Commonwealth Games Doubles

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    Men's Doubles Women's Doubles Mixed Doubles

XIX Commonwealth Games
3rd - 14th October 2010

 

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Men's Doubles Final:
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) 11-9, 6-11, 11-5 (133m)
Bronze medal play-off:
[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) 11-5, 11-7 (52m)

Women's Doubles Final:
[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt [3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) 11-9, 11-10 (60m)
Bronze medal play-off:
[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) 11-4, 10-11, 11-5 (54m)

Mixed Doubles Final:
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (96m)
Bronze medal play-off:
[3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS) 11-9, 11-6 (35m)

Nick Matthew Celebrates Double Gold In Delhi

England's Nick Matthew brought his 2010 Commonwealth Games Squash campaign to a magnificent climax in Delhi tonight when, with Adrian Grant, he won gold in the Men's Doubles to add to the gold medal he won in last week's singles final at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.

In the final match on the spectacular all-glass showcourt, the favourites battled for more than two hours to hold off an Australian challenge from second seeds Stewart Boswell & David Palmer - and recovered from losing the second game to win 11-9, 6-11, 11-5 in 133 minutes.

The success means that the Men's Doubles gold medal stays in England hands for the fourth time since the sport's maiden appearance in the Games in 1998.

"Four years ago, a legendary English squash player Peter Nicol got two golds - and I delighted to have been able to emulate him," said the jubilant 30-year-old from Sheffield immediately afterwards.

"Winning two gold medals is an amazing feeling - and doubles is so different from singles squash. It's all about camaraderie with your partner. You almost feel that the racket isn't attached to your arm - you are just doing it for your partner.

"And when we got our heads back together after the second game, we were amazing.

"It's definitely the biggest moment of my career," added the world No2. "I didn't get the chance to celebrate my singles success, but now I will be able to as I made a good decision not to play a major Tour event in Egypt later this week. I put aside thoughts of regaining my world number one ranking for the sake of two gold medals."

In describing their marathon encounter - their third three-game win over the top Australian pair since March - Matthew admitted: "We always have a tough battle with them. David was chasing that elusive gold medal

"But it's all about team work - and Adrian and I have known each other since we were nine years old - and that's what made it work. I think it got a bit scrappy in the second, but we let our squash do the talking in the third."

Grant, the London-born world No14 who is based in Leeds, said: "After Nick had done such a fantastic job in the singles, I had to give him the motivation to push harder in the doubles. In doubles, you've got to take world rankings out of it - you've got to understand each others' games. We never took anybody for granted."

The outcome provided Stewart Boswell with his third successive silver medal in the event. It also gave David Palmer, the former world number one and two-time world champion, a record-equalling sixth Commonwealth Games medal since 1998.

"It's definitely nice - but you've got to put it into perspective. Tonight's wasn't the colour I wanted. It was a tough schedule - and, looking back, perhaps I should have pulled out of one," said the 34-year-old from Lithgow, NSW, after his farewell appearance in the event.

New Zealand grabbed the first gold medal of the day when the fourth-seeded pairing Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King shocked fancied English duo Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro, the third seeds, 11-9, 11-10 in the Women's Doubles final in exactly one hour.

Duncalf and Massaro, who reached the gold medal play-off after upsetting top-seeded Australians Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart in the semi-finals, led in the first game and had game-balls from 10-6 in the second.

But the Kiwis kept up the pressure before leaping for joy after their surprise gold medal triumph.

"We are OVER the moon," said a beaming Hawkes, the world No14 from Auckland. "Not in my wildest dreams did I expect to do this - I am so happy to have won gold.

"It's the first time we've played together," continued the 27-year-old. "It's great to get New Zealand's fourth gold in the Games."

Just before rushing back to the court to prepare for the next match - her Mixed Doubles final which followed immediately - Joelle King paid compliments to Hawkes: "My partner here was pretty awesome.

"When I was a little girl, I dreamed about winning a Commonwealth Games medal," added the 22-year-old from Cambridge.

Duncalf was inevitably despondent: "We had the confidence to win gold. There's a very fine line in doubles between winning and losing - they did really well to come back."

Massaro added: We weren't expecting to be paired up, and have had very little practice together, but I thought we did well.

"But it's horrible to lose your final match - but I'm sure we'll celebrate silver later," suggested the 26-year-old world No7.

It was a first squash gold medal of the 2010 Games for Australia when favourites Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley saw off New Zealand outsiders Joelle King & Martin Knight, the 11th seeds, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 in a 96-minute Mixed Doubles final.

Clearly uplifted by her gold medal performance some 20 minutes earlier, King led the Kiwis to a first game lead before the top seeds turned up the power to storm to gold.

Is it a relief, the winning Aussies were asked by a home reporter? "No, it's not a relief," said Brown. "Yes, it is," interjected Pilley. "It's a relief to finish doubles!

"We both played two matches today we didn't lose," added Pilley, the world No16 from Yamba, New South Wales. "Gold again in 2014 in Scotland? That's definitely the goal!"

When asked how it felt to win his county's first squash gold medal this time, the tall 27-year-old responded: "It's special - but more so because you're playing for all of squash in Australia. It's an honour to put on the Australian colours - it gives you something extra, and I think that showed when we came back from one-nil down."

Both players agreed that a beer was one of their priorities.

"Gold means everything - it's incredible," said Brown. "To get gold for your country is pretty amazing."

After winning bronze in the singles event, and bronze earlier in the day in the Women's Doubles, Brown became the only player to win three medals in Delhi.

"Winning three medals is a fantastic feeling - a gold medal means so much, especially representing Australia," added the world No8 from Taree, NSW.

"This year I've been working really hard and I feel I've really improved. I was confident I could do well.

"But the first thing I need to do is ring my Mum!"

A downbeat Martin Knight conceded that the best pair won: "Today, they just played better," said the Wellington-born 26-year-old. "I set goals every day and today we were going for gold - and there's no reason why we could have expected that. But I will go away with good memories."


 

SINGLES PAGES

 
 




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Joelle King and Martin Knight beat 3rd seeds Ong Beng Hee and Nicol David, Mas
 

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Jaclyn Hawkes and Joelle King celebrate their win against 2nd seeds Lisa Camilleri and Amelie Pittock, Aus


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Prince Edward visit (with N. Ramachandran, President WSF, and Andrew Shelley, Technical Delegate Squash)

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Clyne and Leitch (Scot) beating 3rd seeds Barker and Selby (Eng).


