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Men's Team Semis
by Elspeth Burnside Oct 27, 2001 © 2001 Elspeth Burnside and Squashtalk
[last update was 27-oct-01 ]

Australia and Egypt win out.
 [Men's Knockout Draw] [Men's Teams]

Australia, Egypt Peak --- USA in disappointing loss to Hong Kong

SEMI-FINALS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

World no one David Palmer clinched victory for Australia in today's semi-finals of the world squash championships at the Sports and Aquatics Centre in Melbourne, Australia, but only after the no one seeds and strong favourites had been given a real scare by England. In fornt of the home fans, Palmer and Paul Price both struggled through five game battles before Australia, chasing a record seventh world title, clinched the 3-0 win that took them into the final against holders Egypt, 2-1 winners over Scotland in the other semi-final.

In the opening rubber, Price, the world no six, won a long and, at times, acrimonious match with Chris Walker. The Englishman constantly niggled the referee over decisions, and the Canadian Graham Walters eventually handed him a conduct warning for "unnecessary physical conduct." Price eventually secured the point, 6-9, 9-0, 9-6, 7-9, 9-2 in 88 minutes before Palmer needed even longer to tie up the match against Mark Chaloner. Palmer, the British Open Champion, trailed by two games to one and was 0-3 behind in the fourth before clawing his way back to win 4-9, 9-3, 2-9, 9-3, 9-6 in 97 minutes.

"That was really tough, but it's great to get through," said a relieved Palmer, who could then relax and watch Stewart Boswell tie up the whitewash with an easy win over Lee Beachill in the dead rubber. Egypt, the no six seeds, continued to ignore those who suggested that, without the services of the recently retried Ahmed Barrada, they would have no chance of retaining the title they won in Cairo two years ago. Against Scotland, it was Omar El Borlossy, who played in 1999, and a new boy to the world championship scene, Mohammed Abbas, who clinched the points in a 2-1 win.

The problem for Scotland is that they have two players in the world's top ten, but no other professional player. The loss of former world no one Peter Nicol - who controversially defected from Scotland to England earlier this year - is still an open wound. So when Martin Heath saw his unbeaten record disappear in the second string rubber to El Borolossy 3-9, 9-0, 2-9, 2-9, it was always going to be a tough struggle. John White, the Australian-born Scottish Champion, did manage to level the scores by winning the top tie 5-9, 9-3, 9-6, 9-5 against the 1999 world junior champion, Karim Darwish, but it was always a lot to ask Neil Frankland, a full-time Surrey coach, but part-time player, to clinch the victory against world no 36 Abbas.

He put up a great fight as he had in winning two of his four previous matches, but he came out on the wrong end of a 9-3, 9-5, 9-2 scoreline that prompted wild scenes of celebration from the Egyptians and there large band of supporters. But will they manage to douse the home celebrations in the final? It seems doubtful

Results: Semi-finals:

Egypt bt Scotland 2-1 (O El Borlossy bt M Heath 9-3, 0-9, 9-2, 9-2; K Darwish lost to J White 9-5, 3-9, 6-9, 5-9; M Abbas bt N Frankland 9-3, 9-5, 9-2)

Australia bt England 3-0 (P Price bt C Walker 6-9, 9-0, 9-6, 7-9, 9-2; D Palmer bt M Chaloner 4-9, 9-3, 2-9, 9-3, 9-6; S Boswell bt L Beechill 9-1,9-2) Play-offs for place 5-8: France bt Malaysia 3-0 (R Lavigne bt M Azlan 10-8, 9-3, 9-3; T Lincou bt K Low 9-2, 9-3, 9-0; G Gaultier bt Y K For 9-6, 9-2) South Africa bt Canada 2-1 (G Whittaker bt S Razik 9-3, 10-8, 9-8; R Durbach lost to G Ryding 9-6, 9-7, 5-9, 0-9, 7-9; A Hansen lost to K patrick 9-5, 9-1, 9-2)

Play-offs for place 9-12: Wales bt Pakistan 2-1 (A Gough beat S Zaman 9-6, 9-5, 1-9, 9-7; D Evans bt M Zaman 9-5, 4-9, 9-1, 7-9, 9-1; G Tippings lost to S Islam 9-4, 4-9, 5-9)

Ireland bt Finland 2-1 (L Kenny lost to J Raumolin 7-9, 9-6, 9-3, 5-9, 7-9; D Ryan bt O Tuominen 2-9, 9-7, 9-, 9-7; S Rcihardson bt J Kyttanen 9-0, 9-7, 9-2)

Play-offs for places 13-16: Netherlands bt Denmark 3-0 (G Marges bt M Hansen 10-8, 9-4, 9-2; T Berden bt Mikkel Korsjberg 9-5, 9-3, 9-0; M Reus bt Mads Korsjberg 9-2, 9-4)

Sweden bt Germany 3-0 (C Drakenberg bt F Poessl 9-5, 9-0, 3-9, 0-9, 9-3; D Forslund bt S Leifels 9-6, 9-4, 5-9, 9-6; J Jungling bt E Schnieder 9-4, 3-9, 9-6) Play-offs for places 17-20: Hong Kong bt USA 2-1 (V Cheung bt R Chin 9-6, 9-1, 2-9, 9-4; F Kham bt D Walker 10-8, 9-4, 9-5; R Ngan lost to P Quick 9-10, 9-6, 2-9)

New Zealand bt Austria 3-0 (D |Sharplin bt M Rossler 9-3, 9-4, 9-1; P Steel bt G Schedlbauer 8-10, 0-9, 9-5, 9-2; G Crosby bt A Fuchs 9-2, 5-9, 9-1) Play-offs for places 21-24: Mexico bt Japan 3-0 (M Aguilar bt T Hota 9-1, 6-9, 3-9, 10-8, 9-5; M Galves bt K Sano 9-3, 9-3, 9-3; O Montero bt Y Watanabe 9-6, 9-1)

Norway bt Kenya 2-1 (R Pettersen bt H Bains 4-9, 3-9, 9-7, 9-1, 9-4; R Larsson bt O Kwach 9-7, 9-2, 9-6; J Salem lost to R bains 9-2, 4-9, 3-9)

US LOSE OUT
It was a desperately disappointed American team that lost 2-1 to Hong Kong in the world championships and cannot now match their 17th place from Cairo two years ago. The side will end the campaign with a match against Austria for 19th place. With only a win over Norway in six matches, the loss to Hong Kong really hurt. Richard Chin and Damien Walker both lost before Preston Quick got a consolation point with a win over Roger Ngan 10-9, 6-9, 9-2.

But Chin went down 6-9, 1-9, 9-2, 4-9 to Vincent Cheung in the opening second rubber, and then Walker lost 8-10, 7-9, 5-9 to Faheem Khan in the top rubber. "It was a disappointing performance," said team coach Richard Millman. "We really had hoped to win. But we hope to pick ourselves up for the final day."