Bob Johnson (Managing Director Solosport) and Tournament Director
Rob Shay confirm Ektelon’s continued sponsorship of the National
Championships.’
NATIONAL RACKETBALL
CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008
Defending Champions Darryl Selby and Laura Hill both
retained their titles in the National Racketball Championships at
the Edgbaston Priory Club yesterday.
Selby, currently 34 in the World Squash rankings, won a third
successive title beating fellow Essex player Paul Allen 3-0 in the
final, while Derbyshire’s Hill also chalked up a third successive
title, beating local pro, England star Vicky Hynes in a tight 3-0
final.
Sponsored by Ektelon and Just Rackets, the tournament
drew and entry of 200 players from all corners of the British Isles
in 15 competitions, from the Open events through to the Women’s Over
55 and Men’s Over 70.
Selby was stretched to four games in the second round by
Warwickshire’s James Bowden, and then beat the promising Kent
youngster Ted Jeal 3-0 in a gruelling quarter-final. Meanwhile,
fourth seed Neil Guirey of Chapel Allerton pipped Nick Hynes 15-13
in the fifth in the second quarter-final, but could not sustain
theeffort against Selby in the semi-final, losing in straight games.
In the other half of the draw, last year’s finalist Tim Vail of
Sussex eased in to the semi finals with straight sets wins over Andy
Warmington (Warks) and Tom Phipps (Bucks)s, while Paul Allen,
another England ranked squash player, proved too strong for Mike
Dickens (Yorks) in the second round and
the flamboyant Simon Martin (Bucks) in the semis.
Vail had to withdraw from his semi final with Allen for family
health reasons, but although fresher, Allen had no answer to Selby’s
retrieving, and all-round pressure play in the final, and was unable
to take a game.
Laura Hill had a tougher path to the final this year with a much
stronger draw than in previous years. She beat Hasmpshire’s Bettina
Harvey in the quarter finals and was stretched by another rising
England squash star, Lauren Selby in the semis. Selby, meanwhile,
was given a stern test by Warwickshire’s Lisa Key, before winning in
straight games.
In the other half Hynes, who has recently claimed some notable
scalps on the women’s professional squash circuit, disposed of
Devon’s Karen Bealey and Derbyshire’s Lisa McKenna in straight sets
on her way to the finals.
Hill’s all-round athleticism proved too strong for Hynes’ guile in
the final however, and she triumphed
3-0, despite being pushed to 15-13 in the third set.
In the Master’s section, Jim Lord won both the Men’s Over 35 and
Over 40 events, beating brother David Lord in the former and
Cleaver’s Andy Pallett in the latter.
Competing in this event for the first time, Paul Haigh won the
Over-45’s against fellow Yorkshireman Ian Cawthorne, Edgbaston
Priory players dominated three of the other events, with wins for
Rob Shay (Over 55), John Shingler (Over 65) and John Hart (Over 70).
Mike Livock (Norfolk) retained his Over 50 title, and John Cockill (Yorks)
took the Over 60’s.
In the Women’s Masters, former England player
Claire Walker (Yorks) retained the over 35 crown, and there were
wins fr Bev Vatcher (Dorset, over 40), Lesley Strugess (Derbys, over
45, Jenny Matthews (Surrey, over 50) and the evergreen Bett Dryhurst
(Worcs, over 55)
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