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Round Ten:

Tue
16th Mar

 

Esporta Oxford Celebrate PSL Semi-Final Breakthrough

In a dramatic tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League, Dutchman Dylan Bennett celebrated his first outing of the season for Esporta Oxford by winning the decider against former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield – a straight games victory which not only took his team to top of the Group A points table, but also into the semi-final play-offs of the world's most prestigious squash league for the first time.

The 3/2 victory put Oxford on 146 points for the season – just a single point ahead of fellow Group A semi-final qualifiers MB Nottingham, the 1999 champions who lost 4/1 away from home to last season's champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton. 

The leadership of Group B was settled in the all-Surrey tie between TWP St George's Hill and Surrey Health & Racquets – in which Croydon-based Surrey Health, the 2008 champions, earned a powerful 4/1 away win to finish in top place and claim a semi-final slot for the fourth year in a row.

Thus, the Tuesday 6th April semi-final line-up will see Esporta Oxford host fellow first-time semi-finalists TWP St George's Hill, while Surrey Health & Racquets will entertain MB Nottingham, the East Midlands side making their first appearance in the knockout stage since finishing as runners-up in 2003.

A capacity crowd at the Duffield club in Derbyshire were looking forward to celebrating their team's fifth successive appearance in the play-offs – and the omens looked good when Laura Hill beat Katherine Quarterman 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 and Duffield hero Nick Matthew, the reigning British champion and world number two, despatched the visitors' Chris Ryder 11-8, 11-8, 13-11.

But Oxford's fire-power was boosted on the night by a pair of Dutchman – and after Piedro Schweertman, from The Hague, twice came from behind to pip the home side's Chris Fuller 12-10 in the fifth, Eindhoven-based world No73 Dylan Bennett played one of the most crucial games of his life to beat Duffield stalwart Andrew Whipp 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 in the tie decider.

"It was the first time Dylan had played for us this season and it was a big match to come into," said Oxford team manager Jason Martin.  "But he was very much up for it – and he was awesome.  To have a full house cheering for your opponent wasn't easy, but he took it his stride – he was definitely our 'man-of-the-match'.

"We needed both our Dutchmen – and they made a big difference.

"I don't think we've beaten Duffield in about seven attempts – so to go to Derbyshire and beat them in their own back yard was something special.  I'm very pleased - and our sponsors are delighted, especially that we'll be hosting the semi-final," added Martin.

"For the last few seasons, we've been steadily getting closer to reaching the finals – then losing badly when we shouldn't have.  But the main thing for us this season has been our consistency.  I thought tonight might have been beyond us – but we did it!"

Emma Beddoes was the lone Nottingham star, beating Chapel Allerton regular Carrie Ramsey 11-6, 11-4, 11-1 in the opening match.  But a near full-strength Chapel Allerton squad saw the Leeds club take control as Chris Hall, Laurence Delasaux, Alister Walker all won, before former world champion Thierry Lincou beat his French national team-mate Renan Lavigne 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 in the top string battle to ensure the home side's 4/1 win.

Both TWP St George's Hill and Surrey Health & Racquets fielded near full-strength squads as they battled for the Group B title.  But it was the visitors' big guns that ultimately prevailed as France's rising star Camille Serme started the ball rolling with a straight games win over St George's Hill's Rachel Willmott – then later Surrey Health's world top ten stalwarts Wael El Hindi and Peter Barker wiped out the hosts' lower-ranked opposition in straightforward style after veteran team captain Tim Garner earned a commendable win over world-ranked Neil Hitchens.

However, St George's celebrated a notable consolation win when Joe Lee beat former England junior team-mate Adrian Waller 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5.

In other ties which were not contesting for places in the knockout stages, Pontefract celebrated their best win of the season in Group A by beating Welsh club Newport 4/1 at home – while Surrey Storm Guildford scored only their second win of the season with a 3/2 home victory over one-time Group B title contenders Exeter Diamonds, and Covers Chichester rounded off the season in fine style by despatching last season's semi-finalists Probuild Bristol 4/1 away from home.

Tables after Round Ten

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