Nationals Masters Boast
Record Field At Sportcity
Almost 300 players competed in the Masters
events within the British National Squash Championships at the weekend in
Manchester - with Ireland's Derek Ryan and England's Fiona Geaves both making
up for first round losses in the main event to claim the Over-35 titles at the
National Squash Centre at Sportcity, and - at the other end of the age
spectrum - Herefordshire's John Cox triumphing in the first ever Men's Over-70
championship.
Bury-based Ryan, a former world No7 who only celebrated his 35th birthday in
December, beat Cumbria's defending champion Gary Thwaite 9-6 9-3 9-3 in the
Men's Over-35 final, while Geaves - the 37-year-old from Gloucester who still
boasts a world No12 ranking - successfully defended her Women's Over-35 crown
by beating Lancashire's Amanda Warren, from Blackpool, 9-0 9-2 9-0.
There was a Kent double in the Over-40 finals when Dartford's Colin Payne
retained the men's title after fighting back from 0/2 down to beat Cheshire's
Jonathan Clark 0-9 6-9 9-2 9-1 9-6, and Bromley's Mandy Akin went one better
than last year to win the women's trophy - defeating Lincoln's Fran Wallis
10-8 9-4 3-9 9-1.
Status quo was maintained at Over-45 level as both champions retained their
titles. Chester's Nick Gatward beat Durham's Neil Harrison 9-3 9-3 9-1 to win
the men's title for the second time, while Staffordshire's Liz Brown, from
Wolverhampton, beat Redcar's Jacky Gardner in the women's final for the second
successive year to win 9-4 9-5 9-0. The triumph brings Ms Brown's Masters
career haul to 12 National titles and 10 British Open crowns!
The 2004 champions were unable to maintain their grips on the Over-50
trophies. Men's title-holder David Lumsden, from Chester-le-Street in County
Durham, went down 9-6 5-9 10-8 9-0 to Middlesex's first time champion Mark
Cowley, from Finchley in north London - while Faith Sinclair from Shincliffe,
also in County Durham, failed to keep her women's title after losing 9-5 7-9
9-6 9-6 to unseeded Rebecca Czuczman, from Margate in Kent.
The 2004 Men's Over-55 champion Philip Ayton lost his crown to 5/8 seed Howard
Cherlin in a semi-final upset. Londoner Cherlin went on to defeat Manchester's
No2 seed Moussa Helal 3-9 9-5 9-7 6-9 9-5 to take his first Masters title in
more than 20 years of trying! Indeed the success marked appropriate revenge
for 56-year-old Cherlin, who lost to Helal in an Over-35 final "more years ago
than I care to remember". Event veteran Helal had been hoping to celebrate his
tenth National Masters crown at Sportcity.
There was no change in the Men's Over-60 hierarchy as Hampshire's defending
champion John Perrott, from Basingstoke, beat Yorkshire's Mike Clemson 9-3
10-8 9-2 in a repeat of last year's semi-final victory.
In the Men's Over-65 event, Berkshire's Brian Phillips knocked out
Gloucestershire title-holder and top seed John Woodliffe in the semi-finals.
But the 65-year-old Welshman, from Thatcham in Berkshire, failed to progress
further - beaten 6-9 9-6 9-5 6-9 10-8 in the closest final of the event. The
winner, in a marathon 68 minutes, was Surrey's veteran veteran Patrick Kirton,
from Walton-on-Thames.
After losing in last year's quarter-finals of the Men's Over-65 event,
72-year-old John Cox was delighted when England Squash agreed to accommodate
him in the inaugural Men's Over-70 championship this year. In an impressive
six-man field of sprightly septuagenarians, Hereford-based Cox trounced
unseeded Keith Spurgeon, from Kent, in straight games in the semi-finals, then
despatched Sussex's No2 seed Brian Sayer, from Middleton-on-Sea, 9-4 9-4 9-2
in just 21 minutes in the final to become the first winner of this new title.