 

Men's Doubles semi-finals:
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-10, 11-9 (65m)
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt [5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) 11-10, 11-6 (73m)

Women's Doubles semi-finals:
[3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) 6-11, 11-5, 11-4 (58m)
[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt [2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5 (50m)

Mixed Doubles quarter-finals:
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 (104m)
[8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS) bt [10] Lisa Aitken & Harry Leitch (SCO) 11-3, 11-3 (28m)
[3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [4] Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 (59m)
[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-6, 11-9 (50m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS) 11-10, 11-10 (68m)
[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-7, 11-10 (53m)

Quarter-finals:
 

Men's Doubles quarter-finals:
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-5, 11-10 (82m)
[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) 11-9, 11-10 (88m)
[5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt [3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-7, 11-7 (69m)
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt [9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO) 11-2, 11-2 (28m)

Women's Doubles quarter-finals:
[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [8] Delia Arnold & Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-4, 11-9 (40m)
[3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [7] Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-4, 11-9 (44m)
[2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt [6] Lisa Aitken & Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO) 11-9, 11-8 (49m)
[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt [5] Tania Bailey & Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-4, 9-11, 11-4 (55m)

Mixed Doubles last 16 round:
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bye
[2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG) bt Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch (GGY) 11-4, 11-2 (13m)
[10] Lisa Aitken & Harry Leitch (SCO) bye
[8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS) bt [9] Frania Gillen-Buchert & Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-5, 11-7 (41m)
[3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [6] Sarah Kippax & Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-7, 11-3 (28m)
[4] Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bye
[5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [12] Sharon Wee & Ivan Yuen (MAS) 10-11, 11-3, 11-10 (60m)
[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bye

Qualifying

Men's Doubles 2nd qualifying round:
Pool 1
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [16] Philip Musonda & Lazarus Chilufya (ZAM) 11-0, 11-0 (14m)
[16] Philip Musonda & Lazarus Chilufya (ZAM) bt Malton Blair & Alexander Frazer (CAY) 11-10, 11-9 (24m)

Pool 2
Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule (ZAM) bt [15] Lekgotla Mosope & Lefika Ragontse (BOT) w/o
Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK) bt [15] Lekgotla Mosope & Lefika Ragontse (BOT) w/o
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule (ZAM) 11-3, 11-9 (16m)

Pool 3
[3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [14] Michael Fiteni & Bradley Hindle (MLT) 11-7, 11-6 (49m)

Pool 4
[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [13] Robin Clarke & Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-10, 11-2 (38m)

Pool 5
[5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt [12] Yasir Butt & Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-8, 11-3 (26m)
[12] Yasir Butt & Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt James Matewere & Julius Taulo (MAW) 11-5, 11-8 (14m)

Pool 6
[6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt [11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 6-11, 11-7, 11-7 (63m)
Michael Kawooya & Ian Rukunya (UGA) bt Shopon Pervez & Masud Rana (BAN) 9-11, 11-2, 11-9 (29m)
[6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Shopon Pervez & Masud Rana (BAN) 11-3, 11-2 (12m)

Pool 7
[10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Samuel Kyagulanyi & Brian Okumu (UGA) 11-1, 11-4 (9m)

Pool 8
[9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO) bt Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-8, 11-1 (20m)

Women's Doubles 2nd qualifying round:
Pool 1
Samantha Cornett & Stephanie Edmison (CAN) bt Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY) 11-3, 11-2 (12m)[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [7] Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (53m)

Pool 2
[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt [6] Lisa Aitken & Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO) 11-5, 11-4 (41m)

Pool 3
[2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt Nicolette Fernandes & Ashley Khalil (GUY) 11-2, 11-3 (17m)[5] Tania Bailey & Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Zoe Barr & Madeline Perry (NIR) 11-7, 11-3 (25m)

Pool 4
[3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [8] Delia Arnold & Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-10, 11-4 (27m)
Anaka Alankamony & Surbhi Misra (IND) bt Safina Madhani & Khaaliqa Nimji (KEN) 11-2, 11-4 (11m)

Mixed Doubles 2nd qualifying round:
Pool 1
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [12] Sharon Wee & Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-1, 11-6 (25m)

Pool 2
[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG) 11-9, 11-5 (35m)
Jeannine Cowie & Michael Hopkins (JEY) bt Safina Madhani & Hartaj Bains (KEN) 11-7, 11-7 (18m)

Pool 3
[10] Lisa Aitken & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt Stephanie Edmison & Andrew McDougall (CAN) 11-7, 11-2 (29m)
[3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Khaaliqa Nimji & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-3, 11-5 (25m)

Pool 4
[9] Frania Gillen-Buchert & Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Marlene West & Cameron Stafford (CAY) 11-10, 11-5 (34m)

Pool 5
[8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS) bt [5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-9, 11-4 (45m)
[5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Barbara Stubbings & Michael Rucklinger (PNG) 11-4, 11-2 (9m)

Pool 6
Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch (GGY) bt Sharya Guruge & Navin Samarasinghe (SRI) 11-3, 11-9 (14m)
[6] Sarah Kippax & Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Sharya Guruge & Navin Samarasinghe (SRI) 11-6, 11-5 (18m)

Men's Doubles 1st qualifying round:
Pool 1
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Malton Blair & Alexander Frazer (CAY) 11-1, 11-4 (16m)
Pool 2
Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK) bt Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule (ZAM) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 (41m)
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt [15] Lekgotla Mosope & Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 11-3, 11-0 (17m)
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK) 11-4, 11-6 (18m)

Pool 3
[14] Michael Fiteni & Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt Peter Christian-Bailey & Mal Rundell (NFK) 11-3, 11-4 (30m)
[3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Peter Christian-Bailey & Mal Rundell (NFK) 11-4, 11-1 (20m)

Pool 4
[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Othniel Bailey & Jules Snagg (SVG) 11-1, 11-1 (11m)
[13] Robin Clarke & Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Othniel Bailey & Jules Snagg (SVG) 11-2, 11-9 (16m)

Pool 5
[5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt James Matewere & Julius Taulo (MAW) 11-2, 11-1 (13m)

Pool 6
[11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Michael Kawooya & Ian Rukunya (UGA) 8-11, 11-4, 11-3 (27m)
[6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Michael Kawooya & Ian Rukunya (UGA) 11-5, 11-2 (18m)
[11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Shopon Pervez & Masud Rana (BAN) 11-2, 11-3 (12m)

