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Sunday 14th, Day SIX -
Finals Day
A host of new National Champions were
crowned today - from the EDSA, the new U21 Champs, the Masters
from O35 to O75 and of course the two main titles.
Masters Finals Results and Roundup
Women's U21 Final:
Georgina Kennedy 3-0 Alison Thomson
11-6, 11-4, 11-2 (23m)
Men's U21 Final:
George Parker 3-1 Richie Fallows
11-13, 11-3, 12-10, 11-7 (63m)
[1] Laura Massaro 3-0 [2] Alison Waters
11-2, 11-5, 11-4 (24m)
[1] Nick Matthew 3-1 [2] James Willstrop 11-2,
6-11, 11-3, 11-3 (50m)
Massaro dominates to take
third title
 World
#1 Laura Massaro justified her top seeded with a comprehensive
straight-game win over Alison Waters in the women's final, the
pair's fourth meeting at this stage.
 A
quick start saw the top seed lead 5-0 and the pattern was set,
Massaro dominating the rallies, Waters unable to make much of an
impression on the play or the scoreboard as Massaro raced to a
two game lead.
 The
third was more competitive, but Massaro still had the edge,
closing out the match in under half an hour.
"Alison wasn't at her best today, but I thought I played well
and I'm absolutely delighted to get my name back on the trophy,"
said Massaro.
Matthew makes it
Eight
Nick Matthew already held the record of seven National
titles and, appearing in a recond ninth final, he extended that
to eight as he beat James Willstrop in their fifth final.
 The
top seed was dominant in the first game, putting Willstrop under
relentless pressure as he took the lead. Willstrop fought back
well from 2-4 in the second to level the match, but was under
the cosh once more in the final two games as Matthew regained
control.
 At
9-2 in the fourth there was a particularly brutal rally which
Willstrop somehow managed to win, to his own and the crowd's
delight, but it was only a short stay of execution.
 "It's
always tough to break James down," said Matthew, "but the court
was a bit deader than in previous days and he was maybe feeling
yesterday's five-setter by the end. I 'went to Coventry' in the
second but managed to get back on track.
"The Nationals is a great event, always improving with new
things coming along like the U21s and two glass courts, and it's
unbelievable and an absolute honour to have won it eight times."
The inaugural U21 Championships concluded
with victories for Georgina Kennedy and George Parker, while 18
Masters titles were decided.
PREVIEW: Familiar
Foes
Today's men's and women's finalists have seen it all before , on
this stage at least - between them they have already appeared in
28 finals !
Nick Matthew and Alison Waters will both be making
record-breaking 9th appearances while for James Willstrop
today will be an 8th, for Laura Massaro a 6th. Between
them they have 15 titles - Matthew 7, Waters 4, Massaro and
Willstop 2 each.
Massaro and Waters have met 7 times previously, starting with
the qualifiers in 2002 up to the 2013 final. Waters leads 4-3
heading into their fourth meeting in the final.
Matthew and Willstrop have played each other 6 times in the
Nationals, also starting in 2002 with a round two match, and the
last four times in the final, the last one in 2014.. Matthew has
won them all.
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