British National Squash Championships

RESULTS: British National Squash Championships, National Squash Centre, Manchester

Men's 1st round:
[1] Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt Alister Walker (Glos) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (32m)
[16] Jonathan Kemp (Shrops) bt Scott Handley (Oxon) 11-5, 3-2 ret.
[8] Alex Gough (Wales) bt [Q] Tim Vail (Sussex) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (47m)
[14] Peter Barker (Essex) bt [Q] Peter Billson (Lancs) 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (48m)
[4] Nick Matthew (Yorks) bt [Q] James Wright (Leics) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (28m)
[12] Stephen Meads (Berks) bt Oliver Davidson (Middx) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (27m)
[6] Adrian Grant (Kent) bt Stacey Ross (Surrey) 11-3, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 (60m)
Alex Stait (Glos) bt [15] Joey Barrington (Somerset) 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (59m)
Phillip Barker (Essex) bt [13] Peter Genever (Sussex) 11-2, 10-11 (1-3), 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (75m)
[7] Simon Parke (Yorks) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (Essex) 11-4, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 (52m)
[9] Nick Taylor (Lancs) bt [Q] Andrew Whipp (Cheshire) 7-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 (63m)
[3] James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [Q] Chris Simpson (Hants) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (26m)
[11] Bradley Ball (Suffolk) bt Hadrian Stiff (Devon) w/o
[5] John White (Scotland) bt [Q] Derek Ryan (Ireland) 11-7, 9-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-10 (2-0) (56m)
[10] Marcus Berrett (Yorks) bt Ben Garner (Surrey) 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8 (35m)
[Q] Laurence Delasaux (Yorks) bt Nick Douglas (Notts) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (26m)

Women's 2nd qualifying round:
Rebecca Botwright (Lancs) bt Sarah Bowles (Northumbria) 9-7, 9-2, 9-2 (27m)
Caroline Chaloner (Sussex) bt Lauren Siddall (Yorks) 9-3, 9-4, 9-1 (28m)
Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) bt Georgina Stoker (Merseyside) 5-9, 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 9-2 (62m)
Emma Beddoes (Warwicks) bt Rachel Willmott (Sussex) 9-6, 2-9, 9-1, 9-2 (35m)
Suzie Pierrepont (Sussex) bt Isabelle Tweedle (Surrey) 9-6, 9-4, 9-4 (21m)
Laura Hill (Derbyshire) bt Fiona Moverley (Yorks) 9-4, 9-3, 9-4 (31m)
Amina Helal (Lancs) bt Jenna Gates (Sussex) 6-9, 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 (35m)
Lauren Briggs (Essex) bt Kirsty McPhee (Yorks) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 (25m)
    Qualifying finals:
Rebecca Botwright (Lancs) bt Caroline Chaloner (Sussex) 9-5, 9-7, 9-5 (37m)
Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) bt Emma Beddoes (Warwicks) 10-8, 9-6, 9-5 (41m)
Laura Hill (Derbyshire) bt Suzie Pierrepont (Sussex) 9-4, 4-9, 9-10, 9-7, 9-7 (63m)
Amina Helal (Lancs) bt Lauren Briggs (Essex) 9-5, 9-5, 4-9, 9-5 (49m)

Champion White Survives Stern Test In British Nationals

Defending champion John White survived a tough test in today's (Tuesday) opening round of the British National Squash Championships, ultimately winning in 56 minutes over four games against unranked Irishman Derek Ryan at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity in Manchester.

Bury-based Ryan, an eight-times Irish champion and former world No7, is now retired from the international circuit and midway through training to become a physiotherapist.  Showing all the skills that took him into the world top ten in the late nineties, the 35-year-old made White fight hard for his 11-7 9-11 11-10 11-10 victory.

"I always have a tough game against Derek," said the champion from Scotland.  "He played very well and his short balls just hugged the wall, making them almost impossible to play.

"It's always good to get a good decent hit to start with - but I'm glad I'm through it," added the 31-year-old from Nottingham who won the title for the first time last year.