Pool 7
[7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-7, 10-11, 11-3 (82m)
[7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt Samuel Kyagulanyi & Brian Okumu (UGA) 11-2, 11-1 (13m)

Pool 8
[9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO) bt [8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-8, 11-8 (44m)
[8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND) bt Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-6, 11-9 (23m)

Women's Doubles 1st qualifying round:
Pool 1
[7] Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY) 11-3, 11-3 (12m)
[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY) 11-3, 11-2 (10m)
[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Samantha Cornett & Stephanie Edmison (CAN) 11-5, 11-5 (25m)

Pool 2
[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt Zephanie Curgenven & Issey Norman-Ross (GGY) 11-1, 11-1 (9m)

Pool 3
[5] Tania Bailey & Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Nicolette Fernandes & Ashley Khalil (GUY) 11-6, 11-2 (19m)
[2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt Zoe Barr & Madeline Perry (NIR) 11-2, 11-8 (21m)

Pool 4
[3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Safina Madhani & Khaaliqa Nimji (KEN) 11-0, 11-3 (8m)
[8] Delia Arnold & Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Anaka Alankamony & Surbhi Misra (IND) 11-7, 11-4 (27m)

Mixed Doubles 1st qualifying round:
Pool 1
[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Samantha Cornett & Robin Clarke (CAN) 11-1, 11-3 (25m)

Pool 2
[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bt Safina Madhani & Hartaj Bains (KEN) 11-2, 11-3 (11m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG) bt Jeannine Cowie & Michael Hopkins (JEY) 11-2, 11-2 (16m)

Pool 3
Stephanie Edmison & Andrew McDougall (CAN) bt Khaaliqa Nimji & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-1, 11-3 (11m)
[10] Harry Leitch & Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt [3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-9, 11-5 (39m)

Pool 4
[4] Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Marlene West & Cameron Stafford (CAY) 11-6, 9-11, 11-5 (31m)

Pool 6
[6] Sarah Kippax & Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch (GGY) 11-5, 11-10 (18m)


Siri Fort Sports Complex
Competition dates: 4-13 October 2010



Shelly Offers Reassurance to Squash

While we have closely monitored the building process of the venue (I was there a couple of weeks ago) - and all is well; it is the province of the nations and the CGF to review the Village, transport, security etc, i.e. the Games wide facets as our role is restricted to the sport itself.

We know that many teams already have their advance parties inspecting, hence the concerns raised now, and CGF are working tirelessly with the organising committees to deal with last minute problems.

Andrew Shelley

 




 

report

Semi Finals
Matthew & King In Double Gold Bid In Delhi

England's Nick Matthew and New Zealander Joelle King will be going for double gold in the Commonwealth Games Squash Doubles finals after both survived arduous semi-finals at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in Delhi today.

Matthew, the world No2 from Sheffield who won singles gold for the first time last week, partnered Adrian Grant to an 11-10, 11-9 win in 65 minutes over fourth-seeded Australians Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley in the Men's Doubles semi-finals.

But Joelle King, the world No24 from Cambridge, had to play three matches today. After first winning her Mixed Doubles quarter-final with Martin Knight, the 22-year-old paired up with Jaclyn Hawkes to upset Australia's No2 seeds Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock 5-11, 11-5, 11-5 in a Women's Doubles semi - then immediately afterwards linked back with Knight in their 11th-seeded Mixed partnership to see off the third-seeded Malaysians Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee 11-7, 11-10 in 53 minutes.

"I'm hungry" was the Kiwi's immediate response when asked by an NZ TV crew how she felt after her second triumph! "I haven't eaten for a long time."

In describing the match, King said: "It was pretty neck-and-neck - but we both played pretty good squash out there today.

"Gold? That would be amazing - and it would be pretty surreal."

'Surreal' was also how Knight described the dying minutes of the match: "That last rally was surreal - it seemed to go on forever. I'm just so happy to be in the final. I can't keep the smile off my face.

"It's only our second event together," continued the Wellington-born 26-year-old, ranked 44 in the world. "But we know each other really well, and hopefully we can keep this going."

After claiming their surprise place in the Women's final - after which Joelle King had to rush off to prepare for the immediately-following Mixed semi - an exuberant Jaclyn Hawkes spoke for the pair: "The match was really tough - we had to keep our heads. Our coach Anthony Ricketts gave us some good advice after the first game - we had to get a better width, and this put them under pressure."

The world No14 from Auckland was asked how good it was to beat the Aussie pair? "We don't want to beat anyone more than Aussies," said Hawkes.

And on the certainty of a medal, the 27-year-old gushed: "I'm so happy! This is what we've been training for for the last four years. We've been funded and everything we've been working for is this - this is the pinnacle for us."

Nick Matthew, who suffered an illness setback last month, has been improving each day since arriving in Delhi. He and Adrian Grant are seeded to retain the Men's Doubles gold medal for England, after Peter Nicol & Lee Beachill won the title for the second time in a row in 2006 - when Nicol also clinched the singles gold.

"Going for a second gold medal is going to be incredible," said 30-year-old Matthew. "What Peter Nicol achieved last time was massive.

"We're top seeds and we earned that billing. Yesterday was good - the Malaysians pushed us hard and we took a lot from that match.

"Adrian was brilliant," added the Yorkshireman. "He was definitely my 'man of the match'."

Left-hander Grant, going for his maiden Games medal, is keen to help his partner: "I want to give him the chance to get a second gold medal.

"You can't underestimate anybody in doubles," explained the London-born world No14 when asked how he viewed his opposition in the final.

The favourites will meet Australia's second seeds Stewart Boswell & David Palmer, who ended the run of Scottish outsiders Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch, the fifth seeds who ousted England's No3 seeds Peter Barker & Daryl Selby in the previous round.

Boswell, the world No19 from Canberra, is celebrating his third successive appearance in the Men's final, but looking for his first gold medal. Palmer, a former world number one, is also after his first gold - but is certain to win a record-equalling sixth Games medal, with one silver and four bronzes already in his collection.

"It's nice to know that I'm going to get some kind of a medal," said Palmer after the pair's 11-10, 11-6 win in 73 minutes over the Scots. "So far, it's been a great doubles week for me."

When asked to comment on the Scottish pair - featuring Clyne, a full-time player ranked 50 in the world, and unranked Leitch, a Cambridge University graduate studying for a PhD in developmental and embryonic stem cell biology - Palmer said: "They've obviously put in a lot of work - they play a style that's difficult to beat.

