Latest News - Last updated 28th September 2005
Tranfield retires from WISPA World Tour (28th September 2005)
Tranfield takes a zero for Qatar Airways (14th April 2005)
Tendon troubles in Texas (8th April 2005)
Jenny Selected for the Europeans (2nd April 2005)
Jenny pipped at the post (22nd March 2005)
TOC quarters for Jenny (26th February 2005)
Jubilant Jenny Selected for World Games (16th February 2005)
Nationals: Semi Final Disappointment in Manchester (12th February 2005)
Jenny makes semi's of Greenwich Open (26th January 2005)
Tranfield jumps to 8 in January World Rankings (5th January 2005)
Tranfield into the last 8 of the World Open (11th December 2004)
Tranfield dead legged at match ball (3rd December 2004)
Jenny stung by Vanessa's venom (5th November 2004)
Jenny makes final in Monte Carlo (24th October 2004)
Tranfield troubled in Tenerife (15th October 2004)
Oliver strike deal with Badminton Association of England (1st October 2004)
Appeal rejected but referred to Board of Directors (24th September 2004)
Jenny signs for 'Oberthur Strings' in National League (15th September 2004)
Bahrain Blues for Tranfield (13th September 2004)
Tranfield launches appeal on England World Team selection (7th September 2004)
Technifibre strings for Tranfield (1st September 2004)
Grinham too hot to handle in Brunei (10th August 2004)
Jenny Jumps To World Top Ten Position (3rd June 2004)
Tranfield hits the jackpot in Las Vegas (24th May 2004)
Tranfield Triumphs in Salt Lake City (17th May 2004)
Jenny runs out of time in Hyder (12th May 2004)
V10 Juniors get walkover to semi-finals of National Club Junior Plate comp (11th May 2004)
David Lloyd MK crowned Bedfordshire League Champions (19th April 2004)
Back to form - Tranfield through to Irish Open final (15th - 18th April 2004)
SWSA Summer Camps - Book Now (April 10th 2004)
Job Vacancies at SWSA (April 10th 2004)
SWSA moves to Tewkesbury (April 10th 2004)
Sue and Neil transform Tewkesbury Squash Club into Strings Squash, Health and Fitness (10th April 2004)
Wimbledon epic - Tranfield battles 99 minutes against Macree (19th - 21st March 2004)
Tranfield and Freeth launch excellerate - a combination of Sport Psychology and NLP for business (15th March 2004)
Atkinson flies high in Qatar Airways Challenge (24th - 28th February 2004)
Jenny disappointed with Nationals Performance - by Sue Wright (11th - 17th February 2004)
Jenny takes on new World Number One in Grantham (6th - 8th February 2004)
Tranfield defeated at last hurdle in Edinburgh (30th January - 1st February 2004)
Vassar - class of 32 (15th - 18th January 2004)
Apawamis, a lesson in quality (7th - 11th January 2004)
V10 Juniors crushed in National Club Championships (21st December 2003)
Jenny overcomes Nimmo and damages Grinham in World Open (7th - 13th December 2003)
Tranfield beaten by double World Junior Champion in Qatar (30th November 2003)
Jenny defeated by Nimmo in Buler Challenge (13th - 16th November 2003)
Adeel Hanif (Pakistan) takes V10 Graded title (1st - 2nd November 2003)
Out of bed to face World Number One in US Open (13th October 2003)
British Open nightmare - Jenny forced to withdraw suffering yet another bought of flu (1st - 5th October 2003)
Jenny visits Carlow, Ireland (12 - 14th September 2003)
Prospec reveal new glass court (13th August 2003)
V10 Junior Squash Tournament (21st June 2003)
Lottery Award for V10 Squash (23rd May 2003)
England Cap for Jenny (22nd May 2003)
Jenny struck down by flu (8th May 2003)
Jenny Retains Top 10 Ranking (1st May 2003)
Doctor To The Rescue For England - England Squash News (29th April 2003)
Jenny Rises to Top 10 - 1st April 2003
Milton Keynes based squash player makes impact on world stage - Milton Keynes Citizen (23rd March 2003)
Jenny Elected onto WISPA Board (March 2003)
Tranfield retires from WISPA World Tour (28th September 2005) [back to top]
After 10 years of professional squash, Jenny Tranfield the 30 year old from Milton Keynes has decided to retire from the WISPA world tour in order to pursue a career in sport psychology. "I intend to fulfil my WISPA playing commitments until November and hope to continue to play in the UK thereafter." Tranfield, the 1998 World University Champion, achieved 11 WISPA tour titles, numerous international caps, a top 8 world ranking as well as receiving a First Class honours degree and Ph.D from Loughborough University. In addition, Tranfield has made a significant contribution to the women's game through her membership on the WISPA board. "I would like to thank all those people who have supported me over the years. Squash has been a massive part of my life and has provided me with some unforgettable experiences. Now I feel it's the right time for me to move on to the next phase."
Tranfield takes a zero for Qatar Airways (14th April 2005) [back to top]
Having just recently celebrated her England selection, Tranfield has been forced to take another blow. A scan on the Achilles tendon revealed a micro tear which will sideline Tranfield from the US$50,000 Qatar Airways Challenge due to commence on the 19th April. "It's just bad luck I suppose. At least if I don't play this week there is a chance that I will be okay for the Europeans. It's just frustrating that after all the hard work to get up to 8 in the rankings, I now have to take a zero!"
Tendon troubles in Texas (8th April 2005) [back to top]
After producing some tremendous form against Sharon Wee (Malaysia) and Shelley Kitchen (New Zealand) in the opening rounds of the US$40,000 Texas Open, Jenny was forced to withdraw from her quarter final match up against Rachael Grinham. "I can't believe it, just when I'd found form!!" Tranfield exclaimed, "I felt it tweak at 4-2 up in the first against Shelley but was able to ignore it until after the match. It swelled up overnight and it was really sore when I got out of bed this morning so I would be silly to play on it. I just need to get home and get it scanned."
Jenny Selected for the Europeans (2nd April 2005) [back to top]
The England women's team for the European Team Championships due to be held in Amsterdam at the end of April was announced today. The England team selected to defend the European Team title will include Linda Elriani, Vicky Botwright, Jenny Tranfield and Jenny Duncalf.
