Semi-final places are at stake in tonight's tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) as the top clubs battle for a place in the top two of the qualifying groups, or fight to strengthen their group-topping status in order to have the advantage of a home tie in the play-offs for a place in the national final of the world's most prestigious squash league.
TWP St George's Hill, the only team unbeaten in all but one of their ties so far this season, travel to Devon to face Exeter Diamonds – knowing that just one point (from a possible 20) will guarantee a top place finish in Group B.
"We had our team arranged for a while, which is why it's so strong," explained the Surrey Weybridge club's team manager Danny Lee, who further boosted his already strong squad on the eve of the fixture by adding recently-crowned women's British National champion Laura Massaro.
With Massaro in the St George's Hill squad will be fellow reigning National champion Daryl Selby; new England international Tom Richards; Swiss number one Nicolas Mueller; and the top-ranked Hungarian Mark Krajcsak.
"I'm looking forward to a probable home semi on April 5th and having a huge crowd on the all glass court," added Lee. "We hope to have Joe (Lee) back for that match as his back injury is nearly better. Now for the trip to Exeter.".
The other semi-final qualifiers from the group are tile-holders Surrey Health & Racquets, who host PSL newcomers IGT Winchester.
"This will be our last home game of the season as our semi-final will be away," conceded the Croydon team's manager Pete Smith. "We have selected a strong team, as have IGT Winchester, to hopefully give the home crowd a great night of squash.
England's world No7 Peter Barker leads the Surrey Health & Racquets attack, supported by fellow Londoner and England international Adrian Grant; the former world No1 and world champion Peter Nicol; former British junior champion Adrian Waller; and top-ranked Frenchwoman Camille Serme.
"Highlights for the crowd, I am sure, will be watching Peter Nicol - and also the number one strings will be a quality game of squash between Barker and Gregory Gaultier," added Smith. "It's fantastic to have qualified for the semi-finals again so we will need to field a strong team to take on either Duffield or Chapel Allerton.
The situation in Group A is not quite so clear cut: Top-placed LEBC Group Chapel Allerton visit third-placed CLFS Esporta Oxford – with 19 points separating the two teams. The Leeds club's squad features former French international Renan Lavigne; Australian international Aaron Frankcomb; top-ranked Channel-Islander Chris Simpson; Humberside's Laurence Delasaux; and Yorkshire's world No2 Jenny Duncalf.
Hosts Oxford will present their top squad – led by Australia's world No14 Cameron Pilley; with Spanish No1 Borja Golan; club stalwarts Chris Ryder and Scott Handley; and Katherine Quarterman.
And second-place Benz-Bavarian Duffield will be hoping that world number one Nick Matthew will lead the Derbyshire team into the semi-finals after beating Yorkshire visitors Courtcraft Pontefract. Duffield, PSL champions in 1998, 2006 and 2007, will also field world No22 Jonathan Kemp; Australian Matthew Karwalski; Englishman Chris Fuller; and club stalwart Laura Hill.
Full 10th round line-ups:
Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield v Courtcraft Pontefract
Nick Matthew v Simon Parke
Jonathan Kemp v Lee Beachill
Matthew Karwalski v Neil Cordell
Chris Fuller v Karan Malik
Laura Hill v Kirsty McPhee
CLFS Esporta Oxford v LEBC Group Chapel Allerton
Cameron Pilley v Renan Lavigne
Borja Golan v Aaron Frankcomb
Chris Ryder v Chris Simpson
Scott Handley v Laurence Delasaux
Katherine Quarterman v Jenny Duncalf
Group B:
UWE Bristol v Team Chichester
Mohamed El Shorbagy v Max Lee
Lucas Serme v Olivier Pett
Michael Harris v Tim Vail
Daniel West v Alex Gough
Rebecca Quiney v Lauren Briggs
Exeter Diamonds TWP St George's Hill
Stewart Boswell v Daryl Selby
Campbell Grayson v Tom Richards
James Snell v Nicolas Mueller
Peter Creed v Mark Krajcsak
Victoria Temple-Murray v Laura Massaro
Surrey Health & Racquets v IGT Winchester
Peter Barker v Gregory Gaultier
Adrian Grant v Joey Barrington
Peter Nicol v Dylan Bennett
Adrian Waller v Mark Cairns
Camille Serme v Zephanie Curgenven
PSL TABLES (after 9th round)
Ties Matches Games Pts
P W L W L W L
Group A:
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 7 5 2 24 11 81 49 106
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 7 5 2 23 12 78 52 103
CLFS Esporta Oxford 7 3 4 21 14 72 58 87
Courtcraft Pontefract 7 4 3 14 21 58 75 78
MB Nottingham 8 1 7 8 32 44 99 49
Group B:
TWP St George's Hill 9 8 1 31 14 107 61 147
Surrey Health & Racquets 9 6 3 28 17 98 74 128
Team Chichester 9 5 4 22 23 82 82 107
Exeter Diamonds 9 4 5 22 23 82 84 102
IGT Winchester 9 4 5 22 23 79 84 99
UWE Bristol 9 0 9 10 35 55 118 55
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