Simpson secures seventh squash success
In the Men’s final of the 40th National Squash Championships the #2 seed, Shawn Simpson, outplayed the dynamic Bryant Cumberbatch in four games to claim his seventh national title in his eleventh final in the last twelve years. The tall, left handed Simpson played to a clear plan and rallied patiently while trying to keep his diminutive opponent pinned into the back corners as much as possible. Although at times both players stuck the ball with great pace, Simpson also tried slowing the pace down and deployed the crosscourt lob to his opponent’s backhand side to neutralize one of Bryant’s strengths which is his attacking variations in the front court. Simpson led for most of the first game but from 6-9 down, Cumberbatch reeled off five successive points to claim first blood at 11-9. Simpson regrouped and extended the rallies more with patient steady squash, reeling off two runs of four points in the second game and a run of seven straight points in the third game, both of which he won for the loss of only five points. This pattern was repeated in the fourth game where Simpson steadily built a 9-4 advantage before Cumberbatch mounted a comeback and pulled back to 8-9 down before Simpson claimed the last two rallies to win 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in 33 minutes.
The entertaining men’s third place saw Rhett Cumberbatch comfortably defeat his elder brother and top seed Gavin Cumberbatch for the first time in this event 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 while in the fifth place match Mark Gilkes used his superior volleying ability to dispatch the experienced former eight time champion Mark Sealy 11-4, 11-1, 11-6. Don Benn finished seventh by outlasting Andy Gill in a five game upset 11-7, 2-11, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10. The men’s consolation plate was won by teenager Zaki Williams who defeated former U-19 champion Ryan Foster 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 while Craig Archer got his revenge over the player who beat him on Day 1 in the first round by defeating Sylvester Nurse to win the men’s plate 11-4, 11-5, 11-6. The ladies plate was won by Clair Husbands who defeated the experienced Cilla Seale by default.
Below are the final results for the tournament:
Men’s Results
Men’s Final: Shawn Simpson bt. Bryant Cumberbatch 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (33 mins.) Men’s Third: Place Rhett Cumberbatch bt. Gavin Cumberbatch 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 (30 mins.)
Men’s Classic Plate Final (5th Place): Mark Gilkes bt. Mark Sealy 11-4, 11-1, 11-6 (28 mins.)
Men’s 7th Place Playoff: Don Benn bt. Andy Gill 11-7, 2-11, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10
Men’s Consolation Plate (9th Place): Final Zaki Williams bt. Ryan Foster 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Men’s Plate Final (13th Place): Craig Archer bt. Sylvester Nurse 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Earlier Semi-finals results for Men’s Consolation Plate (competing for 9th – 12th place)
Zaki Williams bt. Leon Truss 11-3, 11-7, 11-1; Ryan Foster bt. Stewart St. John 11-8, 11-8, 12-10
Earlier Semi-finals results for Men’s Plate (competing for 13th -16th place)
Sylvester Nurse bt. Dean Straker 4-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9
Craig Archer bt. Peter Harris 11-6, 6-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5
Ladies Results
Ladies Final Places: 1st Karen Meakins; 2nd Gylla Mackenzie; 3rd Nadia McCarthy; 4th Alex Jordan; 5th Amanda Haywood; 6th Muffin Stollmeyer.
Ladies Plate Final (5th place): Clair Husbands bt. Cilla Seale by default
