Surrey Health & Duffield To Contest Second Successive PSL Final by Howard Harding April 8, 2014
- Defending champions Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets and
Benz-Bavarian Duffield will contest the Premier Squash League (PSL)
final for the second season in a row after claiming decisive victories
in Tuesday's semi-finals of the world's most prestigious squash league,
supported by Dunlop.
Early victories by
Surrey teenager Nada Elkalaawy (pictured above, left), Italian number
one Davide Bianchetti and former British Junior Champion Adrian Waller
clinched the win for Croydon-based Surrey Health over Yorkshire
opponents Chapel Allerton - but Guernsey-born world No20 Chris Simpson
later gained a consolation point for the visitors after recording his
first ever win over Surrey Health's former world No9 Adrian Grant.
In the final match of
the night between Essex and England team-mates Peter Barker and Daryl
Selby, it was world No7 Barker who delighted the home crowd with a
9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 victory which produced the 4/1 result which
takes Surrey Health into their sixth final since 2008, and their fifth
in a row!!
"It doesn't get any
easier," said Pete Smith, the Surrey Health team manager who has led
his club to five titles since 2008. "Everybody wants to beat you!
"Tonight's tie had the
potential to be close - but we got off to a good start and got the win
after the first three matches. The team played well - and Nada was
exceptional. This was only her third match for us and she's still only
18!
"I'm pleased for the team - it gets harder every year, but the team spirit is fantastic."
In Derbyshire,
Duffield took full advantage of their historic presentation of two
world champions when the first, Laura Massaro, put the home side into
the lead over Exeter Diamonds with a 3/0 win over Victoria Temple
Murray. The home crowd were treated to quick wins by Andy Whipp and
Joel Hinds to seal victory for the three-time former champions - and
later South African Stephen Coppinger made it 4/0 with a four-game win
over Finnish champion Olli Tuominen.
But arguably the best
was saved to last for the capacity crowd at Duffield when club stalwart
Nick Matthew, the reigning men's world squash champion from Sheffield
(pictured above with Massaro) who is celebrating his 11th successive
season for the team, stormed to an 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 win over Egypt's
world No13 Omar Mosaad.
The victory not only
give his side a triumphant 5/0 whitewash, but also notched up Matthew's
40th match win in a row - a PSL record!
The conclusion to
Duffield's 21st successive season in the league - itself a PSL record -
takes the team into its seventh final since 1995.
"I couldn't have asked
more from the team tonight," said a delighted Duffield team manager
Felix Frixou. "I'm very happy with the result - 5/0 was more than I
could have hoped for.
"There was a great
atmosphere in the club tonight and we did what we had to do. We're
ready for a repeat battle with Surrey Health - and we're looking
forward to it!"
Matthew was also proud
of the outcome, but keen to pay tribute to the team's strength in depth
over the season. "After all the talk about the team's two world
champions, it was great for Laura and I to actually play alongside each
other tonight - but it's a testament to the strength of the squad that
the team has reached this far even though we haven't played all the
matches this season.
"It's such a great
set-up here at Duffield - it's a very special club - and this success
is down to Felix's great leadership, and before him Brian Hargrave."
Matthew was also keen
to highlight the significance of team's semi-final kit colours: "I
insisted we played in red tonight as this was the team colour we used
when we won the titles in 2006 and 2007," said the Yorkshireman.
"It certainly paid off tonight and we will definitely be in red for the final!"
RESULTS: Premier Squash League, semi-finals, Tuesday 8 April 2014
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 5 Exeter Diamonds 0 Nick Matthew bt Omar Mosaad 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 Stephen Coppinger bt Olli Tuominen 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 Joel Hinds bt Joey Barrington 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 Andy Whipp bt Tim Vail 8-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 Laura Massaro bt Victoria Temple Murray 12-10, 11-7, 11-3
Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets 4 Chapel Allerton 1 Peter Barker bt Daryl Selby 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 Adrian Grant lost to Chris Simpson 5-11, 7-11, 4-11 (40m) Adrian Waller bt Shaun le Roux 10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 (57m) Davide Bianchetti bt James Earles 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (38m) Nada Elkalaawy bt Carrie Ramsey 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (42m)
