French League
Play-off Finals 2003
29-30 May, St Etienne

Arthur Poupel reports from St Etienne:

#5: Stéphane GALIFI bt David EVANS 3/1
(6/9 9/6 9/7 9/2) unbelievable surprise and a great match from Galifi...

#4: Grégory GAULTIER bt Nick TAYLOR 3/1
(9/3 6/9 9/0 9/2) lots of very long  runs with Nick defending so well but after 2 crazy first games , Greg took advantage over Nick and won the last two games very quickly ...

#1 : Peter NICOL v Lee BEACHILL  3/0
(9/0 9/4 9/6) Nicol quickly over-ran Beachill - Rouen retain the title!

#2 : John WHITE bt Simon PARKE  2/0
#3 : Anthony RICKETTS bt Alex GOUGH  2/1

John White and Anthony Ricketts wrapped up a 5/0 win for Rouen in the final two matches, both played as best of three.

In the Women's final Set Marseille beat yesterday's giant-killers Squash Passion 3/2, with the final going down to the last match on court.

29-May
SQUASH PASSION STUN
DEFENDING WOMEN'S CHAMPS
Arthur Poupel reports from St Etienne

The first men's semi-final was duly won by Capitol St Cloud, their all-star lineup (missing Stewart Boswell) proving too strong for hosts St Etienne, but the first women's semi saw the demise of defending champions Squash 92 St Cloud.

It came down to two-all, and the deciding match was between Squash Passion's Karine Fouchet and Squash 92's Cheryl Beaumont. Fouchet lost the first two games 6/9  8/10, but staged an amazing recovery to win the final three games 10/8  10/8  10/8 and condemn the champions to the third/fourth play-off.

There was no such shock in store for defending men's champions Rouen, who saw off the challenge of Set Marseille, despite Set's Thierry Lincou beating world number one Peter Nicol from 0-2 down. Anthony Ricketts, fourth on court, clinched the victory with a five-game win over Renan Lavigne.

Marseille progressed to the women's final, beating Challes 4/1.

 

Men's final
Rouen Squash 5-0 Capitol Saint Cloud
  #5: Galifi bt Evans  6/9, 9/6, 9/7, 9/2
  #4: Gaultier bt Taylor  9/3, 6/9, 9/0, 9/2
  #1: Nicol bt Beachill  9/0, 9/4, 9/6
  #2: White bt Parke  9/2, 9/7
  #3: Ricketts bt Gough  7/9, 9/5, 9/2

Women's final
Set Marseille bt Squash Passion Aix 3/2
  Pleageat lt Forstadius 4/9 1/9 2/9
  Lebosse lt Allamargot 10/8 9/7 4/9 3/9 0/9
  Grinham bt Zehnder 9/3 9/1 9/1
  Maitland bt Fouchet 9/4 9/0 9/3
  Demuylder bt Suhas 9/7 7/9 9/6 9/0 - the decider

Men's 3/4
ST Etienne Bt Set MARSEILLE 3/2
  Martellino bt Thomas 9/4 8/10 9/5 5/9 9/0
  Isambard bt Lagier 9/2 9/1 9/0
  Capella bt Siri 9/2 9/4 9/4
  Busi lt Lavigne 5/9 5/9 0/9
  Facchini lt Lincou 1/9 1/9 9/7 8/9

Women's 3/4
ST CLOUD bt CHALLES LES EAUX 4/1
  Guilbert bt Grangeon 10/8 9/2 9/0
  Heal bt Watson 9/0 9/2 9/2
  Fitz-Gerald bt Stoehr 9/1 9/1 9/2
  Beaumont lost Pasteris 9/3 4/9 2/9 7/9
  Pierrepont bt Favero 9/1 10/8 9/2
 

MEN'S SEMIFINALS :
CAPITOL ST CLOUD bt ST ETIENNE : 5/0
  Parke bt Facchini 3/0 (9/1 9/1 9/0)
  Chaloner bt Busi 3/1 (9/6 9/6 6/9 9/0)
  Taylor bt Capella 3/0 (9/5 9/4 9/8)
  Evans bt Isambard 3/0 (9/6 9/2 9/3)
  Harris bt Martellino 3/0 (9/1 9/0 9/4)

ROUEN SQUASH bt SET MARSEILLE  4/1
  Galifi bt Thomas 3/0 (9/0 9/3 9/0)
  Tuominen bt Lagier 3/0 (9/0 9/0 9/3)
  Nicol lt Lincou 2/3 (7/9 5/9 9/2 9/3 9/6)
  Ricketts bt  Lavigne 3/2 (9/2 9/5 2/9 1/9 9/7)
  Gaultier bt Siri (best of 3 : 9/0 9/6)

