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LEAGUE TABLE
FIXTURES
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PREVIEW
TEAM SQUADS
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Results |
Reports |
Final |
Semi Finals |
Round 9 |
Round 10 |
Round 9 |
Round 10 |
Round 8 |
Round 4 |
Round 8 |
Round 4 |
Round 7 |
Round 3 |
Round 7 |
Round 3 |
Round 6 |
Round 2 |
Round 6 |
Round 2 |
Round 5 |
Round 1 |
Round 5 |
Round 1 |
Final
Surrey Health & Racquets Retain PSL Crown
In the
first all-Surrey final in the history of the world's most prestigious
squash league, defending champions Surrey Health & Racquets
overwhelmed final newcomers TWP St George's Hill 4/1 to
win the Premier Squash League title at the Surrey
Sports Park in Guildford for the third time in four years.
The
county rivals faced each other twice earlier in the season, with
Weybridge-based St George's Hill claiming victory on both occasions
before going on to top the Group B table by a significant margin after
winning all but one of their ten ties.
With
ample support for both teams, the Croydon club's French star Camille
Serme took on St George's England international Dominique
Lloyd-Walter at the beginning of the evening - while in the adjacent
court England legend Peter Nicol, the now-retired 38-year-old
former world number one and world champion, faced top-ranked Hungarian
Mark Krajcsak.
Serme,
the world No9 from Paris, took only 38 minutes to overcome her
Weybridge-based opponent – ranked 35 places lower - 11-3, 9-11, 11-6,
11-5 to put Surrey Health into the lead
But
all eyes were on the titanic battle raging on the next door court, where
– in their first ever meeting – Krajcsak was desperately trying to even
the score against Surrey Health stalwart Nicol.
After
dropping the first game, the 27-year-old Tour regular from Budapest
moved to 10-7 and game-ball in the second. But Nicol would not cave in
– and saved four game-balls before finally clinching his own at his
fourth attempt to win 16-14.
Nicol
led 6-1 in the third, and the end looked in sight. But Krajcsak kept up
the pressure to reclaim the advantage before a full length dive into the
front backhand corner caused a minor cut to the Hungarian's elbow which
required the game to be halted while he received treatment.
The
break seemed to be just what Nicol needed, as the left-hander saved
Krajcsak's matchball at 11-10. But the St George's fourth string
secured his next to win the games and reduce the match deficit.
It was
nip and tuck in the fourth game, but Nicol was able to pull off master
strokes at exactly the right time before clinching the popular 11-7,
16-14, 11-13, 11-7 victory after 75 minutes which extended Surrey
Health's lead to 2/0.
"He's
very experienced – he can come back from situations which most other
players wouldn't be able to," said the perplexed Hungarian afterwards of
Nicol. "He's a great fighter – he never gives up."
It was
Krajcsak's first ever meeting with one the game's biggest names. Was he
overawed by the occasion?
"I may
have been a bit affected by his reputation early in the match – I made
five or six unforced errors – but from then on it was just like playing
any other opponent," said the world No54.
Nicol
admitted that his form was good: "I'm in better shape now than I have
been for the last three years or so – I probably only play about once a
week, but I do a lot of other things to keep fit, including a lot of
walking.
"It's
hard for these guys who play day in day out – then I come along having
not played for a week. I'm their worst nightmare!
"But I
love playing team squash – whether it's for your country or your club.
And Surrey Health is particularly special for me – I do camps there and
am quite involved with the club," explained the four-time Commonwealth
Games gold medallist.
"Mark
is a tough opponent and played a good game. But maybe he could have
been more attacking – he was towards the end, but that was probably too
late."
It was
a battle between two England internationals which sealed victory for the
defending champions when Londoner Adrian Grant, who made his
England debut in 2004, beat this year's England debutant Tom Richards
11-7, 11-8, 11-9.
Grant
is making a comeback after a long layoff following a hip injury.
"It's
my first season for Surrey Health, and I was struggling with my injury
in my games early in the season, so it's really a good feeling to win
for the club tonight – particularly as it was the match which clinched
the title," said the 30-year-old former world No9.
Swiss
star Nicolas Mueller gave the St George's fans some consolation
by beating Surrey Health's Scottish number one Alan Clyne in
straight games – but in the best-of-three top string clash between
England internationals and close Essex friends Peter Barker and
Daryl Selby, left-hander Barker beat reigning British National
champion Selby in two games to cement Surrey Health's title-winning
victory.
"I'm
really chuffed – and I'm very proud of the team," said the Croydon
club's team manager Pete Smith. "To defend the title is very
special.
"We
struggled a bit in the season – and they beat us twice, so it's good to
get them back. But the turning point for us was beating Exeter 4/1 at
home at the beginning of March.
"Our
man of the match was probably Peter Nicol," Smith continued. "For him
to play the way he did was magnificent. We really needed that win – it
gave us a cushion.
"But
our team overall was fantastic tonight – to win the title three times in
four years is incredible. It's been a real squad effort."
St
George's Hill team manager Danny Lee was full of praise for the
new PSL champions. "Congratulations to Surrey Health – they thoroughly
deserved their win. I thought Peter Nicol was amazing. His shot
selection tonight was superb.
"But
overall I am delighted with what we achieved this season – even though
it' a bit of an anticlimax to finish like this tonight.
"But
we'll definitely be back next year," added the former junior England
international.
Surrey
Health & Racquets now become one of four clubs which have won the PSL
title three times – including Duffield, from Derbyshire;
Leekes Welsh Wizards from Cardiff; and Cannons of London.
But
the Croydon club will now sets their sights on next year when they could
make history by becoming the first to four.
RESULTS: Premier Squash League Final,
Surrey Sports Park, Guildford
Surrey Health & Racquets 4 TWP St George's Hill 1
Peter Barker bt Daryl Selby 11-5, 13-11 (13m)
Adrian Grant bt Tom Richards 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (53m)
Alan
Clyne lost to Nicolas Mueller 8-11, 8-11, 9-11 (46m)
Peter Nicol bt Mark Krajcsak 11-7, 16-14, 11-13, 11-7 (75m)
Camille Serme bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 (38m)
|
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Ties |
Matches |
Games |
Pts |
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P |
W
|
L |
W
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L |
W |
L |
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GROUP A: NORTH |
Benz-Bavarian
Duffield |
8 |
6 |
2 |
27 |
12 |
93 |
58 |
123 |
LEBC
Chapel Allerton |
8 |
5 |
3 |
26 |
14 |
88 |
58 |
113 |
CLFS Esporta Oxford |
8 |
4 |
4 |
24 |
16 |
81 |
65 |
101 |
Courtcraft Pontefract |
8 |
4 |
4 |
14 |
26 |
63 |
90 |
83 |
MB
Nottingham |
8 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
32 |
44 |
99 |
49 |
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GROUP B: SOUTH |
TWP St George's Hill |
10 |
9 |
1 |
35 |
15 |
119 |
68 |
164 |
Surrey H&R |
10 |
7 |
3 |
32 |
18 |
110 |
77 |
145 |
Chichester |
10 |
5 |
5 |
24 |
26 |
91 |
91 |
116 |
Exeter Diamonds |
10 |
4 |
6 |
23 |
27 |
89 |
96 |
109 |
IGT Winchester |
10 |
4 |
6 |
23 |
27 |
82 |
96 |
102 |
UWE Bristol |
10 |
1 |
9 |
13 |
37 |
64 |
127 |
69 |
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PREMIER SQUASH LEAGUE
LEAGUE
FIXTURES
2009-2010
Groups
|
NORTHERN GROUP A
A: CLFS ESPORTA OXFORD
B: PONTEFRACT
C: MB NOTTINGHAM
D: No Match
E: BENZ-BAVARIAN DUFFIELD
F: CHAPEL ALLERTON |
SOUTHERN GROUP B
A: SURREY H&R
B: TEAM CHICHESTER
C: EXETER DIAMONDS
D:
TWP ST GEORGE’S HILL
E: BRISTOL PROBUILD
F: IGT WINCHESTER |
|
First named is home team,
start time 7pm |
Date |
Group A |
Group B |
05 Oct |
Oxford
4-1 Pontefract
Duffield 5-0 Nottingham |
Surrey H&R 4-1 Chichester
Bristol 2-3 Exeter
Winchester 2-3 St George's Hill |
17
Nov |
Nottingham 0-5 Oxford
Pontefract 0-5
Chapel Allerton |
Exeter 4-1 Surrey
St George's Hill 4-1 Bristol |
23 Nov |
Duffield 4 -1
Oxford
Chapel Allerton
4-1 Nottingham |
Bristol 1-4 Surrey H&R
Chichester 2-3 St George's Hill
Winchester 3-2 Exeter |
25 Jan |
Nottingham 5-0
Pontefract
Duffield
0-5
Chapel Allerton |
Surrey H&R 0-5 St
George's Hill
Exeter 3-2 Chichester
Bristol 2-3 Winchester
|
01
Feb |
Pontefract 3-2
Duffield
Chapel Allerton
3-2 Oxford |
Chichester 3-2
Bristol
St George's Hill 3-2 Exeter
Winchester 1-4 Surrey H&R |
Second
Half, Reversed Fixtures |
15 Feb |
Pontefract 3-2
Oxford
Nottingham 0-5
Duffield
|
Chichester 1-4 Surrey H&R
Exeter 4-1 Bristol
St George's Hill 4-1 Winchester |
01 Mar |
Oxford 5-0 Nottingham
Chapel Allerton
2-3
Pontefract |
Surrey H&R 4-1 Exeter
Bristol 1-4 St
George's Hill
Winchester 2-3 Chichester |
08 Mar |
Oxford 3-2
Duffield
Nottingham 1-4
Chapel Allerton |
Surrey H&R 5-0
Bristol
St George's Hill 2-3 Chichester
Exeter 2-3 Winchester
|
15 Mar |
Pontefract 4-1
Nottingham
Chapel Allerton 1-4 Duffield
|
St George's Hill 3 -2 Surrey H&R
Chichester
4-1 Exeter
Winchester 5-0 Bristol |
29 Mar |
Duffield 5-0 Nottingham
Oxford 3-2 Chapel Allerton |
Bristol 3-2 St
George's Hill
Exeter 1-4 St George's Hill
Surrey H&R 4-1 Winchester |
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|
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Playoffs |
5th April |
Semi Finals
Benz-Bavarian Duffield
3-2 Surrey Health & Racquets
TWP St George's
Hill 3-2 LEBC Group Chapel Allerton |
Final |
3th May
|
Finals
Surrey Health & Racquets 4-1 TWP St
George's Hill |
Semi Finals
Dramatic PSL Semis Lead To All-Surrey Final
Defending champions Surrey Health & Racquets and TWP
St George's Hill will meet in an all-Surrey
Premier Squash League (PSL) final after both teams survived
nail-biting semi-finals of the world's most prestigious squash league
which went to the wire.
