PSA Unveil New Tour Structure for Professional Squash and Announce Initiative with World Squash Federation
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) today unveiled its new vision for professional squash which will see a new-look professional squash tour structure come into effect for the 2018/19 season onwards, while a WSF & PSA Satellite Tour has also been announced following the recent partnership agreement between the PSA and World Squash Federation (WSF).
IN A NUTSHELL:
PSA World Tour : for $50k and above events
Platinum (48 players) and Gold, Silver, Bronze (24 players) events World Champs now 56 players + 1 wildcard + 7 selected event winners
PSA Challenger Tour : for $5k to $30k events
Round Robins to be trialled in some $5k events
QUALIFYING IS SCRAPPED
WSF & PSA Satellite Tour for sanctioned World, Regional, National and Junior tournaments
The changes, which have been made in order to streamline the sport and increase earning potential for professional squash players, will see the current PSA World Tour rebranded into two individual circuits - comprising of the PSA World Tour and PSA Challenger Tour - while qualification rounds will be scrapped and a series of new tournament tiers will be introduced across both circuits.
Under the new look, the PSA World Tour will continue to be home to all current top-tier events offering total prize money from $50,000 - $1,000,000 and above including the PSA World Championships and PSA World Tour Finals - while new tournament tiers in the form of World Tour Platinum, featuring 48-player draws, and World Tour Gold, World Tour Silver and World Tour Bronze, all of which are set to feature 24-player draws, will be introduced.
The 2018/19 PSA World Championships, which will be held in Chicago with a record $1 million prize fund up for grabs, will be the first World Championships to be staged under the new tour structure. Both draws will comprise of 56 PSA entrants and one wildcard, with the other seven places taken up by winners from selected tournaments on the PSA Challenger Tour in a ‘Road to Chicago’ competition.
The PSA Challenger Tour will provide a platform for the world’s most exciting up-and-coming players to cut their teeth on the professional circuit against some of squash’s most experienced professionals, with tournaments offering prize money between $5,500 - $30,000. Tournament tiers consist of Challenger Tour 30, Challenger Tour 20, Challenger Tour 10 and Challenger Tour 5 tournaments, while a round robin system will be trialled at selected Challenger Tour 5 tournaments throughout the 2018/19 season.
Following on from last year’s partnership agreement between the PSA and the World Squash Federation (WSF), the WSF & PSA Satellite Tour will be formed, which will integrate sanctioned World, Regional, National and Junior tournaments into the PSA World Rankings to create a pathway to the professional circuit for aspiring, up-and-coming players, strengthening the link between the global governing body for squash and the professional tour.
Comprising the WSF National Championships, Satellite Tournaments, World & Regional Junior Championships, National Junior Opens and National Junior Championships, the WSF & PSA Satellite Tour will run throughout each calendar year.
Players will earn PSA World Ranking points based on their results at tournaments on the PSA World Tour, PSA Challenger Tour and the WSF & PSA Satellite Tour.
PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough :
“We are committed to promoting a thriving and sustainable professional squash circuit and feel that simplifying the tour structure and easing the transition from junior squash to professional squash will help us to achieve those aims,” said
“Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the WSF in August 2017, we have been hugely encouraged by the commitment from both sides to forge a strong working relationship and believe that partnering with the WSF in this manner will be a significant boost to the growth of the sport in the coming years.”
PSA Tour Director Hannah Ridgard-Mason :
“This is an exciting time for the tour and we believe that these changes will enable us to further promote the game at the highest level while creating visibility for the PSA Challenger Tour, which will be the backbone of the new tour structure.
"We would like to thank our players and tournament promoters for their cooperation during this transition and look forward to working with them closely to ensure that the new tour structure will be a success.”
WSF President Jacques Fontaine :
“It was an important intention for me to bring WSF and PSA closer together when I became WSF President, as a unified sport will progress even more strongly. Our MoU has achieved this aim. Now joining together to allow players competing in our member nation’s national and junior championships to have the opportunity of ranking points is an example showing the benefits of this unity.
"Our priorities as a sport are to offer leadership in education, accessibility and sustainability, and competition too – and our strong bond with PSA addresses the last pillar especially. I am sure that the WSF & PSA Satellite Tour will go from strength to strength.”
Eight young players selected internationally to take the pulse of their generation
The WSF and the PSA has announced the line-up of their joint initiative.
The programme brings together eight top young squash players (four young women and four young men), all under 23 years old, with the aim to further actively engage with the next generations and shape the future of squash as a vibrant and healthy sport. Quite symbolically, the announcement comes on the eve of the Olympic Day, envisioned to encourage young people to move, learn and discover new sports.
The SquashFORWARD members selected from across the world each bring her or his own perspective on the future of their sport. They will become the ambassadors of thousands of young players internationally and will aim to capture the aspirations of their generation. Nour El Sherbini from Egypt (WR #1) and Diego Elias from Peru (WR #11) will co-chair the group.
The development follows on the announcement made by WSF president Jacques Fontaine in April 2018 in Bangkok during the SportAccord Convention.
SquashFORWARD line-up :
Victor CROUIN (France, 18)
Diego ELIAS (Peru, 21)
Nour EL SHERBINI (Egypt, 22)
Eain Yow NG (Malaysia, 20)
Marina STEFANONI (United States, 15)
Dimitri STEINMANN (Switzerland, 20)
Nadia USENKO (Ukraine, 18)
Satomi WATANABE (Japan, 19)
Being on top of the World Rankings is a huge responsibility and I feel that I have to give back what I’ve learnt, to give back for the future of the sport which means so much to my life and the lives of so many young people around the world.
Through the SquashFORWARD initiative, I’m sure we can capture a dialogue between continents and generations and shape how squash should develop in the next years.
