Germany & Scotland Spring Early Surprises In European Team Championships
by Howard Harding
May 3, 2012 - Scotland and hosts Germany made the biggest impressions on the opening day in the European Team Squash Championships with upsets over Italy and Netherlands, respectively, in the 40th staging of the European Squash Federation event at the Sportpark Nord in Nürnberg.
While defending champions England and second seeds France had comfortable 4/0 wins over Denmark and Finland, respectively, in the men's event, rising German star Simon Rosner beat higher-ranked Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema in straight games to lead the fifth-seeded hosts to a rousing 3/1 Pool A win over the fourth seeds and former finalists.
"Won my first match against LJ Anjema 3:0 - very pleased with my performance," tweeted the 24-year-old world No19 from Paderborn afterwards. "Go Germany!"
It was in Pool B that Scotland, the sixth seeds, despatched third seeds Italy 3/1, with the rapidly-improving team number one Alan Clyne recovering from a game down to beat experienced Italian Davide Bianchetti 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.
England began their defence of the women's title with a straightforward 3/0 win over Wales - while the remaining top four seeded teams France, Netherlands and Ireland also recorded 3/0 victories.
But it was in the Division 2 event that some of the biggest shocks took place as teams bid to join the elite 'first division' featuring the region's top eight countries.
Top men's seeds Wales could only manage a 2/2 draw with Austria, the ninth seeds - then went down 3/1 to a determined Ireland.
Irish champion Arthur Gaskin led the fifth seeds to victory with a 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 win over Welsh champion Peter Creed, before indefatigable Irishman Derek Ryan - a 42-year-old from Dublin who made his ETC debut in 1988 - twice came from behind to beat Nic Birt 5-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6.
In Pool B, sixth seed Switzerland crushed No2 seeds Czech Republic 4/0, led by rising Swiss star Nicolas Mueller.
Belgium made clear their intentions in the women's championship. Led by 33-year-old many time Belgian champion Kim Hannes, the sixth seeds first beat top seeds Spain 2/1, then also defeated Austria, the fourth seeds, 2/1.
RESULTS: European Team Championship, Nürnberg, Germany
1st qualifying rounds:
Men Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [8] DENMARK 4/0
James Willstrop bt Kristian Frost Olesen 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
Nick Matthew bt Caspar Grauballe Nielsen 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
Daryl Selby bt Morten W Sorensen 11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-1
Tom Richards bt Thomas Pilak 11-1, 11-1, 11-1
[5] GERMANY bt [4] NETHERLANDS 3/1
Simon Rosner bt Laurens Jan Anjema 11-7, 12-10, 11-5
Raphael Kandra lost to Piedro Schweertman 13-11, 11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 10-12
Jens Schoor bt Sebastiaan Weenink 11-6, 11-6, 11-4
Andre Haschker bt Bart Ravelli 11-5, 11-6, 11-8
Pool B:
[2] FRANCE bt [7] FINLAND 4/0
Gregory Gaultier bt Olli Tuominen 11-8, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5
Thierry Lincou bt Matias Tuomi 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Mathieu Castagnet bt Janne Jarvinen 11-2, 11-4, 11-6
Yann Perrin bt Jaakko Vahamaa 11-6, 11-8, 11-7
[6] SCOTLAND bt [3] ITALY 3/1
Alan Clyne bt Davide Bianchetti 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7
Greg Lobban lost to Marcus Berrett 6-11, 3-11, 4-11
Chris Small bt Amr Swelim 4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7
Stuart Crawford bt Jose Facchini 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8
Women Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [8] WALES 3/0
Jenny Duncalf bt Tesni Evans 11-2, 11-2, 11-5
Alison Waters bt Deon Saffery 11-6, 11-4, 11-6
Sarah Kippax bt Stacey Gooding 11-2, 11-3, 11-6
[4] FRANCE bt [5] SCOTLAND 3/0
Camille Serme bt Frania Gillen-Buchert 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-1
Coline Aumard bt Lisa Aitken 11-7, 11-6, 11-6
Maud Duplomb bt Senga Macfie 11-13, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3
Pool B:
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [7] SWITZERLAND 3/0