Recently-crowned British National champion Daryl Selby led St
George's Hill into the final for the first time in their fifth PSL
season after beating Australian Aaron Frankcomb in the decider
against 2009 champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton.
Firm
favourites St George's, playing on their home courts in Weybridge, twice
led in the tie – but on both occasions the Leeds visitors rallied back
to draw level. Guildford-based Dominique Lloyd-Walter put the
hosts ahead with an 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 win over Yorkshire's Carrie
Ramsey – but Chapel Allerton bounded back when 21-year-old Adam
Murrills, making only his third appearance this season for the
visitors, despatched experienced veteran Stephen Meads, a
40-year-old former world No11, in straight games.
In one
of the standout matches of the night, the home side's Hungarian number
one Mark Krajcsak battled for 60 minutes to overcome Yorkshireman
Laurence Delasaux 10-12, 11-3, 5-11, 11-8, 11-4 to claim his 16th
successive PSL win for St George's Hill!
But
Channel Islander Chris Simpson patiently fought for six minutes
longer to see off the hosts' higher-ranked Swiss number one Nicolas
Mueller in five games to set up the top string decider.
And
whilst Selby had the advantage of 29 world ranking places above
Frankcomb, the world No12 from Essex has struggled to live up to his
national and international reputation in his PSL performances this
season.
But
the 28-year-old England international was determined not to let his
team-mates, and the packed St George's crowd, down - and crafted out an
11-8, 11-7, 11-9 victory to take his club into their maiden final.
"That
was fantastic – I haven't won many for St George's this season and a few
of my mates have been giving me a bit of stick over it," said a jubilant
Selby afterwards. "But I said I'd try and pull it off when it really
matters, and tonight was the night!
"Unbelievably, it's 11 years since I was last in the PSL final – for
Connaught at Lambs, and we lost. So I'm looking forward to my first
win. In fact it's one title I've never won – and my sister (Lauren) was
in a winning team last year and keeps ribbing me about it, so hopefully
I'll be able put that right."
Selby
is likely to find himself facing close friend and England team-mate
Peter Barker in the top string clash. "We haven't played for a
while actually, so it will be good. But tonight's match was tough –
Aaron is getting better all the time and never gave up. I was lucky to
get through," added the St George's star.
St
George's Hill team manager Danny Lee was delighted with his
team's success: "It was a fantastic night. We've got a really good
squad – and having the depth means a lot. Everyone really works well as
a team – they all put in so much effort.
"It's
difficult to highlight a 'man-of-the-match': it was Daryl that finally
delivered the goods, but Mark Krajcsak made a vital contribution and
played really well to win his match," concluded Lee.
Title-holders Surrey Health & Racquets, who finished as runners-up to St
George's Hill in Group B, had the disadvantage of an away tie – at
three-time champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield. Buoyed by a packed
partisan crowd at their Derbyshire club, Duffield took a 2/1 lead after
a dramatic five-game win by local heroine Laura Hill over
higher-ranked Victoria Lust, and a straight games victory by
world number one Nick Matthew over England team-mate Peter
Barker.
But a
courageous performance from the visitors' Adrian Waller saw the
former British junior champion beat Duffield's Australian Matthew
Karwalski 3/0 to leave the tie in the hands of the teams' second
strings Adrian Grant and Joel Hinds.
World
No18 Grant, winner of a Commonwealth Games Doubles gold medal
with the opposing team's Nick Matthew, took the opening game against the
lower-ranked Hinds – but the Duffield hero defied the rankings by
fighting back to level the match.
Grant's greater experience shone through, however, and the London-born
left-hander took control of the match to win 11-7, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7 to
take Surrey Health into their third final in four years.
"I'm
very proud of the team – it was a brilliant effort," said Surrey
Health's team manager Pete Smith. "Adrian was brilliant – and
brought us through despite a very hostile (in the nicest sense of the
word) crowd.
"But
Adrian Waller was perhaps our star of the night – when he went on we
were 2/1 down and things were looking bleak.
"It's excellent
that it's an all-Surrey final – and we look forward to meeting our local
rivals for the third time this season," concluded Smith.
RESULTS: Semi-Finals, Tuesday 5 April 2011
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2 Surrey Health & Racquets 3
Nick
Matthew bt Peter Barker 11-7, 11-4, 11-4
Joel
Hinds lost to Adrian Grant 7-11, 11-6, 1-11, 7-11
Andy
Whipp lost to Alan Clyne 10-12, 11-13, 8-11
Matthew Karwalski lost to Adrian Waller 5-11, 3-11, 8-11
Laura Hill bt Victoria Lust 8-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8
TWP
St George's Hill 3 LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 2
Daryl Selby bt Aaron Frankcomb 11-8, 11-7, 11-9
Nicolas Mueller lost to Chris Simpson 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 4-11 (66m)
Mark
Krajcsak bt Laurence Delasaux 10-12, 11-3, 5-11, 11-8, 11-4 (60m)
Stephen Meads lost to Adam Murrills 8-11, 10-12, 7-11
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Carrie Ramsey 11-5, 11-7, 11-2
Final
(Tuesday 3 May):
Surrey Health & Racquets v TWP St George's Hill
|
Round 10
Duffield Clinch
Group Top Spot For Home Advantage In PSL Semis
A sensational
season-ending performance by former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield
in the tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League (PSL)
earned the Derbyshire club top place in the Group A tables – as well as
the advantage of a home tie in next week's semi-final play-offs of the
world's most prestigious squash league.
Led by Yorkshire's
world champion Nick Matthew, Duffield delighted their loyal home
supporters by defeating Courtcraft Pontefract 5/0 to top the
tables for only the second time this season – the first being after the
opening round, in which their season-long rivals LEBC Group Chapel
Allerton received a bye!
Yorkshire club Chapel
Allerton, champions in 2009, led Group A for most of the season – and
went into the final round three points ahead of Duffield. But the Leeds
club struggled to contain CLFS Esporta Oxford in their visit
south – and ultimately went down 3/2 after Oxford's Australian
international Cameron Pilley beat the visitors' Renan Lavigne
11-7, 11-7, 11-7 in the tie decider.
But Duffield, PSL
champions in 1998, 2006 and 2007, truly saved their best till last –
with Derbyshire fire-fighter Laura Hill and Australian Matthew
Karwalski both surviving five-game battles to clinch valuable points
for the home side, and youngster Chris Fuller and experienced
Jonathan Kemp claiming important straight games wins, before Matthew
held off the challenge of veteran fellow Yorkshireman Simon Parke
in four games to ensure maximum points for the club.
"I am very proud of my
group of players, and tonight they did a fantastic job in front of one
of the biggest crowds we've ever had – they filled every nook and cranny
we had in the club," said team manager Felix Frixou.
"Laura came back from
4-7 down in her final game – and it takes a lot of guts to do that. And
young Chris Fuller did us proud - it's good to see our young players
coming through.
"But Pontefract really
made it hard for us – and Simon Parke was really impressive. I take my
hat off to him – his match against Nick was played in great spirit."
The two top teams in
Group B both enjoyed 4/1 wins to consolidate their places in the
semi-finals. Runaway leaders TWP St George's Hill journeyed to
Devon to face Exeter Diamonds - and quickly earned the single
point required to maintain their leadership, before finishing off with
17 after confident wins by British national champion Laura Massaro,
Hungarian No1 Mark Krajcsak, Swiss No1 Nicolas Mueller,
and new England international Tom Richards.
In a late night
conclusion to the tie, Australian international Stewart Boswell
gained some consolation for the hosts by beating the Weybridge club's
top string Daryl Selby 11-6, 11-3, 11-5.
It was a similar story
for second-placed Surrey Health & Racquets, the title-holders who
built up a 4/0 lead over visitors IGT Winchester before the PSL
newcomers gained a consolation point in the final match when leading
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier beat the Croydon club's Peter
Barker 11-3, 11-9, 11-4.
But there were earlier
commanding straight games wins by France's Camille Serme,
Adrian Waller, Peter Nicol and Adrian Grant to
guarantee Surrey Health's fifth successive season in the semi-finals.
Whilst not featuring
in the battle for places in the semi-finals, the remaining tie in Group
B produced a momentous outcome when UWE Bristol beat Team
Chichester 3/2 at home to earn their first win of the season!
