Peter Nicol
Encyclopedia
Peter Nicol, MBE
(born 5 April 1973 in Inverurie
, Aberdeenshire
), 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. During his career, he won one World Open title, two British Open
titles, and four Commonwealth Games
Gold Medals. He is widely considered to be one of the most outstanding international squash players of his time.
player Jonathon Power
was amongst the most famous and extended in the history of squash.
Nicol was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 60 months during his career, including a continuous 24 month stint in 2002-2003.
After finishing runner-up at the World Open in 1997 and 1998, Nicol won the title in 1999, beating Ahmed Barada
of Egypt
in the final 15–9, 15–13, 15–11. He continued to hold the title of "world champion" through to 2002 as the men's World Open was not held in 2000 or 2001 due to difficulties in securing sponsorship for the event.
After initially representing Scotland in international squash, Nicol switched his representation to England in 2001, claiming that he felt he was not receiving sufficient support from Scottish Squash, the national governing body
. Some resented this switch, even going so far as calling it traitorous, suggesting it was rooted in financial gain.
Nicol enjoyed considerable success at the Commonwealth Games, where squash became a medal sport in 1998. In 1998, representing Scotland, he won a men's singles Gold Medal (beating Jonathon Power in the final), and a men's doubles Bronze Medal. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, representing England, Nicol won a men's singles Silver Medal (losing in the final to Power), and a men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Lee Beachill
). In 2006, again representing England, Nicol won another men's singles Gold Medal (beating Australia
's David Palmer
in the final), and another men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Beachill again).
Other career highlights included winning three consecutive Super Series
Finals titles (1999–2001), two PSA Masters
titles (2000 & 2004), three Tournament of Champions
titles (2001 & 2003-4), and two British National Championship
titles (1996 & 2003).
in the quarter-finals.
Nicol now has turned his focus to promoting the game, providing sponsorship, support and coaching through his company Peter Nicol Squash, and promoting events worldwide through Eventis Sports Marketing Ltd. As the recently named squash ambassador for Prince, Nicol's long-time sponsor, Nicol coincided a launch of Peternicolsquash.com, an online retailer of Prince equipment.
Nicol also won men's doubles Gold Medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006 (partnering Lee Beachill
on both occasions).
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 5 April 1973 in Inverurie
Inverurie
Inverurie is a Royal Burgh and town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north west of Aberdeen on the A96 road and is served by Inverurie railway station on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
), is a former professional squash
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 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, who represented first Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and then 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...
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. During his career, he won one World Open title, two 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...
titles, and four Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Gold Medals. He is widely considered to be one of the most outstanding international squash players of his time.
Career overview
During his career, Nicol was well known for his excellent retrieving game, as well as being an extremely tough competitor to break down. His rivalry with the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
player Jonathon Power
Jonathon Power
Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking...
was amongst the most famous and extended in the history of squash.
Nicol was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 60 months during his career, including a continuous 24 month stint in 2002-2003.
After finishing runner-up at the World Open in 1997 and 1998, Nicol won the title in 1999, beating Ahmed Barada
Ahmed Barada
Ahmed Barada is a former professional squash player from Egypt. He finished runner-up at both the World Open and the Super Series Finals in 1999 . His career-high world ranking was World No...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the final 15–9, 15–13, 15–11. He continued to hold the title of "world champion" through to 2002 as the men's World Open was not held in 2000 or 2001 due to difficulties in securing sponsorship for the event.
After initially representing Scotland in international squash, Nicol switched his representation to England in 2001, claiming that he felt he was not receiving sufficient support from Scottish Squash, the national governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
. Some resented this switch, even going so far as calling it traitorous, suggesting it was rooted in financial gain.
Nicol enjoyed considerable success at the Commonwealth Games, where squash became a medal sport in 1998. In 1998, representing Scotland, he won a men's singles Gold Medal (beating Jonathon Power in the final), and a men's doubles Bronze Medal. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, representing England, Nicol won a men's singles Silver Medal (losing in the final to Power), and a men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill is a former World No. 1 squash player from England.Beachill reached the World No. 1 ranking in October 2004. He also finished runner-up at the World Open that year....
