Runner-up in the last championship in 2011, the 24-year-old world No13 beat Low, ranked six places higher, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-1.

The men’s championship provided the first Pakistan winner for 15 years when Aamir Atlas Khan beat third-seeded KuwaitiAbdullah Al Muzayen 11-9, 11-3, 11-8 – ending Malaysian dominance of the men’s event since 1998.

The 40th European Team Championships took place in the Netherlands city of Amsterdam, where Englandmaintained their grip on both the men’s and women’s titles despite stiff opposition.

Former world No2 Jenny Duncalf earned her 100th England cap in sensational style on semi-finals day by clinching victory in the deciding match against third seeds France.

The 30-year-old from Yorkshire was then called upon to repeat her heroics 24 hours later in the final decider against second seeds Ireland - Duncalf beating Laura Mylotte 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 to give favourites England their third title in a row, and the 35th since the women’s championships began in 1978.

In their 13th final again France in 14 years, the England men found themselves 2/0 down for the first time after powerful French wins by world No3 Gregory Gaultier and the now retired former world champion Thierry Lincou.

But Essex duo Daryl Selby and Peter Barker - ranked 13 & 7, respectively, in the world – steadied the England ship with straight games wins over Lucas Serme and Gregoire Marche to give the defending champions an 8-6 win on games countback – and England’s narrowest victory since 2002.

RESULTS: FMC Asian Championships, Islamabad, Pakistan

Men’s final:
[6] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [3] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) 11-9, 11-3, 11-8

Women’s final:
[2] Annie Au (HKG) bt [1] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-1

European Team Championships, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Men’s final:
[1] ENGLAND bt [2] FRANCE 2/2 (England win 8-6 on games countback)
James Willstrop lost to Thierry Lincou 11-4, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 5-11 (67m)
Nick Matthew lost to Gregory Gaultier 11-13, 6-11, 12-14 (82m)
Daryl Selby bt Lucas Serme 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (48m)
Peter Barker bt Gregoire Marche 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (53m)

Women’s final:
[1] ENGLAND bt [2] IRELAND 2/1
Laura Massaro bt Madeline Perry 11-7, 11-5, 11-2 (29m)
Alison Waters lost to Aisling Blake 5-11, 9-11, 6-11 (28m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Laura Mylotte 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 (23m)

The Dutch Squash Federation is the second oldest European member of the World Squash Federation (after England Squash) – and will be hosting the historic European Team Championships, the 41st edition of the event, for the tenth time since 1978.

More than 50 teams are competing in all three men’s and women’s divisions of the European Championships – including men’s championship debutants Estoniaand first-timers in the women’s event Latvia and Slovenia.

The championships will take place at the 21-court Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam from 1-4 May.

“The Dutch federation is one of the most active WSF member nations in Europe as well as being a world leader and we congratulate them on this magnificent three-quarters-of-a-century milestone,” said WSF President N Ramachandran, who will be attending the championships.

“Furthermore, our European Squash Federation is celebrating its 40th anniversary at a time when they are going from strength to strength,” added Ramachandran.

“The fact that the celebrations will also include the staging of the biggest international team event in the world – bringing together nations such as Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovenia with successful countries such as France, England and hosts Netherlands, joined by smaller ones such as Luxembourg and debuting Estonia – will make this week in Amsterdam an extremely special one for our sport.”

With a growth rate of around 25% a year, the sport has taken off significantly in the last ten years – following the building of the first court in 1976 in Brodnica by construction workers who simply wanted to play squash while working there!

The WSF World Junior Championships will take place in Wroclaw at the Hasta La Vista Club, a centre which boasts 15 squash courts including an all-glass permanent showcourt.

Poland first established itself on the international squash map, however, in 2011 when the European Individual Championships were staged in Warsaw, then later in 2012 when the Sebo Squash & Art Festival was held on a court erected in the open air in the centre of Krakow.

The reasons for such strong growth – according to Tomasz Banasiak, President of the Polish Squash Federation – centre around education of investors and players, and the provision of local event opportunities.

The Federation organised 463 events in Poland last year.

“Squash is probably the best-matched sport for our country, fitting our geographical conditions for the whole year,” said Banasiak. “It also responds to the needs of our active and hungry-for-success developing Polish population.

“We can see independent investors continuing to spread clubs widely in the whole country. The Polish Squash Federation provides an increasingly professional environment for adults and juniors, high-performance and recreational players with coaches, and referees – including all our tournaments at different levels.

“The World Junior Championship 2013 in Wroclaw is the milestone to the expansion of squash this year,” added Banasiak. “Becoming a part of the 2020 Olympic Games would give us another kick among all activities led in Poland by those passionate for Squash.”

