SURREY
PORTRAITS
 |
PETER NICOL :
 “I’M NOT A ROBOT…”
Yes, I quite agree with him really… Actually, I remember writing after his
defeat last year in the English Open, “it’s official, Peter Nicol is human
after all”… Between two chips, we chatted away, and we spoke about the
Premier League, his last two tournaments, the British, etc….
Why did you decide to play for this Premier League team?
For a few years now, I’ve come to know and appreciate Peter and Catherine,
first through different exhibitions and events, then playing for the
Surrey League last year, and little by little, became part of the club. So
when Pete contacted me about the new Premier League team, I was only too
happy to be involved. Also, I feel that the Esporta Group doesn’t have to
support squash, and could only concentrate on the Gym or the Tennis side
of the business. But they are making a big effort to go the squash way, I
feel it’s only natural we should support them.
 Does the scoring in 9 agree with you?
It makes a huge difference, yes, because I can integrate those matches
within my training, and they can add to the training process instead of
interfering with it, as they last between 40 and 60 minutes, rarely above
the hour…
 Let’s talk about your last two competitions, and your defeat against
Jonathan in St Louis and Greg in Hungary…
Well, I wasn’t unhappy with the way I played against Jonathan, although I
didn’t move that well I felt, but I thought that he was playing
exceptionally well. Now, I think that Greg also played exceptionally well,
but I was absolutely hopeless, I was struggling to move, struggling to
play, I struggled to even see the ball, one of those matches where
everything deteriorates as the match unfolds…
There was a lot going on in my life at the time, and I guess I was a bit
tense, hence nervous, hence couldn’t move. But that’s no excuse, and I
repeat that Greg was playing exceptionally well…
 How do you feel about those defeats?
Not too bad actually, it’s one of the things I’ve learnt about myself
recently, that I’m not a robot, and that I will have good days and bad
days. I guess it’s a lot to do with my age, with the concurrence out
there, the younger players, and yes, I’ll have bad days much more
frequently than I used to have a few years back, where it would only
happen once per year or so…
 What about the British…
I always said I was getting ready for the Big Events, for example it was
very important for me to win the English Open, I really wanted it, the
same for the British, the World Open, the Teams and the Commonwealth.
Well, I can feel that I’m nearly ready for the British…
Still a little tension in the back, I’m about to have a good check-up, but
overall, I’m a tick away from being ready. Maybe subconsciously I was
working towards that, but I feel I’m ready for the British, mentally,
physically, I’m getting relaxed, everything is coming into place just in
time… |
CANARY WHARF: GOING TO 5 STARS …
 It’s always so nice to catch up with Tim Garner, who’s got so many
hats on his head that he’s got a cupboard full of them… In the Premier
League competition, he is player, captain and manager of the team, and
tonight also compere… BSPA, Eventis, Lambs, always something boiling on
the stove, that man has… And a huge heart to go with it…
He has now joined Surrey Health and Racquet Club and will play for them
not only for the Premier League (instead of Chichester) but also for
Surrey League (Steve Meads and himself swapped places between Surrey and
St Georges).
Yes, Tim has a lot to do… Recently, he also replaced Gavin in the post of
Manager of Lambs, who was the squash pro there for years.
 “My objective is to keep Lambs as the best club possible. Yes, its future
is limited, as we all know, but I would hate for its standard to go down
the drain. Until the last day, whenever it may be, I will do my utmost
best for it to stay what it always was, a fantastic club.”
 Another
project that is going to keep him and his partners Peter Nicol and Angus
Kirkland pretty busy in February is the Canary Wharf Classic, which this
year will be a brand new Five Star PSA event.
“Every year, with Eventis, we are trying to add a new event, last year it
was the World Awards, this year, Canary Wharf is turning into a proper PSA
tournament. I don’t know what we may come up with this year, but we always
try to grow at a sustainable pace, and still, going forward…”
A great PSA event in the heart of the English Capital? That is a bit of a
good news, wouldn’t you say????
|
|
|
|
