Men's Draw/Results
Women's Draw/Results
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Sunday 5th
Maidstone Club Championship Final:
Colin Payne bt Duane Harrison 5/9, 9/5, 9/1, 9/0
Men's Final:
Nick Matthew bt Peter Genever 12/15, 11/15, 15/11, 15/12,
17/15
Women's Final:
Rebecca Macree bt Vicky Botwright 9/4, 9/4, 9/7
MATTHEW & MACREE TAKE MAIDSTONE
YORKSHIRE’S Nick Matthew conjured up a sensational recovery
to fight back from two games down and a huge 11-3 deficit in the fifth
game to beat the more experienced Peter Genever in a dramatic final of
the INVESCO Maidstone Open.
Matthew, the 21-year-old from Sheffield, completed an astonishing 12-15,
11-15, 15-11, 15-11, 17-15 victory in exactly 100 minutes of high
quality squash.
Genever, the 28-year-old world No.30 from Chichester,
looked to have the match in the bag as he dominated the opening stages
to take a commanding two-game lead.
He had started slowly in each game, trailing 5-1 in the first and 9-4 in
the second, before gaining control with precision squash and patient
rallying that forced his younger opponent into a succession of errors.
Genever led 11-10 in the third game and seemed on the verge of a 3-0
victory but world No.36 Matthew served notice of what was to follow when
he reeled off five points in a row to take the game.
The fourth followed a similar pattern as Genever led 9-4 and then 10-6,
but Matthew patiently worked the ball deeper into the back corners to
win eight points in a row on his way to taking the game 15-11 to level
the match.
Genever, a regular training partner of world champion Peter Nicol in
London, is one of the fittest players in the game and he began the final
game determined to stamp his authority on proceedings.
Both players were moving well and demonstrating breathtaking powers of
retrieval after almost an hour and a half of punishing squash that
completed a gruelling schedule of five matches in three days for the
pair of them.
Genever looked the stronger as he powered into a 5-1 lead that soon
became 8-2 and 11-3 but Matthew is a tenacious performer and clawed his
way back point by point. Genever finally reached match ball at 14-12 but
was unable to finish it off and, when Matthew levelled at 14-14, Genever
called “set three”.
Matthew won the first point of the tiebreak, Genever levelled at 15-15
but the younger player took the next two to clinch the title and collect
a first prize cheque of £800.
The tournament, once again sponsored by INVESCO Private Portfolio
Management Limited, was the final event of the Prince Grand Prix Series
and produced a weekend rich in drama and shock results to delight the
packed gallery at Maidstone Squash Club.
The top two seeds, Lancashire’s Nick Taylor and South African No.1
Rodney Durbach, the reigning champion, were both knocked out at the
quarter-final stage on Saturday.
Taylor, the England international from Manchester, lost an ill-tempered
battle with Berkshire’s Stephen Meads, who came back from 2-1 down to
triumph 15-12 in the fifth game after 99 minutes.
There were more fireworks to follow as Durbach surrendered his title. He
lost the first two games to Surrey’s Stacey Ross but hit back to draw
level at 2-2. Durbach won the first two points of the fifth game, but
Ross took control to win 15-8. That match lasted 97 minutes.
Amazingly, the 32-year-old Meads had plenty of energy left for another
marathon contest later on Saturday when Matthew had to fight back from
2-1 down and 12-8 down in the fifth to win 5-15, 17-15, 10-15, 15-13,
15-12 after 86 minutes.
Matthew had earlier removed last year’s runner-up Tim Garner, who is
this season’s Grand Prix champion.
The Maidstone Open featured a women’s event for the first time this year
and the final produced a dazzling, glamorous occasion featuring the top
two seeds, world No.12 Rebecca Macree from Essex, and world No.16 Vicky
Botwright from Manchester.
Botwright had overpowered fellow Lancashire rival Helen Easton, this
year’s women’s Grand Prix champion, in the semi-finals, but could not
repeat that level of performance against her taller opponent in the
final.
Macree dominated the opening two games to win each one 9-4, but
Botwright battled throughout the third before finally going down 9-7.
The event attracted three touring Australian players plus five members
of the Kent women’s squad, who were all overpowered by their full-time
opponents but found the experience invaluable.
Saturday 4th
Matthew beats Meads and Genever beats Ross
in men's semis ...
TOP MEN'S SEEDS BOW OUT
Top seed Nick Taylor beaten in the quarter-finals by
Stephen Meads in a 99-minute thriller ... Helen Easton wins the overall
Grand Prix ... Stacey Ross beats defending champion Durbach in
88-minutes ...
Women's quarters - Macree, Waters, Easton & Botwright
through to semis ...
Friday 3rd
CHAMP DURBACH HOLDS OFF GARNER
CHALLENGE
Reigning Maidstone champion Rodney Durbach came close to a
shock defeat in the first round, against the younger brother of the man
he beat in last year's final. Ben Garner lead 5-1 in the fifth before
the South African #1 regained control to win a marathon match 15-8 in
the fifth after 79 minutes. Durbach now meets Surrey's Stacey Ross, who
eased past Shahid Khan in four games.
Seasoned pro Paul Lord won another marathon affair,
fighting back after losing the first game against Alex Stait to win in
convincing style. Lordy had an amazing run, winning 24 consecutive
points from 2-5 down in the third to 11-0 up in the fourth before Stait
staged a mini-revival. Lord now faces Peter Genever who withstood a
barrage of attacking squash from Ben Ford before winning 15-11 in the
fourth.
Top seed Nick Taylor dropped the first game against Joey
Barrington, and was made to work hard for his 3-1 victory, taking him
into the quarters against Stephen Meads who battered his way past Ben
Howell in three.
Yorkshire's Nick Matthew looks in fine form, and faces
fourth seed Tim Garner in the quarters. Garner toughed out Connaught
team mate Lee Jemmett in straight games. Tim, as BSPA organiser, has
arranged tomorrow's matches to ensure that he gets to see the Cup final,
where he hopes his beloved Arsenal can clinch the first leg of the
double.
Absentees: Bradley Ball and John Russell both sadly had
to withdraw, Bradley with a leg injury and JR because of a viral
infection. We wish them well in their recovery.
Meridian TV cameras
spent two hours at Maidstone this morning, interviewing BSPA promoter
(and Arsenal fan) Tim Garner, top seed Nick Taylor, and Maidstone Open
Tournament Director yours truly, but most of tonight's two-minute
transmission was take up with ... you guessed it, photos of Vicky
Botwright's famous British Open shoot. The Thong Goddess, second seed
behind Rebecca Macree, received a bye into the quarter-finals when her
opponent withdrew. In the men's event all the seeded players progressed
to this morning's quarter-finals.
TIM CONFIRMED AS 2002 GRAND PRIX
CHAMPION
Tim Garner, who faces Nick Matthew in today's quarter-finals, is
confirmed as the Prince 2001-2002 Grand Prix champion. All today's
matches look tough, with top seed Nick Taylor meeting Stephen Meads,
Pete Genever facing an in-form Paul Lord, and Rodney Durbach playing the
stylish Stacey Ross.
The women's event gets under way at 10a.m. ... after the early morning
junior coaching session. Tomorrow sees a special clinic and competition
involving the younger Maidstone juniors and group of children who are
being introduced to the sport from local schools.
Durbach
and Garner delighted the crowd with a fascinating display of skill and
athleticism. Garner had never beaten Durbach in seven previous meetings
on the international tour and set out determined to reverse that trend.
The tournament, which will be held at Maidstone Squash Club from April
27-29th, carries £3,000 worth of prize money and is the final event in the
prestigious BSPA British Grand Prix Series.