EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS EUROPEANTEAMCHAMPIONSHIPS
While hosts France suffered the double disappointment of finishing runners-up in both men’s and women’s finals of the European Team Championships at the Val de L’Arc Sports Centre in Aix-en-Provence, there was delight for England who won the men’s title for the 18th successive year and joy for the Netherlands, who won winning the women’s crown for the first time.
final against England, the favourites, who had beaten them in the previous seven finals. An inspired Dutch performance, combined with an inexplicable loss of form from England No.1 Jenny Duncalf, led to England’s first defeat in the 33-year history of the event – and an eighth successive appearance in the final for the Dutch against first-time finalists France.
In the men’s final, England defeated the second seeds 4/0 in the tenth final clash between the two countries in the past eleven years, continuing an eighteen-year unbroken run which began in the same French city in 1993.
Whilst James Willstrop was extended to five games before overcoming Thierry Lincou 7-11 11-1 8-11 11-9 11-7 in an 82-minute opening encounter, England No.1 Nick Matthew crushed Gregory Gaultier 11-9 11-9 11-6, followed by equally convincing straight game wins from Peter Barker and Daryl Selby.
In the women’s championship, a surprise loss to third seeds France in the final women’s qualifying round put the Netherlands, the second seeds, into an unexpected semi-
Men’s Final: [1] ENGLAND bt [2] FRANCE 4/0 Nick Matthew bt Gregory Gaultier 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 James Willstrop bt Thierry Lincou 7-11, 11-1, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 Peter Barker bt Renan Lavigne 11-6, 11-5 Daryl Selby bt Mathieu Castagnet 12-10, 11-7, 11-1
3rd Place Play-Off: [4] NETHERLANDS bt [3] WALES 3/0
Dutch No.1 Vanessa Atkinson, the 34-year-old former World No.1 and World Champion, who was making her 18th successive appearance in the event, followed her five game victory over Duncalf in the semi-finals with an equally impressive 9-11 11-7 11-3 11-5 win over French No.1 Camille Serme in the final. Isabelle Stoehr battled back to beat Annelize Naude 9-11 12-10 9-11 11-8 11-8 to bring the hosts back into contention, but Orla Noom prevailed in the decider, beating Maud Duplomb 11-5 11-8 11-7 to give the Netherlands their historic maiden win in their 32nd appearance in the championships.
The first ever defeat in the women’s championship leaves England much to ponder, with the future of David Pearson still hanging in the balance, after the highly-influential National Coach did not travel to Aix-en-Provence following talks over procedural changes to his role.
European Team Championships, Aix-en-Provence, France Women’s Final:
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [3] FRANCE 2/1 Vanessa Atkinson bt Camille Serme 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 Annelize Naude lost to Isabelle Stoehr 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11 Orla Noom bt Maud Duplomb 11-5, 11-8, 11-7
3rd Place Play-Off: [1] ENGLAND bt [4] IRELAND 2/1
INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE June 2010 | 11
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine
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