WSF World Masters Championships reach semi-finals In Virginia

Howard Harding reports

After more than 750 players from a record 63 nations got the 2018 WSF World Masters Squash Championships underway in Virginia at the beginning of the week, the E event will reach the semi-finals stage today (Friday) as players do battle for places in the finals.

The 15th edition of the biennial championships - but the first to be held in the USA - is taking place at the McArthur Squash Center at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, with 19 men's and women's events in categories ranging from Over-35 to Over-80.

Australia leads the field with 16 semi-finalists, followed by England and South Africa with 11, hosts USA at 10 and Canada at six.

Most events have played out according to the seedings with three or four of the top seeds progressing to the semis. The biggest upset of the quarter-final round came in the men's O75 event, where American Michael Gough dispatched England's No.1 seed Adrian Wright 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 11-4. The 79-year-old from Atlanta won the 2014 O75 title in Hong Kong and is seeking his second World Masters title in his fourth appearance.

The women's O75 title may be decided today when South Africa's Jean Grainger and Team USA's Joyce Davenport face each other at 9am EDT. Both players have a 3/0 record in the six-player round robin with one match remaining on Saturday.

Australia's five-time World Open champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald comfortably moved through to her anticipated place in the Women's O45 semi-finals. The WSF Vice-President, who is seeded to win the title for a third successive time, faces Karen Meakins, from Barbados, for a place in the final.

The men's O75 semi-finals will stage a perennial U.S. nationals rivalry between Jay Nelson, who holds the U.S. record of twenty-nine masters titles, and Canadian Gerald Poulton. Nelson and Poulton have faced off eight times over the past decade, the last six of which were in U.S. National Singles finals. Poulton has won four of the past six match ups, including the 2018 U.S. 75+ final this spring. Nelson will be hoping to reach his first World Masters final in his tournament debut.

The women's O35 semi-finals field another first-time American participant in the form of Margaret Gerety. The 38-year-old heads the squash programme at Squash on Fire in nearby Washington, DC. The former Harvard player upset Canada's Leah Boody in a five-game quarter-final, and faces England's top seed Lauren Briggs in Friday's semis.

Watch the semi-finals live and follow live scores on www.wmsquash.com/live from 9am EDT.

Quarter-Finals results

MO35
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [8] Gavin Jones (USA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4
[5] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [4] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-0
[3] Wael El Hindi (USA) bt [6] Ben Garner (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-4
[2] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [7] Gary Wheadon (RSA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-6

WO35
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Vanessa Steinwall (CAN) 11-1, 11-6, 11-1
[5] Margaret Gerety (USA) bt [4] Leah Boody (CAN) 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7
[6] Reka Burmeister (ENG) bt [3] Zhenzhen Wu (CHN) 11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10
[2] Selina Sinclair (ENG) bt Sophie Joubarne (CAN) 11-2, 11-4, 11-2

MO40
[1] Liam Kenny (IRL) bt [8] Matt Bishop (CAN) 10-12, 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
[5] Craig Ruane (RSA) bt [4] Lazarus Chilufya (USA) 11-8, 4-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6
[3] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt [11] Paul Allen (ENG) 11-9, 7-1 ret.
[15] Wai Chung Wong (HKG) bt [10] Tatu Murronmaa (FIN) 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7

WO40
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt Karen Schultz (RSA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-2
[4] Samantha Herbert (RSA) bt Melanie Moore (NOR) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5
[3] Jacqueline Ryder (RSA) bt [6] Wendy Maitland Jones (SCO) 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-6
[2] Melissa Martin (AUS) bt [7] Anlen Murray (RSA) 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6

MO45
[1] Nick Taylor (ENG) bt [8] Tim Garner (ENG) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
[12] Galen le Cheminant (USA) bt Evan Mancer (CAN) 9-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-3
[3] Adrian Hansen (RSA) bt [11] Nick Staunton (IRL) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
[2] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) bt Jose Manuel Elias (PER) 11-6, 12-10, 11-6

WO45
[1] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt [9] Melanie Kreisel (GER) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
[4] Karen Meakins (BAR) bt [5] Nina Janisch (GER) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3
[3] Susan Davis (AUS) bt [6] Janet Byrnes (RSA) 11-9, 11-6, 12-10
[2] Rachel Calver (ENG) bt Kelly Wellings (ENG) 12-10, 11-5, 6-11, 4-11, 11-5

MO50
[1] Michael Tootill (RSA) bt [9] Carlos Mendes (POR) 11-9, 11-3, 11-5
[13] Sean Ryan (AUS) bt Aashish Kamat (USA) 11-6, 11-8, 11-3
[3] David Sly (CAN) bt [11] Richard Elliott (ENG) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7
[2] Hansi Wiens (GER) bt [7] Steve K Wren (CAN) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4

