European Individual Squash Championships, Bratislava, Slovakia

Men's final:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [2] Thierry Lincou (FRA)                      11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-4

Women's final:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [3/4] Sarah Kippax (ENG)                       5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4

Gaultier & Stoehr Celebrate French Double In European Finals In Slovakia

Gregory Gaultier and Isabelle Stoehr celebrated a unique French double after winning the men's and women's finals, respectively, in the European Individual Championships - the flagship European Squash Federation event which attracted players from 22 countries in the region to the Slovakian capital city Bratislava.

Top seed Gaultier, the world No2 from Aix-en-Provence, established a remarkable record when he beat second-seeded compatriot and great rival Thierry Lincou in a dramatic men's final.  The 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-4 triumph earned the 25-year-old his fifth successive title - and his 25^th win in a row in the ESF championship!

"I want to congratulate Isabelle for her first title, and the whole of the French Team for their excellent performance during those championship. And now, we’ll all going to get some well deserved rest!"

Favourite Stoehr faced England's 3/4 seed Sarah Kippax in the women's final.  For the second match in a row, the world No15 from Montpellier dropped the first game.

But Stoehr fought back to clinch the match 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 to win her maiden European title.

Men's semi-finals:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG)                      12-10, 11-9, 11-5

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [3/4] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)             11-5, 11-8, 11-3

Women's semi-finals:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [3/4] Manuela Manetta (ITA)                  4-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7

[3/4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [5/8] Camille Serme (FRA)                     11-13, 11-4, 11-5, 11-13, 11-7

Kippax Denies All-French European Finals In Slovakia

England's Sarah Kippax battled for five games to beat teenager Camille Serme in the semi-finals of the European Individual Championships to put paid to two all-French finals in the flagship European Squash Federation event which has attracted players from 22 countries in the region to the Slovakian capital city Bratislava.

A 3/4 seed, Kippax defeated the European Junipr champion 11-13, 11-4, 11-5, 11-13, 11-7 and will now face favourite Isabelle Stoehr in the final.

Stoehr also recovered from a game down to beat the other 3/4 seed Manuela Manetta, from Italy, 4-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 to reach the final for the first time.

"I started poorly against Manuela, and points string away so far when your brain is not connected!!!  Now I’m playing against Sarah - from memory it will be our first meeting - so an interesting encounter.  I’m feeling good, I love playing on the glass court… It’s nothing but pleasure."

The men's final will be an all-French affair between Gregory Gaultier - the top seed looking for his fifth successive title - and second seed Thierry Lincou, the former world number one now in his first final.

Gaultier beat England's Adrian Grant 12-10, 11-9, 11-5, while Lincou defeated Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, also a 3/4 seed, 11-5, 11-8, 11-3.

The final will be the French pair's third meeting this year - with Lincou looking for his first win against his national team-mate since September last year.

Men's 3rd round:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Andrea Capella (ITA)                            11-8, 11-9, 11-8

[5/8] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED)              11-9, 11-9, 13-11

[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [9/16] Simon Rosner (GER)                      7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5

[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT)                   11-6, 11-4, 3-11, 11-3

[3/4] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [9/16] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT)   11-1, 11-2, 11-3

[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [9/16] Alister Walker (ENG)                 11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6

[9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt [5/8] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)               11-9, 11-4, 11-13, 11-6

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [9/16] Arthur Gaskin (IRL)                       11-4, 11-5, 11-8

    Quarter-finals:

[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Joey Barrington (ENG)                 11-1, 11-8, 11-4

[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [5/8] Borja Golan (ESP)                          11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7

[3/4] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA)         8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-2

[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN)                    11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2

Women's 2nd round:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [9/16] Elisabet Sado Garriga (ESP)         11-7, 11-2, 11-6

[9/16] Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt [5/8] Milja Dorenbos (NED)             11-13, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5

[5/8] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt [9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT)                     11-6, 11-4, 11-6

[3/4] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Linda Hruzikova (SVK)                     11-4, 11-8, 11-8

[3/4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Margaux Moros-Pitarch (ESP)                11-1, 11-6, 11-0

[5/8] Orla Noom (NED) bt [9/16] Kerri Shields (IRL)                          11-8, 11-3, 11-6

[5/8] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [9/16] Dagmar Vermeulen (NED)         11-3, 11-5, 11-7

[2] Annelize Naude (NED) bt Pamela Hathway (GER)                         11-7, 12-10, 11-1

    Quarter-finals:

[1] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [9/16] Maud Duplomb (FRA)                  11-5, 11-5, 11-9

[3/4] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [5/8] Lauren Siddall (ENG)              5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8

[3/4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [5/8] Orla Noom (NED)                          11-7, 11-7, 11-7

[5/8] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [2] Annelize Naude (NED)                  2-11, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8

Serme Strikes Out For France In Slovakia

Teenager Camille Serme set up the possibility of two all-French finals in the European Individual Championships after upsetting second seed Annelize Naude in the women's quarter-finals of the flagship European Squash Federation event which has attracted players from 22 countries in the region to the Slovakian capital city Bratislava.

Serme, the 19-year-old from Creteil who in March became the first player in history to win three European Junior U19 Championship titles, battled for five games to overcome Naude, the world No21 from the Netherlands, 2-11, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8.

Serme, a 5/8 seed ranked 44 in the world, will now take on England's world No30 Sarah Kippax, a 3/4 seed who despatched Dutch opponent Orla Noom 11-7, 11-7, 11-7.

In the other half of the draw, top seed Isabelle Stoehr, the 11-times French National champion, took out compatriot Maud Duplomb 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 and will now face the other 3/4 seed Manuela Manetta.  Italian Manetta recovered from two games down to beat England's 5/8 seed Lauren Siddall 5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8.

There were no surprises in the men's quarter-finals:  Top-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is one match away from his fifth successive final after toppling Englishman Joey Barrington 11-1, 11-8, 11-4.  The defending champion will now meet another Englishman Adrian Grant, a 3/4 seed who beat Spaniard Borja Golan 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7.