Overwhelming English Success In Dunlop British Open Masters In Manchester

English players claimed ten out of the 13 Masters titles in the Dunlop British Open at the National Squash Centre in Manchester this week.

The success of the pioneering partnership between internationalSPORTgroup and England Squash led to a massive 50% increase in entries to the Masters events over the past two years.

Almost 300 players competed in the 13 events, from the Over-35 Championships for men and women to the Over-70 Championship for men, at the seven-court venue which hosted the squash action in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

"The sheer number of players meant that we had to utilise extra courts at Manchester Northern on the first day of Masters' action," said England Squash Competition & Events Manager Chris Nutley. "All other matches were played at the NSC."

The popular Men's Over-35 event provided an unexpected 36th birthday present for Nick Taylor, the Manchester-based second seed who upset defending champion Alex Gough, the world No21 from Wales; 9-4, 10-8, 9-5 in the 70-minute final on the all-glass court.

In the Women's Over-35 event, Australia's record five-time world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the reigning World O35 Masters champion, claimed her third successive title after beating England's British National Over-35 champion Claire Walker, from Yorkshire, 9-3, 9-0, 9-3 in the final.

In the only final which did not include domestic interest, former Dutch champion Lucas Buit, who only recently celebrated his 40th birthday, beat Sweden's 2004 champion Fredrik Johnson 9-3, 9-0, 9-3 in the Men's Over-40 final.

Devon's Philip Whitlock, last year's Over-40 champion now making his first appearance in the next age-group, defeated defending champion Mark Woodliffe, from Gloucestershire, 9-7, 9-0, 9-4 in the Men's Over-45 final.

The indefatigable Peter Alexander, from Suffolk, secured his third title in a row with a 9-2, 9-7, 4-9, 9-7 victory over last year's runner-up Duleep Adhihetty, from Middlesex, in the Men's Over-50 final.

Yorkshireman Ian Parke - the Czech Republic-based father of former world No4 Simon Parke - scored his first British Open Masters success when he beat Cumbria's Ronnie Bell 9-3, 9-3, 9-5 in the men's Over-55 final.

The British National champion in 1975, Sussex's Philip Ayton clinched the National Over-60 title for the first time at the beginning of this year - then added the Over-60 British Open crown when he beat Surrey's Trevor Wilkinson 9-5, 9-5, 9-0 in the final in Manchester.

Yorkshire's Mike Clemson made his debut on the Masters' podium when he beat Hertfordshire opponent Len Froggitt 3-9, 8-10, 10-8, 9-0, 9-5 in the Men's Over-65 final.

Two years after picking up the Over-65 trophy, Surrey's Pat Kirton stepped up to the most senior category to win the Men's Over-70 title after beating fellow veteran Lance Kinder, from Hampshire, 9-4, 9-7, 9-2 in the final.

There was USA success in the Women's Over-40 event where Ellie Pierce defeated Cumbria's Linda Winder 9-4, 9-0, 9-3.

An all-English final in the Women's Over-45 event produced a dramatic victory for Victoria King after the Middlesex player fought back from two games down to beat Surrey's Tamsin Bennett 4-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-1, 9-2.

There was a disappointing upset in the climax of the Women's Over-50 event when Yorkshire's second seed Julie Field emerged triumphant after just eight minutes after top-seeded Australian Jan Miller retired injured with the score at 9-5, 9-0.

Worcestershire's Bett Dryhurst secured the most senior women's trophy when she beat South African Jean Grainger, mother of US star Natalie Grainger, the reigning Pan American Games champion, 9-5, 9-3, 9-0 in the Women's Over-55 final.