Round EIGHT, 04 Feb 03
Duffield 3-2 Hallamshire
Edgbaston 2-3 Manchester
Wolverhampton 0-5 NottinghamBroxbourne 4-1 UK Packaging
Chichester 5-0 Lexden
Guildford 3-2 Lee on SolentNottingham & Chichester Stamp
Their Authority On National League
Roundup from Howard Harding
While FPD Savills Nottingham and Chichester extended their leads at the top of the two Groups by claiming maximum points 5-0 victories, the eighth round of the National Squash League provided many of the nation's top players the perfect opportunity to refine their court craft for the last time before competing in next week's British National Championships.
All eyes were on the south coast where Group B leaders Chichester hosted defending champions Tek Sing Lexden, from Colchester in Essex. Sussex star Linda Charman, the world No4 from Eastbourne who is favourite to win the Nationals title in Manchester, was facing Lexden's Rebecca Macree in the pair's first meeting since the clubs' third round fixture in November when Charman lost an acrimonious clash with her England team mate which resulted in her being served a one-week ban by the League. The re-match, described as 'tense', took 65 minutes and 78 refereeing decisions to resolve - but Charman emerged the 9-6 9-10 9-7 10-8 victor over the world number-nine-ranked opponent she is expected to face in next week's Nationals semi-finals. Chichester No1 Peter Genever went on to wrap up the 5-0 victory after he twice had to come from behind to beat Lexden's Lee Drew 6-9 10-8 5-9 9-5 9-7.
Hertfordshire's TVS Broxbourne strengthened their hold on second position in Group B with a 4-1 home win over a significantly under-strength UK Packaging. Only club champion Jason Friend, brought in at the last minute to make his debut for the Connaught Club-based UK Packaging, came away with a point - resisting a spirited fightback by the hosts' Dave Morrish, the Gloucester Wycliffe College coach also making his league debut, to win 9-6 9-5 5-9 4-9 9-2. In the absence of injured No1 Mark Chaloner, Broxbourne's star turn was Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, in his first outing this season. The former European Junior Champion, now racing up the PSA world rankings, overwhelmed the visitors' top string Tim Garner 9-4 9-3 9-5. "I hope I don't have to meet him in the first round of the Tournament of Champions in New York later in the month - he's really strong," said team captain Mark Chaloner
afterwards.
In the other tie in Group B, UniSport Guildford gained a valuable 3-2 home win over Lee-on-Solent to lift themselves into fourth position in the table. The Surrey team's No1 Stephen Meads earned only his second win of the season after a valiant recovery from 2-1 down to beat the visitors' Bradley Ball 9-4 9-11 5-9 9-3 9-5. Guildford's generosity in allowing Lee No2 Mark Heather to play despite arriving an hour late ultimately worked against the home team when Stacey Ross failed to convert three matchballs against Heather before going down 9-7 7-9 9-4 1-9 13-11 in the second string clash.
Back to almost full-strength after their 0-5 Group A drubbing at Hallamshire last week, Nottingham took maximum points from their visit to Wolverhampton, with Lincolnshire's England No1 Tania Bailey leading the way with a 9-3 9-0 9-4 win over her England team-mate Stephanie Brind - her sixth successive 3/0 league win in a match which is a possible semi-final in next week's Nationals. Former Irish champion Liam Kenny was making his debut for Wolverhampton after surgery ruled him out of action for the last three months of last year. The 25-year-old took the opening game against the visitors' Renan Lavigne, but the Frenchman then took control to win 3-9 9-4 9-6 9-7. Nottingham-based Yorkshireman Simon Parke, now elevated to squad No2, comprehensively overpowered the home team's Scott Handley 9-6 9-6 9-4 in the Nottingham rout.
Manchester-Pontefract narrowed the gap to two points behind second-placed Edgbaston Priory with an exciting 3-2 away victory over the west midlands club which finished at almost midnight. Australia's five-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, playing in her first match in England since returning from a winter break at home, crushed the visitors' Rebecca Botwright 9-0 9-2 9-0 - but Manchester fought back when Marcus Berrett and Irish 'veteran' Derek Ryan claimed unexpected victories over Davide Bianchetti and Paul Lord, respectively. In what were described by Edgbaston Priory coach Matt Suckling as 'probably two of the best ever matches played at this club', host club favourite Adrian Grant upset Manchester star Nick Taylor - ranked 13 places higher in the world - 8-10 9-3 4-9 9-1 9-7, then National champion Lee Beachill clinched an incredible 3-2 win for the visitors with a superb 9-4 9-11 2-9 10-8 9-4 victory over Priory stalwart Del Harris, saving two matchballs against him. "I've never heard such a vocal crowd here before, and when Del had a matchball at 8-7 in the fourth - and was then awarded a conduct stroke against him - the place went wild," added Suckling.
Derbyshire club Benz-Bavarian Duffield moved off the bottom of the Group A table after an unexpected 3-2 home win over Sheffield's HLW Solicitors Hallamshire. With the tie poised at 2-2, Duffield's Welsh champion Alex Gough found himself playing the decider for the sixth time out of eight matches in the season! His opponent Anthony Ricketts, the fastest-rising Australian on the world circuit, currently ranked 7 in the PSA list, had won all but one of his matches this season, including the earlier one against the Welshman. Local jaws dropped when Gough lost the first two games, but the world No17 had plenty in reserve as he came back to take the match 5-9 7-9 9-4 9-4 11-9 to deliver a sensational Duffield victory.Duffield 3-2 Hallamshire
Edgbaston 2-3 Manchester
Wolverhampton 0-5 NottinghamBroxbourne 4-1 UK Packaging
Chichester 5-0 Lexden
Guildford 3-2 Lee on Solent