Peter Nicol put in one of the best performances of his long career to completely outplay David Palmer in an exhilarating Bermuda Masters quarter-final last night.

In a rematch of last month?s Commonwealth Games gold medal game, Nicol triumphed 11-5, 11-4, 13-11 in a match he described as ?up there with my best?.

It wasn?t even that Palmer played badly, he was simply no match for Nicol at his very best.

?That has to be one of my best performances,? said a remarkably relaxed Nicol afterwards. ?Not my best in terms of the match - that had to be the Commonwealth Games - but maybe in terms of the squash I played.

?I just felt really up for it, relaxed and ready to play.

?In the last match I didn?t even feel that I wanted to be there, but tonight I was just ready to go.

?David liked to push forward but I played high and wide and I have to say I outplayed him and that isn?t something I can say very often against someone like him.

?My last 18 months have all been about the Commonwealth Games, now I am just enjoying my squash.?

The opening game gave Nicol the opportunity to hand out a master-class in opponent manipulation.

The Englishman rattled off six points in a row from 5-5, each of them involving sending the tall Australian to the back of the court before dribbling the deftest of drops into places unplayable even for the agile Bermuda resident.

It was Nicol at his vintage best, darting and stretching around the court to retrieve the irretrievable before casually despatching even one of the world?s best to all four corners of the court.

Although it appeared unlikely, Nicol actually got even better in the second game, running Palmer ragged with even more venom.

Like a man possessed, the veteran created inspired winner after inspired winner, defying laws of physics to lunge for gets and then pulling off the impossible to kill off his opponent from wherever he found himself.

It was truly exhibition stuff, with Palmer left looking as bemused as the crowd were delighted by Nicol?s remarkable shotmaking.

The second game was claimed 11-4 in less than nine minutes as Nicol made a mockery of the world rankings, displaying all the brilliance that has kept him at the very pinnacle of world squash for so long.

Palmer was having a desperate time, whatever he tried Nicol was equal to and the big Australian ? the ?home? favourite ? was getting increasingly frustrated.

In the third, Palmer stepped up his game to match Nicol?s level and the two became embroiled in some quite breathtaking rallies.

Palmer pulled out all the stops to take a 10-7 lead but the genius in Nicol emerged again. Three astonishing drops brought the scores back level at 10-10 and then a further game point was saved at 11-10.

Two stupendous winners killed off the game and Nicol rightly received a rapturous reception for his truly magnificent performance.

A good 15 minutes after the match had wrapped up, Palmer remained unmoved in his corner, simply staring into space. Few could blame him.

Frenchmen will fill half of tonight?s semi-final line-up as the effervescent Gregory Gaultier joined older compatriot Thierry Lincou.

The flamboyant youngster outplayed Ong Beng Hee, the surprise package of the tournament, in a protracted ? and exceptionally polite ? 11-7, 11-4, 13-15, 11-5 victory.

The opening game was a rather perfunctory affair, long rallies, few winners and little to choose between the players. But the diminutive Gaultier ? a permanent fixture inside the world?s top 12 in recent years ? stepped his game up in the second and brought out an array of delicious drops and fantastique, powerful low drives which left Ong with nothing in reply.

The contest was significantly lengthened by a remarkably stubborn Ong performance in the third, saving five match points ? the second of which featured an enthralling seven lets ? to send the match well past the hour stage.

With nothing left in the tank, Gaultier raced through the final game to finally get rid of Ong, one of the genuine nice guys of the tour and a clear crowd favourite in the tournament so far.