"They have boundless energy - and are obviously up for it. We had to nullify that. It was nice that we were able to get a few points' lead each game - playing catch-up is hard in doubles," explained the 34-year-old from New South Wales.

Boswell, a UK-based former world No4, said: "It's good to be in my third final - but this time I want to win!"

Harry Leitch and Alan Clyne were clearly disappointed that their gold campaign had come to an end: "They won the crucial points today," said 25-year-old Leitch. "But the dream is still alive for us - we're ready for tomorrow."

Inverness-born Clyne added: "We came here for a medal - and we've still got that chance."

England's last-minute pairing Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro were the first to claim a final place. The third seeds, brought together when Duncalf's original partner Alison Waters was forced to withdraw with an Achilles injury, recovered from a game down to upset top-seeded Australians Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart 6-11, 11-5, 11-4 in 58 minutes in the first Women's Doubles semi.

"Although it's our first tournament together, we felt quietly confident," said Duncalf, winner of a silver medal in the singles. "Any of us could have played together.

"The pressure was on them, as the top seeds. We improved as the game went on. In doubles, you have to be ever so consistent in what you do," added the world No2 from Harrogate.

"As soon as we won, I went a bit goose-pimply!"

Massaro explained the depth of their friendship: "We've played each other since we were 14 - we know each others' personalities so well," said the 26-year-old from Preston.

"It took me a game to settle down. But at 4-1 in the third, I thought 'we can win here'.

"It's amazing to think I've got a medal."

Hopes of a double gold for women's singles winner Nicol David ran out in the world number one from Malaysia's second Mixed Pairs match today. After beating the hosts' last remaining medal hopes Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal in three close-fought games, David and Ong Beng Hee went down to Kiwis Joelle King & Martin Knight in the semis.

"We didn't play as well as we could," said Beng Hee, a former world No7 from Kuala Lumpur, "We had a hard match this morning and didn't have enough time to recover. We had a terrible start in the first game."

David added: "Everything went their way really - we did what we could.

"I'm disappointed - especially as we know we can play better."

After their earlier quarter-final match, in which the Indian 2010 Commonwealth Games squash campaign finally came to an end, Saurav was unable to be upbeat: "Right now, there are no positives," said the Kolkata-born 24-year-old world No26 - India's highest-ranked player of all-time. "At the end of the day we lost - and we haven't got a medal.

"Anything short of a medal is not good enough."

Cyrus Poncha, India's national coach, took a broader view: "We had certainly set our hopes on winning a medal, but I feel we've got a lot of positives out of the event. I'm quite pleased with the results - and it's been a great two weeks for Indian squash.

"However, losing Dipika (Pallikal) was certainly a major blow," added Poncha, referring to the 19-year-old world No33 who was forced to withdraw from the entire competition after being struck down by a fever.

The final match on the all-glass show-court at the Siri Fort complex produced another Australian bid for gold when top seeds Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley beat compatriots Donna Urquhart & David Palmer, the No8 seeds, 11-10, 11-10 in 68 minutes to set up a Mixed final against New Zealand's 11th seeds Joelle King & Martin Knight.

Quarter Finals
Scots Clyne & Leitch Down Barker & Selby In Delhi Shock

Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch pulled off a major upset on the first day of knockout action in the Commonwealth Games Squash Doubles when the Scots downed England's third seeds Peter Barker & Daryl Selby in straight games to reach the Men's Doubles semi-finals for the first time at the Siri Fort Complex in Delhi.

Barker, the world No8 who won the singles bronze medal last week, and his Essex close friend Selby, ranked 10 in the world, were highly regarded as doubles medal prospects in the Indian capital.

But Scotland - which boasts only one doubles court, off the Scottish coast on the Shetland Islands - has targeted doubles as its specialist area. Unranked Leitch, a postgraduate medical student at Cambridge University, and Clyne, the world No50 from Inverness, showed this conclusively as the pair carved up the experienced Englishmen 11-7, 11-7 in 69 minutes.

"Doubles is so different from singles - and we've worked really hard on it," said an ecstatic Leitch afterwards. "We fight for each other - and as I don't play full-time, maybe I just want it more than the others.

"When you get to the quarter-finals, it's tiny things that make the difference," added the Edinburgh-born 25-year-old who is studying for a PhD in developmental and embryonic stem cell biology.

So how does this win rate amongst his career squash successes? "This is it. The highlight before was making the quarter-finals with John White in 2006 - so this surpasses that!

"I consider myself very lucky that I get his opportunity to play for Scotland," concluded Leitch.

It was a crestfallen Barker who tried to describe what had happened: "It's not squash - it's a totally different game. Technique doesn't come into it - especially on these courts," said the 27-year-old left-hander.

"They've perfected the art of playing doubles. It's frustrating, and embarrassing, to be honest.

"They just didn't make any errors - and forced them out of us. It's disappointing as I think we'd been playing alright."

Earlier, second-seeded English pair Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop made up for the disappointment of a shock Pool loss by beating Guernsey duo Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch 11-4, 11-2 to earn a place in the quarter-finals - where they will face the top-seeded Australians Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley.

"We had a day together to regroup after the dent - but we don't take it as a dent," explained Willstrop, silver medallist in the men's singles event. "With all our previous results, we've got a better record than anyone in this event. We know we can beat anybody. We just want to put yesterday behind us and get on with it."

Partner Jenny, also the women's silver medallist, added: "We took a couple of things from yesterday and worked on them. I'm feeling good - despite the fact that this was my fourth match today!"

Indian hopes are now resting exclusively on the shoulders of Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal. The fourth seeds claimed a place in the last sixteen of the Mixed event after a final qualifying round win over Scottish pair Frania Gillen-Buchert & Alan Clyne - and were then handed a bye through to Tuesday's quarter-finals.

The local stars will face Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee, the third seeds from Malaysia featuring the women's gold medallist.

"Playing Nicol and Beng Hee is going to be a tough match - they are both very good," said Ghosal, the world No26 from Chennai who is India's highest-ranked player of all-time. "It's going to be tough for us - we'll have to play really well.

"Having the hopes of India on us won't really change things - we want to win anyway. There's pressure of course, but we're both used to it and are able to handle it well. We can use the crowd support to our advantage.

"The crowd here is the best I have ever seen anywhere - all the players are talking about it, everyone is amazed," added the 24-year-old. "It'll make us play better - it's going to make the occasion very special."

Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee also suffered a surprise early pool defeat - but have bounced to reach the last four as expected following their 11-7, 11-3 defeat of England's Sarah Kippax & Adrian Grant.

"I thought it was tough on Nicol to have to play against the seeded Scots straight after winning the gold medal, but she's got better now that we've got into it," said Ong Beng Hee, the Penang-born world No17.

"But we're having great fun - and that's what it's all about.

"Nicol has got such speed and she hits the ball so well," added the former world No7. "My job is to cover for her."

Second Round
New Zealand Pair Upset England In Mixed Doubles Qualifiers In Delhi

While Australia claimed the most wins in today's second round of Commonwealth Games Squash Doubles qualifiers, their six victories were partially overshadowed by New Zealand pair Joelle King & Martin Knight's straight games upset over England's No2 seeds Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop in the Mixed event at the Siri Fort Complex in Delhi.

Perhaps still feeling the effects of their earlier defeats in the singles finals, silver medallists Duncalf and Willstrop went down 11-9, 11-5 in 35 minutes as New Zealand celebrated a notable breakthrough win.

"I guess they didn't expect much after Melbourne," said Knight, referring to the Australian Open Doubles championships in August, when the Kiwi pair crashed out in the opening round - and Duncalf and Willstrop progressed through to the final.

"We lost every match 2/1 there - but we were confident we could make it here," added the jubilant Wellington-born 26-year-old.

Joelle King continued: "After Melbourne, we went away and worked on a few things. We both stepped up today - and kept each others' confidence up. We're definitely very happy with that result."

Willstrop, looking weary from his arduous week so far in Delhi, was downcast: "We're disappointed because we've worked hard at this. And we feel we were quite good too.

"It just means we'll have a harder route through to the final stages," added the 27-year-old world No4.

"It's not all over," Duncalf pointed out.

Earlier, New Zealand suffered a mild setback when their fifth-seeded pair Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson were defeated 11-9, 11-4 by lower-seeded Australian duo Donna Urquhart & David Palmer.

The Melbourne event was again cited as the misleading factor: "We played four matches there and lost three of them 11-10 in the third," said Palmer, a bronze medallist in the Mixed event four years ago.

"This was a big match for us - we were really up for it today, we both wanted to win. We've worked a lot together in various doubles events recently. It would be nice to do some damage here.

"Donna and I have teamed up well - she's a left-hander which works well. We struggled a bit to start with, but we're really working well together now.

"We don't play doubles that often - but it's a medal," continued the 34-year-old from Lithgow in New South Wales who has accumulated five medals in three previous Games' appearances since 1998.

"We both missed out on singles medals - so we'd like to get one back. I've had a few down days since losing in the quarter-finals - but today was a turning point."

Was 23-year-old Urquhart, a Games debutante in Delhi, at all overawed by former world number one and two-time world champion Palmer when they first teamed up? "I remember the first time we practised together - I felt so intimidated. But now it's just Dave," explained the world No16 from Yamba, NSW.

Urquhart went on to partner Kasey Brown in an 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 victory over New Zealanders Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay in the Women's Doubles, while Palmer continued his Men's Doubles campaign with Stewart Boswell, crushing Zambians Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule 11-3, 11-9 in just 16 minutes.

After the rare experience of a defeat - in yesterday's first qualifying round of the Mixed Doubles - Malaysia's proud new singles gold medallist Nicol David was back in winning form after partnering Ong Beng Hee to an 11-3, 11-5 victory over Kenyans Khaaliqa Nimji & Hardeep Reel.

David, the 27-year-old world number one Penang, was 15 when she made her debut in the sport's first appearance in the Games in her home country in 1998. But her direct opponent Khaaliqa Nimji is still only 12 - and is not only the youngest player ever to compete in the event's squash competition, but is also her country's youngest senior champion, a title she won last year when only 11.

David and her partner delighted the crowd by keeping the rallies going - giving their inexperienced opponents the chance to enjoy their court-time with two seasoned professionals.

"When you've got a 12-year-old on court, it's hard to attack her," explained Ong Beng Hee, a one-time world No7, afterwards.

"Khaaliqa has good ball sense and hits it well," added David. "Getting this experience at this age will be so useful to her."

On the significance of the third seeds' first win in the event, Beng Hee continued: "Yesterday was a bad start for us. But Nicol had a busy build-up to the event, with the worlds followed by five matches here to win the gold. She's understandably a bit tired from that. But we're back on track today now."

David was asked if she was still on a high after her long-awaited singles triumph: "It's a great feeling to have the gold medal. Winning it hasn't really sunk in yet - I still can't believe it.

"It's difficult to get into another competition so soon afterwards."

Khaaliqa Nimji clearly enjoyed her unique opportunity: "It was a good experience - I've learned a lot - but I've still got a long way to go.

"I hope to make it back next time," added the Kenyan squash prospect.

"Back another six times, probably," David chipped in!
 

Men's Doubles last sixteen round line-up:
[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) v
[13] Robin Clarke & Shawn Delierre (CAN)
[6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v
[8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND)
[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) v
Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK)
[7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) v
[16] Philip Musonda & Lazarus Chilufya (ZAM)
[5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) v
[11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)
[3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG) v
[12] Yasir Butt & Danish Atlas Khan (PAK)
[9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO) v
[14] Michael Fiteni & Bradley Hindle (MLT)
[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) v
[10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Farhan Mehboob (PAK)

Mixed Fortunes For Gold Medallists In Delhi

Squash's two new Commonwealth Games gold medallists suffered mixed fortunes in the first qualifying rounds of the Doubles events when men's winner Nick Matthew triumphed in just 16 minutes in the Men's Doubles with England team-mate Adrian Grant, but Malaysian Nicol David went down in straight games in the Mixed event with partner Ong Beng Hee at the Siri Fort Complex in Delhi.

It was less than 15 hours after Matthew won his title on the all-glass showcourt that he found himself beginning his second medal campaign on a conventional glass-backed court at the Indian city's new sports complex.

And the 30-year-old world number two from Sheffield took full advantage of the fresh legs of partner Adrian Grant, the left-hander from London who was playing his first match in Delhi. The experienced pair - winners of the Australian Doubles Championship in August - cruised to an 11-1, 11-4 win over Cayman Islands duo Malton Blair & Alexander Frazer, both making their maiden appearance in the Games.

"I enjoyed it," said Matthew after his brief encounter on the court. "We feel we've got a good thing going - and hit the ground running. Adrian was buzzing and I was feeding off his energy."

