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Colin McQuillan Reports From The Nationals
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Reports
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Previews
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Men's Draw
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Women's Draw
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Matthew Pulls Out |
Kemp Crashes As
Vail Advances In Manchester
Tim Vail
became the first unseeded player to reach the men's quarter-finals
of the British National Squash Championships for eight
years when he upset fellow Englishman Jonathan Kemp, the
No7 seed, in today's (Wednesday) second round at the National
Squash Centre in Manchester.
After dropping the
opening game, the 29-year-old from Lee-on-Solent beat his
Shropshire opponent 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 in 39 minutes to reach
the quarter-finals for the first time in eight appearances in the
event.
"I thought before
the match that if I played well, I could win it," said the England
No16 who gave up the international circuit in 2002 to concentrate
on coaching. "I'm chuffed to bits.
"My current form
is down to the training sessions I've been having with Stacey Ross
and Ian Robinson over the past eighteen months or so. My main aim
now is to get into the England top ten."
Kemp came into the
match having not played at all for the past two weeks as the
result of a back ailment: "I knew what to expect against him -
but he played really well. I didn't think I played badly, under
the circumstances - but I couldn't miss the Nationals!"
Vail will meet
favourite James Willstrop in the quarter-finals on
Thursday, when the action at the National Squash Centre moves onto
the all-glass show court. The Yorkshireman, playing on a
conventional plaster court, "trundled" to an 11-9, 7-11, 11-3,
11-4 victory over Gloucestershire's 16th seed Alex
Stait.
"It's important to
realise that these courts don't suit the way I play - they're a
real leveller - so when you encounter players like Alex, you have
to treat them with a lot of respect," explained Willstrop, the
23-year-old world No9 from Pontefract.
"Unlike on the
all-glass court, which we're so much more used to playing on, it's
really hard to do anything with the ball. It makes you feel quite
ordinary - you just have to trundle your way through matches!"
Willstrop's
England and Pontefract club team-mate Lee Beachill cruised
through his second round encounter, beating Oxfordshire's 12th
seed
Scott Handley
11-8, 11-6, 11-4.
"It's good to get
off three-nil. I didn't feel amazing, but I'm hitting the ball
well enough, which is good," said the three-times champion who is
bidding to reach the final for a record seventh successive year.
"I'm just looking
forward to getting back on the glass court now," added the third
seed.
Welshman Alex
Gough, the sixth seed, survived his second marathon battle in
24 hours when he overcame Gloucestershire's No9 seed Alister
Walker 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4 in 78 minutes.
"I'm feeling much
better than I did yesterday, following a good rest after the
match," said the 36-year-old British Open Over-35 champion
who reached last week's Swedish Open final against the
seedings.
"I thought my win
over Karim Darwish (the world No8) in last week's semi-finals in
Sweden was one of the best performances of my life - and he was
playing well - and this is the continuation of that," said Gough
when asked to describe the way he felt he was playing currently.
"I'm hitting the
ball well - so, as long as the body holds out, I should be fine.
But it'll all be very different on the glass court."
Walker was
disappointed at the outcome: "I gave myself a great chance before
the match - and should have made more of it at 7-7 and 8-8 in both
the first two games. But Alex knows how to play those points so
well. There's a lot to learn mentally from a match like that,"
said the 24-year-old from Leeds.
Former champion
Simon Parke was another 'marathon man' in action for the
second day in row: The 34-year-old No8 seed from Yorkshire took
98 minutes to get the better of Essex's tenth seed Daryl Selby
11-7, 11-10 (5-3), 10-11 (0-2), 11-8.
"He's a phenomenal
player, I've got so much respect for him," said Selby of his
opponent, the 1998 champion, afterwards. "I can't remember
winning any easy points - I was battling for my life all the
time. I've never beaten him before, but I felt I played well.
What an experience!"
Parke will now
face higher-seeded Adrian Grant, the Yorkshire-based
Londoner who beat Berkshire's unseeded Stephen Meads 11-10
(4-2), 11-3, 11-6. The match lasted 77 minutes, but 26 of those
were off court while Grant was receiving treatment for a cut
knuckle on his racket hand - sustained when he scraped his hand
across the floor while reaching for a shot.
Favourite Tania
Bailey coasted to a 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 win in 31 minutes over
Manchester's Rebecca Botwright in the first round of the
women's event. "I've played Becky probably three times in the
past year - and this is definitely the best she's played," said
Bailey.
"I feel great, I
feel sharp - in fact it's the best I've felt going into a
tournament for ages," explained the defending champion from
Lincolnshire.
"Last year I
wasn't expected to do well, so this year I guess there is a bit
more pressure."
Tania and her
England team-mates recorded an appearance on the BBC TV show
'Eggheads' last week. "I was more nervous doing that than I've
ever been in all my life!"
Irish champion
Madeline Perry made a welcome return to the event after a
four-year gap to record her first ever win in the championship by
beating Merseyside's
Georgina Stoker
9-1, 9-0, 9-1 in 29 minutes.
"I wanted to play
well here and get off to a good start," said the third seed from
Banbridge, near Belfast, who celebrated her 30th
birthday this week.