Jenny pipped at the post (22nd March 2005) [back to top]
In the first round of the US$35,000 Kuwait Open, Jenny took on her Yorkshire team mate Jenny Duncalf. After 86 minutes the game score stood at 2-2 and 9-9. Both players giving it everything they had to clench that last point. It looked like Tranfield had taken it on her second attempt with a backhand drop from the back of the court. However, Duncalf got there and swiped at the ball with all her might. The ball spun off the frame and hit the front wall skewing away from Tranfield who tried desperately to get a racket to it. After defending another Duncalf attempt, Tranfield again served for the match but was once again denied a forehand drop winner as the referee ruled a let in Duncalf's favour. This gave Duncalf the momentum she needed, hitting a forehand straight kill to regain match ball and then forcing a backhand volley error from Tranfield to take the match and a place in the quarter final. Tranfield enthused "It was a great match - obviously I'm disappointed to lose, especially after she fluked one off the frame when I thought I'd hit a winner!! But I feel that I did everything I could to win today and it was her day. I wasn't feeling that great but I got my head down and worked hard and tried everything I knew and I can't ask any more of myself than that."
TOC quarters for Jenny (26th February 2005) [back to top]
After the withdrawal of Tania Bailey in round one, Jenny progressed into the quarter final against the world number one Rachel Grinham. The spectacular glass court in Grand Central Station in New York was to be the setting. In the first game, Jenny seemed to be mentally unprepared for the match, allowing Rachel to dominate. However, in the second, there was a total change of body language and attitude with it. Jenny began to create some pressure but was too tempted to take the ball in short allowing the agile Aussie to counter in style. The second game lasted 11 minutes and the third 14 minutes but the score line not favourable. Jenny remarked, "I am really annoyed at myself today. I was in the match but not disciplined enough to stick to my tactics. I fell into her trap and went in short far too early in crucial rallies and paid the price".
Jubilant Jenny Selected for World Games (16th February 2005) [back to top]
The GB team for the World Games due to be held in Duisburg (16th-19th July 2005) was announced this morning and will include Lee Beachill, James Willstrop, Nick Matthew, Linda Elriani and Jenny Tranfield. "I am absolutely over the moon to be selected for this multi sport event and am proud to be part of such a high quality team" explained the world number 8.
Nationals: Semi Final Disappointment in Manchester (12th February 2005) [back to top]
After battling through a nervus performance in the quarter final against Yorkshire team mate Jenny Duncalf, Jenny was excited about her prospects against Linda Elriani in the semi. However, it was Linda who got out of the blocks fast, dominating the T and getting Jenny off 9-2 in the first. After a few stern words from her coach Sue Wright, Jenny returned to the court with a new level of conviction, lifting the ball over Linda and dominating with creative play in the front. After winning the second, Jenny was into her stride and went 4-3 up in the third. Linda then responded by hitting the ball lower and harder and pinning Jenny in the back corners to take the game. In the fourth, Jenny seemed to lose her way as the number 1 seed sprinted for the finish line and a 5th attempt at the title. After the match Jenny was gutted "I found the way but didn't stick with it and Linda is a tough competitor. She responded well to my pressure and deserved to win in the end".
Jenny makes semi's of Greenwich Open (26th January 2005) [back to top]
In the first round of the US$24,000 Greenwich Open, Connecticut USA, Jenny drew the up and coming Aussie, Kasey Brown. After a 3-0 victory, she faced the French number one Isabelle Stoehr. Jenny closed out the match 3-0 taking her into an exciting semi-final match up with Omneya Abdel Kawy. Jenny is currently ranked 2 places higher than the young Egyptian who won the previous week in Apawamis, Rye USA. It was the in form Egyptian who gained ascendancy early on in the match, moving Jenny all over the court. The response from the Yorkshire woman was not tight enough allowing too many opportunities for winners and creative play. Afterwards, a frustrated Tranfield explained "Omneya was really sharp today and hit some awesome shots but I am very disappointed with my performance. I gave her far too many opportunities to do what she's good at".
Tranfield jumps to 8 in January World Rankings (5th January 2005) [back to top]
After a successful performance in last month's World Open, Jenny was due to rise to 9 on the January 1st ranking. However due to the unfortunate retirement of Cassie Jackman, Jenny actually moves to number 8. "I am delighted to have achieved the target that I set myself and it is a huge bonus being 8 rather than 9 in terms of seedings in draws" Jenny explained, "...however, my heart goes out to Cassie who has been a fantastic ambassador for Women's squash both in England and worldwide, and I wish her all the best in whatever she decides to do next".
Tranfield into the last 8 of the World Open (11th December 2004) [back to top]
Having beaten the young Australian Kasey Brown 3-0 in round one, Jenny was delighted to report that the dead leg she suffered in last weeks Qatar Classic had mostly recovered and wasn't affecting her movement. In the last 16, Tranfield played Tania Bailey the former World Junior Champion from England. Tania has been struggling with illness for the past year but since September 2004 has managed to regain form and fitness making the quarter finals of Bahrain and Shanghai. Jenny knew she needed to perform well to win and did so. Playing with plenty of variety and accuracy she was rewarded with a 3-1 victory. In the quarter final Jenny faced Rachael Grinham, the Australian World Number One. In the first 2 games, Rachael pushed forward and Jenny got stuck behind doing too much work for no reward. In the 3rd, Jenny hit a better length and created more openings to attack. The game was tough to 7-7 but a Tranfield backhand volley drop error and a winner from Rachael was enough to finish the match. Tranfield explained "It took me 2 games to respond and you can't give a player of that calibre that much start. I am disappointed not to have taken the 3rd".
Tranfield dead legged at match ball (3rd December 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield encountered a stroke of misfortune yesterday when at 2-0 and 8-4 match ball up against Carla Khan (Pakistan) a collision at the back of the court resulted in Tranfield collapsing to her knees in agony. "I was trying to get out of the way of my bad shot and Carla was demonstrating to the referee that she wanted to play it and I think the butt of her racket must have hit me right in the quad - a total dead leg" Jenny explained. After worries about not being able to finish the match and being forced out of the biggest tournament of the year in the first round, it took Jenny a whole hour to be able to stand on it and the England physio Pauline Newton was able to strap it allowing Tranfield to play on and win the final point she required. "I was on the physio bench for half an hour in tears it was so painful to straighten. Pauline sorted it out and Malcolm Willstrop encouraged me to focus my mind on 2 good serves which was helpful". Unfortunately Tranfield's leg was too sore to play Rachael Grinham the following day, "I'm just hoping it will recover in time for the World Open next week" she explained.
Jenny stung by Vanessa's venom (5th November 2004) [back to top]
Having squeezed past Jenny Duncalf and Vicky Botwright to secure a new World Ranking of 11 (November 1st), Jenny was looking for a scalp in this weeks British Open in Nottingham. After a scrappy first round performance against Dominique Lloyd Walter in which there were 45 lets and lots of loose play around the middle of the court, Jenny's focus for the next match was to improve the quality of her game. Drawn against Vanessa Atkinson, the world number 3 from Holland, this was to be a formidable challenge. In the first game, there were some excellent rallies with both players fetching everything and moving each other all over the court, but it was Vanessa who got to 9 first. The second game was played in a similar fashion but Jenny made too many unforced errors at the end of long rallies which let Vanessa off the hook. At 2-0 down it was a long way back but Jenny started the game well and forced a 4-0 lead with a string of Vanessa's errors. However, Vanessa defended well keeping the ball tight and deep to regain the T position and dominate. Jenny confessed "I played some good squash today and piled the pressure on and am impressed with the way Vanessa responded. She didn't give me an inch and I gave her too many cheap points especially in the second".
