Top seeds Brian Cook and Ian Ross both celebrated their 77th birthdays in style with victories on day six of the WSF World Masters Championships to remain on a collision course for a potentially record-breaking final on Thursday.
Australia’s Cook had to dig deep today as he came back from a game down to secure a 9-11, 11-2, 15-13, 11-5 quarter-final win over Scotland’s Alex Sinclair on the Frans Otten Stadion’s all-glass court to set up a last four clash with English [3/4] seed Barry Featherstone. At the opposite end of the men’s 75+ draw, fellow birthday boy Ross, from Scotland, will face English [3/4] seed Larry Grover in the semis after defeating Spain’s Jose Luis Alba in straight games.
Cook and Ross contested the finals of the 70+ event in 2018 in Charlottesville, USA and the 75+ event two years ago in Wroclaw, Poland, where they both turned 75 on the opening day of the tournament. Cook remembered: “I went to brag to Ian in the changing room [about moving into the 75+ bracket] and he said, ‘Me too!'” Ian added: “We got out our mobile phones and showed each other the congratulations videos from our kids!”
Victory in Amsterdam would see Cook win a record seventh World Masters title – but his compatriot Geoff Davenport can also match that total by winning the men’s 65+ championship. Sydney-based Davenport took another step towards that ambition with a 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 quarter-final victory over England’s Dermot Hurford, which the top seed described as “bloody hard work.”
In the women’s 55+ draw, USA’s [3/4] seed Hope Prockop won a high-quality semi-final 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9 against Australian No.2 Sue Davis, the niece of former tennis World No.1 Rod Laver.
Boston-based Prockop has finished fifth, fourth and third in her last three World Masters campaigns: Edmonton (2005), Johannesburg (2016) and Charlottesville (2018). She’s now guaranteed at least second place and faces Canada’s top seed Lauren Wagner, who beat Australia’s Sarah Nelson, in Thursday’s final. “I’m absolutely thrilled to come through,” said Prockop. “Winning a World Masters has of course always been a goal of mine and I’m ready to give it everything I have!”
Chasing an all-time women’s record of six titles is England’s Ann Manley, who completed a clean sweep of three victories in 75+ Group A to set up a semi-final against Australia’s Marilyn Kennedy on Wednesday.
Ireland’s Mary Sceney is aiming to maintain her 100 percent World Masters record having taken the trophy home in her only two previous appearances in 2001 in Melbourne and 2014 in Hong Kong. “I’m very rusty this time around but I’m doing my best,” said the women’s 65+ top seed after a 11-6, 11-13, 12-10, 4-11, 11-3 marathon against South Africa’s Shirley Whitmore. “Thank goodness for my band of Irish supporters. The fun, camaraderie and team spirit is what it’s all about.”
Pauline Douglas, the 70+ women’s top seed, playing in her eighth World Masters, also complained of rustiness despite her straight-games victory over fellow Scot Maureen Carroll on the show court. Douglas injured her Achilles at the British Open Masters in June and recently spent a week training in Johannesburg with six-time World Masters champion Craig van der Wath (who has had to watch Cook and Davenport equal his record in the last two editions of the tournament having been out with a serious injury since 2016).
Ireland’s Willie Hosey, who has four titles, beat Sweden’s Jonas Ulvsback 14-12, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9 to set up a men’s 60+ semi-final against England’s Eamonn Price. Singapore legend and No.2 seed Peter Hill faces Australian Peter Gilbee in the other semi.
Mexico’s former World No.11 Samantha Teran won a blockbusting women’s 40+ semi-final with fellow ex-pro Siyoli Waters in four games. Teran faces top seed Nicolette Fernandes in what will be a sizzling final on Thursday. Meanwhile, both Lauren-Jans Anjema (men’s 40+) and his father Robert Jan (70+) remain on course for what would be a popular Dutch double as both reached their respective semi-finals.
The 2024 WSF World Masters Championships resume with day seven on Wednesday 21 August, with play beginning at 10:00 local time (CEST).
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The 2024 WSF World Masters Squash Championships are taking place at the Frans Otten Stadion from 15-22 August. Keep up with all the action at wsfworldmasters2024.nl
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