Australia & Canada Share Honours In World Doubles Championships

Australia and Canada shared the honours in the PayPal World Hardball Doubles Squash Championships - the first staging of the event which required teams to be nominated by their countries - in San Francisco, USA.

The championships, hosted by US Squash, attracted 24 teams from eight countries (USA, Australia, Canada, Egypt, England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland) and drew large crowds at the University Club of San Francisco as the top squash doubles players in the world competed for a record $35,500 in total prize money.

The top-seeded Australian duo of Paul Price & Ben Gould won the men's title, defeating England's John Russell & Clive Leach 15-11, 15-12, 15-17, 15-9 in the final. The third-seeded English pair made their breakthrough in the semi-finals, preventing an all-Australian climax by upsetting Damien Mudge & Matt Jenson, the No2 seeds, 15-12, 15-10, 15-17, 15-12.

The success marks the first world title for Gould, 32, from South Australia - but the second for Melbourne-born former world No4 Price, who won the WSF World Challenge on home soil in October 2001.

The win also expands Australia's hold on world doubles titles after the country successfully retained both the Men's and Mixed World International Doubles Championship trophies in Australia in 2006

Canadians Jessica DiMauro & Stephanie Hewitt took home the women's World Hardball Doubles crown by defeating Suzie Pierrepont & Fiona Geaves of England 15-6, 6-15, 15-13, 15-12.

The top-seeded Canadian champions had followed a tough semi-final victory over US team Dana Betts & Emily Lungstrum the previous day. The triumph in the final marks Canada's sole current world squash title.

"Steph and I are so thrilled to win this event, we have been working towards it all year," said DiMauro. "'We knew it was going to be a physical match where we had to be very patient and wait for the appropriate opportunities. We made a conscious effort to dictate the pace and rhythm of the match. It was very intense."

It was a creditable performance from the US-based English pair Pierrepont & Geaves who, seeded three, upset Australian sisters Narelle Krizek & Natarsha McElhinny, the No2 seeds, 15-11, 12-15, 15-8, 15-3 in the semi-finals.

Men's Final:
[1] Paul Price & Ben Gould (AUS) bt
[3] John Russell & Clive Leach (ENG) 15-11, 15-12, 15-17, 15-9

Women's Final:
[1] Stephanie Hewitt & Jessica DiMauro (CAN) bt
[3] Suzie Pierrepont & Fiona Geaves (ENG) 15-6, 6-15, 15-13, 15-12