Jenny makes final in Monte Carlo (24th October 2004) [back to top]
Having her full support team in tow (parents and boyfriend), Jenny arrived in Monte Carlo obeying rule 1 - fit and healthy and ready to play. After a night in the lovely Marriot hotel, she joined her parents and boyfriend in a suite at 'Le Quai des Princes' which was an ideal location (2 minutes from the club) with a superb ocean view.
In the first round Jenny played Kirsty Mcfee, her much younger Yorkshire team mate. Kirsty played some great squash but struggled to stay with the pace. She is only just out of the juniors and lacks experience at senior level. In the quarter final, Jenny's good solid squash was too much for Laura Jane Lengthorn who she beat in 4 games and 54 minutes. At 2-0 and 6-3 up it looked like Lenghthorn was dead and buried but a string of Jenny's unforced errors allowed Laura to take the third. In the forth Jenny closed the match out with some good precise squash.
Jenny was due to play Fiona Geaves in the semi final but unfortunately Fiona was forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained during her quarter final match against Sharon Wee. This gave Jenny a day of rest in preparation for the final, to be played in front of a local squash player, His Highness Prince Albert of Monaco!!
Her opponent, Cassie Jackman, the 1999 World Champion, was always going to be tough. However, having two tour titles to her name this year and being in her forth final of the year, Jenny was quietly confident. The first game was fiercely fought with Cassie hitting the ball with characteristic venom and Jenny doing her best to disrupt and break up the rhythm whilst demonstrating her willingness to fetch everything. For all Jenny's efforts, the first game could not be taken despite her creeping up towards Cassie's initial lead. The second game was not short, eleven minutes in fact, but Jenny ended it without a point for her efforts. She couldn't seem to win two points in a row. There were plenty of hand outs but no conversions into points. In the third, Jenny lead 4-3 but was again could get little further. Firing in a barrage of overhead nicks the world number 2 took the game and the title for the third time. The trophies were presented by Prince Albert and both players received beautiful 'Fred' watches from the sponsors.
Tranfield troubled in Tenerife (15th October 2004) [back to top]
Having arrived in Santa Cruz rearing to go, Jenny started with a cold and spent the first two days in bed trying to sleep it off. Coupled with this, the four court centre which backed onto a 25metre swimming pool had no air conditioning making playing conditions severely physically punishing.
In the first round, Jenny beat the Spanish number one Olga Puidgemont Sola by playing some precise squash in very sweaty conditions. In the quarter final, Carla Khan fought hard against Jenny competing well especially in the first two games. The pair were forced to change court 3 times during the match as there was so much sweat on the court that both players were sliding dangerously. Eventually at 11.50pm Tranfield finished the match with a favourite backhand volley drop.
In the semi final against Omneya Abdel Kawy, Jenny started the match well but could not maintain the quality required to take out the young Egyptian. After a huge physical effort to win the second game, Tranfield fed too many loose balls on to Omneya's racket allowing her opponent flick the ball in all directions. Although disappointed, Tranfield was positive "I'm just delighted to be on court playing in this tournament. When I started with a cold at the beginning of the week I had visions of having to pull out but managed to sleep lots and play some decent squash despite it. Omneya played well today and deserved the win, I was tired and too loose."
Oliver strike deal with Badminton Association of England (1st October 2004) [back to top]
Oliver Sport UK struck a deal yesterday with the Badminton Association of England for the second season in succession. Oliver will be the official supplier of on court kit for all the England Juniors. In addition, the Head and Age Group coaches will be supplied with Oliver rackets, shoes, bags and clothing.
A delighted Graham Dixon of Oliver explained "this is a great opportunity for us here at Oliver to get our quality products into the hands of the best youngsters in England. We have already had some tremendous feedback from those using the products last season and are excited that our partnership with the B.A. of E. has continued into another - this is a real endorsement for Oliver".
Appeal rejected but referred to Board of Directors (24th September 2004) [back to top]
The appeal launched by Jenny Tranfield in relation to the selection of the England Team for the Women's World Team Championships was rejected today. An independent panel comprised of Nick Rider and Jackie Robinson of England Squash and Paul Buxton of Sport England concluded;
Tranfield has responded to Nick Rider and requested that her response be forwarded to the Board of Directors.
Jenny signs for 'Oberthur Strings' in National League (15th September 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield, the world number 10 from Milton Keynes, will be captaining the new 'Oberthur Strings' National League team for the 2004/5 season. The team is based at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, the new home of Tranfield's coach and four times British Champion, Sue Wright. Sue and husband Neil bought the club in May and have transformed it into a superb venue for local, regional and national events. Sue explained "we want to put the club on the map so what better way than to have a National League side? There is nowhere else around this area where people can see world class players in action, and it will be great to inspire the youngsters". The team list for 'Oberthur Strings' includes;
A confident Sue Wright believes "with the team we have I expect to make the playoffs and think we have a real chance to go all the way."
Bahrain Blues for Tranfield (13th September 2004) [back to top]
After a very dispiriting week of dealing with issues of England selection, Jenny Tranfield was unable to pick herself up in time for her first round class with Annelise Naude in the US$35,000 Bahrain Classic. The Dutch number 2, hot from her final appearance in Mexico just a week ago, outplayed a distracted Tranfield. Despite a massive effort by Tranfield to regain her focus, Naude had control of the match and was not about to let her opportunity slip. Tranfield said "Annelise is playing some really good squash at the moment and deserved to win. I need to pick myself up now and come out fighting for the next one."
Tranfield launches appeal on England World Team selection (7th September 2004) [back to top]
Following the selection of the England Team for the Women's World Team Championships (September 26th - October 2nd 2004) taking place in Amsterdam, Jenny Tranfield has launched an appeal. Tranfield explained "the review procedure concerns itself solely with the process of selection and this is my main concern. Were the correct procedures in place and enacted during this selection process? Was the process fair to all players involved?" The appeal panel will sit on September 17th 2004.
Technifibre strings for Tranfield (1st September 2004) [back to top]
England's Jenny Tranfield has just signed a 2 year contract to play with Technifibre strings. The world number 10 from Milton Keynes announced "I am delighted to be playing with Technifibre strings, it's a pleasure to endorse such a quality product".
