USA Make World
Quarter-Finals After Canada Victory
An upset over
neighbours Canada takes USA into the quarter-finals of the WSF
Men's World Team Squash Championship in Paderborn, Germany, and
ensures the nation its first top eight finish in the championship since 1983.
The 23rd
staging of the World Squash Federation event - the first senior world
championship since the IOC announcement that Squash is on the shortlist for
Olympic inclusion in 2020 - is taking place in Germany for the first time.
A surprise
earlier qualifying defeat by Italy led USA, the eighth seeds, to be drawn
against a higher seeded team in the last 16 round. But team rookie Todd
Harrity, a 20-year-old from Philadelphia, put the USA ahead - inflicting the
first defeat of the tournament on Andrew Schnell by beating the Canadian
No4 from Calgary 13-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4.
But it was
squad number one Julian Illingworth who clinched the US victory over the
seventh seeds. The world No32 from New York recovered from 2/0 down to beat
career-long rival Shahier Razik, ranked three places higher, 6-11, 3-11,
11-2, 11-0, 11-5 in 64 minutes.
"Todd was
magnificent, despite the fact that he's not had this sort of experience before,"
explained US national coach Paul Assiante afterwards. "The team worked
with him before coming here, the strategy being to try and make him more
aggressive - which wasn't easy for him - but he did it. And after that third
game, he made the change - and that was impressive.
"Julian did a
great job - all the pressure was on him, and one of the most difficult games you
can play is one against someone you're supposed to beat. I thought he was
brilliant and showed a tremendous amount of courage. He's a seasoned pro and,
after coming through the third and fourth games, knew that Shahier would have
something left in the tank for the decider.
"Hats off to
Julian and hats off to the team. Now we're in the quarters against Egypt - it
doesn't get much better than that!"
Defending
champions Egypt did indeed survive their first knockout round to make the
last eight - but the No2 seeds were severely tested by hosts Germany and
the sell-out crowd surrounding the stunning new all-glass court at the
Ahorn-Sportpark.
With each
successful German shot being supported by wild cheering, whistling, stamping and
drumming from the vociferous crowd, it was perhaps no surprise that underdog
Raphael Kandra, the world No125 from Koblenz, took a game from Egypt's world
No9 Mohamed El Shorbagy - and local star Simon Rosner twice led
world No2 Ramy Ashour!
But there was
not be a fairytale ending for the home side as Ashour upped his game to beat
Paderborn-based Rosner, the world No30, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8 to consign
Germany to the lower play-off places.
"Simon played
the best match ever," conceded the 23-year-old from Cairo. "He played with no
pressure, he had nothing to lose. He was on his best day ever - the only thing
he wanted was to beat me!
"The whole
setting here is absolutely amazing, playing squash in front of so many people.
They are making even more noise than in Egypt! It was like Soccer tonight,
Manchester United against Real Madrid or something! And it's good for us, and
it's good for the game," added Ashour.
"I was taken
aback by the support he got - there were a thousand plus Germans shouting, and
that was amazing."
For the second
day in a row, English-born Marcus Berrett played a major part in steering
Italy to unexpected success in the championship. In the third and
deciding match against Mexico, the 35-year-old former world No37 stemmed
a fightback by full-time player Eric Galvez to beat the world No79 11-9,
11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 11-6 - and was immediately engulfed by his joyful Italian
team-mates.
"That's the
biggest piece of drama I've ever been involved in," said Yorkshireman Berrett,
who has lived in Milan for more than six years. "Playing the decider, fighting
back from losing a two-games advantage, then coming back in the final game -
that's the drama of sport. It's why we're involved."
There could
well be three Yorkshiremen in the quarter-final when Italy take on England.
The favourites, with two Yorkshiremen Nick Matthew and James Willstrop
in the squad, brushed aside Hong Kong China in little more than an hour
of playing time.
In the lower
play-off ties, New Zealand rediscovered their winning ways by beating
Korea 3/0. But the experienced Kiwis, seeded 15, were fully stretched by the
fledgling nation making only their second appearance in the event.
New Zealander
Martin Knight, ranked 48 in the world, twice had to recover from fight
backs from Seung Taek Lee before beating the unranked Korean 11-4, 8-11,
11-8, 8-11, 11-0.
"We knew we
were going to be tested - all three players were good, even though we didn't
know much about them," said Paul Hornsby, the new NZ national coach.
"Their racket skills were good and they moved well - we had to play tidy squash
to beat them."
Another
standout clash in the 17th-32nd place play-offs saw 41-year-old Irishman
Derek Ryan notch up his 200th match as Ireland beat Colombia
3/0. Later in the day, in front of the 1000-strong crowd surrounding the
all-glass court, Championship Manager Norman Farthing presented Ryan with
a special cap to mark his record achievement.
Ryan made his
European championship debut for Ireland in 1988 and his world team championship
debut a year later. He has only missed one world championship since, in 2005,
when it clashed with exams he was taking for his current career as a
physiotherapist.
The Dubliner
retired from the World Tour seven years ago after celebrating a career-high
world ranking of 7 in 1999. Winner of 8 Irish national titles, and finalist 15
times, Ryan has won all three matches he has already played in Paderborn.
"I wasn't
expecting this - it's fantastic," said the popular Irishman. "My Dad (Brendan)
will be absolutely chuffed - he's been counting them each year since the
beginning!"
When asked by
the tournament MC how many more championships he expects to play, Ryan
responded: "Loads."
Irish team
manager Ed Dunne told the crowd: "He's been a great ambassador for squash
back home - and always shows squash in a great light."
