Netherlands Fight Back After Early European Disappointment

Netherlands, the fourth seeds, made up for the disappointment of a 4/0 defeat by title-holders England in the opening tie in the Men's Premier Division qualifiers of the European Team Championships by crushing fifth seeds Ireland 4/0 later in the day at the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam.

In the women's event, world champion Vanessa Atkinson led the hosts to an emphatic double victory - the second seeds beating both third seeds France and seventh seeds Ireland by 3/0 margins.

Led by world No3 Lee Beachill, England's men were in devastating form in defeating Netherlands. The top seeds followed this victory by securing a second 4/0 win in Pool A over eighth seeds Finland - who had earlier drawn 2/2 with Ireland.

But spirits in the Dutch camp were raised when their full-strength squad - featuring reigning Dutch champion Tommy Berden and fast-improving 22-year-old world No31 Laurens Jan Anjema - maintained a clean sheet in games in their victory over Ireland.

"We were very pleased with our performance in the evening," said Dutch men's team manager Peter Berden. "Lucas Buit, a nine-times Dutch champion who has played in countless European Championships, showed that he has still got what it takes to beat Irishman Steve Richardson (himself, a former Irish champion) and squad No1 Tommy Berden lasted well in a 31-minute first game against Liam Kenny to go through to win in straight games, taking the second 9/0!

"It was a great help to us that Ireland and Finland drew in the morning - so we should qualify for the semi-finals without too much trouble tomorrow," added Berden senior.

Second seeds France, runners-up to England for the past five years, kicked off their 2005 campaign with 4/0 wins over third seeds Wales and seventh seeds Germany in Pool B. Wales, who rested their numbers one and two Alex Gough and David Evans, respectively, against France, recalled Evans in the later tie against Spain, the sixth seeds. Evans beat the Spanish No1 Borja Golan 9-5 9-4 9-0, but Golan's team-mate Albert Codina twice came from behind to beat Welshman Ricky Davies 7-9 9-3 4-9 9-5 9-2 to deny the third seeds a maximum points victory.

This year's men's event introduces a 'Premier Division' for the top eight seeds competing in Pools A & B. The winners and runners-up after two days of qualifying go through to the semi-finals - and a guaranteed place in next year's Premier Division - leaving the remaining four teams to compete in play-offs with the winners of Pools C, D, E and F to fight for the other positions in next year's top division.

The two top seeds in the women's event sailed through their opening day opposition. The two triumphs by the Netherlands were matched by favourites England, who beat fourth seeds Belgium and eighth seeds Scotland 3/0 in Pool A.

Arguably the clash of the day took place on courts 14 and 15 where the mighty Russia faced men's event newcomers Ukraine - a cross-border battle between the 20th and 21st seeds which could well ultimately decide the competition's 'wooden spoon'.

Alexei Severinov put Russia ahead with a 9-4 9-3 9-7 win over the Ukraine No1 Roman Dolynych - but the squash minnows bravely fought back to clinch an unlikely victory when the Ukraine No4 Ilya Onishko sealed a 3/1 triumph by coming back from a game down to beat Russia's Andrey Brattner 7-9 9-0 9-3 4-9 10-8 in 65 minutes.

"To be honest, it was a closer match than we expected," said Dolynych, the 27-year-old from Kiev who has only been playing squash for some three years. "We beat them a few months ago in the European Nations Challenge Cup in Slovenia, so we thought we would win - but this time it was a tougher battle.

"I have beaten Alexei twice before, but not recently - as he has been playing more regularly while I have been playing less, concentrating my time on setting up the new Squash federation in Ukraine," Dolynych explained.

Ukraine's next opponents will be Scotland, the 12th seeds led by world No11 John White, a former world No1. "I've played John once before - in the European Individual Championships in Bratislava last September - so I know his game now," said an optimistic Dolynych!