Semi-finals line-up
(Tuesday 5 April):
Benz-Bavarian
Duffield v Surrey Health & Racquets
TWP St George's
Hill v LEBC Group Chapel Allerton
RESULTS: 10th round, Tuesday 29 March 2011
Group A:
Benz-Bavarian
Duffield 5 Courtcraft Pontefract 0
Nick Matthew bt
Simon Parke 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4
Jonathan Kemp bt Lee
Beachill 11-7, 11-2, 11-2
Matthew Karwalski bt
Neil Cordell 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-6
Chris Fuller bt
Karan Malik 11-8, 15-13, 11-0
Laura Hill bt Kirsty
McPhee 11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9
CLFS Esporta Oxford
3 LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 2
Cameron Pilley bt
Renan Lavigne 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
Borja Golan bt Aaron
Frankcomb 11-9, 11-8, 13-11
Chris Ryder bt Chris
Simpson 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9
Scott Handley lost
to Laurence Delasaux 12-14, 8-11, 6-11
Katherine Quarterman
lost to Jenny Duncalf 1-11, 5-11, 2-11
Group B:
UWE Bristol 3 Team
Chichester 2
Mohamed El Shorbagy
bt Max Lee 11-3, 11-5, 11-9
Lucas Serme lost to
Olivier Pett 5-11, 8-11, 8-11
Michael Harris bt
Tim Vail 11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10
Daniel West bt Alex
Gough 5-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 12-10
Rebecca Quiney lost
to Lauren Briggs 5-11, 6-11, 1-11
Exeter Diamonds 1
TWP St George's Hill 4
Stewart Boswell bt
Daryl Selby 11-6, 11-3, 11-5
Campbell Grayson
lost to Tom Richards 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 11-3, 4-11
James Snell lost to
Nicolas Mueller 8-11, 7-11, 9-11
Peter Creed lost to
Mark Krajcsak 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 4-11
Victoria
Temple-Murray lost to Laura Massaro 1-11, 5-11, 7-11
Surrey Health &
Racquets 4 IGT Winchester 1
Peter Barker lost to
Gregory Gaultier 3-11, 9-11, 4-11
Adrian Grant bt Joey
Barrington 11-9, 11-9, 11-7
Peter Nicol bt Dylan
Bennett 11-5, 11-8, 11-8
Adrian Waller bt
Mark Cairns 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
Camille Serme bt
Zephanie Curgenven 11-4, 11-6, 11-3
|
Round 9
Selby Secures PSL Play-Off Place For St George's Hill
England international Daryl Selby notched up his first win since
becoming British National champion for the first time a month ago
when he clinched the deciding match which ensures TWP St George's
Hill a place in next month's semi-final play-offs of the Premier
Squash League (PSL), the world's most prestigious squash league.
The
Weybridge club were hosting county rivals Surrey Health & Racquets,
the title-holders whose squad featured Peter Nicol, the
now-retired former world number one and world champion. The home side
set the early pace in the crucial ninth round Group B clash, with
Dominique Lloyd-Walter and Stephen Meads claiming four-game
victories over the visitors' opposition.
But
the Croydon club struck back – Adrian Waller reducing the deficit
when St George's stalwart Joe Lee was forced to withdraw midway
through the second game with a back injury, then Nicol taking on new
England international Tom Richards in a match described by St
George's team manager Danny Lee as 'the best game of squash ever
seen at the club'.
Richards, the 24-year-old world No29 fresh from making his England debut
at last week's World Cup in India, recovered from a game down to
open up a 2/1 lead over his experienced opponent. But Nicol, 13 years
his senior, refused to bow down – taking the fourth game and saving
three match-balls from 7-10 down in the decider to win 11-8, 3-11, 5-11,
11-9, 13-11 in 64 minutes.
Eager
to recover from a three-match losing streak for his club since beating
world number one Nick Matthew in February's British National
Championship final, Selby chose the perfect occasion to rediscover
his earlier form to beat Surrey Health's rising Egyptian star Karim
Abdel Gawad 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.
The
3/2 victory takes St George's Group B points haul for the season to 147
- 19 points ahead of Surrey Health. But both clubs have done enough to
make the end-of-season play-offs – with St George's simply needing two
points from their final tenth round tie against Exeter Diamonds
to guarantee a top-of-the-table finish.
Elsewhere in Group B, Team Chichester moved up to third place
after beating Exeter Diamonds 4/1, and PSL newcomers IGT
Winchester celebrated their first 5/0 win of the season with a
comprehensive home victory over UWE Bristol.
A
three-horse race has developed in Group A where former champions
Benz-Bavarian Duffield battled to a 4/1 away win over LEBC Group
Chapel Allerton to leave the two clubs heading the table just three
points apart.
But
CLFS Esporta Oxford, not in ninth round action, lurk less than 20
points behind – and are still in contention for an all-important finish
in the group's top two.
World
champion Nick Matthew led Duffield to away success at Chapel
Allerton, the 2009 champions from Leeds. A stalwart of the Derbyshire
club for eight seasons, Matthew beat Frenchman Renan Lavigne
11-4, 11-6, 11-2 – but it was arguably team-mate Andy Whipp who
exhibited the bravest Duffield performance, the 30-year-old part-timer
holding off the challenge of Chapel Allerton's Laurence Delasaux
by beating the 25-year-old world No77 12-10, 9-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-6.
Duffield, PSL champions in 1998, 2006 and 2007, began the night 16
points behind top-placed Chapel Allerton – but are now just three points
adrift of the Leeds club.
Fellow Yorkshire club Courtcraft Pontefract celebrated their
fourth PSL victory in a row with a 4/1 win over bottom-placed MB
Nottingham. Before a crowd described by Pontefract team manager
Malcolm Willstrop as "the biggest I've ever seen at the club – it
was jam-packed", there were various standout performances by home team
players – including an 11-7, 15-13, 13-11 win over Nottingham's Emma
Beddoes by Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson.
The
indefatigable Yorkshire legend Simon Parke, now 38, defeated
full-timer Lewis Walters 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 - and team number one
James Willstrop, who led England to the WSF World Cup
final in Chennai at the weekend, dug deep to recover from two games
behind, and 5-10 down in the decider, to overcome Eddie Charlton
4-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11.
RESULTS: 9th round, Tuesday 15 March 2011
Group A:
Courtcraft Pontefract 4 MB Nottingham 1
James Willstrop bt Eddie Charlton 4-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11
Simon Parke bt Lewis Walters 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
Neil
Cordell bt Chris Truswell 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10
Karan Malik lost to Mark Fuller 11-13, 9-11, 6-11
Vanessa Atkinson bt Emma Beddoes 11-7, 15-13, 13-11
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 1 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4
Renan Lavigne lost to Nick Matthew 4-11, 6-11, 2-11
Chris Simpson lost to Jonathan Kemp 12-14, 11-7, 6-11, 7-11
Laurence Delasaux lost to Andy Whipp 10-12, 11-9, 3-11, 13-11, 6-11
Shaun le Roux bt Matthew Karwalski 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8
Carrie Ramsey lost to Jaclyn Hawkes 3-11, 5-11, 1-11
Group B:
TWP
St George's Hill 3 Surrey Health & Racquets 2
Daryl Selby bt Karim Abdel Gawad 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (47m)
Tom
Richards lost to Peter Nicol 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 9-11, 11-13 (64m)
Joe
Lee lost to Adrian Waller 6-11, 0-4 ret.
Stephen Meads bt Tim Garner 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Victoria Lust 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-3
Team Chichester 4 Exeter Diamonds 1
Max
Lee lost to Campbell Grayson 11-7, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11
Olivier Pett bt Jonathan Harford 11-9, 11-6, 11-8
Tim
Vail bt Peter Creed 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Alex
Gough bt Mike Gregory 11-8, 11-5, 11-6
Nicolette Fernandes bt Victoria Temple-Murray 11-6, 11-4, 11-2
IGT
Winchester 5 UWE Bristol 0
Dylan Bennett bt Michael Harris 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (22m)
Stacey Ross bt Daniel West 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12 (48m)
Mark
Cairns bt Ben Rodgers 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (29m)
Kirby Sinclair bt Wojciech Nowisz 11-0, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9 (33m)
Lauren Selby bt Anna Jurkun 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
|
Round 8
Chichester End St George's Hill Unbeaten PSL Run
TWP St George's Hill's
unbeaten run in this
season's Premier Squash League (PSL) came to a dramatic end when
the Group B leaders slumped 3/2 to Team Chichester in the eighth
round of the of the world's most prestigious squash league.
Meanwhile defending champions Surrey Health & Racquets continued
their strong form in the group by thumping UWE Bristol 5/0 –
earning their fourth successive PSL win and dramatically reducing the
gap behind St George's Hill in the tables. Third-placed Exeter
Diamonds weakened their bid for a place in the end-of-season
play-offs by going down 3/2 at home to PSL newcomers IGT Winchester.
Former
champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton strengthened their lead in
the Group A tables with a 4/1 away win at MB Nottingham – while
England's world number one Nick Matthew played a decisive role in
Benz-Bavarian Duffield gaining a 3/2 away win over CLFS
Esporta Oxford to improve their chances of a play-off place.
It was
a rueful St George's Hill manager Danny Lee who commented "the
wrong Lee won" after his son Joe Lee lost to Chichester's late
replacement Alex Gough, while Chichester's Max Lee
recorded a marathon victory over British National Champion Daryl
Selby.
Guyana's Nicolette Fernandes started the Chichester run by
upsetting the home side's Dominique Lloyd-Walter in five games –
while the now-retired Alex Gough, a former world No5, produced one of
the shocks of the season by despatching world No63 Joe Lee 13-11, 11-5,
11-7 in just 36 minutes.
