GB Clinch Gold
In World University Team Championships
Great Britain
reclaimed the team title in the 7th World University Squash Championships
in Australia - but the favourites were taken the full distance by final
newcomers Hong Kong at Monash University in Melbourne.
The second
seeds claimed the early advantage when, in a rematch of the women's individual
final, the highly-fancied Annie Au defeated GB's Emma Chorley
again in straight games.
Au, a student
at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is ranked 16 in the world and the
highest-ranked player in the event. The 21-year-old despatched Chorley, a
22-year-old from Bridgwater College in Somerset ranked almost 150 places
lower, 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 to raise Hong Kong's hopes for the title.
It was the
men's individual champion Joel Hinds who levelled the tie for Great
Britain. The 23-year-old Birmingham University graduate, fought back from
2/1 down to beat Annie Au's younger brother Leo Au 11-7, 10-12,
5-11, 11-5, 11-6.
"It was a
spectacular five set match in which Leo Au fended off two match points
before Joel coolly claimed victory," explained tournament spokesman Sarah
Wordsworth.
In the
dramatic decider, Welshman Peter Creed - from the University of Wales
in Cardiff - sealed victory for Great Britain after beating Hong Kong's Chiu
Ho Fai 11-5, 11-1, 11-4.
The 2/1 win
marked Great Britain's third title triumph in the event after beating France in
the finals of both the inaugural championship in 1996 and the 2006 championship
in Hungary.
But it was a
notable performance by Hong Kong in only their third appearance in the
championships after their previous best finish of fifth in 2000.
Meanwhile in
the playoff for third place, USA defeated old rivals Canada 2/1 in
another dramatic encounter in which Dartmouth University student
Christopher Hanson battled back from 2/1 down in the decider against
Canadian Fred Reid to beat the Toronto Ryerson University student
11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8 to secure USA's best ever finish in the
championship.
Great Britain
& Hong Kong To Contest World University Team Final
Hong Kong
and former champions Great Britain and will contest the final of the
7th World University Team Squash Championships after straightforward wins in
the semi-finals at Monash University in Melbourne,
Australia.
Earlier in the
day, the two top-seeded teams had finished top of the two qualifying pools
following comprehensive victories over all their opposition.
Newly-crowned
men's individual champion Joel Hinds, of Birmingham University,
led favourites Great Britain, champions in 1996 & 2006, to a 3/0 triumph over
third seeds USA with an 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 win over Christopher Hanson.
Later
victories by Emma Chorley and Welshman Peter Creed put GB into the
final for the third successive time.
Then other
semi-final saw Hong Kong claim a place in the final for the first time in the
14-year history of the event.
It was a
family effort that saw the second seeds through against Canada, the
fourth seeds. Siblings Annie Au and Leo Au, both of Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, despatched Canadians Colin West and Laura
Gemmell, respectively, to clinch the place in the final.
But Canada
gained some consolation when Fred Reid beat Chiu Ho Fai 11-7, 11-7
in the best-of-three dead rubber.