Last
sixteen round:
[1] ENGLAND bt [17/24] HONG KONG CHINA 3/0
Daryl Selby bt Yip Tsz Fung 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
James Willstrop bt Max Lee 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 (28m)
Peter Barker bt Dick Lau 11-4, 11-5 (15m)
[9] ITALY bt
[10] MEXICO 2/1
Amr Ramsy Swelim bt Erik Tepos Valtierra 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 (23m)
Stephane Galifi lost to Cesar Salazar 5-11, 6-11, 9-11 (49m)
Marcus Berrett bt Eric Galvez 11-9, 11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 11-6 (65m)
[4] AUSTRALIA
bt [14] NETHERLANDS 2/1
Stewart Boswell bt Bart Ravelli 11-2, 11-6, 11-3 (31m)
David Palmer lost to Laurens Jan Anjema 12-10, 4-11, 3-11, 8-11
(72m)
Cameron Pilley bt Piedro Schweertman 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 (26m)
[6] INDIA bt
[17/24] DENMARK 2/0
Harinder Pal Sandhu bt Morten W Sorensen 11-6, 11-1, 11-8 (29m)
Saurav Ghosal bt Kristian Frost Olesen 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9
(66m)
Siddharth Suchde v Rasmus Nielsen (Match withdrawn)
[5] MALAYSIA
bt [11] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan bt Clinton Leeuw 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (34m)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar bt Stephen Coppinger 8-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-6,
11-0 (72m)
Ong Beng Hee bt Shaun le Roux 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 (25m)
[3] FRANCE bt
[13] FINLAND 3/0
Gregoire Marche bt Tatu Knuutila 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 (19m)
Gregory Gaultier bt Olli Tuominen 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (43m)
Mathieu Castagnet bt Henrik Mustonen 8-11, 11-5, 11-4 (32m)
[8] USA bt [7]
CANADA 2/0
Todd Harrity bt Andrew Schnell 13-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 (42m)
Julian Illingworth bt Shahier Razik 6-11, 3-11, 11-2, 11-0, 11-5
(64m)
Christopher Gordon v Shawn Delierre (Match withdrawn)
[2] EGYPT bt
[16] GERMANY 3/0
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Raphael Kandra 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4 (44m)
Ramy Ashour bt Simon Rosner 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8 (62m)
Karim Darwish bt Jens Schoor 11-9, 11-6 (15m)
17th - 32nd
place play-offs:
[17/24] SPAIN bt [25/32] HUNGARY 3/0
David Vidal bt Peter Hoffman 11-3, 12-10, 11-7 (33m)
Borja Golan bt Mark Krajcsak 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro bt Sandor Fulop 11-6, 11-8 (16m)
[17/24]
SCOTLAND bt [25/32] BERMUDA 3/0
Harry Leitch bt Chris Stout 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (26m)
Alan Clyne bt Micah Franklin 11-6, 11-1, 11-1 (22m)
Stuart Crawford bt Robert Maycock 11-3, 11-5 (15m)
[17/24]
ARGENTINA bt [25/32] AUSTRIA 2/1
Juan Pablo Roude bt Andreas Freudensprung 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7
(54m)
Gonzalo Miranda lost to Aqeel Rehman 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 3-11
(54m)
Hernan D'Arcangelo bt Jakob Dirnberger 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6
(38m)
[17/24] KUWAIT
bt [25/32] UKRAINE 3/0
Ali Bader Al-Ramzi bt Valeriy Fedoruk 11-5, 11-9, 11-1 (24m)
Abdullah Al Muzayen bt Ruslan Sorochinskiy 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (29m)
Ammar Al-Tamimi bt Kostiantyn Rybalchenko 11-9, 11-3 (19m)
[12] PAKISTAN
bt [25/32] NAMIBIA 2/0
Nasir Iqbal bt Andrew Forrest 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 (21m)
Aamir Atlas Khan bt Marco Becker 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (20m)
Yasir Butt v Norbert Dorgeloh (Match withdrawn)
[25/32]
IRELAND bt [17/24] COLOMBIA 3/0
Steve Richardson bt Juan Camilo Vargas 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4
(37m)
Arthur Gaskin bt Andres Vargas 12-10, 11-2, 11-8 (38m)
Derek Ryan bt Javier Castilla Conde 11-5 ret. (7m)
[17/24]
SWITZERLAND bt [25/32] SWEDEN 2/1
Lukas Burkhart lost to Joakim Larsson 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 4-11 (47m)
Nicolas Mueller bt Christian Drakenberg 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-3,
11-2 (50m)
Reiko Peter bt Sebastian Victor 14-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 (51m)
[15] NEW
ZEALAND bt [25/32] KOREA 3/0
Paul Coll bt Se Hyun Lee 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 (65m)
Martin Knight bt Seung Taek Lee 11-4, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-0 (53m)
Campbell Grayson bt Seung-Jun Lee 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8 (40m)
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] ENGLAND v [9] ITALY
[4] AUSTRALIA v [6] INDIA
[3] FRANCE v [5] MALAYSIA
[2] EGYPT v [8] USA
9th - 16th
place play-offs:
[10] MEXICO v [17/24] HONG KONG CHINA
[14] NETHERLANDS v [17/24] DENMARK
[11] SOUTH AFRICA v [13] FINLAND
[16] GERMANY v [7] CANADA
17th - 24th
place play-offs:
[17/24] SPAIN v [17/24] SCOTLAND
[17/24] ARGENTINA v [17/24] KUWAIT
[12] PAKISTAN v [25/32] IRELAND
[15] NEW ZEALAND v [17/24] SWITZERLAND
25th - 32nd
place play-offs:
[25/32] HUNGARY v [25/32] BERMUDA
[25/32] AUSTRIA v [25/32] UKRAINE
[17/24] COLOMBIA v [25/32] NAMIBIA
[25/32] KOREA v [25/32] SWEDEN
Denmark Upset
Casts Pakistan Out Of The World Top 16
 Outsiders
Denmark pulled off the biggest upset in the WSF Men's World Team Squash
Championship by beating Pakistan in today's final qualifying round in
the German city of Paderborn - a result which pushes one of the world's
most successful squash nations out of the world's top 16 for the first time in
their history.
