In National League Opener
Howard Harding reports ...
Title-holders Tek Sing Lexden crashed to a 4-1 defeat to TVS Broxbourne in the opening round of the new season of the National Squash League, giving the Hertfordshire club revenge for their loss in last season's play-off final.
Elsewhere, a mighty league record came to a dramatic end when Scotland's world No5 John White fought back from 2-1 down to beat Australia's world No4 Stewart Boswell in five games and end the Edgbaston Priory club number one's 25-match unbeaten league run over the past four years.
Lexden fans were uplifted early in the proceedings as they cheered the sport's new glamour girl Rebecca Macree to a 9-0 9-1 9-0 win over Broxbourne's Caroline Heal to put the Colchester club ahead. World No11 Macree was unveiling a new Serena Williams-style cat suit - an outfit which clearly suited her play, but seemingly put her own team-mates off a similar winning streak later. Despite beating Broxbourne three times last season, Lexden went on to lose the remaining four matches, as former British Open champion David Evans, Stefan Casteleyn, team captain Tony Hands and Paul Allen each succumbed to their visiting opposition in straight games.
Also away winners in Group B were UniSport Guildford, who forged a 3-2 win over the world champion Peter Nicol-led and London Chingford-based UK Packaging. Guildford's top string woman Fiona Geaves, the world No10 from Gloucester, was fully stretched by Pakistan's English-born Carla Khan before eventually triumphing 9-1 7-9 9-3 2-9 9-0 in the opening match. By the time England's world No1 Peter Nicol, based at the Chingford Connaught club, faced fellow top string Stephen Meads, the Surrey visitors already had an unassailable lead - which Nicol paired back to 3-2 after beating Meads 9-6 10-8 9-6.
Chichester left it to the last match to claim their 3-2 home win over south coast rivals Lee-on-Solent - local stalwart Peter Genever, the world No36, securing a 10-8 8-10 9-5 9-7 win over the visitors' Bradley Ball, ranked nine places below, to put the Sussex club into second place in the first Group B standings.
It was in Group A that Birmingham-based 2001 champions Edgbaston Priory secured a confidence-boosting 3-2 home win over 1999 champions Nottingham, who were returning to the league after a season's absence due to a major redevelopment initiative at the east midlands club. Australia's world No1 and four-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald extended her unbeaten run for the hosts with a 10-8 9-5 9-4 win over Nottingham's world No9 Tania Bailey.
Priory newcomer Adrian Grant, still weary from his overnight return from Tenerife where he claimed the European Open title, came back to level the match from 2-0 down against Nottingham star Simon Parke, then led 7-5 in the decider before Parke clinched a magnificent 9-4 9-6 8-10 6-9 10-8 victory in his first match at No3 for his club.
Despite being based at the city's University, John White was making his debut for Nottingham - and achieved the result of the night when he beat Priory hero Stewart Boswell 9-4 5-9 5-9 9-6 9-5 in 57 minutes to prevent the young Australian from earning his 26th successive league victory for the club since October 1998.
Yorkshire club HLW Solicitors Hallamshire claimed the most decisive win in Group A, beating visitors Wolverhampton 4-1. All eyes were on the top string clash between National League debutante David Palmer, the world No3 from Australia representing Wolverhampton, and his compatriot Anthony Ricketts, the world No9 making his debut for the Sheffield hosts. Ricketts took an early lead, but Palmer fought back to take the match into a fourth game - then at 5-3 pulled up with a calf strain and conceded the clash to his opponent.
Manchester-Pontefract began their second season as a joint venture between the Northern Club in Manchester and Yorkshire's Pontefract Squash Club by entertaining Derbyshire's Benz-Bavarian Duffield at Pontefract. The standout match of the night saw Duffield's former world No5 Australian Dan Jenson overcome a weary European Junior champion James Willstrop, fresh from winning a PSA Tour title in California at the weekend, 9-4 12-10 10-8 - to leave Pontefract's twice British National champion Lee Beachill to secure a 3-2 victory for the home side following a 9-5 9-6 9-6 win over Duffield's Welsh star Alex Gough.
Manchester 3-2 Duffield
Hallamshire 4-1 Wolverhampton
Edgbaston 3-2 Nottingham
Group B:
Lexden 1-4 Broxbourne
UK Packaging 2-3 Guildford
Chichester 3-2 Lee on Solent
Group A:
Manchester 3-2 Duffield
Hallamshire 4-1 Wolverhampton
Edgbaston 3-2 Nottingham
Group B:
Lexden 1-4
Broxbourne
UK Packaging 2-3
Guildford
Chichester 3-2 Lee on Solent