Grinham too hot to handle in Brunei (10th August 2004) [back to top]
After a 3-0 victory over Annelise Naude of the Netherlands, Tranfield was drawn to play the world number 5 Natalie Grinham of Australia. The quarterfinal clash was expected to be exciting following their last encounter in April in which Tranfield outplayed the younger of the Grinham sisters. However, Natalie was clearly out to prove a point to the Englishwoman who struggled with the pace from the outset. Tranfield admitted "I was a yard off the pace today, Natalie was too quick for me. I need to be at my best to play against the best and the Achilles tendon injury I suffered in June has set me back a few weeks".
Jenny Jumps To World Top Ten Position (3rd June 2004) [back to top]
by Howard Harding
Cassie Jackman retains her No1 position in the new June Women's World Squash Rankings, announced today (03 June) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), but fellow countrywoman Jenny Tranfield is the star of the new list after leaping seven places to No10.
In an unchanged top nine, Australia's Rachael Grinham holds onto the second place behind Jackman, with Dutch No1 Vanessa Atkinson at three; USA's Natalie Grainger at four; and Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham at five.
Tranfield crowned a sensational run on the WISPA World Tour last month in the USA when she lifted her second title against the odds in seven days. After upsetting three higher-ranked players en-route to winning the Squashworks Open trophy in Salt Lake City, the 29-year-old from Milton Keynes hit the jackpot in Las Vegas when she clinched the 'Bright Lights' Las Vegas Open trophy to claim the tenth, and biggest, WISPA title of her career.
New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen, who maintains her 14th position in the list, was also a WISPA title winner in May when she swept to victory in the Hyder Open in New York.
Tranfield hits the jackpot in Las Vegas (24th May 2004) [back to top]
On a high after her victory in Salt Lake City, Tranfield stormed through her first round in Las Vegas beating Sharon Wee (Malaysia) 3-0. In the quarter final, Tranfield faced the world number 10, Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egypt). Having never before beaten the teenage superstar, Tranfield was the underdog going into the match. However, Tranfield was able to continue her form producing quality shots from all over the court and retrieving relentlessly with quality, taking her to a 9-0 9-3 9-2 victory and a place in the semi final against the New Zealander Shelley Kitchen. A third encounter in 3 weeks with the current match score standing at 1-1 could not have been more exciting for the Las Vegas crowd. In an intense 90 minute battle, Tranfield came out on top with a 3-1 win. In the final against Yorkshire teammate Jenny Duncalf, Tranfield was able to maintain the focus that had served her so well over the past 10 days, taking a 9-5 9-0 lead. However, in the 3rd, Duncalf disrupted Tranfield with a brilliant display of shots around the front, reversing the score from 0-9 to 9-0! In the 4th, Tranfield re-grouped and used her experience and focus to take the game 9-4 and the title in 53 minutes. Tranfield admitted, "Duncalf is certainly going to be a force in years to come, she is a great young player. I am delighted with my performances over the past 2 weeks".
Tranfield Triumphs in Salt Lake City (17th May 2004) [back to top]
After her disappointment of losing to Shelley Kitchen in the semi final of last weeks Hyder Open, Tranfield bounced back in Salt Lake City. Having dispatched Engy Kheirallah of Egypt in the first round, Tranfield started where she left off the previous week with Shelley Kitchen. The first game was hugely competitive with both players displaying some amazing athleticism. Shelley took the first 9-7 having closed down an early Tranfield lead. The second and third could not have been tighter with Tranfield sneaking to a 2-1 lead 10-8, 10-9, seemingly fuelled by the disappointment from the previous week. In the 4th, Tranfield surprised Shelley with a string of winners from all over the court, taking the game and the match in a hard fought 67 minutes. In the semi final, Tranfield faced veteran England international and world number 7, Fiona Geaves. Despite a wonderful display of touch which has gained her the nickname 'the magician', Geaves struggled to live with the variety and consistency of Tranfield's game. After 42 minutes of relentless pressure, Tranfield secured a 3-1 victory. In her 12th WISPA final, Tranfield faced world number 15 Stephanie Brind who had defeated both Tegwen Malik and England teammate Tania Bailey. The final started competitively with Tranfield taking an early 3-0 lead only to see Brind battle back to go ahead 4-3. However, Tranfield was on a mission and her court coverage coupled with aggressive attacking shots proved too much for Brind. After just 28 minutes, Tranfield had won her 10th WISPA title admitting "It's great when things finally come together and all the hard wok pays off".
Jenny runs out of time in Hyder (12th May 2004) [back to top]
After a very convincing 3-0 win over England's Carla Khan in the quarter finals of the recent Hyder Open in New York, Jenny was looking forward to her semi final clash with New Zealander Shelley Kitchen. The match promised to be nail biting with only 2 ranking places separating the pair. The first game was nip and tuck all the way with Tranfield taking an early lead but Kitchen piling on relentless pressure from hard hit drives all over the court. Shelley finished off the game with a number of short drops which took Tranfield by surprise. Kitchen kept up the momentum in the second and Tranfield tried to attack off too many marginal openings either making errors or leaving the ball loose in the front for Kitchen to muller. At 2-0 down, Tranfield knew she needed to hit a better length and be more patient before using her touch round the front. Tranfield took a 7-2 lead by following this plan but Kitchen could see the goal posts. With her last maximal effort, Kitchen levelled the score at 8-8. Tranfield served for the game at 9-9 but after an endless rally made a silly error on a backhand drop. This gave Shelley her opportunity. Under pressure from the front backhand, Shelley over hit a cross court which flew off the back wall on the forehand side but bounced straight sticking to the side wall. Tranfield attempted a straight forehand but the ball strayed off the wall giving Shelley the opportunity to claim a stroke and the match. Tranfield confessed, "Shelley played brilliantly from the outset but I just felt like I had her nailed when I ran out of time!".
V10 Juniors get walkover to semi-finals of National Club Junior Plate competition (11th May 2004) [back to top]
V10 Juniors are through to the semi finals of the National Club Junior Mixed Plate competition where they are scheduled to meet Bryanston. Although they were looking forward to playing Lexden in the quarters, a fixture was unable to be arranged within the time frame available. We are hoping to arrange a friendly against Lexden instead at a later date.
David Lloyd MK crowned Bedfordshire League Champions (19th April 2003) [back to top]
David Lloyd 1 won the Bedfordshire squash league on Monday night beating Mowsbury Squash Club in a hard fought playoff.
David Lloyd 1 were without their number one player Jenny Tranfield who withdrew on the morning of match. Jenny was unable to play after reaching the final of the Irish Open on Sunday night. Jenny beat the World number 4 Natalie Grinham in the Semi Final but unfortunately missed out on her 10th World Tour title, losing to the World number 3 Vanessa Atkinson in the final.
