WORLD SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: EBS Dayton Squash Open, Dayton, Ohio, USA
Semi-finals:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [3] Lee Beachill (ENG) 17-15, 15-6, 4-6 ret.
[2] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [5] Alex Gough (WAL) 15-10, 13-15, 15-8,
10-15, 15-10
Beachill Suffers Further Ankle Disappointment
For the second time in successive PSA Tour events, England's Lee Beachill
crashed out of the semi-finals of the $30,000 EBS Dayton Squash Open in Ohio,
USA, with an ankle injury.
In a similar mid-court clash to one which caused his withdrawal from last
month's World Open in Belgium with an ankle injury, third seed Beachill
collided with top-seeded Frenchman Thierry Lincou when leading in the third
game in the 60th minute of a titanic battle. The world No9 from Yorkshire
was forced to concede the match 17-15 15-6 4-6 to favourite Lincou.
"It was not exactly the same injury as before, but Lee was unable to
continue," said Beachill spokesman Paul Walters. Beachill is due to begin
the defence of his title in the British National Championships in just over
two weeks.
Lincou, the world No6 from Paris, will face second seed Anthony Ricketts in
the final after the world No7 from Australia survived a marathon five-game
battle against Welshman Alex Gough in the other semi-final. The balance of
power between the two swung backwards and forwards, Ricketts taking the
opener, fifth seed Gough the second, then the Australian fighting back to
take the third, only for the Welshman to level matters in the fourth. Gough
recovered from 11-1 down in the decider, but Ricketts ultimately claimed
victory in 95 minutes with the score at 15-10 13-15 15-8 10-15 15-10.
The victory marks Ricketts' seventh appearance in a PSA Tour final - but his
first since facing Lincou in the final of the Pittsburgh Open exactly a year
ago, when the Frenchman went on to claim his 9th PSA title.