There was a bit more tension in the air  on semi-finals night, but sadly nowhere near the fight and excitement that were expected. The big match was  England’s Colets club   against  the top seed  Rozsadombi club of Hungary.  While Colets had to play their third pool match in the morning Rozsadombikk rested, being in a three club pool while Colets were in a four club pool.

Frankly, I don’t think that affected the result that much. When the final ball had been struck it was obvious  that two of the Colets players were simply not fit enough. The Hungarians rested Gregory Gaultier  in order to strengthen their lower order. Had he played  both  Marcus Berret  and Joey Barrington would have had to be dropped, bringing in a number four who would certainly have lost.

But to start at the beginning, Colets’ Mark Cairns, aged 38 was facing  32 year old Peter Genever, a player brought in at the last minute.  After a shaky start which saw Genever control the play, Cairns settled down to pull back from 4-7 to win 9-7 in a game which lasted 27 minutes. This was not dazzling squash  and neither displayed the sort of attacking squash gusto is now required at the top level. It is squash which is all about length and  tightness and it’s a game that Cairns plays exceedingly well, despite his advanced years.

After the first game Cairns knew exactly what he had to do: slow the pace down and straighten his shots and just wait for Genever to have his bad spells. This came early in the second game and Cairns was comfortably ahead  5-0 due to five errors  from Genever.   But he cut out his errors and made a  slow comeback to trail Cairns by two points 6-4. Cairns weathered the storm, kept to his game plan and waited for the next errors. There were only two errors but three penalty strokes helped Cairns to a 9-5 win that took another 22 minutes.

Genever seemed to lose heart  from then on and was not able to earn even one point  in the third game as Cairns, looking tanned (having just returned from two weeks in Thailand), romped home 9-0 for a 3/0 win. The Colets supporters were delighted but sadly thing went downhill from there.

Danny Meddings, who was seen as a banker at number four, faced the talented

Adras Torok and was two games down before he got going, hitting the tin consistently. This was easily the most exciting match of the day as Meddings  fought back  to take the next two games, seeming in control and making no errors. After he won the fourth game 9-4,  it appeared that he had the measure of Torok and  Colets would be two up. But Meddings was tired, very tired; five times he went to the front for a drop shot and five times the ball hit the tin.  The fifth game was no contest as Torok ran away to 9-2 victory.

So it was 1/1  and Colets were ahead on games and points.  That all changed very rapidly as Marcus Berrett, who doesn’t even play the circuit,  displayed some super court craft in rolling over Alex Gough  in three games. Gough looked bushed at the beginning of the second game and simply did not have the strength to mount a challenge, going for winners  with the usual result.  He managed ten points in three games and the Hungarians were now 2/1 ahead with Scott Handley having the responsibility of pulling the match out of the fire.

Joey Barrington is ranked 30 places above Handley and he was not about to let anything silly happen. He won the first two games, which virtually ended Colets’ aspirations. Handley would have to win the last three games by a considerable margin, but he was mentally finished and managed just one point in the third game.

So the top seeds fulfilled their expectations and go through to the final where they face Padernorner, who rolled over the Danish Herlev/Hjorten  with very little effort. The seats were full to watch Peter Nicol play for the host club at number one. He had a good run against Hadrian Stiff, and while they had some marvelous rallies, there was never a chance that the experienced Stiff would really trouble Nicol.

Nicol was backed by Tim Garner, Stefan Leifels and  and Lars Osthoff, with Leifels showing himself to be a very accomplished player.  Ben Garner was rested but will probably return to the lineup for the final.

In the women’s group second seeded  Pontefract’s  Yorkshire troupe  beat  SAS Wien Energie of Austria 2/1 with Kirsty McPhee  having to win the decider against Birgit Coufal.  They will be facing top seeds ISC Bordersholm of Germany in the final: Rebecca Botwright will have to play exceptionally well to beat Annelize Naud while Lauren Siddall will try to make up for her loss today to Kathrin Rohmuller who came back from two games down  for her victory.   Siddall will face Katharina Witt, who can blow hot and cold. It may be all down to Kirty McPhee again to save the day and bring the trophy back to England.

RESULTS:         European Club Championships, Paderborn, Germany 
Men's semi-finals:
Rózsadombi Sport Egyesület (HUN) bt Colets Health & Fitness (ENG) 3/1 [Marcus Berrett bt Alex Gough 9-5, 9-2, 9-3; Joey Barrington bt Scott Handley 9-2, 9-7, 9-0; Peter Genever lost to Mark Cairns 7-9, 5-9, 0-9; Andras Torok bt Danny Meddings 9-1, 9-7, 3-9, 4-9, 9-2]
Paderborner SC (GER) bt Herlev/Hjorten Squash Klub (DEN) 4/0 [Peter Nicol bt Andrew Whipp 9-2, 9-2, 9-1; Tim Garner bt Mads Korsbjerg 9-3, 9-1, 9-1; Stefan Leifels bt Morten W Sorensen 5-9, 9-0, 9-0, 9-3; Lars Osthoff bt Mikkel Kragholm 9-2, 9-0, 9-0]

 Women's semi-finals:
ISC Bordesholm (GER) bt Odense SC (DEN) 3/0  [Annelize Naude bt Line Hansen 9-7, 9-4, 9-6; Katharina Witt bt Kira Petersen 9-2, 9-5, 9-4; Daniela Schumann bt Dagmar Feddern 9-2, 9-0]
Pontefract SC (ENG) bt SAS Wien Energie (AUT) 2/1 [Rebecca Botwright bt Pamela Pancis 0-9, 9-1, 9-5, 10-8; Lauren Siddall lost to Kathrin Rohrmuller 1-9, 10-8, 9-10, 1-9; Kirsty McPhee bt Birgit Coufal 9-6, 9-1, 9-1)