The
home crowd sensed that normal service would be resumed as middle order
stalwarts Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan and Mark Krajcsak levelled
the tie – and hopes were high that Selby would rediscover the form that
saw him lift the British National title against expectations less than a
month ago.
And
the world No10 from Essex led 2/1 against Max Lee before the Hong Kong
22-year-old – ranked 52 places lower in the world – pulled off one of
the best wins of his career to beat Selby 13-11, 11-13, 8-11, 12-10,
11-5 in 77 minutes.
Surrey
Health & Racquets dropped just two games in their commanding victory
over former runners-up UWE Bristol. England international Alison
Waters laid down a marker for the hosts with an 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 win
over Bristol's Sarah-Jane Perry – and Ben Ford, captain
Tim Garner, Adrian Waller duly followed Waters' winning
example before top-ranked Scot Alan Clyne ensured maximum points
by beating rising French star Lucas Serme 10-12, 11-5, 11-2,
11-7.
It was
French number one Gregory Gaultier, making only his second
appearance for the club, who led IGT Winchester to their 3/2 away win
over Exeter Diamonds. With the tie poised at two-all, world No6
Gaultier recovered from two games down to beat Exeter's Stewart
Boswell 10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 – inflicting the first defeat
of the season on the Australian international.
It was
a similar story in Oxford where Derbyshire club Benz-Bavarian Duffield,
the three times champions eager to make the final for the first time in
two years, were level at two matches apiece against CLFS Esporta
Oxford. The decider saw the world's top player Nick Matthew take on the
top Spaniard Borja Golan. World champion Matthew took the
opening two games, but Golan battled back to draw level.
Disappointment for the hosts was matched be elation for the visitors
when Matthew recovered the advantage to win 11-5, 15-13, 11-13, 11-7.
The win strengthens Duffield's position in third place in the Group A
tables, just three points adrift of Oxford – but with a tie in hand.
LEBC
Group Chapel Allerton began their victory bid at MB Nottingham a match
down after local star Emma Beddoes beat the Yorkshire club's
Carrie Ramsey 11-3, 11-5, 11-3.
But
stirring wins by the visitors' Anthony Graham, Shaun le Roux,
Laurence Delasaux and Chris Simpson gave Chapel Allerton
the 4/1 win which extends their lead at the top of the Group A tables to
23 points ahead of Esporta Oxford.
RESULTS: 8th round, Tuesday 8 March 2011
Group A:
CLFS Esporta Oxford 2 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3
Borja Golan lost to Nick Matthew 5-11, 13-15, 11-2, 13-11, 7-11
Chris Ryder bt Jonathan Kemp 12-10, 11-4, 11-7
Scott Handley lost to Andy Whipp 11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 6-11
Ben
Coleman lost to Matthew Karwalski 4-11, 2-11, 6-11
Madeline Perry bt Jaclyn Hawkes 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
MB
Nottingham 1 LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 4
Chris Truswell lost to Chris Simpson 10-12, 11-0, 7-11, 11-13
Mark
Fuller lost to Laurence Delasaux 8-11, 9-11, 7-11
Declan James lost to Shaun le Roux 5-11, 6-11, 3-11
Andrew Widdison lost to Anthony Graham 9-11, 2-11, 8-11
Emma
Beddoes bt Carrie Ramsey 11-3, 11-5, 11-3
Group B:
Surrey Health & Racquets 5 UWE Bristol 0
Alan
Clyne bt Lucas Serme 10-12, 11-5, 11-2, 11-7
Adrian Waller bt Michael Harris 11-6, 11-5, 11-7
Tim
Garner bt Daniel West 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8
Ben
Ford bt Ben Rodgers 11-3, 11-2, 11-7
Alison Waters bt Sarah-Jane Perry 11-4, 11-8, 11-7
TWP
St George's Hill 2 Team Chichester 3
Daryl Selby lost to Max Lee 11-13, 13-11, 11-8, 10-12, 5-11 (77m)
Mohd
Nafiizwan Adnan bt Olivier Pett 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (55m)
Mark
Krajcsak bt Tim Vail 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 (33m)
Joe
Lee lost to Alex Gough 11-13, 5-11, 7-11 (36m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter lost to Nicolette Fernandes 9-11, 7-11, 12-10,
11-1, 9-11 (68m)
Exeter Diamonds 2 IGT Winchester 3
Stewart Boswell lost to Gregory Gaultier 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 6-11
Campbell Grayson lost to Joey Barrington 11-8, 8-11, 12-14, 15-13, 4-11
Jonathan Harford lost to Marwan El Shorbagy 8-11, 5-11, 6-11
James Snell bt Robert Downer 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10
Aisling Blake bt Lauren Selby 11-2, 11-1, 8-11, 11-1
|
Round 7
Champions Surrey
Health Back In The Chase For PSL Glory
Reigning champions
Surrey Health & Racquets celebrated their third successive
Premier Squash League (PSL) win with a 4/1 home victory over
Exeter Diamonds – a reversal of the result earlier in the season
which strengthens the Croydon club's second place behind runaway
leaders TWP St George's Hill in Group B of the world's most
prestigious squash league.
While Team
Chichester moved up to third place in the Group after a 3/2 away win
over PSL newcomers IGT Winchester, St George's Hill
extended their unbeaten run by beating UWE Bristol 4/1 for the
second time this season
After beating fellow
Yorkshire club Courtcraft Pontefract 5/0 earlier in the season in
Group A, 2009 champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton slumped 2/3 at
home to a star-studded Pontefract side – but still remain top of the
Group tables. Meanwhile, CLFS Esporta Oxford move into second
place in Group A after thumping former champions MB Nottingham
5/0 at home.
Surrey Health &
Racquets team manager Pete Smith admitted it was a "good night"
for his squad after a near-maximum points victory over the Devon rivals
with whom they shared second place before the night's matches unfolded.
The home side's Alison Waters, Adrian Waller and Alan
Clyne quickly established an unassailable lead for Surrey Health –
though Londoner Waters, the world No3, was taken to five games by Irish
PSL debutante Aisling Blake after failing to convert a match-ball
in the third game.
Australian
international Stewart Boswell put in another starring performance
for Exeter by beating the hosts' higher-ranked England international
Adrian Grant in straight games before world No7 Peter Barker
extended the Surrey club's lead by beating Dutch champion Laurens Jan
Anjema 11-8, 11-8, 11-5.
TWP St George's Hill
delivered another near-perfect performance in the West Country – where
they consigned 2007 runners-up UWE Bristol to their seventh successive
defeat of the season. The Weybridge club stalwarts Rachel Willmott,
Stephen Meads. Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan and Tom Richards
all despatched Bristol opponents put in their way before
recently-crowned British National champion Daryl Selby sought to
make it maximum points from the top string clash with the home side's
Mohamed El Shorbagy.
But the 20-year-old
Egyptian international was too strong for Selby, winning 11-5, 12-10,
11-8 to give the home crowd some consolation.
A packed gallery at
IGT Winchester were hoping to see revenge against the southern
rivals who beat them earlier in the season. And after Team
Chichester took the opening two matches, Winchester's former club
manager Mark Cairns – a 43-year-old former world No10 - was set
to make a hero's return to the court .... and turn matters round.
"Mark was absolutely
in the zone," said team manager Gary Hinton. "He was simply in
awesome form – and duly won his match."
Cairns saw off
Chichester captain Tim Vail 9-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-7 in 58
minutes. But it was all in vain, as on an adjacent court Robbie
Temple played one the games of his life to defeat Winchester's
higher-ranked Joey Barrington in straight games.
But the Winchester
crowd was then treated to its first appearance of French star Gregory
Gaultier, the world No6 from Aix-en-Provence who recovered from a
game down to defeat the visitors' Malaysian number one Mohd Azlan
Iskandar 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3 to reduce the deficit to 2/3.
After losing the first
three ties of the season, Courtcraft Pontefract turned the tables
tonight by recording their third win in a row - against Yorkshire rivals
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton. The Leeds club's world No2 Jenny
Duncalf was too strong for the visitors' former world champion
Vanessa Atkinson – but now retired former world number one Lee
Beachill called upon all his vast experience to eke out a 11-9,
4-11,3-11, 11-7, 12-10 win over Chapel Allerton's Anthony Graham.
And after Indian
number one Saurav Ghosal showed off his prowess to beat the home
club's Australian international Aaron Frankcomb in four games, it
was left to Pontefract star James Willstrop to clinch victory for
the underdogs with his 11-8, 5-11, 13-11, 11-2 win over Frenchman
Renan Lavigne.
But CLFS Esporta
Oxford boosted their chances of a place in the end-of-season semi-final
playoffs with a powerful 5/0 home win over MB Nottingham. Despite
last-minute changes to the line-up, the home side's squad of Chris
Ryder, Scott Handley, Andrew Birks, Kristen Johnson
and Madeline Perry all came up trumps with wins over their
visiting opponents.
The Oxford team now
move up to second place in the Group A tables, just six points behind
leaders Chapel Allerton.