"In previous years
I was concentrating on getting into the world top ten, but now
that I've achieved that I want to try and win this - it's a title
I really fancy!"
Manchester fans
had to wait until the final match of the day to see local star
Vicky Botwright claim her anticipated place in the
quarter-finals with a 9-6, 9-3, 9-2 victory over Warwickshire
qualifier Vicky Hynes.
"I didn't play
super well, but I'm pleased to get through without dropping a
game," said the second seed who has never progressed beyond the
quarter-finals in nine appearances since 1997.
Hynes, who had a
baby boy some eighteen months ago, was making her return to the
event after a three-year gap.
"She's a tricky
player and considering how long she was out, she plays really
well," added Botwright.
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British Nationals 2007
Men's Draw
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First Round
Tue 13th |
Second Round
Wed 14th |
Quarters
15th/16th |
Semis
Sat 17th |
Final
Sun 18th |
[1] James Willstrop
(Yorks)
11/3, 11/7, 11/6 (29m)
[Q] Jethro Binns (Wales_ |
James Willstrop
11-9, 7-11, 11-3, 11-4 (42m)
Alex Stait |
James Willstrop
Thu 20.15
Tim Vail |
13.45 |
17.00 |
[16] Alex Stait (Glos)
11/6, 11/5, 11/8 (28m)
[Q] Tom Pashley (Sussex) |
[7] Jon Kemp (Shrops)
11/4, 11/8, 8/11, 11/7 (32m)
Peter Billson (Lancs) |
Jon Kemp
8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (39m)
Tim Vail |
[LL] Adrian Waller
(Herts)
11/6, 11/8, 1/11, 11/8 (34m)
Tim Vail (Sussex) |
[3] Lee Beachill (Yorks)
11/2, 11/1, 11/3 (22m)
[Q] Eddie Charlton (Notts) |
Lee Beachill
11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (35m)
Scott Handley |
Lee Beachill
Thu 18.45
Alex Gough |
[12] Scott Handley (Oxon)
11/7, 11/5, 11/5 (25m)
[Q] Chris Tasker-Grindley (Glos) |
[6] Alex Gough (Wales)
8/11, 11/6, 11/9, 11/6 (58m)
Nick Taylor (Lancs) |
Alex Gough
11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4 (78m)
Alister Walker
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[9] Alister Walker (Glos)
12/10, 11/6, 11/5 (43m)
[Q] Jaymie Haycocks (Shrop) |
[Q] Shaun Le Roux (Yorks)
11/6, 11/7, 11/9 (36m)
[10] Daryl Selby (Essex) |
Daryl Selby
11-7, 11-10 (5-3), 10-11 (0-2), 11-8 (98m)
Simon Parke |
Simon Parke
Fri 18.45
Adrian Grant |
18.30 |
Ben Ford (Kent)
11/9, 9/11, 11/9, 6/11, 11/5 (71m)
[8] Simon Parke (Yorks) |
Steve Meads
(Berks)
11/4, 12/10, 12/10 (63m)
[14] Chris Simpson (Hants) |
Steve Meads
11-10 (4-2), 11-3, 11-6 (77m)
Adrian Grant |
[Q] Stephen Siviter (Merseyside)
11/9, 11/8, 11/9 (38m)
[4] Adrian Grant (Kent) |
Peter Genever (Sussex)
12/10, 11/4, 7/11, 3/11, 11/7 (70m)
[15] Lee Drew (Essex) |
Lee Drew
9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (48m)
Peter Barker |
Peter Barker
Fri 20.15
John White |
[Q] Jonny Harford (Glos)
11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (33m)
[5] Peter Barker (Essex) |
Hadrian Stiff (Devon)
11/7, 11/3, 11/6 (27m)
[13] Tom Richards (Surrey) |
Hadrian Stiff
11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (28m)
John White |
Andy Whipp (Cheshire)
11/6, 10/12, 11/6, 11/7
[2] John White (Scotland) |
Qualifying
Qualifying
finals:
Stephen
Siviter (Merseyside) bt James Snell (Devon) 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (33m)
Jaymie
Haycocks (Shropshire) bt Adrian Waller (Herts) 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (39m)
Jonathan
Harford (Glos) bt Joe Lee (Surrey) 11-2, 8-11, 11-1, 11-4
(51m)
Shaun le
Roux (Yorks) bt Jonathan Tate (Northumbria) 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (42m)
Chris
Tasker-Grindley (Glos) bt Darren Lewis (Leics) 5-11, 11-10 (4-2),
11-5, 8-11, 11-9 (71m)
Eddie
Charlton (Notts) bt Lewis Walters (Notts) 11-8, 6-11, 11-10
(4-2), 11-10 (2-0) (66m)
Tom Pashley
(Sussex) bt Robbie Temple (Glos) 11-7, 11-5, 3-11, 11-6 (41m)
Jethro Binns
(Wales) bt Phil Rushworth (Yorks) 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9 (45m)
Men's 2nd
