RESULTS:  Head World Masters Squash Championships, Christchurch, New Zealand

Men's Over-35 Semi-finals:
[1] Jason Mudge (AUS) bt [3/4] Clive Ewins (ENG) 9-0, 3-9, 9-4, 9-4
[2] Scott Gardiner (NZL) bt [9/16] Shane Johnson (NZL) 9-6, 9-7, 9-3
    Final:
[1] Jason Mudge (AUS) bt [2] Scott Gardiner (NZL) 9-3, 10-8, 9-0

Men's Over-40 Semi-finals:
[3/4] Gary Duberly (NZL) bt [5/8] Steven Wren (NZL) 8-10, 10-9, 10-9, 5-9, 9-6
[5/8] Richard Elliott (ENG) bt [2] Danny McQueen (NZL) 1-9, 3-9, 9-1, 10-8, 9-0
    Final:
[3/4] Gary Duberly (NZL) bt [5/8] Richard Elliott (ENG) 10-8, 4-9, 9-5, 0-9, 9-2

Men's Over-45 Semi-finals:
[5/8] Trevor Wilkinson (RSA) bt [1] Stuart Davenport (NZL) 9-7, 9-4, 9-5
[3/4] Warren Miller (AUS) bt [2] Greg Pearman (ENG) 9-0, 2-9, 9-1, 9-2
    Final:
[5/8] Trevor Wilkinson (RSA) bt [3/4] Warren Miller (AUS) 9-6, 9-3, 5-9, 9-4

Men's Over-50 Semi-finals:
[1] Geoffrey Davenport (AUS) bt [3/4] Zainal Ab. Malik (SIN) 9-1, 9-4, 9-0
[3/4] Pierr Roodt (RSA) bt [5/8] Jim Mobbs (AUS) 9-2, 9-3, 9-5
    Final:
[1] Geoffrey Davenport (AUS) bt [3/4] Pierr Roodt (RSA) 9-1, 9-5, 9-1

Men's Over-55 Semi-finals:
[5/8] Bruce Turner (AUS) bt [9/16] William Todd (IRL) 10-8, 9-3, 9-1
[2] Michael Bester (RSA) bt [5/8] Trevor Colyer (NZL) 9-3, 9-5, 3-9, 6-9, 9-1
    Final:
[2] Michael Bester (RSA) bt [5/8] Bruce Turner (AUS) 9-4, 9-1, 9-6

Men's Over-60 Semi-finals:
[3/4] Hugh Colburn (AUS) bt [1] Philip Ayton (GBR) 9-5, 5-9, 9-6, 9-3
[2] Brian Cook (AUS) bt [3/4] Roy Plumstead (RSA) 9-6, 9-4, 9-0
    Final:
[2] Brian Cook (AUS) bt [3/4] Hugh Colburn (AUS) 9-6, 6-9, 9-6, 9-0

Men's Over-65 Semi-finals:
Ted Vale (AUS) bt [1] Adrian Wright (ENG) 6-9, 4-9, 9-7, 10-8, 9-4
[2] Richard Purser (NZL) bt [3/4] Graham Fisher (ENG) 8-10, 9-1, 9-1, 9-5
    Final:
[2] Richard Purser (NZL) bt Ted Vale (AUS) 9-0, 9-6, 9-1

Men's Over-70 Semi-finals:
[3/4] Barry Gardiner (NZL) bt [1] John Woodliffe (ENG) 9-3, 3-9, 9-0, 9-4
[2] Brian Heath (RSA) bt [3/4] Lance Kinder (ENG) 9-4, 9-4, 9-5
    Final:
[3/4] Barry Gardiner (NZL) bt [2] Brian Heath (RSA) 9-6, 9-0, 9-3

Men's Over-75 Semi-finals:
[1] John Irving (RSA) bt [3/4] Maurice Peters (NZL) 4-9, 9-3, 9-2, 9-3
[2] Bill Berry (NZL) bt [5/8] Tony de Bono (NZL) 9-2, 9-1, 9-1
    Final:
[1] John Irving (RSA) bt [2] Bill Berry (NZL) 5-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-6

Women's Over-35 Semi-finals:
[1] Amanda Hopps (AUS) bt [5/8] Susan Davis (AUS) 9-2, 9-7, 9-0
[5/8] Lisa Cowlard (ENG) bt Yoriko Michishita (JPN) 9-2, 9-4, 10-8
    Final:
[1] Amanda Hopps (AUS) bt [5/8] Lisa Cowlard (ENG) 5-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-4

Women's Over-40 Semi-finals:
[1] Sarah Nelson (AUS) bt Annie Hall (NZL) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0
[5/8] Sonia Pinter (RSA) bt [5/8] Vicki Beker (NZL) 9-7, 8-10, 2-9, 9-7, 9-1
    Final:
[1] Sarah Nelson (AUS) bt [5/8] Sonia Pinter (RSA) 9-2, 7-9, 7-9, 9-2, 9-2

Women's Over-45 Semi-finals:
[5/8] Kay Newman (NZL) bt [3/4] Janet van der Westhuizen (RSA) 9-4, 9-6, 9-5
[2] Susan Williams (AUS) bt [5/8] Claire Baker (ENG) 9-2, 9-4, 9-3
    Final:
[5/8] Kay Newman (NZL) bt [2] Susan Williams (AUS) 9-3, 9-3, 9-2

