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20-Jan-08:
Two five-game Finals,
one new Champion ...
Steve Cubbins reports ...
County Championships were taking place all over the UK this weekend,
with Tynemouth Squash Club hosting the competition for the
North-Eastern outpost of Northumbria.
A decent entry saw A, B and C men's event plus a Women's draw, each
comprising 16 entries. After three days of competition no-one was
surprised by the identity of the four main finalists,
but no-one was disappointed by two engrossing finals.
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PHOTO GALLERY |
Men's Final:
David Barnett bt Paul Lord
5/9, 9/5, 8/10, 9/0, 9/1 (83m)
Women's Final: Kimberley Hay bt
Emma Barnett 10/9, 9/4,
3/9, 3/9, 9/6 (37m)
B Final:
Jon Evans bt Dan Ward
9/3, 9/5, 9/4
C Final:
Sean Millington bt Andy King
7/9, 9/3, 5/9, 10/8, 10/8 |
Kim steps up to seniors
National U15 champion two years ago and current national U17 number
one, Kimberley Hay was a firm favourite to take her first
senior title in the absence of Sarah Bowles, winner of the last four
editions who was otherwise occupied with examinations at Leeds
University.
Her opponent in the final was Emma Barnett, who enjoyed - if
that's the word - many years of close junior competition with Sarah
but had never managed to beat her in the senior county event. Last
year Kim had beaten Emma in the semis but lost to Sarah in the
final.
Kim started the better, held off a determined fightback from Emma to
take the first 10/9 and looked in control as she took the second.
The match turned though as Emma cruised
through the third and fourth games, and at 4/0 in the fifth looked
the likely winner.
But another twist saw Kim regain her earlier form to take the game
and claim her first senior county title. Few expect it to be her
last ... |
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Another Dynasty up North
Things go in phases in Northumbria - Elliot Procter won many
titles, then it was David Burton who was superseded by
Bryan Beeson. Beeson, the former world number six and England
captain, won 13 of his titles from 1981 to 1997, then collected an
almost miraculous 14th in 2003.
From 1997 to 2001 it was the turn of John Dale, whose reign
was struck down with a brain tumor. John recovered from that,
and started coaching in the USA only to
discover last year that the cancer had returned. Now back home, he
has just finished a course of treatment and has a scan in a few
weeks to see how things are progressing. Happily he was on hand
tonight to present the trophies, and everyone up here wishes him
well.
The latest dynasty began in 2004 when,
after a couple of emotional failures, David Barnett finally
claimed the title. Currently ranked 111 in the world Barnett was
tonight bidding for his fifth title to equal John's record.
His opponent was former world top 30 player Paul (Mr
Sabre Sports) Lord, the many-time Cheshire champion who moved
to the North-East a few years ago. That Paul was introduced as the
"1992 US Open finalist" gives you a clue that there was an age
difference - Barnett at 26, Lord 38.
The courts at Tynemouth are hot, so not much money was going on Lord
to win a lengthy battle, considering that in his heyday he was
renowned for dogged determination and retrieving rather than flashy
winners. Most favoured Barnett to wear him down, and in the event
that's what happened, but that brief description doesn't do the
final any justice at all.
Recovering from a poor start, Paul came from 5/1 down to take the
first in 20 minutes. 15 minutes later it was 2-all in the second,
and after 45 minutes of engrossing play young Barnett levelled the
match. Paul was grunting as he reached for ball after ball, but
still managed to keep his shots as tight and precise as ever, but
when he lost that game many thought that
the Sabre man's wheels were about to go awol.
 They
were right, but they were a game too soon. Paul leapt to a 6/1 lead
in the third and amid punishing rally after punishing rally managed
to hang on to take a 2/1 lead as David made two unforced errors at
8-all.
But that was it. 70 minutes gone and Paul's wheels were on the A1
back to Cheshire. David assumed total control from the outset of the
fourth, allowed Paul just a solitary point in two games, and that fifth title was his after 83 minutes.
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 "The
hot court didn't suit me, so I was just trying to control the
rallies and make him work harder than me.
"I was feeling tired in the second, managed to keep it going for
another game to win the third, but I had nothing left after that, he
was just too strong.
"83 minutes - I've not had one of those for a few years, but I'll be
back ..."
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 "I
haven't been as fit as I could be recently, but I knew if I could
keep going I could outlast him.
"He played well, but at the end of the third I could tell he'd hit
the wall, and even though I lost that I felt pretty comfortable from
then on.
"It's nice to equal John's record of five titles - part of me wants
to go on to beat Beeson, but in a way I hope there's a junior coming
up who can beat me, it's good for the County ...
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A 'ringer'
and a newcomer
He only won the senior title once, in 1990 - Beeson was in the way
most times - but Jon Evans was a Welsh International and,
once back problems stopped his professional squash career, a pretty
decent triple-jumper too. To see him back at all was a delight, to
see him in the B event raised a few eyebrows, to see him win it
raised none.
The C event may have seen the start of a new dynasty. 14-year-old
Sean Millington - son of Paul, the former world top-30 player
who won this title twice - won two long five-setters today to take
the C title.
Good at everything he tries, excellent at anything he really puts
his mind to, Millington junior delighted the packed audiences as he
overcame two much bigger, older and more experienced players. "I
wonder where he gets that determined streak from?" asked one
spectator, with a wry look towards the champion's father ... |
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Five apiece ... John Dale and David Barnett |
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"After
I went 2/0 up she slowed it down in the third and fourth, I had to
quicken the pace again and keep her behind me to stop her playing
those dropshots
"I
was very nervous at the start, I was just hitting it too hard and
playing her game. 