Nour El Sherbini, WR #1 and SquashFORWARD co-chair
The group will meet regularly over the next few months to share their vision of the sport and discuss how to make the game even more innovative, inclusive and sustainable than it is today.
SquashFORWARD will kick off its activity at the Dutch Junior Open, which will be held in Amsterdam on July 12th-15th. Members of the initiative will host a focus group with junior players from all over the world and gather their ideas focusing on four major topics: innovation, sustainability, inclusiveness and accessibility. SquashFORWARD will analyse the ideas in the weeks that will follow the tournament and turn them into a set of practical recommendations.
It is envisioned that SquashFORWARD will share their findings and forward-looking recommendations during the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in October where squash will be present as a showcase sport.
The SquashFORWARD Members, in their own words …
Victor CROUIN (France, 18)
“I am Victor Crouin, French squash player and Harvard College student. I am a 7 times junior national champion, 2 times European junior champion and World junior runner-up.
“I have been playing squash for a very long time now and squash has given so much meaning to my life that I want to give back to the sport what it has brought to me. Being part of this great community that is SquashFORWARD.
“I hope we will develop our sport in the right direction in order to achieve our biggest dream: to become an Olympic sport.”
Diego ELIAS (Peru, 21) Co-chair
“Hola!! I’m Diego Elias from Peru.
“I have been a professional squash player for 5 years, which have been by far the best years of my life.
“I love travelling the world and meeting people everywhere.
“The squash community is so welcoming and friendly that I never really feel lonely when I am away from home.
“Squash is not only a great sport to be fit, but it’s the people involved in it all over the world that really make it the BEST sport.”
Nour EL SHERBINI (Egypt, 22) Co-chair
“Hi, I’m Nour. I am 22 years old and I have been playing squash my whole life.
“When I was 13 years old, I became the youngest Junior World Champion and that was when I discovered that my dreams of becoming a professional player could come true.
“At 22, I have already been a World Champion and have been ranked world #1 for more than 20 consecutive months in the professional Tour.
“I love squash, playing for Egypt and I am very happy to be actively involved in promoting my sport all over the world!!”
Eain Yow NG (Malaysia, 20)
“My name is Eain Yow Ng and I’ve been playing squash for the last 14 years.
“I have represented my country Malaysia competing in various tournaments across the globe.
“I enjoy competing with players from different countries and I hope that our sport will continue to grow in the future and have players from every country in the world.”
Marina STEFANONI (United States, 15)
“I’m Marina Stefanoni and I love squash and enjoy waking up and competing every day.
“I became the youngest winner of the US GU19 national title in 2016 and defended it ever since.
“Over the years, I won many International Junior Opens and I have now begun to play PSA tournaments.
“This summer in Chennai, India, I will be representing the United States in my third World Junior Squash Championships.”
Dimitri STEINMANN (Switzerland, 20)
“Hello everyone, my name is Dimitri and I‘m 20 years old.
“Two years ago I decided to go full-time as a squash pro. As a kid, I always dreamed to be able to participate in the Olympic Games as both of my parents are former Olympians.
“Squash would certainly bring a lot of additional action and excitement into the Olympic Games.
“For all of us it would be the highest honour to represent our country at the biggest sport event in the entire world, which at the bottom line, is what the Olympic Games are all about.”
Nadia USENKO (Ukraine, 18)
“I am Nadia Usenko, Ukrainian squash player and Trinity College student.
“I like studying languages and write stories in fantasy style. I am a winner of French, German, Scottish, Welsh, Belgium, Nordic, Swiss, Czech, Italian, Danish, Polish and Austrian Junior Opens – among others!
“I am also 6 times National Champion, 1st racket and the captain of the National Ukrainian squash team.”
Satomi WATANABE (Japan, 19)
“My name is Satomi Watanabe and I am from Japan.
“I have been playing squash for 10 years and I’m 4 times national junior champion, last year’s national champion, runner-up for the 2018 British Junior Open and the first Japanese player to be in PSA World Series top-16.
“Squash gave me so much good experience, opportunities, friends, and more. I hope that many more people get to play and watch squash in future.”
SquashFORWARD is an initiative truly driven by the youngest stars of squash, many of whom dream one day to become Olympic champions. I’m sure this programme will create new thought leaders and help our sport remain at the forefront of what young people seek today from a sport that matches their lifestyles and aspirations.
WSF President Jacques Fontaine
One of the core missions of squash is to provide access to sport to young people all around the world. In dialogue with young players on the SquashFORWARD group we can ensure that we do it in the best possible way.
[3] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (Mas) 3-0 [9] Martin Kegel (Cro) 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 [7] Henry Leung (Hkg) 3-2 [14] Owain Taylor (Gbr)
11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-3
[5] Chi Him Wong (Hkg) 3-1 [11] Adam Auckland (Gbr)
11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 14-12 [2] Josh Masters (Gbr) 3-0 [12] David Zeman (Cze) 11-1, 11-4, 11-8
The first semi-Final of the evening was a much anticipated match of two different styles of competitors. Paul Coll, arguably one of the best movers on the tour was taking on the fast paced shotmaker in Mohammed Abouelgar.
The Match started off exactly as one would anticipate. Abouelgar was dictating the pace early and managed to find a few nicks in the front corners of the court. In Both the first and second games, Abouelgar started at a extremely high pace and took an early lead.
Paul Coll being the stubborn competitor he is, never let up and battled back to take the first two games 11-8, 11-8. In the third game we started to see Coll really push ahead and assert himself around the centre of the court and frustrate the Egyptian with his speed.
Although the crowd wanted desperately to see more high paced squash, the quality of hitting from the New Zealander was just too good and he went on to finish the match in 3 games.
Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) v Diego Elias (PER)
The Second semi-final of the evening between Marwan Elshorbagy and Diego Elias was a another highly anticipated match between two competitors who have met numerous times in their careers on the PSA tour.
From the first serve, Elias, 22 year old Peruvian dominated the pace of play. Through a series of holds, flicks and faced pace play, Elias was able to upset the movement of Elshorbagy and never allowed him to fully settle into the match.
After winning the first two games 11-7, 11-4 in convincing fashion, Elias kept his foot on the gas and went on to win the 3rd and final game 11-4.
New Zealand’s World No.9 Joelle King will compete in the final of a PSA World Series event for the first time in her 13 year career after she knocked World Champion and three-time tournament winner Raneem El Welily out of the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company in a five-game thriller
Former World No.4 King suffered a career threatening injury in 2015 just months after reaching her first ever World Series tournament semi-final, at the 2014 Windy City Open. But she crowned her steady rise back up through the rankings with a formidable display against El Welily, coming from a game behind to take out the 2015, 2016 and 2017 title-holder 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10.
El Welily – who was targeting her fourth Windy City crown - looked determined in the first game as she hit with fierce accuracy to take the opener. However, King came back strong to reach the lucrative final – with this year’s event offering a record high prize fund of $250,000 in both the men’s and women’s draws.
“I definitely think I’m playing the best squash of my whole career right now. I think the injury helped me go away and figure out a few things that were missing in my game and I’ve never really looked back.
“The exciting thing is that I still feel like there is a lot more to come in my game. I think I’m just enjoying my squash which is the main thing and I think it shows and I’m really excited to be in the final.“
The World No.9 will now face World No.3 Nour El Tayeb of Egypt after she defeated England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in another thrilling 3-2 encounter in the women’s event.
“After I won the first two games, I started to feel nervous,” said El Tayeb. “I was thinking ‘am I going to be in another final? This is huge’ and I let go of thinking about the actual points and the squash.
“In the fourth, I started to play well again so I’m happy I won of course.”
In the men’s event, Egyptian brothers Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy will lock horns in the finale in what will be their first meeting since they clashed in the final of the 2017 PSA World Championships in Manchester last December, when it was Mohamed who claimed victory on the day.
The pair saw off the challenge of compatriots Ali Farag and Tarek Momen to earn their spot in the final.
“I’m so happy to reach another final in Chicago and if I could get my first ever World Series title here it would mean a lot,” said Marwan after reaching his second successive Windy City Open final.
“To play in another major final with my brother is amazing. We played in the World Championship final and to play against each other again, this time in Chicago, is fantastic.”
The match will be the seventh final of the 2017/18 season for Mohamed – who will return to World No.1 next month – and he will be aiming to collect title number six so far this campaign.
“It’s great to be in another final, it will be my third final in Chicago,” said Mohamed following his win over compatriot Momen.
“I’m very happy to be playing my brother, he beat me here last year, so I will be looking for revenge.
“I’m really happy with the way he has been playing this season and I’m really proud of him. He has been playing really well and playing with consistency and he is showing the whole world what he can do and what he can achieve.
“The way he played today was unbelievable to take Ali 3-0. We learn from each other but tomorrow he is going to go for me and I know he feels that this is his time to take his first World Series event and it’s up to me to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Three-Time Winner Ashour beats Hesham on first ToC pppearance since 2013
PSA report, photos from SquashPics.com
Three-time J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions winner Ramy Ashour defeated fellow Egyptian Mazen Hesham to cap a triumphant return to New York’s Grand Central Terminal as he made his first appearance at the PSA World Series tournament since 2013.
A litany of injuries over the past five years have prevented Ashour from becoming a regular fixture at the tournament, but he had won his last 10 matches in New York, a run which encompassed title wins at both the 2011 and 2013 instalments.
And, on day two of the 2018 edition, the 30-year-old maverick profited from a series of errors from Hesham to take an 11-5, 11-8, 13-11 victory through to round two, where he will take on World No.11 Paul Coll after the Kiwi beat Zahed Mohamed.
“It’s been a while, last time I came here was 2013 and it’s like a dream come true,” said Ashour.
“The tournament is prestigious, everyone wants to win the Tournament of Champions. It’s really good to be back, a lot has happened and I wasn’t sure when I would be back here and when I would win again on court.
“On the last point I was just looking around and absorbing everything. I don’t even want to win it, I just want to play because I’ve won it three times before and I want to be here. I’m just grateful for everything I’ve been through and I’m glad to be back.”
Ashour will be joined in the last 16 by World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy after he claimed a 21st successive win on the PSA World Tour courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Hong Kong’s Leo Au.
ElShorbagy has won four tournaments in a row - including last month’s PSA World Championships - and picked up where he left off in 2017 to complete an 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 triumph.
“I played him during my junior career and I know how dangerous he is,” said ElShorbagy, who won the Tournament of Champions in 2015 and 2016.
“He’s been in very good form, he beat Ramy in Hong Kong and he took his team into the semis of the World Team Championships last month as well.
“He’s been playing very well and I had to be focused from the first point.”
ElShorbagy will face Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly for a place in the last eight, while compatriot Ali Farag also won on day two with a 3-1 victory against Kiwi qualifier Campbell Grayson.
“To get off to such a start against a tricky opponent is always good and I’m very glad to be through to the second round,” said Farag.
“Campbell likes to play at a mid-pace and he is very accurate, so I had to push up the court a little bit and play with more intensity and I’m happy I was able to do that in the third and the fourth.”
Colombia’s former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez awaits Farag in round two in a repeat of their quarter-final meeting at the World Championships last month, in which Farag prevailed.
