Matthew Leads Duffield To Victory & Extends Unbeaten PSL Run Into Seventh Season

Yorkshire’s world No4 Nick Matthew led last season’s runners-up Benz-Bavarian Duffield to a powerful 5/0 victory overAJP Pontefract in Tuesday’s first round of the Premier Squash League with a straight games win over Indian number one Saurav Ghosal which extends his unbeaten PSL run of 35 matches into a seventh season.

The first round ties across the country signal the beginning of the 30th season of the world’s most prestigious squash league – which feature the world’s best men and women players from both the UK and overseas.

Matthew, the 33-year-old former world number one from Sheffield, began his PSL winning streak in October 2007 – and celebrated the beginning of his 11th successive season for Derbyshire club Duffield with an 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 top string win over Ghosal, the world No17.

The victory followed 3/0 wins by team-mates Stephen Coppinger, the South African number one; Andy Whipp, of Manchester; team debutant Declan James from Nottingham; and Tania Bailey, the former world No4 from Lincolnshire playing her first competitive match for over 18 months.

Duffield – champions in 1998, 2006 & 2007 – earned a maximum 20 points from the tie to take top place in the Group A standings.

University of Birmingham claimed second place in the group tables after an impressive 4/1 home win over Chapel Allerton, the 2009 champions from Leeds. Olga Ertlova made a promising debut as the PSL’s first woman player from the Czech Republic by putting the West Midlands team into the lead after beating Yorkshire’s Carrie Ramsey 5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8.

But the standout match of the night saw the home team’s Australian number one Cameron Pilley resist a spirited fight-back by Chapel Allerton ‘new boy’ Daryl Selby – just home after reaching the finals of two major Tour events in Canada – by beating the world No14 from Essex 11-3, 12-10, 7-11, 3-11, 13-11.

“Good dig! #jetlagchallenge couldn’t have been much closer, so annoyed I lost after all that hard work!” tweeted Selby later. “Enjoyed the battle though @campilley”

1999 champions Air-IT Nottingham also crafted a home win in Group A, beating PSL newcomers Coolhurst London 3/2. Nottingham stalwart Emma Beddoes – fresh from WSA Tour title success in the Penang Open in Malaysia – gave the home team the perfect start with an 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 win over newly-retired Lauren Selby.

Later wins by club regulars Eddie Charlton and Chris Fuller clinched victory for Nottingham – but German number oneSimon Rosner gave the London visitors the best finish by beating top Scot Alan Clyne 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 in the final top string clash.

In the southern Group B, title-holders Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets started off the new season the way they finished the previous one – with a win. Hosted by UWE/Elitesquash Bristol, the Croydon club recovered from losing the opening match – won by Bristol’s French number one Camille Serme – to celebrate a 4/1 victory.

Rising German star Raphael Kandra marked his PSL debut with a 3/1 win over the home club’s Thomas Ford, and the top string clash between Egypt’s Mohamed Elshorbagy and Londoner Peter Barker – ranked 6 and 7, respectively, in the world – saw Surrey Health’s Barker storm home 3-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 in 48 minutes to give the reigning champions the perfect start to the new season.

But Surrey Health begin the season in second place in the Group B tables, a single point behind Team Chichester, who beat near neighbours Winchester 4/1.

Chichester winners were Lauren Briggs, Anthony Graham, Robbie Temple and Australian debutant Rex Hedrick – with Winchester gaining some consolation when top string Marwan Elshorbagy, Mohamed’s younger brother, beat the home side’s number one Jonathan Kemp 3/1.

There was all to play for in the Group B clash between twice former runners-up Luxfords St George’s Hill and Exeter Diamonds when the tie was poised at two-all in matches and 1/1 in games between top strings Tom Richards, the newly-promoted St George’s No1, and Exeter’s Omar Mosaad, the world No10 from Egypt making his first appearance in the PSL.

Victory went to visitors Exeter when Mosaad took the match 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5.

“Just got pipped 3-2 by Exeter Diamonds,” tweeted the Weybridge club manager Danny Lee later. “Good night, great crowd, wrong result but congratulations to Exeter.”