19-Feb-08:
Mixed Fortunes For World Stars
In European National Championships

 

There were mixed fortunes for the world's top squash players who were battling for domestic honours this month on home soil in France, Netherlands and Belgium.

 

Thierry Lincou, the former world number one from Marseille, triumphed in the French National Championships, beating long-time rival Renan Lavigne 11-4, 11-6, 11-2 in the men's final in Le Havre to extend his record to ten titles.  It was a disappointing outcome for Lavigne who has now lost four finals in the last six years.

 

But Isabelle Stoehr boasts one further success after beating European Junior champion Camille Serme 9-7, 9-4, 5-9, 9-4 in the women's final to bring her title total to 11.

 

Seeded to win her 11th title in the Dutch National Championships, former world champion Vanessa Atkinson suffered a major shock when she was beaten in the women's final by second seed Annelize Naude.   As in the British Nationals, the event was trialling 'point-a-rally' scoring (to 11 points per game) at the request of the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

 

Naude, the world No17 from Amsterdam, took world No10 Atkinson the full distance before winning 14-12, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-3 to win the title for the first time and end a long sequence of losses to her Dutch rival.

 

In the men's event at the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam, top seed Laurens Jan Anjema ensured that his name will go on the trophy for the third year in a row by beating second seed Dylan Bennett 11-6, 11-3, 11-3.

 

Former world No7 Stefan Casteleyn returned from his home in Los Angeles to win his 13th Belgian National men's title, stemming a fight back by Wim van Asten to beat the second seed 9-2, 9-0, 8-10, 5-9, 9-4.

 

Kim Hannes-Teunen, who first won the women's trophy in 1994, avenged her defeat in last year's final by beating top seed Annabel Romedenne 9-1, 9-7, 9-1 in the women's final to notch up her eighth title.

 

RESULTS:

 

French National Squash Championships, Le Havre, France

  Men's quarter-finals:

[1] Thierry Lincou bt Joan Lezaud            11-3, 11-6, 11-5

[3/4] Julien Balbo bt Fabien Verseille       11-3, 11-8, 11-6

Gregoire Marche bt [3/4] Mathieu Castagnet         11-10 (2-0), 2-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-10 (2-0)

[2] Renan Lavigne bt Stephane Galifi        8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3

    Semi-finals:

[1] Thierry Lincou bt [3/4] Julien Balbo     11-7, 11-6, 11-7

[2] Renan Lavigne bt Gregoire Marche      11-7, 11-3, 11-3

    Final:

[1] Thierry Lincou bt [2] Renan Lavigne     11-4, 11-6, 11-2 (35m)

  Women's quarter-finals:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr bt Laura Pomportes    9-0, 9-0, 9-0

[3/4] Celia Allamargot bt Gabrielle de Lavison       9-7, 4-9, 3-9, 9-4, 9-6

Maud Duplomb bt [3/4] Soraya Renai       9-10, 9-2, 9-2, 9-4

[2] Camille Serme bt Coline Aumard        9-0, 9-1, 9-1

    Semi-finals:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr bt [3/4] Celia Allamargot          9-2, 10-8, 9-2

[2] Camille Serme bt Maud Duplomb        9-1, 9-3, 9-4

    Final:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr bt [2] Camille Serme   9-7, 9-4, 5-9, 9-4

 

Dutch National Squash Championships, Frans Otten Stadion, Amsterdam, Netherlands

  Men's quarter-finals:

[1] Laurens Jan Anjema bt [8] Glenn Keenan        11-2, 11-6, 11-7

[4] Piedro Schweertman bt Michael Fiteni            11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 9-11, 11-8

[3] Tom Hoevenaars bt Sander Kock        11-5, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 8-11, 11-8

[2] Dylan Bennett bt Niels Hoevenaars     11-6, 11-3, 11-9

    Semi-finals:

[1] Laurens Jan Anjema bt [4] Piedro Schweertman          11-6, 11-1, 11-3

[2] Dylan Bennett bt [3] Tom Hoevenaars             11-8, 11-8, 6-3 ret.

    Final:

[1] Laurens Jan Anjema bt [2] Dylan Bennett        11-6, 11-3, 11-3

  Women's quarter-finals:

[1] Vanessa Atkinson bt [8] Cigany Sierveld         11-3, 11-2, 11-3

[5] Dagmar Vermeulen bt Milou van der Heijden    11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10

[3] Karen Kronemeyer bt [6] Milja Dorenbos         11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8

[2] Annelize Naude bt [7] Bea de Dreu-Spitse       11-2, 11-3, 11-4

    Semi-finals:

[1] Vanessa Atkinson bt [5] Dagmar Vermeulen    11-4, 11-3, 11-2

[2] Annelize Naude bt [3] Karen Kronemeyer        11-3, 12-10, 11-7

    Final:

[2] Annelize Naude bt [1] Vanessa Atkinson         14-12, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-3

 

Belgian National Squash Championships, Flemish Squashcenter, Herentals, Belgium

  Men's quarter-finals:

[1] Stefan Casteleyn bt Mats Raemen      9-2, 9-2, 9-1

Sam van Brusselen bt Ben Vandezande   10-8, 9-2, 0-9, 2-9, 9-0

Gregory Lecerf bt Bart Verhoeven            9-4, 9-3, 9-3

[2] Wim van Asten bt Gilles Roger           9-1, 9-0, 9-1

    Semi-finals:

[1] Stefan Casteleyn bt Sam van Brusselen          9-0, 9-0, 9-1

[2] Wim van Asten bt Gregory Lecerf       9-7, 9-3, 9-6

    Final:

[1] Stefan Casteleyn bt [2] Wim van Asten           9-2, 9-0, 8-10, 5-9, 9-4

  Women's 1st round:

[1] Annabel Romedenne bt Toke van Wesemael   5-9, 10-9, 9-2, 9-7

Ankie Nedee bt Sonja Schrijvers 3-9, 6-9, 9-7, 9-2, 9-3

Yara Delagrange bt Silvia Schrijvers         9-5, 9-1, 8-10, 9-6

[2] Kim Hannes-Teunen bt Lieselot Arien 9-2, 9-0, 9-1

    Semi-finals:

[1] Annabel Romedenne bt Ankie Nedee 9-0, 9-3, 9-3

[2] Kim Hannes-Teunen bt Yara Delagrange         9-4, 9-0, 9-0

    Final:

[2] Kim Hannes-Teunen bt [1] Annabel Romedenne           9-1, 9-7, 9-1