World Squash Federation CEO Andrew Shelley added: “Poland now has 100,000 players spread across the country – and part of the reason for this growth is that Poles have really taken to a sport that provides great exercise without eating too much into their leisure time.

“The sport is being embraced by students and seen as a great opportunity by investors – and leisure-time for the sport is increasingly being provided free by employers.

“This growth has begun to be seen in success in the world professional Tours, with Polish players breaking into the men’s top 200, and into the women’s top 100,” Shelley explained.

“The WSF World Juniors in Wroclaw in July will no doubt attract additional media attention for the sport as well as giving local players the chance to see all the very best young players in the world in action.”

Picture shows action in the 2011 European Individual Championships taking place on the all-glass showcourt erected in the Blue City shopping centre in Warsaw. Photograph courtesy of Pawel Dziurzynski

It was the dream climax of the biggest event in continental Europe which was celebrating its tenth anniversary – in which Matthew was marking his fifth successive final appearance since 2004, and denied a record fourth title.

The clash brought up the 50th Tour title of Gaultier’s career – and produced his 23rd title!

World No4 Gaultier took immediate control of the match and quickly established a 5-1 lead. Despite a determined bid by Matthew to control his opponent, Gaultier soon wrapped up the opening game for the loss of just three points.

Matthew requested a three-minute injury break before the second to attend to blisters – and came back to provide a more evenly-contested game in which points were shared up to 10-all. After saving a game-ball against him, the Frenchman played a stunning backhand crosscourt winner to take a two-game lead.

Matthew built up a 9-6 lead in the third as the packed crowd sensed a comeback – and hopefully a fourth game. But after five superb winners in a row, it was Gaultier who recorded his fourth straight games win in a row to clinch the title 11-3, 10-12, 11-9 in 72 minutes.

“I am very pleased with the match,” said the 30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence as he collected his trophy. “Me and Nick know each other well and have played against each other since junior time.

“It is always even and it’s important to defend the T-position. I want to thank the organisers and the audience for a great week – and I will gladly return next year.”

Matthew told his Twitter followers: “Disappointed to lose today, especially 3-0 but Greg v. sharp. Good start, immaculate width/length & play the big points well = decent combo.”

Tournament Director Fredrik Johnson thanked the sponsors, partners and audience at the  trophy presentation – and said to the players: “You are true superstars and professionals and I will see you all next year again!”

PSA International 70 Case Swedish Open, Linköping, Sweden

Final:
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [1] Nick Matthew (ENG) 11-3, 12-10, 11-9 (72m)

But the favourites were taken the full distance by third-seeded Ireland in the women’s final after Belfast’s Madeline Perry, ranked three in the world, fought back from 2/1 down to beat world No2 Jenny Duncalf 13-11, 7-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8.

But British champion Laura Massaro steered the England ship back on course by beating Aisling Blake 11-1, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, before Londoner Alison Waters, runner-up to her team-mate in February’s National Championship, clinched victory by defeating Laura Mylotte 11-2, 11-8, 11-2.

While England were celebrating their 34th European title since 1978, there was also cause for celebration in the Irish camp. The team’s surprise appearance in the final gave Ireland their best finish since 1989.

Top seeds England lined up against cross Channel rivals France in the men’s final for the 12th time since 2000.

Experienced fourth string Daryl Selby gave his team the best start with an 11-3, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9 win over 22-year-old Frenchman Gregoire Marche.

Fierce rivals James Willstrop and Gregory Gaultier then took to the court for their seventh meeting in the last seven months. But since the first of the first of those, Englishman Willstrop has become world number one – and the Yorkshireman had to play like the best player in the world to see off world No3 Gaultier 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-1 to give England a 2/0 lead.

Londoner Peter Barker then clinched the title after a straightforward 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 win over Mathieu Castagnet.

The victory marks England’s 20th success in a row – and the 37th in total since the inaugural championships in 1976,

Hosts Germany beat Scotland 3/1 in the play-off for third place to achieve their best finish since 1994. But Scotland, the sixth seeds, were also celebrating their best finish since reaching the final in 1999.

Germany lost out in the women’s third place play-off to France - but still recorded their best finish for five years.

Wales, who gained promotion into the elite championship from Division 2 last year, lost out to second seeds Netherlandsin the women’s fifth place play-off – but not only cemented their place in the top division for next year but also celebrated this best finish since 1988.

Denmark, also in the elite event this year after success in Division 2 last year, finished in sixth place in the men’s championship after losing the playoff to Italy. But the Danes, who have been out of the top eight since 2003, return home after achieving their best finish since 1976!

The 2012 Division 2 championships saw Spain and Switzerland gain promotion in the men’s event and Czech Republicand Belgium in the women’s.

