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British National
Squash Championships, National Squash Centre, Manchester
17-Feb, Men's final:
[1] James Willstrop (Yorks)
bt [2] Lee Beachill (Yorks) 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (39m)
Women's final:
[4]
Alison Waters (Middx) bt [3] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Lancs) 6-11,
11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (49m)
Willstrop & Waters Win In Manchester
 While
James Willstrop successfully defended his men's title in the
British National Squash Championships yesterday in Manchester, it was third time lucky
for Alison Waters who upset her higher-seeded England
team-mate
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro to win the
women's crown at the
National Squash Centre.
After a highly successful year on the world tour since winning this
title 12 months ago, Willstrop arrived in Manchester as firm
favourite to retain his title.
But
his Pontefract club-mate Lee Beachill - a three times
champion who underwent hernia surgery at the beginning of the New
Year - had battled through to a record seventh final appearance
against the odds.
Willstrop edged ahead after a finely-balanced first game - then
turned the screw as Beachill's lack of match fitness began to show.
The 24-year-old world No6 raised his arms in delight as he
celebrated his 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 triumph in 39 minutes - becoming
only the second person in history to win back-to-back men's titles.
 "I
didn't know what to expect - and maybe I was just too cautious to
start with," said Willstrop, the England number one. "I couldn't dwell on his shortcomings - I had to constantly keep
my focus.
"I
was pleased to have closed it out - I couldn't afford to give him a
sniff.
"The
Nationals is a tough event - it's a big tournament and a very
important one to me."
Willstrop's next major target is the Hi-Tec World Championship -
which will be staged at the National Squash Centre in Manchester,
for the first time, in October.
"The
World Open is my biggest focus this year - and, being here in
Manchester, it will clearly be a massive event," added the new
champion.
Beachill was not happy with his performance: "I went onto the court
expecting to be further away from him than I was - then I was
disappointed that I wasn't able to capitalise on that," explained
the 30-year-old former world number one afterwards.
"I
was more disappointed with the way I was mentally than physically,"
said Beachill, who survived a hard-fought 91-minute semi-final less
than 24 hours earlier.
"If
that's the top standard in the world, then I'm not that far away.
"On
reflection, I can't be too unhappy: I've not got a lot more to
prove in this tournament."
 In
the women's final, local favourite Lengthorn-Massaro, from Preston,
took control of the first game, but Waters came back to take the
next two.
At
4-8 down in the fourth, Waters mounted a final charge to record her
impressive 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 win in 49 minutes.
"I
really wanted it this year after missing out twice before," said the
23-year-old world No11 who became the first unseeded player to reach
the final in 2005 and last year lost out after squandered a two-game
lead. "It's been my focus since the beginning of the year.
"It's a nice title to have - my first senior title - and at least I
get to hold onto it for a year!
"It'll give me a lot of extra confidence on the WISPA World Tour -
where my ambition is to get into the world's top eight.
"My
next event is the Malaysian Open - where I meet Vicky Botwright in
the first round," concluded the new champion.
For full coverage, visit the official website:
www.nationalsquashchamps.co.uk
Men's
quarter-finals:
[1]
James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [6] Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire)
11-4, 11-4, 11-2 (24m)
[8]
Alister Walker (Glos) bt [15] Alex Stait (Glos)
11-8, 11-7, 11-2 (32m)
[4]
Adrian Grant (Kent) bt [9] Daryl Selby (Essex)
11-5, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1) (49m)
[2]
Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt [5] Alex Gough (Wales)
11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (31m)
Semi-finals:
[1]
James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [8] Alister Walker (Glos)
11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 11-5 (60m)
[2]
Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt [4] Adrian Grant (Kent) 11-8,
11-7, 8-11, 11-10 (9-7) (91m)
Final:
[1]
James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [2] Lee Beachill (Yorks)
11-9, 11-8, 11-4
(39m)
Women's quarter-finals:
[1]
Tania Bailey (Lincs) bt [8] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire)
11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (27m)
[3]
Laura L-Massaro (Lancs) bt [6] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx)
11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (34m)
[4]
Alison Waters (Middx) bt [7] Lauren Briggs (Essex)
11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (21m)
[2]
Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) bt [5] Madeline Perry (Ireland) 8-11,
11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
Semi-finals:
[3]
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Lancs) bt [1] Tania Bailey (Lincs)
11-6, 11-9 ret. (29m)
[4]
Alison Waters (Middx) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
10-12, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 (48m)
Final:
[4]
Alison Waters (Middx) bt [3] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Lancs) 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (49m)
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