Sharpes and Temple-Murray start the New Year on a high in London
By MICHAEL CATLING – Squash Mad Reporter
World number 64 Charles Sharpes inflicted a third successive final defeat on Scot Greg Lobban to win the London Under 23 Open and his first title in two years.
Sharpes, whose 3-1 victory over Tim Vail in the Premier League failed to prevent Luxfords St George’s Hill losing to Exeter Diamonds on Tuesday night, continued his unbeaten start to the season with a 11-9, 12-10,11-2 victory at the Roehampton Club.
The Surrey-based player’s feat was also matched by 19-year-old Tory Temple-Murray, who brushed aside Chloe Mesic of France 11-6, 11-6, 11-1 to triumph in the women’s event.Â
Sharpes (pictured left), 21, overcame unseeded Welshman Joel Makin in the semi-final and despite squandering a 7-4 lead in the opening game against the second-seeded Lobban, he edged the opening game 11-9 to the delight of his home crowd.
Lobban, who lost in the final of the Open du Gard to Mahesh Mangaonkar earlier this month, pushed Sharpes hard in the second-game but lost a tense tie-breaker 12-10 to put the top seed in a commanding position.
Sharpes had finished runner-up in three finals last year but shrugged off any lingering nervousness to reel off five consecutive points at the start of the third game before closing out the match 11-2.
Earlier in the day, Temple-Murray defeated second seed Mesic in straight games to bounce-back from consecutive first-round exits in December.
The world number 84, who won the European Junior Under 19 Championship last year, dominated proceedings from the outset and cruised through the opening two games 11-6.Â
An 11-1 mauling in the third game epitomised her superiority and was the perfect response to losing in the final of the Boston Open in her last BSPA tournament appearance on home soil.
Final – Men’s Result:
[1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-0 [2] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-9, 12-10,11-2
Semi-finals – Men’s Results:
[1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-1 Joel Makin (WAL) 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6
[2] Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-1 [5/8] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-6
Quarter-finals – Men’s Results:
[1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-0 [5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) 11-9, 12-10, 11-6
Joel Makin (WAL) 3-2 [3/4] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 7-11, 11-2
[5/8] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 3-0 [3/4] Reuben Phillips (ENG) 14-12, 11-7, 5-1 ret.
[2] Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0 Sean Conroy (IRL) 11-6, 11-6, 12-10
Second Round – Men’s Results:
[1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-0 Chris van der Salm (NZL) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
[5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) 3-1 Roshan Bharos (NED) 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9
Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0 [5/8] Joe Green (ENG) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3
[3/4] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) 3-0 Taminder Gata-Aura (ENG) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
[3/4] Reuben Phillips (ENG) 3-1 Michael Craig (IRL) 7-11, 11-1, 13-11, 11-5
[5/8] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 3-0 Joshua Masters (ENG) 11-3, 13-11, 11-6
Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-2 [5/8] David Haley (WAL) 11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 14-12, 12-10
[2] Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0 Will John (WAL) 16-14, 11-3, 11-8
First Round – Men’s Results:
[1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-0 Sean Agun (ENG) 11-4, 11-1, 11-2
Chris van der Salm (NZL) 3-1 Alex Lemom (ENG) 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-2
Roshan Bharos (NED) 3-2 Robert Dadds (ENG) 3-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5
[5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) 3-0 Hakon Standal (NOR) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
[5/8] Joe Green (ENG) 3-0 Henry Pelham (ENG) 12-10, 11-5, 11-6
Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0 Benjamin Coates (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-3
Taminder Gata-Aura (ENG) 3-1 Bradley Masters (ENG) 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8
[3/4] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) 3-0 Chris Waight (ENG) 11-2, 11-5, 11-3
[3/4] Reuben Phillips (ENG) 3-0 William Rogers-Tizard (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7
Michael Craig (IRL) 3-0 Sindre Roaldsoy (NOR) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6
Joshua Masters (ENG) 3-0 Jesper Skarman (SWE) 11-6, 12-10, 11-2
[5/8] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 3-1 Julian Tomlinson (ENG) 11-2, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7
[5/8] David Haley (WAL) 3-0 Alexander Williams (ENG) 11-8, 12-10, 11-6
Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-0 Tom Chitty (ENG) 11-7, 12-10, 11-7
Will John (WAL) 3-1 Tom Bamford (ENG) 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
[2] Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0 Scott Bailey (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-4
Final – Women’s Result:
[1] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) 3-0 [2] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-1
Semi-finals:
[1] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) 3-1 Elise Lazarus (ENG) 11-8, 11-5, 16-18, 11-9
[2] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 3-1 [3/4] Samantha Ward (ENG) 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 13-11
Quarter-finals:
[1] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) 3-0 Jessica Davis (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Elise Lazarus (ENG) 3-0 [3/4] Taylor Flavell (AUS) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5
[3/4] Samantha Ward (ENG) 3-2 Sophie Lemom (ENG) 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 3-0 Katrina Burrows (ENG) 11-0, 11-9, 11-5
First Round:
[1] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) v bye
Jessica Davis (ENG) 3-0 Hannah Shipley (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
Elise Lazarus (ENG) 3-0 Jessica Dixon (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
[3/4] Taylor Flavell (AUS) 3-0 Kace Bartley (ENG) w/o
[3/4] Samantha Ward (ENG) 3-0 Grace Gear (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-5
Sophie Lemom (ENG) 3-1 Eira Mooney (SWE) 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8
Katrina Burrows (ENG) 3-0 Katie Burke (ENG) 11-4, 11-2, 11-8
[2] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 3-0 Rawan Elkalaawy (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 11-1