Four Clubs To Contest Prince O3 Squash Challenge Finals In Cardiff

Four clubs - from Newcastle, Nottingham, London and Chichester - will contest the finals of the inaugural Prince O3 Squash Challenge in Cardiff over the weekend 8/9 April.

Three of the regional finals went to the wire as the two teams battled to the death to finalise the line-up for the finals weekend at the luxurious Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort.

"It couldn't have been closer," said Chichester club captain Paul Wykes, who played the deciding rubber in the club's 2/1 victory over Gloucester's Riverside club.

After Claire Briance put the Sussex team ahead after a 9-1, 9-5, 9-3 win over Riverside's Annie Phelps, squad No2 Andy Henshaw fought back to level the match from 2/0 down against John Anderson, but was unable to stop his Gloucestershire opponent winning 9-4, 9-5, 5-9, 7-9, 9-7 to level the tie.

In the final 'nip-and-tuck' affair against Riverside's Andy Gale, Wykes let slip a 2/0 lead, and was then 3/7 down in the decider when he dug deep to claw back the deficit to beat his opponent 9-7, 9-3, 3-9, 3-9, 9-7.

"We had a couple of monumental rallies in that final game and I just managed to sneak it," said a relieved Wykes.

"It's been a great event, and all our matches have been very close. But we're delighted to be in the final now and are really looking forward to doing well in Cardiff."

While the Northumberland club had a walkover into the final after weather problems prevented Sheffield club Hallamshire from getting to the regional final in Newcastle, Nottingham prevailed in a tight encounter at Edgbaston Priory in Birmingham.

After team captain Matt King went down 0/3 to Priory's Alan Watson, Karl Murray pulled it back for the visitors by beating fellow Over-35 player Jim Hill in straight games.

It was left to King's girlfriend Sarah Zipser to fight out the decider for Nottingham, coming back from losing the first and third games to overpower the home side's Amy Brightwell in five games.

"We're really chuffed that we've got through to the finals," said Nottingham-based King, aged 28.

Connaught Club, from Chingford in north east London, also left it to the final rubber against Martlesham Heath before beating their Suffolk visitors 2/1. Dave Weddell put the club ahead with a 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 win over Gary Woolnough, but Martlesham's Sue Penman came through an evenly-contested match against Jo Ravenhill to beat her Connaught opponent 9-4, 9-4, 9-7.

In the decider between the over-35 players, Will Brand proved too strong for Connaught's Simon Kelly, winning 9-6, 9-3, 9-4 to take the London club to the national finals weekend.

The inter-club event is for teams of two men (one of whom must be over 35) and one woman. Players who have represented their country or county, at any age group, are not eligible.

Team members have been invited to use the revolutionary new Prince O3 racket - which England squash hero Peter Nicol used to devastating effect in Melbourne this month to win two Commonwealth Games gold medals!

Regional finals:
Nottingham SC bt Edgbaston Priory SC 2/1
(Matt King lost to Alan Walton 0/3; Karl Murray bt Jim Hill 3/0; Sarah Zipser bt Amy Brightwell 3/2)
Connaught LT&SC, Chingford bt Martlesham Heath SC 2/1
(Dave Weddell bt Gary Woolnough 9-2, 9-0, 9-4; Jo Ravenhill lost to Sue Penman 4-9, 4-9, 7-9; Will Brand bt Simon Kelly 9-6, 9-3, 9-4)
Chichester LT&SC bt Riverside SC, Gloucester 2/1
(Claire Briance bt Annie Phelps 9-1, 9-5, 9-3; Andy Henshaw lost to John Anderson 4-9, 5-9, 9-5, 9-7, 7-9; Paul Wykes bt Andy Gale 9-7, 9-3, 3-9, 3-9, 9-7)
Northumberland LT&SC bt Hallamshire SC, Sheffield w/o