Paderborn Secure Record Sixth European Club Championship Success

26 Sep 2010

The finals of the European Club Championships, staged for the first time at Pontefract Squash Club in the English county of Yorkshire, produced historic outcomes in both events - with German club Paderborn becoming the first to win the men's European Squash Federation title for a sixth time, and Birmingham club Edgbaston Priory beating the host club in the women's event in the first final between two clubs from the same country.

After a semi-final victory over English champions Colets, of Thames Ditton in Surrey - a repeat of the 2003 final - Paderborn defeated French champions Set Squash Marseille 3/1 in the final.

Englishman Peter Barker led the German club to their historic triumph by beating France's newly-crowned World Masters Over-35 champion Renan Lavigne 11-2, 11-7, 11-4.

But Barker's compatriot Tim Garner also enjoyed a successful win, beating Marseille's Benjamin Lagier 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 to become the only player to have participated in all Paderborn's six victories!

The 40-year-old third string from Sussex also competed in Paderborn's previous successful finals in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

The host club's hopes of winning a third successive women's title were dashed by Edgbaston Priory, the new English champions.

Pontefract, who qualified for the event as host club, levelled the tie after Deon Saffery beat the Birmingham club's Emma Chorley in straight games, following number one Lauren Siddall's four-game defeat by Edgbaston's Victoria Lust in the opening match

It took five tense games to decide the title - with Julianne Courtice twice stemming fightbacks from Pontefract stalwart Rebecca Botwright to win 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 12-14, 12-10 to give the crown to Edgbaston Priory for the first time.

Men's Semi-Finals:
Set Squash Marseille (France) bt Fitzwilliam LTC (Ireland) 3/1
Renan Lavigne bt Derek Ryan 11-2, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5
Mathieu Castagnet bt Niall Rooney 11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Benjamin Lagier bt Rory Byrne 11-5, 11-4, 11-6
Maxence de Peretti lost to Nigel Peyton 2-11, 4-11, 4-11

Paderborn (Germany) bt Colets (England) 3/1
Peter Barker bt Scott Handley 11-6, 11-5, 11-7
Simon Rosner bt Jesse Engelbrecht 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Tim Garner lost to Lee Drew 8-11, 6-11, 12-14
Lennart Osthoff bt Mark Cairns 5-11, 11-6, 11-9

Final:
Paderborn bt Set Squash Marseille 3/1
Peter Barker bt Renan Lavigne 11-2, 11-7, 11-4
Simon Rosner lost to Mathieu Castagnet 5-11, 5-11
Tim Garner bt Benjamin Lagier 11-8, 11-6, 11-5
Lennart Osthoff bt Maxence de Peretti 11-9, 11-8, 11-5

3rd place play-off:
Colets bt Fitzwilliam LTC 3/1
Scott Handley lost to Niall Rooney 3-11, 11-4, 5-11, 6-11
Jesse Engelbrecht bt Rory Byrne 11-4, 11-4, 11-6
Lee Drew bt Nigel Peyton 14-12, 11-2, 11-1
Mark Cairns bt Dara O'Flynn 11-2, 11-3, 11-6

Women's Final:
Edgbaston Priory (England) bt Pontefract (England) 2/1
Victoria Lust bt Lauren Siddall 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3
Emma Chorley lost to Deon Saffery 4-11, 4-11, 10-12
Julianne Courtice bt Rebecca Botwright 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 12-14, 12-10