ENGLAND LOOKING STRONG, SOME GREAT PLAY AND SOME SURPRISES

Colin McQuillan in Vienna 4/27/2000 ©Squashtalk 2000.

Gaultier, Lincou impressive in pool A loss to England.

[latest men's draw] [latest women's draw]

English Women Steamrolling...

The European Team Championships are following their familiar course in Vienna this week. England, led by world champion Cassie Campion, will play The Netherlands in the first women's semi-final after an effortless qualifying run through Pool A in which they did not drop a single game. They are looking for a 23rd successive title since the women's championship began in 1978.

The Germans will play the Scots in the other women's semi-final after an undefeated run through Pool B, although they did drop a game here and there. Good to see Sabine Baum and Daniella Grzenia back in action behind the perennial Sabine Schone.

Italian Style

The most enjoyable part of the womens tournament thus far, though, has been the sight and sound of the Italian team (quick, stylish little women with names like Ferrari and Favero) beating the living daylights out of Pool C. They finished the qualilfiers duffing up the hosts, Austria, 3-0 to such ecstatic cheers and laughter that the men of England and France had to stop playing on adjacent courts until it all died down.

Germany faltering?

There is still a round of qualifiers to go at the top of the men's championship, but England is pretty certain of a semi-final place after an undefeated run so far and only Germany left to deal with. Not the Germany of previous times, however. They beat Austria and Belgium on the second qualifying day, but they were whitewashed by France on the first day.

Gaultier impressive young hope

France is almost certain to take the second semi-final place out of Pool A behind England. They were pretty good in defeat against England and Gregory Gaultier, their 17-year-old fourth string, received a standing ovation from a knowledgeable and cosmopolitan crowd when he walked off beaten 9-3 9-4 9-10 9-7 by the likeable and highly experienced Mark Chaloner. Gaultier took the European Junior title a week or so back; the first Frenchman ever to do so. He is fast in the front court and quick to the back court. He constructs rallies of astute variation; lobs, drops, boasts, drives, neat little deceptions all keeping even such an experienced opponent on the wrong foot for much of the time.

"It is hard to believe he is only 17," Chaloner said after the match. "He has no fear and he only faded off the pace in the last half of the last game. "I was a bit nervous going in against him because everyone was talking about how good he is and he had beaten good players in the earlier matches. I would probably beat him easier next time now I know a bit about him, but he is the best 17-year-old I have ever played against."

Lincou a few moments of flash

The other end of the French squad is just as interesting. Thierry Lincou is the first Frenchman ever to break into the world top ten. He lost 10-8 9-5 9-5 to Simon Parke at first string but he showed strength of rallying and a fierce deception that explained why he has risen to world number eight over recent months. The match was effectively finished when Park took the first game, Del Harris and Peter Marshall having already overcome Renan Lavigne and Jean Michel Arcucci, otherwise we might have seen more fireworks. There was one deception in the top left hand corner that I carried away in my minds eye to savour later: Lincou went up fast, early racket preparation, dropped his right shoulder to suggest a strong cross court drive, and popped the ball gently into the nick at his own feet.No exaggerated head feint, no double racket bite; just a definite indication good enough to have Parke and the onlooking unanimous in expecting a fast ball down the court. There is just a chance we could see the match again in the final.

Holland makes it interesting

Pool B became messy when Wales lost 1-3 to Finland at the end of the second day and The Netherlands dragged themselves back into marginal contention with a 10-7 countback advantage from a 2-2 draw with Sweden, thanks to a good fighting performance from Tommy Berden, another rising youngster. Finland and Wales are likely semi-finalists from the pool, but much rests on the result of final qualifiers featuring Finland against Switzerland and Wales against Sweden.

Wales, managed by that wily Australian former world number two Chris Robertson, got to the World Team Championship final last year after a few strange performances. They were oddly subdued at the end of the second day as David Evans, leading the national line this week for the first time, went down 9-6 4-9 9-4 7-9 9-1 to Olli Touminen. Alex Gough, the established first string, then beat Juha Raumolin in the second string rubber, but Wales lost another two points in the lower order. Then they all went off to dinner seeming almost pleased with themselves.

Almost like they thought playing England in the semi-finals was the right way to go ?

European Teams Vienna 2000 website

European Team Squash Championships in Vienna

Men's 1st qualifying rounds (from Wednesday) (for thursday-click above on full draw links)

Pool A: [1] ENGLAND bt [9] AUSTRIA 4-0
Simon Parke bt Clemens Wallishauser 9-4 9-2 9-0
Del Harris bt Gerhard Schedlbauer 9-1 9-6 9-0
Peter Marshall bt Markus Rossler 9-3 9-2 9-0
Mark Chaloner bt Andreas Fuchs 9-1 9-5 9-0

[4] FRANCE bt [9] BELGIUM 4-0
Thierry Lincou bt Stefan Casteleyn 9-3 9-3 3-9 7-9 9-0
Renan Lavigne bt Marc Christie 9-3 9-1 9-1
Jean-Michel Arcucci bt Nicolas van Caesbroeck 9-2 9-1 9-2
Gregory Gaultier bt Fabrice Fievet 9-1 9-2 9-3

[8] AUSTRIA bt [9] BELGIUM 3-1

Clemens Wallishauser lost to Stefan Casteleyn 6-9 9-1 0-9 2-9
Gerhard Schedlbauer bt Peter Pastijn 9-6 9-4 9-6
Leopold Czaska bt Marc Christie 9-0 9-2 9-4
Wolfgang Rothbacher bt Nicolas van Caesbroeck 9-2 9-6 9-2

