WILLSTROP SOLE
FAVOURITE TO WIN IN WOLVERHAMPTON
Yorkshire's James Willstrop was the only top seed to win in this
weekend's British Junior National U19/U15 Squash Championships, which
took place for the first time at the Wolverhampton Squash Club in
Tettenhall, Wolverhampton.
Willstrop, the 17-year-old title-holder from Pontefract, successfully
defended his U-19 crown in the newly-titled Don Sanderson National
Championships, beating Essex's No2 seed Peter Barker 9-4 9-5 9-0 in the
final. The success brings Willstrop's National junior titles tally
to five - one at U12, U14 and U16, and two at U19.
In the women's U-19 final, Lancashire's Laura-Jane Lengthorn, the
17-year-old second seed from Chorley, fought back from 2-1 down to
defeat Yorkshire's top seed Jenny Duncalf 9-2 6-9 5-9 9-2 9-2. The
upset brought Lengthorn her second national junior title, to add to the
U15 crown she secured in 1999. Duncalf's defeat has prevented the
18-year-old from Harrogate from completing the set of British titles,
having won twice at U17, twice at U14 and once at U12.
The men's U15 title was taken by second-seeded Welshman Lewys Hurst, who
beat Surrey favourite Tom Richards 9-4 9-3 7-9 9-6 to claim his first
British junior title. The women's final saw Sussex's Jenna Gates,
the No2 seed from Henfield near Brighton, upset favourite Danielle
Dawson 2-9 10-8 10-8 9-7 - after the 14-year-old from Lancashire won
both her quarter-final and semi-final matches without conceding a point!
WOLVERHAMPTON
WELCOMES
WILLSTROP TITLE DEFENCE
Yorkshire's 17-year-old James
Willstrop will defend his British U-19 title from 2-4 March when the
British Junior National U-19/U-15 Squash Championships will be staged
for the first time at the Wolverhampton Squash Club.
More than 200 of Britain's top juniors will compete in the four events
presented jointly by the Squash Rackets Association (SRA) and the Eye
Group at the Wolverhampton club in Newbridge Crescent, Tettenhall.
Pontefract-based Willstrop, who led England to success in last July's
men's world junior championships in Italy, is seeded to retain his U-19
title in a final against fellow seventeen-year-old Peter Barker,
from Upminster in Essex. Both players reached the first round of
last week's National Championships in Manchester after fighting through
the qualifiers.
The U-19 event has been renamed the Don Sanderson National
Championships, in
recognition of the SRA's former Events Manager who was tragically killed
in a road accident in the Czech Republic in late 1999. Don was
much liked and respected, and particularly passionate about junior
squash.
Yorkshire's Jenny Duncalf, from Harrogate, is favourite to win the
women's U-19 title for the first time. The 18-year-old is expected
to meet Lancashire's 17-year-old Laura-Jane Lengthorn, the No2 seed, in
the final.
New names will certainly be inscribed on the U-15 trophies, as both
title-holders have moved out of the age-group. Surrey's Tom
Richards is top men's seed, but he will have to survive seven rounds if
he to claim the title for the first time in one of the event's biggest
ever draws. Richards is seeded to meet Lewys Hurst of Wales in the
final, whilst the women's U-15 final is expected to feature Lancashire's
top seed Danielle Dawson and Sussex's Jenna Gates.
Preview