qualifying round:
Stephen
Siviter (Merseyside) bt Nick Douglas (Notts) 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (31m)
James
Snell (Devon) bt Andrew Widdison (Yorks) 11-6, 11-10 (4-2),
3-11, 11-4 (39m)
Jaymie
Haycocks (Shropshire) bt Peter Creed (Wales) 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4
(42m)
Adrian
Waller (Herts) bt Asa Morris (Avon) 11-8, 11-8, 11-4
(33m)
Jonathan
Harford (Glos) bt Thomas Phipps (Bucks) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (28m)
Joe Lee
(Surrey) bt Keith Timms (Herts) 11-10 (2-0),
11-10 (2-0), 11-7 (40m)
Shaun le
Roux (Yorks) bt Adam Murrills (Cheshire) 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8
(32m)
Jonathan
Tate (Northumbria) bt Morgan Hibberd (Lancs) 11-2, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8
(37m)
Chris
Tasker-Grindley (Glos) bt Michael Pearson (Lancs) 11-10 (3-1),
11-4, 11-9 (30m)
Darren
Lewis (Leics) bt Liam Foster (Cheshire) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7
(31m)
Eddie
Charlton (Notts) bt Christopher Hall (Surrey) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0),
11-7 (35m)
Lewis
Walters (Notts) bt Joel Hinds (Derbyshire) 11-9, 7-11, 11-10
(4-2), 2-11, 11-8 (71m)
Robbie Temple
(Glos) bt Neil Desai (Surrey) 11-6, 11-9, 11-7
Tom
Pashley (Sussex) bt James Earles (Yorks) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
(20m)
Phil
Rushworth (Yorks) bt Issa Kamara (Kent) 11-3, 11-6, 11-1
(26m)
Jethro
Binns (Wales) bt Philip Nightingale (Surrey) 11-5, 11-8, 11-8
(35m)
1st qualifying round:
Stephen Siviter (Merseyside) bt Nathan Cole (Cheshire)
11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (32m)
James Snell (Devon) bt Alex Phillips (Hants)
11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (21m)
Andrew Widdison (Yorks) bt Paul Rawden (Surrey)
11-9, 11-10 (4-2), 11-9 (39m)
Jaymie Haycocks (Shropshire) bt Rory Pennell (Essex)
11-1, 11-2, 11-7 (18m)
Peter Creed (Wales) bt Steven London (Kent) 11-7,
11-5, 11-8 (30m)
Adrian Waller (Herts) bt Alex Ingham (Surrey)
11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)
Asa Morris (Avon) bt Jordan Jozefczyk (Cheshire)
11-7, 11-7, 10-11 (0-2), 11-3 (50m)
Jonathan Harford (Glos) bt Andrew Birks (Shropshire)
11-2, 11-9, 11-9 (37m)
Shaun le Roux (Yorks) bt Oliver Pett (Sussex)
4-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 11-5 (52m)
Jonathan Tate (Northumbria) bt Paul Bell (Cumbria)
11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (20m)
Morgan Hibberd (Lancs) bt Nicholas Bradley (Warwicks)
4-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) (62m)
Michael Pearson (Lancs) bt Adam Taylor (Yorks)
7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-10 (4-2), 11-10 (2-0) (51m)
Chris Tasker-Grindley (Glos) bt Elliot Selby (Essex)
11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (21m)
Liam Foster (Cheshire) bt James Matthews (Surrey)
11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (34m)
Darren Lewis (Leics) bt Mark Fuller (Northants)
11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (25m)
Eddie Charlton (Notts) bt Neil Cordell (Yorks)
8-11, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-4 (46m)
Christopher Hall (Surrey) bt Alistair Mutch (Wales)
5-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1) (65m)
Lewis Walters (Notts) bt James Clyne (Herts)
11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) (33m)
Joel Hinds (Derbyshire) bt Michael Waight (Cheshire)
11-9, 11-9, 11-4 (30m)
Neil Desai (Surrey) bt Nick Murrills (Cheshire)
11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8 (57m)
Issa Kamara (Kent) bt Richard Birks (Shropshire)
11-6, 3-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8 (42m)
Phil Rushworth (Yorks) bt William Newnham (Sussex)
11-6, 4-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-9 (55m)
Philip Nightingale (Surrey) bt Shaun Pearson (Cheshire)
11-5, 11-4, 11-3 (24m)
Men's preliminary round:
Jordan Jozefczyk (Cheshire) bt Luke Butterworth (Yorks)