The 23rd
staging of the World Squash Federation event - the first senior world
championship since the IOC announcement that Squash is on the shortlist for
Olympic inclusion in 2020 - is taking place in Germany for the first time.
Second string
Yasir Butt put 12th seeds Pakistan ahead at the Ahorn-Sportpark
after surviving a five-game battle with Rasmus Nielsen, beating the
higher-ranked Dane 2-11, 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 in 53 minutes.
But late
call-up Morten Sorenson, a 32-year-old former pro from Copenhagen who last
played for his country in the 1999 championship, played the game of his life to
fight back from 2/0 down to beat 19-year-old full-timer Waqar Mehboob
3-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8.
In a tense
decider, Kristian Frost Olesen sealed the sensational upset by overcoming
Aamir Atlas Khan, the world No23 ranked 42 places higher, 11-2, 9-11,
11-4, 11-9.
"That was a
really big win for us," said Danish national coach Francesco Busi. "We've
been training solidly for the past six weeks - we tried to prepare the best we
could. I'm really happy with the form and condition of the players. We thought
we had the chance to compete with Pakistan, and were disappointed when Rasmus
lost in the fifth.
"Morten played
an amazing game - and the whole team played with heart. I could not be happier."
Sorenson was
on holiday in the south of France 12 days ago when he received the surprise call
from the Danish selectors: "I immediately went to Monaco to train with Gus
Hansen, then back to Denmark to join the rest of the squad.
"I've now
played every day for 12 days - and it's the first time I've done that for 12
years," added the former world No91 who retired from World Tour at the beginning
of last year. "The touch is coming back. We have a really good team spirit. It
was amazing how Kristian finished it off."
Olesen, who
was overwhelmed by his team-mates when he came off court, said: "That was my
biggest victory so far - not just for me, but for my country. It was very
special. The team is amazing and the way we support each other is fantastic -
that makes all the difference."
Pakistan team
manager Wing Commander Irfan Asghar admitted that his team was not up the
challenge: "We are very disappointed, of course, this is not a good result for
our country. I thought my boys were not fit enough to compete against those
boys, especially in those warm and humid conditions."
Italy
and USA were playing for supremacy in Pool H, with just a single seeding
position separating the two nations. And it was Italy - the ninth seeds, led by
players born in France, England and Egypt - who prevailed to win.
Former
Englishman Marcus Berrett, a 35-year-old Yorkshireman once ranked 37 in
the world, led the way with an 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 victory over Christopher
Gordon, the world No80 from New York. Cairo-born Amr Ramsy Swelim
clinched victory after beating Todd Harrity 8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6,
before Stephane Galifi survived a five-game clash against Julian
Illingworth, beating the record seven-time US champion 7-11, 11-4, 11-6,
7-11, 11-9.
"This win was
great for the team's morale," said Italian coach Vinicio Menegozzi. "To
be honest, we feel that we are one of four teams of similar standards -
including USA - but this a great confidence-booster.
"Marcus's win
really opened up the opportunity for us - it was important to get that momentum.
We did well last time in Odense - finishing in seventh place - so it would be
nice to make the top eight again. Stephane has strengthened the team since
then."
Berrett was
delighted with his win over a full-time pro: "I think I played well, though I
was a bit edgy in the end. I don't get too many matches now that I'm not on the
circuit. Once it started, I could feel it was possible to beat him.
"I like being
the underdog - I was often in that position back in England. I use that to take
the pressure off me.
"I've been in
Italy six years - I went there for a life experience, and now and I'm there to
stay. It isn't hard, coming from the grey and drizzle of Halifax! I have two
kids now - the eldest is three, and I'm learning Italian from her!"
Hosts
Germany gave the capacity crowd surrounding the stunning all-glass showcourt
the result they wanted over rivals Spain. Second and third strings
Jens Schoor and Andre Haschker played the games of their lives to
beat Spaniards Alejandro Garbi Caro and David Vidal, respectively,
before squad number one Simon Rosner made it a clean sweep over Borja
Golan, beating the experienced former world No10 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 - his
first ever win over the Spanish No1.
"I never
expected something like this after the first two matches," said a jubilant
German team manager Oliver Pettke. "It was my dream that we would win the
deciding tie 2/0 so that it would take the pressure off Simon.
"Both Jens and
Andre played the best I have ever seen them. It's good for the tournament that
we have another match on the glass court.
"I'm
speechless, and very proud of the team. They are very focussed, which makes it
very easy."
Former
champions Australia played their first match on the glass court - beating
Finland 2/1 to take top honours in Pool D. Aussie stalwart Stewart
Boswell, the world No21, put his team into the lead after beating Henrik
Mustonen, a 20-year-old ranked almost 40 places lower.
"I probably
needed a hard game to get me into the tournament - but not that hard," said the
33-year-old former world No4.
