Jonathon Power
| Full name | Jonathon Tyler Power | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Magician | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |
 Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Toronto, Ontario | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
August 9, 1974 Comox, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned Pro | 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Mike Way | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Harrow, Dunlop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (May, 1999) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final(s) | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (1998) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Last updated on: September 19, 2010. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jonathon Tyler Power (born 9 August 1974, in Comox, British Columbia, Canada) 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. He won 36 top-level squash events during his career, including the World Open in 1998, and the British Open in 1999.
Career overview
Power began playing squash at the age of seven and turned professional at age 16. After joining the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour in May 1991, he went on to win 36 PSA tournaments, and appeared in 58 finals. Career highlights included winning the World Open (1998), the British Open (1999), the Super Series Finals (2003 & 2005), the PSA Masters (2001, 2002 & 2005), the Tournament of Champions (1996, 1999, 2000 & 2002), and the men's singles Gold Medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Power is considered to be one of the greatest shotmakers in the history of the game, having perfected a wide range of drop shots and deception shots. He was often a crowd favourite, partly because of his emotional outbursts and verbal exchanges with referees, which sometimes led to him being compared with John McEnroe. Power's rivalry with Scotland's Peter Nicol was one of the most famous and extended in the history of the game.
In January 2006, Power returned to the World No. 1 ranking, four-and-a-half years after the previous time he was ranked in the top spot (marking the longest gap between periods of holding the World No. 1 ranking of any player in history). He lost the No. 1 ranking in February 2006 to David Palmer, but regained it again on 1 March 2006. One day later, on 2 March, Power announced his retirement from professional squash. His wife, Sita, gave birth to their daughter named "Parker."
Power played for Canada at the 2007 and 2009 World Team Championships. He defeated several highly ranked players and showed he is still competitive at the world level. He also won the 2008 Canadian Championships, defeating Shahier Razik in the final. Currently he is running the Power Squash Academy, a squash training facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
World Open final appearances
| Wins (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1998 | Peter Nicol | 15–11, 15–12, 15–12 |
British Open final appearances
| Wins (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1999 | Peter Nicol | 15–17, 15–12 (retired) |
Commonwealth Games final appearances
| Wins (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 2002 | Peter Nicol | 9–4, 4–9, 9–3, 9–0 |
| Runners-up (1) | ||
| Year | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1998 | Peter Nicol | 3–9, 9–2, 9–1, 2–9, 9–2 |
External links
- Jonathon Power profile from PSA (archived)
- Jonathon Power profile from SquashInfo
- Page at Squashpics.com
- SquashTalk article on Power's retirement
- SquashSite article on Power's retirement
- BBC article on Power's retirement
- Photo tribute at Squashphotos.com
- Bruce Grierson article "Court Jester" on Power's rise
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Thierry Lincou David Palmer |
World No. 1 May 1999 - September 1999 November 1999 - January 2000 April 2001 - July 2001 January 2006 March 2006 |
Succeeded by Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Peter Nicol David Palmer Amr Shabana |
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