10-11 (1-3), 11-6, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0) (47m)
Morgan Hibberd (Lancs) bt Andrew Cross (Yorks)
11-10 (8-6), 11-4, 11-10 (2-0) (45m)
Michael Pearson (Lancs) bt Oliver Dixon (Herts)
11-5, 11-6, 11-10 (2-0) (32m)
Eddie Charlton (Notts) bt Chris Clarke (Shropshire)
11-10 (5-3), 11-5, 11-8 (37m)
Neil Desai (Surrey) bt Ky Hibberd (Lancs) 11-7,
11-10 (5-3), 10-11 (0-2), 11-8 (48m)
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British Nationals
2007
Women's Draw
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Round One |
Quarters |
Semis |
Final |
[1] Tania Bailey (Lincs)
9-0, 9-4, 9-2 (31m)
Rebecca Botwright (Lancs) |
Tania Bailey
v
Jenny Duncalf |
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|
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
9-4, 9-1, 9-3 (30m)
[Q] Karen Leach
(Merseyside)
|
[3] Madeline Perry (Ireland)
9-1, 9-0, 9-1 (29m)
Georgina Stoker (Merseyside) |
Madeline Perry
v
Laura Hill
|
[8] Laura Hill (Derbyshire)
10-8,
9-1, 9-4 (33m)
[Q] Kirsty McPhee ( Yorks
) |
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter
(Middx)
9-4, 9-1, 9-0 (30m)
Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) |
Dominique Lloyd-Walter
v
Alison Waters |
|
[4] Alison Waters (Middx)
6-9, 9-5, 9-3, 5-9, 9-5
(56m)
[Q] Lauren Siddall ( Yorks
) |
[5] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (Lancs)
9-1, 9-1, 9-0 (22m)
Laura Mylotte (Ireland) |
Laura-Jane Lengthorn
v
Vicky Botwright |
[2] Vicky Botwright (Lancs)
9-6, 9-3, 9-2 (32m)
[Q] Vicky Hynes ( Warwicks
) |
Qualifying
Qualifying
finals:
Lauren
Siddall ( Yorks ) bt Louise Clark (Hants) 9-5, 9-2, 9-1 (26m)
Karen Leach
(Merseyside) bt Victoria Bell ( Cumbria ) 10-8, 10-9, 9-6 (48m)
Vicky Hynes
( Warwicks ) bt Rachel Willmott ( Sussex ) 9-2, 9-7, 7-9, 9-2 (38m)
Kirsty
McPhee ( Yorks ) bt Stacey Sephton (Middx) 9-0, 9-3, 9-6 (27m)
Women's
2nd qualifying round:
Lauren
Siddall ( Yorks ) bt Emma Chorley ( Somerset ) 9-2, 9-5, 9-1 (27m)
Louise
Clark (Hants) bt Gemma Davies ( Wales ) 9-7, 9-4, 9-0 (26m)
Karen
Leach (Merseyside) bt Deon Saffery ( Yorks ) 10-8, 9-4, 9-4 (46m)
Victoria
Bell ( Cumbria ) bt Lauren Selby ( Essex ) 9-6, 9-6, 9-4 (35m)
Rachel
Willmott (Sussex) bt Victoria Lust (Beds) 7-9, 4-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-4 (74m)
Vicky
Hynes ( Warwicks ) bt Fiona Moverley ( Yorks ) 4-9, 9-7, 9-2, 9-3 (34m)
Stacey
Sephton (Middx) bt Leonie Holt ( Warwicks ) 9-0, 9-1, 8-10, 9-5 (54m)
Kirsty
McPhee ( Yorks ) bt Susannah King (Hants) 9-3, 9-6, 2-9, 9-6 (62m)
Women's
1st qualifying round:
Karen
Leach (Merseyside) bt Sarah-Jane Perry (Warwicks) 9-5, 9-1, 10-9 (41m)
Victoria
Bell (Cumbria) bt Jennifer Knibbs (Derbyshire) 9-6, 9-5, 9-3 (40m)
Lauren
Selby (Essex) bt Kimberley Hay (Northumbria) 9-7, 9-6, 9-0 (25m)
Victoria
Lust (Beds) bt Harriet Ingham (Surrey) 9-2, 9-0, 9-1 (13m)
Rachel
Willmott (Sussex) bt Carrie Ramsey (Yorks) 9-0, 9-2, 9-1 (30m)
Fiona
Moverley (Yorks) bt Emma Molyneux (Lancs) 9-3, 9-5, 9-2 (23m)
Vicky
Hynes (Warwicks) bt Carrie Hastings (Cambs) 10-8, 9-10, 9-5, 9-4
(57m)
Stacey
Sephton (Middx) bt Kerri Shields (Ireland) 9-2, 9-3, 4-9, 9-6
(35m)
Leonie
Holt (Warwicks) bt Millie Tomlinson (Derbyshire) 6-9, 9-3, 8-10,
9-1, 9-4 (61m)
Susannah
King (Hants) bt Kirsty West (Cheshire) 9-3, 5-9, 9-4, 9-1 (29m)
Kirsty
McPhee (Yorks) bt Katherine Quarterman (Oxon) 9-1, 9-5, 9-1 (19m)
|
Beachill &
Willstrop Overcome Early Hurdles In Manchester
England and
Pontefract club team-mates James Willstrop and Lee
Beachill comfortably overcame their first hurdles in today's
(Tuesday) first round of the British National Squash
Championships with straight games wins at the National Squash
Centre in Manchester.
Top seed Willstrop,
the world No9 who was runner-up two years ago, despatched Welsh
qualifier Jethro Binns 11-3, 11-7, 11-6 in 29 minutes to set
up a last sixteen clash with fellow Englishman Alex Stait,
the 16th seed from Gloucestershire.