MASTERS RESULTS (Quarters
Onward)
Men's Over-35 quarter-finals:
[1] Derek Ryan (Ireland) bt [5/8] Glen Ragou (Lancs) 9-7, 9-2, 9-3 (35m)
[3/4] Nigel Willis (Lancs) bt [9/16] Frank Ellis (Avon) 9-6, 9-7, 5-9, 9-0
(41m)
[5/8] Karl Hardy (Merseyside) bt [9/16] Darren Vescovi (Lancs) 9-6, 5-9, 7-9,
9-1, 9-0 (41m)
[2] Gary Thwaite (Cumbria) bt [5/8] Guy Olby (Middx) 9-2, 10-8, 9-6 (60m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Derek Ryan (Ireland) bt [3/4] Nigel Willis (Lancs) 9-1, 9-2, 9-6 (26m)
[2] Gary Thwaite (Cumbria) bt [5/8] Karl Hardy (Merseyside) 5-9, 9-0, 7-9,
9-0, 9-4 (69m)
Final:
[1] Derek Ryan (Ireland) bt [2] Gary Thwaite (Cumbria) 9-6, 9-3,
9-3
Men's Over-40 quarter-finals:
[1] Jonathan Clark (Cheshire) bt [5/8] Greg Pearman (Surrey) 9-0, 9-1, 9-5
(41m)
[3/4] Martin Greenslade (Dorset) bt [9/16] Christopher Wilson (Berks) 9-5,
9-6, 3-9, 9-2 (49m)
[3/4] Mark Woodliffe (Glos) bt [5/8] John Foster (Hants) 9-5, 9-4, 10-8 (62m)
[2] Colin Payne (Kent) bt [9/16] Allen Day (Lancs) 9-0, 9-4, 9-3 (23m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Jonathan Clark (Cheshire) bt [3/4] Martin Greenslade (Dorset) 9-3, 9-4,
9-7 (57m)
[2] Colin Payne (Kent) bt [3/4] Mark Woodliffe (Glos) w/o
Final:
[2] Colin Payne (Kent) bt [1] Jonathan Clark (Cheshire) 0-9, 6-9, 9-2, 9-1,
9-6 (68m)
Men's Over-45 quarter-finals:
[1] Nick Gatward (Cheshire) bt [5/8] Steven Barlow (Beds) 9-1, 9-2, 9-2 (19m)
[3/4] Ian Bradburn (Lancs) bt [5/8] James Ockwell (Middx) 3-9, 1-9, 10-8, 9-4,
9-5 (44m)
[5/8] Duleep Adhihetty (Middx) bt [3/4] Dermot Hurford (Surrey) 9-4, 9-5, 9-7
(35m)
[2] Neil Harrison (Durham) bt [9/16] Mo Sarwar (Warwicks) 9-5, 9-6, 10-8 (40m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Nick Gatward (Cheshire) bt [3/4] Ian Bradburn (Lancs) 9-1, 9-4, 9-0 (20m)
[2] Neil Harrison (Durham) bt [5/8] Duleep Adhihetty (Middx) 9-6, 9-5, 9-1
(27m)
Final:
[1] Nick Gatward (Cheshire) bt [2] Neil Harrison (Durham) 9-3, 9-3, 9-1 (26m)
Men's Over-50 quarter-finals:
[1] David Lumsden (D & C) bt [5/8] Richard Whitehouse (Staffs) 9-0, 9-5, 0-9,
9-5 (28m)
[5/8] Martin Ballands (Kent) bt Terry Belshaw (Cumbria) 9-5, 9-0, 3-9, 10-8
(33m)
[3/4] Stuart Hardy (Wilts) bt [5/8] Ian Holmes (Northants) 9-5, 9-2, 9-7 (30m)
[2] Mark Cowley (Middx) bt [5/8] Peter Rutherford (Kent) 10-8, 9-0, 9-2 (33m)
Semi-finals:
[1] David Lumsden (D & C) bt [5/8] Martin Ballands (Kent) 9-2, 9-4, 9-0 (20m)
