| REST OF WORLD CLINCH
SERIES AT NOTTINGHAM British Champion Lee
Beachill led the Rest of the World to an emphatic 3-1
win over France in the third (3rd) and final Test Match in
Nottingham to clinch the series after two
previous draws in the Test Matches held at
Lee-on-Solent & Pontefract.
In his second appearance in the three match series, Beachill
showed a capacity crowd that he had recovered fully from his
abductor injury, caused whilst competing in the
recent Pakistan Open, and overcame a spirited
performance from Lavigne, winning 9-2 9-6 10-9 in 28 minutes.
Beachill's win earned the Rest of the World a two-nil lead after
World Junior No1 James Willstrop had
earlier won convincingly against former French
National Champion Jean-Michel Arcucci.
Thierry Lincou secured what proved to be a consolation victory for
the French team by overcoming England's Simon
Parke 9-4 6-9 9-3 6-9 9-6.
In the final match of the evening and series, World No5 Stewart
Boswell secured an expected victory over
nineteen-year-old former European Junior
Champion Gregory Gaultier, but not before a titanic struggle.
Gaultier secured the first two games with a
dynamic combination of power, amazing retrieval
and subtle attacking angles at the front of the court. Boswell,
eventually overcame his opponent in 51 minutes without ever
looking comfortable or controlling a highly motivated and
imaginative opponent.
France, who fielded their strongest possible team in all three Test
Matches, will next compete as a national team in the European Team
Championships in Boblingen, Germany, in May.
REST OF THE WORLD DRAW
2ND
TEST MATCH AGAINST FRANCE.
For the second successive evening, the Rest of the World tied an
Official Test Match with France to ensure that
both teams go into the final Test at Nottingham
Squash Club tomorrow (Saturday 6th April) with honours even.
France, again represented by their strongest possible team,
thrilled a packed gallery to a dramatic
fight-back.
Former England No1 Simon Parke recorded the first win for the Rest of
the World with a typically competitive
display against Renan Lavigne in the evening's
opening match. Parke, who recently returned to the PSA World Tour after
undergoing surgery to his left angle,
showed that he has lost none of his trademark speed and agility,
controlling large sections of the match with persistent length
and subtle changes of pace, winning 9-6 4-9 9-2
9-6.
In his first competitive match since injuring an abductor in the
recent
Pakistan Open, British Champion Lee Beachill demonstrated his return
to fitness with a clinical display of
precision squash against former French Champion
Jean-Michel Arcucci. After a cautious first game, Beachill quickly
grew in confidence, covering the court with increased fluidity, and
working his opponent to all corners of the
court with an extravagant range of all-court
winners. His opponent, despite a valiant attempt to counter
attack with straight drops on both backhand and forehand sides,
could find no answer to his opponents
greater overall supremacy, losing in
thirty-three (33) minutes 9-4 9-3 9-4.
French No1 Thierry Lincou and Rest of the World's Nick Taylor,
both renowned for their gracious movement
around the court,
provided an entertaining third match of the
evening of the highest possible quality. World
No4 Lincou sought to take the ball early at every
opportunity, and an overall greater
level of consistency brought its reward with a
three-games-to-one victory.
The final match of the evening pitched the World's No1 Junior
James Willstrop against last years European
Junior Champion Gregory Gaultier. The French
No2 entered the court to the theme music of Mission Impossible,
which was followed by a rousing five minute standing ovation
for local hero. Gaultier, unfazed by the
electric atmosphere, countered every thing the
young Englishman could throw at him with breathtaking retrieval and
polished racket skills. Despite losing the second game, Gaultier
eventually prevailed in forty-three (43)
minutes.
MATCH ONE
Rest of the World tied the 1st Official Test Match against France
held at Lee-on-Solent Squash Club, England on the 4th April.
France, represented by their strongest possible team,
fought for every point and deserved to go into
the second match of a three Test Match series
with honours even. A capacity crowd witnessed a spirited performance from
a well prepared and determined French team.
In the evenings opening match, England's Peter Barker lost to France's
experienced former National Champion Jean-Michel Arcucci 2-9 8-10
9-5 7-9.
Paul Johnson, despite winning the opening game of his encounter
with Renan Lavigne, failed to contain a
determined and energetic challenge, losing in
forty-seven (47) minutes 9-5 9-10 7-9 7-9.
The third match of the evening pitched Australia's World No12 Anthony
Ricketts against Gregory Gaultier - both
considered to have the potential to be
contenders for the future World number one position.
Nineteen-year-old Gaultier started the stronger, winning the
opening game 9-7, but his Australian opponent
rallied hard throughout the remainder of a
fiercely fought match and eventually earned a three-games-to-one victory
7-9 9-5 9-5 9-6.
To tie the match, Rest of the World captain Stewart Boswell gave a
dazzling display of world-class squash and at
times left the packed audience gasping in
admiration as time and again the young Australian attacked the front of
the court with deadly accuracy. In another fiercely competitive
match, with no quarter given by either player,
Boswell won in increasing entertaining fashion
6-9 9-7 9-5 10-9.
The second & third Test Matches will be held at Pontefract Squash Club in
Yorkshire on the 5th April and Nottingham Squash Club on Saturday
6th April respectively.
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Boswell leads RoW v France |
Match 3, Nottingham
REST OF THE WORLD 3 - FRANCE 1
Simon Parke [ROW] lost to Thierry Lincou [Fra]
4-9 9-6 3-9 9-6 6-9
Stewart Boswell bt Gregory Gaultier [Fran
7-9 7-9 9-4 9-4 9-3
Lee Beachill [ROW] bt Renan Lavigne [Fra]
9-2 9-6 10-9
James Willstrop [ROW] bt Jean-Michel Arcucci [Fra]
9-5 9-3 7-9 9-5
Match 2 - Pontefract
REST OF THE WORLD 2 - FRANCE 2
Nick Taylor [ROW] lost to Thierry Lincou [Fra]
8-10 6-9 9-3 4-9
James Willstrop [ROW] lost to Gregory Gaultier [Fra]
5-9 9-3 2-9 5-9
Simon Parke [ROW] bt Renan Lavigne [Fra]
9-6 4-9 9-2 9-6
Lee Beachill [ROW] bt Jean-Michel Arcucci [Fra]
9-4 9-3 9-4
Match 1 - Lee on Solent
REST OF THE WORLD 2 - FRANCE 2
Stewart Boswell [ROW] bt Thierry Lincou [Fra]
6-9 9-7 9-5 10-9
Anthony Ricketts [ROW] bt Gregory Gaultier [Fra]
7-9 9-5 9-5 9-6
Paul Johnson [ROW] lost to Renan Lavigne [Fra]
9-5 9-10 7-9 7-9
Peter Barker [ROW] lost to Jean-Michel Arcucci
[Fra]
2-9 8-10 9-5 7-9
For further information and to purchase tickets,
contact:
4th April:
Lee-on-Solent T & SC
Lindsey Parker
Tel: (02392) 550381
5th April:
Pontefract Squash Club
Michael Todd
Tel: (01977) 793333
6th April:
Nottingham Squash Club
Phil Songhurst
Tel: (0115) 941 7022
"The Test Match series, supported by Dunlop, e-Squash, Hi-Tec
and SquashDiscount.com will provide an
opportunity for British squash fans to see the
highly rated and talented French team play against the World's very
best" said Dunlop's Squash Marketing Manager Paul Walters. "The
three match series has generated a great deal
of media interest, and we are confident that the
three Tests will produce squash of the highest calibre."
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