The men’s qualifiers will both ensure top eight status next year for the first time since 2008, while Czech Republic can look forward to a top eight finlsh in next year’s women championship for the first time since 2006.

European Team Championship, Nürnberg, Germany

Men final:
[1] ENGLAND bt [2] FRANCE 3/0
Daryl Selby bt Gregoire Marche 11-3, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9
James Willstrop bt Gregory Gaultier 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-1
Peter Barker bt Mathieu Castagnet 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
Nick Matthew v Thierry Lincou (match not played)

3rd place play-off:
[5] GERMANY bt [6] SCOTLAND 3/1
Simon Rosner bt Alan Clyne 11-6, 11-8, 11-4
Raphael Kandra bt Greg Lobban 11-2, 11-5, 11-5
Jens Schoor lost to Chris Small 7-11, 13-15, 6-11
Andre Haschker bt Stuart Crawford 11-3, 4-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8

5th place play-off:
[3] ITALY bt [8] DENMARK 2/2 (Italy win 9-7 on games countback)
Davide Bianchetti lost to Kristian Frost Olesen 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 4-11
Marcus Berrett bt Rasmus Nielsen 11-4, 11-7, 11-9
Amr Swelim bt Caspar Grauballe Nielsen 11-9, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8
Andrea Torricini lost to Morten W Sorensen 11-2, 4-11, 11-9, 4-11, 4-11

7th place play-off:
[4] NETHERLANDS bt [7] FINLAND 4/0
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Olli Tuominen 11-4, 11-6, 11-5
Piedro Schweertman bt Matias Tuomi 11-9, 11-4, 11-7
Sebastiaan Weenink bt Jaakko Vahamaa 11-8, 11-4, 11-6
Bart Ravelli bye

Women’s final:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] IRELAND 2/1
Jenny Duncalf lost to Madeline Perry 11-13, 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 8-11
Laura Massaro bt Aisling Blake 11-1, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8
Alison Waters bt Laura Mylotte 11-2, 11-8, 11-2

3rd place play-off:
[4] FRANCE bt [6] GERMANY 3/0
Camille Serme bt Kathrin Hauck 11-5, 11-2, 11-4
Coline Aumard bt Pamela Hathway 11-3, 11-8, 11-5
Laura Pomportes bt Franziska Hennes 11-8, 11-2

5th place play-off:
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [8] WALES 2/1
Natalie Grinham bt Tesni Evans 11-9, 11-1, 11-9
Milou van der Heijden lost to Deon Saffery 3-11, 11-13, 7-11
Milja Dorenbos bt Stacey Gooding 11-3, 11-6, 11-7

7th place play-off:
[5] SCOTLAND bt [7] SWITZERLAND 2/1
Frania Gillen-Buchert lost to Gaby Huber 9-11, 6-11, 13-15
Lisa Aitken bt Sara Guebey 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2
Alex Clark bt Julia Schmalz 11-5, 11-7, 11-6

European Team Championships, Division 2:

Men’s Final:
[3] SPAIN bt [6] SWITZERLAND 2/2 (Spain win 8-5 on games countback)
Borja Golan lost to Nicolas Mueller 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 12-10, 6-11
David Vidal lost to Reiko Peter 9-11, 0-11
Alejandro Garbi Caro bt Lukas Burkhart 11-5, 11-1, 11-6
Carlos Cornes Ribadas bt Patrick Miescher 11-7, 11-8, 17-15

3rd place play-off:
[5] IRELAND bt [4] SWEDEN 4/0
Arthur Gaskin bt Christian Drakenberg 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Derek Ryan bt Sebastian Viktor 6-11, 11-8, 11-3
Rory Byrne bt Joakim Larsson 11-5, 11-4, 11-6
Nigel Peyton bt Alex Christensson 15-13, 11-9

5th place play-off:
[2] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [1] WALES 4/0
Jan Koukal bt Peter Creed 12-10, 11-2, 11-8
Lukas Jelinek bt David Haley 12-14, 11-3, 11-6
Petr Martin bt Sam Fenwick 11-6, 11-8, 11-5
Ondrej Uherka bt Jordan Davies 11-8, 11-8, 11-5

7th place play-off:
[9] AUSTRIA bt [7] BELGIUM 3/1
Aqeel Rehman bt Jan van den Herrewegen 11-6, 11-2, 8-11, 15-13
Leopold Czaska bt Mark Burke 11-8, 11-6, 11-7
Jakob Dirnberger bt Jan de Smet 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
Marcus Greslehner lost to Gregory Lecerf 11-6, 11-1, 7-11, 3-11, 5-11

