After disappointments in
2017, England's Millie Tomlinson and Spaniard Borja Golan
bounced back this year to win the 2018 women's and men's European
Individual Squash Championship titles, respectively, at Squash
Dome in Graz, Austria.
Tomlinson, runner-up last
year, was seeded to go one better in Austria's second largest city.
After defeating Belgian Tinne Gilis in the semis, the 26-year-old
from top seed Derbyshire reached the final without dropping a game.
Her opponent Coline
Aumard also beat a Gilis in the other semi - the 3/4 seed from
France causing an upset over Tinne's second-seeded older sister Nele
Gilis.
World No.27 Tomlinson
battled for 56 minutes to clinch the title for the first time, beating
Aumard 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 11-7 to become the first English winner of the
women's trophy since former world No.2 Jenny Duncalf in 2010.
After winning the men's
title in 2016, Golan fell at the semi-final stage last year and was
eager to make amends this time. Seeded two, the former world No.5 from
Santiago de Compostela reached the final after beating Frenchman
Lucas Serme in straight games.
His final opponent caused
the biggest upset in the event in the other semi where he outplayed
German favourite Raphael Kandra, surviving an 81-minute five-game
marathon against the world No.22.
But 3/4 seed George
Parker, the world No.52 from England making his debut in the event,
still had more to offer in the final - taking the higher-ranked Spaniard
to match-ball in the fourth game after building up a 2/1 lead.
But Golan, now ranked 27
in the world, called upon all his experience to take the fourth and
force a decider - going on to win the match 8-11, 11-4, 10-12, 13-11,
11-6 in 82 minutes to win the title for the second time.
