Worms & Paderborn To Contest Third Successive Bundesliga Final

Defending champions Black & White RC Worms and former champions Paderborner SC will contest the third successive fotobuch.de Squash Bundesliga final after comfortable semi-final wins at Pink Power in Böblingen, near Stuttgart, today in Germany.

Paderborn, winners of the title a record nine times since 1999, defeated finals newcomers Königsbrunner SC 4/0, while in the second semi-final title-holders Worms despatched home favourites Sport-Insel Stuttgart, champions in 2006, by the same margin.

Appropriately, it was German number one Simon Rösner who clinched Paderborn a record 16th appearance in the final when he beat French rival Mathieu Castagnet.

The 26-year-old has been a central figure in the club's Bundesliga campaign for the past nine seasons - during which time the team has only once failed to reach the final.

But the Paderborn star, ranked 12 in the world, was given a tough time by Castagnet, ranked 11 places lower. The French underdog took the opening game and forced the fourth into a tie-break.

But Rosner held his nerve to close out the match 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11 in 80 minutes.

"He's one of the biggest fighters in the game - he gets so much back," said Rosner of his opponent later.

"I've been living in Paderborn for the last ten years now - it's like a family. It's not just a team I play for, it's much more special."

Memories of last year's final still hurt: Rosner played the decider in which he had to win 3/0 in order for Paderborn to retain the trophy. But, leading 2/0, he dropped the third to lower-ranked compatriot Jens Schoor - causing the match to be abandoned as arch rivals Worms celebrated victory.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow now and really want to get the trophy back. We were very disappointed last year," continued the eight-time German champion

"For the last three years I've had to win 3/0 and could not afford to lose a game. What's a game! It seems so irrelevant when the match is the important thing.

"I just hope my team will be able to win a few more games tomorrow to take that pressure off!"

Earlier Paderborn fourth string Lennart Osthoff, the German No8, put the former champions into the lead with an 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 win over Florian Muhlberger - before second-ranked compatriot Raphael Kandra extended the lead by beating Simon Vaclahovsky 11-4, 11-4, 11-6.

England's Chris Simpson followed team-mate Rosner's win by beating 33-year-old Patrick Scherer 11-6, 11-6 in an 11-minute best-of-three dead rubber to give Paderborn a 4/0 victory.

The match the packed Pink Power crowd most wanted to witness was the top string clash in the second semi-final. Nick Matthew, the world No2 from England, faced world No1 Gregory Gaultier, the host club's top string from France.

The Englishman was in sparkling form, defeating Gaultier for the second time in three days, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 in 38 minutes.

Matthew is competing in his third event this week (the second in Germany) in advance of the British Open - one of the most prestigious championships on the international circuit - back on home soil next week.

"People have said 'how can you do this - it's not your usual preparation'," said the three-time world champion. "But for me, it's just a state of mind.

"You just try and get the most out of it for next week - you forget what your opponent's strengths are and just get on and play your game.

"I've played Greg so many times, so it's been nice tonight to get the tactics out of the way and just play to your strengths.

"The difference today was probably that I was giving it 100% - which was helped by the fact that we were already 2/0 up - while Greg was probably thinking about the long drive he has tonight back to Prague.

"I got a lot out of the match - and I hope he got something too.

"In a situation like this, you either commit or not - and I certainly feel I have committed to everything I've done this week.

"As I said, it's not my usual preparation - but who's to say my 'usual preparation' is the right preparation!"

Matthew's victory followed Worms' wins by Andre Haschker and Tim Weber - German No6 Haschker overcoming 12th-ranked Ben Petzoldt 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6, and Weber, the country's No5, avenging a shock defeat by Valentin Rapp earlier in the season to beat the German No10 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-5 in 72 minutes.

"It was very important for me to win this time as last time I lost 3/2," said left-hander Weber.

"I felt good at the beginning of the match when I led 5-0, but then I let him get back. He plays on this court every day - it's his home club - so he had that advantage."

After Matthew's success, team-mate Jens Schoor, the German No2, defeated Stuttgart's Moritz Dahmen 11-4, 11-7 in a best-of-three encounter to give Worms maximum points.