[ H&R Insurance Open ] [ Maidstone Open ]

09-11 May

GALLERY

Photo Gallery from Fritz Borchert

Sun 11th:
MATTHEW AND BRIND CLAIM
MAIDSTONE TITLES
Yorkshire's Nick Matthew retained his Maidstone Open title, beating Peter Genever in a repeat of the 2002 final. Matthew triumphed 13/15, 15/8, 15/10, 15/10 in 72 minutes.

Kent's Stephanie Brind took the women's title, with a 41-minute victory 10/8, 9/5, 4/9, 10/9 over Carla Khan.

Matthew's win denied Genever the points he needed to overtake Tim Garner at the top of the Grand Prix rankings, so Garner takes the Grand Prix title for the second season in a row. Brind's win secured her the Women's Grand Prix title.

  Alan Thatcher reports from Maidstone
 

Further details from
Alan Thatcher
Tel: 01622 672518
Mobile: 07971 639 829

Maidstone Photo Gallery
from Fritz Borchert ...
starring Martin Heath

15/4, 15/6, 6/15,
15/10

Peter Hughes

12/15, 8/15, 11/0 rtd

Peter Genever

13/15, 15/8, 15/10, 15/10  72m

Nick Matthew

15/8, 15/9, 15/10

Peter Genever

7/15, 12/15, 15/9, 15/12, 15/4

Steve Meads

13/15, 15/5, 15/8, 15/9

Nick Matthew

15/13, 15/13, 13/15, 15/13

Nick Matthew

Maidstone Open 2003 - Women's Draw

10/8, 9/5, 4/9, 10/9  41m

Stephanie Brind

9/4, 9/3, 9/8

Stephanie Brind

REPORTS

Alan Thatcher rounds up the event

Reigning champion Nick Matthew retained his Maidstone Open title with a
polished performance against Peter Genever in a 72-minute final of
thrilling squash.

In a repeat of last year's final, Matthew recovered after losing the
first game to win 13-15, 15-8, 15-10, 15-10 before a packed gallery at
Maidstone Squash Club in the final event of the season in the Prince
British Grand Prix series.

The result, and Matthew's performances throughout the weekend, showed
how much the 22-year-old from Sheffield has improved in the past 12
months.

Last year, he fought back to win from two games down and produced an
astonishing recovery from 11-4 down in the fifth.

This year, throughout a weekend tournament of outstanding quality at the
Union Stret club, he produced a series of stylish, attacking
performances to show why he has a world ranking of 21.

For Sussex star Genever, it was a match too far after winning the Czech
Open on Thursday last week and flying back to the UK the following day
to compete in Maidstone.

He was slightly fortunate to reach the final after top seed Martin
Heath, the world No.13 from Scotland, conceded the semi-final after
injuring himself. Heath, who was leading by two games to love, followed
through on a volley and gave himself a painful crack on the shin with
his racket.

Bleeding and bruised, he was unable to sustain his movement around court
and retired as he trailed 11-0 in the third game.

Heath admitted: "I didn't like to pull out, but my leg just seized up
and I couldn't move any more." Heath was worried that he might aggravate
the injury two days ahead of this week's PSA Super Series finals in
London for the top eight players in the world in 2002.

Heath had entertained the crowd with his dazzling repertoire of shots
against Suffolk's Ben Howell in the second round and Australian Peter
Hughes in the quarter-finals, winning both matches 3-1.

Matthew, meanwhile, beat Sussex player Ben Garner in the quarters and
Kent's rising star Adrian Grant in the semis.

Grant was still feeling shattered from his earlier marathon encounter
with experienced Berkshire player Stephen Meads in the quarters. Meads
led by two games to love but Grant hit back to win in one hour and 43
minutes of punishing and often controversial squash. At 12-12 in the
fourth game, with Meads just three points from victory, there were seven
consecutive "let" decisions because the players kept colliding with each
other.

Grant maintained his composure to win the game 15-12 and take it a
fifth, where he quickly finished off his tiring opponent 15-4. However,
he had nothing in the tank after taking the first game off Matthew in
the semi-finals.

Tim Garner of Sussex, despite losing to Aussie Hughes in the second
round, earned enough points to top the Grand Prix rankings for a third
year in succession.

There was a strong Kent entry in the women's even and the title went to
experienced England international Stephanie Brind, from Bexleyheath. She
beat London-based Pakistan international Carla Khan 10-8, 9-5, 4-9, 10-9
in a superb final, full of attacking squash and breathtaking athleticism
as both players chased the ball from corner to corner.

Khan, a descendant of the legendary Khan squash dynasty, made Brind
battle all the way. She fought back from 5-1 and 7-3 down in the first
game before Brind squeezed home 10-8. Brind looked more comfortable as
she won the second 9-5 but Khan stormed back to win the third.