Despite Tranfield's absence, David Lloyd enjoyed a good start to the final with David Denyer winning 3-1. However, the Bedford club soon levelled the scores when Lee Bartlett came from a game down to defeat Steve Iles 3-1. David Lloyd regained the lead when Dave Millard beat Lee Mason 3-0. Mason's movement was impaired from the start and Millard took full advantage sending his opponent the wrong way on numerous occasions and closed out the rallies with excellent touch in the front of the court. In the third string match, Dave Wavish looked untroubled in the first two games playing a good length and moving his opponent around the court. Andy Wilmer fought back winning the next two games and it looked like Mowsbury were going to level the scores once more. However, Dave Wavish, now aware that he had the chance to clinch victory, put his opponent under relentless pressure in the fifth by making no unforced errors and closed out the game with a series of powerful kills. With victory already assured, David Lloyd's Tom Hall lost 3-0 to Steve Barlow in the final match of the night.
The 3-2 victory crowned David Lloyd 1 league champions for first time in the club's history. With a flourishing junior section, running coaching session on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, the England Squash Chartered Club should remain competitive in the future.
Back to form - Tranfield through to Irish Open final (15th - 18th April 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield stormed to the final of the US$19,000 Irish Open in Dublin last weekend (17/18th April 2004) beating the world number 4 Natalie Grinham of Australia in straight games. An excited Tranfield explained "that was some of the best squash of my career and I'm delighted to have held it together for the whole match". In the final, Tranfield faced world number 3 Vanessa Atkinson and led 8-0 in the first game before conceding that game and then the match, "I just got over excited at the sight of the winning post and once I let her in the match, she was unforgiving". Tranfield will be training at the Sue Wright Squash Academy for the next 2 weeks in preparation for 3 events in America in May. She will travel to New York, Salt Lake City and then Las Vegas where she will be looking forward to going one better.
SWSA Summer Camps - Book Now (April 10th 2004) [back to top]
SWSA is offering 5 weeks worth of summer camps at the newly refurbished Strings Squash, Health and Fitness Club in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The camps will include 5 hours of squash per day (9.30 - 12.30 & 2.30 - 4.30) on Monday to Friday each week in which lunch, dinner and evening activities will be included. Each player will receive a goody bag and will be entered into the end of week tournament with top prizes to be won. Players are welcome on either a residential or non-residential rate.
Residential = £395 per week (Limited places only)
Non-residential = £195 per week
For more information or an application form, please phone the academy office on 01684 292340.
Job Vacancies at SWSA (April 10th 2004) [back to top]
Sue Wright is looking for a Head Coach to be based at Strings Squash, Health and Fitness Club in Tewkesbury. The position will involve the coach to head up coaching activities both within the academy and the club. The coach will be offered a retainer to attend junior tournaments and to organise and administer activities for both the academy and the club. Additionally, and the coach will be paid per hour for group and individual sessions. The job requirements are as follows;
Essential requirements;
Desirable criteria:
SWSA moves to Tewkesbury (April 10th 2004) [back to top]
Following the recent takeover of Tewkesbury Squash Club by the ex England International Sue Wright and Husband Neil Rose, the Sue Wright Squash Academy will operate from the Gloucestershire base with immediate effect. An excited Sue Wright admitted "this was a massive opportunity for us to further develop the academy and its services in a club of our own and I can't quite believe it has all gone through smoothly and we have done it!!" Unfortunately due to the change of location, Scott Handley and Clive Ewins will no longer be coaching with the SWSA. Sue explained "I want to thank Scott and Clive for their hard work over the past 18 months and wish them every success with future endeavours. From the academy's point of view, having the club as a base is a huge advantage and will enable us to cater for the needs of existing players as well as new players in a more effective way."
Sue and Neil transform Tewkesbury Squash Club into Strings Squash, Health and Fitness (10th April 2004) [back to top]
Sue Wright and husband Neil Rose have bought and taken over Tewkesbury Squash Club in Gloucestershire. The official takeover took place over the Easter weekend. The couple intend to undertake complete refurbishment of the club over the next few months. In addition to expanding and upgrading the changing facilities and bar area and cleaning/sanding the courts, they intend to have a fitness and health suite in operation by the start of next season.
Wimbledon epic - Tranfield battles 99 minutes against Macree (19th - 21st March 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield reached the final of the BSPA in Wimbledon at the weekend crushing Rachel Wilmott (Sussex) and Stephanie Brind (Kent) on the way. In the final she faced world number 7 Rebecca Macree. Tranfield had multiple game balls at 8-7 and then again at 9-8 in the first before conceding the game. However, she returned to the court on a mission, winning the next 2 games to take a 2-1 lead. Macree suddenly re-emerged onto court in between games, and began geeing herself up. The fourth was tightly contested up to 4-4 when Tranfield was forced to take a 3 minute injury break due to a collision in mid air on the forehand side. Macree managed to sneak past Tranfield by hitting some inch perfect volley drops. In the fifth, both players were playing to capacity but it was Macree who hit a number of out right winners to take the title.
Tranfield and Freeth launch excellerate - a combination of Sport Psychology and NLP for business (15th March 2004) [back to top]
Excellerate is a unique combination of sport psychology and business coaching, designed to create sustainable high performance and drive business success.
Excellerate is unique because of the people behind it. Jenny Tranfield is both an experienced sports psychologist and a world class professional sportswoman. Peter Freeth is a leading business coach with many years experience of professional and business development coaching.
Together, Peter and Jenny have created Excellerate to help you apply the principles of world class competition sports with the most advanced personal and business change tools to create a high performance organisation.
The psychological demands of business and sport are similar:
At the level of mental preparation for high performance, the principles and techniques of sport psychology are invaluable. In business, as with anything else, success is mostly down to planning. When you plan and prepare to achieve high performance, the only thing remaining is for you to go and achieve it. During the 2002 London Marathon, Brendan Foster said this about Paula Radcliffe - "her preparation has been meticulous, nothing has been left to chance"
It can even be said that the result of applying the principles of sport psychology to business is that you leave nothing to chance. As Louis Pasteur said, "chance favours the prepared mind".
We apply our expertise in sport psychology and business coaching to achieve measurable results in the following key areas:
Our unique combination of a world class sports professional with a leading business coach will make a real difference to your business performance.
High performance business coaching
If sport psychology is the study of a high performance mind set, then its application in business is straightforward. By applying the principles of peak mental performance to business activities, business performance is greatly enhanced.
Initially, the applications of performance psychology in business fall into three areas:
Individual performance
We employ a range of personal development technologies, including Neuro-Linguistic Programming, to achieve high levels of personal performance. Sometimes, improving individual performance requires changes to a person's behaviour or approach and this is easily achieved with a toolkit such as NLP. At other times, a person has all the motivation and commitment they need, yet their path is blocked by obstacles in their capability or self belief. Again, we are able to move aside these obstacles or barriers in order to unlock potential.
