LEAMINGTON Royals secured their first-ever win in the inaugural Optasia Squash Super League (SSL) with a 3-1 victory against Bristol Buccaneers.
The Royals came from behind to win the tie as Olivia Besant, Lucy Turmel and Victor Crouin all claimed victories in front of a sell-out crowd at Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club.
Leamington sit third in the standings after beginning their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Coolhurst Cavaliers.
The game marked the Royals first at home in the SSL while the Buccaneers were making their competition debut.
Leamington captain Owain Taylor suffered defeat in the club hero match which opened proceedings as Bristol’s James Peach earned his side their only point of the night.
Taylor raced into a 9-2 lead in the first game which he took 11-4 only for Peach to win the second game 11-6 following a string of unforced errors from Taylor.
And Peach won the third and final game 11-2 as Peach pressured Taylor into further errors.
In the under-25 match, 20-year-old Besant levelled the game for the Royals with a debut win against Bristol’s Yasshmita Jadishkumar.
Despite sitting almost 100 places below her opponent in the world rankings, Besant produced a fine performance to take the first game 11-7 to the delight of the home crowd.
And Besant built up a big lead in the second game which she eventually took 11-8 with three stunning winners.
The women’s professional match pitted Leamington’s Turmel against Bristol’s Hollie Naughton.
Turmel won a back-and-forth opening game 11-9 as she avoided sudden death by converting her third game ball.
And a close second game saw Turmel overturn a 6-2 deficit to lead 10-9 only for Naughton to take the game to sudden death and level the match.
However, Turmel showed her class in the third and final game as she triumphed 11-2 to put the Royals ahead in the fixture.
The final match saw reigning European champion Crouin take on Bristol’s Patrick Rooney.
Frenchman Crouin carved out an early lead in the first game which he took 11-7 before Rooney produced a fightback in the second game.
With the second game locked at 10-apiece, Crouin eventually triumphed in a sudden death shootout to seal the win for the Royals in a high-quality contest.
Prior to the action kicking off, the Royals professional players coached some of the club’s adults and juniors.
Leamington are next in action against St George’s Hill Knights on Friday, February 14.