9th place play-off:
[8] SLOVAKIA bt [10] PORTUGAL 2/2 (Slovakia win 8-6 on games countback)
Marek Manik lost to Rui Soares 9-11, 10-12, 6-11
Tomas Toth bt Claudio Pinto 11-9, 11-4, 12-10
Peter Kviecinsky lost to Joao Caiano 11-1, 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 5-11
Miroslav Celler bt Andre Lima 11-4, 11-7, 11-6

Women’s final qualifying rounds:
[4] AUSTRIA bt [7] POLAND 3/0
Birgit Coufal bt Dominika Witkowska 9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-8
Sandra Polak bt Anna Jurkun 11-3, 11-8, 11-5
Anja Kaserer bt Magdalena Kaminska 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
[6] BELGIUM bt [5] FINLAND 3/0
Kim Hannes bt Saara Valtola 11-7, 11-3, 11-9
Nele Gilis bt Emilia Soini 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Loreline Pira bt Emilia Korhonen 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5
[3] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [4] AUSTRIA 2/1
Lucie Fialova bt Birgit Coufal 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8
Olga Ertlova bt Sandra Polak 11-7, 11-5, 11-4
Klara Janoskova lost to Anja Kaserer 11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 11-13
[1] SPAIN bt [2] ITALY 3/0
Xisela Aranda Nunez bt Katiuscia Grossi 11-2, 11-3, 11-6
Stela Carbonell bt Monica Menegozzi 11-1, 11-6, 11-6
Sara Esperon bt Elisabetta Priante 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9

Final positions: 1 Czech Republic, 2 Belgium, 3 Spain, 4 Austria, 5 Finland, 6 Italy, 7 Poland

The top seed from Botswana arrived in Dublin fresh from winning the Berkshire Open in the USA – and reached the final after despatching England’s No4 seed Jonathan Kemp in a four-game semi-final.

His surprise opponent Clyne pulled off a notable upset in the other semi where he survived a 110-minute marathon against second seed Borja Golan, saving a match-ball in the decider to beat the higher-ranked Spaniard and former Irish Open champion.

“Clyne displayed amazing resilience to contest every point with Alister,” reported event spokesman Sarah King. “Alister displayed faultless squash in the first two games, and looked set to win the match in straight games.

“The Scot went on to take the third game 11-9, however, but Walker came back strong in the fourth and took a 7-1 lead,” added King.

But despite the third seed’s determined efforts, favourite Walker maintained the upper hand to clinch the title 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 after 54 minutes.

“I’m so happy to win my second event this week,” said a delighted Walker after the 11th Tour title triumph of his career.

“Alan backed up incredibly well from his gruelling match with Borja last night. I knew it was going to be tough because he has a deserved reputation as an extremely fit and robust athlete and he proved that coming back from 9-6 down to win the third game.”

Walker becomes the latest winner of the popular Dublin championship which includes illustrious former champions includingPeter Nicol, John White, Thierry Lincou and Alex Gough. ”There are some great former winners of this title and it’s an honour to have my name next to all the previous title winners here in Dublin,” added the New York-based 29-year-old.

England’s Alison Waters wons the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Squash Open for the second time, proving her injury, which kept her out of the game and tour for a year, is well behind her.

 Waters won the women’s title against Ireland’s top seed  Madeline Perry, coming through all the way from the qualifiers.

Alison played flawless squash against Madeline to take the title 3/0, winning the first two games 11/4, 11/4. Making only a handful of errors in the first two games, Alison forced Madeline to play defensively and offered few opportunities to break her momentum.

Madeline came out in the 3rd set with renewed energy, and stormed to a 6/1 lead, then led 7/2. She appeared to have found her rhythm at last breaking Waters’ stride. However Waters came back to 8-8. Madeline saved Waters’ first match point at 10/9, as Madeline’s shot shaved the side wall line, millimeters from being out.

Alison grabbed her next match point to take the match 12/10 in the end. Alison’s current ranking of 32 in the world will undoubtedly climb when the May rankings are released.

“Delighted to have won here again in Dublin, to have beaten both Laura and Madeline along the way makes it feel really good,” said the new champion.

“I feel as though I am getting back to somewhere near my best as I was before my injury and now I just want to get back to the top of the rankings again.”

“I really struggled with my movement and balance because of these terrible blisters on my feet,” admitted Perry, “but Alison has played really well all week, having to play through qualifying, and she deserved her victory.”

Men’s Final:
[1] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [3] Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 (54m)
Women’s Final:
[Q] Alison Waters (Eng) bt [1] Madeline Perry (Irl)  11-4, 11-4, 12-10 (40m)

And by doing so – in the first staging of the popular event for 11 years – Selby kept the trophy in English hands following the 2001 title triumph by former world No10 Mark Cairns.

Second seed Mueller, the world No24 and the country’s highest-ranked player of all-time, became the first ever Swiss player to reach the final after beating Egypt’s No4 seed Karim Abdel Gawad in the semi-finals.

