Top Seeds To Contest European Finals In Malmo

Defending champions England will contest the finals of the European Team Championships in Malmo - the men's team taking on second seeds France for the ninth time in the last ten years, and the women's team facing second seeds Netherlands for the seventh time in a row.

A record-equalling 27 countries are competing in the 37th men's European Squash Federation championship being staged in the Swedish city for the first time - together with a record 21 nations in action in the 32nd staging of the women's ESF tournament.

World No6 Nick Matthew led England to a 4/0 win over third seeds Netherlands to reach the men's final for the 17th successive time.

It was a similarly comprehensive win in the other men's semi-final where France beat Wales, the fifth seeds, 4/0.

Yet to lose the title in the event's 31-year-history, England reached the women's final after a 3/0 triumph over third seeds France.

In the other women's semi-final, Netherlands recovered from a match down to beat fourth seeds Ireland 2/1.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] NETHERLANDS 4-0
Nick Matthew bt Dylan Bennett 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (28m)
Adrian Grant bt Rene Mijs 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (35m)
Peter Barker bt Piedro Schweertman 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (35m)
Alister Walker bt Bart Ravelli 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)

[2] FRANCE bt [5] WALES 4-0
Gregory Gaultier bt Rob Sutherland 11-5, 11-1, 11-7 (25m)
Renan Lavigne bt Peter Creed 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
Thierry Lincou bt Jethro Binns 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
Julien Balbo bt Nic Birt 11-7, 11-2, 11-3 (26m)

5th - 8th place play-offs:
[4] GERMANY bt [10] FINLAND 2-2 (Germany win 7-6 on games countback)
Simon Rosner lost to Olli Tuominen 10-12, 4-11, 7-11 (44m)
Stefan Leifels bt Matias Tuomi 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (37m)
Jens Schoor lost to Henrik Mustonen 10-12, 9-11, 11-9, 4-11 (42m)
Andre Haschker bt Heikki Kononen 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 (33m)

[7] SCOTLAND bt [9] IRELAND 2-2 (Scotland win 120-116 on points countback)
Alan Clyne bt Liam Kenny 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (43m)
Chris Small bt Derek Ryan 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 11-2 (35m)
Stuart Crawford lost to John Rooney 7-11, 8-11, 11-6, 6-11 (58m)
Jamie MacAulay lost to Arthur Gaskin 0-11, 7-11, 8-11 (37m)

9th - 12th place play-offs:
[11] DENMARK bt [6] SWITZERLAND 3-1
Rasmus Nielsen lost to Nicolas Mueller 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11
Michael Frilund bt Reiko Peter 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (50m)
Kristian Frost Olesen bt Marcel Straub 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (80m)
Kim Poulsen bt Kevin Villiger 22-20, 11-6, 11-5 (46m)

[8] SPAIN bt [12] SWEDEN 2-2 (Spain win 8-6 on games countback)
Borja Golan bt Christian Drakenberg 11-3, 11-9, 11-2 (35m)
David Vidal lost to Gustav Detter 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 7-11 (57m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro lost to Rasmus Hult 7-11, 6-11, 5-11 (34m)
Eduardo Gonzales De Chaves bt Joakim Larsson 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (59m)

13th - 16th place play-offs:
[13] ITALY bt [17] CZECH REPUBLIC 2-2 (Italy win 148-144 on points countback)
Jose Facchini bt Lukas Jelinek 11-8, 11-5, 12-10
Andrea Torricini bt Jaroslav Cech 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Andrea Capella lost to Petr Martin 10-12, 8-11, 11-6, 6-11
Mirko Pareccini lost to Ondrej Ertl 11-13, 4-11, 11-4, 8-11

[16] HUNGARY bt [14] BELGIUM 2-2 (Hungary win 9-6 on games countback)
Mark Krajcsak bt Wim van Asten 11-3, 11-3, 11-2
Marton Szaboky bt Gregory Lecerf 3-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9
Sandor Fulop lost to Sam van Brusselen 4-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 7-11
Daniel Varga lost to Mats Raemen 6-11, 11-8, 7-11

17th - 20th place play-offs:
[19] ISRAEL bt [18] LUXEMBOURG 4-0
Ido Avron bt Nathan Sneyd 11-7, 11-2, 3-11, 13-11 (49m)
Nadav Wilensky bt Daniel Hutchines 11-4, 11-2, 13-11 (26m)
Nir Arkin bt Sanjay Raval 11-6, 11-4, 3-11, 6-11, 12-10 (37m)
Nir Zisman bt Stephane Ayache 11-3, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 (34m)
[15] AUSTRIA bt [20] SLOVENIA 2-2 (Austria win 8-6 on games countback)
Aqeel Rehman lost to Klemen Gutman 11-8, 6-11, 11-13, 5-11
Stefan Brauneis bt Miha Kavas 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (36m)
Jakob Dirnberger lost to Martin Mosnik 11-7, 8-11, 13-15
Lukas Gnauer bt Rozle Langus 11-9, 11-3, 11-3

21st - 24th place play-offs:
[21] UKRAINE bt [24] GIBRALTAR 2-2 (Ukraine win 9-6 on games countback)
Rusian Sorochynskvi lost to Anthony Brindle 9-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-13, 16-18 (73m)
Dmytro Shcherbakov bt Stephen Shacaluga 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (28m)
Artem Shandybin bt Mark Tewkesbury 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (31m)
Kostyantyn Rybalchenko lost to Christian Navas 7-11, 11-3, 7-11, 9-11 (43m)

