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Ukraine & Malta Share European Nations Cup Spoils

October 7, 2009

Ukraine and Malta emerged triumphant in the European Nations Challenge Cup at Squash Park in Poznan, Poland, after victories over Cyprus in both the men’s and women’s finals, respectively, in the European Squash Federation event in its seventh year.

Unseeded in the men’s competition, Cyprus made their breakthrough in the semi-finals where they beat 3/4 seeds Gibraltar.

And the outsiders looked likely to cause the ultimate upset in the final against Ukraine when Panos Hadjiphilippou beat Kostyantyn Rybalchenko in the second match of the tie to draw level with the second seeds.

It was then ten-all in the opening game of the decider when Cypriot Nasos Karasavvas suffered an injury and had to concede the match to Ukrainian stalwart Dmytro Scherbakov – thus handing the title to Ukraine for the first time.

The women’s final saw the top two seeded teams clash – with favourites Malta claiming the trophy for the second time in three years after a convincing 3/0 win over second seeds Cyprus.

RESULTS: European Nations Challenge Cup, Poznan, Poland

Men’s semi-finals:

CYPRUS bt [3/4] GIBRALTAR 2/1

Andreas Koufetas lost to Stephen Shacaluga 11-6, 6-11, 1-11, 7-11

Panos Hadjiphilippou bt Anthony Brindle 11-4, 11-8, 11-6

Nasos Karasavvas bt Christian Navas 11-9, 13-15, 11-8, 11-9

[2] UKRAINE bt [3/4] LATVIA 2/1

Rusian Sorochynskvi bt Margers Zeitmanis 11-6, 11-5, 11-2

Kostyantyn Rybalchenko lost to Alexander Pavulans 6-11, 13-11, 4-11, 10-12

Dmytro Scherbakov bt Arnis Tihvinskis 11-4, 11-4, 11-3

Final:

[2] UKRAINE bt CYPRUS 2/1

Rusian Sorochynskvi bt Marios Yiannou 11-5, 11-5, 11-8

Kostyantyn Rybalchenko lost to Panos Hadjiphilippou 5-11, 8-11, 11-4, 3-11

Dmytro Scherbakov bt Nasos Karasavvas 10-10 ret.

[3/4] GIBRALTAR bt [3/4] LATVIA 2/1

Stephen Shacaluga bt Margers Zeitmanis 12-10, 11-5, 11-7

Anthony Brindle lost to Alexander Pavulans 6-11, 9-11, 0-11

Christian Navas bt Arnis Tihvinskis 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6

[5/8] ESTONIA bt [5/8] CROATIA 2/1

Paul Piik bt Srdan Maksimovic 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6

Jaanus Pettai lost to Filip Madaric 12-14, 11-8, 11-1, 9-11, 7-11

Kristjan Pettai bt Vedran Svonja 13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7

[5/8] POLAND bt [2] UKRAINE 2/1

Marcin Kawrowski bt Denys Podvornyi 11-8, 11-8, 11-4

Wojciech Nowisz bt Evgeniy Korolenko 11-5, 11-6, 12-10

Marcin Kozik lost to Valeriy Fedoruk 11-6, 5-11, 5-11

Women’s Final:

[1] MALTA bt [2] CYPRUS 3/0

Johanna Rizzo bt Antonia Aristodemou 11-5, 11-6, 11-7

Annabelle Olivieri Monroe bt Vaso Karasava 11-7, 11-5, 11-5

Colette Sultana bt Christina Vrahimi 11-7, 13-11

[3/4] ESTONIA bt [3/4] POLAND 2/1

Reele Komi bt Magdalena Knapik 11-6, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6

Aliis Allas lost to Anna Jurkun 4-11, 9-11, 7-11

Diana Leguss bt Anna Sikorska 12-10, 6-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-3

ISLE OF MAN bt LATVIA 2/1

Lucy Hamilton-Turner bt Laura Gaigale 11-4, 11-7, 11-3

Laura Smith lost to Ieva Vilite 10-12, 1-11, 3-11

Vicky Watterson bt Baiba Lulle 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6

CROATIA bt UKRAINE 2/1

Katarina Milas lost to Anastasiya Netrebchuk 5-11, 11-13, 6-11

Josipa Person bt Anastasia Spivak 11-7, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6

Paulina Rados bt Olesya Tretiakova 11-5, 12-10, 11-6