The new Games champion had enjoyed precious little time to celebrate his gold medal: "After the medal ceremony I went straight back to the village where I had something to eat, then chatted with the guys back in the room, then had about five hours sleep, then got up this morning to be back here to play," explained the Yorkshireman who headed a 1-2-3 of Englishmen in the medals ceremony. "We'll have to leave the celebrations until we're back home."

Grant was delighted to be playing after being forced to sit out the singles competition: "I've been gearing up for this. It was good to see the guys winning all the medals. The energy I had not competing, and also seeing them on the podium, gave me an extra lift.

"And Nick's up for it just as much as I am," added the world No14, who celebrated his 30th birthday this week in Delhi.

Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee are no strangers to the Commonwealth Games Mixed Doubles event having clinched the event's silver medal in 2002. But the Malaysians met their match in Harry Leitch & Lisa Aitken after the tenth seeds from Scotland pulled off the day's biggest upset with a shock 11-9, 11-5 victory over the third seeds in 39 minutes.

While David has held the world number one ranking for 54 months and her partner was once No7 in the world, 25-year-old Leitch has never had a world ranking and Aitken currently stands at 183 in the women's world list!

"Doubles is a whole different ball game," explained David, the record five times world champion later. "We've both had busy years (on the singles circuit).

"It's all about communication," David continued. "The first match is always difficult.

"But we knew they'd been working hard.

"Beng Hee has been very patient with me. We've now just got to focus on our next match to make sure we get into the knockout stages."

Leitch, a Cambridge graduate who is now studying for a PhD at the world-famous University, was confident that the pair would do well. "We've been concentrating on doubles - it's so different from singles. We were confident that we could compete with opponents like this.

"Lisa's a rising star - she's going to be a great singles player."

Left-hander Aitken, a 20-year-old from Angus who was born in Dundee, admitted that it was strange to be on court with a player like Nicol David whom she has always looked up to.

"But we've been working on this for the past two years - and just had to put out of my mind who our opponents were."

Roger Flynn explained Scotland's doubles philosophy: "We're competitive in doubles because we've got a young team," said the country's national coach. "Apart from Alan Clyne, we're not competitive in singles yet - that will be our focus for 2014.

"With three gold medals in doubles, it makes sense for us to target those - it's more of an even game and we've worked hard at establishing our pairings: mature players with younger players, where the chemistry is right.

"We only have one doubles court in our country - it's in Clickamin on Shetland Island - and some years ago we took a large squad there to find our best pairings. Since then we have taken part in international doubles events in England, Australia and India."

Earlier in the day, Scotland again showed their doubles prowess when Lyall Paterson & Chris Small upset local stars Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde, the No8 seeds, 11-8, 11-8 in the Men's Doubles.

One of the highlights of the match was the reaction from the jubilant and vociferous crowd surrounding the all-glass showcourt: "The crowd were absolutely sensational," added Flynn. "Their exuberance was overwhelming and made for a great occasion."

There was similar response later when Nandrajog & Suchde returned to the showcourt to beat Kenyans Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel 11-6, 11-9.

"The crowd is unbelievable," said Indian National coach Cyrus Poncha. "I've never seen this before at an Indian squash event. I'm absolutely thrilled and delighted. This is truly a good sign for Indian squash."

Another good sign for Indian squash took place on one of the conventional courts where the country's top two players Saurav Ghosal & Joshna Chinappa took on Marlene West & Cameron Stafford of the Cayman Islands.

A queue of spectators stretched around the vast concourse of the Siri Fort Complex, desperate to get into the limited seating available for this popular mixed doubles clash.

Ghosal & Chinappa had been paired up less than 24 hours earlier, following the shock withdrawal of top Indian star Dipika Pallikal, the 19-year-old world No32 from Chennai who had been training for this event for some time with Ghosal. The teenager, laid low with a high fever, represented one of the host country's best medal hopes in the women's doubles event where she and Chinappa were the second seeds.

Ghosal and Chinappa, each now only competing in one doubles event, took the first game against the Cayman Islanders, but saw their opponents stage a remarkable fight back to draw level. The local stars regrouped to close out the match 11-6, 9-11, 11-5.

"We were a bit unsettled in the second game when our opponents switched over," explained Ghosal with his new partner after the game. "We made a few errors, and they took advantage - but we did well to impose ourselves on the third game and pull through."

On the last-minute change, Ghosal said: "Joshna's a really good player and we have played before, even though not for some time. I knew what she was capable of. It's just a matter of getting through the early rounds and getting the tactics right.

"The games we won, we won well - but we can produce better than that," added the world No26 from Chennai.

On the withdrawal of her women's doubles partner, Chinappa said: "I'm very sad for Dipika and hope she gets better soon. We were going for gold - which would have been great for us and our country - but I'm now going to have to settle for gold in the Mixed!

"Saurav and I only had a short time to practice together before today - but lots of time to talk, and that was very useful," concluded the 24-year-old from Chennai.

Pools

Men's Doubles 1st qualifying round:

    Pool 1

[1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Malton Blair & Alexander Frazer (CAY) 11-1, 11-4 (16m)

    Pool 2

Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK) bt Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule (ZAM) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 (41m)

[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt [15] Lekgotla Mosope & Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 11-3, 11-0 (17m)

[2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS) bt Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK) 11-4, 11-6 (18m)

    Pool 3

[14] Michael Fiteni & Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt Peter Christian-Bailey & Mal Rundell (NFK) 11-3, 11-4 (30m)

[3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Peter Christian-Bailey & Mal Rundell (NFK) 11-4, 11-1 (20m)

    Pool 4

[4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Othniel Bailey & Jules Snagg (SVG) 11-1, 11-1 (11m)

[13] Robin Clarke & Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Othniel Bailey & Jules Snagg (SVG) 11-2, 11-9 (16m)

    Pool 5

[5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt James Matewere & Julius Taulo (MAW) 11-2, 11-1 (13m)

    Pool 6

[11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Michael Kawooya & Ian Rukunya (UGA) 8-11, 11-4, 11-3 (27m)

[6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Michael Kawooya & Ian Rukunya (UGA) 11-5, 11-2 (18m)

[11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Shopon Pervez & Masud Rana (BAN) 11-2, 11-3 (12m)

    Pool 7

[7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-7, 10-11, 11-3 (82m)

[7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt Samuel Kyagulanyi & Brian Okumu (UGA) 11-2, 11-1 (13m)

    Pool 8

[9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO) bt [8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-8, 11-8 (44m)