And the 22-year-old from nearby Hirzel – who was also celebrating his 50th appearance in a PSA Tour event – took world No11 Selby to a tie-break in the first game, and forced the match into a fourth game after winning the third.

But ultimately it was the 29-year-old Englishman who prevailed, winning 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4 in 70 minutes to celebrate the 11th PSA Tour title of his career.

“I’m very happy with my win today – it’s been 15 months since my last PSA title,” said a jubilant Selby after his victory. “The tournament has been fantastically organised and I think we played a great final today to round off a superb week.”

PSA International 25 Grasshopper Cup, Zurich, Switzerland

Final:
[1] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [2] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4 (70m)

Gaultier, described by PSA COO and former world number one Lee Beachill as being “in indescribably good form at the moment”, took on second seed Karim Darwish,

The 29-year-old from Aix-en-Provence reached the final without dropping a game – and kept up his good form, showing good movement and stopping Darwish from hitting decisive shots.

“The quality of squash was still immense with some amazing pick-ups and rallies, much to the applause of an excited crowd in Linköping Sporthall,” said event spokesman Niklas Lillman.

Gaultier was in control throughout, going on to take the match 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 in 46 minutes to win the prestigious title for the first time.

“I didn’t actually think I was going to play this well, since I have had back spasms since I came back from New York,” explained the world No3 later. “I want to become world No1 again, and I need the motivation from the crowd to get back to my top form.

“I have been fortunate to have my physio with me all along, he has done a great job on me all week long. I also want to thank Fredrik (Johnson) and his team, the city of Linköping, sponsors etc for making sure that this tournament grows every year, which I hope it will keep doing for many years to come.

“I wish we had a similar event in France. I wish you all the best of luck and as last few words I hope that Karim’s home country of Egypt soon will regain some peace and calm.”

Darwish, the 2004 champion, said that always enjoyed coming to Linköping to play this tournament – but acknowledged that “Greg today was simply too good for me to handle.

“We’ve played against each other since we were 10 years old, but I’ve never seen him play this good. I would love to come back here for next year’s tournament. Many thanks to Fredrik and his team for a very well organised event.”

PSA International 70 Case Swedish Open, Linkoping, Sweden

Final:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [2] Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (46m)

An in-form Gaultier, the world No3 from France, brushed aside Peter Barker in 34 minutes – beating the world No7 from London 11-1, 11-3, 11-2.

“That was a very good match for me and I felt very strong, despite having just arrived from New York,” said the Frenchman, now in the 45th Tour final of his career.

“I feel fit and physically strong and it shows in my game. I hope the audience enjoyed the match and I’m re

ally looking forward to the final.”

Left-hander Barker was less than happy with his performance: “I’m not sure if I deserve any applause today. I tried to catch up with Greg and in the end I improved myself a bit and got the result ….. 11-3!

“Now I’m going home and rest myself up for the next tournament.”

Darwish dominated the first two games against Daryl Selby, but the unseeded Englishman turned it round in the third to reduce the deficit.

The second-seeded Egyptian reclaimed the initiative in the fourth before closing out the match 11-2, 11-2, 6-11, 11-8 in 47 minutes.

“It’s always difficult to play against Selby,” said the world No4 from Cairo who is celebrating his 38th Tour final. “He’s usually a late starter which means you have to be awake the whole match because he always comes up towards the end.”

Selby responded: “It was a good crowd. I tried to give Karim a good match. I had a very good week at one of the best squash tournaments in the world.

“I will gladly be back next year and then I hope for a more prominent place.”

RESULTS: PSA International 70 Case Swedish Open, Linkoping, Sweden

Semi-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [3] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 (34m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-2, 11-2, 6-11, 11-8 (47m)

In what was described as ‘the tournament’s best game so far’ by event spokesman Niklas Lillman, Egypt’s world No4Karim Darwish overcome Nicolas Mueller in four games to maintain his unbeaten record over the Swiss number one.

After second seed Darwish won the first two games in comfortable style, Mueller got off to a good start in the third and went on to take the game to reduce the deficit.

But Darwish showed his class to keep ahead of his opponent in the fourth before closing out the match 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10 in 49 minutes.

By contrast, French favourite Gregory Gaultier took only 26 minutes to earn his place in the last four after despatching England’s Tom Richards, ranked 19 in the world, 11-6, 11-2, 11-5.

Gaultier, the world No3, will now take on another Englishman Peter Barker after the No3 seed beat South AfricanStephen Coppinger 11-5, 11-4, 11-5.

Unseeded Daryl Selby maintained his powerful run in the event. After upsetting fourth seed Thierry Lincou in the opening round, the world No12 from England recovered from a game down to see off Germany’s Simon Rosner 2-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 in exactly one hour.