Final
qualifying round - Pool A:
[16] GERMANY bt [17/24] SPAIN 3/0
Jens Schoor bt Alejandro Garbi Caro 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 (22m)
Andre Haschker bt David Vidal 11-5, 11-7, 11-0 (35m)
Simon Rosner bt Borja Golan 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (35m)
[1] ENGLAND bt [25/32] IRELAND 3/0
Peter Barker bt Steve Richardson 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (49m)
Daryl Selby bt Conor O'Hare 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (23m)
Nick Matthew bt Arthur Gaskin 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (36m)
Final positions: 1 England, 2 Germany, 3 Spain, 4 Ireland
Pool B:
[2] EGYPT bt [15] NEW ZEALAND 3/0
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Evan Williams 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (26m)
Hisham Mohamed Ashour bt Paul Coll 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (25m)
Karim Darwish bt Martin Knight 11-4, 12-10, 11-5 (37m)
[17/24] HONG KONG CHINA bt [25/32] SWEDEN 3/0
Dick Lau bt Sebastian Victor 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7 (56m)
Yip Tsz Fung bt Alex Christensson 11-6, 16-14, 11-3
Max Lee bt Christian Drakenberg 11-2, 11-6, 11-2 (26m)
Final positions: 1 Egypt, 2 Hong Kong China, 3 New Zealand, 4 Sweden
Pool C:
[3] FRANCE bt [25/32] KOREA 3/0
Mathieu Castagnet bt Seung Taek Lee 11-2, 11-1, 11-3 (23m)
Gregoire Marche bt Seung-Jun Lee 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (31m)
Thierry Lincou bt Nyeon-Ho Lee 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 (34m)
[14] NETHERLANDS bt [17/24] ARGENTINA 2/1
Dylan Bennett lost to Hernan D'Arcangelo 11-13, 11-8, 6-11, 10-12
(42m)
Piedro Schweertman bt Roberto Pezzota 12-10, 6-11, 11-3, 11-8
(44m)
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Gonzalo Miranda 11-5, 11-0, 11-3 (28m)
Final positions: 1 France, 2 Netherlands, 3 Argentina, 4 Korea
Pool D:
[4] AUSTRALIA bt [13] FINLAND 2/1
Stewart Boswell bt Henrik Mustonen 11-5, 11-4, 3-11, 11-8 (44m)
Aaron Frankcomb bt Matias Tuomi 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 (36m)
Cameron Pilley lost to Olli Tuominen 8-11, 9-11, 4-11 (39m)
[17/24] COLOMBIA bt [25/32] BERMUDA 3/0
Javier Castilla Conde bt Robert Maycock 5-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6
(38m)
Juan Camilo Vargas bt Chris Stout 13-11, 11-8, 11-6 (25m)
Andres Vargas bt Micah Franklin 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (25m)
Final positions: 1 Australia, 2 Finland, 3 Colombia, 4 Bermuda
Pool E:
[5] MALAYSIA bt [25/32] AUSTRIA 3/0
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan bt Jakob Dirnberger 11-6, 11-1, 12-10 (30m)
Kamran Khan bt Andreas Freudensprung 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4 (39m)
Ong Beng Hee bt Aqeel Rehman 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
[17/24] DENMARK bt [12] PAKISTAN 2/1
Rasmus Nielsen lost to Yasir Butt 11-2, 4-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11
(53m)
Morten W Sorensen bt Waqar Mehboob 3-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8
(47m)
Kristian Frost Olesen bt Aamir Atlas Khan 11-2, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9
(39m)
Final positions: 1 Malaysia, 2 Denmark, 3 Pakistan, 4 Austria
Pool F:
[17/24] KUWAIT bt [25/32] HUNGARY 3/0
Ammar Al-Tamimi bt Marton Szaboky 11-0, 11-3, 11-2 (28m)
Ali Bader Al-Ramzi bt Peter Hoffman 11-6, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3 (55m)
Abdullah Al Muzayen bt Mark Krajcsak 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (27m)
[6] INDIA bt [11] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Siddharth Suchde bt Shaun le Roux 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-1, 11-6
(80m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu bt Clinton Leeuw 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8
(83m)
Saurav Ghosal bt Stephen Coppinger 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
Final positions: 1 India, 2 South Africa, 3 Kuwait, 4 Hungary
Pool G:
[7] CANADA bt [25/32] NAMIBIA 3/0
Andrew McDougall bt Andrew Forrest 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (28m)
Andrew Schnell bt Angelo Titus 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (22m)
Shawn Delierre bt Marco Becker 6-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8, 11-2 (47m)
[10] MEXICO bt [17/24] SCOTLAND 2/1
Eric Galvez bt Stuart Crawford 10-12, 11-1, 11-7, 11-1 (53m)
Erik Tepos Valtierra lost to Chris Small 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 10-12,
7-11 (71m)
Cesar Salazar bt Alan Clyne 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (58m)
Final positions: 1 Canada, 2 Mexico, 3 Scotland, 4 Namibia
Pool H:
[17/24] SWITZERLAND bt [25/32] UKRAINE 3/0
Reiko Peter bt Kostiantyn Rybalchenko 11-6, 11-3, 11-9 (27m)
Lukas Burkhart bt Denys Podvornyi 11-2, 13-11, 13-11 (40m)
Nicolas Mueller bt Ruslan Sorochinskiy 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (18m)
[9] ITALY bt [8] USA 3/0
Marcus Berrett bt Christopher Gordon 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 (37m)
Amr Ramsy Swelim bt Todd Harrity 8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6 (42m)
Stephane Galifi bt Julian Illingworth 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9
(44m)
Final positions: 1 Italy, 2 USA, 3 Switzerland, 4 Ukraine
Last sixteen
round:
[1] ENGLAND v [17/24] HONG KONG CHINA
[9] ITALY v [10] MEXICO
[4] AUSTRALIA v [14] NETHERLANDS
[6] INDIA v [17/24] DENMARK
[5] MALAYSIA v [11] SOUTH AFRICA
[3] FRANCE v [13] FINLAND
[7] CANADA v [8] USA
[2] EGYPT v [16] GERMANY
Matthew
Avenges Defeat To Lead England To Victory Over Hosts Germany
 Just two years
after an ankle injury against the German number one caused Nick Matthew
to pull out of the WSF Men's World Team Squash Championship - and his team to
finish an all-time low fourth - the Yorkshireman avenged his loss to Simon
Rosner in today's second qualifying round of the 2011 championship in
Paderborn to lead favourites England to victory over hosts Germany.
