Squash - British Titles Go To Parke & Wright

[Michael Hansen, DSqF]

SRA SQUASH NEWS

PARKE & WRIGHT CLINCH BRITISH NATIONAL SQUASH TITLES

In an exhilarating conclusion to an outstanding week of domestic British
squash, Nottingham-based Yorkshireman Simon Parke, 25, beat Mark Chaloner
from
Lincolnshire 15/11 15/11 15/13 in the final of the Business Pages National
Squash Championships at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester, to win the national
title for the first time.

In the other final, Kent's Aylesbury-based top seed Sue Wright, 27, became
the
first woman for eleven years to successfully defend her title when she beat
No2 seed Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) 3/9 9/3 9/1 9/2.

It was Mark Chaloner, the 25-year-old England No6 now based in
Hertfordshire,
who caused the biggest upset of the tournament when he dismissed Scotland's
new world No1 Peter Nicol 15/8 15/10 15/11 in an awesome 47-minute
semi-final.
By contrast, it took Parke 111 minutes to overcome No4 seed Paul Johnson
from
Kent in the other outstanding semi - the Yorkshireman surviving 17/16 13/15
15/4 12/15 17/15 to end a day of squash hailed by many of the sport's most
seasoned commentators as the best they had ever seen.

Despite his gruelling encounter the night before, Parke was in devastating
form in the final on the all-transparent Perspex showcourt surrounded by a
highly-charged G-Mex Centre crowd - ultimately outplaying his former England
team-mate Chaloner in 65 minutes of inspired squash. "I prayed I would wake
up this morning feeling OK - and I did," said Parke, who two years ago was
struck down by testicular cancer. "I've been focused on this event since
before Christmas, and I've been really pleased with my concentration - it's
probably the most important win of my career."

Sue Wright, the world No3, is increasingly enjoying the time she spends in
Manchester - this was her third Nationals title and all have been won in the
Lancashire city. Wright was 2-1 down in her semi-final against No4 seed
Linda
Charman (Sussex) when the match was interrupted by an accidental clash of
heads. There was a 17-minute delay while medical attendants treated her
bruised temple, after which Wright hazily fought her way to a 3/9 9/1 5/9
9/6
9/1 victory. Jackman dropped the first game in her semi against Yorkshire's
Suzanne Horner - the 34-year-old twice champion making her nineteenth
appearance in the Nationals - before taking her expected place in the final
with a 7/9 9/1 9/3 9/0 victory.

"It's so special to win the title twice in a row - I haven't played this
well
all week," admitted Wright after her 50-minute battle with Jackman.
"Manchester is obviously my lucky city - so I'm now looking forward even
more
to the chance of winning a Commonwealth Games medal here in 2002!"

- ENDS -
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SRA 279 Email: How...@aol.com 4 February 1998