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• TODAY • 2006 Finals • SEMIS • Day SIX • Day FIVE • Day FOUR • Day THREE • DAYS ONE & TWO • WILLSTROP •
Day FOUR, Wed 8th Feb,
LAST SIXTEEN & MASTERS
The busiest day of the championships concluded with fifteen of the sixteen
seeds reaching the quarter-finals, as the event moves onto the glass court
over the next two days.
MEN'S ROUND TWO:
Adrian Grant bt Steve Meads
11/9, 8/11, 11/4, 11/2 (62m)
Lee Beachill bt Nick Taylor
5/11, 11/4, 11/0, 11/9 (38m)
Joey Barrington
bt Daryl Selby
11/5,11/0,9/11,4/11,11/9(85m)
James Willstrop bt Philip Barker 11/9, 11/5, 11/1
Alex Gough bt Peter Billson
11/5, 11/8, 11/6 (32m)
Nick Matthew bt Simon Parke
12/14, 11/4, 11/7, 11/3 (66m)
Peter Barker
bt Tim Vail 7/11,
11/8, 11/8, 11/6 (51m)
Peter Nicol bt Peter Genever 11/9, 11/5, 11/7
(36m)
WOMEN'S ROUND ONE:
Tania Bailey bt Suzie Pierrepont
9/1, 9/2, 9/1 (30m)
Becky Botwright bt Georgina Stoker 9/4, 2/9, 9/5, 10/9 (50m)
Alison Waters bt Lauren Siddall
9/0,9/0, 9/4 (19m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Jenna Gates 9/0, 9/1, 9/4 (28m)
Laura Hill bt Stephanie Brind
9/6, 9/4, 9/7 (36m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Sarah Kippax
9/4, 9/3, 9/3 (29m)
Laura Lengthorn bt Kirsty McPhee 9/5, 9/0, 9/6 (25m)
Linda Elriani bt Laura Mylotte
9/2, 9/0, 9/4 (24m)  |
MAIN DRAWS
JAMES WILLSTROP:
20 Questions
lots of photos in the Gallery
More masters today
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SEE YOU NEXT YEAR…
Framboise reports from the NSC ...
When one knows how hard is the training to get to the top of the game, and
to stay there, the hours spent on court, off court, the pain, the sweat,
I’m always absolutely stunned when I see the “Old Guard” performing at
such a high level. And by that I mean, Simon Parke, Alex Gough, Steve
Meads, etc….
 You
see the draw, and you think Adrian Grant, 25, in the top 20, Steve Meads,
PSA retired, you may be inclined to expect a quick encounter.
And you would be been wrong.
So yes, Adrian just arrived from Virginia, yes he was jetlagged, tired
from his remarkable journey that took him to the final against Whitey,
saving several match balls along the way that took him there, but still…
The Grinding Machine was on fire, in shape, and the legs were working
fine, thank you very much. And the rallies were long, and the balls were
slammed all over the court, and they ran, recovered, especially in the
first two games.
Then, the fitness gap started to show, and although Adrian couldn’t really
relax and enjoy the ride, Steve was less and less able to apply any
pressure on his young opponent. The Kent Boy was able to finish both the
third and fourth quickly, and will be happy to have a bit of rest before
his next match tomorrow…
 "I’m sooo
tired. I just arrived from the States, played straight the first
round, but I was not as tired as I thought yesterday, although I only
slept 7 hours in two days. But today, it really kicked in, and I felt
shattered and sluggish. And it didn’t help that Steve was playing very
well at the start of the match…
"But as the match went on, I began to feel better and better. I’m
happy with the way I hit the ball, with the way I moved, I just need
my spring in my legs, I’m not quick enough, but I’m happy with the way
I played, I have no complaints…"
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"I played my first Nationals in '86, and I missed one, so this is my
18th… With Goughie this morning we were trying to make a list of the
people I played, I nearly got them all…
"I have a stinking cold, so I thought I was playing very well
considering… But at the end of the day, it wouldn’t have made any
difference… Adrian is 10 years younger, he is training all day, he
should be much fitter than I am. But still, it felt good to play at
that level, even I can’t keep up with that kind of pace, and after an
hour of play, I just could feel that the legs were gone…
"I’m not ready to play in the age group yet, unless Goughie plays them
as well ..."
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Joey Grinds It Out
Steve Cubbins reports
It looked like it was going to be a comfortable passage into the
quarter-finals for Joey Barrington, as he took a relatively quick 2/0 lead
against Daryl Selby, with Selby looking out of sorts.
But the Essex lad tightened up his game in the third, cut out the silly
errors that caused him to lose the second to a whitewash, and pulled a
game back, narrowly winning a third game where both players were more than
willing to keep the rallies going.
 After
a surprisingly easy fourth for Selby, the fifth was a nail-biter. There
was never more than a point in it, with Selby always maintaining a slight
advantage.
