POSTED: Sunday September 13th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SQUASH - Champions Downed In Day Of British Open Shocks

PSA/WISPA TOUR EVENT NEWS

RESULTS: internationalSPORTgroup British Open     Squash Championships, Manchester, England

Men’s quarter-finals:

[10] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [12] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)     11-5, 11-6, 12-10 (47m)

[3]     Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [5] David Palmer (AUS) 11-8, 14-12, 4-11, 19-17     (86m)

[4]     Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8     (48m)

[6]     Peter Barker (ENG) bt [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 7-11,     11-8 (76m)

Women’s quarter-finals:

[5]     Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [1] Nicol David (MAS) 6-11, 12-14, 15-13, 11-5,     11-9 (76m)

[3]     Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 6-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-7     (31m)

[4]     Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [8] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 11-1, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4     (39m)

[2]     Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [6] Laura Massaro (ENG) 5-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7     (54m)

Champions Downed In Day Of British Open Shocks

A     day of high drama in the quarter-finals of the internationalSPORTgroup British     Open – Manchester 2009 not     only resulted in the demise of both champions, but also a breakthrough win     by sixth seed Peter Barker at     the National Squash Centre in     Manchester which put three     Englishmen into the semi-finals for the first time in the professional     era.

In     a clash in the men’s $92,500 PSA     World Tour Super Series event described by Tournament Presenter Robert Edwards as the ‘match of     the tournament’, three-time world champion Amr Shabana and four-time British Open winner David Palmer - ranked  three and six, respectively, in the     world - battled for 86 minutes before Egyptian Shabana emerged the 11-8,     14-12, 4-11, 19-17 winner.

“There wasn’t much in it - he just played better at the end     than I did,” said Palmer, the 33-year-old title-holder from Australia who     was making his 13th successive appearance in the event.  “It’s still nice that I can play     with these top four guys.  I     don’t think I could have done much more.”

The     two top stars of the PSA World Tour - who were celebrating their 20th     international meeting since 2001 - agreed that the match was one of the     best.  But the Australian’s     father John Palmer, attending     the British Open for the first time, was more emphatic:  “That’s the best I’ve ever seen     David play!”

But     later came the most unexpected result when Nicol David, the Malaysian super     star who this month began her fourth successive year as world number one,     crashed out of the women’s $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold     championship after squandering three match balls in the third     game.

Ireland’s Madeline     Perry, the fifth seed who had lost her previous 14 meetings with the     three-time British Open champion, played the game of her life to win 6-11,     12-14, 15-13, 11-5, 11-9 in 76 minutes.

“I     can’t believe I just beat the world number one,” said an ecstatic Perry,     from Banbridge, near Belfast, afterwards.  “I normally struggle to get a game     off Nicol.”

The     win came from a stunning cross court nick shot after David served to try     and save her third match-ball.

“That’s definitely my best ever win,” added Perry, the     32-year-old world No8.   “I’ve changed my game since I last     played her - and did a lot of work on my movement over the     summer.”

Nicol David had no excuses:  “If it’s not your day, it’s not     your day.  Madeline played     well and made it not my day,” said the 26-year-old from     Penang.

But, otherwise, the day belonged to the hosts - with two     English players through to the women’s semi-finals for the first time     since 2002, and a trio of Englishmen making the last four of the men’s     championship for the first time in living memory.

A     major upset by Londoner Peter     Barker ensured that an Englishman will be in Monday’s final of the     world’s oldest and most prestigious squash     championship.

In     a career-first victory over the Frenchman, sixth seed Barker beat world     No2 and former champion Gregory     Gaultier 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8 to reach the semi-finals for the     first time.     

“I’ve had a terrible record against Greg, so I’m over the moon     to have beaten him - especially here in the British Open,” said     Barker.  “I’m going to enjoy     today before preparing myself for tomorrow.

“I’ve been training really hard over the summer - endless bikes     and swims for up to three sessions a day,” explained the left-hander.  “So much so, that I was looking     forward to the start of the season so that I could stop     training!

“Greg is a class act.      But I needed to get myself fitter so that I could deal with his     pace.  In fact, I thought to     myself as I went on court - ‘I doubt he’s done as done as much training as     I have’!”