RESULTS: 7th round, Tuesday 1 March 2011
Group A:
CLFS Esporta Oxford
5 MB Nottingham 0
Chris Ryder bt Chris
Truswell 11-2, 11-3, 11-9
Scott Handley bt
Mark Fuller 11-8, 11-7, 11-4
Andrew Birks bt
Declan James 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
Kristen Johnson bt
Ollie Holland 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7
Madeline Perry bt
Emily Whitlock 11-7, 11-9, 14-12
LEBC Group Chapel
Allerton 2 Courtcraft Pontefract 3
Renan Lavigne lost
to James Willstrop 8-11, 11-5, 11-13, 2-11
Aaron Frankcomb lost
to Saurav Ghosal 11-9, 4-11, 3-11, 3-11
Laurence Delasaux bt
Simon Parke 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
Anthony Graham lost
to Lee Beachill 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 7-11, 10-12
Jenny Duncalf bt
Vanessa Atkinson 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7
Group B:
Surrey Health &
Racquets 4 Exeter Diamonds 1
Peter Barker bt
Laurens Jan Anjema 11-8, 11-8, 11-5
Adrian Grant lost to
Stewart Boswell 5-11, 2-11, 9-11
Alan Clyne bt
Jonathan Harford 11-4, 11-9, 11-9
Adrian Waller bt
James Snell 4-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 (48m)
Alison Waters bt
Aisling Blake 11-5, 11-3, 11-13, 7-11, 11-0
UWE Bristol 1 TWP
St George's Hill 4
Mohamed El Shorbagy
bt Daryl Selby 11-5, 12-10, 11-8
David Evans lost to
Tom Richards 11-7, 12-14, 8-11, 10-12
Lucas Serme lost to
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12
Michael Harris lost
to Stephen Meads 9-11, 3-11, 13-11, 7-11
Rebecca Quiney lost
to Rachel Willmott 9-11, 6-11, 8-11
IGT Winchester 2
Team Chichester 3
Gregory Gaultier bt
Mohd Azlan Iskandar 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3 (49m)
Joey Barrington lost
to Robbie Temple 2-11, 10-12, 8-11 (38m)
Stacey Ross lost to
Olivier Pett 4-11, 7-11, 10-12 (29m)
Mark Cairns bt Tim
Vail 9-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-7 (58m)
Lauren Selby lost to
Lauren Briggs 6-11, 7-11, 9-11 (26m)
|
Round 6
Former Champions Duffield Hit Back In Second Half Season Opener
Former
champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield hit back in the opening tie of
the second half of the Premier Squash League (PSL) season to slam
MB Nottingham 5/0 away from home and score their second maximum
points win over their East Midlands rivals this season in
Tuesday's sixth round of the world's most prestigious squash league.
Team
newcomer Jaclyn Hawkes, the New Zealand number two, began the
assault with a five-game victory over Nottingham regular Emma Beddoes.
A rare family duel between brothers Mark Fuller and Chris
Fuller saw the younger sibling Chris increase the visitors' lead
with an 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7 win.
Further wins by the Derbyshire club's Joel Hinds and Stephen
Coppinger made way for Duffield star Nick Matthew. The world
No1 and world champion, making his first appearance for the club since
November, put behind him his shock defeat in Sunday's British National
championship final by crushing Nottingham's top string Eddie Charlton
11-2, 11-6, 11-3.
The
impressive victory takes Duffield into second place in the Group A
tables behind group leaders LEBC Group Chapel Allerton, the Leeds
club which did not have a sixth round tie.
There
was popular revenge in Group A In Yorkshire where Courtcraft
Pontefract crafted a 3/2 home win over CLFS Esporta Oxford –
reversing the result of their early season meeting.
The
clash, before a packed crowd at Pontefract, was delicately poised at
two-all when club hero James Willstrop took to the court against
Oxford's Australian number one Cameron Pilley. It was an eagerly
awaited clash – Willstrop's first match since a shock quarter-final exit
in last week's British National championships in Manchester.
The
27-year-old world No4 from Leeds was back to his devastating best – and
recovered from a game down to despatch Pilley 12-14, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5.
"James
played as well as I've seen him play all year - with complete freedom,"
said team manager Malcolm Willstrop afterwards.
Like
Chapel Allerton in Group A, TWP St George's Hill have built a
commanding lead at the top of the Group B tables – with a 4/1 home win
over PSL newcomers IGT Winchester extending the Surrey club's
unbeaten record this season.
Team
stalwarts Dominique Lloyd-Walter, Joe Lee, Mark Krajcsak and
Tom Richards all scored straight games wins – leaving team number
one Daryl Selby, the new surprise British National champion, to
bring home maximum points.
But
the 28-year-old from Essex was clearly unable to reproduce the stunning
performance which saw him defeat firm favourite Nick Matthew in Sunday's
final – and went down 16-14, 9-11, 9-11, 14-12, 8-11 to Winchester's
Dylan Bennett, the Dutch championship runner-up.
"Daryl
was obviously shattered – and I wouldn't have been surprised had he been
unable to make the match," said St George's Hill team manager Danny
Lee. "He's been an inspiring member of our squad and we're very
proud of his achievement in Manchester."
But
the battle for second place in the group gathered momentum today as both
Surrey Health & Racquets and Exeter Diamonds celebrated
4/1 wins – over Team Chichester and UWE Bristol,
respectively - and both are level in second place with 83 points.
Surrey
Health's world No3 Alison Waters made a successful comeback since
aggravating an Achilles injury in the Commonwealth Games in
October by beating Chichester's Hannah Wright-Davies in straight
games.
Later
wins by Adrian Waller and Germany's Simon Rosner ensured
victory for the Croydon club – but the final match between the two top
strings went late into the night before Londoner Peter Barker
finally celebrated an 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5 over the home side's
Malaysian number one Mohd Azlan Iskandar to extend Surrey
Health's win to 4/1.
It was
the new Dutch national champion Laurens Jan Anjema who ensured
the same scoreline in Devon for Exeter Diamonds after clinching an 11-8,
11-6, 11-5 victory over the higher-ranked Bristol number one Mohamed
El Shorbagy, the world No9 from Egypt.
This
followed earlier wins by James Snell, Jonathan Harford and
Stewart Boswell – the Australian international who beat former
Welsh international David Evans 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 to record his
fourth successive win this season for Exeter.
RESULTS: 6th round, Tuesday 15 February 2011
Group A:
Courtcraft Pontefract 3 CLFS Esporta Oxford 2
James Willstrop bt Cameron Pilley 12-14, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5
Saurav Ghosal bt Chris Ryder 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
Simon Parke bt Scott Handley 11-9, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3
Lee
Beachill lost to Jaymie Haycocks 4-11, 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 7-11
Kirsty McPhee lost to Madeline Perry 6-11, 5-11, 6-11
MB
Nottingham 0 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 5
Eddie Charlton lost to Nick Matthew 2-11, 6-11, 3-11
Lewis Walters lost to Stephen Coppinger 12-10, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11
Chris Truswell lost to Joel Hinds 8-11, 6-11, 3-11
Mark
Fuller lost to Chris Fuller 8-11, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11
Emma
Beddoes lost to Jaclyn Hawkes 11-5, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11
Group B:
Team Chichester 1 Surrey Health & Racquets 4
Mohd
Azlan Iskandar lost to Peter Barker 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 5-11
Robbie Temple bt Adrian Grant 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8
Olivier Pett lost to Simon Rosner 2-11, 4-11, 11-5, 5-11
Tim
Vail lost to Adrian Waller 7-11, 5-11, 8-11
Hannah Wright-Davies lost to Alison Waters 2-11, 5-11, 5-11
Exeter Diamonds 4 UWE Bristol 1
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Mohamed El Shorbagy 11-8, 11-6, 11-5
Stewart Boswell bt David Evans 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
Jonathan Harford bt Michael Harris 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5
James Snell bt Nathan Lake 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11
Victoria Temple-Murray lost to Sarah-Jane Perry 10-12, 6-11, 12-14
TWP
St George's Hill 4 IGT Winchester 1
Daryl Selby lost to Dylan Bennett 16-14, 9-11, 9-11, 14-12, 8-11
Tom
Richards bt Stacey Ross 11-5, 13-11, 11-4
Mark
Krajcsak bt Mark Cairns 11-8, 11-4, 11-8
Joe
Lee bt Robert Downer 11-4, 11-5, 11-8
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Lauren Selby 11-4, 11-6, 11-9
|
Round 5 Report
St George's Hill & Chapel Allerton End
First Half of PSL Season Unbeaten
With the first half of the Premier
Squash League (PSL) season now behind them, both LEBC Group
Chapel Allerton and TWP St George's Hill remain unbeaten -
and have extended their leadership of Groups A & B, respectively, after
the fifth round of the world's most prestigious squash league.
Yorkshire club Chapel Allerton, winners
of the PSL title in 2009, celebrated a 3/2 home win over Group A rivals
CLFS Esporta Oxford. Frenchman Renan Lavigne clinched a
valuable win in the tie decider in his maiden appearance for the Leeds
club. In a fine battle between two 36-year-olds, former world No17
Lavigne - now retired from the Tour - recovered from two games down to
beat Oxford stalwart Scott Handley 1-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-1.
Meanwhile, in a packed St George's Hill
in Weybridge, Surrey, the home side also relied on a veteran
newcomer this season to pull the side through in a 3/2 win over Group B
rivals Exeter Diamonds. After eight seasons for nearby
Guildford, 40-year-old Stephen Meads made a significant home
debut for his new club by beating promising full-timer James Snell,
aged 22, 11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-8.
Later St George's regular Tom Richards,
fresh from two successful runs in PSA Tour events in the USA in January,
clinched victory for the hosts with a 6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 win over
Exeter's New Zealander Campbell Grayson.
"It was a fantastic performance from
Steve, who has only just returned from coaching duties with the Hong
Kong national squad," said St George's Hill team manager Danny Lee.
"We're enjoying a great run this season – and it's down to a good depth
of squad we have, which is the envy of the rest of the teams in the
league."
Reigning champions Surrey Health &
Racquets made up for two recent defeats by recording a 4/1 away win
over PSL newcomers IGT Winchester. In the standout match of the
tie, former squash great Peter Nicol, the ex-world number and
world champion who retired some years ago, took on Winchester's rising
Egyptian star Marwan El Shorbagy, the 17-year-old who last year
won the prestigious British Junior U17 Open title.