“We have had four very good days here at the Case Swedish Open, including two days of qualification and now two days in the main draw on the glass court,” said tournament promoter Fredrik Johnson.

“Saturday looks very promising with all the semi-finalists being in the top 12 in the world. It will be a very big crowd at the arena and it looks as it will be sold out.

“We also a very good pro am when Greg Gaultier played a game with Stefan Edberg,” added the former top-ranked Swede.

RESULTS: PSA International 70 Case Swedish Open, Linkoping, Sweden

Quarter-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 (26m)
[3] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (32m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 2-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (60m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10 (49m)

The illustrious Frenchman, who boasted an unbeaten record against Selby in three meetings since 2008, made an excellent start against the 29-year-old from Essex.

But Selby, who moved ahead of the former world champion in the world rankings for the first time this year, slowly took control of the match – and after 68 minutes confirmed his ranking superiority by clinching a 4-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 victory.

“Big comeback today against the legend Titi,” tweeted the world No12 later. “Happy to have finally beaten such a great player and not the easy way!”

Fellow countryman Tom Richards also had to come back from a two-game deficit to earn his place in the last eight. Now ranked 19 in the world, Richards fought back to overcome English qualifier Chris Simpson 6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 in 70 minutes.

Richards will now meet Frenchman Gregory Gaultier after the top seed from France despatched Indian number oneSaurav Ghosal 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 in 49 minutes.

RESULTS: PSA International 70 Case Swedish Open, Linkoping, Sweden

1st round:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (49m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt [Q] Chris Simpson (ENG) 6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 (70m)
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 14-12, 11-4 (92m)
[3] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Rasmus Hult (SWE) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (31m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 4-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (68m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt [Q] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 (33m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10 (57m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4

Just weeks after winning a record sixth World Open title, Malaysia’s Nicol David – who has topped the women’s world rankings since 2006 – joined Scotland’s former world number one John White, now the Director of Squash at Drexel University in the USA, at the event hosted by the Latvian Squash Federation at the eight-court Zelta Bowling and Squash Center.

The players met and hosted coaching sessions for the Latvian national senior and junior men’s and women’s squads, and entertained enthusiasts to a series of exhibition matches.

The Ambassador Programme also featured a two-day coaching workshop hosted by Ronny Vlassaks, the Head Coach of the Dutch and Belgian national squash teams, and similarly a refereeing seminar led by Scotsman Ian Allanach, a former WSF top referee and now a worldwide refereeing assessor.

“The WSF Ambassadors were a real inspiration to the Latvian squash community – the impact of Nicol David and John White’s visit to Riga will be remembered for years to come,” said Alex Pavulans, the Latvian Squash Federation chairman who is also the country’s top-ranked player.

“It’s been a rare opportunity for Latvians – especially our juniors – to see Squash at this level, as well to have the chance to share a court with two of the sport’s top international stars.

“The media interest the visit has attracted has been a fantastic boost for Squash in Latvia – and we hope that we will be able to build on this with our domestic championships in the future.  We would like to be able to stage a Tour event here soon – perhaps a women’s WISPA event.

“Furthermore, we hope that the widespread interest this has generated will enable us to attract funding from our sports ministry.”

The visit also attracted enthusiasts from neighbouring Baltic countries Estonia and Lithuania, as well as from Russia.  After reading about the initiative on the WSF website, Lithuanian No1 Mantas Kociunas drove 300 km from the capital Vilnius to attend the event.  A member of the SEB Arena, one of only two clubs in Lithuania, Kociunas is one of 500 active players in the country, 100 of whom are in the ranking system.

“Playing Nicol was awesome,” said the top Lithuanian.  “She was in total control of the match, didn’t make any mistakes.  I want to improve, and already watch the best on SquashTV.”

The SEB Arena is a thriving squash venue in Vilnius.  “All five courts are currently fully booked from 8am through to 11pm each day,” explained Lithuania Squash Federation President Edvinas Dovydaitis.  “We want to use this momentum to build more courts, and are currently looking for a location to build a new club.”

One notable attendee at Zelta was Liene Rieba, the Latvian U17 No1 who lives in Madona, 165 kilometres from Riga.  The small town boasts just one court – built over ten years ago by Voldemars Svilans in his own house.  “My dad introduced me to squash and I love it.  I couldn’t wait for the chance to play with Nicol and John – it is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done.  I love winning – I am going to play in a European event in Prague in January and I definitely want to win it!”

White was impressed by the Madona teenager:  “Liene is clearly very keen and went for everything when we played.  She certainly has potential.”