[2] Mark Cowley (Middx) bt [3/4] Stuart Hardy (Wilts) 9-4, 9-5, 9-0 (23m)
Final:
[2] Mark Cowley (Middx) bt [1] David Lumsden (D & C) 9-6, 5-9, 10-8, 9-0 (35m)
Men's Over-55 quarter-finals:
[1] Philip Ayton (Sussex) bt [5/8] Peter Lewis (Kent) 9-6, 9-1, 9-6 (24m)
[5/8] Howard Cherlin (Middx) bt [3/4] John Smith (Northumbria) 9-5, 9-4, 9-7
(30m)
[3/4] Brian Hanson (Wilts) bt [9/16] Alan Edge (Lancs) 10-9, 10-8, 9-6 (27m)
[2] Moussa Helal (Lancs) bt [5/8] Paul Smith (Lancs) w/o
Semi-finals:
[5/8] Howard Cherlin (Middx) bt [1] Philip Ayton (Sussex) 10-9, 10-8, 9-2
(34m)
[2] Moussa Helal (Lancs) bt [3/4] Brian Hanson (Wilts) 9-1, 10-8, 3-9, 9-4
(30m)
Final:
[5/8] Howard Cherlin (Middx) bt [2] Moussa Helal (Lancs) 3-9, 9-5, 9-7, 6-9,
9-5 (62m)
Men's Over-60 quarter-finals:
[1] John Perrott (Hants) bt [5/8] John Prowse (Kent) 9-5, 9-5, 9-5 (29m)
Kenneth Johnson (Northumbria) bt [5/8] Len Froggitt (Herts) 9-2, 6-9, 9-7, 9-1
(37m)
[3/4] Mike Clemson (Yorks) bt [5/8] Roy Bradley (Worcs) 9-7, 9-1, 9-7 (33m)
[5/8] Thomas Elves (D & C) bt [2] Adrian Wright (Leics) 4-9, 5-9, 9-5, 9-7,
9-4 (53m)
Semi-finals:
[1] John Perrott (Hants) bt Kenneth Johnson (Northumbria) 9-4, 4-9, 9-3, 9-7
(35m)
[3/4] Mike Clemson (Yorks) bt [5/8] Thomas Elves (D & C) 9-7, 9-4, 1-9, 1-9,
10-9 (40m)
Final:
[1] John Perrott (Hants) bt [3/4] Mike Clemson (Yorks) 9-3, 10-8, 9-2 (30m)
Men's Over-65 quarter-finals:
[1] John Woodliffe (Glos) bt Ahmed Jamil (Wales) 9-1, 9-2, 9-1 (16m)
[3/4] Brian Phillips (Berks) bt [5/8] Lance Kinder (Hants) 9-2, 10-8, 9-0
[3/4] John Shaw (D & C) bt [5/8] Anthony Breakwell (Warwicks) 9-6, 2-9, 9-4,
7-9, 9-4 (47m)
[2] Patrick Kirton (Surrey) bt Eric Collins (Cheshire) 9-2, 9-2, 9-0 (26m)
Semi-finals:
[3/4] Brian Phillips (Berks) bt [1] John Woodliffe (Glos) 9-5, 9-6, 9-6 (32m)
[2] Patrick Kirton (Surrey) bt [3/4] John Shaw (D & C) 9-3, 9-4, 9-1 (26m)
Final:
[2] Patrick Kirton (Surrey) bt [3/4] Brian Phillips (Berks)
6-9, 9-6, 9-5, 6-9, 10-8 (68m)
Men's Over-70 quarter-finals:
[1] John Cox (Herefordshire) bye
Keith Spurgeon (Kent) bt Brian Wise (Somerset) 6-9, 9-5, 9-4, 9-3 (31m)
James Switzer bt Derek Morris 10-8, 9-6, 7-9, 2-9, 9-1 (41m)
[2] Brian Sayer (Sussex) bye
Semi-finals:
[1] John Cox (Herefordshire) bt Keith Spurgeon (Kent) 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 (19m)
[2] Brian Sayer (Sussex) bt James Switzer 9-5, 9-1, 9-1 (19m)
