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National Racketball Championships
2009
Edgbaston Priory Club
Sir Harry’s Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2UZ
Tel: 0121 440 2492
8th - 10th May 2009
 

Ted Jeal, Daryl Selby, Lauren Selby and Laura Hill,
2009 Open finalists
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Daryl Selby justified his claim that he was unbeatable in Britain when he won the National Racketball Championships for a fifth time against Kent’s Ted Jeal at Edgbaston Priory on Sunday.

In the Women’s Open, Derbyshire’s Laura Hill could rightly make the same claim, when she claimed a fourth successive title, this time beating Daryl’s sister Lauren Selby in the final.

The Men’s Open attracted 42 entries including several leading squash players. Despite losing World Number 11 Adrian Grant, the day before the event with a hamstring injury, other names stepped up to the mark and Edgbaston-based European Junior Champion  Anthony Graham proved a surprise package, beating Kent’s no. 2 Sam Stabler before losing a thriller 9-11 in the fifth to Jeal.

Jeal then had another tight finish in the semi-finals, against Neil Chambers of Dorset, winning 13-11 in the fourth, to set up a final with Selby.

Selby had a relatively smooth passage through to the semi-finals where he dropped the first game, to Yorkshire’s Neil Guirey, before easing through 13-15, 11-6, 11-6, 11-3.

In the final, the hard-hitting Jeal gave Selby a serious test, losing a tough first game 9-11, and winning the second 11-7. Selby then started to pull ahead of the teenager, winning the next two games 11-6, 11-5 in a thoroughly entertaining final.

Hill was comfortable in the first game against Lauren Selby 11-3, but Selby found her feet midway through the second, pulling back from 3-9 to lose 9-11, and then snatched the fourth 11-6. But in the fourth, Hill stamped her authority from the start, and did not relax her grip, winning 11-2.

 The Championships attracted a record 250 players from across the country, in 16 events.

Jim Lord (Yorks) successfully defended both the Men’s Over 35 and 40 events without dropping a game an exceptional feat as playing in two categories meant that he had to play four matches on both Saturday and Sunday.

Former PSA player Cerryg Jones (Warks) marked his debut in the Nationals by winning Over-45 title against Yorkshire’s Ian Cawthorne 3-2 in the final.

The competition continued through the age groups through to over 70, which attracted 10 entries and was won by Roger Pinny of Dorset

There was  a new category this year, the Women’s Over-60, won by Worcestershire veteran Bett Dryhurst, who also took the Over-55 title.

New trophies were presented this year, named in honour of Ian Wright, the former Kent chairman who died on court at his home club  Bexley in January, and who was credited with introducing the Racketball to Britain in the 1970’s, and who guided the game through it’s development phase over 30 years.

Prizes were presented by Ian’s wife Judy, sister Diana, and daughters Dee and Sally.

Entertainment was provided with a squash exhibition between Lea Beachill and Mohammed el Shorbaggy, a coaching clinic with Malcolm Willstrop and the band ‘Lost for Words’, which includes Beachill, James Willstrop, and other well-known squash players in their ranks.

Classified Results:

Men’s Open: 

Quarter finals: D. Selby (Essex) bt D. Hamilton (Yorks) 3-0; N. Guirey (Yorks) bt M Baker (Devon) 3-1; T.Jeal (Kent) bt A Graham (Warks) 3-2; N. Chambers (Dorset) bt A. Warmington (Warks) 3-0.

Semi Finals: Selby bt Guirey 3-1; Jeal bt Chambers 3-1.

Final: Selby bt Jeal 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5.

Women’s Open:

Semi-Finals: L. Hill Derbys) bt J. Knibbs (Derbys) 3-0; L. Selby (Essex) bt R. Chavert 3-0

Final: Hill bt Selby 11-3, 11-9, 6-11, 11-2.

Men’s Over 35:

Quarter-finals: J. Lord (Yorks) bt C. Dean (Warks) 3-0; J. Powley (Cambs) bt A. Martin (Kent) 3-1; J. Gallacher (Essex) bt S. Brown (Dorset) 3-0; M. Pugh (Worcs) bt S. Sumner (Kent) 3-2.

Semi-finals: Lord bt Powley 3-0; Pugh bt Gallacher 3-2;

Final: Lord bt Pugh 3-0

Men’s Over 40:

Quarter-finals: J. Lord (Yorks) bt J. Fearn (Derbys) 3-0; M. Francis (Yorks) bt P. Moore (Dorset) 3-0; J. Blenkinsop (Warks) bt M. Thornley (Essex) 3-0; R. Watkins (Somerset bt J. Boardman (Yorks) 3-1.

Semi-Finals: Lord bt Francis 3-0; Watkins bt Blenkinsop 3-1

Finals: Lord bt Watkins 3-0.

Men’s Over 45:

Quarter-finals: P. Smith (Dorset) bt P. Haigh (Yorks) 3-2; I. Cawthorne bt N. Baldwin (Yorks) 3-1;  I.Russell (Warks) bt K. Palmer (Kent) 3-2; C. Jones (Warks)  bt G. Trowbridge (Warks) 3-0;

Semi-finals: Cawthorne bt Smith 3-2; Jones bt Russell 3-1.