Rodriguez made his breakthrough at this event back in 2015 when he beat current World No.1 Gregory Gaultier en route to a maiden World Series semi-final and he advanced to the second round of this year’s tournament courtesy of a 14-12, 11-8, 11-5 victory over Tsz Fung Yip.
“Yip is a very talented player, he’s very fast and he’s a big guy,” Rodriguez said. “The last time I played him, I lost in Hong Kong two years ago but I was ready to play this match. The end of the year for me was excellent, so I’m trying to keep that momentum and it worked.”
World No.7 Tarek Momen, meanwhile, defeated compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar in a captivating five-game encounter and he will take on Peruvian World No.10 Diego Elias, who required four games to beat England’s Declan James.
Women’s Qualifying Finals
Elsewhere, qualifying for the women’s tournament came to an end today with Harvard Junior Sabrina Sobhy beating World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby to ensure that there will be four American women in the main draw of the Tournament of Champions for the first time in history.
Sobhy - who will compete alongside older sister Amanda, United States No.1 Olivia Blatchford and 15-year-old wildcard Marina Stefanoni - will take on World No.3 Camille Serme in round one.
Meanwhile, Amanda is set to make her return from a 10-month injury absence against 2007 World Champion Rachael Grinham after the Australian defeated United States No.3 Haley Mendez in the final round of qualifying.
Former World No.2 Jenny Duncalf was also a victor as she edged experienced Mexican Samantha Teran 16-14 in the fifth game of a dramatic 80-minute clash at the Yale Club and she will take on World Champion Raneem El Welily in round one.
Cuskelly shocks World Champion ElShorbagy as Sobhy makes injury comeback
PSA report, photos from SquashPics.com
Australian Ryan Cuskelly pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career as he knocked World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy out in a thrilling second round battle on day four of the PSA World Series tournament taking place inside New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
Coming into the match ElShorbagy had won 28 of his past 30 matches on the PSA World Tour, including a run of 21 consecutive matches that saw him collect four titles on the trot, including December’s World Championship, to close the gap on Gregory Gaultier atop the World Rankings.
But the Egyptian found himself out-muscled and out-hustled by Cuskelly in an absorbing encounter as the man who has called New York home for almost a decade produced one of his best ever displays throughout a a match of the highest calibre, coming through a mammoth 90 minute encounter to cause a huge upset.
“That’s probably the biggest win of my career,” said Cuskelly afterwards. “And winning here in New York in front of family and friends makes it extra special. My wife was trying to scout tickets for the day to get everyone in, so I’m really happy to pull the win off and I have to thank everyone for the great support I had today.
“I came in today with a game plan and tried to vary the pace and be aggressive when I could and just hang in there when he got on a roll. I managed to get some errors out of him and hit my winners as well so I’m really happy.”
Cuskelly will line up against another Egyptian, World No.7 Tarek Momen, for a place in the semi-finals after Momen came through to win in straight games against Peruvian World No.10 Diego Elias, who wasn’t at full fitness after suffering an injury scare against England’s Declan James in the first round. Three-time winner Ramy Ashour also booked his last eight berth after the World No.14 dispatched New Zealand’s Paul Coll in four games.
The Egyptian, who is now unbeaten in 12 matches at Grand Central Terminal after winning the event on his last two appearances in 2011 and 2013, was in sublime form in the first game and, after conceding the second game to Coll, had to dig in before eventually completing an 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4 victory.
“I don’t know how it looks from the outside, but when I watch us playing I see it as very simple movement and a very simple kind of pace, but you have no idea how many details are in there,” said Ashour.
“There’s so much happening on that court, there’s so much energy, so many thoughts, different vibes and strategies. My energy affects his energy and the way he hits the ball affects the way I hit the ball. That’s why it’s a brilliant sport and why I love it so much.“
Ashour will take on World No.3 Ali Farag in a mouthwatering quarter-final fixture after a polished performance from Farag saw him oust 2015 semi-finalist Miguel Angel Rodriguez by a 3-0 scoreline.
In the women’s draw, former World No.6 Amanda Sobhy - who became the first American-born woman ever to reach the final of this tournament back in 2016 - capped her return from a 10-month injury absence with a 3-1 victory over 2007 World Champion Rachael Grinham.
Sobhy ruptured her achilles while match ball up against compatriot Olivia Blatchford in the semi-finals of the Ciudad de Floridablanca last March, enforcing a gruelling period of rehabilitation, but the Harvard-graduate made a successful comeback in front of her home fans.
"It feels good to be back,” said Sobhy. “When you’re out as long as I was, just being on court is a huge accomplishment. I’ve waited for so long and I got pushed, it was my first match and it wasn’t easy.
“I’m relieved to win but I’m also really happy to be back on Tour. She has an impeccable front court game and that tested out my little leg. I’m happy that I could get the majority of her balls and maybe for my next match I’ll be slightly better.”
Sobhy will take on U.S. Open champion Nour El Tayeb after she dismantled India’s World No.20 Dipika Pallikal Karthik in just 18 minutes, while defending champion Camille Serme got her tournament up and running with a comfortable victory over Sobhy’s younger sister, Sabrina.
"I saw Sabrina play against Coline (Aumard) a few days ago and knew she would be dangerous today,” said Serme.
“I love coming back to New York, it’s so much fun to be playing here and I want to enjoy every minute of it and spend as much time on that court as I can.”
Serme will take on Australia’s Donna Urquhart for a place in the quarter-finals after the Australian overcame an injured Annie Au, while 2014 champion Nicol David and New Zealand’s Joelle King will go head-to-head after respective wins over Samantha Cornett and Heba El Torky.
