Welsh Pair Earn Last Four Spot At World Squash Championship

Welsh pair Peter Creed and Tesni Evans have qualified for the World Mixed Doubles Squash Championship semi-finals.

Creed and Evans swept past Scots Doug Kempsell and Lisa Aitken in a dramatic and tense last eight clash in Manchester.

Kempsell and Aitken led 5-2 in the final set, but were edged out 11-9.

“We were outplayed in the first, but managed to turn it around,” said Evans. “It could have been anyone’s in the end. We are delighted.”

Creed and Evans are now in the World Championship medal matches.

The World Championships are being held at the National Squash Centre in Manchester where more than 50 pairs have been competing in the Championships, representing Australia, Canada, Colombia, England, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Players are preparing for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.

Creed and Evans fought hard to win their quarter-final against opponents who had beaten top seeds and defending champions Joelle King and Paul Coll from New Zealand earlier in the competition.

In an epic three game battle the Scots came out on top against the Kiwis 11/7, 5/11, 11/9.

They won the first against Creed and Evans 11-6 before the Welsh pair levelled, taking the second 11-6.

Kempsell and Aitken led 5-2 in the final game, but were pegged back when two ‘no let’ calls went against them.

They appealed a third ‘no let’ and the match officials changed their mind to give the Scottish pair a lift.

Creed and Evans led 8-6 and 9-7 before clinching victory at 11-9.

In the men’s quarter-finals Creed and Joel Makin lost against top seeds Alan Clyne and Greg Lobhan, winners of the men’s gold medal at the 2016 championships in Darwin.

Clyne and Lobhan won 11-4, 11-7 in 37 minutes.

Welsh pair Tesni Evans and Deon Saffery went out of the women’s doubles, losing their quarter-final 11-9, 11-8 against New Zealand top seeds Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy in a close fought match.

Wales have a strong team and their coach is former British Open champion David Evans, who is from Griffithstown, near Pontypool.

The four Welsh competitors are Evans, Saffery, Makin and Creed.

Cardiff-born Evans, ranked 16 in the World, now lives in Rhyl, while Barry’s Saffery, rated 92, is based in England.

The 22-year-old Makin, from Pembrokeshire is ranked at 48, with Caerphilly’s Creed, who plays out of Rhiwbina SRC, number 61.

The tournament ends tomorrow.