The     25-year-old world No8 will now meet England team-mate Nick Matthew after the fourth     seed from Sheffield ended the giant-killing run of compatriot Daryl Selby.

The     unseeded 26-year-old from Essex had reached the last eight after taking     out two world top 16-ranked opponents - but world No5 Matthew was too     strong, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.

“I’m delighted to be playing Pete tomorrow,” said Matthew, who     in 2006 became the first home-grown winner of the title for 67 years.  “We’re sharing a room together     here - I must pop something into his glass of water     tonight!”

In     the final match of the day, Yorkshire’s former world number two James Willstrop, the tenth seed,     claimed his place in the semis with an 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 victory over     Malaysia’s 12th seed Mohd Azlan     Iskandar.

Willstrop, the 26-year-old from Leeds who was runner-up last     year, reached the last eight after a shock win over Egypt’s world number     one Karim Darwish in the     previous round.

“Everybody keeps on about how good the Egyptians are - but now     we’ve got five English players into tomorrow’s semis,” said a delighted     Willstrop after his win.

Third seed Alison     Waters and fourth seed Jenny     Duncalf will provide the domestic interest in the women’s     semi-finals.

Duncalf, from Harrogate in Yorkshire, went one step closer to     reaching the final for the second year in a row after beating eighth seed     Vanessa Atkinson, the former     world champion from the Netherlands, 11-1, 10-12, 11-6,     11-4.

“You can never underestimate Vanessa - after all, she has been     a world champion and world number one,” said the 26-year-old world     No6.  “She’s got great racket     skills.

“I     felt I played well today and am improving all the time.  This week I’ll be trying to close     the gap the gap behind Nicol David, the world number     one.”

Duncalf will face three-time champion Rachael Grinham, the second seed     from Australia who recovered from a game down to beat Lancashire’s Laura Massaro 5-11, 14-12, 11-7,     11-7.

“In     the first game, she was all over me - and I was really lucky to get that     second game,” acknowledged Grinham, who had to save three game balls in     the second to stop Massaro taking a 2/0 lead.

Born and raised in Queensland and based in Cairo for the past     decade, Grinham has been training in Harrogate in the UK since     Christmas.  “I’ve been trying     to get myself re-motivated, and it’s been good for me to have so many top     English girls to train with.

“But I’m really still struggling to adjust to the new scoring,”     admitted the three-time champion.      “I just don’t have the confidence - and you really need     confidence.     

“I’ve played the other (hand-in-hand-out) scoring for so many     years.  It’s a different game     now.”

Alison Waters claimed her first appearance in a British Open     semi-final after beating Australian qualifier Donna Urquhart 6-11, 11-5, 11-3,     11-7.  The former British     National champion will now meet Madeline Perry for a place in the     final.

Urquhart became the only qualifier to reach the quarter-finals     - in her maiden appearance in the event.  The 22-year-old from New South     Wales, who beat seventh seed Isabelle Stoehr in the opening     round, easily won the first game against Waters.

“But then I went to pieces and probably started thinking too     much about the occasion,” said Urquhart.  “It’s a dream come true to be     playing in the British Open - and Alison is the player I most wish I could     be like!

“She’s a great player, but she didn’t have to play well to beat     me today.

“I     came here aiming to qualify - so I exceeded my expectations,” added the     Australian national champion.      “I feel as if I’ve been waiting for a breakthrough for ages - I’ve     been on the verge of it, and now it’s come together.”

Men’s semi-final line-up:

[10] James Willstrop (ENG) v [3] Amr Shabana     (EGY)

[6]     Peter Barker (ENG) v [4] Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women’s semi-final line-up:

[5]     Madeline Perry (IRL) v [3] Alison Waters (ENG)

[2]     Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [4] Jenny Duncalf (ENG)

Official website: www.isportgroup.com/BritishOpenSquash

Follow the action from the PSA and WISPA World Tours live on WWW.PSALIVE.TV - the webstreaming     service of both the Professional Squash Association and Women’s     International Squash Players’ Association.  Enjoy live action, replays,     download archive matches and exclusive Live & Uncut     DVDs

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Keywords · Squash · internationalSPORTgroup British Open Squash Championships

Name: Howard Harding
Organization: PSA/WISPA/WSF/ESF
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