Latest Tournament News - David Palmer vs. Cameron Pilley

Welcome to the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2006 presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance - a festival of squash hosted in paradise.

April 5th 2006

David Palmer vs. Cameron Pilley

Game 1

  • Pilley serving
  • Let play
  • Winner from Palmer 1-0.
  • Pilley plays the ball down 2-0
  • Long rally - great backhand drop from palmer 3-0
  • Boast from left side from Palmer too good. 4-0.
  • Palmer hits the ball down. 1-4.
  • Long, cagey rally. Pilley then tins an overhead volley, 5-1 to Palmer.
  • Let play called when Palmer impedes Pilley. Pilley complains - "Come on - give me something'.
  • Palmer plays the ball down. 2-5 Pilley serving.
  • Long hard-hitting rally ends in a let. Applause from the crowd. 2-5.
  • Fantastic rally ends with Palmer at front with advantage. 6-2. Then a nice drop from him front right. 7-2.
  • Pilley denied a let call. 8-2 to Palmer.
  • Great shot from Pilley is a winner. 3-8.
  • Another point from Pilley, then he is denied a let. 9-4 to Palmer.
  • Great volley from Pilley is a winner. 5-9.
  • Pilley plays the ball down. Game ball for Palmer. 10-5.
  • 6-10 after Pilley winner
  • Sequence of drops ends in back right corner. Boast from Pilley finds Palmer waiting, but his shot is picked up by Pilley for a winning down the line shot. 7-10
  • Palmer hits ball down twice in succession. 9-10.
  • Palmer plays a line drive down the right. Pilley asks for let - denied. Palmer wins game 11-9.

Game 2

  • Palmer serving.
  • Palmer plays ball down. 1-0 to Pilley.
  • Two let balls. Then stroke awarded to Pilley. 2-0.
  • Drop into front right from Pilley too good. 3-0.
  • Ball played high and out by Pilley. 1-3.
  • Pilley then tins an easy shot down the right. 2-3.
  • Palmer tins it. 4-2 to Pilley.
  • Pilley then tins it. 3-4.
  • Palmer plays ball out. 5-3.
  • Pilley has Palmer under pressure but fails to capitalise. He tins a shot from the back. 4-5.
  • Pilley misses a return of service. 5-5.
  • Hard-hitting rally - then Palmer plays a shot down the right that is too good. 6-5.
  • Great low cross-court to the back left from Pilley beats Palmer. 6-6.
  • Fantastic backhand volley from Pilley into the nick at the front right. 7-6.
  • Palmer awarded a stroke. 7-7.
  • Let ball. Then great cut shot to front left from Pilley. 8-7.
  • Palmer fails to take advantage of a Pilley recovery from the back and tins it. 9-7.
  • Pilley awarded a stroke. 10-7 game ball.
  • Palmer plays a great shot. 8-10. The Pilley tins it. 9-10.
  • Pilley asks for a let down the left. It is denied. 10-10 tie break.
  • Hard shot winner from Palmer. 11-10.
  • Pilley denied a let at the front right. Palmer wins game 12-10.

Game 3

  • Palmer serving
  • 1-0 to Pilley after drop front right.
  • Cagey rally ends in unbeatable drop front left from Palmer. 1-1.
  • Pilley plays ball down. 2-1.
  • Pilley makes unforced error at front right. 3-1 to Palmer.
  • Stroke to Palmer plus conduct stroke awarded against Pilley for obscenity. 5-1.
  • Two quick points from Palmer 7-1.
  • Palmer plays ball down. 2-7.
  • Another ball played down by Palmer. 3-7.
  • Hard-hitting start to the rally, then slows down, Pilley winner down the right. 4-7.
  • Two let balls. Then Pilley tins an overhead volley drop to right corner. 8-4.
  • Stroke to Palmer. 9-4.
  • Down the line from Pilley too good. 5-9.
  • Palmer denied a let. 'You should have played it'. 6-9.
  • Pilley plays several great recoveries, but Palmer plays a shot to the back which is too good. 10-6 match ball.
  • Pilley plays ball down. Palmer wins 11-6.

Post Match Interview
Three-times British Open Champion. Edwards asks - Extra pressure tonight? Palmer says he is hardly sweating (joke). He says it is the first time they have played. Every game was hard. He is glad to get off 3-0. That means he will be fresh for tomorrow. He came close to a trophy here two years ago. Last year he hit a John White in form in the second round. There are no easy matches - nothing to lose, everything to gain. All the matches in the next round will be great. Edwards asks about Palmer's coach, Sean Moxham. Palmer says it is good to have him here. Moxham gives him extra confidence.

Our Summary
A great game from Palmer. He showed great control under pressure but was worked hard by fellow countryman Pilley. Both men sweated hard in a clean, hard-hitting match with long rallies. Pilley just failed to capitalise, especially in the second game, when he was 10-7 match ball. Palmer plays the winner of the match between Nicol and Darwish in the next round - perhaps a rematch of the Gold medal game in Melbourne?

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