World Champion Raneem El Welily was also in action and recovered from a game down to defeat former World No.2 Jenny Duncalf - despite rolling her ankle painfully at the end of the fourth game - and she will meet World No.12 Tesni Evans in the next round, with Evans seeing off World Junior runner-up Hania El Hammamy.
Rösner ttuns Gaultier to become first German World Series finalist
PSA report, photos from SquashPics.com
Paderborn-based World No.8 Simon Rösner became the first German squash player ever to reach a PSA World Series final after he stunned World No.1 Gregory Gaultier in the semi-finals.
Rösner, 30, reached his maiden World Series semi-final in November’s Qatar Classic, but he surpassed his performances in Doha with a sublime display against the number one seed, against whom he had lost 16 of their previous 17 matches.
A strong start from Gaultier led the Frenchman to go a game up, but Rösner responded with a display of the highest magnitude to take the next three games without reply, claiming a 9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-1 to cause one of the biggest shocks in Tournament of Champions history.
“It’s definitely the biggest win of my career,” said Rösner.
“To beat him at this stage and reach the final is amazing. I think I’ve lost to Greg more than 16 times, I think I’ve lost to him about 30 times including the Europeans and World [Team] Championships.
"I know I’ve beaten him before, but that was a best-of-three format [during the 2013 PSA World Series Finals] so beating him in a best-of-five is unbelievable. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
There is guaranteed to be a new name etched onto the men’s trophy after World No.7 Tarek Momen overcame fellow Egyptian Ali Farag in a five-game, 80-minute marathon to book a place in his first Tournament of Champions final.
The momentum ebbed and flowed throughout the match, with Farag twice recovering from a game down, before Momen fought back from 8-4 behind in the fifth game to claim an 11-3, 2-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-9 triumph to reach his second World Series final.
“To beat Ali is unbelievable, I can’t believe that I was 8-4 down in the fifth and I made it,” said an emotional Momen afterwards.
“I was running on fumes and I just kept pushing and believing in myself. I thought that this is my chance and I had to push until the end. I’m so glad I did, now I’m in a second final this season, I can’t believe that I’m having a very good season and I have one more push tomorrow. I’m going to fight until the end and hopefully I can get my first [World Series] title.”
Farag’s first World Series final saw him lift the prestigious U.S. Open title in October shortly after wife Nour El Tayeb took the women’s title, as they became the first married couple in sporting history ever to win the same major sports title on the same day.
Farag’s defeat means that history won’t repeat itself in New York, but El Tayeb lives to fight another day after claiming a 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 victory in 36 minutes to send defending champion Camille Serme out.
“Camille is one of the hardest players to play against,” El Tayeb said.
“She’s someone I have learned a lot from and she caught me by surprise, volleying everything and not allowing any balls to pass by. It took me a while to get used to her game, even though we’ve played over 10 times, it’s still hard to get used to her game.
“I’m happy I won the first game, it played a crucial part in the match.”
El Tayeb’s final opponent will be World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, who advanced to a fifth successive PSA World Tour final after recovering from a slow start to overcome 2017 runner-up Laura Massaro.
An impeccable start from the English World No.4 saw her power to an 11-4 victory in game one as El Sherbini failed to connect with her attacking shots and hit a litany of uncharacteristic tins.
However, El Sherbini prevailed in a crucial second game that saw Massaro squander a game ball and the momentum was with the Egyptian player from that point onwards as she pressed on to record a 4-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8 victory.
“At the beginning she was killing everything,” said El Sherbini.
“Even though I was sure I was going to lose the first game, I just wanted to get some points and play until the last point. I think the second game was very crucial and I think that’s what made the difference.”
The winner of both the men’s and women’s tournaments will claim $24,000 in prize money each, while players will also be battling it out for maximum points for the PSA World Series Standings.
Gaultier wins Grand Central epic as defending champion Serme survives second round scare
PSA report, photos from SquashPics.com
A dramatic day of action at the saw men’s World No.1 Gregory Gaultier come through a titanic 90-minute, four-game thriller with long term rival Nick Matthew to secure his place in the semi-finals of the PSA World Series event, while defending women’s champion Camille Serme narrowly avoided a shock second round defeat at the hands of Australian Donna Urquhart.
Inside New York’s iconic Grand Central Terminal, Gaultier, who was up against Matthew for the 36th time on the PSA World Tour, recovered from losing a 30-minute opening game to prevail 12-14, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 in what will go down as one of the finest matches in the history of the event.
Probing back and forth from the off, the pair engaged in rally after rally of physically and mentally testing squash that saw them move the ball, and each other, into all four corners of the court. Gaultier struck a crucial blow when he came from behind to take the third-game from under the nose of Matthew and go ahead on the scoreboard for the first time.
From then on the Frenchman tried to inject pace into the play to tire Matthew. The tactic worked as he eventually prevailed to inflicting defeat upon the 37-year-old in what was his last ever appearance under the chandeliers inside Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.
“We’ve been playing each other for 20 years, since we were kids, and he definitely made it tough today,” said 35-year-old Gaultier.
“He was dominating the centre of the court with his accuracy and made it very hard for me, he was hurting me on there. I just tried to dig in and retrieve as much as I could to keep the rallies going and make him work as hard as possible.
"We both gave everything. Of course we are rivals but we are friends as well and have a huge respect for each other. Playing here in this atmosphere is amazing and we both emptied the tank - hopefully I can recover well for my next round match now.”
After the match Matthew said: “Today he just came out on top even though I think it was the best I have played all season, which shows there’s more to come from me over the next few months.”
Gaultier will now go up against Simon Rösner of Germany for a place in the title-decider after the 30-year-old from Paderborn beat Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller - his friend and training partner - 3-1 to reach only the second PSA World Series tournament semi-final of his career.
The win comes just three months after Rösner secured his maiden appearance in a major semi-final during October’s Qatar Classic.