WOMEN'S SEMIFINALS :
SQUASH PASSION AIX-EN-PROVENCE bt SQUASH 92: 3/2
  Zehnder lt Fitz-Gerald 0/3 (1/9 1/9 1/9)
  Fouchet bt Beaumont 3/2 (6/9 8/10 10/8 10/8 10/8)
  Suhas lt Heal 0/3 (5/9 0/9 7/9)
  Allamargot bt Guilbert 3/1 (3/9 9/6 9/3 9/1)
  Forstadius bt Chastres 3/0 (9/1 9/6 9/4)

SET MARSEILLE bt CHALLES 4/1
  Plegeat bt Grangeon  3/0 (9/7 9/0 9/3)
  Lebosse bt Watson  3/0 (9/1 9/0 9/0)
  Grinham bt Stoehr  3/1 (6/9 9/3 9/5 9/0)
  Maitland lt Pasteris  0/3 (6/9 7/9 1/9)
  Demuylder bt Favero 2/0 (best of 3 : 10/8 9/2)
 

French play-offs feature
world's best in St Etienne
Arthur Poupel sets the scene ...

The French League play-off finals take place once again at St Etienne at the end of May.

Last season Rouen scored a spectacular victory over favourites and perennial champions Capitol St Cloud, and they look set to contest the final again this year.

Rouen face Set Marseille in Saturday's semi-finals, while St Cloud will be challenged by hosts St Etienne. Although final line-ups are not yet known, most of the world's top twenty are eligible to play.

The action takes place at St Etienne Squash Club, and on a glass court in the Gymnasium centre, with seating for 800. Local TV will also be in attendance.
 

MEN’S TEAMS:
(expected, final teams not finalised … these are all the players who played at least once this year)

Paris Capitol Saint Cloud
Boswell, Chaloner, Taylor, Evans, Parke, Harris, Gough, Beachill.
Set Marseille
Lincou, Darwish, Lavigne, Damien ZOLLET, Nicolas SIRI.
Rouen Squash
Nicol, White, Ricketts, Gaultier, Tuominen, Stéphane GALIFI.
Saint Etienne
Jose FACCHINI, Francesco BUSI, Andrea CAPELLA, Gurval ISAMBARD, Cedric HATEAU, Xavier MARTELLINO.

WOMEN’S TEAMS:

Set Marseille
GRINHAM, Wendy MAITLAND, Mylène DE MUYLDER, Catherine LEBOSSE, Carole PLEGAT, Sabine DORCELLE, Anne NUXIS.
Squash 92 Saint Cloud
FITZ, MACREE, BEAUMONT, Sarah HEAL, Suzie PIERREPONT, Marie-Pierre GUILBERT, Frederique KIRSH.
Squash Passion Aix en Provence
Manuela ZEHNDER, Karine FOUCHET, Nathalie SUHAS, Celia ALLAMARGOT, Anna Karine FORSTADIUS, Sarah THOMAS Isabelle QUINTARD.
Open Challes
Isabelle STOHER, Sonia PASTERIS, Veronica FAVERO, Elaine WATSON, Elisabeth DALMASSO, Caroline GRANGEON.

Rouen claim 2002 play-off victory

VENUE:
Squash club Saint-Etienne @ Saint-Etienne (South-East ; 50km from LYON) and Gymnase (gymnasium) Villeboeuf for all glasscourt,.
(5 minute drive from squash center)

GYMNASIUM:
all glasscourt in the gymnasium, 800 seats around it, local TV coverage expected, broadcasting of the matches on a wide screen, laser show.

SCHEDULE:
matches are played in order :
#5 #4 #1 #2 #3

Men’s semis : 29/05/2003
CAPITOL SAINT CLOUD v SAINT ETIENNE
11.30 @ squash center
SET MARSEILLE v ROUEN SQUASH
10.00 @ squash center

Women’s semis : 29/05/2003
SQUASH 92 SAINT CLOUD v SQUASH PASSION AIX EN PROVENCE
10.00 @ squash center
SET MARSEILLE v OPEN CHALLES
11.30 @ squash center



Men’s final : 30/05/2003
10.00 @ squash center for  #5 and # 4
14.30 @ Villeboeuf for  #1 #2 and #3

Women’s final
10.00 @ squash center for #5 #4 and #2
14.30 @ villeboeuf for # 1 and #3

Men’s and Women’s 3rd place
11.30 @ squash center