Final: Jones bt Cawthorne 3-2

Men’s Over 50:

Quarter-finals: M. Livock(Warks) bt N. Park (Northumb) 3-0; G. Uttley (Yorks) bt K. Mardenborough (Warks) 3-1; P. Millington (Derbys) bt G. Burr (Oxon) 3-2; M. Phillips (Dorset) bt G. Crookson (Worcs) 3-0;

Semi-finals: Livock bt Uttley £-1; Millington bt Phillips 3-1;

Final: Livock bt Millington 3-2

Men’s Over 55:

Quarter-finals: R. Shay (Warks) bt R. Waller (Warks) 3-1; I. Graham (Sussex) bt R. Moore (Hants) 3-1; P. Wilson (Mersey) bt l. Weaver (Worcs ) 3-1; J. Howarth (Warks) bt L. Done  (Yorks) 3-0.

Semi-finals: Shay bt Graham 3-0; Howarth bt Wilson 3-0;

Finals: Howarth bt Shay 3-2.

Men’s Over-60:

Quarter-final: J. McCollom bt J. Hill (Warks) 3-0; L. Grover (Guernsey) bt R. Kenyon (Mersey) 3-0; R. Welton (Yorks) bt T. Wilkinson (Surrey) 3-1;  J. Cockill (Yorks) bt J. Hopkins (warks) 3-0.

Semi-finals: McCollom bt Grover 3-2; Cockill bt Welton 3-0.

Final: McCollom bt Cockill 3-2.

Men’s Over 65:

Semi Final: C. Isaacs (Warks) bt M. Webb (Warks) 3-0; J. Shingler (Warks bt B. Pegg 3-1

Final: Isaacs bt Shingler 3-0.

Men’s Over 70:

Quarterfinals: J. Hart (Warks) bt R. Hancocks (Warks) 3-0; M. Thomas (Kent) bt D. Tullett (Kent)  3-0; R. Pinny (Dorset) bt D. Bennett (Warks) 3-0; G. Stringer bt J. Bennett 2-2 (rtd).

Semi-finals: Pinny bt Stringer 3-0.

Final: Pinny bt Hart 3-0

Women’s Over 35 (Round Robin):

1. L. Murphy (Kent),  2. K. Milne (Surrey) , 3. I. Tweedie (Surrey),  4. D. Hooper (Warks)

Women’s Over 40:

Quarter-final: B. Vatcher (Dorset) bt K. Robinson (Guernsey) 3-1; B. Harvey (Hants) bt C. Gault (Mersey) 3-1;  C. Hayman (Devon) bt J. Saunders (Kent) 3-0; J. Lawton (Yorks) bt J. Suthers (Yorks) 3-0.

Semi-final: Vatcher bt Harvey 3-2; Lawton bt Hayman 3-1.

Final: Lawton bt Vatcher 3-1.

Women’s Over 45:

Quarter-finals: L. Sturgess (Derbys) bt J. Suthers (Yorks) 3-0; C. Lindsay (warks) bt M. Rigby (Oxon); C. Hayman (Devon) bt J. Matthews (Surrey) 3-2; M. Goodhead (Worcs) bt G. Roberts (Yorks) 3-0.

Semi-finals: Sturgess bt Lindsay 3-0; Goodhead bt Hayman 3-0.

Final: Sturgess bt Goodhead 2-0 (rtd)

Women’s Over 50:

Semi Finals: L. Sturgess (Derbys) bt L. Rosen (Yorks) 3-0; J. Matthews (Surrey) bt  K. Crookson (Worcs) 3-0.

Final: Sturgess bt Matthews 3-0

Womens Over 55:

Final: B. Dryhurst (Worcs) bt G. Saunders (Kent) 3-0

Women’s Over 60 (Round Robin)

1. B. Dryhurst (Worcs); 2. G. Saunders (Kent); 3. A. Wood (Warks); 4. G. Wagner (Yorks)
 

ADRIAN GRANT TO CHALLENGE SELBY IN THE NATIONALS

250 players have signed up for this years Nationals Championships, the strongest draw ever.

42 players will challenge Daryl Selby, unbeaten in fours years, in the Men’s Open event, with the chief threat likely to come from Adrian Grant (left), currently ranked 11 in the World Squash rankings.

The Leeds-based left hander, 29,  is ranked 4 in England. Victory in the Indian Challenger tournament last month also means that he currently holds more titles on the PSA tour than any other Englishman.

Laura Hill, who like Selby has won the Open title for the last four year, leads the charge in the Women’s event. Her strongest challenger is seeded to be Daryl’s sister Lauren Selby,  currently 57 in the World Squash Rankings.

Players will be competing for a total of 16 titles, across the age groups. Even the Men’s Over-70 category has attracted 10 entries, while 4 women will vie for the Over-60’s title, the first year this category has been held.

There will also be 7 Plate events, so competitors will be guaranteed 2 matches minimum.

Entertainment has been arranged for Saturday night in the form of a Squash Clinic with Malcolm Willstrop, and an exhibition between World No. 2 James Willstrop and ex-World Champion Lee Beachill.

Lee and James will then provide the evenings music in a band that also includes other well known squash players and professional musicians.

You’ll notice from the Competition Rules Click that games are now being played to 11, not 15, as England Squash and Racketball are trying to standardise scoring. Price Balls will again be used – Black for the Open, and Blue for the Age Groups.

Click Links Below to Navigate the Nationals Pages

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Entry forms are now available for the National Championships, which will again be held at the Edgbaston Priory Club, from 8-10^th May.
Click here, Entry form

Competition Rules Click