The teenager went into the match with all
guns blazing – but 37-year-old Nicol was able to call upon all the
skills which made him one of the world's best ever players by
despatching his young opponent 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 in 24 minutes.
In the final match of the day, the
Croydon club's 40-year-old captain Tim Garner celebrated his 13th
match in the last 11 days by recovering from two games down to beat the
home side's South African ace Jesse Engelbrecht 7-11, 6-11,
12-10, 11-6, 11-4.
Team Chichester
won the battle to stay off the bottom of the Group B
tables by seeing off visitors UWE Bristol 3/2. The home side
quickly claimed their victory with successive wins by Lauren Briggs,
Brandon Hanley and club stalwart Peter Genever. But
Bristol bounced back when Theodore Anderson beat Nic Birt
in four games – and young Frenchman Lucas Serme stemmed a
fightback by Tim Val to beat the Chichester captain 11-8, 11-3,
11-13, 10-12, 11-5.
In the other Group A tie, Yorkshire club
Courtcraft Pontefract celebrated their first win of the season in
a 3/2 home victory over Derbyshire's three-time champions
Benz-Bavarian Duffield.
"It was a great evening of squash – with
a fantastic performance from 38-year-old former England international
Simon Parke who just never gave up in his incredible 14-12, 8-11,
8-11, 11-9, 11-8 win over tough opponent Joel Hinds, the
23-year-old reigning world university champion," said Pontefract team
manager Malcolm Willstrop.
Former Pontefract number Lee Beachill
also entertained the packed crowd with his performance against in-form
Cheshire player Andrew Whipp. At 2/1 down, Beachill gave it his
all to level the match after a tie-break in the fourth – but the younger
Whipp blasted back in the decider to win 7-11, 13-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-2.
But it was the host club's Indian star
Saurav Ghosal who clinched victory for the team. In his first PSL
appearance for more than a year, Ghosal beat England international
Jonathan Kemp 11-8, 11-13, 19-17, 11-7.
RESULTS: 5th round, Tuesday 1 February 2011
Group
A:
Courtcraft Pontefract 3 Benz-Bavarian
Duffield 2
Saurav Ghosal bt Jonathan Kemp 11-8,
11-13, 19-17, 11-7
Simon Parke bt Joel Hinds 14-12,
8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8
Lee Beachill lost to Andrew Whipp
11-7, 11-13, 4-11, 12-10, 2-11
Neil Cordell lost to Chris Fuller
8-11, 2-11, 11-7, 10-12
Kirsty McPhee bt Laura Hill 11-7,
11-9, 14-12
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 3 CLFS
Esporta Oxford 2
Renan Lavigne bt Scott Handley 1-11,
7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-1
Laurence Delasaux lost to Jaymie
Haycocks 6-11, 8-11, 12-14
Anthony Graham bt Lee Drew 13-11,
11-5, 11-9
Adam Murrills lost to Andrew Birks
11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 2-11, 8-11
Carrie Ramsey bt Katherine Quarterman
11-4, 11-8, 11-8
Group B:
Team Chichester 3 UWE Bristol 2
Tim Vail lost to Lucas Serme 8-11,
3-11, 13-11, 12-10, 5-11
Nic Birt lost to Theodore Anderson
11-7, 5-11, 4-11, 9-11
Peter Genever bt Daniel West 13-11,
10-12, 11-8, 11-8
Brandon Hanley bt Konrad Tyma 11-6,
11-6, 13-11
Lauren Briggs bt Rebecca Quiney
11-3, 11-0, 11-3
TWP St George's Hill 3 Exeter
Diamonds 2
Daryl Selby lost to Stewart Boswell
11-13, 10-12, 9-11
Tom Richards bt Campbell Grayson
6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6
Neil Hitchens lost to Jonathan Harford
5-11, 8-11, 7-11
Stephen Meads bt James Snell 11-8,
8-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-8
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Rhianne
O'Donnell 11-4, 11-0, 11-3
IGT Winchester 1 Surrey Health &
Racquets 4
Kashif Shuja lost to Peter Barker
3-11, 6-11, 6-11 (23m)
Marwan El Shorbagy lost to Peter Nicol
6-11, 9-11, 9-11 (24m)
Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Tim Garner
11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 6-11, 4-11
Stacey Ross bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool
11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (39m)
Lauren Selby lost to Victoria Lust
4-11, 9-11, 12-10, 12-14 (40m)
|
Round 4
Report
Chapel Allerton & St George's Hill
Extend Unbeaten PSL Runs
TWP St George's Hill
and Yorkshire club LEBC Group Chapel Allerton extended their
unbeaten runs in the Premier Squash League (PSL) this season with
comprehensive 5/0 victories in the fourth round of the world's most
prestigious squash league.
In a battle between two former PSL
champions, England's world No2 Jenny Duncalf led Chapel Allerton
to an away win over three times champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield.
Duncalf, from Harrogate, began the rout with an 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 victory
over the Derbyshire club's Laura Hill – before team-mates
Anthony Graham, Laurence Delasaux and Chris Simpson
clinched their wins, leaving the door open for the team's Australian
number one Aaron Frankcomb to make it a clean sweep with his
straight games success over the home side's world university champion
Joel Hinds.
Chapel Allerton, the 2009 champions from
Leeds, are now 16 points ahead of second-placed CLFS Esporta Oxford
in Group A, with Duffield a further point adrift.
There was a further whitewash in
Group A when MB Nottingham recorded their first success of the
season with a 5/0 win over Yorkshire's Courtcraft Pontefract.
Teenager Emily Whitlock celebrated her first PSL win since
becoming the British Junior U17 Open champion earlier in the
month – the first English winner of a British Junior Open trophy for
almost a decade – when she bravely battled to an 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 2-11,
11-9 victory over Pontefract's experienced former world No53
Kirsty McPhee.
The evening also marked the return of
former Nottingham stalwart Simon Parke – a Nottingham PSL regular
since 1999 who was making his first appearance at the club as an away
player. Now living near Pontefract and playing for the
established club, 38-year-old Parke took the first game against the home
side's 22-year-old top string Eddie Charlton – but youth
ultimately prevailed as Charlton bounced back to win 5-11, 11-6, 11-9,
11-6 to maintain the Nottingham's squad's clean sheet for the night.
TWP St George's Hill were one of the few
teams fielding their regular top string – and used their benefit to
maximum advantage by crushing title-holders Surrey Health & Racquets
5/0 away from home in Group B.
The home side's debuting Egyptian
Karim Abdel Gawad – a 19-year-old who already boasts 5 PSA Tour
titles - was unable to make a winning first impression, as the visitors'
Hungarian number one Mark Krajcsak ground out a 6-11, 11-7, 11-9,
1-11, 11-8 victory. And St George's number one Daryl Selby,
fresh from a last 16 berth in the Tournament of Champions in New
York, dealt the final blow for the home crowd by recovering from a game
down to beat the Croydon club's top-ranked Italian Davide Bianchetti
10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10.
It took the final game of the night in
the south west for hosts Exeter Diamonds to clinch a 3/2 win over
Team Chichester – a success which strengthens the Devon club's grip
on second place in Group B. Australian Stewart Boswell was
the Diamonds' hero, despatching Chichester's top string Robbie Temple
11-5, 11-3, 11-5.
And there was cause for celebration in
Avon, where event newcomers IGT Winchester earned a 3/2 win over
hosts UWE Bristol. The visitors gained their win early on,
with victories by Lauren Selby, Robert Downer and veteran
Mark Cairns – the 43-year-old 1997 British National champion
overcoming rising French star Lucas Serme, the reigning European
Junior champion.
But Bristol countered with their own
demonstration of senior success when Welshman David Evans, the
36-year-old winner of the British Open crown in 2000, fought back
from a game behind to see off Winchester's Egyptian star Marwan El
Shorbagy, the 2010 British Junior U17 Open champion, 8-11, 11-6,
11-7, 11-8.
And the home side further reduced the
deficit when their French number one Mathieu Castagnet beat the
visitors' Dylan Bennett, the Dutch No2 making his debut for the
club, 10-12, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-7.
RESULTS:
4th round, Tuesday 25 January 2011
Group A:
MB Nottingham 5 Courtcraft
Pontefract 0
Eddie Charlton bt Simon Parke
5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
Mark Fuller bt Neil Cordell
11-7, 11-3, 11-4
Declan James bt Jacques Kruger
11-7, 11-2, 11-7
Ollie Holland bt Taminder
Gata-Aura 11-5, 11-8, 11-5
Emily Whitlock bt Kirsty McPhee
11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 2-11, 11-9
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 0 LEBC
Group Chapel Allerton 5
Joel Hinds lost to Aaron Frankcomb
5-11, 5-11, 9-11
Andrew Whipp lost to Chris Simpson
11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 4-11
Aqeel Rehman lost to Laurence
Delasaux 7-11, 4-11, 11-8, 6-11
Kevin White lost to Anthony Graham
3-11, 13-11, 5-11, 5-11
Laura Hill lost to Jenny Duncalf
4-11, 5-11, 9-11
Group B:
Surrey Health & Racquets 0 TWP
St George's Hill 5
Davide Bianchetti lost to Daryl
Selby 12-10, 6-11, 6-11, 10-12
Karim Abdel Gawad lost to Mark
Krajcsak 11-6, 7-11, 9-11, 11-1, 8-11
Tim Garner lost to Joe Lee
4-11, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11
Ben Ford lost to Neil Hitchens
8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 5-11 ret.