The 23rd
staging of the World Squash Federation event - the first senior world
championship since the IOC announcement that Squash is on the shortlist for
Olympic inclusion in 2020 - is taking place in Germany for the first time.
The tie was
played out on a spectacular new, more TV-friendly, blue all-glass showcourt at
the city's Ahorn-Sportpark - surrounded on all four sides by a sell-out crowd of
1,000, 99% of whom were cheering every single winning shot by the German side.
Top strings
Matthew and Rosner opened the proceedings - and, despite having three game-balls
in the opener, the English world number one went down 13-11 to Rosner, much to
the ecstatic delight of the crowd.
Rosner, ranked
a career-high 30 in the world, continued to battle on - but Matthew soon gained
the upper hand before closing out the match 11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.
"I had goose
pimples walking onto court - it was like a World Open final," said Matthew after
his 76-minute win - his second longest match in five world team championships'
appearances since 2003.
"The crowd was
fantastic. I've played squash all around the world for many years now and think
it's probably the best crowd I've ever played in front of," added the
31-year-old from Sheffield.
"We came here
to win - and playing in this atmosphere has been a fantastic introduction to
what we can expect throughout the week."
Rosner,
enjoying the dream of leading his country in a world championship in his own
home club, was equally overcome by the atmosphere: "The crowd were unbelievable.
I tried my best, but he is the number one player in the world.
"I am pleased
with the way I am playing - my aim is to get into the top 20 in the next 12
months."
James
Willstrop,
the world No4 from Leeds, clinched England's second win in two days with an
11-5, 11-5, 11-6 win over Raphael Kandra, the German No3, before Londoner
Peter Barker made it a clean sweep by defeating Andre Haschker
11-6, 11-6, 11-5.
Third seeds
France, runners-up in the 2009 championship in Denmark, triumphed on the
all-glass showcourt earlier in the day, beating 14th seeds Netherlands 3/0.
Gregory
Gaultier,
the world No6 from Aix-en-Provence, put France ahead with an 11-3, 11-6, 11-2
defeat of six-time Dutch champion Laurens Jan Anjema before 35-year-old
French stalwart Thierry Lincou sealed victory after beating Piedro
Schweertman 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.
In his maiden
world team championship match for his country, Mathieu Castagnet defeated
Bart Ravelli 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 to give France maximum points.
National coach
Andre Delhoste was pleased with France's progress: "So far it's looking good -
we're getting in shape. We're trying to focus on the task ahead - which is to
reach the semi-finals."
Lincou, who
achieved a notable milestone this month when he completed 10 full years in the
world's top ten, was delighted to be back at the venue of one of his earliest
squash successes: "I was here 21 years ago. I was 14 years old and playing No3
for France. I won all my games and was named player of the day!
"It's always
good to come here, everything is always well-organised and we can feel a great
atmosphere."
French number
one Gaultier was overwhelmed by the new court: "It's the first time I have
played on a court this colour - and it's even better. You can see the ball
really well and there's much more support on the floor, which is even better for
our legs and knees.
"It's the best
court I have ever played on, by far. ASB do great work on thinking about the
future, with new inventions. With all the lights around the court, it makes it
very special - I have never seen anything like this before - it's great for the
presentation of squash. It's these small details that make such a difference.
Canada rookie
Andrew Schnell averted a significant upset when he battled back from 2/0
and 6/2 down to beat more experienced Erik Tepos Valtierra 6-11, 6-11,
11-8, 11-3, 11-7 as sixth seeds Canada fought off Mexico, the No10 seeds, 2/1.
Underdogs
Mexico took an early lead when Cesar Salazar, a 23-year-old from San Luis
Potosi who is leading the squad in the absence of his injured twin brother
Arturo Salazar, beat higher-ranked Canadian campaigner Shahier Razik
in straight games.
Shawn
Delierre
restored order for the sixth seeds by beating former Mexican number one Eric
Galvez 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 - before Valtierra stormed to a commanding
lead over 19-year-old Canadian senior international debutante Schnell.
"It's
definitely right up there," replied a jubilant Schnell when asked if that was
the biggest win of his life. "Coming back from two games down was special - and
especially to do it for Canada. I'm so proud to do it for my country.
"I finally did
what my coaches told me to do - be patient," explained the Calgary-based
teenager who had also clinched the decider only 24 hours earlier against
Scotland.
"After
yesterday, I knew I could win a decider - and that took the pressure off. But
the key thing was patience.
"Oh - and I
changed my shirt after the third game!"
Canadian
national coach Yvon Provencal was hugely impressed with his new squad member:
"The kid's a good learner - he's willing to learn and in the last year his game
has improved enormously.
"We kept on
telling him what to do - and he did it. He's someone with tremendous potential
and that's why he's here."