). In 2006, again representing England, Nicol won another men's singles Gold Medal (beating 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...
's David Palmer
David Palmer (squash player)
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...
in the final), and another men's doubles Gold Medal (partnering Beachill again).
Other career highlights included winning three consecutive 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 titles (1999–2001), two PSA Masters
PSA Masters
The PSA Masters is a prestigious squash tournament which is one of the premier events on the Professional Squash Association Tour. It is the only PSA Tour event which is open exclusively to the top 32 players in the world rankings, and is part of the PSA World Series.From 2000-01, the event was...
titles (2000 & 2004), three Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (squash)
The Tournament of Champions is an annual international squash championship held in New York City. In recent years, the event has been held at New York's Grand Central Terminal, in a specially-constructed four-walled glass court in the Vanderbilt Hall....
titles (2001 & 2003-4), and two British National Championship
British National Squash Championships
The British National Squash Championships are the national squash championships for players from the United Kingdom & Ireland. They are held annually in early February and have been held at the National Squash Centre at Sportscity in Manchester since 2003....
titles (1996 & 2003).
Retirement
In July 2006, Nicol announced that he would be retiring after the 2006 World Open in September. Nicol's final match was a loss to Thierry LincouThierry Lincou
Thierry Lincou is a professional squash player from France. He reached the World No. 1 ranking in January 2004...
in the quarter-finals.
Nicol now has turned his focus to promoting the game, providing sponsorship, support and coaching through his company Peter Nicol Squash, and promoting events worldwide through Eventis Sports Marketing Ltd. As the recently named squash ambassador for Prince, Nicol's long-time sponsor, Nicol coincided a launch of Peternicolsquash.com, an online retailer of Prince equipment.
World Open final appearances
| Wins (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1999 | Ahmed Barada Ahmed Barada Ahmed Barada is a former professional squash player from Egypt. He finished runner-up at both the World Open and the Super Series Finals in 1999 . His career-high world ranking was World No... |
15–9, 15–13, 15–11 |
| Runner-ups (2) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1997 | Rodney Eyles Rodney Eyles Rodney Eyles is a former professional squash player from Australia. He is best remembered for winning the World Open title in 1997.... |
15–11, 15–12, 15–12 |
| 1998 | Jonathon Power Jonathon Power Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking... |
15–17, 15–7, 15–9, 15–10 |
British Open final appearances
| Wins (2) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1998 | Jansher Khan Jansher Khan Jansher Khan is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players of all time. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times.Jansher is of Peshwari ethnicity. He came from... |
17–16, 15–4, 15–5 |
| 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... |
15–9, 15–8, 15–8 |
| Runner-ups (3) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1997 | Jansher Khan Jansher Khan Jansher Khan is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players of all time. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times.Jansher is of Peshwari ethnicity. He came from... |
17–15, 9–15, 15–12, 8–15, 15–8 |
| 1999 | Jonathon Power Jonathon Power Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking... |
15–17, 15–12 (retired) |
| 2003 | David Palmer David Palmer (squash player) 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... |
15–13, 15–13, 15–8 |
Commonwealth Games final appearances
| Wins (2) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1998 | Jonathon Power Jonathon Power Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking... |
3–9, 9–2, 9–1, 2–9, 9–2 |
| 2006 | David Palmer David Palmer (squash player) 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... |
9–5, 10–8, 4–9, 9–2 |
| Runner-ups (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2002 | Jonathon Power Jonathon Power Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking... |
9–4, 4–9, 9–3, 9–0 |
Nicol also won men's doubles Gold Medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006 (partnering Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill is a former World No. 1 squash player from England.Beachill reached the World No. 1 ranking in October 2004. He also finished runner-up at the World Open that year....
on both occasions).