Nash Cup: Lake and Zein Claim Biggest Tour Titles

Doing so in very different fashion, England’s Nathan Lake and Egypt’s Zeina Zein have taken the 2022 Nash Cup titles in London, Ontario, with both players securing their biggest titles to date.

Zein, the 17-year-old who only won her maiden Tour title at the Hove Ampito Squash Open ten weeks ago, came into the women’s Challenger 20 level competition unseeded, and she proceeded to go on an incredible run through the draw to secure her biggest title to date on Tour.

The Egyptian overcame Colombia’s Laura Tovar to start her week, before then using the biggest upset of them all, as she took down top seed Ineta Mackevica in the second round. She took the first two games comfortably, before seeing the World No.46 fight back to take the third. However, Zein was able to regroup, winning the fourth to seal an impressive victory, and it would not be the last in her week’s work in London.

The 17-year-old only needed three games to overcome the challenge of Spain’s Marta Dominguez Fernandez in the quarter finals, winning 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, before then taking down defending Nash Cup champion Lucy Beecroft, the No.3 seed, in a five-game battle in the semis.

Zein held a two-game advantage, but the Englishwoman fought back to send the match into a deciding game, where the Egyptian had to use all of her fighting powers to turn the momentum back in her favour to get over the line. The final saw Zein overcome Scotland’s Georgia Adderley, who was also featuring in her first Challenger 20 level final. The pair did battle for 47 minutes at the London Squash Club, with the Egyptian coming out on top in four to claim the biggest title of her fledgling career to date.

Lake, meanwhile, received a bye through the opening round’s action due to being the top seed for the men’s competition. He then followed that with a straight games victory over Germany’s Yannik Omlor to advance to the quarter finals in London.

The USA’s Christopher Gordon was next on Lake’s list, and the Englishman downed one of the Tour’s most experienced players in three to set up a clash with the unseeded Edmon Lopez in the semis. The left-handed Englishman had to fight from behind to take the win in their last four contest, saving match balls in a fourth game tie-break, before going on to win in five against the Spaniard.

That victory put him through to the final, where he took on fellow Englishman, and the tournament’s No.8 seed, Curtis Malik for the title. The pair were level after two games, with the lower seed winning the second on a the-break to level the match, but from there, Lake was in control, dropping just nine points in the last two games en route to his first Challenger 20 level crown.

Results: Nash Cup
Men’s Final
[1] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [8] Curtis Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7 (51m)

Women’s Final
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt [4] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 3-1: 11-4, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 (47m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[1] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Edmon Lopez (ESP) 3-2: 10-12, 11-2, 7-11, 14-12, 11-2 (56m)
[8] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [2] Henry Leung (HKG) 3-2: 11-5, 11-13, 3-11, 15-13, 11-3 (70m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt [3] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 3-2: 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 10-12, 11-7 (52m)
[4] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt [2] Haley Mendez (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (26m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[1] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [7] Christopher Gordon (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (35m)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-6 (32m)
[8] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Andrew Douglas (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 (49m)
[2] Henry Leung (HKG) bt [6] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 3-2: 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10 (81m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt [7] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[3] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (29m)
[4] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt [5] Marina Stefanoni (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8 (51m)
[2] Haley Mendez (USA) bt Ambre Allinckx (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (31m)

Men’s Second Round
[1] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5 (46m)
[7] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Michael McCue (CAN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 13-11 (48m)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt [5] Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 11-13, 11-2, 11-4 (44m)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt [4] Arturo Salazar (MEX) 3-2: 11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 15-13, 11-0 (47m)
Andrew Douglas (USA) bt [3] David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (41m)
[8] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Alfredo Avila (MEX) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (39m)
[6] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Guilherme Melo (BRA) 3-2: 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-5 (69m)
[2] Henry Leung (HKG) bt Nick Sachvie (CAN) 3-0: 11-7, 13-11, 11-9 (43m)

Women’s Second Round
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt [1] Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-1: 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4 (27m)
[7] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt Nadeen Kotb (EGY) 3-1: 12-10, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6 (39m)
Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [8] Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-1: 11-2, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 (40m)
[3] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) bt Diana Garcia (MEX) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 (32m)
[4] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Katerina Tycova (GER) 3-0: 18-16, 11-6, 11-6 (39m)
[5] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Anna Kimberley (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 17-15, 11-4 (38m)
Ambre Allinckx (SUI) bt [6] Karina Tyma (POL) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6 (40m)
[2] Haley Mendez (USA) bt Alicia Mead (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 11-7, 3-11, 12-10 (36m)

Men’s First Round
Yannik Omlor (GER) bt Valentin Rapp (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (43m)
Michael McCue (CAN) bt Mark Broekman (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7 (43m)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt Connor Turk (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (23m)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Salah Eltorgman (CAN) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-7 (28m)
Andrew Douglas (USA) bt [WC] Matthew Henderson (CAN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (25m)
Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt [WC] Liam Marrison (CAN) 3-1: 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (37m)
Guilherme Melo (BRA) bt Shawn DeLierre (CAN) 3-2: 13-11, 11-13, 12-10, 5-11 0-0 rtd (84m)
Nick Sachvie (CAN) bt Diego Gobbi (BRA) 3-1: 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13 (53m)

Women’s First Round
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt Laura Tovar (COL) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-1 (33m)
Nadeen Kotb (EGY) bt [WC} Amal Izhar (CAN) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (21m)
Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Lucie Stefanoni (USA) 3-2: 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-9 (40m)
Diana Garcia (MEX) bt Margot Prow (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (29m)
Katerina Tycova (GER) bt Ali Loke (WAL) 3-1: 10-12, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 (39m)
Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt [WC] Iman Shaheen (CAN) 3-0: 11-1, 11-8, 11-6 (23m)
Ambre Allinckx (SUI) bt Sofia Mateos (ESP) 3-1: 11-3, 11-2, 9-11, 11-4 (32m)
Alicia Mead (ENG) bt Nikki Todd (CAN) 3-1: 12-14, 11-3, 12-10, 11-8 (31m)