Duffield & Surrey Health Top Tables At Halfway Point In PSL Season by Howard Harding 10 December 2013
- Benz-Bavarian Duffield and Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets -
the two teams that contested last season's final - top the Group A and
B tables in the Premier Squash League (PSL), respectively, going into
next year's second half of the 30th season of the world's most
prestigious squash league.
South African Stephen
Coppinger clinched a 3/2 away win for former champions Duffield over
University of Birmingham when he beat experienced Englishman Chris
Ryder in straight games in the top string decider. Ryder, a 33-year-old
former world No33 from Leamington Spa - and the World University
champion in 2006 - surprised the crowd by announcing his retirement
from professional squash after the match.
The fifth round win extends the Derbyshire club's Group A lead to 16 points head of nearest rival Coolhurst London.
"I'm pleased to have a
good lead going into the Christmas break," said jubilant Duffield team
manager Felix Frixou. "The team did really well, especially without our
long-standing number one Nick Matthew, who only arrived back today from
Hong Kong where his title success in the Hong Kong Open takes him back
to No1 in the world next year.
"In fact we were delighted that Coppinger made it back in time, or otherwise we would have really struggled."
A blistering 5/0 home
win over Winchester takes title-holders Surrey Health back to the top
of the Group B tables - overtaking west country rivals Exeter Diamonds
- who suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 3/2 to Team
Chichester away from home.
"It was a good
response to our defeat to Exeter in the last round," said Croydon club
Surrey Health's team manager Pete Smith. "We needed a win, and the team
did it - which was especially good as we haven't had our number one
Peter Barker for most of the season."
Surrey Health No4 Tim
Garner celebrated his 25th consecutive season in the league with an
impressive straight games win over 23-year-old full-time player Phillip
John Bull. Garner was presented with a specially-engraved bottle of
champagne by team manager Smith.
"I still remember
making my national league debut at Bromley Town all those 25 years ago
- at the time so excited to have the chance to play in the top league,"
said 43-year-old Garner, a former world No26. "And it's brilliant to
still have that chance a couple of decades on, though it is still
disconcerting when you play someone who wasn't born on your debut!
"It was a great win for the team tonight. Maybe I will retire on the back of a five nil ... but maybe not!"
Chichester celebrated
their win over Exeter after the first three matches - with wins by
Robbie Temple, Olivier Pett (over long-time coach and 'birthday boy'
Tim Vail) and Jaclyn Kemp ensuring the Devon club's first defeat of the
season.
"It was nice to end
Exeter's unbeaten run," said Chichester team manager Mike Phillips.
"We've got good strength in depth and thought we could win at 3, 4 and
5. Ollie's win was particularly good, against Tim, his coach, and will
be very good for his confidence."
The other Group B tie
also saw a comprehensive 5/0 win when Luxfords St George's Hill
snatched an away victory at UWE/Elitesquash Bristol. The win sees the
Weybridge club share second place in the tables with Exeter - both just
five points adrift of Surrey Health, on 71 points.
League newcomers
Coolhurst London hold onto second place in Group A, despite going down
3/2 to Chapel Allerton. There was everything to play for when the Leeds
club's Chris Simpson took on the visitors' aptly-named Steven London -
and won 11-1, 11-6, 11-4 to clinch victory for Chapel Allerton.
But just a single
point behind Coolhurst are former champions Air-IT Nottingham, who
crushed Yorkshire visitors AJP Pontefract 5/0. It was Nottingham's
in-form Emma Beddoes who put the hosts ahead with an 11-9, 11-4, 13-11
victory over higher-ranked English rival Sarah Kippax.
RESULTS: Premier Squash League, 5th round, Tuesday 10 December 2013
Group A: Air-IT Nottingham 5 AJP Pontefract 0 Alan Clyne bt Lee Beachill 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 Eddie Charlton bt Adam Taylor 11-1, 11-1, 11-0 Chris Fuller bt Chris van der Salm 11-6, 11-6, 15-13 Ollie Holland bt George Wileman 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 Emma Beddoes bt Sarah Kippax 11-9, 11-4, 13-11
University of Birmingham 2 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3 Chris Ryder lost to Stephen Coppinger 11-13, 8-11, 7-11 Jaymie Haycocks bt Joel Hinds 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3 Bradley Hindle bt Scott Handley 10-12, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 Scott Young lost to Adam Murrills 5-11, 12-10, 4-11, 10-12 Deon Saffery lost to Laura Massaro 11-3, 4-11, 4-11, 8-11
Chapel Allerton 3 Coolhurst London 2 Chris Simpson bt Steven London 11-1, 11-6, 11-4 Shaun le Roux bt Joshua Masters 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 Matthew Sidaway lost to Joe Green 8-11, 11-13, 2-11 Julian Tomlinson bt Nick Sutcliffe 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 Carrie Ramsey lost to Madeline Perry 6-11, 7-11, 11-5, 2-11
Group B: Team Chichester 3 Exeter Diamonds 2 Jonathan Kemp lost to Laurens Jan Anjema 4-11, 9-11, 11-9, 6-11 Rex Hedrick lost to Olli Tuominen 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 8-11 Robbie Temple bt Joey Barrington 2-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-8 Olivier Pett bt Tim Vail 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 Jaclyn Kemp bt Victoria Temple Murray 11-7, 11-8, 11-1
UWE/Elitesquash Bristol 0 Luxfords St George's Hill 5 David Evans lost to Borja Golan 11-13, 8-11, 11-7, 4-11 (44m) Michael Harris lost to Tom Richards 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 9-11 (36m) Hadrian Stiff lost to Joe Lee 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 3-11, 0-11 (51m) Thoboki Mohohlo lost to Charles Sharpes 9-11, 14-12, 7-11, 6-11 (46m) Lea van der Zwalmen lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 7-11, 7-11, 6-11 (18m)
Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets 5 Winchester 0 Adrian Grant bt Robert Downer 11-3, 11-13, 11-6, 8-11, 11-1 Adrian Waller bt Alex Phillips 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 Davide Bianchetti bt Scott Fitzgerald 12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4 Tim Garner bt Phillip John Bull 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 Alison Waters bt Emily Whitlock 11-6, 11-4, 11-4