2nd qualifying
round - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt
[16] GERMANY 3/0
Nick Matthew bt Simon Rosner 11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (76m)
James Willstrop bt Raphael Kandra 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Peter Barker bt Andre Haschker 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (43m)
[17/24] SPAIN
bt [25/32] IRELAND 2/1
Borja Golan bt Arthur Gaskin 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (27m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro lost to Derek Ryan 11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 6-11
(58m)
David Vidal bt Steve Richardson 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (35m)
Pool B:
[2] EGYPT bt
[17/24] HONG KONG CHINA 3/0
Karim Darwish bt Max Lee 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7 (40m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Dick Lau 11-1, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Hisham Mohamed Ashour bt Yip Tsz Fung 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (22m)
[15] NEW
ZEALAND bt [25/32] SWEDEN 3/0
Martin Knight bt Christian Drakenberg 15-13, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8
(66m)
Campbell Grayson bt Sebastian Victor 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 (37m)
Paul Coll bt Joakim Larsson 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (31m)
Pool C:
[3] FRANCE bt
[14] NETHERLANDS 3/0
Gregory Gaultier bt Laurens Jan Anjema 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 (40m)
Thierry Lincou bt Piedro Schweertman 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
Mathieu Castagnet bt Bart Ravelli 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (35m)
[17/24]
ARGENTINA bt [25/32] KOREA 3/0
Gonzalo Miranda bt Nyeon-Ho Lee 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 (34m)
Hernan D'Arcangelo bt Seung Taek Lee 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (29m)
Roberto Pezzota bt Se Hyun Lee 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9 (51m)
Pool D:
[4] AUSTRALIA
bt [17/24] COLOMBIA 3/0
David Palmer bt Andres Vargas 11-3, 11-9, 11-4 (22m)
Stewart Boswell bt Javier Castilla Conde 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 (29m)
Aaron Frankcomb bt Jairo Navarro 11-1, 11-0, 11-1 (22m)
[13] FINLAND
bt [25/32] BERMUDA 3/0
Olli Tuominen bt Micah Franklin 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (20m)
Henrik Mustonen bt Robert Maycock 11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (17m)
Matias Tuomi bt Chris Stout 11-2, 11-2, 11-5 (18m)
Pool E:
[5] MALAYSIA
bt [12] PAKISTAN 3/0
Mohd Azlan Iskandar bt Aamir Atlas Khan 11-3, 11-8, 11-3 (31m)
Ong Beng Hee bt Yasir Butt 11-2, 11-9, 13-11 (33m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan bt Nasir Iqbal 13-11, 18-16, 11-6 (53m)
[17/24]
DENMARK bt [25/32] AUSTRIA 2/1
Kristian Frost Olesen bt Aqeel Rehman 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 (49m)
Rasmus Nielsen bt Leopold Czaska 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 (21m)
Morten Sorensen lost to Jakob Dirnberger 5-11, 11-7, 2-11, 1-11
(25m)
Pool F:
[6] INDIA bt
[17/24] KUWAIT 3/0
Saurav Ghosal bt Abdullah Al Muzayen 7-11, 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 (39m)
Siddharth Suchde bt Ammar Al-Tamimi 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (30m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu bt Ali Bader Al-Ramzi 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (24m)
[11] SOUTH
AFRICA bt [25/32] HUNGARY 3/0
Stephen Coppinger bt Mark Krajcsak 11-3, 11-8, 11-1 (37m)
Shaun le Roux bt Marton Szaboky 11-3, 11-5, 11-1 (36m)
Rodney Durbach bt Sandor Fulop 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (36m)
Pool G:
[7] CANADA bt
[10] MEXICO 2/1
Shahier Razik lost to Cesar Salazar 5-11, 9-11, 5-11 (52m)
Shawn Delierre bt Eric Galvez 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (66m)
Andrew Schnell bt Erik Tepos Valtierra 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3,
11-7 (60m)
[17/24]
SCOTLAND bt [25/32] NAMIBIA 3/0
Alan Clyne bt Marco Becker 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (22m)
Stuart Crawford bt Andrew Forrest 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 (23m)
Harry Leitch bt Angelo Titus 11-2, 11-1, 11-3 (19m)
Pool H:
[8] USA bt
[17/24] SWITZERLAND 2/1
Julian Illingworth lost to Nicolas Mueller 8-11, 4-11, 5-11 (31m)
Gilly Lane bt Reiko Peter 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (35m)
Christopher Gordon bt John Williams 11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9 (48m)
[9] ITALY bt
[25/32] UKRAINE 3/0
Davide Bianchetti bt Ruslan Sorochinskiy 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (36m)
Marcus Berrett bt Kostiantyn Rybalchenko 11-7, 11-1, 11-2 (24m)
Amr Ramsy Swelim bt Valeriy Fedoruk 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 (23m)
Hosts Germany
Tested By Ireland In World Team Opener
Veteran
Irishman Derek Ryan, a 41-year-old who retired from the World Tour seven
years ago, pulled off a stunning win in the opening tie of the WSF Men's
World Team Squash Championship which looked set to upset hosts Germany
in front of a capacity crowd at the Ahorn-Sportpark in the city of
Paderborn.
The 23rd
staging of the World Squash Federation event - the first senior world
championship since the IOC announcement that Squash is on the shortlist for
Olympic inclusion in 2020 - is taking place in Germany for the first time.
Ryan, a former
world No7 and the oldest competitor in the championship, despatched German
number two Jens Schoor, a 24-year-old from Koblenz ranked 86 in the
world, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 in 43 minutes.
But the hosts'
top string Simon Rosner soon righted the ship. The 23-year-old world No30
from Paderborn - a member of the club and championship ambassador - beat the
Irish number one Arthur Gaskin 11-5, 11-2, 11-8.
With the crowd
cheering every single winning German point, the hosts' fourth string Andre
Haschker took to the court in a do-or-die battle with another veteran
Steve Richardson, a 38-year-old who has been an Irish international since
the early 90s.
All the games
were close, but it was Haschker who became the toast of Paderborn when he beat
Richardson 11-9, 14-12, 11-8 in 45 minutes to give Germany a popular 2/1 tie
victory.
"I thought I
had a chance - I love playing on the glass court, it takes me back to the old
days," said Ryan after his opening match upset. "I had a strategy and kept to
it. I was pleased with the way I played - I was moving well."
When asked if,
now that he is a full-time physiotherapist in Dublin, he still has the chance to
play a lot of squash, Ryan said: "I played in the Europeans in April, but I
haven't really played much since, apart from some recent squad sessions with our
new coach Hadrian Stiff.