Results
Final:
[1] GREAT BRITAIN bt [2] HONG KONG 2/1
Emma Chorley lost to Annie Au 3-11, 6-11, 7-11
Joel Hinds bt Leo Au 11-7, 10-12, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6
Peter Creed bt Chiu Ho Fai 11-5, 11-1, 11-4
3rd place play-off:
[3] USA bt [4] CANADA 2/1
Kristen Lange bt Laura Gemmell 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 11-4
Todd Harrity lost to Colin West 11-8, 7-11, 5-11, 3-11
Christopher Hanson bt Fred Reid 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8
5th place play-off:
[5] SOUTH AFRICA bt [6] AUSTRALIA 2/1
Senada Haupt lost to Melody Francis 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 3-11
Richard Colburn bt Sam Brown 11-2, 11-5, 11-9
Christo Potgeiter bt Luke Sims 11-6, 9-11, 13-11, 11-9
7th place play-off:
[7] AUSTRIA bt [8] SINGAPORE 2/1
Birgit Coufal bt Nicole Chua 8-11, 16-14, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4
Marcus Greslehner lost to Marcus Phua 11-6, 8-11, 1-11, 11-8, 6-11
Daniel Haider bt Sean Ang 11-2, 11-5, 11-4
Qualifying
rounds - Pool A:
[1] GREAT BRITAIN bt [5] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Joel Hinds bt Christo Potgeiter 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
Chris Hall bt Alan McGuigan 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
Emma Chorley bt Senada Haupt 11-9, 11-3, 11-2
[4] CANADA bt
[8] SINGAPORE 3/0
Colin West bt Marcus Phua 11-0, 11-3, 11-3
Adrian Dudzicki bt Sean Ang 11-5, 11-9, 11-1
Micaala Seth bt Nicole Chua 11-3, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9
[1] GREAT
BRITAIN bt [8] SINGAPORE 3/0
Peter Creed bt Marcus Phua 11-8, 11-5, 11-3
Chris Hall bt Sean Ang 11-3, 11-1, 11-1
Kirsty McPhee bt Nicole Chua 11-6, 11-1, 11-3
[4] CANADA bt
[5] SOUTH AFRICA 2/1
Colin West bt Richard Colburn 11-6, 11-4, 11-2
Fred Reid lost to Christo Potgeiter 4-11, 8-11, 9-11
Laura Gemmell bt Cheyna Tucker 11-6, 11-9, 11-7
[1] GREAT
BRITAIN bt [4] CANADA 3/0
Peter Creed bt Fred Reid 11-6, 11-6, 11-4
Chris Hall bt Adrian Dudzicki 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
Kirsty McPhee bt Micaala Seth 11-3, 11-3, 11-3
[5] SOUTH
AFRICA bt [8] SINGAPORE 3/0
Richard Colburn bt Marcus Phua 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
Christo Potgeiter bt Sean Ang 11-1, 11-1, 11-0
Senada Haupt bt Nicole Chua 10-12, 11-9, 14-16, 11-4, 11-7
Final
positions: 1 Great Britain, 2 Canada, 3 South Africa, 4 Singapore
Pool B:
[2] HONG KONG bt [6] AUSTRALIA 3/0
Leo Au bt Sam Brown 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
Chiu Ho Fai bt Luke Sims 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
Annie Au bt Selena Shaikh 11-5, 11-1, 11-3
[3] USA bt [7]
AUSTRIA 3/0
Todd Harrity bt Marcus Greslehner 11-8, 11-9, 11-8
Christopher Hanson bt Daniel Haider 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
Logan Greer bt Birgit Coufal 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5
[3] USA bt [6]
AUSTRALIA 2/1
Todd Harrity bt Sam Brown 11-4, 11-7, 11-7
Christopher Hanson bt Luke Sims 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6
Kristen Lange lost to Melody Francis 9-11, 15-17, 6-11
[2] HONG KONG
bt [7] AUSTRIA 3/0
Leo Au bt Marcus Greslehner 11-1, 11-5, 11-7
Chiu Ho Fai bt Daniel Haider 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Shin Nga Leung bt Birgit Coufal 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-2
[2] HONG KONG
bt [3] USA 2/1
Leo Au bt Todd Harrity 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6
Chiu Ho Fai lost to Alex Domenick 8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11
Annie Au bt Kristen Lange 11-6, 11-2, 11-3
[6] AUSTRALIA
bt [7] AUSTRIA 2/1
Sam Brown bt Marcus Greslehner 11-2, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9
Luke Sims lost to Daniel Haider 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 5-11
Melody Francis bt Birgit Coufal 9-11, 11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 12-10
Final
positions: 1 Hong Kong, 2 USA, 3 Australia, 4 Austria
Semi-finals:
[1] GREAT BRITAIN bt [3] USA 3/0
Joel Hinds bt Christopher Hanson 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
Peter Creed bt Alex Domenick 11-6, 11-5
Emma Chorley bt Logan Greer 11-3, 11-8, 11-5
[2] HONG KONG
bt [4] CANADA 2/1
Leo Au bt Colin West 4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4
Chiu Ho Fai lost to Fred Reid 7-11, 7-11
Annie Au bt Laura Gemmell 11-5, 11-4, 11-2
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