French, English, Dutch, German and Finnish National Champs Conclude

This weekend saw the domestic national championships in England, France, Finland and the Netherlands come to a conclusion as a host of PSA World Tour stars contested for top billing in their home countries.

ENGLAND
Seven-time men’s champion Nick Matthew, the 35-year-old PSA World No.3, was aiming to make history by becoming the first player in British National Squash history to win eight titles and he successfully saw off the challenge of perennial rival James Willstrop to ensure hi same goes into the record books once again.

“It’s always tough to break James down but the court was a bit deader than in previous days and he was maybe feeling yesterday’s five-setter by the end,” said Matthew after his win.

“The Nationals is a great event, always improving with new things coming along like the U21s and two glass courts, and it’s unbelievable and an absolute honour to have won it eight times.”

In the women’s tournament PSA World No.1 Laura Massaro lived up to her billing as the top seeded player in the draw and the in-form player on the women’s tour right now as she comprehensively beat fellow top 15 player Alison Waters 3-0 in just 24 minutes.

“Alison wasn’t at her best today, but I thought I played well and I’m absolutely delighted to get my name back on the trophy,” said Massaro.

England National Finals
Men: Nick Matthew bt James Willstrop 3-1: 11-2, 6-11, 11-3, 11-3 (50m)
Women: Laura Massaro bt Alison Waters 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 (24m)

FRANCE
With World No.2 and World Champion Gregory Gaultier out of action due to an injury sustained in January World No.8 Mathieu Castagnet carried the billing of tournament favourite into the 2016 French Nationals and he duly delivered on expectations as he saw off Gregoire Marche, the World No.27, in straight games to win a second consecutive men’s French national title.

In the women’s event 2015 Allam British Open winner Camille Serme, the World No.5 who last month won the Cleveland Classic, won an eighth consecutive women’s title as she saw off the challenge of second seed, and best friend, Coline Aumard 3-1.

French National Finals
Men: Mathieu Castagnet bt Gregoire Marche 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
Women: Camille Serme bt Coline Aumard 3-1:11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6.

NETHERLANDS
After undergoing surgery on a foot spur last year which has seen him fall as low as World No.50 Laurens Jan Anjema continued his comeback to top level competitive action as the current World No.41 overcame the challenge of compatriot and World No.70 Pïedro Schweertman to win a record 10th men’s national Dutch title.

While he won in straight-games it took Anjema 85-minute to see off his dogged compatriot while in the women’s draw former World No.2 Natalie Grinham, the former Australian who now represents the Netherlands, won her fourth national title by defeating top seeded Milou van der Heijden 3-0.

Dutch National Finals
Men: Laurens Jan Anjema bt [2] Piedro Schweertman 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (85m)
Women: Natalie Grinham bt Milou van der Heijden 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (38m)

FINALND
PSA stalwart Olli Tuoiminen, the World No.47 who has ranked as high as No.13, continued to assert his dominance on the Finnish squash scene as he defeated Kristian Rautiainen to collect his 16th Finnish National Squash championship title courtesy of a 3-0 win.

In the women’s draw it was World No.193 Emiia Soini who got the better of Riina Koskinen to claim the title.

Finnish National Finals
Mens: Olli Tuominen bt Kristian Rautiainen 3-0: 11/4 11/8 11/8
Womens: Emiia Soini bt Riina Koskinen 3-0: 11/9 11/4 11/2

Germany
Simon Rösner the hard-hitting World No.7 secured his tenth German national title in the men’s event, overtaking previous record holder Hansi Wiens whose nine titles were won between 1988 and 2002, by beating fellow PSA player Raphael Kandra. Despite winning 3-0 it took Rösner over 80-minutes to get the better of left-handed Kandra.

“This must have been the longest 3:0 in my career, by quite a bit,” said Rösner after the match. “Raphael is getting better and better and it’s getting harder and harder to beat him. I didn’t think I’d be able to beat him 3:0 today, and I’d say that second game was the decider. During the tie-break I was sure: whoever wins this game will win the match. And after losing it was always going to be a real uphill battle for Raphael.”

In the women’s tournament Sharon Cyra Sinclair surprised title holder Sina Wall by emerging victorious after a brutal five-game encounter that ebbed and flowed from start to finish.

“The idea of standing on center court, giving an interview, always frightened me terribly, but now I find myself standing here,” said Sinclair. “Sina played a very good final. She’s a pro – but today I was better.”

German National Results
Men: Simon Rösner bt Raphael Kandra 3-0: 11-4 14-12 11-9
Women: Sharon Sinclair bt Sina Wall 3-2: 11-8 9-11 11-6 7-11 11-6