Botwrights Battle Into Women's Quarter-Finals At Sportcity

Manchester sisters Vicky Botwright and Rebecca Botwright survived first round battles in the British National Championships at Sportcity today in their home city - and could meet in the last four if successful in their quarter-finals on Friday on the all-glass court at the National Squash Centre.

Fourth seed Vicky Botwright squandered a two-game lead in her match against unseeded Stephanie Brind - then had to fight back from 3-7 down in the fifth game decider to beat the 27-year-old former world No4 from Kent 9-6 9-3 4-9 4-9 9-7 in 61 minutes.

"At two games up, I got a bit anxious and edgy and started to make a few mistakes," said the 27-year-old world No10 from Worsley. "I felt as if my legs had gone and I began to have breathing difficulties - I was just putting pressure on myself.

"At 3-7 down in the fifth, Steph made a couple of errors and suddenly everything I tried worked. At match-ball I played a cross-court flick which went straight into the nick - and that just summed up the last half of the game, as previously nothing like that had gone right for me," explained Botwright senior.

Later, 23-year-old Rebecca, a qualifier, fully exploited the gap in the draw created by the withdrawal of seventh seed Madeline Perry when she beat lucky loser Lauren Briggs, from Essex, 9-4 9-8 9-2 in 37 minutes.

Gloucestershire's fifth seed Fiona Geaves, in her 19th appearance in the event since 1984, made a shock early exit after losing in straight games to unseeded compatriot Dominique Lloyd-Walter, from Middlesex.

The 37-year-old world No12 from Gloucester, who also holds both the British National and British Open Over-35 titles, is the only former champion in the women's field. Her 10-8 9-9 9-6 defeat by Lloyd-Walter, 14 years her junior and 17 places lower in the world rankings, will lead therefore to the crowning of a new women's champion on Sunday.

"I just wasn't able to prepare well," said a dejected Geaves afterwards. "I only flew back from a WISPA event in the USA on Monday and arrived in Manchester yesterday - and, at my age, I just can't do that anymore. I didn't feel 100%, I wasn't coordinated and I was lethargic - and that's all down to the travelling.

"I am really disappointed because I know that just wasn't me out there. But she played really well," conceded the Nationals stalwart.

Lloyd-Walter, from Harrow, felt that the first game was decisive - and whoever won it would probably have gone on to win the match. "I sneaked it and then won the next game 9-0," said the 23-year-old who had never before beaten her senior compatriot and lost the last meeting 27-0!

"I said to myself last month 'it's make-or-break time for me this year' - so I'm delighted to have recorded my best ever win."

There was another women's upset later in the evening when unseeded Alison Waters, also from Middlesex, defeated Lincolnshire's eighth seed Tania Bailey, a former British Open finalist, 10-9 6-9 9-1 3-9 9-5 in an 84-minute marathon.

Londoner Waters, at 20 the youngest player in the draw, is enjoying an excellent first year on the WISPA World Tour - but admitted: "This is probably my best ever win. And I finally get to play on the glass court," added the world No23 who will meet Vicky Botwright in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Men's defending champion John White, the fifth seed, came through the hard way for the second night in a row when he edged to a 10-11 11-2 11-6 8-11 11-7 win over Suffolk's 11th seed Bradley Ball in 72 minutes.

At match-ball in the fifth game, the ball burst. During the ensuing knock-up to warm up the new ball, a string broke in White's racquet - and the tension was extended further as the Scot sought a replacement.

"Another scrape, but at least I've got a day off," sighed the relieved White, a former world No1, after his second narrow escape on the conventional plaster courts at the National Squash Centre - before the action moves onto the all-glass court from the quarter-finals onwards.

"I can't wait to get back onto the glass court," said the title-holder as he headed for the station and a train journey back to Nottingham and his seven-month old twins Max and Sam. "I look forward to chilling out at home with the twins."

White's opponent on Friday will be Yorkshire's No3 seed James Willstrop, who beat Manchester/Pontefract team-mate Nick Taylor in the final match of the day before a packed crowd of supporters of the local National League team.

Within minutes of his 11-8 10-11 11-6 11-5 victory on the conventional court, 21-year-old Willstrop was 'warming down' on the nearby all-glass court - already preparing for his quarter-final clash with White in less than 48 hours.

"I wanted to be really free on the other court, but it's so bouncy and that made it difficult," said the world No8. "I didn't play that well, but did so in patches," conceded Willstrop.

Taylor was downhearted - "but not too disappointed".

"I played better than I thought I would after yesterday's match, but I just didn't have the confidence to keep up the pace of the game," said the two-times runner-up from Stalybridge who is now retired from the international circuit and fully devoted to coaching at the Sportcity Centre.

"I wish I could have pushed a bit harder - especially as James wasn't playing to his capacity."

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt [16] Jonathan Kemp (Shrops) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (32m)
[8] Alex Gough (Wales) bt [14] Peter Barker (Essex) 11-8, 11-5, 11-10 (2-0) (55m)
[4] Nick Matthew (Yorks) bt [12] Stephen Meads (Berks) 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 (47m)
[6] Adrian Grant (Kent) bt Alex Stait (Glos) 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 11-3 (44m)
[7] Simon Parke (Yorks) bt Phillip Barker (Essex) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (48m)
[3] James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [9] Nick Taylor (Lancs) 11-8, 10-11 (1-3), 11-6, 11-5 (43m)
[5] John White (Scotland) bt [11] Bradley Ball (Suffolk) 10-11 (0-2), 11-2, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 (72m)
[10] Marcus Berrett (Yorks) bt [Q] Laurence Delasaux (Yorks) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (25m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Linda Elriani (Sussex) bt [Q] Laura Hill (Derbyshire) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 (24m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx) bt [5] Fiona Geaves (Glos) 10-8, 9-0, 9-6 (44m)
[3] Jenny Tranfield (Yorks) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) 9-3, 9-4, 9-1 (31m)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) bt Laura-Jane Lengthorn (Lancs) 9-5, 9-4, 9-1 (30m)
Alison Waters (Middx) bt [8] Tania Bailey (Lincs) 10-9, 6-9, 9-1, 3-9, 9-5 (84m)
[4] Vicky Botwright (Lancs) bt Stephanie Brind (Kent) 9-6, 9-3, 4-9, 4-9, 9-7 (61m)
[Q] Rebecca Botwright (Lancs) bt Lauren Briggs (Essex) 9-4, 9-8, 9-2 (37m)
[2] Rebecca Macree (Essex) bt [Q] Amina Helal (Lancs) 10-9, 9-1, 9-1 (32m)