[4] FRANCE bt [5] GERMANY 4-0
Thierry Lincou bt Oliver Kowalski 9-6 9-5 9-0
Renan Lavigne bt Simon Frenz 9-10 9-4 9-1 9-1
Jean-Michel Arcucci bt Florian Poessl 9-5 9-0 9-8
Gregory Gaultier bt Stefan Oppolzer 9-0 9-1 6-9 9-0

Pool B: [3] FINLAND bt [10] NETHERLANDS 4-0
Olli Tuominen bt Lucas Buit 9-2 9-5 9-7
Juha Raumolin bt Tommy Berden 5-9 9-7 9-1 9-4
Timo Tuominen bt Ronald Cune 9-4 9-4 9-1
Janne Kyttanen bt Laurens-Jan Anjema 9-2 10-9 9-0

[2] WALES bt [7] SWITZERLAND 3-1
David Evans bt Lars Harms 9-7 9-1 9-0
Alex Gough lost to Reto Donatsch 3-9 2-9 0-9
Greg Tippings bt Andre Holderegger 9-3 9-1 9-1
Gareth Davies bt Dany Oeschger 9-1 9-0 9-1

Pool C:
[14] Denmark bt [19] Slovakia 4-0,
[11] Spain bt [18] Israel 4-0,
[15] Greece bt [18] Israel 3-1,
[11] Spain bt [14] Denmark 3-1

Pool D:
[12] Ireland bt [17] Czech Republic 4-0,
[13] Italy bt [20] Slovenia 4-0,
[16] Hungary bt [17] Czech Republic 3-1,
[13] Italy bt [12] Ireland 3-1

Women's 1st qualifying rounds -
Pool A: [1] ENGLAND bt [8] SWITZERLAND 3-0
Cassie Campion bt Agnes Mueller 9-2 9-7 9-0
Linda Charman bt Manuela Zehnder 9-6 9-1 9-0
Stephanie Brind bt Gaby Schmohl 9-3 9-0 9-0
[4] SCOTLAND bt [5] DENMARK 3-0
Pamela Nimmo bt Ellen Petersen 4-9 9-7 9-0 2-9 9-3
Senga Macfie bt Julia Dorn-Jensen 9-1 9-0 9-3
Claire Waddell bt Line Hansen 9-2 9-0 9-0

[4] SCOTLAND bt [9] WALES 3-0
Senga Macfie bt Katrina Hogan 9-0 9-3 9-4
Claire Waddell bt Hannah Davies 9-1 9-0 9-0
Lisa McKenna bt Louise Griffiths 9-0 9-4 9-2

[1] ENGLAND bt [5] DENMARK 3-0
Linda Charman bt Ellen Petersen 9-4 9-1 9-3
Stephanie Brind bt Julia Dorn-Jensen 9-1 9-1 9-1
Tania Bailey bt Mette Jorgensen 9-3 9-2 9-3

[8] SWITZERLAND bt [9] WALES 2-1
Agnes Mueller bt Karen Hargreaves 3-9 9-7 3-9 9-2 9-1
Gaby Schmohl lost to Katrina Hogan 8-10 2-9 0-9
Olivia Hauser bt Hannah Davies 9-3 9-2 9-2

Pool B: [3] NETHERLANDS bt [6] SPAIN 3-0
Vanessa Atkinson bt Natalia Meneu 9-2 9-5 9-4
Daphne Jelgersma bt Elisabeth Sado 9-7 9-0 9-7
Denise Sommers bt Laia Sans 10-9 9-2 9-6

[2] GERMANY bt [7] BELGIUM
3-0 Sabine Schoene bt Kim Hannes 9-1 9-5 9-1
Sabine Baum bt Katline Cauwels 9-1 9-4 9-1
Karin Beriere bt Loreline Pira 9-5 9-1 9-3

[2] GERMANY bt [6] SPAIN 3-0
Sabine Schoene bt Elisabeth Sado 9-3 9-2 9-0
Karin Beriere bt Laia Sans 9-5 10-8 9-2
Daniela Grzenia bt Olga Puigdemont 9-5 9-0 9-5

[3] NETHERLANDS bt [10] FRANCE 2-1
Vanessa Atkinson bt Isabelle Stoehr 10-8 9-2 9-7
Daphne Jelgersma lost to Corinne Castets 9-3 4-9 9-2 4-9 1-9
Denise Sommers bt Mylene Demuylder 9-2 9-5 9-2

[10] FRANCE bt [7] BELGIUM 2-1
Isabelle Stoehr bt Kim Hannes 9-1 10-8 9-5
Corinne Castets bt Katline Cauwels 9-7 9-1 9-7
Noellie Boden lost to Sil Schryvers 4-9 0-9 2-9

Pool C: [18] Israel bt [11] Austria 2-1,
[14] Italy bt [15] Norway 2-1,
[15] Norway bt [11] Austria 2-1, [
14] Italy bt [15] Slovakia 3-0,
[18] Israel bt [15] Slovakia 3-0

Pool D: [12] Ireland bt [17] Slovenia 3-0,
[13] Finland bt [16] Hungary 3-0,
[12] Ireland bt [16] Hungary 3-0,
[13] Finland bt [17] Slovenia 3-0