The fourth game was neck and neck as the lead constantly changed hands.
Khan held two game balls at 8-7 and 9-9 before Brind closed out the
match.

In the semi-finals, Khan beat Kent's Keeley Johnson, while Brind took
out Lauren Briggs from Essex.

Sadly for spectators, women's top seed Rebecca Macree of Essex was
forced to withdraw because of a flu virus.

---

Sat 10th - session ONE
GRANT COMEBACK SEALS SEMI SPOT
Kent's Adrian Grant produced an astonishing recovery to reach the semi-finals of the Maidstone Open.

He trailed the experienced Berkshire player Stephen Meads by two games to love but fought back to win a marathon match 3-2 after 103 minutes. The winning scoreline was 7-15, 12-15, 15-9, 15-12, 15-4.

At 12-12 in the fourth game, seven consecutive rallies ended in a let before Grant got his nose in front. He won three points in a row to take the game the full distance and a tired Meads had no answer in the fifth as the 22-year-old Catford player powered home to victory.

In the semi-finals he meets reigning champion Nick Matthew of Yorkshire, who overcame spirited resistance from Sussex player Ben Garner before winning 3-1 (15-13, 15-13, 13-15, 15-13).

Top seed Martin Heath, the world No.13 from Scotland, was too classy and experienced for young Australian Peter Hughes and won 15-4, 15-6, 6-15, 15-10. Heath now meets last year's runner-up, Peter Genever, in the semi-finals. Genever, who flew in on Friday after winning the Czech Open in Prague the previous evening, beat Chichester team-mate Tim Vail in the quarter-finals (15-8, 15-9, 15-10).

There were plenty of internationals on show in the women's event, but Kent's Keeley Johnson -- a late replacement for top seed Rebecca Macree - pulled off a surprise result by beating New Zealand's Elizabeth Day 9-4, 9-1, 9-4. With Macree pulling out, Keeley goes straight into tomorrow morning's semi-finals.

Kent players Candy Wilton, Karen Hume and Lucy Murphy all lost in the first round, with Murphy going down to the European junior champion, Suzie Pierrepont from Brighton. Suzie now meets the new tournament favourite, Stephanie Brind from Bexleyheath.

Karen Hume lost to Irish international Aisling Blake, while Candy Wilton lost to Nicolette Fernandes from Guyana.

Friday 9th - session TWO
GARNERS IN DOUBLE SHOCK
The Garner brothers, Tim and Ben, featured in two surprise results in the second round of the BSPA Maidstone Open tonight. Older brother Tim, needing to reach the quarter-finals to clinch the BSPA Grand Prix title for a third consecutive year, lost in the second round to young Australian Peter Hughes, room-mate and training partner of reigning Maidstone champion Nick Matthews.

The younger Garner, meanwhile, produced a superb comeback to beat 5/8 seed Stacey Ross in a 75-minute thriller.

Top seed Martin Heath of Scotland dropped a game to Ben Howell of Suffolk in a hugely entertaining match of touch, skill and subtlety, but he was left in no doubt that he will have to work flat out to win this title as the next three seeds, Matthew, Adrian Grant and Peter Genever, all won in straight games.

Howell was pleased with his performance against Heath but was left with a vivid red bruise on his thigh after being accidentally drilled with the ball by the Scottish world No.13, who is warming up for next week's PSA Super Series finals.

Friday 9th - session ONE
MAIDSTONE OPEN UNDER WAY
IN MERIDIAN TV 'STUDIO' ...
Shahid Khan of Suffolk produced a storming finish to beat England junior international Tom Richards in the first round of the Maidstone Open, the final event in this year's Prince BSPA Grand Prix series.

After losing the opening game, Khan took control in the second to level the match and won a crucial third game 17-16. Surrey youngster Richards regained his composure to win the fourth but Khan's phenomenal retrieving wore down his younger opponent and he raced through the fifth game 15-2.

Overseas players Peter Hughes (Australia) and Commonwealth Games plate champion Jesse Engelbrecht (Zimbabwe) both enjoyed comfortable wins over Kent opponents Duane Harrison and Martin Ballands, but there were defeats for Colombia's Federico Torres and Chris Gordon of the USA. Torres went down in straight games to Peter Billson, while Gordon was given a harsh lesson in strokemaking by Surrey's Stacey Ross.

South Africa's Jason Barry advanced to the second round when Steven Ayling conceded with a back injury after losing the opening two games.

Maidstone Squash Club may be one of the smallest clubs on the Prince Grand Prix circuit, but there was no shortage of media coverage for the event. After extensive coverage in the local media and squash websites, regional ITV station Meridian and BBC South-East sent camera crews to film a series of interviews with key players and Tournament Director Alan Thatcher.

Meridian then announced that they would be returning this evening to broadcast their Friday night regional sports programme live from the club.