"That was a good
work out," said the 23-year-old Yorkshireman. "I didn't want it to
go on too long - after all, it could be a long week."
Lee Beachill took
just 20 minutes to down Nottingham qualifier Eddie Charlton
11-2, 11-1, 11-3. The three-times champion, who is bidding to reach
the final for a record seventh successive year, will now face Oxford
's 12th seed Scott Handley, who beat
Gloucestershire qualifier Chris Tasker-Grindley 11-7, 11-5,
11-5.
Beachill and
Willstrop are expected to meet, for the fourth year in a row, in
Saturday's semi-finals.
Former champion
Simon Parke, the No8 seed in his 15th appearance in
the event since 1987, was taken the full distance by fellow
Englishman Ben Ford before coming through 11-9, 9-11, 11-9,
6-11, 11-5.
Both players are
over 30 and, like Parke, Ford is a club coach - but unlike Parke,
the 31-year-old England No27 from Kent has just rejoined the
Professional Squash Association (PSA) after a gap of some eight
years, whereas Yorkshireman Parke 'retired' from the pro circuit
last year.
"I knew what to
expect - Ben took a game off Peter Nicol in the Nationals last
year," said Parke after his 71-minute marathon. "He's a cunning
player and I'm glad to get through."
Despite having given
up the international circuit, 34-year-old Parke seems to be playing
more than ever. "I seem to be working harder than ever now,
combining my coaching at the Heaton club in Bradford with playing
most of the BSPA tournaments. I feel I'm playing well, but not
playing full-time means that the pressure's off when I'm on court."
After taking the
fourth game from 4-6 down, Ford could clearly see the winning post:
"I just bottled it in the fifth, going for shots I hadn't tried
earlier in the game. I was thinking I was on the verge of winning!"
As the day
progressed, so the courts at the National Squash Centre continued to
favour the more 'mature' player. Stephen Meads produced one
of the two men's upsets of the day when he beat 19-year-old 14th
seed Chris Simpson, the former European junior champion from
Hampshire, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) in 63 minutes.
The win marked the
36-year-old former champion's 16th successive first round
win in the event since making his debut in 1987. "It's a bit sad
that I got myself really psyched up for that match - and was even
quite nervous before it," said the Berkshire number one, who retired
from the international circuit three years ago. "As I don't play
events on a regular basis, this one means a lot to me.
"But it's good to
show that there's still life in the old dog," said the 1995
champion. "It was 'old-school' squash, not necessarily very
pretty. But he'll probably go away and think about that for a long
time."
Later, another
'senior' player dismissed one of the up-and-coming seeds when
Devonian Hadrian Stiff, aged 33, defeated 13th
seed Tom Richards, a 20-year-old from Surrey , 11-7, 11-3,
11-6 in 27 minutes.
Another fine
demonstration of 'seasoned' squash came when 36-year-old sixth
Alex Gough, the reigning British Open Over-35 champion,
took on Manchester 's Nick Taylor, who is also the top seed
in the British Nationals Over-35 Championship.
Gough had arrived
from Sweden where 48 hours earlier he - unexpectedly - played the
final of the Swedish Open after upsetting Egypt 's world No8
Karim Darwish in the semi-finals. Gough and Taylor - both
former runners-up in the event - thoroughly entertained the packed
NSC crowd, who were desperately hoping for local success.
But, after 58
minutes, it was eventually Gough who prevailed - winning 8-11, 11-6,
11-9, 11-6 to reach the second round for the tenth time in 12
appearances since 1992.
Northern players
excelled in the women's qualifying finals, with Lauren Siddall
and Kirsty McPhee, both from Yorkshire, joining Merseyside's
Karen Leach and Warwickshire's Vicky Hynes in the main
draw.
Hynes, from
Birmingham , will face local star Vicky Botwright, the No2
seed from Worsley in Manchester who is expected to reach the final
for the first time in eight appearances.
Steady Eddie
Battles Into Nationals Draw In Manchester
Eddie Charlton
battled for 66 minutes against Nottinghamshire county team-mate and
fellow 18-year-old Lewis Walters in today's (Monday)
qualifying finals of the British National Squash Championships
to become the youngest player to qualify for the men's main draw of
the sport's biggest UK domestic event at the National Squash
Centre in Manchester.
The Mansfield
teenager, who became a member of the Professional Squash
Association (PSA) to play the international circuit only two
months ago, came through 11-8, 6-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-10 (2-0)
against Walters - and goes on to face Yorkshire's three-times
champion Lee Beachill, the No3 seed, in the first round
tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1.00pm.
Merseyside's
Stephen Siviter earned the distinction of becoming the oldest
player to qualify for the main draw when he beat Devon's James
Snell 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 in 33 minutes. It was a case of 'fifth
time lucky' for the 31-year-old from Swinton who has failed in his
attempts to qualify for the event four times earlier since 2000.
The Prestbury club
No2, widely regarded as the best non-professional player in the
famed North West Counties league, will now take on left-handed
Londoner Adrian Grant, the No4 seed ranked 14 in the world,
in the first round.