WO50
[1] Sarah Nelson (AUS) bt [8] Helen Barnard (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5
[5] Wendy Ansdell (ENG) bt Leslie Cameron (USA) 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 16-14
[3] Hope Prockop (USA) bt [6] Julie Springer-Aass (CAN) 11-3, 11-8, 11-6
[15] Lauren Wagner (CAN) bt [7] Katrina Cross (AUS) 11-1, 11-3, 6-11, 11-7

MO55
[1] Willie Hosey (IRL) bt [8] Trevor Wilkinson (RSA) 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5
[4] Brett Martin (AUS) bt [5] Dominic Hughes (USA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4
[3] Peter Gilbee (AUS) bt [6] Eamonn Price (ENG) 12-10, 11-4, 11-9
[2] Fredrik Johnson (SWE) bt [10] Mark Sealy (BAR) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9

WO55
[1] Susan Hillier (AUS) bt [9] Jackie Gregory (ENG) 11-5, 11-1, 11-4
[4] Sue Williams (AUS) bt [5] Julie Multamaki (CAN) 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9
[3] Mandy Akin (ENG) bt [6] Pippa Green (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Fiona McLean (SCO) bt [7] Beth Fedorowich (USA) 11-5, 12-10, 11-5

MO60
[1] Geoffrey Davenport (Aus) bt Steven Baicker-McKee (Usa ) 11-2, 11-7, 11-7
[3/4] Pierr Roodt (Rsa) bt Jim Mobbs (Aus) 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-2
Juan Mendez (Mex) bt [3/4] Udo Kahl (Ger) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
[2] Jeremy Goulding (Eng) bt Sergio Orduna (Sui) 11-5, 12-10, 11-1

WO60
[1] Jill Campion (Eng) bt Diana Roper (Can) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
Maureen Duke (Irl) bt Marisa Zavattaro (Aus) 10-12, 18-16, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8
Shirley Whitmore (Rsa) bt Jane Law (Eng) 11-2, 12-10, 11-9
[2] Karen Hume (Eng) bt [5/8] Lynne Davies (Wal) 11-7, 11-3, 11-3

MO65
[1] John Macrury (Cay) bt [5/8] Wayne Seebeck (Nzl) 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5
[3/4] Wayne Weatherhead (Can) bt Ian Smith (Can) 4-5, rtd
[5/8] Mario Raponi (Can) bt [3/4] Robert Jan Anjema (Ned) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
John Carroll (Aus) bt [2] Ian Graham (Eng) 11-1, 11-9, 11-6

WO65
[1] Laura Ramsay (Can) bt Sue Wastie (Eng) 10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 11-2
Yvonne Trotter (Aus) bt Marjorie Barnett (Nzl) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
[3/4] Gaye Mitchell (Aus) bt Denise Kyme (Ber) 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6
[2] Faith Sinclair (Sco) bt Maureen Carroll (Sco) 8-11, 13-11, 19-17, 11-7

MO70
[1] Brian Cook (Aus) bt [5/8] Claudio Hassler (Sui) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5
[5/8] Aubrey Waddy (Eng) bt [3/4] Norbert Kornyei (Usa) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6
[3/4] Ian Ross (Sco) bt [5/8] Jack Halford (Eng) 11-5, 12-14, 11-2, 11-3
[5/8] Frikkie Bester (Rsa) bt [2] Barry Featherstone (Eng) 4-11, 11-8, 11-4, 14-16, 11-4

WO70
[1] Ann Manley (Eng) bt Sheena Worwood (Rsa) 11-7, 11-9, 11-3
[3/4] Marilyn Kennedy (Aus) bt Averil Murphy (Eng) 11-4, 15-13, 11-9
Margaret Hunt-Kemp (Rsa) bt [3/4] Bett Dryhurst (Eng) 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 13-11
[2] Robyn Prentice (Aus) bt Christine McIntyre (Aus) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7

MO75
[5/8] Michael Gough (Usa) bt [1] Adrian Wright (Eng) 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 11-4
[5/8] Howard Armitage (Can) bt [3/4] Desmond Sacco (Rsa) 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2
[3/4] John Nelson (Usa) bt [5/8] Voon L Chan (Can) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
[2] Gerald Poulton (Can) bt [5/8] Tom Slattery (Aus) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6

MO80
[1] Lance Kinder (Eng) bt John Prichard (Aus) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9
[3/4] Stanley Fanaroff (Rsa) bt Geoffrey Peppiatt (Usa) 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6
[3/4] Edward Burlingame (Usa) bt Robert Pirie (Usa) 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5
[2] Barry Gardiner (Nzl) bt Mike Barnard (Fra) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5