[8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND) bt Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-6, 11-9 (23m)

 

Women's Doubles 1st qualifying round:

    Pool 1

[7] Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY) 11-3, 11-3 (12m)

[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY) 11-3, 11-2 (10m)

[1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Samantha Cornett & Stephanie Edmison (CAN) 11-5, 11-5 (25m)

    Pool 2

[4] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL) bt Zephanie Curgenven & Issey Norman-Ross (GGY) 11-1, 11-1 (9m)

    Pool 3

[5] Tania Bailey & Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Nicolette Fernandes & Ashley Khalil (GUY) 11-6, 11-2 (19m)

[2] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt Zoe Barr & Madeline Perry (NIR) 11-2, 11-8 (21m)

    Pool 4

[3] Jenny Duncalf & Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Safina Madhani & Khaaliqa Nimji (KEN) 11-0, 11-3 (8m)

[8] Delia Arnold & Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Anaka Alankamony & Surbhi Misra (IND) 11-7, 11-4 (27m)

 

Mixed Doubles 1st qualifying round:

    Pool 1

[1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Samantha Cornett & Robin Clarke (CAN) 11-1, 11-3 (25m)

    Pool 2

[11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL) bt Safina Madhani & Hartaj Bains (KEN) 11-2, 11-3 (11m)

[2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG) bt Jeannine Cowie & Michael Hopkins (JEY) 11-2, 11-2 (16m)

    Pool 3

Stephanie Edmison & Andrew McDougall (CAN) bt Khaaliqa Nimji & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 11-1, 11-3 (11m)

[10] Harry Leitch & Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt [3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-9, 11-5 (39m)

    Pool 4

[4] Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Marlene West & Cameron Stafford (CAY) 11-6, 9-11, 11-5 (31m)

    Pool 6

[6] Sarah Kippax & Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch (GGY) 11-5, 11-10 (18m)

Preview
Men's Doubles schedule (seedings prefix pairings):
Pool 1: [1] Adrian Grant & Nick Matthew (ENG); [16] Patrick Chifunda & Lazarus Chiluba Chilufya (ZAM); Malton Blair & Alexander Fraser (CAY)
Pool 2: [2] Stewart Boswell & David Palmer (AUS); [15] Lekgotla Mosope & Lefika Ragontse (BOT); Kelvin Ndhlovu & Ray Simbule (ZAM); Gye Duncan & Duncan Gray (NFK)
Pool 3: [3] Peter Barker & Daryl Selby (ENG); [14] Michael Fiteni & Bradley Hindle (MLT); Peter Christian-Bailey & Mal Rundell (NFK)
Pool 4: [4] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS); [13] Robin Clarke & Shawn Delierre (CAN); James Bentick & Jules Snagg (SVG)
Pool 5: [5] Alan Clyne & Harry Leitch (SCO); [12] Yasir Butt & Danish Atlas Khan (PAK); James Matewere & Julius Taulo (MAW)
Pool 6: [6] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS); [11] Sandeep Jangra & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND); Kawooya Nsaale & Orumu Ofoyuru (UGA); Shopon Pervez & Masud Rana (BAN)
Pool 7: [7] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL); [10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Farhan Mehboob (PAK); Samuel Kyagulanyi & Ian Rukunya (UGA)
Pool 8: [8] Gaurav Nandrajog & Siddharth Suchde (IND); [9] Lyall Paterson & Chris Small (SCO); Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN)

Women's Doubles schedule (seedings prefix pairings):
Pool 1: [1] Kasey Brown & Donna Urquhart (AUS); [8] Tamsyn Leevey & Kylie Lindsay (NZL); Samantha Cornett & Miranda Ranieri (CAN); Kate Cadigan & Jeannine Cowie (JEY)
Pool 2: [2] Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal (IND); [7] Lisa Aitken & Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO); Delia Arnold & Low Wee Wern (MAS); Zephanie Curgenven & Issey Norman-Ross (GGY)
Pool 3: [3] Lisa Camilleri & Amelia Pittock (AUS); [6] Tania Bailey & Laura Massaro (ENG); Zoe Barr & Madeline Perry (NIR); Nicolette Fernandes & Ashley Khalil (GUY)
Pool 4: [4] Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters (ENG); [5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Joelle King (NZL); Anaka Alankamony & Surbhi Misra (IND); Safina Madhani & Khaaliqa Nimji (KEN)

Mixed Doubles schedule (seedings prefix pairings):
Pool 1: [1] Kasey Brown & Cameron Pilley (AUS); [12] Sharon Wee & Ivan Yuen (MAS); Samantha Cornett & Robin Clarke (CAN); Kerrie Sample & Colin Ramasra (TRI)
Pool 2: [2] Jenny Duncalf & James Willstrop (ENG); [11] Joelle King & Martin Knight (NZL); Jeannine Cowie & Michael Hopkins (JEY); Safina Madhani & Hartaj Bains (KEN)
Pool 3: [3] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS); [10] Harry Leitch & Lisa Aitken (SCO); Stephanie Edmison & Andrew McDougall (CAN); Khaaliqa Nimji & Hardeep Reel (KEN)
Pool 4: [4] Dipika Pallikal & Saurav Ghosal (IND); [9] Frania Gillen-Buchert & Alan Clyne (SCO); Marlene West & Cameron Stafford (CAY); Barbara Stubbings & Michael Rucklinger (PNG)
Pool 5: [5] Jaclyn Hawkes & Campbell Grayson (NZL); [8] Donna Urquhart & David Palmer (AUS); Karen Meakins & Shawn Simpson (BAR)
Pool 6: [6] Alison Waters & Adrian Grant (ENG); [7] Joshna Chinappa & Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND); Sharya Guruge & Navin Samarasinghe (SRI); Zephanie Curgenven & Henry Birch (GGY)

ENGLAND SET FOR GOLD IN INDIA

Commonwealth Games England (CGE) and England Squash & Racketball (ESR) have announced their Men’s and Women’s Squash squad for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
 
 The ten person squad features a whole host of players ranked in the world top 20, including PSA World Number 1 Nick Matthew and current Women’s European Champion and WISPA  World Number 2 Jenny Duncalf.
 
The squads were unveiled at a media day at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. The entire England squad was in attendance to hear the news and receive their team shirts for the tournament.