One of Latvia’s most promising players is 19-year-old Ineta Mackevica, the former national junior champion who is recovering from a stress fracture injury.  Now studying for a Civil Engineering degree in Riga, Mackevica is keen to move abroad to enhance both her squash and studies.  “Playing a world champion like Nicol was a fantastic experience.  I hope I will soon be back to full fitness.”

After interviewing Nicol at Latvia’s Radio 101 station, journalist Zane Peneze was delighted to be invited along to the Zelta centre to face the Malaysian again – on court!  “I am keen to play more squash – I can’t believe my luck that I was able to have a game with a six-time world champion.  I’m so pleased – I managed to get two points!”

Both White and David enjoyed their Riga experience.  “It’s good to come to a new country and see the enthusiasm for squash that has been nurtured by a handful of enthusiasts,” said Australian-born John White, the 38-year-old winner of 13 Tour titles and runner-up in the 2002 World Open.  “I hope they will be able to build on this experience.

“But also very significant here were the coaching and refereeing courses run by Ronny and Ian – and it was excellent to see so much support for those.”

Nicol David, a 28-year-old veteran of a number of similar sorties to new countries, ‘spreading the word’ about squash, was equally upbeat:  “This visit has certainly been an eventful one for squash in Latvia. The coaching and refereeing workshops, alongside some clinics, games and exhibition games with John, has given Latvia and other neighbouring countries like Lithuania and Estonia a chance to grasp squash as a whole package much better through the period.

“It was very encouraging seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of the squash players as they watched and learned more about squash.  Truly a successful time, with thanks to the Latvian Squash Federation who hosted us so well.

“I look forward to some upcoming stars from Latvia in the future.”

WSF CEO Andrew Shelley summed up the success of the first Ambassador Programme visit:  “The sheer enthusiasm of the players, young and old, coupled with the workshop attendees was enough for us to know that the WSF visit to Latvia had been a roaring success – from the players who came from the cluster of countries and got on court with Nicol and John; to those who took part in the invigorating and enjoyable workshops given over two days by Ian Allanach and Ronny Vlassaks; from the media interest and coverage; and from the enthusiasm and all the feedback.

“We are indebted to the players and workshop managers who gave their time freely and free,” Shelley continued.  “The WSF group had the opportunity to meet enthusiasts from all over the Baltic region – and to talk to the Latvian Olympic Committee visitors who knew of our short-listing for the 2020 Olympic Games and wanted to see the activities personally.

“But this was only the start of what we hope will be a long-term link as the sport flourishes under the efforts and initiatives of the Latvian Squash Federation.  Great people and great hosts.”

The new international promotional initiative, devised by the World Squash Federation, was led by the two international squash stars – Malaysian Nicol David, who has topped the women’s world rankings since 2006 and earlier this month won a record sixth World Open title, and Australian-born John White, the former world number one from Scotland who is now the Director of Squash at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA.

Nicol & John pictured with members of the national Latvian men's and women's teams before a training session on the Zelta courts

The Ambassador Programme also featured a coaching workshop hosted by Ronny Vlasseks, the Head Coach of the Dutch and Belgian national squash teams, and a refereeing seminar led by Scotsman Ian Allanach, a former WSF top referee and now a worldwide refereeing assessor.

“It’s the first of a series of promotional visits to young squash countries – in our bid to ‘reach out’,” explained WSF CEOAndrew Shelley at a press conference hosted by the Latvian Squash Federation at the Zelta Bowling and Squash Center.

When asked what Latvia need to do to become a successful squash nation, Vlasseks highlighted the importance of a good coaching structure which not only provides support for elite players but introduces and nurtures youngsters coming into the sport.

Shelley pointed out the success Malaysia achieved following the introduction of a system in 1991 when it was confirmed that Squash would make its debut in the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998: “Within ten years, Malaysia had both the men’s and women’s world junior champions,” said the WSF CEO. “There’s no reason why the same could not happen here in Latvia with the same commitment.”

Andrew Shelley explains his point at the press conference at Zelta, flanked by Aleksandrs Pavulans and Nicol David

White and David were quizzed on their training routines, the secrets of their success and the highlight of their careers. “I will never forget walking into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 1998 Commonwealth Games in KL, representing my country for the first time aged 14, with everyone cheering for you – it was such a thrill,” said David, now arguably Malaysia’s most successful star in any sport.

Interest in the visit led to attendance at the press conference by Latvian Radio, LNT and LTV TV networks – and David being interviewed live on the Radio 101 breakfast programme. Listen to the interview

“Squash is a game which perfectly fits the mentality of our people,” said Latvian Squash Federation chairman Aleksandrs Pavulans, the reigning Latvian champion. “We are a small country in squash terms, with six clubs in Riga and two more in other parts of Latvia – but the Zelta venue here is the biggest in the Baltic region, with eight courts together with other leisure facilities.

