David Palmer (squash player)
Encyclopedia
David Palmer is a professional squash
player from Australia
. He won the Super Series
finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open
in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No. 1 ranking in September 2001 and again (for one month) in February 2006.
, Palmer won a men's singles Silver Medal after losing in the final to England
's Peter Nicol
. He also won Bronze Medals in the men's doubles and mixed doubles. In the 2002 Commonwealth Games
he won Bronze Medals in both the men's singles and the men's doubles.
In technical terms, Palmer plays a classic all-court attrition game with hard-hitting attacking shots from his opponent's loose shots. He is known for the power of his striking, and the strength of his physical play, contributed to by rigorous attention to fitness. His training regime involves completing the multi-stage fitness test
five times with a three-minute break between tests.
Palmer has served as president of the Professional Squash Association
(PSA). Following the 2004 World Doubles Squash Championships
in Chennai
, India
, he was banned from playing in events run by the World Squash Federation
(WSF) for 13 months after a disciplinary panel found him guilty of verbally abusing the referee.
In 2009, Palmer was approached by the Wallabies
coach Robbie Deans
to help increase his team fitness.
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He won the Super Series
PSA Super Series
The PSA World Series is a series of men's squash tournaments which are part of the Professional Squash Association World Tour. The PSA World Series touranaments are some of the most prestigious events on the men's tour...
finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open
British Open Squash Championships
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...
in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No. 1 ranking in September 2001 and again (for one month) in February 2006.
Career overview
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, Palmer won a men's singles Silver Medal after losing in the final to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Peter Nicol
Peter Nicol
Peter Nicol, MBE , is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking...
. He also won Bronze Medals in the men's doubles and mixed doubles. In the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
he won Bronze Medals in both the men's singles and the men's doubles.
In technical terms, Palmer plays a classic all-court attrition game with hard-hitting attacking shots from his opponent's loose shots. He is known for the power of his striking, and the strength of his physical play, contributed to by rigorous attention to fitness. His training regime involves completing the multi-stage fitness test
Multi-stage fitness test
The multi-stage fitness test, also known as the bleep test, beep test, pacer test, Leger-test or 20-m shuttle run test, is used by sports coaches and trainers to estimate an athlete's VO2 max...
five times with a three-minute break between tests.
Palmer has served as president of the Professional Squash Association
Professional Squash Association
The Professional Squash Association is the governing body for the men's professional squash circuit. The body operates in a similar fashion to the ATP for tennis. The PSA World Tour involves over 100 tournaments annually all over the globe...
(PSA). Following the 2004 World Doubles Squash Championships
World Doubles Squash Championships
The World International Doubles Squash Championships is a squash tournament which includes Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles events. Under the rules of the championships, double pairs must be made up of two players from the same country...
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, he was banned from playing in events run by the World Squash Federation
World Squash Federation
The World Squash Federation is the international federation for squash, an indoor racquet sport which was formerly called "Squash rackets."It is based in Hastings in England. As of 2009 it has 147 member federations...
(WSF) for 13 months after a disciplinary panel found him guilty of verbally abusing the referee.
In 2009, Palmer was approached by the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
coach Robbie Deans
Robbie Deans
Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...
to help increase his team fitness.
World Open final appearances
| Wins (2) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2002 | John White John White (squash player) John White is a former World No. 1 squash player.White finished runner-up at both the World Open and the British Open in 2002. He won the PSA Masters title in 2003 . He also won the British National Championships in 2004... |
13–15, 12–15, 15–6, 15–14, 15–11 |
| 2006 | Grégory Gaultier Gregory Gaultier Grégory Gaultier is a professional squash player from France. He won the British Open in 2007, and finished runner-up at the World Open in 2006 and 2007.... |
9–11, 9–11, 11–9, 11–10 (6–4), 11–2 |
| Runner-ups (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2005 | Amr Shabana Amr Shabana Amr Shabana is a professional squash player from Egypt. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.-Career overview:... |
11–6, 11–7, 11–8 |
British Open final appearances
| Wins (4) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2001 | Chris Walker Chris Walker (squash player) Chris Walker is a squash coach and former professional squash player from England.Walker was a member of the England teams which won the World Team Squash Championships in 1995 and 1997. He finished runner-up at the British Open in 2001... |
12–15, 13–15, 15–2, 15–9, 15–5 |
| 2003 | Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Peter Nicol, MBE , is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking... |
15–13, 15–13, 15–8 |
| 2004 | Amr Shabana Amr Shabana Amr Shabana is a professional squash player from Egypt. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.-Career overview:... |
10–11 (4–6), 11–7, 11–10 (3–1), 11–7 |
| 2008 | James Willstrop James Willstrop James Willstrop is a professional squash player from England.-Biography:Willstrop is recognised as a young squash talent with a big future ahead of him... |
11–9, 11–9, 8–11, 6–11, 11–10 (3–1) |
Commonwealth Games final appearances
| Runner-ups (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2006 | Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Peter Nicol, MBE , is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking... |
9–5, 10–8, 4–9, 9–2 |
External links
- [www.psaworldtour.com/page/PlayerProfile/0,,13121~156,00.html David Palmer] profile on the PSA official website