“It’s hard to play someone who you know so well so I’m just relieved to get through the match today,” said Rösner.
“I am a little disappointed I couldn’t close it out in three, but I’m happy that I got it back in the fourth.
"I had been waiting for a big quarter-final win for a long time and finally managed to get one in Qatar to reach my first World Series semi-finals. To be in a second semi this season here in New York - for the first time in this great venue - is very special."
In the women’s draw, defending champion Camille Serme had to call on all her fighting spirit to recover from a 2-1 deficit and come through a difficult clash with Urquhart in what was one of four women’s second round matches to go the distance.
Serme became the first Frenchwoman ever to win the Tournament of Champions last year when she beat England’s Laura Massaro in the final, but the number three seed was on the brink of an early elimination after conceding a one-game advantage following some superb squash from Urquhart.
The World No.16 outplayed Serme for large parts but the 28-year-old from Creteil showed her resilience as she came from 4-1 down in the fourth game to keep the match alive and, after taking the match into a crucial fifth, she maintained her composure to complete the victory.
"When you are losing, you start thinking about not playing again and being out of the tournament, so that’s when you fight even more,” said Serme.
“You think that you have nothing left to loose and that’s when you relax a bit. At the end I got a lucky bounce and I just fought as hard as I could.
"I knew today would be tricky. Donna is in really good form and she put on a great match. She made me struggle a lot so I’m happy to be through.”
Serme will go up against Malaysian squash icon Nicol David in the quarter-finals after the eight-time World Champion impressed in a 3-1 victory over New Zealand’s Joelle King, while current World Champion Raneem El Welily will take on compatriot Nour El Tayeb after scraping through a difficult five-game battle with Welsh number one Tesni Evans.
El Welily suffered a nasty looking ankle injury during her first round win over Jenny Duncalf and was still feeling the effects of that injury during the early exchanges. But the Egyptian managed to find her footing in the second and raced through the gears to produce some spell-binding play that was equally matched by Evans.
The duo traded points through a series of thrilling exchanges, going all the way to a decisive tie-break finish in the fifth game, which El Welily converted to a standing ovation from the crowd.
“Tesni played fantastic today and I think I was a little flat at the beginning,” said El Welily.
“It was mentally hard for me today. It felt like I was playing a final, which it isn’t, but at least I get to live for another day in this tournament. It definitely wasn’t easy at the beginning with my ankle - I just tried to adjust to it.
"The physios put in a lot of work and really helped me to recover for today and I’ll need to do a lot of work again to be ready for the match tomorrow.”
Elsewhere World No.1 Nour El Sherbini set up a last eight clash with England’s Sarah-Jane Perry with Laura Massaro and Nouran Gohar both prevailing in their second round battles to set up a last eight meeting.
What an incredible night! Spectators often hope for one tight game to go to five….but to have three of four was amazing.
London Squash & Fitness had a full house, and they left this beautiful Friday night in London Ontario ready for the finals.
There is a lot that goes into a week like this, and we would like to put out a big thank you to Jeff Tudhope (club manager) and Chris Hanebury (club professional) for all the extra work they have done. A special shout out to Dr. Lorie Forwell as well. She has assisted with players throughout the NASH Cup history and as one can imagine there have been a number of injuries. It’s important to have someone ready to help and she’s done a great job (at last count she saw 3 players tonight…during the matches). The players really appreciate it.
Saturday’s fun starts at 5:30pm with the Challenge Matches. It’s been 4 years since this side show has taken place and local players Brad ‘Stingray’ Hanebury; Scott Mickalachki; and Calvin Ho will be joined by professionals Daniel Mekbib; Lucy Beecroft and Torrie Malik. We have over 60 challenges on the ready….let’s see who can complete them and still win the rally.
[8] Curtis Malik (ENG; 75) 3-2 Henry Leung (HKG; 58) 11-5, 11-13, 3-11, 15-13, 11-3 (70m)
Friday’s Matches:
5pm Zeina Zein (EGY; 89) v Lucy Beecroft (ENG; 57)
by Brads brother
The first semis of the night features the defending champ, Lucy Beecroft vs. the rising Egyptian star, Zeina Zein. Does Zein have another upset in her cards? My prediction is Beecroft in 5, but this is also my pick for match of the night. Zein has everything, but the experience to be a top 10 player, but Beecroft has a collegiate career and more PSA experience behind her. I also string Beecroft’s racquet this week, so that’s got to give her another slight edge. Let’s see how it plays out.
A dubious down call against Beecroft sees Zein out to an early 4-1 lead. The youngster doesn’t appear intimidated by the occasion or her opponent. I actually think an effective strategy for Beecroft would be to ask for lots of lets. Zein does get a bit agitated when she receives the wrong call. Is that an unethical tactic? Perhaps. Anyways, Zein is running off to a great start at 10-3 with a mixture of great gets and winning shots. Beecroft gets a few points back to 8-10 and applies a little pressure on the youngster, but she wraps up the first 11-8 with a ‘stroke’ decision.
Even though Beecroft lost that game she has quite a bit of momentum heading into game 2 winning 5 of the last 6 rallies. If Beecroft can get off to a solid start this game, I could see her take this second game. It’s a great explanation as to why you never give up on a game regardless of the score. Zein however has other plans and is off to another great start up 6-1. Beecroft has hit a few tins and left a few loose lengths. 8-3 and Beecroft really needs to win a few points here, but how? A three-wall body into a dead rollout nick for Beecroft was one of her few points this game, another game to Zein 11-5 in just 5 minutes. My prediction isn’t looking too good, hope Beecroft isn’t blaming her new strings.