Team performance
Creating high performing teams is not something that is only applicable to team sports - it's equally applicable to individual sports where a team supports each other to achieve greater results.
In business, the members of a team still have their individual responsibilities and goals and therefore high performing teams recognise the unique contribution of each team member to the performance of the greater team.
Leadership performance
Successful teams and organisations are those with clear, purposeful leadership. Effective leaders have clear goals for themselves and for their team, and they are able to communicate those goals in a way that inspires team members to take action. Effective leaders do not manage or control, and they do not take responsibility for making the team perform. Instead, they recognise that the team performs because the individual team members are correctly motivated, measured and rewarded both by individual and by team achievement.
For more information please go to www.excellerate.org.
Atkinson flies high in Qatar Airways Challenge (24th - 28th February 2004) [back to top]
Having beaten Laura Jane Lengthorn in the first round of the US$50,000 Qatar Airways Challenge, Jenny was excited about her second round clash with Vanessa Atkinson. However, the Dutch girl proved too sharp for Tranfield, beating her 3-0 inside of half an hour. Disheartened, Tranfield explained "I was a yard off the pace today and Vanessa capitalised. I need to go home and get a good block of training behind me. I don't seem to have recovered my form since having 6 weeks out with flu at the start of the season".
Jenny disappointed with Nationals Performance - by Sue Wright (11th - 17th February 2004) [back to top]
After an initial re draw due the withdrawal of Tania Bailey, Jenny secured a place in the quarter finals of the National Championships against defending champion Cassie Jackman. Having had a close 3 set match the previous week, Tranfield felt confident that she was capable of giving the champion a run for her money. The first game was very much nip and tuck and only 3 unforced errors from Jenny made the difference.
In the second game Jenny lost her way a little and allowed Cassie to play her game and lost it a convincing 9-2. After some stern words in the interval, Jenny seemed to be holding her own in the 3rd game, only to once again lose her way and lose the game 9-4. An unfortunate loss, but many lessons learned, which I am sure will be improved upon over the coming months.
Jenny takes on new World Number One in Grantham (6th - 8th February 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield faced Cassie Jackman in the semi-final of the BSPA in Grantham. Although Tranfield took the lead in both of the first two games, Jackman, ranked world number one as of February 1st 2004, played well on big points and did just enough to secure a 3-0 victory. Jenny admitted, "I played well in parts today but need to be more consistent to get a result against Cassie."
Tranfield defeated at last hurdle in Edinburgh (30th January - 1st February 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield reached the final of the BSPA in Edinburgh at the week-end defeating Rebecca Bottwright and Lauren Sidall en route. In the final Linda Charman proved too sharp for Tranfield taking her out 3-0 despite Tranfield putting up a good fight.
Vassar - class of 32 (15th - 18th January 2004) [back to top]
In this weeks 'Vassar Class of 32' Open, Jenny Tranfield faced Scotland's Pam Nimmo for the third time this season. With one win each, the first round clash proved to be exciting. Tranfield got off to a good start taking a 7-3 lead in the first game but Nimmo counter attacked well, eventually taking the game 10-9. Tranfield, annoyed at letting her lead in the first slip, came out in the second with intent. From this point onwards Tranfield was in command. With a good display of skill and athleticism, she took the match 3-1. In her quarter final match, Tranfield took on the young Egyptian World Junior Champion, Omneya Abdel Kawy. The first two games were tightly fought, the only difference being the Egyptian's touch of class at 6-6 and 7-7 which totally wrong footed the more experienced player. In the third, the Egyptian relaxed playing some outrageous and devastating squash to take the match 3-0, "Omneya is a very talented player, I needed to get one of the first two games to get under her skin but she played cleverly on big points." admitted Tranfield.
Apawamis, a lesson in quality (7th - 11th January 2004) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield progressed through to the quarter finals of the Apawamis Open in Rye, New York last week beating the former English U19 champion Alison Waters. Having been surprised by the hard hitting and volleying of her opponent, Tranfield lost the first game, but soon re-gained composure to take the next 3 in style. In her quarter final match Tranfield faced Natalie Grainger, who had just inherited the world number 1 spot due to the retirement of Carol Owens (January 2004). Tranfield was quickly dealing with an opponent on a mission to keep her number 1 ranking. With a superb display of top quality squash, Grainger dispatched of Tranfield within 30 minutes, dropping just 2 points. A stunned Tranfield stated "She played some unbelievable squash, I tried everything I knew but it just wasn't good enough today."
V10 Juniors crushed in National Club Championships (21st December 2003) [back to top]
V10 Juniors were 'thrown in at the deep end' when they faced Bishop Stortford juniors in the first round of the National Junior mixed club competition. Having never played competitive team squash before, V10 Juniors were pretty intimidated when they realised the opposition included a number of nationally ranked players! However after a group hug and a few words from the coach Jenny Tranfield, they soon realised that it was only a game of squash after all! The Bishop Stortford Juniors were really kind and made sure that they gave all of our V10 Juniors a chance to go on court with them and learn from them. In return, Jenny Tranfield played a few games against some of them. After plate fulls of sandwiches and chips, the Bishop Stortford lot headed home whilst V10 juniors charged back to the courts for the usual Sunday night fun!! Good luck to Bishop Stortford in the next round.
Jenny overcomes Nimmo and damages Grinham in World Open (7th - 13th December 2003) [back to top]
Just 3 weeks after losing to Pam Nimmo in the Buler Challenge, Jenny Tranfield scored a 3-0 victory over the Scottish number 1 in the first round of the 2003 Women's World Open in Hong Kong. The 28 year old commanded the match from the start by hitting a good length and looking to attack at every opportunity. Tranfield chased every ball down with 100% commitment as Nimmo crumbled under the pressure. Delighted with her performance Tranfield said "Pam is always a tough opponent and I was able to impose my game on her today. I am pleased that I didn't make any silly errors or give easy ones away, my focus was better than it has been recently." In the last 16 Tranfield went on to play the British Open Champion and world number 3 Rachel Grinham. The match lasted 43 minutes and Grinham worked hard for a 3-0 victory. A disappointed Tranfield admitted "I am not happy with my performance today. After yesterday I felt sharp and strong and set out well today. I played tactically very badly in the middle part of the match and did too many court sprints allowing her to play her way. If I'd started out like I played in the third it could have been a different story. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!"
Tranfield beaten by double World Junior Champion in Qatar (30th November 2003) [back to top]
Having been beaten 3-0 by the 20 year old double World Junior Champion Nicol David in August's Malaysian Open, Tranfield was out for her revenge in this weeks Qatar Classic. The first round clash between the world number 10, and the Malaysian ranked 17 and currently based in Amsterdam, is an example of the strength in depth in today's women's game. However, despite Tranfield's determination and experience, the young Malaysian had just enough in the tank to squeeze past the 28 year old gaining a 9-7 9-6 lead. In the third game, David grew in confidence hitting some unbelievable shots to score another 3-0 victory. Tranfield, disappointed said "Nicol was awesome today. I played well in parts but generally it's just not happening for me at the moment especially against in form players. The harder I try, the worse it gets! At least I've got a few days now to sharpen up for the Worlds in Hong Kong."