Victoria Lust lost to Dominique
Lloyd-Walter 8-11, 7-11, 8-11
Exeter Diamonds 3 Team
Chichester 2
Stewart Boswell bt Robbie Temple
11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Jonathan Harford bt Olivier Pett
14-12, 11-9, 11-6
James Snell lost to Tim Vail
11-13, 11-7, 8-11, 3-11
Peter Creed bt Nic Birt
11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-3
Victoria Temple-Murray lost to
Lauren Briggs 4-11, 5-11, 4-11
UWE Bristol 2 IGT Winchester 3
Mathieu Castagnet bt Dylan Bennett
10-12, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-7
David Evans bt Marwan El Shorbagy
8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8
Lucas Serme lost to Mark Cairns
9-11, 9-11, 3-11
Daniel West lost to Robert Downer
6-11, 13-15, 8-11
Rebecca Quiney lost to Lauren
Selby 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 2-11
|
Round 3 Report
St George's Hill Stretch PSL Lead
A
third successive win in the new season of the Premier Squash League (PSL)
extends TWP St George's Hill's lead at the top of the Group B
tables after the third round of the world's most prestigious squash
league.
The
Surrey club visited south coast rivals Team Chichester – and,
after the hosts took the early advantage when Lauren Briggs beat
the visitors' Rachel Willmott 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, St George's Hill
fought back with impressive straight games wins by team stalwarts
Mark Krajcsak, the Hungarian number one, and Nicolas Mueller,
the top Swiss player.
And
Tom Richards ensured a St George's Hill victory when he recovered
from a game down to beat Chichester regular Tim Vail 9-11, 11-9,
11-2, 11-7.
But
the standout match came at the end of the night when Chichester's
Olivier Pett, ranked well outside the world top 100, took on England
international Daryl Selby, the world No13. After surviving a
close first game, Pett dropped the next two as the crowd undoubtedly
sensed another win going to the visitors.
But
Pett, making a determined comeback after two major injury upsets over
the past 15 months, stuck to his game-plan and ultimately beat his
higher-ranked opponent 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 in 79 minutes.
"It's
been a good day," admitted the 22-year-old from Sussex. "That's by far
my best ever result."
It was
in August 2009 that Pett's world sunk to an all-time low when he
underwent surgery on both ankles only shortly after his father died
suddenly. "I was out for about seven months, and on crutches for some
of that time – but in fact it turned out to be a blessing in disguise,
as it gave me time to think about things and deal with the loss of my
Dad.
"Then,
some three months after getting back on court, I suffered a further
injury setback - which meant that I've only been training properly again
for the past month or so.
"But
tonight's win means so much to me as I've put in so much hard work
recently, both with my trainer and my coach Tim Vail," added the world
No 145.
PSL
title-holders Surrey Health & Racquets returned to winning ways
after a 4/1 away victory at UWE Bristol. But the 2010 champions,
who suffered a rare defeat last week, survived five-game matches in all
their wins – Scotland's Alan Clyne clinching victory for the
visitors after fighting back from 2/0 down to beat the home side's
former world No4 David Evans 12-14, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 in 59
minutes.
Surrey
squad number two Adrian Grant made his debut for his new club on
the courts of the Bristol club he represented for the past four seasons
– but battled for 67 minutes to beat Mathieu Castagnet in five
games to begin his new affiliation on a positive note.
But
Surrey team-mate and fellow Londoner Peter Barker was unable to
give his team maximum points: The world No8 went down in five games to
Mohamed El Shorbagy, the world No12 from Bristol who avenged his
defeat by Barker earlier in the month in the Qatar Classic.
And
IGT Winchester had good reason to celebrate after the PSL
newcomers beat Exeter Diamonds 3/2 to record their first win in
the league. After Lauren Selby and Marwan El Shorbagy
gave the home side a good start, it was Portsmouth teenager Robert
Downer who clinched Winchester's win by beating Chris
Tasker-Grindley 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8.
"We
had a total sell-out here tonight, with some 200 supporters – and the
place was really buzzing," said Winchester team manager Gary Hinton.
"And Robert played out of his skin tonight to give us a fantastic win."
Despite losing away from home, CLFS Esporta Oxford maintain a
slender lead at the top of the Group A tables. It was a workman-like
performance by former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield who, in
only their second tie of the season, romped to a 4/1 win in
Oxford, with squad number one Nick Matthew – playing his first
PSL match since winning two Commonwealth Games gold medals in
Delhi – beating Australia's in-form Cameron Pilley 15-13, 9-11,
11-8, 11-4.
The
visitors gained consolation points at the end of the evening when
Oxford's top-ranked Spaniard Borja Golan despatched Jonathan
Kemp 11-6, 11-6, 11-2.
The
other tie in Group A featured a battle between two former champions – in
which the 2009 winners LEBC Group Chapel Allerton beat 1999
champions MB Nottingham 4/1.
Like
Derbyshire club Duffield, Leeds-based Chapel Allerton have also only
played two ties so far this season – and both unbeaten clubs share
second place in the Group A tables on 37 points, just four behind league
leaders Esporta Oxford.
RESULTS: 3rd round, Tuesday 23 November 2010
Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4 CLFS Esporta Oxford 1
Nick
Matthew bt Cameron Pilley 15-13, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4
Jonathan Kemp lost to Borja Golan 6-11, 6-11, 2-11
Stephen Coppinger bt Scott Handley 11-7, 11-3, 12-10
Andrew Whipp bt Andrew Birks 13-11, 14-12, 11-6
Millie Tomlinson bt Katherine Quarterman 11-4, 11-3, 11-3
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 4 MB
Nottingham 1
Alister Walker bt Lewis Walters 11-6, 11-9, 11-2
Aaron Frankcomb bt Chris Truswell 11-5, 11-8, 11-7
Chris Simpson bt Mark Fuller 11-1, 11-8, 11-4
Shaun le Roux bt Declan James 6-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-4
Carrie Ramsey lost to Emily Whitlock 9-11, 0-5 ret.
Group B:
UWE
Bristol 1 Surrey Health & Racquets 4
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Peter Barker 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9 (68m)
Mathieu Castagnet lost to Adrian Grant 7-11, 11-7, 15-17, 13-11, 1-11
(67m)
David Evans lost to Alan Clyne 14-12, 11-5, 6-11, 8-11, 4-11 (59m)
Michael Harris lost to Adrian Waller 3-11, 3-11, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11 (42m)
Rebecca Quiney lost to Margaux Moros-Pitarch 15-17, 7-11, 11-1, 11-3,
9-11 (37m)
Team Chichester 2 TWP St George's Hill 3
Olivier Pett bt Daryl Selby 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (79m)
Tim
Vail lost to Tom Richards 11-9, 9-11, 2-11, 7-11
Alex
Gough lost to Nicolas Mueller 8-11, 5-11, 4-11
Nic
Birt lost to Mark Krajcsak 5-11, 4-11, 5-11
Lauren Briggs bt Rachel Willmott 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
IGT
Winchester 3 Exeter Diamonds 2
Joey
Barrington lost to Laurens Jan Anjema 12-14, 8-11, 9-11 (45m)
Ryan
Cuskelly lost to Campbell Grayson 10-12, 13-11, 5-11, 12-14 (79m)
Marwan El Shorbagy bt James Snell 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7 (50m)
Robert Downer bt Chris Tasker-Grindley 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 (43m)
Lauren Selby bt Emma Chorley 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 (25m) |
Round 2 Report
Champions Defeated In PSL
Upset
Title-holder Surrey Health & Racquets suffered their first defeat
in over a year when they were beaten 4/1 by Exeter Diamonds in
the second round of the Premier Squash League (PSL), the world's
most prestigious squash league.
The
Croydon club's number one and England international Peter Barker
prevented a whitewash in the Group B tie when he beat Exeter's top
string Laurens Jan Anjema, the Dutch No1, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 in the
final match of the night.
But to
the delight of the home crowd, Exeter's Emma Chorley started the
rout with an 11-6, 11-1, 11-3 victory over the visitors' Spanish
newcomer Margaux Moros-Pitarch – and team-mates James Snell
and Stewart Boswell followed with straight games wins.
But
perhaps the most notable home victory of the night was recorded by
Exeter's third string Jonathan Harford. The 27-year-old world No
142 from Birmingham defeated Scottish international Alan Clyne –
ranked 90 places higher - 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10 in 47 minutes.
But
the second successive win does not take Exeter Diamonds to the top of
the Group B table. By a single point, that place is taken by TWP St
George's Hill after the Surrey team crushed UWE Bristol 4/1
in a tie which also saw the top string providing a consolation win for
the losing team.
England Commonwealth Games silver medallist Laura Massaro, making
her debut for the Weybridge club, led the St George's Hill winning
campaign by beating Bristol's Rebecca Quiney 11-3, 11-4, 11-2.
Straight games home wins by Joe Lee, Mark Krajcsak and
Nicolas Mueller ensured victory for St George's – but top string
Daryl Selby was unable to make it maximum points. The world No13
from Essex failed to exploit a 2/1 lead over Mohamed El Shorbagy
before losing 5-11, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 9-11 to the rising Egyptian star.
Elsewhere in Group B, PSL stalwarts Team Chichester inflicted the
second successive defeat on IGT Winchester by beating the league
newcomers 3/2. Visitors Winchester were leading 2/1, but impressive
wins by Tim Vail and Olivier Pett – over 17-year-old
Marwan El Shorbagy and Joey Barrington, respectively - gave
the local supporters a dramatic home win to savour.
A
second win in a row takes CLFS Esporta Oxford to the top of the
Group A tables. Despite missing their top two players, Oxford travelled
to former champions MB Nottingham and came away with a maximum
points 5/0 victory.