[26] NORWAY bt [27] GREECE 4-0
Kristian Solhave bt Fabian Kalaitzis 13-11, 12-10, 8-3 ret. (22m)
Hans-Olav Torgersen bt Konstantinos Kargiotis 13-11, 11-8, 11-8 (31m)
Kim Are Killingberg bt Petros Tzamaloukas 10-12, 11-5, 11-8 (32m)
Ronny Aasbo bt Panagiotis Vasiliou 11-6, 11-8 (25m)

25th - 27th place play-offs:
[22] LATVIA bt [25] POLAND 2-2 (Latvia win 8-6 on games countback)
Alexander Pavulans bt Wojciech Nowisz 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (31m)
Kaspars Purgailis lost to Marcin Kozik 6-11, 6-11, 6-11 (29m)
Arnis Tihvinskis bt Lukasz Nitka 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (20m)
Margers Zeitmanis lost to Maciek Maciantowicz 15-17, 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11 (70m)

[22] LATVIA bt [23] RUSSIA 4-0
Alexander Pavulans bt Alexei Severinov 11-4, 14-12, 3-11, 11-3 (40m)
Margers Zeitmanis bt George Manuchin 11-3, 11-1, 11-2 (16m)
Kaspars Purgailis bt Valery Litvinko 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5
Gunars Prizevoits bt Anton Shurenko 7-11, 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (18m)

Women's semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] FRANCE 3-0
Alison Waters bt Camille Serme 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (25m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Isabelle Stoehr 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (32m)
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro bt Celia Allamargot 11-5, 11-5 (11m)

[2] NETHERLANDS bt [4] IRELAND 2-1
Vanessa Atkinson lost to Aisling Blake 6-11, 10-12, 10-12 (30m)
Natalie Grinham bt Madeline Perry 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (50m)
Annelize Naude bt Zoe Barr 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (24m)

5th - 8th place play-offs:
[5] GERMANY bt [11] SWITZERLAND 3-0
Pamela Hathway bt Sara Guebey 9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Kathrin Rohrmueller bt Gaby Schmohl 11-9, 11-5, 11-2 (21m)
Simone Korell bt Julia Schmalz 11-7, 11-5 (11m)

[6] DENMARK bt [9] ITALY 3-0
Ellen Petersen bt Sonia Pasteris 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (28m)
Line Hansen bt Manuela Manetta 11-5, 2-11, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
Julie Dorn-Jensen bt Veronica Favero Camp 11-3, 11-7

9th - 12th place play-offs:
[12] SCOTLAND bt [7] WALES 2-1
Claire Kidd bt Stacey Preece 8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10 (26m)
Frania Gillen-Buchert lost to Deon Saffery 11-8, 5-11, 2-11, 9-11 (34m)
Lisa Aitken bt Natalie Pritchard 14-12, 11-5, 11-4 (23m)

[10] SPAIN bt [8] BELGIUM 3-0
Xisela Aranda Nunez bt Annabel Romedenne 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 11-2 (59m)
Elisabet Sado Garriga bt Kim Hannes 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (17m)
Margaux Moros-Pitarch bt Sonja Schrijvers 11-2, 11-4 (12m)

13th - 16th place play-offs:
[13] AUSTRIA bt [16] SWEDEN 2-1
Pamela Pancis bt Anna Detter 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9 (27m)
Birgit Coufal bt Anna-Carin Forstadius 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 (25m)
Sandra Polak lost to Lovisa Forstadius 11-8, 9-11, 6-11 (21m)

[14] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [15] FINLAND 2-1
Hana Vagnerova lost to Saara Valtola 6-11, 11-13, 9-11 (28m)
Olga Ertlova bt Elina Kononen 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-9 (45m)
Klara Janoskova bt Michaela Bjornstrom 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (19m)

17th - 21st place play-offs:
[21] POLAND bt [17] RUSSIA 3-0
Anna Jurkun bt Ekaterina Marusan 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (19m)
Dominika Witkowska bt Olga Petrukhina 11-9, 11-6, 12-14, 11-7 (28m)
Anna Sikorska bt Natalia Zapevalova 11-2, 11-6 (9m)

[19] HUNGARY bt [18] GREECE 3-0
Zsuzsanna Kekesi bt Nikoleta Pozidi 11-5, 11-3, 11-7 (15m)
Helga Kecse-Nagy bt Eliza Kargioti 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (16m)
Edina Szombati bt Zeta Tzamalouka 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (17m)

19th - 21st place play-offs:
[20] LUXEMBOURG bt [18] GREECE 2-1
Claudia Mich lost to Seirena Kazamia 4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12 (36m)
Sandra Denis bt Eliza Kargioti 11-6, 11-0, 11-8 (18m)
Francoise Donven bt Nikoleta Pozidi 11-4, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8

[20] LUXEMBOURG bt [17] RUSSIA 3-0
Claudia Mich bt Ekaterina Marusan 11-7, 11-3, 14-12
Sandra Denis bt Olga Petrukhina 11-4, 11-4, 11-2
Francoise Donven bt Natalia Zapevalova 11-5, 11-7, 11-9