Scots take out top seeds in Manchester
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent
Scottish outsiders Lisa Aitken and Douglas Kempsell upset two higher-seeded pairings – including favourites and Mixed defending champions Joelle King and Paul Coll – on the second day of qualifying action in the WSF World Doubles Squash Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester, England.
The Edinburgh-based pair first dismissed the top-seeded Kiwis 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (King serving out at match-ball) before overcoming England’s No.8 seed Victoria Lust and Adrian Waller 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 to assure themselves a quarter-final placing.
“We just wanted to be solid and not give anything away at the end,” said a delighted Kempsell. “Lisa said she’d be happy to play 500 shot rallies, but while serving out isn’t the way you’d like to win a match like that, we’ll take it!”
Kempsell’s count for the day was three wins when he partnered Kevin Moran to an 11-6, 6-11, 11-7 victory over Canadian pair David Baillargeon and Shawn Delierre (see picture below) in the Men’s event.
Fellow Scots Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban also secured a quarter-final slot after a third successive win in the Men’s event. The title-holders overcame the unseeded Dutch pair Dylan Bennett and Piedro Schweertman, who claimed two wins on day one, 11-2, 11-5.
“It had to happen sometime,” said Bennett. “They’re very good – you can tell they play a lot together, they play the angles very well without giving you anything to work with – they’re the world champions, after all.
“We didn’t expect to be in this position, but we’re delighted to get through and we’ll give it our all in the quarters.”
In the Women’s event, England’s second pairing Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters topped Pool D after beating Scots Lisa Aitken and Carrie Hallam 11-4, 11-1 – but will be joined in the quarter-finals by ‘England A’ after fourth seeds Laura Massaro and Sarah-Jane Perry saw off South Africans Alexandra Fuller and Cheyna Tucker 11-5, 11-4.
“It was a solid win but it got a bit scrappy at the end with quite a few lets but we didn’t let that affect us,” said Londoner Waters after their win. “It’s good to win all three games and qualify comfortably.”
But while the top Aussie pair Rachael Grinham and Donna Urquhart made the top eight, the second duo Sarah Cardwell and Christine Nunn did not – despite narrowly clinching an 11-9, 6-11, 11-10 win over sixth seeds Rachel Arnold and Nicol David (pictured above).
A superior overall count saw the Malaysians qualify – and they will face Duncalf & Waters for a place in the semis.
Qualifying matches will continue in the Men’s and Mixed event – whilst the quarter-final line-up in the Women’s event has been settled.
World Doubles Squash Championships, Manchester, England.
MEN’S 2nd pool round:
Pool A
[1] Alan Clyne & Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Dylan Bennett & Piedro Schweertman (NED) 11-2, 11-5 (16m)
[8] Nafiizwan Adnan & Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [9] Vikram Malhotra & Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-8, 10-11, 11-8 (69m)
Pool B
[2] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Jean-Pierre Brits & Christo Potgieter (RSA) 11-3, 11-10 (23m)
[7] Peter Creed & Joel Makin (WAL) bt [10] Lance Beddoes & Evan Williams (NZL) 11-7, 11-8 (34m)
Pool C
[3] Zac Alexander & David Palmer (AUS) bt Mohd Syafiq Kamal & Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-10, 11-8 (32m)
Pool D
[12] Douglas Kempsell & Kevin Moran (SCO) bt David Baillargeon & Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-6, 6-11, 11-7 (65m)
[4] Paul Coll & Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [5] Declan James & James Willstrop (ENG) 11-9, 11-6 (44m)
WOMEN’S 2nd pool round:
Pool A
[8] Samantha Cornett & Nikki Todd (CAN) bt [9] Natalie Grinham & Milou van der Heijden (NED) 11-8, 11-5 (19m)
Pool B
[7] Tesni Evans & Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [10] Catalina Pelaez & Laura Tovar (COL) 7-11, 11-6, 11-2 (40m)
Pool C
[11] Sarah Cardwell & Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [6] Rachel Arnold & Nicol David (MAS) 11-9, 6-11, 11-10 (40m)
Pool D
[4] Laura Massaro & Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [13] Alexandra Fuller & Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-5, 11-4 (17m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters (ENG) bt [12] Lisa Aitken & Carrie Hallam (SCO) 11-4, 11-1 (18m)
MIXED 2nd pool round:
Pool A
[8] Victoria Lust & Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [9] Deon Saffery & Joel Makin (WAL) 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (44m)
[13/16] Lisa Aitken & Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt [1] Joelle King & Paul Coll (NZL) 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (48m)
[13/16] Lisa Aitken & Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt [8] Victoria Lust & Adrian Waller (ENG) 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 (64m)
[1] Joelle King & Paul Coll (NZL) bt Milnay Louw & Christo Potgieter (RSA) 11-6, 11-7 (19m)
Pool B
[7] Tesni Evans & Peter Creed (WAL) bt [10] Samantha Cornett & Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-9, 11-4 (26m)
[2] Dipika Pallikal Karthik & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [13/16] Rachel Arnold & Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-7, 11-4 (20m)
[7] Tesni Evans & Peter Creed (WAL) bt [13/16] Rachel Arnold & Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-8, 11-4 (30m)
[2] Dipika Pallikal Karthik & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Milou van der Heijden & Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-4, 11-4 (16m)
Pool C
[6] Joshna Chinappa & Vikram Malhotra (IND) bt [11] Amanda Landers-Murphy & Zac Millar (NZL) 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
[3] Donna Urquhart & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [13/16] Catalina Pelaez & Andrés Herrera (COL) 11-5, 11-4 (16m)
[6] Joshna Chinappa & Vikram Malhotra (IND) bt [13/16] Catalina Pelaez & Andrés Herrera (COL) 11-7, 11-4 (17m)
[3] Donna Urquhart & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Carrie Hallam & Chris Leiper (SCO) 11-2, 11-4 (18m)
Pool D
[5] Alison Waters & Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [12] Natalie Grinham & Piedro Schweertman (NED) 11-4, 11-9 (20m)
[4] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bt [13/16] Nikki Todd & David Baillargeon (CAN) 11-5, 8-11, 11-4 (32m)
[5] Alison Waters & Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [13/16] Nikki Todd & David Baillargeon (CAN) 11-6, 11-3 (17m)
[4] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bt Laura Tovar & Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 11-7, 11-3 (21m)
Women’s Quarter-Finals:
[1] Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [7] Tesni Evans & Deon Saffery (WAL)
[3] Rachael Grinham & Donna Urquhart (AUS) v [4] Laura Massaro & Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[5] Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters (ENG) v [6] Rachel Arnold & Nicol David (MAS)
[2] Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [8] Samantha Cornett & Nikki Todd (CAN)
For all the latest info, visit wsfworlddoubles.com
Pictures courtesy of WSF