Natalie Grinham bt Gaby Huber 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9
Orla Noom bt Sara Guebey 11-4, 11-4, 11-1
Milou van der Heijden bt Jasmin Ballman 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6
[3] IRELAND bt [6] GERMANY 3/0
Madeline Perry bt Kathrin Hauck 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9
Aisling Blake bt Pamela Hathway 10-12, 5-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8
Laura Mylotte bt Eva Brauckmann 12-10, 11-2, 11-6
DIVISION 2
Men Pool A:
[1] WALES drew with [9] AUSTRIA 2/2
Peter Creed bt Aqeel Rehman 11-6, 11-3, 11-3
Nic Birt lost to Leopold Czaska 9-11, 11-13, 5-11
David Haley lost to Jakob Dirnberger 9-11, 7-11, 8-11
Sam Fenwick bt Daniel Haider 11-8, 11-4, 11-2
[4] SWEDEN bt [8] SLOVAKIA 4/0
Christian Drakenberg bt Marek Manik 11-3, 11-4, 11-7
Sebastian Viktor bt Tomas Toth 11-5, 11-4, 11-5
Carl-Johan Lofvenborg bt Peter Kviecinsky 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9
Joakim Larsson bt Miroslav Celler 11-9, 12-10, 11-4
[5] IRELAND bt [1] WALES 3/1
Arthur Gaskin bt Peter Creed 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8
Derek Ryan bt Nic Birt 5-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6
Rory Byrne bt David Haley 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3
Graeme Stewart lost to Sam Fenwick 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 8-11
[4] SWEDEN drew with [9] AUSTRIA 2/2
Christian Drakenberg lost to Aqeel Rehman 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 5-11
Sebastian Viktor bt Leopold Czaska 11-5, 11-7, 12-10
Joakim Larsson lost to Jakob Dirnberger 5-11, 11-9, 2-11, 3-11
Alex Christensson bt Marcus Greslehner 9-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4
Pool B:
[2] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [10] PORTUGAL 4/0
Jan Koukal bt Rui Soares 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
Lukas Jelinek bt Claudio Pinto 11-8, 11-6, 11-6
Petr Martin bt Joao Caiano 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
Pavel Sladecek bt Pedro Pinto 11-5, 11-0, 11-5
[3] SPAIN bt [7] BELGIUM 3/1
Borja Golan bt Tom de Mulder 11-5, 11-5, 11-3
David Vidal lost to Jan van den Herrewegen 4-11, 5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 5-11
Alejandro Garbi Caro bt Mark Burke 11-4, 11-3, 11-2
Carlos Cornes Ribadas bt Gregory Lecerf 12-10, 11-13, 11-3, 11-7
[6] SWITZERLAND bt [2] CZECH REPUBLIC 4/0
Nicolas Mueller bt Jan Koukal 11-3, 11-6, 4-11, 11-4
Reiko Peter bt Lukas Jelinek 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8
John Williams bt Petr Martin 4-11, 11-8, 11-4, 14-12
Lukas Burkhart bt Pavel Sladecek 11-4, 11-9, 11-4
[3] SPAIN bt [10] PORTUGAL 4/0
Borja Golan bt Rui Soares 11-5, 11-2, 11-1
Alejandro Garbi Caro bt Claudio Pinto 11-4, 11-3, 11-1
Carlos Cornes Ribadas bt Andre Lima 11-2, 11-5, 12-10
Hugo Varela bt Pedro Pinto 11-9, 11-9, 11-3
Women's qualifying rounds:
[6] BELGIUM bt [1] SPAIN 2/1
Kim Hannes lost to Xisela Aranda Nunez 2-11, 8-11, 8-11
Nele Gilis bt Marina de Juan 11-7, 11-7, 11-4
Yara Delagrange bt Stela Carbonell 11-7, 5-11, 17-15, 11-4
[2] ITALY bt [5] FINLAND 2/1
Manuela Manetta bt Saara Valtola 13-11, 11-4, 11-4
Katiuscia Grossi lost to Emilia Soini 7-11, 4-11, 0-11
Monica Menegozzi bt Emilia Korhonen 11-5, 14-16, 12-10, 11-4
[3] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [7] POLAND 3/0
Lucie Fialova bt Dominika Witkowska 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Olga Ertlova bt Anna Jurkun 11-6, 11-5, 11-6
Anna Klimundova bt Magdalena Kaminska 11-5, 11-6, 11-8
[6] BELGIUM bt [4] AUSTRIA 2/1
Kim Hannes lost to Birgit Coufal 3-11, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11
Nele Gilis bt Sandra Polak 11-5, 11-3, 11-7
Loreline Pira bt Jacqueline Peychaer 11-5, 11-3, 11-4
[1] SPAIN bt [5] FINLAND 2/1
Xisela Aranda Nunez bt Saara Valtola 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Marina de Juan lost to Emilia Soini 10-12, 8-11, 6-11
Stela Carbonell bt Emilia Korhonen 11-3, 11-0, 11-3
[2] ITALY bt [7] POLAND 2/1
Manuela Manetta bt Dominika Witkowska 12-10, 11-3, 11-6
Katiuscia Grossi bt Anna Jurkun 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-8
Elisabetta Priante lost to Magdalena Kaminska 11-13, 8-11, 7-11
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