“The Federation was restructured in 2006 and we now have a national ranking system, a website, and run several national tournaments for seniors and juniors,” added Pavulans.

Nicol in the Radio 101 studio

Listen to the interview

[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
11/2, 11/5, 11/0 (28m)
[1] Nick Matthew (Eng) bt [6] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
6/11, 11/9, 11/6, 11/5 (92m)

Nicol Supreme for Six

Malaysian superstar Nicol David collected a record SIXTH World Open title here at the Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam with a supreme performance to dismiss second seed Jenny Duncalf in straight games in just under half an hour.

The English world number two didn’t do anything wrong, made very few unforced errors, but it was hard to see where her points were going to come from, such was the control that the Malaysian, moving and hitting supremely well, was exerting on the match and on her opponent.

Nicol led 5/0 in the first after some long opening rallies, taking it 11/2, she led 6/2 in the second, finishing it off 11/5, and was totally dominant in the third as Duncalf’s spirit visibly wilted.

Six titles in seven years for Nicol.  Supreme.

“She was ridiculously good today,” admitted Duncalf. “I wanted to stay on there as long as possible, but she had other ideas…”

Nicol was impressed too: “This is my best performance ever. I didn’t expect anything but I wanted it so badly, I didn’t want anybody to put their hands on that trophy but me. I had a great support in the crowd, they were magnificent, I had my parents, Liz, and a big team of supporters from Squash City in Amsterdam that came to support me.

“My World Open titles mean the world to me, but I would gladly trade the six of them for just one Olympic Medal…”

Mighty Matthew Retains World Open Title

Nick Matthew, who last year became the first Englishman to win the PSA World Open squash title, today became the first player for 15 years to defend the premier PSA World Tour crown when he beat Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in a stunning 92-minute final before a packed crowd at the New Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam.

Gaultier, playing in his third World Open final since 2006, pulled away to take a tough first game – but the 31-year-old from Sheffield took an equally tough second, then pulled clear at the end of the third after the Frenchman took a small injury break after a mid-court collision.

The defending champion made a strong start to the fourth, and at 6-1 it looked as if the end was in sight. But Gaultier, appealing to the crowd for help, started on a comeback that was cut short at 6-4 by a couple of errors.

Once Matthew had re-established the lead, the Yorkshireman closed out the match 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 – and raised his arms in triumph.

“Being called ‘double World Open champion’ – it sounds amazing,” said the jubilant Matthew after receiving his trophy – and consigning the Frenchman to his third runner-up finish. “I can’t tell you how tough playing Greg is. We’ve been playing since we were 15 or 16. I have two or three years on him, but it shows how tough he is that even at 16, he was pushing and beating me sometimes when I was 18. He’s younger than me and he will get his name on this trophy, no doubt.

“I don’t know how long that second game lasted. Greg’s been so well this week, winning in Qatar and the way he played yesterday against James was unbelievable. I just stuck in and stuck in and started to attack just a little bit.

“So when I was 1/0 down, there was no need to panic. Sometimes you can get a bit frustrated and try to get the momentum with one shot at the wrong time, or with one tactic rather than eating away, little by little. So I was pleased with that mentality in that second game, because there were a few collisions, a few chats with the referee – things that can potentially spoil your concentration – so I’m glad I came through that period.” there was one thing that made a difference today,” Matthew continued. “It was probably an accumulation of a few different things. Much like when I played Pete (Barker, in the semi-finals) I had to tell myself not to get frustrated, because I was playing well – it’s just that they’re playing a little bit better at the time.

Matthew, now with 21 Tour titles to his credit, had to avenge his shock defeat to young Egyptian Tarek Momen in last month’s Qatar Classic in the second round, before surviving a tough five-game battle with world No8 Mohamed El Shorbagy, also a young Egyptian, in the third.

“No one can say that I’ve not had a tough draw,” continued the world number one. “The second round against Tarek in Victoria, after Qatar; the Shorbagy match; being one down against Pete; Darwish yesterday; and Greg tonight. I’ve not won too many tournaments lately. I think that when you get to number one, it’s all about winning tournaments.

“My percentage of finals to wins, is good – apart from Qatar – but you’ve got to win finals. I picked my moment this week though – no one can argue!

“My manager Paul Walters said to me that the Shorbagy match might have been a blessing in disguise – because I then had the day off, and I showed that I can come through and, after Qatar, losing to Shabana in the US Open and a few losses to Ramy, I may have been doubting my fitness and strength, but that’s always been there.

“Maybe that match made me realise, playing Shorbagy, that after that, having come through such a tough game physically and mentally, I felt that I could come through anything off the back of that,” concluded Matthew.