Barker Sets Up Selby Replay In British Nationals Quarters

Less than a week after losing to his close friend and Essex county team-mate in a PSA Tour event in Canada, No2 seed Peter Barker will meet sixth seed Daryl Selby for a place in the semi-finals of the British National Squash Championships after both prevailed in straight games in today's second round of the country's premier domestic event at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity in Manchester.

While Selby, the world No15 from Witham, eased to an 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 victory over former British Junior champion Adrian Waller in 36 minutes, Londoner Barker, ranked seven in the world, needed two minutes longer to see off the challenge of Leamington Spa-based Chris Ryder, the 10th seed and a former World University champion, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3.

"I know it's going to be tough - we're good friends and he's beaten me the last couple of times," said Barker as he contemplated Friday's quarter-final clash on the state-of-the-art all-glass showcourt at the National Centre.

"Of course, I hope it won't be three times in a row - but he's one of the top guys now, he'll soon be in the world top ten. And on their day, any one of the world's top ten can beat one of the others.

"I'm looking forward to moving onto the glass court - and I hope the fact that I've probably played on it more times than Daryl will give me a bit of an advantage.

"But it'll be who plays better on the day - and I hope it's me," concluded the left-hander.

Two upsets looked to be on the cards when outsiders Joe Lee, from Surrey, and Scot Alan Clyne opened up leads against higher-ranked opponents. But after marathon encounters lasting more than 80 minutes, Leeds-based fifth seed Alister Walker came out on top 13-15, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 against Clyne, and eighth seed Joey Barrington, from Glastonbury in Somerset, prevailed 5-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 over Lee.

"I started really well and won the first game comfortably - but he started to move better in the second and I lost a bit of width and length," explained 20-year-old Joe Lee after his first appearance in the event's second round.

"But I wasn't far off - and if I'd gone 2/0 up, it could have been a different story. I learned a lot from that. But it was good opportunity to get onto the glass court, so I'm disappointed I didn't make more of it.

"My coach Peter (Genever) told me to take a few gambles - and they paid off, but it was a little too late."

Joey Barrington, ranked 27 in the world, admitted that he had been stretched: "It was tough - but it was great to play him. Now I've got a day to practise on the glass court for my quarter-final against James Willstrop."

Walker's reward for surviving his 82-minute match against 13th seed Alan Clyne is a clash with Nick Matthew, the defending champion who is ranked two in the world.

"That's just what I needed before a likely quarter-final with Nick!" joked the 27-year-old from Gloucestershire as walked off court following his marathon battle.

"I'm just happy to be through, I'm relieved. He's very fit and gets a lot back. It's hard to play good squash on this court - and he played perfectly, he got his tactics absolutely right," added the Botswana-born world No12.

"It's all very well to beat players like (Amr) Shabana and (Gregory) Gaultier, but a winning a title like this would really set you apart. It's a title that everybody covets - it would be really nice to win it."

Nick Matthew, from Sheffield, survived his last sixteen clash shortly afterwards - but again the favourite was tested, this time by Tom Richards, the fast-improving world No34 from Surrey. After losing the first game, ninth seed Richards raced to a 7-2 lead in the second before Matthew steadied the ship and ground out an 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 victory in 51 minutes.

"When I saw the draw, I knew I had the toughest opponent in the second round," said the England number one. "He's steadied up his game a lot - he's got a lot fitter and stronger. He'll be in a top 20 player before long.

"I felt I was in control in the first half of the first game - then it was 50/50."

Halifax-based Jonathan Kemp secured his quarter-final place in the quickest time. The No7 seed from Shropshire took just 24 minutes to overcome Hull's 15th seed Laurence Delasaux 11-5, 11-5, 11-9.

And Londoner Adrian Grant, the Leeds-based fourth seed who was runner-up last year, earned his seventh successive quarter-finals berth by beating Guernsey's Chris Simpson 11-8, 12-14, 11-8, 11-5 in 58 minutes.

There were no shocks in the first round battles in the women's championship - though Emma Beddoes, the Nottingham-based eighth seed, had to fight back from two games down to beat determined Derbyshire outsider Laura Hill 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 in 56 minutes.

"I was 9-3 up in the first and never got another point," said Beddoes, from Warwickshire. "I don't really know what happened, but it's very easy to become too defensive on these courts. Laura's a great retriever and if you don't do something with the ball she's going to hang in and win the point.

"It wasn't the greatest squash and she was hitting a better length than me. I just had to stick in there, I've never made the quarters before so there was no way I was going to go down without a fight.

"I don't get to play on the glass court that much, so it will be brilliant to play on it, and I even get a day off!"

Top seeds Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters wasted no time in claiming their places in the quarter-finals. Favourite Duncalf, the defending champion from Harrogate, despatched qualifier Deon Saffery, the Welsh number one, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 in 25 minutes, while Londoner Waters needed only 19 minutes to quash Warwickshire qualifier Sarah-Jane Perry 11-1, 11-4, 11-3.

RESULTS: British National Squash Championships, National Squash Centre, Manchester

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Nick Matthew (Yorks) bt [9] Tom Richards (Surrey) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 (51m)
[5] Alister Walker (Glos) bt [13] Alan Clyne (Scotland) 13-15, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (82m)
[4] Adrian Grant (Kent) bt [11] Chris Simpson (Hants) 11-8, 12-14, 11-8, 11-5 (58m)
[7] Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire) bt [15] Laurence Delasaux (Yorks) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (24m)
[8] Joey Barrington (Somerset) bt [16] Joe Lee (Surrey) 5-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 (83m)
[3] James Willstrop (Yorks) bt Nic Birt (Wales) 11-7, 11-2, 11-2 (21m)
[6] Daryl Selby (Essex) bt [14] Adrian Waller (Herts) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (36m)
[2] Peter Barker (Essex) bt [10] Chris Ryder (Herts) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 (38m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) bt [Q] Deon Saffery (Wales) 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
[6] Lauren Briggs (Essex) bt [Q] Millie Tomlinson (Derbyshire) 6-11, 11-5, 15-13, 11-5 (55m)
[3] Madeline Perry (Ireland) bt Lauren Siddall (Yorks) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (27m)
[5] Tania Bailey (Lincs) bt Fiona Moverley (Yorks) 11-2, 11-8, 11-2 (19m)
[7] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) bt Victoria Lust (Beds) 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 (23m)
[4] Laura Massaro (Lancs) bt [Q] Carrie Ramsey (Yorks) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (21m)
[8] Emma Beddoes (Warwicks) bt Laura Hill (Derbyshire) 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (56m)
[2] Alison Waters (Middx) bt [Q] Sarah-Jane Perry (Warwicks) 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (19m)

Thursday's quarter-final schedule:
1800 [3] Madeline Perry (Ireland) v [5] Tania Bailey (Lincs)
1845 [4] Adrian Grant (Kent) v [7] Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire)
1930 [1] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) v [6] Lauren Briggs (Essex)
2015 [1] Nick Matthew (Yorks) v [5] Alister Walker (Glos)

Friday's quarter-final schedule:
1800 [4] Laura Massaro (Lancs) v [7] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire)
1845 [3] James Willstrop (Yorks) v [8] Joey Barrington (Somerset)
1930 [2] Alison Waters (Middx) v [8] Emma Beddoes (Warwicks)
2015 [2] Peter Barker (Essex) v [6] Daryl Selby (Essex)