Palmer, Wright reach finals for Britain

10.14.00 Birmingham, SRA

From Howard Harding. October 14 2000
EVANS & WRIGHT KEEP BRITISH DOUBLE HOPES ALIVE Hopes of the first British double since 1939 were kept alive after today's (Saturday) semi-finals of the British Open Squash Championships in Birmingham, when David Evans became the first ever Welsh player to reach the men's final and England's Sue Wright became the first qualifier to make the women's climax.

Evans, 25, from Pontypool, beat Australia's 8th seed David Palmer - quarter-final conqueror of defending champion Jonathon Power - 15-5 15-6 15-11 at the National Indoor Arena. The tenth seed, ranked 11 in the world, made his breakthrough when he toppled Egypt's third seed Ahmed Barada in the second round. Evans' controlled 51-minute win over the 24-year-old from New South Wales takes him into Sunday's final against another Australian.

Melbourne's Paul Price put paid to an all-British men's climax when he beat Lincolnshire's England international Mark Chaloner 17-16 11-15 15-7 15-5 in 72 minutes. The major shock in the women's event came when former world No3 Sue Wright, fighting back to full fitness after suffering from viral pneumonia, beat Australia's third seed Carol Owens 10-9 9-5 3-9 9-5 in a physical 63-minute encounter to reach the final for the first time since 1991.

Wright, from Aylesbury in Bucks, whose world No31 ranking meant that she had to qualify, was overjoyed at her success. "It's a dream come true - this has been one of the best days of my life. Fourteen months ago I was lying in a hospital bed, and now I'm in a British Open final - who would have believed it?" said Wright.

In the other semi-final, England's world No4 Linda Charman, from Sussex, squandered an 8-3 lead in the opening game against New Zealand's Leilani Joyce before losing 10-8 9-0 9-4 to the defending champion as she reached her second successive women's final.

Issued by British Open Press Officer Howard Harding Email: HowHard@aol.com SRA 11 October 2000

Men's Main Draw

Women's Main Draw

Final Men's qualifying results

Final Women's qualifying results

RESULTS: British Open Squash Championships, NIA, Birmingham Men's semi-finals:
[14] Paul Price (AUS) bt [16] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 17-16 11-15 15-7 15-5
[10] David Evans (WAL) bt [8] David Palmer (AUS) 15-5 15-6 15-11

Women's semi-finals:
[Q] Sue Wright (ENG) [3] Carol Owens (AUS) 10-9 9-5 3-9 9-5
[2] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [4] Linda Charman (ENG) 10-8 9-0 9-4

• Golestan Radwan: Egypt
• Tomas Barva, Czech Republic
• David Blick, Alaska USA
• Kim Tunney: Midwest USA
• Andre Maur: Atlanta USA
• Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
  

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