Beecroft really needs to find her length and get on the volley. I don’t think attacking more early in the point is going to do it. Zein has proven that her defence is impeccable, so time to try and grind her down with some fundamentals. Zein hits 3 unforced errors early and goes down 3-1. Beecroft is making a match of this as she hits a few more winners and takes a commanding 6-1 lead. Zein doing the handout serve from the left box again and follows it up with a perfect nick to get back to 4-9. Even if Zein loses this game/ she needs to get some confidence and momentum at the back end of this game. Back to 6-9 and Zein seems back in control of the points again. Beecroft fires back with a couple of winners and takes the third 11-6 in 7 minutes. We got a match.
Even though Zein lost the game she finished strong. The starts of each game have proven to be crucial to the outcome so the start here could dictate the result. Zein gets a call she doesn’t like and then hits a tin and shows a little frustration. She’s only down 1-0 this game, but she has to maintain a positive mindset. She regroups and wins the next 3 rallies. Zein hits another tin a few rallies later and again doesn’t look happy. Beecroft then hits a frame winner off of a tight ball. Here’s some adversity for the first time for the young star. The players trade points and Beecroft takes a 6-5 lead. A great winning boast gives Zein an 8-7 lead. Can she close it out in 4? 10-9 and a first match point for Zein. Beecroft hits a winning drop return, and we have a tiebreaker. Beecroft squeezes a winning drop and now has a game all of her own. Another winning backcourt drop for Beecroft, and she takes the fourth 12-10 in 13 minutes.
It’s anyone’s game now. Beecroft has the momentum and has definitely tightened up her length. We’re in for a great fifth game and as I suspected, this very well could be the match of the night. Beecroft is picking up the pace and has Zein under a little more pressure. A could of quality rallies and it’s 1-1. Some really long and physical points and Beecroft has a 3-2 lead. 5-5 now and as Joey would say there’s nothing between them. Beecroft finally misses a backcourt drop and hands Zein a 9-6 lead. 10-7 match point to Zein and sue hits the metal strip at the back of the court to make it through to the finals. High quality match, but a few tired shots at the end of that game. Looking forward to seeing if Zein can take the title tomorrow.
6pm Nathan Lake (ENG; 38) v Edmon Lopez (ESP; 86)
After a fantastic first match on the women’s side, the night is off to a good start. Lake and Lopez have only played once before, with Lake winning 3-0. However, that was in 2015, so it’s been a long time since their only matchup.
Lopez has upset both his previous opponents, but both suffered injuries during the match. Lake has won both his matches convincingly, and as the #1 seed he is certainly the favorite coming into the match tonight.
The second match has a much larger crowd, people are off work on a Friday and ready for a few drinks and some great squash. The volume is loud before the match has even started, if Lopez and Lake can put on a show, we could be on our way to a classic Friday night at the Nash Cup.
Game 1
First rally is a long one, both players covering all four corners. Lopez takes an early lead and looks ready to grind down his opponent. Lake meanwhile is flashing lots of volleys and soft touches, clearly looking to apply pressure quickly.
It must be said: Lake is wearing a shirt so bright it would be rejected as “too flamboyant” at most 80’s parties. It’s a miracle Lopez can even see out there.
Lake takes a 6-3 lead in the midgame, he is attacking well and controlling most of the rallies. The combination of touch and power, as well as taking the ball early, is tough for Lopez to counter. He will need to find a way to inject some longer rallies into the game, and make Lake react a bit more.
Lake continues the pressure, up 9-6. He is stepping in and taking the ball early, not letting anything get to the back wall. Both players are getting more physical, there have been quite a few lets that were argued fiercely. Lopez manages to close the gap, at 10-10 it looks to be a long match.
In extra points, Lopez shows off his speed to make some incredible gets and takes game one 12-10. It only took 12 minutes, but it felt like Lopez was really finding his rhythm at the end and might be able to lengthen rallies in future games. Lake played very well for the first half but let some of his shots get loose near the end, and he also was on the receiving end of a few tough calls and bad bounces.
Game 2
First rally is incredible, 40 shots at least. Lopez looks to be in control, but a few loose balls allow Lake to take an early 1-0 lead. After a few errors from Lopez, suddenly it’s 5-0. Lake continues to step in and apply pressure from everywhere, he is constantly attacking the ball, forcing Lopez into tough spots.
Lake is flashing all the shots and takes an 8-1 lead. Lopez isn’t playing poorly, but quickly finds himself almost out of the game completely. Just like that, Lake takes it 11-2 in only seven minutes.
Game 3
Game starts out with a flurry of lets, Lake asking for most. Lopez takes an early 3-1 lead, attacking the front of the court with a variety of soft drops. Might be a good way to stop Lake from volleying so successfully and keep him from controlling the rallies.
Lakes effectively starts to attack the front himself, hitting aggressive drops from the back of the court. By keeping Lopez reacting to his attacks, he takes a 5-4 lead.
A combination of strong rallies from Lopez and a few unforced errors from Lake takes Lopez to 10-7. He is playing confidently, keeping Lake off balance, and not allowing him to attack effectively. Lake also appears to be getting tired, and a slow lunge leads to an error that makes it 11-7. Lopez up 2-1, and has to be the favorite heading into game 4. He has successfully worn down all of his opponents to date, and history might repeat itself unless Lake finds a way to get back in his groove.
Game 4
An unbelievable set of rallies start off the game, with both players looking strong. 2-2 early on, and I would say Lake appears to be a bit slower than before. He is getting frustrated with the refs, losing a call to make it 3-2 Lopez that obviously upset him. Lopez playing through contact to keep rallies going, willing himself to wear Lake down.