Ryan admitted that the game suited him better:  "I was more relaxed and had zero pressure on me - and that court doesn't suit John, so it was a bit of a leveller all round," said the popular former pro who now only plays North West County league squash for Rochdale and Yorkshire league for Pontefract.

The later all-Manchester battle between twice runner-up Nick Taylor, the ninth seed, and Andrew Whipp, a qualifier, had the packed crowd on the edges of their seats for a full five games.  Though underdog Whipp, a 23-year-old from Stockport in his third appearance in the event, led 2/1, it was favourite Taylor who eventually prevailed 7-11 11-4 5-11 11-6 11-6 in 63 minutes.

"I didn't play well at all tonight," said Taylor, from Stalybridge, afterwards.  "But I'm only playing once a week nowadays, so I should have enjoyed it more than I did - I was simply too edgy, conscious of the great expectation there was on me.

"But Whippy played well in patches and made errors in patches too - and probably deserved to win.  I'm just happy to be through to the next round - the pressure's off now!"

Whipp admitted that he was angry with himself after the match:  "At 2/1 up and 2-0 up in the fourth, I suddenly got so nervous.  I tightened up and saw that he was getting tired. 

"But I'm so angry - I just hate losing, and had two horrible decisions in the last game.  But Nick played really well in the fifth game," conceded the disappointed loser.

Top seed Lee Beachill cruised through his opening encounter to register an 11-8 11-4 11-5 victory in 32 minutes over Gloucestershire's Alister Walker.  The 27-year-old world No2 from Yorkshire, who leads the local Manchester/Pontefract team National League attack, claimed it was the ideal start.

"A perfect first round match - it wasn't too easy, but I wasn't too stretched," said the two-times champion who is seeded to reach the final for the fifth successive year.

"This event means a lot to me - it was where I made my breakthrough some years ago, and I would really like to win the title again.  It's very local for me and the tournament always brings out the best in me," Beachill added.

Two seeds bit the dust on day one of the men's event - Alex Stait, from Gloucestershire, fought back from a game down to beat 15th seed Joey Barrington, from Somerset, 8-11 11-8 11-8 11-4 in 59 minutes, while Essex's Phillip Barker took 75 minutes to quash Sussex's 13th seed Peter Genever 11-2 10-11 8-11 11-10 11-4.

Phillip, 23, from Upminster, joins his higher-ranked younger brother Peter Barker in the second round.  The 21-year-old, seeded for the first time at 14, defeated Lancashire qualifier Peter Billson 8-11 11-9 11-8 11-7 in 48 minutes.

The men's event suffered a setback in the morning when it was announced that No2 seed Peter Nicol had withdrawn, suffering with flu.  "I'm very disappointed not to be playing again in Manchester, especially coming off my win in Dayton, Ohio, last week," said the twice former champion from London.

The final line-up for the first round of the women's event was also decided today at the National Squash Centre.  Rebecca Botwright (Lancs), Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) and Amina Helal (Lancs) provided further north west interest in the event after winning their qualifying final matches - joining Derbyshire firewoman Laura Hill who beat Sussex's Suzie Pierrepont 9-4 4-9 9-10 9-7 9-7 in a 63-minute marathon.

The late withdrawal of Ireland's seventh seed Madeline Perry (suffering from blisters) provided Essex's Lauren Briggs with an unexpected 'lucky loser' spot, in which she takes on qualifier Rebecca Botwright, from Manchester, for a place in the women's last eight.

Updated women's 1st round draw:
[1] Linda Elriani (Sussex) v [Q] Laura Hill (Derbyshire)
[5] Fiona Geaves (Glos) v Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx)
[3] Jenny Tranfield (Yorks) v [Q] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) v Laura-Jane Lengthorn (Lancs)
[8] Tania Bailey (Lincs) v Alison Waters (Middx)
[4] Vicky Botwright (Lancs) v Stephanie Brind (Kent)
Lauren Briggs (Essex) v [Q] Rebecca Botwright (Lancs)
[2] Rebecca Macree (Essex) v [Q] Amina Helal (Lancs)