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Daryl Selby (right) retains his men's title against Paul Allen |
National Racketball Championships 2008
23-25 May, Edgbaston Priory, Birmingham |
Derbyshire Duo claim
National Racketball Titles
Kevin White reports
 England
No.8 squash player Laura Hill added a third consecutive
National Racketball Championship to her growing list of titles at
the 2008 Championships held last weekend.
Derbyshire’s leading squash player has adapted remarkably well to
racquetball, with her wall-clinging drives and excellent court
coverage she is a very formidable racquetball adversary.
Seeded No. 1, the defending champion brushed aside Caroline Curtis
3-0 after a bye in the first round. Lauren Selby (Herts) proved a
tougher challenge in the quarter final making Hill work hard around
the front of the court. Selby toughed out numerous long rallies and
had some success with deft drop shots and angles.
However, Hill
doesn’t give away many opportunities with every shot having a
purpose and this is very wearing towards the end of a game. As each
game progressed Hill became more dominant and Selby was forced to
open up the court far too often in her search for winners. Hill
glided to a comfortable 3-0 win to take her into the final for a
repeat of last year’s contest against Warwickshire’s Vicky Hynes.
Hynes is an accomplished squash player with an array of tricky front
court shots and strong will to win. However, Hill was in supreme
form hitting both excellent lengths and drops as well as moving with
great élan around the court.
The full crowd were thrilled by some
excellent rallies, both players opening up the court for possible
winners and retrieving the seemingly impossible. Hill’s determined
game and absence of half court shots frustrated Hynes who wasn’t
enjoying being hauled from corner to corner. After a tough 1st game
15-12, the 2nd was all Hill’s 15-6 for a 2-0 lead.
Hynes stuck with
the pace in the 3rd, but could never quite ever take the lead. A
chance at 12-11 was Hynes’ last as Hill powered through to her third
Championship.
Derby Double
Lesley Sturgess’ recovery from major surgery continued with a
fine performance to sweep aside the Ladies O45 field. Not only did
she win the O45 category, but amazingly also reached the final of
the O35 event losing to England O35 squash player Claire Walker (Yorks).
Sturgess, the No. 1 seed, breezed through her first two rounds
without dropping a game. Like her training partner Laura Hill, a
great asset of her game is excellent movement enabling her to take
the ball early and put her opponents under pressure.
In the other
half of the draw, unseeded Jo Robinson (Surrey) forced her way
through the draw to the final. Sturgess took the first 15-8, but
Robinson levelled by taking an edgy 2nd 16-17. Sturgess got her game
back on track taking the next two 15-7 15-9 to add the National
Racquetball 2008 title to her National Squash title in 2007.
Other Derbyshire interest included Lee Watson (LA Fitness) who lost
in the quarter-finals of the O45s, Nigel Millington (The Manor) who
also lost in the quarters of the O50s and Matt Stone (David Lloyd)
in the main Men’s event.
Racquetball is growing fast in the UK and the number and quality of
the entrants again took a huge step forward.
Derbyshire SRA Chairman |
2007 Champs
2006 Champs
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