Many
times Irish champion Madeline Perry led the assault with a 13-11,
11-8, 11-1 win over Nottingham's Emma Beddoes – and Andrew
Birks, Ben Coleman and Lee Drew survived bruising
five-game battles to keep the visitors' score sheet clean.
Top
string Chris Ryder, enjoying his fifth season for last season's
runners-up Esporta, then clinched the final match in stunning style –
despatching the Nottingham No1 Eddie Charlton 11-3, 11-2, 11-7.
In an all-Yorkshire clash in Group A, former champions LEBC Group
Chapel Allerton opened their 2010/11 season campaign with a 5/0 win
at Courtcraft Pontefract.
Pontefract's squad mixed long-time stalwarts like former world number
ones Lee Beachill and Vanessa Atkinson with newcomers like
South African youngster Jacques Kruger.
But
the visitors' firepower was too strong as world No2 Jenny Duncalf,
Adam Murrills, Anthony Graham, Chris Simpson and
Alister Walker all collected impressive victories to give their
Leeds club maximum points and a share of second place in the Group A
tables.
RESULTS: 2nd round, Tuesday 16 November 2010
Group A:
MB Nottingham 0 CLFS Esporta Oxford 5
Eddie Charlton lost to Chris Ryder 3-11, 2-11, 7-11
Chris Truswell lost to Lee Drew 7-11, 15-13, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11
Mark Fuller lost to Ben Coleman 5-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5, 10-12
Andrew Widdison lost to Andrew Birks 16-14, 3-11, 16-14, 2-11, 4-11
Emma Beddoes lost to Madeline Perry 11-13, 8-11, 1-11
Courtcraft Pontefract 0 LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 5
Simon Parke lost to Alister Walker 11-9, 5-11, 3-11, 3-11
Lee
Beachill lost to Chris Simpson 10-12, 4-11, 11-8, 8-11
James Earles lost to Anthony Graham 11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 7-11
Jacques Kruger lost to Adam Murrills 3-11, 1-11, 8-11
Vanessa Atkinson lost to Jenny Duncalf 11-13, 3-11, 5-11
Group B:
Exeter Diamonds 4 Surrey Health & Racquets 1
Laurens Jan Anjema lost to Peter Barker 7-11, 5-11, 8-11 (53m)
Stewart Boswell bt Davide Bianchetti 11-2, 11-4, 11-5
Jonathan Harford bt Alan Clyne 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10 (47m)
James Snell bt Tim Garner 11-5, 11-3, 13-11 (42m)
Emma Chorley bt Margaux Moros-Pitarch 11-6, 11-1, 11-3 (23m)
TWP
St George's Hill 4 UWE Bristol 1
Daryl Selby lost to Mohamed El Shorbagy 5-11, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 9-11
(62m)
Nicolas Mueller bt Michael Harris 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (26m)
Mark Krajcsak bt Nathan Lake 11-4, 11-3, 11-8 (29m)
Joe
Lee bt Theodore Anderson 11-4, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
Laura Massaro bt Rebecca Quiney 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (17m)
Team Chichester 3 IGT Winchester 2
Olivier Pett bt Joey Barrington 11-9, 11-6, 11-9
Tim
Vail bt Marwan El Shorbagy 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7
Alex Gough lost to Jesse Engelbrecht 9-11, 11-13, 5-11
Nic
Birt lost to Mark Cairns 9-11, 6-11, 3-11
Lauren Briggs bt Catherine Finlayson 11-3, 11-7, 11-6
|
Round 1
Champions Surrey Health Win New PSL Season Opener
Defending champions
Surrey Health & Racquets continued where they left off last season
with a confident win over Team Chichester in the
opening round of the new season of the Premier Squash League (PSL),
the world's most prestigious squash league.
Led by Italian number
one Davide Bianchetti, and including England's former world
number one and world champion Peter Nicol, the Croydon team – the
only squad not including new team members since last season - enjoyed a
4/1 home win over southern rivals Chichester.
The win puts Surrey
Health & Racquets at the top of the Group B table – two points ahead of
Exeter Diamonds, the Devon club for whom club newcomer Laurens
Jan Anjema, the Dutch number one, clinched a valuable five-game
victory over the home team's Mohamed El Shorbagy, the
world No12 from Egypt who is studying at the University of the West
of England. The triumph gave Exeter a 3/2 win over UWE Bristol.
The other tie in the
group also ended in a 3/2 away win when Surrey star Tom Richards
beat New Zealander Kashif Shuja as TWP St George's Hill
celebrated a valuable opening win over PSL newcomers IGT
Winchester.
But the most decisive
result came in Group A where former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield
crushed East Midlands rivals MB Nottingham 5/0.
The win puts the
Derbyshire club firmly at the top of the Group A table – but three
points behind are CLFS Esporta Oxford, who defeated Yorkshire
club Pontefract 4/1.
RESULTS: 1st round
Group A:
CLFS Esporta
Oxford 4 Pontefract 1
Borja Golan bt Simon
Parke 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9
Chris Ryder bt Lee
Beachill 12-10, 11-4, 11-5
Scott Handley bt Sam
Wileman 11-6, 11-5, 11-2
Ben Coleman bt
George Wileman 11-6, 11-4, 11-3
Katherine Quarterman
lost to Kirsty McPhee 5-11, 5-11, 2-11
Benz-Bavarian
Duffield 5 MB Nottingham 0
Stephen Coppinger bt
Lewis Walters 11-3, 12-10, 11-8
Andrew Whipp bt Mark
Fuller 11-9, 11-2, 11-4
Matthew Karwalski bt
Declan James 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
Paul Hargrave bt
Ollie Holland 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
Laura Hill bt Emily
Whitlock 19-17, 12-10, 13-11
Group B:
Surrey Health &
Racquets 4 Team Chichester 1
Davide Bianchetti bt
Robbie Temple 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8
Peter Nicol bt Max
Lee 11-6, 11-9, 12-10
Adrian Waller bt Tim
Vail 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6
Ben Ford lost to Leo
Au 11-7, 5-11, 4-11, 11-8, 8-11
Camille Serme bt
Lauren Briggs 11-8, 11-5, 11-7
UWE Bristol 2
Exeter Diamonds 3
Mohamed El Shorbagy
lost to Laurens Jan Anjema 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 4-11 (56m)
Mathieu Castagnet bt
Jonathan Harford 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 (58m)
David Evans bt James
Snell 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-15, 11-5 (71m)
Jethro Binns lost to
Peter Creed 11-8, 14-16, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11 (77m)
Sarah-Jane Perry
lost to Emma Chorley 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 5-11 (51m)
IGT Winchester 2
TWP St George's Hill 3
Kashif Shuja lost to
Tom Richards 6-11, 11-4, 7-11, 5-11 (36m)
Marwan El Shorbagy
bt Nicolas Mueller 7-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8 (54m)
Stacey Ross lost to
Joe Lee 4-11, 4-11, 4-11 (23m)
Mark Cairns bt
Stephen Meads 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (49m)
Lauren Selby lost to
Rachel Willmott 14-12, 8-11, 7-11, 6-11 (55m)
|
Preview |
Dunlop To Sponsor Premier Squash League
As part of Dunlop’s five-year
agreement to become a key sponsorship partner of England Squash &
Racketball (ESR), the world’s number one squash brand will be
the principal sponsor of the Premier Squash League.
The 27th season of the world's most
prestigious squash league gets underway next Tuesday (5 October).
In a major deal with the sport’s
English governing body, Dunlop has become the Official
Development Partner to ESR and lead sponsor of several high profile
events including the National Racketball Championships and
the governing body’s Mini Squash programme.
Dunlop, which sponsors numerous
elite athletes including England’s world No2 Nick Matthew,
has enjoyed a long-standing association with professional squash and
is now expanding its links to focus on supporting both Squash and
Racketball at grass roots and development level.
"Sponsorship of England Squash and
Racketball provides Dunlop with the opportunity to support player
and game development at all levels, including the PSL, the world's
best squash league,” said Dunlop’s Sports Marketing Executive
Chloe Passant. “As the world's number 1 ball, racket and
apparel supplier, we are looking forward to playing our part in the
growth of both sports in the future.”
Eleven teams will compete in the
2010/11 Premier League season, with defending champions Surrey
Health & Racquets, from Croydon, looking to win the crown
for the third time since 2008.
After a gap of 16 years since
winning the title in 1995, Winchester - led by England’s
world No30 Joey Barrington - will return to the PSL this
season. Winchester beat Duffield in the 1995 final in only
the Derbyshire club’s second season in the league.
Sponsored by Benz-Bavarian
for the 10th season in a row, Duffield won the title in
1998, 2006 and 2007 and are now celebrating a record 18th
successive season in the PSL.
Debutants Winchester host Surrey’s
TWP St George's Hill in a first round tie in Group B, on
Tuesday, while title-holders Surrey Health & Racquets entertain
Covers Chichester. A West Country clash sees UWE
Bristol host Exeter Diamonds.
While Leeds-based 2009 champions
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton have a rest day in the opening round
in Group A, fellow Yorkshire club Pontefract visit CLFS
Esporta Oxford, while - in a popular East Midlands derby -
Benz-Bavarian Duffield entertain 1999 champions MB Nottingham.
1st round fixtures, 5 October
2010:
Group A:
CLFS Esporta Oxford v Pontefract
Benz-Bavarian Duffield v MB
Nottingham
Group B:
Surrey Health & Racquets v Covers
Chichester
UWE Bristol v Exeter Diamonds
IGT Winchester v TWP St George's
Hill
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