Lake benefits from some poor errors from Lopez and takes a 7-5 lead. Local massage therapist Jessica Beintema wants me to comment that the players keep using the beer bucket, so here is it: both players are regularly visiting the beer bucket! To towel off of course, they wouldn’t drink beer mid-match. This isn’t Gary Sullivan and Charlie Stratton out there, these are professionals.
Lopez comes roaring back and takes a 9-7 lead, with several nicks and an incredible diving rally. Suddenly, he has game point at 10-9. A highly questionable stroke makes it 10-10 – Lake gets lucky. Two brutal rallies make it 11-11, and Lopez roars after tying it, feeling his advantage, as Lake looks exhausted. However, he immediately tins a forehand, losing his advantage. Lake takes it 11-13, retaking control with a blistering set of volleys.
Although Lake looks exhausted between rallies, he is moving well during the points, and still applying pressure wherever he can. It seems dead-even heading into the fifth.
Game 5
Lakes starts the game with a stroke, consistently getting it on the right side. Lopez’s forehand volleys are loose, giving Lake easy points when Lopez should be applying pressure. Lake is keeping the ball very tight on the walls, earning him a 4-0 lead.
Lake looks consistently exhausted but has managed to seize an 8-0 lead. He can barely recover, but he continues to put balls away whenever he has the chance. He finishes strong, taking the fifth 11-2.
7pm Georgia Adderley (SCO; 59) v Haley Mendez (USA; 54)
Next up, our 2nd Women’s semi-final match of the night between the USAs Haley Mendez, and Scotland’s Georgina Adderley. Both players enter tonight’s tango having dropped only 1 game in previous rounds, so some fresh legs are expected, as the #2 seed faces the #4. They’ve never met before in PSA action - Adderley is 8 years her junior, and well, Mendez was the #1 ranked US junior during her time, so the match potential is there. By the time the warmup compels, the crowd has really filled out, and is excited for what is to come. Game 1 starts off trading points and feeling each out, but Adderley keeps the pressure applied, and surges ahead to close out the first game 11-6.
Game 2 sees Adderley jump out to a strong 5-2 lead in direct result of some just above the tin winners, and tight boasts that prove unreturnable for Mendez. Not to be outdone, Mendez replies with an airtight backhand boast to bring us to 6-3. Mendez was on a good path, and hit some incredible shots, including a feathered drop that was remarkably retrieved and returned by Adderley, seemingly deflating spirits and halting a comeback attempt. That frustration may have led to a few quick points from the young Scot, which really helped cement her lead in the 2nd. Mendez was not ready to quit however and pushed back to 8-6 before a final push from Adderley saw her push to 10-7, and ultimately take the 2nd game.
Game 3 simply kept moving in the direction that Adderley dictated; she was a ball of energy that seemed to cover the court with endless energy and sound retrieval. Jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead, which blessed to 6-1, and then 8-1, it seemed like the smaller and faster Adderley was moving her opponent well, retrieving with conviction and determination, forcing tough cross body movements, and dictating the pace. Simply put, she was well in control her both her shots, and opponent at this time. Ending the game with a few incredibly low winners, and a great taxi on the forehand side, Adderley made a wonderful case for why she deserved to reach the finals tomorrow night. It was a fast 3-0 in only 26 minutes, which can’t help but ensure a fresh and rested body for tomorrows final vs 17-year-old Egyptian Zeina Zein. The youth is alright, apparently, and we are set up pretty for a fantastic final on Saturday Night!
8pm Curtis Malik (ENG; 75) v Henry Leung (HKG; 58)
#Match write up Sep 16, 2022 #nash-cup
The match starts with Malik running away going up to a 9-1 lead. Malik is looking sharp, steady, and hungry. Leung starts a little flat.
Leung attempts a comeback and gets to 5 points, but Malik doesn’t seem fazed and takes the game without breaking much of a sweat.
Leung comes out on the second game looking like he woke up. Maybe he’s shaken out some of the fatigue from his match last night.
Leung continues the momentum and manages to garner a big lead. However, he starts to falter near the end and it gives Malik a boost of energy. Malik builds on this momentum and gets the game going. But Leung isn’t worried and after some very tough and contentious rallies he manages to win the game.
This match break brought to you by AutoVerify. That’s right, I’m doing some self promotion. You own a car dealership? Give me a call at [redacted].
The next game again sees Leung run away with the score. It’s a combination of some good winners by Leung and forced errors by Malik. What’s interesting is that Malik doesn’t look fatigued. He doesn’t need to be forcing out these shots and risking winners.
We end the game with Leung up 2-1.
The next game sees Malik and Leung exchange points back and forth the entire way through. Some of the rallies get a bit choppy as the players see the business end of the game. The refs are forced to make some critical calls which, as anyone that had ref’d a game knows, is a thankless chore. David Fishburn and Steve Flude had done a great job tonight in some very tight matches.
Eventually, Malik pulls ahead by one point in the tie break and despite the. Way efforts of Leung, he wins it to go to a fifth game.
The crowd goes wild and is loving the quality of squash and effort from both of these players.
This reporter is most impressed by Leung still having the stamina to push this hard. Having previously played many matches that I made difficult on myself, it’s fun to watch someone push through that pain and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Malik wins the fourth game, and the crowd goes wild. Not in a sense of favoritism to one player, but simply in the joy of an extremely high caliber of squash.
The fifth game starts and Leung looks flat. He’s now visibly feeling the last few games, not to mention the last few matches. Malik, maybe sensing this, picks up the intensity and runs away with the points. Leung attempts to put in a last-minute effort but isn’t able to slow the momentum of Malik.
Malik wins the wins. Regardless of the outcome, both players should be proud of the quality of squash tonight. That’s a wrap for teletext stingray tonight. Check in tomorrow for more up to the minute news on the life of squash and beer.