Event favourite
James Willstrop, the 23-year-old from Pontefract in Yorkshire
who was runner-up two years ago, is drawn to meet qualifier
Jethro Binns in the first round. The 22-year-old Welshman
defeated Surrey-based Yorkshireman Phil Rushworth 11-5, 8-11,
11-8, 11-9 in the qualifying finals.
The late withdrawal
of Surrey's 11th seed Stacey Ross opened the door
for a 'lucky loser' in the event. Hertfordshire's Adrian Waller,
beaten earlier by Jaymie Haycocks (Shropshire) in straight
games, was given a further opportunity to shine in the event by
replacing Ross to meet Sussex's former world No116 Tim Vail
in the first round.
Manchester 'A
Perfect Place To Win Something' Says Willstrop
England's James
Willstrop, top seed in this week's British National Squash
Championships in Manchester, believes that he is on the
verge of success for the first time in the country's biggest UK
domestic event.
After qualifying,
which gets underway today (Sunday), the British National Championships
take place at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity
from Tuesday (13 February) - with action from quarter-finals
onwards staged on the spectacular all-glass court at the NSC, the
venue which hosted the squash competitions in the 2002 Commonwealth
Games, leading to the finals on Sunday (18 February).
In addition to members
of England's historic Men's and Women's World Team Championships-winning
squads, the 2007 National Championships have also attracted the
leading players from Scotland, Ireland and Wales - including former
champion John White, the world No10 from Scotland; Madeline
Perry, the world No8 from Banbridge, near Belfast; and British
Open O35 champion Alex Gough, the world No23 from Wales.
Willstrop, the
23-year-old from Pontefract in Yorkshire who led England to success in
the 2005 Men's World Team Championships, reached the Nationals final
two years ago - and rates the tournament highly.
"You can see how
significant it is with the level of players competing in it," said the
former world junior champion. "The event is so well run and the
players so well looked after. And it's well-marketed and attracts big
crowds - there aren't many tournaments anywhere in the world that are
better!
"I enjoy playing on
the all-glass court there - it has fond memories for me as it was
where I played the final of the British Open (in 2005). It's a big
stage for us to play on - and that's what we like," added the England
international who trains regularly at the NSC.
By his own exacting
standards, Willstrop has had a mixed run on the international circuit
since winning the prized Qatar Classic in November 2005. His
lowest period came in September last year when he contracted food
poisoning in Cairo on the eve of competing in the World Open.
"You have to
understand that people in all sports have periods like this - nothing
really bad but just a time when things don't seem to go well. And
that illness in Egypt was a bit of a setback. Your confidence takes a
bit of a knock.
"But I really believe
in myself - and I realise that I need to back that up with some
success. I need a good run, but I feel in good shape and things have
been going well in training.
"It's time for me to
win something - and this would be the perfect place to do it. The
National title is a very important one to hold," explained Willstrop.
For the past three
years in a row, Willstrop's National Championship progress has been
stopped by Lee Beachill, his close friend and England and
Pontefract club team-mate. Indeed, he has never beaten the
29-year-old former world number one who is also coached by his father
Malcolm Willstrop.
According to the draw,
Willstrop will meet third seed Beachill for the fourth year in a row -
in the semi-finals.
"It's something which
keeps coming up - I guess because we're based at the same club and
good mates," explained Willstrop when asked if he was looking forward
to another meeting with his great rival.
"But I'm not thinking
about it - mainly because there are plenty of tough matches to go
before the chance of meeting him.
"But, truthfully, I
never have a great deal of fun playing Lee - our games are so
different. I'm trying to learn how to deal with players like him -
I'm working at it. But, even though he's had the upper hand so far, I
don't dwell on it.
"The main thing is
that I want to win the National title - so hopefully I'll be able to
deal with it if I have to!
Title-holder Tania
Bailey, the world No5 from Lincolnshire, is seeded to retain the
women's crown she won for the first time last year.
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Previews
Champion Matthew Forced Out Of
Nationals
Defending champion
Nick Matthew has been forced to withdraw from next week's
British National Squash Championships in
Manchester
after failing to
recover from an ankle injury.
The 26-year-old
Yorkshireman from Sheffield - the world No6 originally named as top
seed for the 2007 event - sustained the ligament injury in last
month's Canadian Classic in Toronto, and has been undergoing
intensive physiotherapy treatment since then back on home soil.
"I'm gutted," said
Matthew after succumbing to the inevitable. "It was exactly four
weeks ago today that I tore the ligaments in my right ankle - and
everybody told me it would be between eight to ten weeks before I'd be
back on court.
"But it's testament to
the great Physio and massage team I've had working on me here at the
EIS (English Institute of Sport) in Sheffield that I almost made it.
Led by Rob and Derry, they've seen me for around 2/3 hours a day for
about four or five days a week since the incident," added Matthew.
"I'm already back
running and doing light work on court - and that's better than I could
have anticipated. It's just a pity I haven't got an extra week or so
before the event starts."
Since winning the
British National title for the first time twelve months ago, Nick
Matthew went on to become the first home-grown Englishman since 1939
to win the British Open trophy - in addition to becoming the
first ever holder of both the British Open and National titles
simultaneously!
