Q&A: DAVID PALMER
DAVIDPALMER Q&A
Australia’s David Palmer talks to International Squash Magazine.
Country: Australia Date of Birth: 28th June 1976 Place of Birth: Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia Place of Residence: Miami, USA Marital Status: Married Highest World Ranking: No.1 (September 2001) World Tour Titles: 26 World Tour Finals: 53
In a distinguished playing career spanning over 14 years on the international circuit, Australia’s David Palmer has won 26 World Tour titles including two World Open and four British Open trophies and is widely acknowledged as the most successful player of the modern era.
Earliest sporting memory: Playing squash with my dad when I was 4 years old back in Australia.
Sports watched: Tennis, golf, rugby league and basketball – I’ve supported Orlando Magic since moving to the US.
Sports played: Squash, soccer, tennis and golf.
Why a life in sport, or if it hadn’t happened, what would you have done instead? If I didn’t play sport for a living I would probably have ended up being a coalminer, just like everyone else in my home town Lithgow in New South Wales.
Toughest part of your sporting life: Having to live away from family and friends for the last 14 years - they can travel with me sometimes which is good, but it’s not the same as when we are all at home together.
Most memorable sporting moment: Winning my first World Open in Antwerp 2002, but winning the British Open for a fourth time in 2008 comes in a close second, as it proved that I am still a force - I won the Canary Wharf Classic last year as well, just to make sure.
Worst sporting moment: My second round loss in the 2009 World Open in Kuwait. I was the sixth seed but lost in straight games in 45 minutes to Tarek
Momen, who at the time was ranked 25 in the world. I was not pleased.
Sporting heroes: Greg Norman and Boris Becker, who were winning well and consistently when I was growing up.
Favourite venue and why: Bermuda. I thought that the organisers there held one of the best tournaments on the World Tour. Plus the setting is fantastic - so good in fact that I decided to live there for a while, not now though – we are currently living Miami in the US.
Sporting event you would pay the most to see: The Masters Golf in Augusta. Hopefully I’ll be able to see Tiger in action.
And to miss: World Cup Soccer - playing is great, but I’ve just never really liked watching soccer and can’t get into it. I know the Europeans generally go mad for it, but it’s just not for me. Golf is much more my ‘cup of tea’.
Question asked most often by the public: Why did you not try to pursue a career in tennis?
And the answer: It’s quite simple, I was good at both tennis and
squash, but I just loved playing squash more, so I went with that… it worked out okay.
Greatest change you would like to see in the running of your sport: To move the Professional Squash Association (PSA) office to America and to take the “Let” out of the game.
How well is your sport covered in the media? Squash is a very watchable game and with the change in the scoring system, it’s easy to follow for the spectator. There are also a lot of people playing at amateur level and socially, but sadly this does not translate into decent coverage in the media, so in short “Not Good”.
Sporting motto: All dreams come true, but only if you have the courage to chase them.
Who would you most like to invite to dinner and why? Roger Federer, so that his twin girls can play with my daughters Miley & Kayla!
David Palmer will next compete in England at the ROWE British Grand Prix, Europe’s leading world tour event to be staged in Manchester from 15th – 20th September.
INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE September 2010 | 23
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine
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