Daryl grimaced as Barrington was awarded a let when match-ball down at
10-9, then it was Joey's turn as he was denied a stroke at 10-9 - the
first time he had led in the game - as he barged Daryl to the floor.
It was only a temporary reprieve this time, however, as Barrington hit a
winning short kill to move into the quarters on the glass court.
Beachill:
Drastic Improvements Needed
Howard Harding reports
It was a disappointed defending champion
Lee Beachill that came off court after his second round win in the British
National Squash Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester
today (Wednesday) - conceding that 'drastic improvements' were needed to
his game.
 Beachill,
who won the title for the third time last year, dropped the first game
against retired former tour player Nick Taylor – now head coach at the
National Centre – and eventually scrambled to a 5-11 11-4 11-0 11-5 win
after 39 minutes.
Beachill, who underwent exploratory knee surgery in early January, is
playing in his first tournament since the Saudi International in December.
When asked how he felt about the prospects of becoming the first player in
history to reach the men's final for a sixth successive year, the third
seed pronounced: "If I get through this tournament with my knee unscathed,
I'll be happy.
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 "I
played beautifully in the first two games, then I started playing
ultra-conservative and paid the price.
"He started playing more aggressively, and didn't make any errors.
"At the end of the fifth it was a pure lottery, and I'm glad I won
it."
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 "Joey
had a better length than me in the first two, I just didn't have any
time on the ball. In the second I attacked too much, far too early.
"I had to try to get in front of him by playing a better length and
then take it in. You can't just rally with him, he's so fit, you have
to try to do something, make something happen.
"I got my second wind, and I was surprised how easily I won the
fourth, but it could have been anyone's at 9-all in the fifth.
"It would have been tough to play James tomorrow after a match like
that, and I feel for Joey, but I'm sure he'll give it a good go
though."
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"I didn't deserve to win the first,
he started well and I didn't. After such an easy match yesterday
that's the one I needed to get myself into the tournament, but I
wasn't happy with my game at all.
"I didn't move well, just couldn't find any rhythm, and the only thing
on the plus side is that I won.
"If I want to get anywhere near a sixth consecutive final I'm going to
have to improve my form dramatically over the next few games."
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I’M STILL ENJOYING IT....
Framboise reports
Nick Matthew bt Simon Parke
12/14, 11/4, 11/7, 11/3 (66m) |
"That was a brutal game," concluded Peter
Barker’s dad who was sitting next to me as the first 31 minutes has just
ended between Nick Matthew, 25, and Simon Parke, 33, who I have nicknamed
Sir Simon, due to his venerable age (look who is talking!).
And like I mentioned for Steve Mead’s encounter with Adrian this morning,
this match was anything but a walk in the park for young Mister Matthew.
Nick was firing at will really, placing, hitting good length, good width,
but it didn’t impress or overwhelm Parkie in any shape or form. Always on
the verge of failing in his effort to retrieve the ball, the former
England Captain was as ever impressive, and the display he offered us in
the first game was just stunning.
I must say I was also impressed as always by Nick’s determination, the
“force tranquille” as we call it in French, the “Tranquil Force”, that
allows the Sheffield Boy to get where he has decided to go, no matter what
or who gets in his way, quietly, patiently, grindingly…
Those two gave us a beautiful display of technique and guts today, and
although Simon lacked a bit of gas in the end, it was still a match I was
glad to have witnessed…
 "31
minutes? That a long time for scoring to 11… It was not just a
question of fitness, you know, that would be undermining the excellent
performance that Nick displayed today. He has improved immensely in
terms of accuracy.
"The difference with a year ago, is that I was much more confident
that I would be able to beat him on that lack of accuracy, but that
was not the case this time.
"When I took my new job, my squash took a big dip, as I wasn’t able to
train at all, but now I feel that I’ve actually found a good balance,
and I’m comfortable again. And even if I retire in a year or so from
PSA, I’ll still play BSPA tournaments and Nationals.
"But I just enjoy my squash too much. I love the challenge, I know
that on my day, I can get a win. I’m not trying to become world
champion, but I’m just enjoying it."
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 "I knew it
was going to be as hard as this, to be honest. I have a lot of respect
for Simon and for all what he has achieved in his career. And for a
second round match, this was a tough as it gets, it was more a quarter
final really.
"It took me a lot of time to grind him down, because Simon is the kind
of player that never gives up, and keeps fighting until the last
rally. And if he is not as fit as he used to be 10 years ago, he is as
clever, he knows how to play the ball, and it’s very hard work to beat
him…
"At the end of the day, the fact that I had such a match will probably
help me for the rest of the tournament. Tomorrow, I’m going to enjoy
my day off, I’m going to get to sleep in my own bed, switch off
completely, and that makes the whole difference.
"I can’t wait to play on the glass court…"
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NOT MY BEST MATCH BUT....
