Mixed Fortunes For World Stars In European National Championships

There were mixed fortunes for the world's top squash players who were battling for domestic honours this month on home soil in France, Netherlands and Belgium.

Thierry Lincou, the former world number one from Marseille, triumphed in the French Nationals, beating long-time rival Renan Lavigne 11-4, 11-6, 11-2 in the men's final in Le Havre to extend his record to ten titles. It was a disappointing outcome for Lavigne who has now lost four finals in the last six years.

But Isabelle Stoehr boasts one further success after beating European Junior champion Camille Serme 9-7, 9-4, 5-9, 9-4 in the women's final to bring her title total to 11.

Seeded to win her 11th title in the Dutch Nationals, former world champion Vanessa Atkinson suffered a major shock when she was beaten in the women's final by second seed Annelize Naude. As in the British Nationals, the event was trialling 'point-a-rally' scoring (to 11 points per game) at the request of the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

Naude, the world No17 from Amsterdam, took world No10 Atkinson the full distance before winning 14-12, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-3 to win the title for the first time and end a long sequence of losses to her Dutch rival.

In the men's event at the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam, top seed Laurens Jan Anjema ensured that his name will go on the trophy for the third year in a row by beating second seed Dylan Bennett 11-6, 11-3, 11-3.

Former world No7 Stefan Casteleyn returned from his home in Los Angeles to win his 13th Belgian Nationals men's title, stemming a fight back by Wim van Asten to beat the second seed 9-2, 9-0, 8-10, 5-9, 9-4.

Kim Hannes-Teunen, who first won the women's trophy in 1994, avenged her defeat in last year's final by beating top seed Annabel Romedenne 9-1, 9-7, 9-1 in the women's final to notch up her eighth title.