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Doubles:England ready
for the real thing ...
24-May-05:
Hi Fram,
 I
would like to put the record straight about the training matches
Australia and England played, relayed by FoxSport/AAP [below].
The article comes across as if these matches were some sort of
official test series, “test matches” or “official tests”, which they
were not, in any way, shape or form.
They were made to accommodate the two teams, it was great for
Australia, and it was great for England. It was a very neutral
encounter, both teams enjoyed it, but it was never that “test match”
thing that the article reported.
If it had been, we would have taken it in a different way all
together. Our players knew this was the case so everyone had an open
mind to experiment with different partners.
The games were to work out which were the best pairs from our point
of view, and to experiment to see who will make the best pairs in
the future. It was great practice for both countries but that is
all, it was not a test series as there were no markers or referees.
Our players will take the doubles seriously at the appropriate time,
not in an experimental situation, and the first real indication of
who are the best pairs will be at the world doubles in Melbourne in
January 2006.
See you soon,
David Pearson
England National Coach |
Aussies in Manchester
1998 Commonwealth Golds
2002 Doubles Medalists
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23-May-05:
Aussies squash England rivals
from Fox Sports/AAP
AUSTRALIA'S hopes of eight squash medals at next year's Commonwealth
Games have been buoyed after a full-strength squad whitewashed
England in a three-Test doubles series in Manchester.
Australia beat England 7-6 in the First Test with the mixed pairing
of Victoria's Dianne Desira and NSW' Cameron Pilley propelling the
visitors to victory in the final match.
Australia then took the second and third Test matches, 10-5 and 8-2
respectively, to wrap up a comprehensive victory over England.
Queensland's world No.1 Rachael Grinham won all her six doubles
matches, while younger sister and world No.3 Natalie Grinham won her
five matches to be the only unbeaten players in the Test series.
Queensland's world No.14 Joseph Kneipp was Australia's most
successful men's player, winning five of his six doubles matches,
while world No.7 Anthony Ricketts from NSW claimed four of his six
matches, and world No.3 David Palmer, also from NSW, won three of
his five matches.
Players have few chances to experience tournament doubles play, and
team manager and Squash Australia Chief Executive Officer Norman
Fry, said it was vital preparation for the Melbourne Commonwealth
Games where nine of the 15 medals available were for doubles
competition - men's, women's and mixed events.
"Our target is three gold medals which would be our greatest ever
haul from a Commonwealth Games," Fry said.
Australia picked up one gold, one silver and six bronze in 2002 and
Squash Australia has targeted three gold, three silver and two
bronze medals as a realistic goal in Melbourne.
Amelia Pittock, Kasey Brown, Amanda Hopps, Dianne Desira, Melissa
Martin, Cameron Pilley, Cameron White and Dan Jenson would make
their Commonwealth Games debut if selected in the team, coached by
Australian squash legend Geoff Hunt and Byron Davis.
The Test series was a part of the Australian Commonwealth Games
squad's one-week camp in Manchester and demonstrated that the
Aussies are on course and could grab a significant haul of medals in
Melbourne.
Original story from Fox Sports/AAP
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Match #1:
Australia 7 England 6
Australia achieved a very close victory over England in the first
test match. The Australian men won two out of three matches and the
Australian women won one out of four matches. Australia won three
out of four mixed doubles matches.
Outstanding players for Australia were the Grinham sisters, David
Palmer and Joseph Kneipp. With the matches locked at six all the
mixed paring of Dianne Desira (VIC) and Cameron Pilley (NSW) took
Australia to victory in the match of the day.
Match #2:
Australia 10 England 5
The Australian Squash Team stepped up a notch and won the second
test 10 – 5. All members of the team performed with credit. Today
there were outstanding efforts from Rachael and Natalie Grinham,
Cameron White, Cameron Pilley, Amanda Hopps.
Match #3:
Australia 8 England 2
Australia finished off the three test series with another victory,
beating England 8 – 2
Outstanding athletes during the third test were Anthony Ricketts,
Joseph Kneipp, Dan Jenson, Rachael and Natalie Grinham, and Amelia
Pittock.
Best matches of the day were Pittock and Martin defeating Elriani
and Waters, and Ricketts and Pittock defeating Barker and Duncalf. |
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