"My saving
grace has been where I work in Dublin, where a group of us get together at
6.00am a couple of days a week and do two intense 45-minute workouts. If it
wasn't for that, I don't think I'd be in the shape I'm in.
"I first
played in the world team championships in 1989 and have only missed one since
then - in 2005, when I was taking my physio exams. This match gave me my 198th
cap - and hopefully I'll make 200 while I'm here!"
Richardson, an
experienced international despite the fact that he has never been a full-time
pro, was disappointed with his performance: "I had a chance - we had a chance.
Both the first two games were really close - and the second game was crucial.
I'm really disappointed.
"I was playing
well, but I was about 10% off when I needed to be there."
Simon
Rosner
was understandably delighted with the outcome, and the support of the crowd:
"It's just amazing - the crowds, the setting, the court, the atmosphere, it's
unbelievable. It's how you wish all tournaments could be.
"Having a
tournament like this in your country is great, and your town even better - but
at your home club is incredible. It can't get any better than this," said the
top-ranked German.
"Everybody has
really come together for this - from the government down to the club - and the
result is fantastic. I'm really happy - especially to win today after the
disappointing start. Now we look forward to playing England tomorrow, then
Spain, and hope to finish in the top two in the group."
Top seeds
England and Egypt both comfortably overcame their first qualifying
opponents. England, the favourites, beat Spain 3/0 - though top string
James Willstrop, the world No4, dropped a game against Spaniard Borja
Golan.
Egypt
entertained the exuberant glass-court crowd who had earlier seen home team
Germany come through. The defending champions, seeded two, saw off Sweden
3/0.
And the
title-holders will now face Hong Kong China, who secured the day's only
upset by beating 15th seeds New Zealand. A 63-minute see-sawing first
match saw the 17/24 seeds pull ahead when Dick Lau beat Kiwi Campbell
Grayson 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7.
And it was top
string Max Lee, the Hong Kong champion, who clinched the unexpected
victory by beating higher-ranked Martin Knight 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7.
Leo Au made it a clean sweep when he defeated left-hander Evan Williams
12-10, 11-5, 11-7.
"It could have
gone either way," conceded team coach Abdul Faheem Khan, a former Hong
Kong international. "Dick played really well to get us off to a good start and I
thought Max could beat Martin as they've been training a lot together recently -
and although Max has never beaten him before in a tournament, I think he knew he
could do it.
"Now we've got
Egypt, and that will give us some good matches. But I can't say we're in a
particularly tough pool - I think all the pools are tough."
Qualifying
rounds - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [17/24] SPAIN 3/0
Peter Barker bt Ivan Flores 11-2, 11-5, 11-8 (26m)
James Willstrop bt Borja Golan 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (53m)
Daryl Selby bt David Vidal 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
[16] GERMANY bt [25/32] IRELAND 2/1
Jens Schoor lost to Derek Ryan 8-11, 6-11, 8-11 (43m)
Simon Rosner bt Arthur Gaskin 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (42m)
Andre Haschker bt Steve Richardson 11-9, 14-12, 11-8 (45m)
Pool B:
[2] EGYPT bt [25/32] SWEDEN 3/0
Karim Darwish bt Sebastian Victor 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (26m)
Ramy Ashour bt Christian Drakenberg 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (24m)
Hisham Mohamed Ashour bt Joakim Larsson 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (24m)
[17/24] HONG KONG CHINA bt [15] NEW ZEALAND 3/0
Dick Lau bt Campbell Grayson 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 (63m)
Max Lee bt Martin Knight 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 (53m)
Leo Au bt Evan Williams 12-10, 11-5, 11-7 (24m)
Pool C:
[3] FRANCE bt [17/24] ARGENTINA 3/0
Thierry Lincou bt Hernan D'Arcangelo 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 (27m)
Gregory Gaultier bt Gonzalo Miranda 11-1, 11-3, 11-1 (20m)
Gregoire Marche bt Juan Pablo Roude 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (32m)
[14] NETHERLANDS bt [25/32] KOREA 3/0
Dylan Bennett bt Seung Taek Lee 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6 (32m)
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Nyeon-Ho Lee 11-2, 11-8, 11-1 (27m)
Piedro Schweertman bt Seung-Jun Lee 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 (32m)
Pool D:
[4] AUSTRALIA bt [25/32] BERMUDA 3/0
Stewart Boswell bt Robert Maycock 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (17m)
Cameron Pilley bt Micah Franklin 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
Aaron Frankcomb bt Chris Stout 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 (20m)
[13] FINLAND bt [17/24] COLOMBIA 3/0
Henrik Mustonen bt Javier Castilla Conde 12-10, 12-10, 11-4 (31m)
Olli Tuominen bt Andres Vargas 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (28m)
Matias Tuomi bt Juan Camilo Vargas 11-3, 13-11, 11-7 (29m)
Pool E:
[5] MALAYSIA bt [17/24] DENMARK 3/0
Ong Beng Hee bt Rasmus Nielsen 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10 (45m)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar bt Kristian Frost Olesen 11-5, 11-9, 11-8
(48m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan bt Morten Sorensen 11-7, 6-11, 11-2, 11-8
(37m)
[12] PAKISTAN bt [25/32] AUSTRIA 3/0
Yasir Butt bt Leopold Czaska 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (21m)
Aamir Atlas Khan bt Aqeel Rehman 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-1
(53m)
Nasir Iqbal bt Jakob Dirnberger 12-10, 11-2, 11-2 (25m)
Pool F:
[6] INDIA bt [25/32] HUNGARY 3/0
Siddharth Suchde bt Sandor Fulop 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (30m)
Saurav Ghosal bt Marton Szaboky 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (28m)
Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Peter Hoffman 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 (25m)
[11] SOUTH AFRICA bt [17/24] KUWAIT 3/0
Shaun le Roux bt Ammar Al-Tamimi 11-9, 11-2, 8-11, 10-12, 11-2
(62m)
Stephen Coppinger bt Abdullah Al Muzayen 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (38m)
Clinton Leeuw bt Ali Bader Al-Ramzi 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (26m)
Pool G:
[7] CANADA bt [17/24] SCOTLAND 2/1
Shawn Delierre bt Stuart Crawford 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (46m)
Shahier Razik lost to Alan Clyne 6-11, 11-4, 11-6, 4-11, 10-12
(81m)
Andrew Schnell bt Chris Small 12-10, 11-7, 11-4 (38m)
[10] MEXICO bt [25/32] NAMIBIA 3/0
Eric Galvez bt Norbert Dorgeloh 11-0, 11-8, 11-7 (23m)
Cesar Salazar bt Marco Becker 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (23m)
Erik Tepos Valtierra bt Andrew Forrest 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 (22m)
Pool H:
[8] USA bt [25/32] UKRAINE 3/0
Christopher Gordon bt Kostiantyn Rybalchenko 11-1, 11-7, 11-3
(22m)
Julian Illingworth bt Ruslan Sorochinskiy 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (26m)
Todd Harrity bt Denys Podvornyi 11-8, 11-1, 11-4 (26m)
[9] ITALY bt [17/24] SWITZERLAND 2/1
Davide Bianchetti bt Reiko Peter 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 (34m)
Stephane Galifi lost to Nicolas Mueller 14-16, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8,
5-11 (62m)
Marcus Berrett bt John Williams 11-7, 11-7, 11-1 (27m)
WSF World Team
Championship Opens In Spectacular Style in Paderborn
The arrival of
the German, World Squash Federation and Paderborn Squash Club flags, dropped
into the gardens of the famous Water Castle in Schloss Neuhaus by a
parachute team, signalled the opening of the 23rd WSF Men's World Team Squash
Championship in the German city of Paderborn.
A
record-equalling 32 nations are competing for the World Squash Federation
title at the Ahorn-Sportpark in Paderborn, from 21-27 August, as the
sport presents its first senior world championship since the IOC announcement
that Squash is on the shortlist for Olympic inclusion in 2020.
After the
introduction of distinguished guests - including WSF President N Ramachandran,
Paderborn Burgermeister Heinz Paus and the President of the German Squash
Federation Wolfgang Bauriedel - local band Bahn-Orchester Altenbeken
led the officiating referees and participating teams into the arena.
The long
procession was rounded off by hosts Germany, led by championship
ambassador Simon Rosner, the German number one who hails from Paderborn.
"Paderborn is
proud to host these championships and grateful to the WSF for the decision to
bring the first men's world championship to be held in German to our city," said
Mayor Paus. "The historic city of Paderborn is not only known as a university
city and a city of culture, but also a city of sport, and we are proud that
Paderborn Squash Club are winners of the European Club Championships five
times."
Mr
Ramachandran praised the hosts for the superbly-organised championship: "The WSF
is mounting a bid to get the one slot available to a new sport in 2020 Olympic
Games - and we have invited IOC members to this superb presentation, where I am
sure they will see squash in a new light," said the WSF President. "The
organisers here have set the bar really high here - they have given us a real
showpiece."
Event
ambassador Simon Rosner admitted that he had been talking to fellow
players on the Tour about the championship in his home city for a long time: "I
am proud of this fantastic event that has brought the best players in the world
to my city. But now it's time for us to deliver - and I can't wait."
After a
performance of the Championship song 'Somos Estrellas' by Ritmo 69, Rosner then
invited President Ramachandran and Mayor Paus back to the podium to officially
declare the championship open.
Top Squash
Stars Head For World Glory In Germany
A star-studded
international field led by all but one of the top 15 squash players in the world
will line up in the WSF Men's World Team Championship next week as a
record-equalling 32 nations compete for the prestigious World Squash
Federation title in Germany.
All the action
will take place at the Ahorn-Sportpark in Paderborn, from 21-27
August, as the sport presents its first senior world championship since the IOC
announcement that Squash is on the shortlist for Olympic inclusion in 2020.
England,
winners of the title four times since 1995, have been named as top seeds - ahead
of defending champions Egypt, winners of the trophy second time in the
2009 championship in Denmark.
But this
year's favourites came an all-time low fourth in Odense after top string Nick
Matthew, now the world number one, suffered an ankle injury during an early
qualifying tie against Germany.
England, led
again by Matthew, will again line up against hosts Germany, the 16th
seeds, in the Pool A qualifying group - with Spain and Ireland.
Meanwhile
Egypt, led by world No2 Ramy Ashour, will line up against 15th seeds
New Zealand, Hong Kong China and Sweden in Pool B.
"Thirty two
nations, a fantastic venue, great presentation, great passion," said WSF
President N Ramachandran, who will be attending the championship.
"This
championship illustrates so clearly why we feel we should be considered for a
place at the Olympic table."
The 2011 World
Team Championship, the 23rd staging of the biennial event since 1967, will be
held in Germany for the first time. Christian Wulff, President of the
Federal Republic of Germany, is the Patron of the Championship.
Full Pool
line-up (with seeding in brackets):
POOL A: England (1), Germany (16), Spain, Ireland
POOL B: Egypt (2), New Zealand (15), Hong Kong China, Sweden
POOL C: France (3), Netherlands (14), Argentina, Korea
POOL D: Australia (4), Finland (13), Colombia, Bermuda
POOL E: Malaysia (5), Pakistan (12), Denmark, Austria
POOL F: India (6), South Africa (11), Kuwait, Hungary
POOL G: Canada (7), Mexico (10), Scotland, Namibia
POOL H: USA (8), Italy (9), Switzerland, Ukraine
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