Day THREE:
Wales Celebrate Return To Top Four In European Championships In Malmo

After slipping out of the top four last year for the first time in 12 years, Wales confirmed their place in the elite group after beating Spain 3/1 in the final men's qualifying round in the European Team Squash Championships in Malmo.

A record-equalling 27 countries are competing in the 37th men's European Squash Federation championship being staged in the Swedish city for the first time – together with a record 21 nations in action in the 32nd staging of the women's ESF tournament.

Fifth seeds Wales boosted their chance of a semi-final place on the opening day in Pool A after drawing with fourth seeds Germany (but gaining an 8/7 games advantage) – then clinched their promotion after overcoming eighth seeds Spain.  It was veteran campaigner Alex Gough - the now retired former world No5 competing in his 19th championships since 1990 – who confirmed the victory with an 11-0, 11-8, 11-5 win over Spaniard Diego Lopez De Mota Ibanez.

Wales finished in second place in the pool, behind England.  The top seeds and defending champions recorded their third successive 4/0 win - convincingly beating Germany, with only Adrian Grant dropping a game in the world No11's 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 11-8 defeat of Jens Schoor.

Second seeds France confidently claimed their place at the top of Pool B, also marking up their third successive maximum points win in a 4/0 victory over third seeds Netherlands - with Frenchman Thierry Lincou recovering from a game down to beat fellow top string Piedro Schweertman 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8.

France, looking for their ninth final appearance in the past ten years, will take on Wales in the semis, while England face Netherlands.

Hosts Sweden, the 12th seeds, delighted a packed crowd at the end of the day with a dramatic 3/1 win over 13th seeds Italy to clinch pole position in Pool F.  Stalwart Swede Christian Drakenberg – the country's reigning national champion, at the age of 33 – led the attack with a brave 5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 11-9 win over Italian number one Jose Facchini in 77 minutes, with team-mates Carl-Johan Lofvenborg and Gustav Detter also victorious.  Italy gained a consolation point when Andrea Capella beat Rasmus Hult in four games.

The top four nations will contest the women's semi-finals – with title-holders England and second seeds Netherlands confirming their anticipated places at the top of Pools A and B, respectively, with 3/0 wins.  England were made to work for their victory over fourth seeds Ireland – the only other team to have competed in all previous 31 championships.  WISPA Tour rivals Alison Waters andMadeline Perry battled for 43 minutes before Waters beat the Irish number one 13-11, 16-14, 7-11, 11-4.

Netherlands, again led by the debuting former Australian Natalie Grinham, maintained a clean sheet in their 3/0 win over France, the third seeds. 

There were few surprises in the remaining battles for women's play-off places – but perhaps the most notable result was the final tie in Pool F where Poland, the only nation competing in the championships for the first time, beat Luxembourg 2/1.  It is Luxembourg's seventh appearance in the tournament – but their first for 20 years!

Day TWO:
Grinham Leads Netherlands
Into European Semis

Australian-born world No4 Natalie Grinham celebrated her long-awaited debut for her new country when she beat Denmark number one Line Hansen in straight games to ensure Netherlands a place in the women's semi-finals of the European Team Squash Championships in Malmo.

A record 21 nations are competing in the 32nd staging of the women's European Squash Federation championship, alongside a record-equalling 27 countries in the 37th men's ESF tournament being staged in the Swedish city for the first time.

After making history for Australia by becoming the first player to win three Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2006, Grinham became a Dutch national in February 2008 – and is making her Dutch team debut in Malmo.  The highest-ranked woman in the championships followed team-mate Vanessa Atkinson's 13-11, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 win over Danish stalwart Ellen Petersen by defeating Hansen 11-2, 11-6, 11-3.

Squad number four Orla Noom ensured a maximum points win for the second seeds in Pool B with a 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 win over Dane Marie-Louise Feddern.

Top women's seeds England – expected to face Netherlands in the final for the seventh year in a row - confidently beat Germany, the fifth seeds, 3/0 in Pool A to ensure their place in the last four play-offs.

The only surprise in the men's event came in Pool C when 17th seeds Czech Republic recovered from a match down to beat Hungary, the 16th seeds, 3/1.

But top seeds England and France again survived unscathed – title-holders England beating British rivals Wales 4/0 and second seeds France despatching sixth seeds Switzerland by the same margin.

Hosts Sweden recorded two convincing victories on the opening day of action in the European Team Squash Championships in Malmo as a record-equalling 27 countries lined up for the 37th men's championship and a record-making 21 nations prepared to do battle in the 32nd staging of the women's tournament.

Sweden's men - the 12th seeds hoping to emulate the title-winning success of their 1983 squad - despatched Ukraine, the 21st seeds, 4/0 in Pool F, while the 16th-seeded women's team beat Russia, seeded just one position below, 3/0.

England, seeded to win the men's title for the 17th year in a row, beat eighth seeds Spain 4/0 in Pool A - with team newcomers Alister Walker and Daryl Selby both recording straight games wins.  In the other tie in Pool A, fifth seeds Wales claimed a notable 2/2 draw (but an 8/7 games advantage) over fourth seeds Germany to boost their chances of a place in the semi-final play-offs.

Second seeds France - expected to meet England in the men's final for the ninth time over the last ten years - comfortably defeated Scotland 4/0 in Pool B.  Meanwhile, third seeds Netherlands - without the injured four-time Dutch national champion Laurens Jan Anjema - were made to work hard for a 3/1 win over Switzerland, the sixth seeds.

Women's favourites England - title-holders in all previous 31 events since the inaugural championship in 1978 - cruised to a 3/0 win over eighth seeds Belgium.

But all eyes were fixed on England's rivals Netherlands, the second seeds who are due to face the title-holders in the final for the seventh year in a row.  Making her debut in the Dutch squad will be former Australian Natalie Grinham, the world No4 and highest-ranked player in the event. 

However Grinham, who became a Dutch national in February 2008, was rested in her new team's opening tie when Netherlands beat seventh seeds Wales 3/0 in Pool B.