Laura Massaro fired up by predictions as she beats Madeline Perry to sink Coolhurst
By Squash Mad Reporter
Title favourites Duffield and Surrey continued to set the pace in the English Premier League, with contrasting wins to remain the only unbeaten teams. Following a short break, the PSL resumed with Round Four as the season approaches the halfway stage.
In Division A leaders Duffield travelled to second placed Coolhurst London without their top two players, and even the Duffield manager Felix Frixou admitted to the local press that a first defeat was on the cards and that a 3-2 loss wouldn’t be too bad.
He needn’t have worried though, as world champion Laura Massaro won an up-and-down five setter against Madeline Perry, Adam Murrills beat Angus Gillams in a tough four games, and Declan James sealed the win for Duffield with a 3-0 victory over Coolhurst debutant Raphael Kandra to disappoint the packed crowd.
Greg Lobban and Cameron Pilley won for Coolhurst to make the scoreline respectable, but Duffield definitely go home happy – especially Massaro, who tweeted that the Crystal Ball prediction of a Duffield loss ‘annoyed her’, before adding “we can be stubborn when we want to be!”
Birmingham Lions, who had the “Birmingham Pussycats” on court to start the match off, trounced visitors Pontefract 5-0, all four of their men winning in straight games while Sarah-Jane Perry needed all five to beat the visitors’ Sarah Kippax.
The Midlands Derby between Leicester and Nottingham looked to be a close match, and so it proved. Emma Beddoes and Ollie Holland won at numbers four and five for visitors Nottingham, but new British U19 champion George Parker came from 2-1 down to beat Mark Fuller to keep Leicester in the match.
Ben Coleman then went 2-0 up against the younger Fuller, Chris, and a decider looked on the cards until Fuller took the last three games to give Nottingham the win while leaving Leicester still looking for their first victory. Leicester’s top player Daryl Selby, making his first appearance, won a five-game duel against Alan Clyne to finish off the night.
In Division B Surrey hosted an Exeter side that has been struggling with player injuries and availability, and quickly secured a fourth straight victory with 3-0 wins from Alison Waters, Piedro Schweertman and Gregoire Marche – all against players making their debuts for Exeter.
The ‘Retired’ Tim Vail put Exeter on the board with a fine 3-2 win over world top 20 player Adrian Grant, while Surrey’s Peter Barker was 2-1 up against Mohamed Elshorbagy when Exeter’s world number one retired injured to give Surrey a 4-1 win.
Winchester’s trip to Bristol looked on paper a tough one, and although Emily Whitlock put the visitors ahead in the first match, the home side stormed back to take the next four matches via Josh Masters, Tom Ford, Mathieu Castagnet and Marwan Elshorbagy to leaprog Winchester in the table.
Leaders at the start of the evening, Chichester were at home to a strong St George’s side who went 3-0 up courtesy of wins from Yathreb Adel, Charles Sharpes and Borja Golan.
Chichester made the scoreline respectable as Tristan Eysele and Robbie Temple beat brothers Charlie and Joe Lee (Charlie making his team debut) both in five games.
Premier Squash League: Round Four results:
Division A
Coolhurst London 2-3 Benz Bavarian Duffield (9-15)
Cameron Pilley 3-0 Karim Ali Fathi 11-6, 11-6, 13-11 (48m)
Raphael Kandra 0-3 Declan James 8-11, 5-11, 7-11 (41m)
Greg Lobban 3-1 Andy Whipp 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3
Angus Gillams 1-3 Adam Murrills 13-15, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11 (63m)
Madeline Perry 2-3 Laura Massaro 4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11 (52m)
Birmingham Lions 5-0 Pontefract (20-2)
Steve Coppinger 3-0 Aqeel Rehman 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
Chris Ryder 3-0 Ben Grindrod 11-2, 11-4, 11-2
Peter Creed 3-0 Simon Parke 11-5, 11-5, 11-9
Miles Jenkins 3-0 Alex Hodgetts 12-10, 11-7, 11-10
Sarah-Jane Perry 3-2 Sarah Kippax 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 3-11, 11-6
Everards Leicester 2-3 Air-IT Nottingham (8-18)
Daryl Selby 3-2 Alan Clyne 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5
Ben Coleman 2-3 Chris Fuller 11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 7-11, 9-11
George Parker 3-2 Mark Fuller 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6
Darren Lewis 0-3 Ollie Holland 7-11, 7-11, 9-11
Tania Bailey 0-3 Emma Beddoes 10-12, 10-12, 3-11
Division B
Virgin Active Surrey HRC 4-1 Exeter Diamonds (19-4)
Peter Barker 3-1 Mohamed Elshorbagy 11-2, 15-17, 11-6 rtd
Adrian Grant 2-3 Tim Vail 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 8-11
Gregoire Marche 3-0 Micah Franklin 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
Piedro Schweertman 3-0 Luke Bishop 11-9, 11-2, 11-4
Alison Waters 3-0 Alison Thomson 11-4, 11-2, 11-7
UWE/Elite Bristol 4-1 Winchester Racquets & Fitness (17-5)
Marwan Elshorbagy 3-0 Scott Handley 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
Mathieu Castagnet 3-1 Scott Fitzgerald 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2
Tom Ford 3-1 Steve Wykes 8-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-9
Josh Masters 3-0 Gary Hinton 11-8, 11-4, 11-4
Lea Van der Zwalmen 0-3 Emily Whitlock 1-11, 4-11, 1-11
Team Chichester 2-3 Luxford/9 Group St George’s Hill (8-18)
Rex Hedrick 1-3 Borja Golan 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 5-11
Robbie Temple 3-2 Joe Lee 11-7, 12-14, 4-11, 11-6, 116 (66m)
Nathan Lake 0-3 Charles Sharpes 9-11, 9-11, 8-11
Tristan Eysele 3-2 Charlie Lee 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4 (89m)
Lauren Briggs 1-3 Yathreb Adel 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11
