Chapel Allerton & Exeter Diamonds Complete PSL Play-Offs Line-Up by Howard Harding April 2, 2014
- In contrasting styles and after a dramatic night of high-level squash
in the tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League (PSL),
Yorkshire club Chapel Allerton and Devon team Exeter Diamonds clinched
the final two slots in this season's semi-final play-offs of the
world's most prestigious squash league.
Chapel Allerton
emerged triumphant ahead of three potential rivals in Group A - all
four of whom were in the running for second place behind invincible
leaders Benz-Bavarian Duffield.
Indeed University of
Birmingham pulled off a shock 3/2 away win over Duffield - but the West
Midlands hopefuls ended three points adrift of Leeds club Chapel
Allerton's 134-point tally for the season.
Chapel A took on
fellow hopefuls Coolhurst London away from home and, after dropping
behind when the hosts' Irish champion Madeline Perry despatched Carrie
Ramsey in straight games, the visitors established a 2/1 lead following
wins by Yorkshiremen James Earles and Shaun le Roux.
It then took Chapel A
stalwart and world No20 Chris Simpson - one of only three players in
the entire league to have played in all 10 rounds this season - 72
minutes to earn an 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 win over Londoner Ben Coleman
to ensure the former champions a place in the play-offs for the first
time since 2011.
"I'm absolutely
delighted to make the playoffs for the first time with Chapel A," said
team manager Simon Parke, the former world No3 from Yorkshire. "All
five players gave a sterling performance and we literally can't wait
for next week's semi. Bring it on!"
The team will face
Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets after the defending champions
extended their Group B leadership by beating Winchester 4/1 away from
home. The Croydon club, PSL champions last season for a record fourth
year in a row, will be celebrating their eighth successive appearance
in the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Exeter
needed just two points from their tenth round home tie against Team
Chichester - and achieved this in the opening match, despite Irish
international Aisling Blake ultimately going down 11-4, 9-11, 8-11,
12-10, 8-11 to the visitors' Lauren Briggs.
But wins by Tim Vail
and Finnish number one Olli Tuominen delighted the packed home crowd
before Chichester sneaked a late 3/2 win when semi-retired number one
Jonathan Kemp produced an impressive four-game upset over Dutchman
Laurens Jan Anjema, the world No16.
Exeter, now in the
semi-finals for the second successive season, will face Duffield for a
place in their first ever final. Duffield, champions in 1998, 2006 and
2007, will be marking their eighth semi-final appearance in the past
nine seasons.
PSL semi-finals, Tuesday 8 April: Benz-Bavarian Duffield v Exeter Diamonds Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets v Chapel Allerton
RESULTS: Premier Squash League, 10th round, Tuesday 1 April 2014
Group A: AJP Pontefract 1 Air-IT Nottingham 4 James Willstrop lost to Alan Clyne 0-11, 2-11, 10-12 Chris van der Salm lost to Eddie Charlton 5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11 Lance James Beddoes lost to Ollie Holland 4-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-6, 4-11 (60m) Taminder Gata-Aura lost to Mark Fuller 9-11, 9-11, 10-12 Sarah Kippax bt Anna Openshaw-Blower 11-2, 11-2, 11-2
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2 University of Birmingham 3 Joel Hinds lost to Chris Ryder 10-12, 9-11, 6-11 Andy Whipp lost to Jaymie Haycocks 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 Declan James lost to Peter Creed 10-12, 11-7, 13-15, 9-11 Scott Handley bt Nathan Lake 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 Laura Massaro bt Sarah-Jane Perry 16-14, 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5
Coolhurst London 2 Chapel Allerton 3 Simon Rosner bt Daryl Selby 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 (82m) Ben Coleman lost to Chris Simpson 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11 (72m) Yann Perrin lost to Shaun le Roux 8-11, 7-11, 10-12 (55m) Adam Auckland lost to James Earles 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 5-11 Madeline Perry bt Carrie Ramsey 11-8, 11-8, 11-4
Group B: Exeter Diamonds 2 Team Chichester 3 Laurens Jan Anjema lost to Jonathan Kemp 11-3, 9-11, 10-12, 6-11 (44m) Olli Tuominen bt Rex Hedrick 11-9, 1-11, 11-7, 11-7 (61m) Joey Barrington lost to Robbie Temple 7-11, 8-11, 8-11 (36m) Tim Vail bt Miles Jenkins 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (25m) Aisling Blake lost to Lauren Briggs 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 8-11 (60m)
Luxfords St George's Hill 0 UWE/Elitesquash Bristol 5 Henrik Mustonen lost to Lucas Serme 4-11, 7-11, 6-11 Alex Ingham lost to David Evans 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 6-11 Reuben Phillips lost to Tom Ford 11-9, 4-11, 5-11, 8-11 James Simpson lost to Michael Harris 6-11, 9-11, 0-11 Dominique Lloyd-Walter lost to Tesni Evans 11-4, 11-4, 2-11, 4-11, 5-11
Winchester 1 Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets 4 Gregory Gaultier bt Peter Barker 11-2, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9 Greg Lobban lost to Adrian Waller 3-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-13 Robert Downer lost to Davide Bianchetti 11-8, 12-10, 6-11, 5-11, 5-11 Scott Fitzgerald lost to Richie Fallows 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 8-11 Katrina Burrows lost to Nada Elkalaawy 7-11, 1-11, 3-11
