A new champ is hailed as a majestic Max courts glory
SQUASH SPECIAL
A NEW king was crowned at the 2018 Northumbria County Squash Championships - at an age more suited to a prince.
Only seasoned squash watchers at Tynemouth SC even had 16-year-old Max Forster down as the heir apparent - now everyone is wondering how long his reign could last.
After a superlative December - which brought wins over current county champion Liam Gutcher and world No 314 Phil Nightingale in the Gosforth Classic Pro Tournament Forster was not the darkest of horses.
The pedigree was certainly there, but such had been the speed of Forster’s development in the senior game it still felt like something of a shock when he toppled county No 1 Gutcher 3-1 for the second time in as many months this time taking the Northern No 1’s prized county title into the bargain.
Forster had seen off men’s county players Cai Younger and Dave Barnett on his way to the final.
The crowds are used to seeing energy and amazing retrieval from junior players but Forster showed a superb temperament - staying patient in the long, grinding rallies in both matches and adopting a cool, consistent approach.
His long-term coach Barnett - who himself had relinquished a 13-year hold on the men’s event only last year - still had high hopes of climbing back on to the podium.
He came within a shot of the final at 2-1 and matchball up.
However, it was not to be - the pupil persevered to level the match and Forster’s energy proved the difference in the fifth.
Many thought Gutcher - a full-time squash coach and a fitness fanatic whose standards barely waiver - would have too much biggame experience in the final.
However, that did not deter Forster, who looked happy and relaxed before, during and after a convincing 3-1 verdict - the scores 12-10, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6.
The ladies’ final proved to be an altogether grittier affair.
Perennial rivals Hannah Cliff and Sam Ward were locking horns again, the tie given added spice by the latter’s switch from Tynemouth (Cliff’s club) to play for Northern this season.
This was a real clash of styles, the nimble Cliff playing a quiet, athletic game, moving fast and skipping round her opponent.
Ward, gunning for her fifth county title, was the more aggressive of the two, going on the front foot, taking the ball early, going for the kills and dominating the T.
Cliff - herself a former champion in 2016 looked on form, timing her strokes well.
She was went one game up (11-9) then had two games balls in the second.
However, she could not take her chance and her moment passed.
Ward was hungry and determined throughout. She took that pivotal second game 12-10 after winning a few close let appeals - and did not look back.
Cliff still had her moments but Ward’s hardhitting accurate game saw her home in two more close affairs (both 11-9) for a hardfought 3-1 success which was much closer than the scoreline suggests.
There were another 19 finals played, Tynemouth’s Richard Bradley taking the B event with a 3-1 victory over Newbiggin’s fastimproving Simon Broatch.
Ben Brown of Primrose proved too strong