Hosts Denied European Club Title In Hungary

Fifth-seeded Hungarian club Rózsadombi Sport Egyesület fought through to the men's final of the European Club Championships in the Hungary capital city Budapest - but were denied a home victory when beaten 3/1 by Paderborn, the three times squash champions from Germany.

French club L'Hermine de Rennes made up for the disappointment of a runners-up finish last year by beating England's former champions Pontefract 2/1 in the women's final.

Rózsadombi made their breakthrough in the semi-finals of the 20th staging of the region's premier inter-club championship when they beat favourites Colets, the England champions, in a five-hour encounter!

Third seeds Paderborn, who upset French club Rouen Equipe, the second seeds, in the other semi-final, were too strong for the host club in the final. German Simon Rosner and Englishman James Willstrop put the club into the lead with victories over Welshman David Evans and Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, respectively, before Germany's Stefan Leifels clinched victory with a 10-9, 6-9, 9-2 win over Dutchman Lucas Buit.

The hosts gained a consolation point when England's Nick Taylor beat compatriot Tim Garner in straight games.

Dutch player Annelize Naude led women's favourites L'Hermine to expected success over second seeds Pontefract by beating club stalwart Rebecca Botwright 9-0, 9-0, 9-7. Lauren Siddall, second string in the all-English Pontefract squad, stretched the French club's French star Isabelle Stoehr to four games - but Stoehr prevailed 10-8, 1-9, 9-5, 9-2 to clinch victory

In the best-of-three dead rubber that followed, Kirsty McPhee gained a consolation point for Pontefract with a 2/1 win over Laurence Bois.

Men's Final:
[3] Paderborn (Germany) bt [5] Rozsadombi Egyesulet (Hungary) 3-1
Simon Rosner bt David Evans 10-8, 9-2, 5-9, 9-3
James Willstrop bt Laurens Jan Anjema 9-4, 9-0, 9-3
Tim Garner lost to Nick Taylor 0-9, 2-9, 4-9
Stefan Leifels bt Lucas Buit 10-9, 6-9, 9-2

3rd place play-off:
[1] Colets (England) bt [2] Rouen Equipe (France) 2-2
Nick Matthew bt Daryl Selby 9-1, 9-3, 10-9
Alex Gough lost to Jan Koukal 5-9, 9-10, 1-9
Danny Meddings lost to Marcus Berrett 2-9, 3-9, 6-9
Clive Ewins bt Arthur Poupel 9-2, 9-5, 9-0

Women's Final:
[1] L'Hermine de Rennes (France) bt [2] Pontefract (England) 2-1
Annelize Naude bt Rebecca Botwright 9-0, 9-0, 9-7
Isabelle Stoehr bt Lauren Siddall 10-8, 1-9, 9-5, 9-2
Laurence Bois lost to Kirsty McPhee 4-9, 5-9, 0-9

3rd place play-off:
[3] ISC Bordesholm (Germany) bt [4] Fitzwilliam LTC (Ireland) 2-1
Vanessa Atkinson bt Aisling Blake 9-0, 9-7, 9-6
Katharina Witt lost to Laura Mylotte 9-2, 0-9, 1-9
Daniela Schumann bt Claire O'Brien 9-1, 9-0, 9-2