Jenny defeated by Nimmo in Buler Challenge (13th - 16th November 2003) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield, the world number 10 from Milton Keynes suffered a surprise loss to Scotland's Pam Nimmo in the semi-final of the US$10,000 Buler Challenge. Tranfield took the first game comfortably but then got stuck behind the tall Scot who began to hunt the volley and punish Tranfield's poor length. After a hard fought 4th game, the Scottish number 1 came through to reach her first WISPA tour final of the year. A dejected Tranfield stated "Pam played well and punished my loose shots and deserved to win in the end. I am struggling to finance my squash this year and the pressure is starting to take its toll. I need to find a sponsor of some sort to allow me to train properly and cut out the hours and hours of coaching that is tiring me out."
Adeel Hanif (Pakistan) takes V10 Graded title (1st - 2nd November 2003) [back to top]
The first ever V10 Graded tournament was held at David Lloyd Milton Keynes this weekend. The event proved to be a great success with 96 matches being played on 4 courts over the 2 days. There were Grades A, B, C & D for adults and Bronze, Silver and Gold for the juniors. Players from all over the south of England competed and enjoyed the leisure facilities at David Lloyd and seemingly the night life in MK, as well as the squash!! The event was sponsored by Oliver Sport U.K. and all grade winners and runners up received Oliver merchandise as prizes. The men's A final was a fiercely fought contest between local England U19 Tom Phipps and a 20 year old Pakistani named Adeel Hanif. After an enticing match which enthralled the local crowd, the Pakistani was too much for the England junior and secured a 3-1 victory. Thanks to all those who contributed to making the event a success. We look forward to the next one.
Out of bed to face World Number One in US Open (13th October 2003) [back to top]
Having taken nearly 6 weeks to get over the flu that caused her to withdraw from October's British Open, England's Jenny Tranfield, faced the World Number One Carol Owens today in the first round of the US Open at Heights Casino in New York. The match was a fairly one sided affair as Owens demonstrated her intention to avenge the surprise defeat to Rachael Grinham in the semi of last month's British Open. Tranfield played some good squash at times but was clearly struggling to stay with the pace after a lack of training due to her time out with flu. An upbeat Tranfield explained, "The positive thing is that I have finally got rid of the virus and am feeling healthy again. Now I need to regain a bit of fitness and get sharp for the events at the end of the year. Carol has now got something to prove and I think I was on the receiving end of that today!"
British Open nightmare - Jenny forced to withdraw suffering yet another bought of flu (1st - 5th October 2003) [back to top]
World number 10 Jenny Tranfield was forced to withdraw from the first round of the prestigious British Open held in Nottingham this week. This is the second time this year that Jenny has been struck down with a bad dose of flu forcing her to miss scheduled tournaments. Following her debut for England in the Europeans in May, Tranfield withdrew from a tournament in Salt Lake City having been forced into bed for 3 days on arrival. Today, Tranfield withdrew on site before her first round match. Disappointed, Jenny explained, "I felt bad throughout the night and kept waking up with a terrible throat but thought I may feel better in the morning. However, I tried to practice this morning and threw up and am running a temperature... it is gutting after all the training but there's no way I am fit to play today".
Jenny visits Carlow, Ireland (12 - 14th September 2003) [back to top]
Jenny was invited as a guest coach and sport psychologist to Carlow in Ireland last week-end. Dermot O'Brian, the resident coach, arranged for Jenny to conduct both individual and group coaching sessions throughout the weekend. Dermot has quite a large group of juniors, especially girls which is unusual, and they are all really keen to learn and improve. On Saturday evening, Jenny ran a sport psychology workshop for all the players in which Dermot was able to sit in and listen. From a coaching perspective, it was quite interesting for Dermot to listen to some of the players express themselves in this context, and all the players seemed to enjoy it. Finally, Jenny was treated to a touch of the local culture and taken to watch an Irish football match followed by a national Hurling match on the TV. A fun time was had by all and Jenny has been invited back to Carlow again next year.
Prospec reveal new glass court (13th August 2003) [back to top]
The new Prospec all glass squash court was revealed for the first time today at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield, erected for the inaugural Prince English Open. Bob Mitchell of Prospec was delighted "It's been pretty stressful getting it here on time but we have already had some very positive feedback from both the players and spectators suggesting visibility is excellent due to our state of the art lighting system." After the tournament, the court will be shipped to Sheffield's Abbeydale Park Sports Club where it will be a permanent fixture.
V10 Junior Squash Tournament (21st June 2003) [back to top]
Our first ever V10 Junior Squash tournament took place on Saturday 21st June 2003. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Paul Hoskins of Wood Techniques Ltd for sponsoring V10 Junior Squash this year.
Well done to all of our juniors who played some terrific matches. It brings me great pleasure to see the constant improvement and the enjoyment had by all involved.
Congratulations to the new V10 Junior Squash Champion for 2003, TIM WROBLEWSKI. Tim won the tournament without dropping even a game, beating Alex Mason 9/6 9/0 9/2 in the final. In the first game, Tim and Alex were evenly matched in the rallies, but Tim just managed to sneak it. However, in the second and third Tim's deadly serve proved too much for Alex who couldn't find a response. Tim was delighted when presented with a brand new top of the range squash racket as first prize, whilst Alex, declaring his revenge to his friend, was awarded an hour's squash lesson with Jenny on return of serve!!
Tim's sister Katie Wroblewski had a great match with Jacob Petri in the third/fourth playoff. Katie squeezed the first 10-9 after saving two of Jacob's game balls, but Jacob immediately reversed the pressure by taking the second 9/6. The third and fourth were hard fought with lots of hand outs and eventually Katie managed to come out on top, taking both games 9/7. What a fantastic effort by both players and a very exciting match to watch!!
In the plate event, Matt Clarke had a marathon match with Simon Thomas in the semi-final. Simon was 2-1 up and 7-3 up and Matt dug in and clawed his way back to winning the fourth 9-7 and the fifth 9-4. After only 30 minutes rest Matt found himself trailing 2-0 to William Johnson in the plate final. After a quick drink between games he managed to find some more energy from somewhere and went on to win the next two games to make it two all. Finally though, Matt ran out of steam as he struggled to return Williams devastating serves and William clinched the match 9-5 in the fifth. Punching both his arms in the air in delight, 7 year old William ran off court to find out what he had won!!