"I've been honoured to
be the British National champion - and it's been massive to have held
this and the British Open title as well. But whoever wins next week
in Manchester will thoroughly deserve it - and luckily there are
plenty of years ahead of me to try to win it back!"
In a redraw of the
men's event, Matthew's Yorkshire and England team-mate James
Willstrop is elevated to top seed. The 23-year-old world No9 from
Pontefract, who was runner-up in 2005, led England to success in the
World Team Championships later in the year in Pakistan.
Scotland's John
White, champion in 2004, becomes the new second seed - and
Yorkshire's three-times champion Lee Beachill is No3 seed.
Title-holder Tania
Bailey, the world No5 from Lincolnshire, is seeded to retain the
women's crown she won for the first time last year.
The sport's biggest UK
domestic event takes place at the National Squash Centre at
Sportcity from 13-18 February, following qualifying from Sunday 11
February. The NSC will also welcome competitors for the country's
biggest Masters event, offering British National titles for men in
age-groups from Over-35 to Over-70, and women from Over-35 to Over-55.
Revised Men's 1st
round draw:
[1] James Willstrop (Yorks)
v Qualifier
[16] Alex Stait (Glos)
v Qualifier
[7] Jonathan Kemp
(Shropshire) v Peter Billson (Lancs)
[11] Stacey Ross
(Surrey) v Tim Vail (Sussex)
[3] Lee Beachill (Yorks)
v Qualifier
[12] Scott Handley
(Oxon) v Qualifier
[6] Alex Gough (Wales)
v Nick Taylor (Lancs)
[9] Alister Walker (Glos)
v Qualifier
[10] Daryl Selby
(Essex) v Qualifier
[8] Simon Parke (Yorks)
v Ben Ford (Kent)
[14] Chris Simpson
(Hants) v Stephen Meads (Berks)
[4] Adrian Grant
(Kent) v Qualifier
[15] Lee Drew (Essex)
v Peter Genever (Sussex)
[5] Peter Barker
(Essex) v Qualifier
[13] Tom Richards
(Surrey) v Hadrian Stiff (Devon)
[2] John White
(Scotland) v Andrew Whipp (Cheshire)
Willstrop & Beachill
Set For Semi-Final Showdown In Nationals' Draw
All four top men's seeds
are set to face qualifiers in next week's first round of the British
National Squash Championships in
Manchester
- and women's favourite
Tania Bailey is scheduled to face both the city's Botwright sisters -
according to the draw for the event which announced today (Monday) by
England Squash.
And second seed James Willstrop is expected to meet Yorkshire rival
and three-times former champion Lee Beachill in the semi-finals for
the fourth year in a row.
The sport's biggest UK
domestic event takes place at the National Squash Centre at
Sportcity from 13-18 February, following qualifying from Sunday 11
February. The NSC will also welcome competitors for the country's biggest
Masters event, offering British National titles for men in age-groups from
Over-35 to Over-70, and women from Over-35 to Over-55.
The first seed standing in
the way of men's favourite Nick Matthew is expected to be
Alister Walker, though the No10 seed will first have to overcome
Gloucestershire county team-mate Alex Stait. The title-holder from
Sheffield is then due to meet England team-mate Peter Barker, from
Essex, for a place in the semi-finals where third seed John White,
the 2004 champion from Scotland, is his anticipated opponent.
Willstrop, the 23-year-old
former world No2 from Pontefract, is looking to win the men's title for
the first time - and seeded to meet Matthew in the final. But the draw
suggests that 16th seed
Lee Drew
from Essex, then Shropshire's eighth seed Jonathan Kemp will
provide hurdles before the predicted last four clash with fourth seed
Beachill, his Pontefract club-mate.
Beachill, a former world
No1, has never lost to Willstrop in countless domestic and international
clashes - and should the 29-year-old Yorkshireman make the final, it would
extend his record to seven successive appearances!
Lincolnshire's Tania
Bailey, winner of the women's crown for the first time last year, will
take on Manchester's unseeded Rebecca Botwright in the first
round. If the 25-year-old world No30 from Worsley cannot overcome the top
seed, ranked five in the world, she will hope that her older sister
Vicky Botwright can gain revenge in the predicted women's final.
Neither Botwright sibling
has progressed beyond the last eight in the championships which celebrate
their 11th successive year in Manchester this year - but Vicky,
the 29-year-old world No7, will be hoping that 2007 will provide the
city's first true 'home' success.
Both players, however,
have tough hurdles to overcome before achieving their seeded positions -
Bailey her England team-mate Jenny Duncalf, from Harrogate, in a
likely quarter-final, before the expected semi-final clash with Irish
number one Madeline Perry, the third seed from Banbridge, near
Belfast.
An all-Lancashire
quarter-final is the prediction for Vicky Botwright - against
Laura-Jane Lengthorn, the fifth seed from Preston who upset her
higher-ranked county colleague in the Wolverhampton Open final last
November. The No2 seed would then be expected to face England team-mate
Alison Waters, the fourth seed from London, in the semi-finals.