Given the level of talent within the squad, ESR CEO Nick Rider believes that the England squash squads will be the team to watch in Delhi, and that squash will be the sport where England gets the greatest number of gold medals. He said “The talent in this squad is unbelievable. When you consider how many truly world class athletes we have in this team I think it’s fairly clear that we will be one of, if not the strongest team representing England in Delhi. We shouldn’t even consider not bringing gold home with us.
 
“Our players are well aware that they are going to be the ones to beat in Delhi, but they are more than ready for that kind of pressure, particularly our captains Nick Matthew and Tania Bailey. We’ve never had a crop of players as talented as this bunch, but England Squash & Racketball have all of the grassroots in place to ensure that the next generation to come through are a ‘golden generation’ like this one.”
 
World Number 1 Nick Mathew can’t wait for Delhi, and has his eyes firmly placed on a medal at the competition. He says; “The state of squash in England is the best that it’s been. We have five guys in the top fifteen in the world and three girls in the top ten.  I’m expecting gold medals for myself and the rest of the squad.”
 
Matthew, 29, believes that English success in Delhi should inspire a new wave of squash players to join ESR’s development teams and emulate his World Number 1 status. “We now need to make sure that the next generation coming through is as strong as this one, and the development work that England Squash & Racketball do should ensure that the foundations are in place.”
 
The England Squash Commonwealth Games Squads are as follows:
 
England Men’s Squad
(inc. PSA World Ranking)*
Nick Matthew
- Captain (World Number 1) Sheffield, Yorkshire
Peter Barker (World Number 8) London
Daryl Selby (World Number 9) Shennfield, Essex
Adrian Grant (World Number 13) Leeds, Yorkshire
James Willstrop (World Number 6) Pontefract, Yorkshire
 
England Women’s Squad
(inc. WISPA World Ranking)

Captain
Tania Bailey –  (World Number 32) Stamford, Lincolnshire
Jenny Duncalf (World Number 2) Harrogate, Yorkshire
Alison Waters (World Number 4) London
Laura Massaro (World Number 8) Preston, Lancashire
Sarah Kippax (World Number 22) Tarporley, Cheshire
*Rankings correct at time of writing.

World number one Nick Matthew heads England squash challenge at Delhi

World number one Nick Matthew and women’s world number two Jenny Duncalf will head England’s challenge at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games in October.
 
The pair were today (Wednesday) named by Commonwealth Games England in a 10-strong squash team for Delhi.
 
Matthew went to the top of the world rankings for the first time in his career last month following victories in a string of major tournaments including the British Open, Canary Wharf Classic, Qatar Open and the Sky Open.
 
The 29-year-old from Sheffield makes his second appearance at a Commonwealth Games after just missing out on the medals in Melbourne four years ago, when he lost the men’s singles bronze medal match to another Englishman, Lee Beachill.
 
Matthew said: “I’m going there to win gold. Coming fourth last time was very disappointing. It hurt a lot - it’s the worst position you can finish. I’m going to use that experience to spur me on in Delhi.
 
“With squash not being in the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games are one of the highlights for us, especially as it only comes around every four years. Hopefully we can put on a show for people to prove what we could bring to the Olympics.
 
“The field in Delhi will be incredibly strong. Our preparations have been meticulous, but you can’t get ahead of yourself and we’ve got to make sure we do the simple things right.”
 
Such is the strength of England men’s squash that another three members of the men’s team also feature in the world’s top 10, with former world number two James Willstrop currently ranked sixth, Peter Barker eighth and Daryl Selby ninth.  Adrian Grant is ranked 13th in the world.
 
Jenny Duncalf is one of three England players in the world top-10 women’s rankings. She has a current career high position of second, behind Malaysia’s Nicol David. Ali Waters is ranked fourth in the world, with Laura Massaro eighth. Sarah Kippax is ranked 22 in the world, with Tania Bailey 32nd.
 
Duncalf, from Harrogate, said: “The Commonwealth Games are massive for us. They’re our Olympics.
 
“I’ve looked forward to it for four years since playing at the last Commonwealth Games. It’s right at the top of my list now and I’m really excited about it.
 
“We’ve got a good bunch of girls going and we’re all raring to go,” she added.
 
“I’ll probably be playing in three events. I’m obviously going for gold. It will be disappointing to come away with nothing, but I know it’s not going to be easy.”
 
Matthew, Willstrop, Grant, Duncalf, Waters and Bailey all featured in England’s team at the Melbourne Games four years ago. Willstrop and Bailey are the only medallists from Melbourne – they captured the mixed doubles silver and women’s doubles bronze respectively – both partnering Vicky Botwright. Bailey also won women’s doubles silver with Cassie Jackman at the Manchester 2002 Games.
 
The squash team’s selection today takes the total size of the England team for Delhi to date to 99 athletes, with more team announcements expected shortly.
 
Craig Hunter, England’s Chef de Mission for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, said: “I’d like to congratulate members of the squash team on their selection and wish them the very best of luck for their preparations for Delhi.”
 
England have won a third of the 15 squash gold medals awarded to date since the sport was added to the Commonwealth Games programme at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, along with four silvers and 10 bronzes. That puts England second in the all-time Commonwealth Games squash medal table behind Australia.
 
England also finished second in the squash medals table to Australia in Melbourne, with two golds, a silver and two bronzes.
 
The England squash team for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games is:
 
Men

Peter Barker – born 26.09.83 at Harold Wood, Essex; lives Islington, London.
Adrian Grant – born 06.10.80 at London; lives Lewisham, London.
Nick Matthew – born 25.07.80 at Sheffield, South Yorkshire; lives Sheffield.
Daryl Selby – born 03.11.82 at Harlow, Essex; lives Brentwood, Essex.
James Willstrop – born 15.08.83 at North Walsham, Norfolk; lives Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
 
Women

Tania Bailey – born 02.10.79 at Stamford, Lincolnshire; lives Stamford.
Jenny Duncalf – born 10.11.82 at Haarlem, Netherlands; lives Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Sarah Kippax – born 10.05.83 at Chester, Cheshire; lives Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Laura Massaro – born 02.11.83 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; lives Preston, Lancashire.
Ali Waters – born 19.03.84 at London; lives Oakwood, London.
 
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games.   England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.

Sport England is responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport system of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Their focus is growing and sustaining the numbers of people taking part in sport and improving talent development to help more people excel.
 
For further information about squash in England please see the England Squash & Racketball website at
http://www.englandsquashandracketball.com/
 
For further information about Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press office at Matchtight Ltd on 07765 071683 or 07831 755351 or see the CGE’s website at
www.weareengland.org