Dominic Downs Davenport In World Masters

Birmingham, England, July 25, 2012: Australian Geoffrey Davenport, going for a record fifth successive title, crashed out of the fourth round of the Men’s Over-50 event in the Subway World Masters Squash Championships to provide the biggest upset on the fourth day of action in the World Squash Federation event in Birmingham, England.

More than 750 players from 47 countries began the quest for success in the championships which boast 18 different events – ranging from Men’s and Women’s Over-35 championships to, for the first time this year, a Men’s Over-80 event.

Winner of two world O45 titles, Davenport was seeded to win a third O50 title in a row. But it took just 34 minutes for Dominic Hughes, an unseeded 50-year-old from the USA, to overcome the 54-year-old from Sydney 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 – inflicting the first World Masters defeat on the Australian since 1999!

Hughes now goes on to face home hope Martin Greenslade, also unseeded, for a place in the semi-finals.

Hopes of success for the oldest competitor in Birmingham were dashed when Canadian Monica Gunn prevailed in the only first round match in the Women’s Over-70 event. Gunn, a mere 76, defeated World Masters stalwart Hazel Marsh, an 83-year-old from Romford in Essex, 11-4, 11-7, 11-2.

Gunn will now face South Africa’s No2 seed Glenda Erasmus for a place in the final.

Linda Shannon continued her giant-killing run in the Women’s Over-40 event by beating England’s Jane Armstrong 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 to claim an expected place in the quarter-finals. The unseeded South African made her breakthrough in the second round where she ousted Claire Walker, the No2 seed from England who only two months ago became the British Open O40 champion.

Men’s O35 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) v [5/8] Glenn Hitch (AUS)

[3/4] Stefan Leifels (GER) v [9/16] Rishad Pandole (IND)

[3/4] Stephen Cooke (NED) v [5/8] Mirko Pareccini (ITA)

[2] Renan Lavigne (FRA) v [5/8] Paul David Johnson (WAL)

Women’s O35 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Sabine Schoene (GER) v Keeley Seamons (ENG)

[3/4] Karen Meakins (BAR) v [5/8] Alexa Prior (ENG)

[3/4] Laura Mylotte (IRL) v Carola Weiss (GER)

[2] Wendy Maitland Jones (SCO) v Jane Kennedy (AUS)

Men’s O40 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Derek Ryan (IRL) v [9/16] Nick Wall (ENG)

[3/4] Nick Taylor (ENG) v [5/8] Graeme Stewart (IRL)

[3/4] Michael Tootill (RSA) v [5/8] Jamie Goodrich (ENG)

[2] Craig Rowland (AUS) v [5/8] Steve Richardson (IRL)

Women’s O40 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Senga Macfie (SCO) v [5/8] Isabelle Tyrrell (ENG)

[3/4] Simone Korell (GER) v Andrea Santamaria (ESP)

[3/4] Lisa Cowlard (NZL) v Yoriko Michishita (JPN)

Linda Shannon (RSA) v [5/8] Iris Stockbauer (GER)

Men’s O45 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Craig van der Wath (RSA) v [5/8] Stephen McLoughlin (ENG)

[3/4] Eamonn Price (ENG) v [5/8] Frank Ellis (SCO)

[3/4] Murray Scott (ENG) v [5/8] Yawar Abbas (ENG)

[2] Gary Duberly (NZL) v Jean-Jacques Pineau (FRA)

Women’s O45 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) v Diana Parums (ENG)

[3/4] Bea de Dreu-Spitse (NED) v Louise Lefebvre (CAN)

[3/4] Nicola Horn (ENG) v Tracey le Roux (RSA)

[2] Sarah Nelson (AUS) v Debbie Brown (USA)

Men’s O50 quarter-final line-up:

Dominic Hughes (USA) v Martin Greenslade (ENG)

[3/4] Alan Thomson (SCO) v [5/8] Zainal Abidin Ab. Malik (SIN)

[3/4] Willie Hosey (IRL) v [5/8] Dale Robbins (AUS)

[2] Trevor Wilkinson (RSA) v [9/16] Peter Gilbee (AUS)

Women’s O50 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Mandy Akin (ENG) v Kim Johnson (ENG)

[3/4] Jill Brown (RSA) v [5/8] Theresa Elliott (ZIM)

[3/4] Fiona McLean (SCO) v Susan Lawrence (JAM)

[2] Lisa O’Grady (RSA) v [5/8] Lesley Sturgess (ENG)

Men’s O55 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Peter Alexander (ENG) v [9/16] Ian Holmes (ENG)

[3/4] Udo Kahl (GER) v [5/8] Boyd Kydd (ENG)

[3/4] Rene Stofer (SUI) v [5/8] Rustom Bativala (ENG)

[2] Pierr Roodt (RSA) v [9/16] Mark Waldin (NZL)

Women’s O55 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Julie Field (ENG) v [5/8] Lynne Davies (WAL)

[3/4] Karen Hume (ENG) v Susan Meadows (ENG)

[3/4] Anne Richards (AUS) v [5/8] Freda Walker (NZL)

[2] Pauline Douglas (SCO) v Jacky Gardner (ENG)

Men’s O60 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Keith Jones (ENG) v Kenelm Robert (GRN)

[3/4] Moussa Helal (ENG) v Stephen Jackson (ENG)

[3/4] Gordon Daniel (RSA) v [5/8] Tony Naughton (NZL)

[9/16] John Macrury (CAY) v John Young (IRL)

Women’s O60 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Sue Volkze (AUS) v Anna Cherry (ENG)

[3/4] Sue Vine (ENG) v Claire Bryars (FRA)

[3/4] Faith Sinclair (SCO) v Wendy Berry (ENG)

[2] Laura Ramsay (CAN) v Pamela Louwrens (RSA)

Men’s O65 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Philip Ayton (ENG) v [5/8] Frederik Bester (RSA)

[3/4] Rodney Boswell (ENG) v [5/8] Martin Pearse (ENG)

[3/4] Chris Goodbourn (ENG) v [9/16] David Hardern (ENG)

Barry Featherstone (ENG) v [5/8] Roy Plumstead (RSA)

Women’s O65 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Marilyn Kennedy (AUS) v Ann Manley (ENG)

[3/4] Jean Grainger (RSA) v Danielle Maffre (FRA)

[3/4] Bett Dryhurst (ENG) v Margaret Hunt-Kemp (RSA)

[2] Sheena Worwood (RSA) v Kaye Jackson (NZL)

Men’s O70 quarter-final line-up:

[1] Adrian Wright (ENG) v [5/8] Chris Stahl (ENG)

[3/4] Mo Khalifa (ENG) v [5/8] Desmond Sacco (RSA)

[3/4] Michael Gough (USA) v Roy Bradley (ENG)

[2] Brian Phillips (WAL) v [5/8] Vincent Taylor (CAN)

Women’s O70 semi-final line-up:

[1] Barbara Sanderson (IRL) v Joan Witton (ENG)

[2] Glenda Erasmus (RSA) v Monica Gunn (CAN). —- WSF