Men's 1st round draw:
[1] Nick Matthew (Yorks) v
Qualifier
[10] Alister Walker (Glos)
v Alex Stait (Glos)
[6] Peter Barker (Essex) v
Qualifier
[13] Scott Handley (Oxon)
v Hadrian Stiff (Devon)
[3] John White (Scotland)
v Qualifier
[11] Daryl Selby (Essex) v
Qualifier
[7] Alex Gough (Wales) v
Andrew Whipp (Cheshire)
[14] Tom Richards (Surrey)
v Qualifier
[9] Simon Parke (Yorks) v
Qualifier
[5] Adrian Grant (Kent) v
Tim Vail (Sussex)
[15] Chris Simpson (Hants)
v Peter Genever (Sussex)
[4] Lee Beachill (Yorks) v
Qualifier
[12] Stacey Ross (Surrey)
v Stephen Meads (Berks)
[8] Jonathan Kemp
(Shropshire) v Ben Ford (Kent)
[16] Lee Drew (Essex) v
Nick Taylor (Lancs)
[2] James Willstrop (Yorks)
v Qualifier
Women's 1st round draw:
[1] Tania Bailey (Lincs) v
Rebecca Botwright (Lancs)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
v Qualifier
[3] Madeline Perry
(Ireland) v Georgina Stoker (Merseyside)
[8] Laura Hill
(Derbyshire) v Qualifier
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter
(Middx) v Sarah Kippax (Cheshire)
[4] Alison Waters (Middx)
v Qualifier
[5] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (Lancs)
v Laura Mylotte (Ireland)
[2] Vicky Botwright (Lancs)
v Qualifier
Matthew & Bailey
Seeded To Repeat Nationals' Success In Manchester
Yorkshire's Nick
Matthew and Lincolnshire's Tania Bailey are expected to
retain their titles in the British National Squash Championships
later this month in Manchester, according to the seedings
announced today (Friday) by England Squash.
The sport's biggest UK
domestic event takes place at the National Squash Centre at
Sportcity from 11-18 February.
In addition to members
of England's historic Men's and Women's World Team Championships-winning
squads, the 2007 National Championships have also attracted the leading
players from Scotland, Ireland and Wales - including former champion
John White, the world No10 from Scotland; Madeline Perry, the
world No8 from Banbridge, near Belfast; and British Open O35 champion
Alex Gough, the world No23 from Wales.
The NSC will also
welcome competitors for the country's biggest Masters event, offering
British National titles for men in age-groups from Over-35 to Over-70,
and women from Over-35 to Over-55.
Since winning the
British National title for the first time twelve months ago, Nick
Matthew went on to become the first home-grown Englishman to win the
British Open trophy since 1939 - in addition to becoming the first
ever holder of both the British Open and National titles
simultaneously!
The 26-year-old world
No6 from Sheffield is currently recovering from an ankle injury
sustained earlier in the year in Canada, and is expected to make his
comeback on the all-glass show court at the National Squash Centre.
Fellow Yorkshireman
Lee Beachill, the three-times champion who was runner-up to Matthew
last year, is seeded four - behind Scotland's John White at three
- while his Pontefract club-mate James Willstrop, the
world No9 who was runner-up two years ago, is the No2 seed.
Tania Bailey's maiden
triumph in the 2006 Nationals also provided a springboard for further
success on the international tour. The 27-year-old world No5 from
Stamford picked up the Vassar College Class of 1932 Open title in
the USA in April, and also reached the finals of the Malaysian Open
and Hong Kong Open.
Bailey is expected to
meet her England team-mate Vicky Botwright in the women's final.
Second seed Botwright, the world No7 from Manchester, leads local
interest in the event - and, after missing the championship last year as
a result of injury, will be hoping for her best ever success in her
ninth appearance in the event.
With Ireland's
Madeline Perry as third seed and Londoner Alison Waters named
fourth, further north west interest is provided by fifth seed
Laura-Jane Lengthorn, the 23-year-old from Preston who rose to No11
in the world rankings this month.
Men's seeds:
[1] Nick Matthew (Yorks)
[2] James Willstrop (Yorks)
[3] John White
(Scotland)
[4] Lee Beachill (Yorks)
[5] Adrian Grant (Kent)
[6] Peter Barker (Essex)
[7] Alex Gough (Wales)
[8] Jonathan Kemp
(Shropshire)
[9] Simon Parke (Yorks)
[10] Alister Walker (Glos)
[11] Daryl Selby (Essex)
[12] Stacey Ross
(Surrey)
[13] Scott Handley
(Oxon)
[14] Tom Richards
(Surrey)
[15] Chris Simpson
(Hants)
[16] Lee Drew (Essex)
Women's seeds:
[1] Tania Bailey (Lincs)
[2] Vicky Botwright (Lancs)
[3] Madeline Perry
(Ireland)
[4] Alison Waters (Middx)
[5] Laura-Jane Lengthorn
(Lancs)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
[7] Dominique
Lloyd-Walter (Middx)
[8] Laura Hill
(Derbyshire)
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