Australian Geoffrey Davenport claimed a record-equalling fourth title in the 2010 World Masters Squash Championships, the 10th staging of the World Squash Federation event in Cologne, Germany.
The 52-year-old favourite and defending champion defeated Scotland’s No3 seed Alan Thomson 11-9, 11-3, 11-8 in the final of the Men’s Over-50 event. Davenport won the Over-45 World Masters title in 2003 and 2006.
It was legendary fellow Australian Heather McKay who became the first winner of four World Masters titles in 1995.
A second crown also goes to Australia after former World Open champion Vicki Cardwell, the top seed, beat second-seeded Scot Pauline Douglas 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 in the Women’s Over-55 final.
England claimed six titles: Averil Murphy successfully defended her title in the Women’s Over-60 event, beating Australia’s No2 seed Marilyn Kennedy 11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4 in the final.
Top seed Mark Cowley, the Over-55 British Open champion, defeated fellow Englishman Peter Alexander 12-10, 11-8, 13-11 in the Men’s Over-55 final.
In another all-English final, third seed Keith Jones beat outsider Peter Leary, a 9/16 seed, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 in the Men’s Over-60 final.
Chris Ansell, also a British Open champion in the category, battled to an 11-4, 16-18, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2 win over fourth-seeded South African Antony Michael Martin to take the Men’s Over-65 final.
The ‘oldest’ title also went to England after top seed Malcolm Gilham overcame unseeded fellow countryman Raymond Rook 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 in the final of the Men’s Over-75 championship.
And 54-year-old Julie Field successfully defended her Women’s Over-50 title, beating second-seeded South African Lisa O’Grady 11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 in the final.
There was popular home success in two women’s events: Favourite Sabine Schoene, a former world No6 from Munich, defeated Karen Meakins, from Barbados, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 in the Women’s Over-35 final – and fourth seed Simone Korell produced a surprise German win after beating New Zealand’s third seed Judith Casbolt 11-9, 11-2, 11-7 in the Women’s Over-40 event final.
The biggest shock in Cologne came in the Women’s Over-45 event where unseeded South African Leora Greenwood battled through to the final where the 47-year-old beat Dutch opponent Bea de Dreu-Spitse 11-9, 11-3, 11-1 to take the title.
There was further unexpected South African success in the Women’s Over-65 event when second seed Sheena Worwood beat England’s Norma Fulling 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 in the final.
There was New Zealand success in the Men’s Over-45 event where second seed Gary Duberly, winner of the Men’s Over-40 title two years ago, beat England’s Peter Gunter 11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9 in a surprise final.
In the Men’s Over-70 final, Welshman Brian Phillips beat New Zealand’s defending champion Barry Gardiner 12-10, 11-2, 11-9 to win his first World title.
Ireland celebrated a pair of surprise titles: Third seed Barbara Sanderson celebrated her recent 70th birthday by upsetting top seed Averil Heath 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 in the Women’s Over-70 final.
And popular Irishman Derek Ryan, a fourth seed, secured his first World Masters title in the Men’s Over-40 event after beating third-seeded Dutchman Lucas Buit 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 in the final.
Finally Frenchman Renan Lavigne celebrated his maiden appearance in the championships by winning the Men’s Over-35 title, defeating Dutchman Stephen Cooke 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 in the final.
