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England's Jenny Duncalf Wins Second European Championship Title

England squash international Jenny Duncalf continued her fine run of form since the beginning of the year by successfully retaining her title in the European Individual Championship at the weekend in France.

Since winning the British National crown in February, the former European Junior champion has enjoyed a sparkling run on the WISPA World Tour.

Duncalf reached the quarter-finals of the Kuwait Open in April, then claimed a semi-final berth in the Seoul Open in South Korea - in both cases unseeded! The successes took Duncalf back into back into the world top ten.

In Royan, the 24-year-old from Harrogate reached the final of the European Championship without dropping a game.

In the final, Duncalf faced higher-ranked England team-mate Tania Bailey. The world No10 battled for four games to overcome her top-seeded opponent, ranked six places higher in the world, 9-5, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5 to add the European title to the British National trophy she won in February.

"It was a good week - and Tania and I were determined to get to the final," said Duncalf. "I was pleased with the way I played in the match, having come back from 0-5 down in the first game to win it - before losing the second.

"The third was crucial, but then I had the momentum in the fourth to take the match.

"It's a nice title to have!"

It was Duncalf's second successive win over Bailey, after beating the world No4 in the quarter-finals of the British Nationals en-route to winning the title for the first time earlier in the year.

Duncalf has a further month of intense training before returning to the WISPA Tour in July for the Malaysian and Singapore Opens.

"I feel I've been playing well this year and am looking forward to following my good run in Kuwait and Seoul with further success in KL and Singapore," added Duncalf. "The first job is to get back into the world's top eight.

Full Results and Other Reports

Men's final:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1

Third place play-off:

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) 9-1, 9-7, 9-1

Men's semi-finals:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) 2-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-5

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 6-9, 9-5, 0-9, 9-2, 9-3

Quarter-finals:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 9-0, 9-1, 9-3

[5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) 9-0, 9-3, 9-6

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [3/4] Nick Matthew (ENG) 7-9, 9-6, 9-6, 5-9, 9-7

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) 3-9, 9-1, 9-7, 10-8

Men's 2nd round:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [9/16] Tom Hoevenaars (NED) 9-6, 9-0, 9-2

[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) 9-3, 9-1, 9-6

[5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Gustav Detter (SWE) 9-0, 9-2, 9-6

[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Romain Tenant (FRA) 8-10, 9-4, 5-9, 9-0, 9-0

[3/4] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [9/16] Julien Balbo (FRA) 9-6, 9-4, 4-9, 8-10, 9-4

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 5-9, 9-1, 9-4, 9-0

[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) 9-7, 9-4, 9-0

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 9-4, 9-2, 9-3

1st round:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Nikolay Angelov (BUL) 9-1, 9-0, 9-3

[9/16] Tom Hoevenaars (NED) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 9-4, 7-9, 9-4, 2-9, 9-7

[9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) bt [Q] Gregory Lecerf (BEL) 9-6, 9-0, 9-5

[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [Q] Domagoj Spoljar (CRO) 9-1, 9-2, 9-3

[5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [Q] Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0

Gustav Detter (SWE) bt [9/16] Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) 9-3, 9-7, 10-8

Romain Tenant (FRA) bt [9/16] Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) 8-9, 9-1, 9-1, 9-3

[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Petr Martin (CZE) 9-2, 9-3, 9-0

[3/4] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Alexei Severinov (RUS) 9-5, 9-0, 9-0

[9/16] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt Patrick Gaessler (GER) w/o

[9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt [Q] Roman Fetisov (RUS) 9-0, 9-1, 9-2

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [Q] Ivan Djordjevic (SRB) 9-0, 9-3, 9-1

[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [Q] Marek Manik (SVK) 9-4, 9-0, 9-2

[9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt [Q] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 9-3, 4-9, 8-9, 9-2, 9-1

Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [9/16] Christian Drakenberg (SWE) 9-4, 9-0, 3-9, 9-5

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Petr Kviecinsky (SVK) 9-4, 9-1, 9-2

Women's Final:

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [1] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-5, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5

Third place play-off:

[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) w/o

Women's semi-finals:

[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4, 9-3, 9-7

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-7, 9-1, 9-2

Quarter-finals:

[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) 9-0, 9-2, 9-2

[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [5/8] Orla Noom (NED) 9-1, 6-9, 9-0, 9-2

[3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) bt [5/8] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) 9-3, 9-4, 9-6

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [5/8] Margriet Huisman (NED) 9-7, 9-0, 9-0

Women's 2nd round:

[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0

[5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) bt [9/16] Celia Allamargot (FRA) 9-4, 9-4, 0-9, 9-3

[5/8] Orla Noom (NED) bt [9/16] Daniela Schumann (GER) 3-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-6

[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [9/16] Zuzana Vackova (CZE) 9-5, 9-4, 9-3

