Broxbourne's Alex Stait has a lot of sympathy with the contestants on 'Shattered' ...
Ian Taylor of the Hertfordshire Mercury Sports Desk reports ...
A HIGH profile yet controversial TV show recently challenged contestants to stay awake for a whole week, with the winner scooping a cool £97,000.
TVS Broxbourne squash star Alex Stait can somehow relate to those crazy 'Shattered' contestants.
For the Broxbourne starlet went an amazing 48 hours without sleep, trotting from one continent to the next, before disposing of Bicester second string Chris Clare in the home sides 5-0 National League victory on Tuesday night.
Stait arrived at the club just before the start on Tuesday, having caught the first flight out of Calgary, via Chicago, after reaching Sunday's final of the Bakers Hall Open.
A long drive down from Manchester on the afternoon of the match further hampered any chance he had of obtaining forty winks, but the World number 67 proved his resilience and terrific will-power with an amazing performance.
"Staity was brilliant,'' team manager Geoff Long commented..
"To play up the order and win so well is credit to the man himself.''
Stait began like a man possessed, clearly eager to get off court in the quickest time possible.
He raced into a 2-1 lead, before Clare squared the tie with a 9-6 fourth game victory.
Fighting against fatigue and a resilient Clare proved no barrier for the TVS star though, as he scrapped tooth and bone to win the vital fifth game 9-2.
Earlier in the evening, Ladies World number one Natalie Grainger taught unknown Bicester teenager Kate Hill a lesson or two, conceding just a solitary point in a one-sided 3-0 victory.
The US star, who recently returned to the top of the World rankings when Kiwi Carol Owens retired earlier this month, was in devastating form, showing all the hallmarks of a player on top of their game.
Zimbabwean number one Jesse Engelbrecht, making his National League debut, was in similarly impressive form, beating Michael Elford comfortably.
The 21-year-old marked his debut in style, treating a packed show court to a flurry of amazing winners.
Danny Meddings, who missed the Mill Lane Close club's previous National League tie with a bout of flu, returned in style.
Despite losing the first game, he reacted in convincing fashion to complete a deserved 3-1 victory to secure the tie for the home side.
First string and host team captain Mark Chaloner made it a whitewash for his side with a 9-4, 9-7, 9-4 win over the visitors Scott Handley, just 48 hours after the Oxfordshire club's number one had fought in the final of the Rocafort Open in Barcelona, Spain.
It was a masterful performance from the PSA president, who just a few hours later boarded a plane to Kuwait, for the Sheikha Al Saad Open which starts today (Friday).
Long was once again elated with his side, who as a result of this victory, are now guaranteed a semi-final place.
"We're 13 points clear and sure-fire certainties for the semi-finals,'' he said.
"However, winning the group has always been our priority and that remains the sole goal.''