Framboise reports
| Peter Barker bt Tim Vail
7/11, 11/8, 11/8, 11/6 (51m) |
Peter Barker was not over the moon with
his performance against Tim Vail today, but Tim is such a clever player,
so gifted with his hands, with his shots/nicks/ winner coming out of
nowhere, it so difficult to get into a rhythm.
As is often the case with matches between pro and “ex-pro”, fitness plays
a huge part, and it did indeed in this one. Having battled point for point
up to 8/8 in the third Tim was just slightly off the pace in the fourth,
and played a few too many unforced errors. But still, I’m sure he’ll be
happy with his performance this week…
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"If I had a chance to replay the
match, I would play more drop shots in the first game. I wanted to
make it tough for him, but I went to the extreme, and played only
length, which made it very boring and long!
"In the second, I stepped up a bit but I still felt slow and tired,
one of those days, but no excuse, Tim has got good shots, and I found
myself retrieving every shot in the book. Also he likes to break up
the game…
"In other words, I’m pretty happy I won that one…"
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Women's Roundup
It was generally a good day for the seeds, with all but one progressing to
the quarter-finals on the glass court.
Stephanie Brind, the sixth seed, will be missing, but considering she has
hardly played for the last year, and admitted on arrival that she hardly
expected to make the main draw let alone be seeded sixth, meant that her
loss to the in-form Laura Hill was, if not exactly expected, then not too
much of a surprise.
Of the others Becky Botwright, elevated to eighth seed after Vicky's
withdrawal, was the only one to drop a game - and almost two games - as
the last eight took shape pretty much as expected.
Jenny Duncalf bt Sarah Kippax
9/4, 9/3, 9/3 (29m)
"That was a nice way to start the tournament, I was never in much
trouble, but it was a good workout. I've got a day off tomorrow, so
I'll be able to practice on the glass court.
"I'll be off to Malaysia on Sunday, then to New York for the
Tournament of Champions - I wasn't going to do that one but the prize
money's gone up. Then it's the Commonwealth Games ..."
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Linda Elriani bt Laura Mylotte
9/2, 9/0, 9/4 (24m)
 "I
played much better than I did yesterday, we had quite a few good
rallies. There aren't many of the up-and-coming players who use the
lob like Linda does, I was trying to play them long, but you can't
keep on doing that.
"She's definitely the player to beat, she has the craft as well as all
the other skills."
 "It's
always nice to get the first match under your belt, I felt I played
pretty solid there.
"Now we're on the glass, which makes it feel like you're really in the
Nationals. They do such a good job of setting it all up here, and the
atmosphere of the crowd is great too, it makes it all feel that much
more important, and makes you play that much better."
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Alison Waters bt
Lauren Siddall 9/0,9/0, 9/4 (19m)
"I'm not feeling the pressure this week, it's all on the top two
seeds, I'm just going to enjoy my squash and see what happens."
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Laura Hill bt
Stephanie Brind 9/6, 9/4, 9/7 (36m)
 "I'm
very pleased with that. I knew it was going to be tough, but I really
wanted that one.
"It's so hot on there that after four or five points of each game you
really start to feel it, but I knew that she would be feeling it too.
"It's my first time in the quarters, and on the glass court too. I've
played a few times on the one at Abbeydale, but nothing like this,
nothing as big as this."
Laura Hill |
| Laura Lengthorn bt Kirsty
McPhee 9/5, 9/0, 9/6 (25m)
 "The
pace was so much faster than my game yesterday, I kept on losing the
ball when she was twisting and turning me. It took me a little while
to get used to it in each game - apart from the second, which was
awful - I just wish I could have started the games like I finished
them.
"I've managed to pick up a place in the qualifying for the Tournament
of Champions in New York, so I'm quite excited by that ..."
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Becky
Botwright bt Georgina Stoker
9/4, 2/9, 9/5, 10/9 (50m) |
Becky keeps Botwright hopes alive
Steve Cubbins reports
After the withdrawal of big sister Vicky, Manchester hopes of a woman's
champion rested with Becky, and she came through a lengthy clash with
Georgina stoker in her first match as a seed.
The opening exchanges were played out mainly at the back of the court,
with both girls playing safety-first squash. As the match wore on both
started taking more risks, first Georgina to level at one-all, then Becky
to take the lead again.
A decide looked on the cards as Georgina came from 5-1 down to lead 8-5 in
a single hand, but, urged on by Vicky, Becky buckled down and pegged back
the lead, saving seven game balls before clinching the match 10/9.
 "I
made quite a few errors and Georgina took full advantage. I was quite
nervous, but having Vicky in my corner between games was a big help.
"It's strange, but Vicky pulling out helped me, since I became eighth
seed and got an easier draw. I'm really looking forward to playing on
the glass court tomorrow."
"Well at least I played better than last night. In the early stages I
got drawn into just hitting it out at the back of the court, which is
Becky's game, but once I started taking the ball early and playing
some drops and volleys I started scoring some points."
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"It's
good to get the first one out of the way, especially since I lost in
the first round last year [to Alison Waters].