Tue 27 Sep, Round ONE
ROUND ONE RESULTS & TABLES
New Premier Squash League
Gets Underway In Style
Howard
Harding reports ...
The inaugural season of the new Premier Squash League got underway in fine
style tonight with former champions Manchester/Pontefract and
Churchill Edgbaston Priory securing victories in the North Group and
UniSport Guildford and Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury winning
in the South Group.
Nottingham 1-4 Manchester/Pontefract
Simon Parke 1-3 Lee Beachill
9/7, 5/9, 5/9, 3/9 (53m)
Tommy Berden 3-1 Nick Taylor
9/6, 9/5, 6/9, 9/3
John Rooney 1-3 Andrew Whipp 9/5, 6/9, 8/10,
5/9
James Wright 0-3 Peter Billson
3/9, 3/9, 6/9
Sarah Kippax 0-3 Jenny Duncalf 6/9,
1/9, 5/9
The last-minute unavailability of former British Open champion David Evans
led to Manchester/Pontefract stalwart Nick Taylor being promoted to second
string in their visit to Nottingham. But the Manchester National Squash
Centre coach went down 9-6 9-5 6-9 9-3 to Dutch champion Tommy Berden in
40 minutes as the hosts celebrated their only victory of the night.
Earlier, the trans-Pennine cooperative's world No9 Jenny Duncalf put the
visitors ahead with a 9-6 9-1 9-5 victory over Nottingham newcomer Sarah
Kippax, and Cheshire's Andrew Whipp defeated Nottingham's John Rooney 5-9
9-6 10-8 9-5 in a disappointing comeback for the Irishman who was
competing in the league for the first time since withdrawing from last
November's British Open.
In the final match of the tie, Nottingham No1 Simon Parke thrilled the
crowd at his former home club by taking the first game against fellow
Yorkshireman Lee Beachill, the world No2 – but the new coach at Bradford's
Heaton Club was unable to progress further as Beachill stormed back to win
7-9 9-5 9-5 9-3 in 53 minutes to give Manchester/Pontefract a 4/1 victory.
Edgbaston 3-2 Duffield
David Palmer 3-1 Nick Matthew
9/5, 9/6, 1/9, 9/6 (42m)
Adrian Grant 3-0 Jonathan Kemp
9/7, 9/3, 9/5 (29m)
Peter Barker 3-0 Laurence Delasaux
9/5, 9/3, 10/8 (38m)
Adam Stevenson 0-3 Paul Hargrave 6/9,
7/9, 2/9 (26m)
Rebecca Botwright 2-3 Laura Hill
9/4, 5/9, 8/10, 9/6, 6/9 (62m)
Edgbaston Priory team manager Matt Suckling's vote for 'man-of-the-match'
in their home tie against Benz Bavarian Duffield was for David Palmer, the
hosts' top string. With the tie delicately poised at 2-2, it was the world
No3 from Australia who defeated the in-form Nick Matthew, finalist in this
week's Gerrard Grand Prix in Manchester. The world No9 from Sheffield was
unable to replicate the sensational form he displayed at the National
Squash Centre against France's world number one Thierry Lincou, and went
down to Palmer 9-5 9-6 1-9 9-6 in 42 minutes.
Earlier, the Derbyshire visitors' Laura Hill registered a notable victory
against Priory's Rebecca Botwright, beating the former European champion
4-9 9-5 10-8 6-9 9-6 in 62 minutes. 24 hours after celebrating his 22nd
birthday, left-hander Peter Barker began the climb back for Edgbaston
Priory by beating former European junior champion Laurence Delasaux 9-5
9-3 10-8 – and team-mate Adrian Grant, also a left-hander, ruthlessly
despatched the visitors' Jonathan Kemp 9-7 9-3 9-5 in 29 minutes.
Guildford 4-1 Birmingham USB
Stacey Ross 3-1 Jon Harford
7/9, 9/3, 11/9, 9/3
Stephen Meads 3-2 Joel Hinds
9/5, 9/3, 4/9, 6/9, 9/2
Jesse Engelbrecht 3-1 Jaymie Haycocks
7/9, 9/3, 9/3, 9/7
Neil Frankland 3-1 Chris Tasker-Grindley
9/4, 4/9, 9/4, 9/6
Alison Waters 2-3 Laura Lengthorn
9/3, 6/9, 6/9, 9/4, 9/10
UniSport Guildford won the 'University Challenge' on their home courts
with a 4/1 victory over event newcomers University Sport Birmingham. The
University of Surrey team suffered a surprise opening loss when Alison
Waters, the squad's world No18 from London, was beaten in a marathon
five-game opening clash by the visitors' Laura-Jane Lengthorn. Both
players had match balls in the decider, but it was Lengthorn, ranked two
places lower, that eventually celebrated victory 3-9 9-6 9-6 4-9 10-9.
Thereafter, the young Birmingham University squad made an impressive start
to their PSL campaign – with teenager Chris Tasker-Grindley, the reigning
British U17 champion, taking experienced Scottish international Neil
Frankland to four games before succumbing 9-4 4-9 9-4 9-6, and, in the
final match of the day between the top strings, Jon Harford extending
Guildford's Stacey Ross before losing to the world top fifty player 7-9
9-3 11-9 9-3.
After the tie, the newly-commissioned Varsity Cup - a trophy produced by
the University of Surrey to be competed for on a regular basis by these
two University teams – was presented to UniSport Guildford by Birmingham
University's Director of Sport, and also Board Member of England Squash,
Zena Wooldridge.
Strings 3-2 Chichester
Rodney Durbach 2-3 Ben Garner
6/9, 10/8, 4/9, 9/7,
8/10
Alister Walker 3-0 Peter Genever
9/7, 9/5, 9/5
Alex Stait 1-3 Tim Vail
8/10, 7/9, 9/2, 14/16
Greg Tippings 3-1 Tom Richards
9/4, 9/6, 6/9, 11/9
Carla Khan 3-0 Suzie Pierrepont
9/7, 9/6, 10/9
After becoming regional champions in their league debut last season,
Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury continued where they left off by securing a
3/2 home win against Sussex's Team Chichester. The hosts made a strong
start when Pakistan No1 Carla Khan, a late replacement for the injured
Jenny Tranfield, defeated Chichester's Suzie Pierrepont 9-7 9-6 10-9.
But it was Gloucestershire's Alister Walker who clinched victory for the
home club, beating Chichester veteran Peter Genever 9-7 9-5 9-5. In the
final match of the day, the visitors clawed back a second consolation game
when Surrey No1 Ben Garner pulled off a significant upset over
higher-ranked opponent Rodney Durbach, beating the South African No1 9-6
8-10 9-4 7-9 10-8.
Tue 27 Sep, Round ONE
ROUND ONE RESULTS & TABLES
|
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