Essex’s Lauren Briggs was installed as the No.1 seed for the Over-35 2018 WSF World Masters Squash Championships in Virginia, USA, when the seedings were released by the World Squash Federation today.
The 15th edition of the biennial championships – but the first to be held in the USA – will take place at the McArthur Squash Center at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville from 29 July to 4 August 2018.
802 athletes from a record 63 nations have entered the 19 men’s and women’s events in categories ranging from Over-35 to Over-80.
Former professional Lauren, from Chingford, reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 18 in December 2008.] She has 12 International tour titles accredited to her name, winning tournaments in America, Finland, France, Holland, Malaysia, Switzerland, England, Scotland and Wales.
In February 2015, she entered into the Masters British National Championships and won the Over 35’s Masters British National Championship for the first time. In the following May 2015, she won the Over 35’s British Open Championship. Her Master’s success continued in September 2015 after winning the European Masters in Malmo, Sweden. Further wins within the Masters category during 2016 and 2017, saw Lauren win both the Over 35’s British Closed and British Open in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
A return to the European Masters held in Wroclaw, Poland, 2017 was another victorious tournament for Lauren, taking her total Masters titles to 8. With a most recent win in February 2018 for the Masters British National Championship, tournament tour titles now reaches 9.
Top 2018 World Masters seeds:
1 Laurens Jan Anjema (NED), 2 Alister Walker (BOT), 3/4 Wael El Hindi (EGY), Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
Men’s Over 40: 1 Liam Kenny (IRL), 2 Mick Biggs (ENG), 3/4 Lazarus Chilufya (USA), Patrick Chifunda (ZAM)
Men’s Over 45: 1 Nick Taylor (JEY), 2 Zuko Kubukeli (RSA), 3/4 Christian Borgvall (SWE), Adrian Hansen (RSA)
Men’s Over 50: 1 Michael Tootill (RSA), 2 Chris Walker (ENG), 3/4 Hansi Wiens (GER), David Sly (CAN)
Men’s Over 55: 1 Willie Hosey (IRL), 2 Fredrik Johnson (SWE), 3/4 Peter Gilbee (AUS), Brett Martin (AUS)
Men’s Over 60: 1 Geoffrey Davenport (AUS), 2 Jeremy Goulding (ENG), 3/4 Udo Kahl (GER), Pierr Roodt (RSA)
Men’s Over 65: 1 John Macrury (CAY), 2 Ian Graham (ENG), 3/4 Robert Jan Anjema (NED), Wayne Weatherhead (CAN)
Men’s Over 70: 1 Brian Cook (AUS), 2 Barry Featherstone (ENG), 3/4 Norbert Kornyei (USA), Ian Ross (SCO)
Men’s Over 75: 1 Adrian Wright (ENG), 2 Gerald Poulton
(CAN), 3/4 John Nelson (USA), Desmond Sacco (RSA)
Men’s Over 80: 1 Lance Kinder (ENG), 2 Barry Gardiner (NZL), 3/4 Edward Burlingame (USA), Stanley Fanaroff (RSA)
Women’s Over 35: 1 Lauren Briggs (ENG), 2 Selina Sinclair (ENG), 3/4 Leah Boody (CAN), Zhenzhen Wu (CHN)
Women’s Over 40: Natalie Grainger (USA), 2 Melissa Martin (AUS), 3/4 Samantha Herbert (RSA), Jacqueline Ryder (RSA)
Women’s Over 45: 1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS), 2 Rachel Calver (ENG), 3/4 Shayne Baillie (ENG), Susan Davis (AUS)
Women’s Over 50: 1 Sarah Nelson (AUS), 2 Andrea Santamaria (ENG), 3/4 Hope Prockop (USA), Karen Webb (ZIM)
Women’s Over 55: 1 Susan Hillier (AUS), 2 Fiona McLean (SCO), 3/4 Mandy Akin (ENG), Sue Williams (AUS)
Women’s Over 60: 1 Jill Campion (ENG), 2 Karen Hume (ENG), 3/ 4 Carole Grunberg (USA), Shirley Whitmore (RSA)
Women’s Over 65: 1 Laura Ramsay (CAN) 2 Faith Sinclair (SCO), 3/4 Gaye Mitchell (AUS), Gail White (USA)
Women’s Over 70: 1 Ann Manley (ENG), 2 Robyn Prentice (CAN), 3/4 Bett Dryhurst (ENG), Marilyn Kennedy (AUS)
Women’s Over 75: 1 Jean Grainger (RSA), 2 Barbara Sanderson (IRL), 3/4 Alma Cave (RSA), Joan Witton (ENG)