European Individual Championships, Herentals, Belgium
Final:
[3/4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 12-10, 8-3 ret.
Thierry Lincou, the world No.8 from France, has been crowned European Individual Champion after a first-time triumph in the European Squash Federation event at the Flemish Squash Center in Herentals, Belgium.
The men's final was a repeat of last year's all-French climax in which Gregory Gaultier beat Thierry Lincou to win his fifth title in a row. But this year's meeting - the pair's 21st since December 2004, with their head-to-head record poised at ten-all - was to bring Gaultier's 29-match unbeaten run in the event to an end when the 26-year-old from Aix-en-Provence was forced to retire injured with the score standing at 12-10, 8-3 in Lincou's favour.
"This was a great week for me - I was very keen to play here," said a delighted Lincou, the former world champion and world number one from Marseille, afterwards. "Maybe Greg wasn’t as determined as I was today, and I was lucky in the final.
"But at 33, I haven’t retired - I’m still here - and for that, I’m happy. And I’m happy to keep going a bit longer!"
Semi-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 5-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-9
[3/4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [2] Nick Matthew (ENG) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7
Quarter-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-4, 7-11, 11-4, 11-6
[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [3/4] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2
[3/4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) 11-7, 11-5, 11-1
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-4, 11-5, 15-13
2nd round:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [9/16] Rasmus Nielsen (DEN) 11-4, 11-2, 11-8 (31m)
[5/8] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (38m)
[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (38m)
[3/4] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [9/16] Rene Mijs (NED) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 (33m)
[3/4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [9/16] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (25m)
[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [9/16] Piedro Schweertman (NED) 12-10, 11-6, 12-10 (45m)
[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [9/16] Jose Facchini (ITA) 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (40m)
1st round:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Valery Litvinko (RUS) 11-3, 11-2, 11-6
[9/16] Rasmus Nielsen (DEN) bt Petr Martin (CZE) 11-4, 13-11, 11-3
[5/8] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Miroslav Celler (SVK) 11-2, 11-3, 11-4
[9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt Andrea Torricini (ITA) 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7
[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Mark Andrew Burke (BEL) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
[9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) bt Marek Manik (SVK) 13-11, 11-8, 11-3
[9/16] Rene Mijs (NED) bt Kostyantyn Rybalchenko (UKR) 11-4, 11-2, 11-8
[3/4] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [Q] Alexandre Benassi (BEL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4
[3/4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Stefaan Vereecke (BEL) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3
[9/16] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt Lukas Jelinek (CZE) 12-10, 11-6, 11-4
[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Rusian Sorochynskvi (UKR) 11-7, 11-7, 11-1
[9/16] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Marton Szaboky (HUN) 11-4, 11-1, 11-9
[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Alexei Severinov (RUS) 11-3, 11-4, 11-6
[9/16] Jose Facchini (ITA) bt Sam van Brusselen (BEL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-5
[9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Carl-Johan Lofvenborg (SWE) 7-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Mats Raemen (BEL) 11-2, 11-3, 11-5
Qualifying finals:
Valery Litvinko (RUS) bt Vedran Svonja (CRO) 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
Miroslav Celler (SVK) bt Sergey Kostrykin (RUS) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5
Alexandre Benassi (BEL) bt Miklos Vadas (HUN) 11-2, 11-8, 11-3
Stefaan Vereecke (BEL) bt Filip Madaric (CRO) 11-2, 11-2, 11-1
Mats Raemen (BEL) bt Artem Beba (UKR) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3
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