Thierry Lincou and David Palmer will do battle for the Randall & Quilter Legends of Squash title at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association today after they ended the group stage undefeated.

Lincou, of France, booked his spot in the final with a 11-5, 11-7 triumph over Simon Parke, of England, who was always up against it in the match and ends the competition winless after three matches.

“I was really focused on the match,” said Lincou, 38, the finest squash player to come out of La Réunion, a French overseas territory. “I knew that he can cover a lot of distance, so it was imperative that I went out hard from the beginning because he can lure you into a sense of relaxation. He can also turn defence into attack quickly and can cover the court well, so I had to make sure I was really accurate in my whole game.

On his way to the final, the Frenchman beat Peter Nicol and Lee Beachill and put his success down to having the right balance in this competition.

“I am happy to be in the final,” he added. “I’m from an island as well, so to be here and embrace the atmosphere is magnificent. It feels as if it is my roots; I feel like I’m at home.

“It’s all about finding the right balance in having a good time, but always putting in a good performance and enjoying the crowd.

“There is one more game left to win the title, but for the most part I’m enjoying the experience.”

Parke, 41, acknowledged his opponent’s superiority after the match. “He still has the quality to go out and please the crowd,” he said. “I just wish he would have eased up on me, given I’m his senior. But it was fun to be out there and I wish him the best of luck in the final.”

Palmer, of Australia, had a similar result to his finals opponent, brushing aside Nick Kyme, of Bermuda, 11-5, 11-8. He did not have it all his way, however, and had to dig himself out of any early 5-2 deficit in the first game.

After rattling off nine points without reply to get his nose in front, the Australian was in control and did enough to keep his former landlord at bay. “I love Bermuda,” Palmer said. “I have trained and played with Nick, and it’s good to see his game is still at a high level.

“It is always important to understand the situation you are in at all times in a match and I fell behind early, but got into a groove midway through the first set and from there I wanted to press home my advantage.

“I had to make sure I didn’t exert too much energy because my last match against Jonathon [Power] was gruelling, so I didn’t want to go the distance and picked it up a bit and forced some errors from him.”

For his part in the match, winless Kyme was happy to help the home crowd enjoy the festivities. “To be out here with the big guns of this sport is spectacular,” Kyme said. “It doesn’t get any better, although I had him in the first and the crowd was behind me. The final will be a great event.”

In the remaining matches to clinch the runners-up positions in their respective groups, Beachill beat Nicol 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 and Power downed John White 12-10, 11-7.

Today’s final will be preceded at 6pm by an exhibition doubles match.