[2] Linda Charman (Sussex) bt [7] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) 9-4, 9-2, 9-5 (41m)

Exhausted Nicol Surrenders To Beachill In Manchester

The semi-final which was expected to be the star attraction of the 2004 British National Squash Championships ended after just two games today (Saturday) at the National Squash Centre in Sportcity, Manchester, when defending champion Peter Nicol conceded the match to his great rival and Commonwealth Games doubles gold medal-winning partner Lee Beachill, suffering from exhaustion.

Nicol, the world No2 who recovered from a disappointing few months at the end of last year to claim a resounding win in the Kuwait Open in January, was seeded to beat Beachill, the world No4, in a repeat of the last two years' finals.

But midway through the first game it looked clear that all was not right with the former world champion from London.  Beachill moved from 5-9 down to game ball at 14-9 in a single hand and, after winning the game, romped through the second before the former Scot put up his hand to call it a day at 15-11 15-6 in the Yorkshireman's favour.

"I've never given up a match like that before," said a drained Nicol afterwards.  "It took me three or four minutes to get my breath back.  I felt fine before the match started and only during the first game did I begin to feel completely exhausted."

The scene was reminiscent of last October's British Open semi-final in Nottingham when Nicol came back from 2-0 down to beat former champion Jonathon Power in a 112-minute marathon - and could barely walk after the ordeal.

"I have learned from that experience and wasn't prepared to make the same mistake again," said the title-holder.  "That incident has clearly had a long-term effect on me - my doctor has advised me that the ideal treatment would be a complete three-month break, then start again, but that would be difficult.

"I'm playing the Tournament of Champions in New York next week, and I'm sure I'll be fine for that," added Nicol.

Beachill, who two years ago became the first player to win back-to-back men's titles, moves into his fourth successive final where he will meet John White, the top seed from Scotland.  White, the 30-year-old world No3 who is based in Nottingham, reached his first final in three attempts after a 15-11 11-15 15-9 15-8 win in 79 minutes over left-handed Londoner Adrian Grant, the sixth seed who upset the No4 seed Nick Matthew to reach the last four.

"It's wonderful - I'm really pleased to be in the final and to win tonight's match after the tough battle I had last night," said White, the game's hardest-hitter, referring to his five-game marathon against seventh-seeded Welshman Alex Gough.  White and Beachill last met in the final of the Qatar Classic in December, when the Yorkshireman won his first major title.

Norfolk's world No1 Cassie Jackman kept alive her dream to become the first woman in history to win six National titles when she beat long-time rival Fiona Geaves, the fourth seed from Gloucester, in four games.

The 31-year-old from Norwich admitted that she had "a bit of a lapse" in the third game of her semi-final, but came through 9-2 9-4 0-9 9-1 in 45 minutes to reach her eighth final in her 17th appearance in the event since 1986.

Jackman's opponent in a repeat of the 2002 final will be long-time rival Linda Charman, the No2 seed from Eastbourne in Sussex.  Charman ended the brave run of Yorkshire's seventh seed Jenny Duncalf, the 21-year-old former European Junior champion from Harrogate, 9-4 9-2 9-5 in 41 minutes.


Official website: www.nationalsquashchamps.co.uk