Women's Over-50 Semi-finals:
[3/4] Julie Field (ENG) bt [1] Anne Richards (AUS) 9-3, 9-4, 9-0
[3/4] Lisa O'Grady (RSA) bt [2] Pauline Douglas (SCO) 9-7, 3-9, 9-4, 9-2
    Final:
[3/4] Julie Field (ENG) bt [3/4] Lisa O'Grady (RSA) 10-9, 9-2, 9-0

Women's Over-55 Semi-finals:
[3/4] Francy Stephenson (NZL) bt [1] Sue Volkze (AUS) 9-6, 9-6, 6-9, 9-2
[2] Gaye Mitchell (AUS) bt [3/4] Kathy Paterson (AUS) 9-4, 10-8, 9-1
    Final:
[2] Gaye Mitchell (AUS) bt [3/4] Francy Stephenson (NZL) 9-0, 9-3, 9-3

Women's Over-60 Semi-finals:
[1] Ann Manley (ENG) bt [3/4] Marilyn Kennedy (AUS) 9-7, 9-3, 9-1
[2] Averil Murphy (ENG) bt [3/4] Bett Dryhurst (ENG) 4-9, 1-9, 9-7, 9-7, 9-3
    Final:
[2] Averil Murphy (ENG) bt [1] Ann Manley (ENG) 9-7, 9-1, 9-6

Women's Over-65 Semi-finals:
[1] Jean Grainger (RSA) bt [3/4] Patsy Fleming (NZL) 4-9, 9-5, 9-5, 7-9, 9-4
Antoinette Morris (RSA) bt Jeanette Williamson (AUS) 9-5, 9-1, 9-2
    Final:
[1] Jean Grainger (RSA) bt Antoinette Morris (RSA) 9-0, 9-3, 9-1

Women's Over-70 Final:
Averil Heath (RSA) bt Jean Murray (SCO) 5-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-5
    Third place play-off:
Aileen Cook (AUS) bt Hazel Marsh (ENG) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1


While hosts New Zealand took four of the titles in the Head World Masters Squash Championships in Christchurch, Australia claimed six of the titles - with South Africa four and England two - in the ninth staging of the event which attracted a record 769 players from 35 countries.

Jason Mudge and Amanda Hopps produced an Australian double in the Over-35 championships.  Top seed Mudge, just 35, beat local opponent Scott Gardiner, the No2 seed, in the men's final while Hopps, also the favourite, beat surprise opponent Lisa Cowlard, an English-born 5/8 seed from New Zealand, in the women's final.

There were first title wins too in the Over-40 event - Kiwi Gary Duberly defeating Englishman Richard Elliott in the men's final, and Australian favourite Sarah Nelson fighting back from 2/1 down to overcome South African Sonia Pinter in the other final.

There were mixed outcomes in the Over-45 event where South African Trevor Wilkinson, a men's quarter-finalist in the last championships in 2006, first beat local star and top seed Stuart Davenport in the semis before defeating higher-seeded Warren Miller in the final.  New Zealander Kay Newman defeated 2006 women's champion Janet van der Westhuizen, from South Africa, in the semi-finals - then went on to take the women's title after despatching second seed Susan Williams in straight games.

After winning the Over-45 championships last time, Australian Geoffrey Davenport made a successful debut in the Men's Over-50 event, beating South African Pierr Roodt to win the title.  The women's event saw England's Julie Field build on the British National and British Open O50 titles she won earlier in the year by first ousting title-holder Anne Richards in the semi-finals - then beating South Africa's Lisa O'Grady in the final to take the world crown.

Michael Bester, of South Africa, won his first Over-55 world title after beating Australian Bruce Turner in the men's final - while Gaye Mitchell, also an Australian, defeated Francy Stephenson in the women's final, after the New Zealander had removed defending champion Sue Volkze in the previous round.

An all-Australian men's final in the Over-60 championship saw second seed Brian Cook beat title-holder Hugh Colburn to win the crown for the first time.  The women's climax produced an all-English battle in which second seed Averil Murphy beat favourite and defending champion Ann Manley 9-7, 9-1, 9-6.

Unseeded Australian Ted Vale upset England's defending champion and top seed Adrian Wright in the semi-finals of the Men's Over-65 event - but was unable to stop second-seeded New Zealander Richard Purser clinching the title for the first time with a straight games victory in the final.  South African Jean Grainger, a Masters regular, added another title to her collection by beating compatriot Antoinette Morris (who removed Irish title-holder Barbara Sanderson in the quarter-finals) in the women's final.

New Zealander Barry Gardiner, who was also the chairman of the organising committee, won the men’s Over-70 title after beating South African Brian Heath 9-6, 9-0, 9-3.  The inaugural women's competition at the age-group saw four players battle for success - but it was South African Averil Heath that prevailed, with Scot Jean Murray finishing as runner-up.

The most 'senior' event proved successful for John Irving after the South African beat Kiwi Bill Berry in the four-game final of the Men's Over-75 championship.