Final:
[1] John Cox (Herefordshire) bt [2] Brian Sayer (Sussex) 9-4, 9-4, 9-2 (21m)
Women's Over-35 quarter-finals:
[1] Fiona Geaves (Glos) bt Zoe Durbach (Herts) 9-1, 9-3, 9-1 (28m)
Fran Wallis (Lincs) bt [3/4] Isabelle Wild (Leics) w/o
[3/4] Amanda Warren (Lancs) bt Jackie Gregory (Essex) 9-0, 9-2, 9-5 (22m)
[2] Isabelle Tweedle (Surrey) bt Nicki Fowler (Cheshire) 9-1, 9-4, 9-3 (25m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Fiona Geaves (Glos) bt Fran Wallis (Lincs) 9-1, 9-0, 9-1 (16m)
[3/4] Amanda Warren (Lancs) bt [2] Isabelle Tweedle (Surrey) 3-9, 0-9, 9-2,
9-0, 9-2 (42m)
Final:
[1] Fiona Geaves (Glos) bt [3/4] Amanda Warren (Lancs) 9-0, 9-2, 9-0 (16m)
Women's Over-40 quarter-finals:
[1] Mandy Akin (Kent) bt Carolyn Roylance (Lincs) 9-0, 9-4, 9-0 (15m)
[3/4] Paula Arrowsmith (Yorks) bt Jo Brown (Middx) 10-8, 9-2, 10-9 (28m)
[3/4] Claire Baker (Surrey) bt Jackie Gregory (Essex) 9-2, 4-9, 9-2, 9-3 (37m)
[2] Fran Wallis (Lincs) bt Isobelle Smith (Herts) 10-8, 9-1, 9-0 (30m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Mandy Akin (Kent) bt [3/4] Paula Arrowsmith (Yorks) 9-3, 9-3, 9-1 (20m)
[2] Fran Wallis (Lincs) bt [3/4] Claire Baker (Surrey) 10-9, 9-7, 4-9, 6-9,
9-6 (75m)
Final:
[1] Mandy Akin (Kent) bt [2] Fran Wallis (Lincs) 10-8, 9-4, 3-9, 9-1 (44m)
Women's Over-45 quarter-finals:
[1] Liz Brown (Staffs) bt Jan Ellis (Avon) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 (16m)
[3/4] Helen Gould (Avon) bt Susan Pynegar (Notts) 9-7, 9-5, 9-7 (30m)
Karen Hume (Kent) bt [3/4] Lesley Sturgess (Derbyshire) 6-9, 7-9, 9-1, 9-0,
9-4
[2] Jacky Gardner (D & C) bt Carolyn Roylance (Lincs) 9-3, 9-0, 9-1 (15m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Liz Brown (Staffs) bt [3/4] Helen Gould (Avon) 9-2, 9-3, 9-3 (17m)
[2] Jacky Gardner (D & C) bt Karen Hume (Kent) 9-6, 9-1, 9-4 (23m)
Final:
[1] Liz Brown (Staffs) bt [2] Jacky Gardner (D & C)
9-4, 9-5, 9-0 (17m)
Women's Over-50 semi-finals:
[1] Faith Sinclair (D & C) bye
Bett Dryhurst (Worcs) bye
Rebecca Czuczman (Kent) bt Catherine Woodhart (Cheshire) 9-2, 9-6, 9-2 (16m)
[2] Ann Windle (Middx) bye
Semi-finals:
[1] Faith Sinclair (D & C) bt Bett Dryhurst (Worcs) 9-1, 9-0, 9-2 (15m)
Rebecca Czuczman (Kent) bt [2] Ann Windle (Middx) w/o
Final:
Rebecca Czuczman (Kent) bt [1] Faith Sinclair (D & C) 9-5, 7-9, 9-6, 9-6 (32m)
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