TVS Broxbourne dominated the clash against UniSport Guildford to maintain their lead in group B ...
TVS Broxbourne 4-1 UniSport Guildford
Gregory Gaultier beat Stacey Ross 9-7, 9-7, 9-7
Alex Stait beat Neil Frankland 9-6, 8-10, 9-4, 9-6
Alister Walker beat Paul Allen 9-3, 9-4, 6-9, 9-4
Danny Meddings beat Chris Hall 9-3, 9-6, 11-9
Caroline Chaloner lost to Sarah Kippax 9-6, 2-9, 5-9, 2-9
TVS Broxbourne recovered from conceding their first rubber of the season to dominate their National League Group B tie against UniSport Guildford on Tuesday night, writes Ian Taylor.
A bumper crowd in excess of 70 people watched the Mill Lane outfit increase their lead at the summit of the division to five points in an entertaining evenings play.
Caroline Chaloner, wife of Professional Squash Association President Mark made her season debut in the absence of Natalie Grainger and although she took an early one game lead, it proved to be a bridge too far for the elegant World number 89.
Facing World number 52 Sarah Kippax, the flamboyant Chaloner came out the traps in scintillating style, sailing into a one game lead (9-6).
However, Kippax is renowned for her fighting spirit and she duly came back to claim the second 9-2.
The third game was the most keenly contested of the match and after racing in to a three point lead, Kippax showed no let up, winning 9-5, before going on to seal the rubber with a comfortable 9-2 victory in the fourth.
But it was then downhill for the visitors as the home side's strength in depth came to the fore, with Danny Meddings, Alistair Walker, and Alex Stait extending their unbeaten records this season with victories over Chris Hall, Paul Allen and Neil Frankland respectively.
Meddings' match against Hall pitted one of the games up-and-coming youngsters against the old head of the charismatic TVS star.
Experience ultimately told as Meddings raced into a two game lead (9-3, 9-6).
A tighter third game gave 16-year-old Hall hope, before Meddings, who'd been laid low with flu all week, completed a narrow 11-9 success.
Walker's four game victory against Allen was relatively straightforward.
The World number 68 showed his undoubted class in the first two games, winning with ease with a series of flamboyant winners.
A slight set-back in game three gave Allen a short respite, prior to Walker going on to shut out the tie with a 9-4 fourth game triumph.
Stait survived a scare in game two before going on to dispose of Frankland with a series of fantastically executed winners (9-6, 8-10, 9-4, 9-6). His success wrapped up the match for TVS, to leave the rather subdued Gregory Gaultier the luxury of taking to the show court without the added pressure of requiring a victory.
Gaultier, whose participation in recent weeks has been limited due to a niggling foot injury, defeated Guildford's top string Stacey Ross 9-7, 9-7, 9-7 in the final match to set the seal on another impressive display from the former National League champions.
Team manager Geoff Long was delighted with his team's performance: "As it stands we're in a great position to make the semi-final stages.
"However it's a long hard season and we won't take anyone or anything for granted.''