[3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) bt Linda Hruzikova (SVK) 9-1, 9-4, 9-0

[5/8] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE) 9-6, 9-2, 9-0

[5/8] Margriet Huisman (NED) bt [9/16] Soraya Renai (FRA) 9-0, 9-1, 9-4

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [9/16] Charlotte Delsinne (FRA) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1

Women’s 1st round:

[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bye

[9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt Laura Alonso Perez (ESP) 9-1, 9-5, 9-7

[9/16] Celia Allamargot (FRA) bt Vaso Karasava (CYP) 9-1, 9-5, 9-1

[5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) bt Diana Leguss (EST) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0

[5/8] Orla Noom (NED) bye

[9/16] Daniela Schumann (GER) bt Ekatarina Glinchikova (RUS) 9-1, 9-0, 9-2

[9/16] Zuzana Vackova (CZE) bt Laura Pomportes (FRA) 8-10, 9-4, 9-5, 9-2

[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bye

[3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) bye

Linda Hruzikova (SVK) bt [9/16] Laurence Bois (FRA) 9-4, 9-4, 9-2

Olga Ertlova (CZE) bt [9/16] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) 9-10, 9-4, 9-3, 9-1

[5/8] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) bt Zdravka Marselova (BUL) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0

[5/8] Margriet Huisman (NED) bye

[9/16] Soraya Renai (FRA) bt Femke Ellens (CYP) 9-3, 9-4, 9-1

[9/16] Charlotte Delsinne (FRA) bt Jana Smeralova (CZE) 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 2-9, 9-6

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bye

Champions Gaultier & Duncalf Retain European Titles

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier and England's Jenny Duncalf retained their titles in the European Individual Squash Championships after victories over compatriots in the finals of the European Squash Federation event in the French town of Royan.

Top seed Gaultier, the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence, clinched his fourth successive men's title when he beat surprise opponent Renan Lavigne 9-0, 9-1, 9-1.

"Tactically, I played well today, I could feel he was very tired from his week, so I tried and pushed him in the first," Gaultier said afterwards. "He played very well in the game, stuck with it, but after that, he had not much left.

"I'm glad we had an event like that in France, and the immense success shows that we have the resources to host more and more events of the kind," added the 24-year-old.

France's second seed Thierry Lincou made up for the disappointment of losing to Lavigne in the semis by beating England international Peter Barker 9-1, 9-7, 9-1 in the play-off for third place.

Jenny Duncalf, the No2 seed from Harrogate in Yorkshire pulled off a notable upset by beating higher-ranked England team-mate Tania Bailey to keep her women's crown.

The world No10 battled for four games to overcome her top-seeded opponent, ranked six places higher in the world, 9-5, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5 to add the European title to the British National trophy she won in February.

"I took a terrible start in the first, 5-0 down, but I seemed to have had the same start in my last three matches!" Duncalf explained.

"Tania and I were set on getting to the final, it was very important to us, so that was achieved. I'm very glad to keep my title, two years in a row now, but also very happy to beat Tania in the final."

Lavigne Upsets Lincou In European Semis

The men's final of the European Individual Squash Championships will be an all-French affair - but not the line-up predicted by the seedings, after Renan Lavigne upset second-seeded compatriot Thierry Lincou in the semi-finals of the European Squash Federation event in the French town of Royan.

Lavigne, a 5/8 seed, made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals when he ousted England's higher-seeded Nick Matthew in five games.

In the next round, the 32-year-old from Marseille twice came from behind to beat former world number one Lincou 6-9, 9-5, 0-9, 9-2, 9-3.

"I’m divided between my happiness of winning and my sadness of seeing Thierry losing," said Lavigne to said after the first international competition win over his French team-mate. "He is such a great champion, and it’s unusual to see him lose like that.

"In the third, I thought to myself that he was just too good, it’s not that I was playing badly at all, he was just above me.

"But in the fourth, I took an excellent start, and that was I think the turning point. In the fifth, I played one point after the other, Thierry never let go, but I just went for shots I do not normally go for, and everything went in."

Lavigne will face defending champion Gregory Gaultier - the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence going for his fourth successive title. The top-seeded Frenchman beat England international Peter Barker 2-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-5.

The women's event will climax in the all-English final predicted by the seedings. Favourite Tania Bailey will meet England team-mate Jenny Duncalf after Bailey beat France's Isabelle Stoehr 9-4, 9-3, 9-7, and Duncalf despatched Dutch opponent Annelize Naude 9-7, 9-1, 9-2.

Favourites Flourish In Early European Exchanges

The top seeds comfortably survived the opening clashes in the European Individual Squash Championships in the French town of Royan.

Men’s favourite Gregory Gaultier, the Frenchman looking for his fourth successive crown, overcame Bulgarian qualifier Nikolay Angelov 9-1, 9-0, 9-3 in the first round – and will now face Dutchman Tom Hoevenaars, a 9/16 seed, for a place in the quarter-finals.

Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed expected to meet Gaultier in an all-home final, beat Slovakia qualifier Petr Kviecinsky 9-4, 9-1, 9-2. His surprise opponent in the second round is unseeded compatriot Mathieu Castagnet, who upset Sweden’s 9/16 seed Christian Drakenberg 9-4, 9-0, 3-9, 9-5.

First round action in the women’s event saw upsets by Slovakia’s Linda Hruzikova and Olga Ertlova, from the Czech Republic. Hruzikova beat 9/16 seed Laurence Bois 9-4, 9-4, 9-2, while Ertlova despatched Swede Anna-Carin Forstadius, also a 9/16 seed, 9-10, 9-4, 9-3, 9-1.

Tough Assignment For Gaultier In Fourth European Title Bid

France's Gregory Gaultier is seeded to win a fourth successive men’s title in the European Individual Squash Championships, which get underway today (Wednesday) in the French town of Royan.

But, despite home advantage, the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence will face stiff competition – not only from fellow countryman Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed, but also from a high-quality field which includes English rivals Nick Matthew and Adrian Grant, the two 3/4 seeds.

Both Frenchmen are making comebacks from injury setbacks – playing in their first event since missing April's Qatar Classic on the PSA Tour. Furthermore, neither was able to represent their country in the European Team Championships in Italy in May – leaving Matthew and Grant, ranked 8 and 15, respectively, in the world, to lead England to their 15^th successive triumph.

Gaultier will face the winner of the qualifying match between Nikolay Angelov (Bulgaria) and Marios Yiannou (Cyprus) in the first round, while Lincou, the world No5 from Marseille, will take on either Peter Kviecinsky (Slovakia) or Igor Pejic (Slovenia).

The women’s event predicts an all-English final, in which defending champion Jenny Duncalf is expected to meet top seed Tania Bailey. Second seed Duncalf, the world No10 from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is expected to face local opposition in the second round after a bye in the first - though France’s 9/16 seed Charlotte Delsinne will first have to beat unseeded Czech Jana Smeralova in the first round.

Bailey, the world No4 from Stamford in Lincolnshire who surrendered her British National Championship title to Duncalf in February, also has a bye in the first round – and will then face the winner of the match between Spain’s Laura Alonso Perez and Austria’s 9/16 seed Birgit Coufal.

This is the fourth year of the prestigious European Squash Federation event - but the first year in France - which is exclusively for Europeans. The men’s championship boasts 43 entries from 20 countries while the women’s event has 26 entries from 14 countries.

Men's 1st round draw:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Qualifier

[9/16] Tom Hoevenaars (NED) v Aqeel Rehman (AUT)

[9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) v Qualifier

[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Qualifier

[5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) v Qualifier

[9/16] Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) v Gustav Detter (SWE)

[9/16] Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) v Romain Tenant (FRA)

[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Qualifier

[3/4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Qualifier

[9/16] Julien Balbo (FRA) v Patrick Gaessler (GER)

[9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) v Qualifier

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) v Qualifier

[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) v Qualifier

[9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) v Qualifier

[9/16] Christian Drakenberg (SWE) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Qualifier

Men's qualifying draw:

Nikolay Angelov (BUL) v Marios Yiannou (CYP)

Gregory Lecerf (BEL) v Kostyantyn Rybalchenko (UKR)

Domagoj Spoljar (CRO) v Viktor Kovalchuk (UKR)

Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE) v Nikolas Paphtis (CYP)

Petr Martin (CZE) v Pavel Opronenko (UKR)

Alexei Severinov (RUS) v Martin Kostolansky (SVK)

Sebastian Victor (SWE) v Roman Fetisov (RUS)

Ivan Djordjevic (SRB) v Sergey Kostrikin (RUS)

Marek Manik (SVK) v Artem Beba (UKR)

Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) v Lukasz Nitka (POL)

Peter Kviecinsky (SVK) v Igor Pejic (SLO)

Women's 1st round draw:

[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bye

[9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT) v Laura Alonso Perez (ESP)

[9/16] Celia Allamargot (FRA) v Vaso Karasava (CYP)

[5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) v Diana Leguss (EST)

[5/8] Orla Noom (NED) bye

[9/16] Daniela Schumann (GER) v Ekatarina Glinchikova (RUS)

[9/16] Zuzana Vackova (CZE) v Laura Pomportes (FRA)

[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bye

[3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) bye

[9/16] Laurence Bois (FRA) v Linda Hruzikova (SVK)

[9/16] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) v Olga Ertlova (CZE)

[5/8] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) v Zdravka Marselova (BUL)

[5/8] Margriet Huisman (NED) bye

[9/16] Soraya Renai (FRA) v Femke Ellens (CYP)

[9/16] Charlotte Delsinne (FRA) v Jana Smeralova (CZE)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bye