Nationals Masters Boast Record Field At Sportcity

Almost 300 players competed in the Masters events within the British National Championships at the weekend in Manchester - with Ireland's Derek Ryan and England's Fiona Geaves both making up for first round losses in the main event to claim the Over-35 titles at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity, and - at the other end of the age spectrum - Herefordshire's John Cox triumphing in the first ever Men's Over-70 championship.

Bury-based Ryan, a former world No7 who only celebrated his 35th birthday in December, beat Cumbria's defending champion Gary Thwaite 9-6 9-3 9-3 in the Men's Over-35 final, while Geaves - the 37-year-old from Gloucester who still boasts a world No12 ranking - successfully defended her Women's Over-35 crown by beating Lancashire's Amanda Warren, from Blackpool, 9-0 9-2 9-0.

There was a Kent double in the Over-40 finals when Dartford's Colin Payne retained the men's title after fighting back from 0/2 down to beat Cheshire's Jonathan Clark 0-9 6-9 9-2 9-1 9-6, and Bromley's Mandy Akin went one better than last year to win the women's trophy - defeating Lincoln's Fran Wallis 10-8 9-4 3-9 9-1.

Status quo was maintained at Over-45 level as both champions retained their titles. Chester's Nick Gatward beat Durham's Neil Harrison 9-3 9-3 9-1 to win the men's title for the second time, while Staffordshire's Liz Brown, from Wolverhampton, beat Redcar's Jacky Gardner in the women's final for the second successive year to win 9-4 9-5 9-0. The triumph brings Ms Brown's Masters career haul to 12 National titles and 10 British Open crowns!

The 2004 champions were unable to maintain their grips on the Over-50 trophies. Men's title-holder David Lumsden, from Chester-le-Street in County Durham, went down 9-6 5-9 10-8 9-0 to Middlesex's first time champion Mark Cowley, from Finchley in north London - while Faith Sinclair from Shincliffe, also in County Durham, failed to keep her women's title after losing 9-5 7-9 9-6 9-6 to unseeded Rebecca Czuczman, from Margate in Kent.

The 2004 Men's Over-55 champion Philip Ayton lost his crown to 5/8 seed Howard Cherlin in a semi-final upset. Londoner Cherlin went on to defeat Manchester's No2 seed Moussa Helal 3-9 9-5 9-7 6-9 9-5 to take his first Masters title in more than 20 years of trying! Indeed the success marked appropriate revenge for 56-year-old Cherlin, who lost to Helal in an Over-35 final "more years ago than I care to remember". Event veteran Helal had been hoping to celebrate his tenth National Masters crown at Sportcity.

There was no change in the Men's Over-60 hierarchy as Hampshire's defending champion John Perrott, from Basingstoke, beat Yorkshire's Mike Clemson 9-3 10-8 9-2 in a repeat of last year's semi-final victory.

In the Men's Over-65 event, Berkshire's Brian Phillips knocked out Gloucestershire title-holder and top seed John Woodliffe in the semi-finals. But the 65-year-old Welshman, from Thatcham in Berkshire, failed to progress further - beaten 6-9 9-6 9-5 6-9 10-8 in the closest final of the event. The winner, in a marathon 68 minutes, was Surrey's veteran veteran Patrick Kirton, from Walton-on-Thames.

After losing in last year's quarter-finals of the Men's Over-65 event, 72-year-old John Cox was delighted when England Squash agreed to accommodate him in the inaugural Men's Over-70 championship this year. In an impressive six-man field of sprightly septuagenarians, Hereford-based Cox trounced unseeded Keith Spurgeon, from Kent, in straight games in the semi-finals, then despatched Sussex's No2 seed Brian Sayer, from Middleton-on-Sea, 9-4 9-4 9-2 in just 21 minutes in the final to become the first winner of this new title.

Men's Over-35 Final:
[1] Derek Ryan (Ireland) bt [2] Gary Thwaite (Cumbria) 9-6, 9-3, 9-3 (41m)

Men's Over-40 Final:
[2] Colin Payne (Kent) bt [1] Jonathan Clark (Cheshire) 0-9, 6-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-6 (68m)

Men's Over-45 Final:
[1] Nick Gatward (Cheshire) bt [2] Neil Harrison (Durham) 9-3, 9-3, 9-1 (26m)

Men's Over-50 Final:
[2] Mark Cowley (Middx) bt [1] David Lumsden (D & C) 9-6, 5-9, 10-8, 9-0 (35m)

Men's Over-55 Final:
[5/8] Howard Cherlin (Middx) bt [2] Moussa Helal (Lancs) 3-9, 9-5, 9-7, 6-9, 9-5 (62m)

Men's Over-60 Final:
[1] John Perrott (Hants) bt [3/4] Mike Clemson (Yorks) 9-3, 10-8, 9-2 (30m)

Men's Over-65 Final:
[2] Patrick Kirton (Surrey) bt [3/4] Brian Phillips (Berks) 6-9, 9-6, 9-5, 6-9, 10-8 (68m)

Men's Over-70 Final:
[1] John Cox (Herefordshire) bt [2] Brian Sayer (Sussex) 9-4, 9-4, 9-2 (21m)

Women's Over-35 Final:
[1] Fiona Geaves (Glos) bt [3/4] Amanda Warren (Lancs) 9-0, 9-2, 9-0 (16m)

Women's Over-40 Final:
[1] Mandy Akin (Kent) bt [2] Fran Wallis (Lincs) 10-8, 9-4, 3-9, 9-1 (44m)

Women's Over-45 Final:
[1] Liz Brown (Staffs) bt [2] Jacky Gardner (D & C) 9-4, 9-5, 9-0 (17m)

Women's Over-50 Final:
Rebecca Czuczman (Kent) bt [1] Faith Sinclair (D & C) 9-5, 7-9, 9-6, 9-6 (32m)