European Club Championships, Paderborn, 2005

Sarah Fitz and David Palmer out due to Team entry mishaps

Last year in Lenz the organizers got the seedings wrong with the result that the two best teams – Colets and Paderborner met in the semi-finals with Colets losing out on points countback.

It was assumed that the same mistake would not happen again this year – and guess what? It has. The Ungarian Club, Rozsadombi Sport are seeded at one, which appears to be correct when you look at their lineup: Gregory Gaultier, Marcus Berrett, Joey Barrington and Peter Genever. But on the points system Gaultier can only play if both Berrett and Barrington are dropped, which would give them two unknowns at third and fourth string. It is unlikely that Gaultier, Genever, Torok and Szabosky could beat any of the next three teams in the seedings.

Seeded second is Paaderborner One with Peter Nicol, Ben and Tim Garner, Stefan Lefiels and Lars Osthoff. If Nicol and Ben Garner play, then third and fourth strings are eminently beatable.

It is the third seeds, Denmark’s Harlev/Horten Squash Club that is the complete mystery. Their line-up of Andrew Whipp (world ranking 83) at first string, followed by Mads Korsbjerg, Morten Sorensen and Gustave Detter should be seeded either six or seven. It is almost certain that they could not beat fifth seed Impuls Lifestyle of Belgium whose line-up is Tommy Berden, Dylan Bennet, Wim van Asten and Piedro Shweetman.

The projection is that Colets with Alex Gough, Scott Handley, Mark Cairns, Danny Meddings and Clive Ewins, will meet Hungary in one semi, while host club Paderborner will meet the weak Danish team in the other semi. Very nice for the home club and total frustration again for David Peck, the Colets manager.

A bit of a surprise in Ireland where the Fitzwilliam Club of Dublin always win the national title and participate in the ECC. Well, they expected to win again, entered, paid their money and booked the hotel. Only one slight hitch: in the final of the national competition they got beaten by Celtic Squash Club. Having paid their way, the Fitzwilliam team came anyway. That’s the spirit!

The Bonn Mulheim withdrew because they listed ineligible players and so David Palmer, their number one, will not be playing in the tournament, which is a pity.

MEN’S SEEDINGS

Rozsadombi Sport Egyesulet, Hungary
Paderborner One, Germany
Herlev/ Hjorten Squash Club, Denmark
Colets Health and Fitness, England
Impuls Lifestyle, Belgium
Team Gothenburg, Sweden
Newlands Lawn Tennis, Scotland
Ylivieska Squash, Finland
Royal Cham, Switzerland
Volksbank Squash, Austria
Borderline Squash Club, Italy
Celtic Squash Club, Ireland
Ettelbruck, Luxembourg
Paderborner Two, Germany

NO SARAH
Obviously the manager of the Bonn Mulheim club did not read the rules because he also entered an ineligible team in the women’s tournament, so the starry team of Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Linda Elriani and Sabine Tilman will not be appearing.

So the other German team, ISC Bordersholm with Vanessa Atkinson, Annelize Naude and Katharina Witt have taken over as top seeds with England’s Pontefract club as second seeds. Even though the Yorkshire club have great strength in depth, I doubt whether, in a three player team, they can beat the pairing of Atkinson and Naude.

WOMEN’S SEEDING

ISC Bordersholm eV, Germany
Pontefract , England
Odense Squash Club, Denmark
SAS Wien Energie, Austria
Can Melich Sutton Lawn Tennis, Club. Ireland.
Edinburgh Sport Club, Scotland.
Squash Rackets Antibes, France
Mikkeli Squash Club, Finland