The day ended with a BBQ on the patio to refuel before it all started again on Sunday evening 5-7pm!!
Lottery Award for V10 Squash (23rd May 2003) [back to top]
Jenny had further cause for celebration - confirmation of a grant of £4997 from the National Lottery's Awards for All programme for the development of V10 Junior Squash. Jenny has set up the group who meet at David Lloyd Milton Keynes on Sunday evenings between 5-7pm, members and non-members are welcome. "This grant is fantastic news for the development of junior squash in the Milton Keynes area. Not only will it help to fund our junior coaching programme, but it will allow us to get into the local schools and promote squash through taster sessions", Jenny explained.England Cap for Jenny (22nd May 2003) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield the world number 10 squash player from Milton Keynes, who has a Ph.D in Sport Psychology, was called into the England squad for last weeks European Team Championships in Nottingham. Since gaining her Ph.D from Loughborough University just over a year ago, the 28 year old has been able to focus fully on her squash career - and broke into the world's top 10 only this month. England retained the European Team title beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the final, and Jenny dropped only 3 points in 3 matches. Delighted she admitted, "it's an honour to represent your country and I thoroughly enjoyed doing my bit for the team".
Jenny struck down by flu (8th May 2003) [back to top]
Jenny Tranfield, the world number 10 from England was forced to withdraw from the Squashworks Open in Salt Lake City today as a result of a flu virus. Having represented England to success in the European Team Championships, Tranfield had flown straight to Salt Lake City where she was struck down with the virus and was forced to spend 3 days in bed. Tranfield was seeded 2 in the event and was expected to meet her England team-mate Cassie Jackman in the final. Tranfield admitted "I am absolutely gutted, I've traveled all this way and I haven't been able to hit a single ball.my focus now is on getting back to 100% as soon as possible".
Jenny Retains Top 10 Ranking (1st May 2003) [back to top]
Doctor Tranfield, the 28 year old based at Milton Keynes, retains the number 10 spot on this month's WISPA World Ranking (May 1st 2003). Tranfield declared, "my next goal is to reach top 8 by the end of the year. I know this will be tough but I'm putting all the work in and I have total belief in my coach and support team".
England Squash News by Howard Harding (29th April 2003) [back to top]
Doctor To The Rescue For England
Jenny Tranfield, the world No10 squash player from Yorkshire who has a PhD in
'Sports Psychology', has been called into the England squad for this week's
European Team Championships in Nottingham following today's (Tuesday)
last-minute withdrawal of world No4 Tania Bailey.
Bailey, 23, from Stamford in Lincolnshire, has been suffering with a virus (recently identified as 'Epstein Barrs') and was advised by doctors not to compete. "Thankfully Tania is getting better, but we felt she needed more time to completely recover and fully regain her strength," said England National Coach David Pearson.
Dr Tranfield, 28, originally from Sheffield but now based in Milton Keynes, was delighted to hear the news of her first senior English cap: "I'm so happy - I've been desperate to play for my country for the last five years so I can hardly believe it's now about to happen.
"But my heart goes out to Tania, and I hope she gets better real soon," added Tranfield, who heard the news during a coaching session she was giving to youngsters at the Sue Wright Squash Academy in Oxfordshire.
Since gaining her PhD at Loughborough University just over a year ago, Tranfield has been able to focus fully on her squash career - and broke into the world top ten only this month.
It is a mark of England's strength in international women's squash that only one player (Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands) in all the other 15 national teams in the European Championships is ranked higher than Tranfield!
The 2003 European Championships, being staged in England for the first time in 25 years, will be held at Nottingham Squash Rackets Club from 01-04 May. The staging marks the 30th anniversary of the championships which were first held in Edinburgh in 1973.
With Tranfield in the women's squad are Linda Charman (Sussex), Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) and Rebecca Macree (Essex).
Led by the London-based world No1 and British National Champion Peter Nicol, the England men's squad will include Lee Beachill (Yorkshire), Mark Chaloner (Lincolnshire), Simon Parke (Yorkshire) and, making his senior debut, 19-year-old World Junior Champion James Willstrop (Yorkshire).
Jenny Rises to Top 10 (1st April 2003) [back to top]
England's Jenny Tranfield rises to a career high number 10 in this month's WISPA World Rankings (April 1st 2003). The 28 year old originally from Yorkshire but now based in Milton Keynes, makes her debut into the top 10 following quarter final appearances in the Tournament of Champions in Grand Central Station New York (February), and the Irish Open in Dublin (March). Tranfield admitted, "my goal was to achieve top 10 by the end of the season so I am delighted to have got there already! Since finishing my Ph.D last February, I have been able to focus solely on my playing career and all the hard work is starting to pay off".
Milton Keynes Citizen (23rd March 2003) [back to top]
Milton Keynes based squash player makes impact on world stage
Caldecotte's Jenny Tranfield, currently one of the leading squash players in the UK, charged to a career high number 11 on this month's Women's International Professional Squash Association (WISPA) world rankings. Jenny, aged 27, has just returned from New York City where she made the quarter final of the US$30,000 Tournament of Champions, beating the world number 6, Vanessa Atkinson (Netherlands), 3-1. Jenny went on to play the eventual winner and current world number 1, Carol Owens (New Zealand), on a spectacular all glass court erected in the middle of Grand Central Station.
The former World University Champion, moved to Milton Keynes after achieving a Ph.D in Sport Psychology from Loughborough University. Now Dr. Tranfield, she is coached by 4 times British Champion and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Sue Wright, who runs a squash academy (SWSA) based at Bicester in Oxfordshire. "My goal is to make world top 8 by September" says Jenny, "with my Ph.D now behind me and with the expert advice and support at the academy, I believe I can do it".
Jenny also trains at David Lloyd MK where she has launched a Junior Group called 'V10 Junior Squash', "there was no opportunity in this area for juniors to learn how to play squash, so I decided to put something in place", she explains. Already, Jenny has secured sponsorship from 'Wood Techniques Limited'. The group runs on Sunday evenings, 5pm-7pm at David Lloyd MK, non-members are welcome.
Jenny Elected onto WISPA Board (March 2003) [back to top]
At the WISPA AGM in Dallas (March 2003), Doctor Tranfield, the 28 year old World Number 10 from England, was elected onto the WISPA Board of Directors. A number of existing board members including the President Sarah FitzGerald, Sue Wright & Melanie Jans stepped down, allowing 3 new members to be elected; Jenny Tranfield, Pamela Nimmo & Natalie Grinham. Tranfield acknowledged, "huge thanks are in order for Sarah, Sue and Mel who have all done a fantastic job for WISPA. On a personal note, I am thrilled to be on the WISPA Board and feel that it's a great opportunity to put something back into women's squash." Natalie Pohrer, the world number 2 from U.S.A. was elected as the new WISPA President.
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