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Carrus Nations Cup Day Three: Player Reaction
The Carrus Nations Cup – the first tournament to be held in the new SquashFORWARD series – continues today at the Trustpower Baypark Arena in Tauranga, New Zealand with eight matches in store as pool stage action draws to a close.
In Pool A, top seeds New Zealand just need to win one match against Scotland the reach the final, but a win for Canada in the afternoon session would put them in place to capitalise on a Kiwi slip up.
Pool B is clearer – the winner of England v Team Europe will make the final.
The SquashFORWARD series is a series of new squash events intended to trial changes to the traditional competition and scoring formats used at official tournaments, including those on the PSA Tour.
For more information on the new scoring format used this week, go here.
We’ll have reports and reaction from those in action right here, while you can watch all the action live on SQUASHTV.
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Order of Play
(All times are local GMT+13)
13:00: Australia v Canada
Rex Hedrick v David Baillargeon
Jessica Turnbull v Hollie Naughton
14:30: New Zealand B v USA
Lwamba Chileshe v Timothy Brownell
Kaitlyn Watts v Olivia Clyne
18:00: New Zealand A v Scotland
Paul Coll v Greg Lobban
Joelle King v Lisa Aitken
19:30: England v Europe
Mohamed ElShorbagy v Sebastien Bonmalais
Sarah-Jane Perry v Nele Gilis
Australia v Canada
Hedrick Win Over Baillargeon Lifts Australia Up to Third in Pool A
Australia have moved up into third place in Pool A after men’s World No.81 Rex Hedrick scored his first win of the Nations Cup courtesy of a 4-2 win over Canada’s David Baillargeon – a victory which ensures that hosts New Zealand A will top the pool and feature in tomorrow’s final.
Australia need to win both matches to have a chance of earning their place in the third-place play-off and Hedrick got them off to a brilliant start after overcoming Baillargeon by a 4-7, 7-2, 7-2, 7-2, 4-7, 7-2 scoreline in 56 minutes.
Hedrick put in his best performance of the event so far as he battled back from a game down to open up a three games to one lead.
Intelligent use of the Powerplay helped Baillargeon convert a 5-4 lead in the fourth, but Hedrick was back on top in a one-sided sixth game to lift Australia above Scotland in the pool.
“That felt good,” said Hedrick.
“The first day I played Paul Coll, it was good fun and I tried my best but realistically it was only going to go one day. I was a little bit disappointed yesterday, I thought I could challenge Greg a little bit more, so to at least finish on a high and keep Jess in the hunt was a really nice feeling.
“I think the scoreline pressure is massive, when it’s only first to seven, if you go down two or three points, it can snowball really quickly. I just kept telling myself to get a good start, then the next three games I was able to jump in a bit more at the start and it made a big difference.”
Result
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt David Baillargeon (CAN) 4-2: 4-7, 7-2, 7-2, 7-2, 4-7, 7-2 (56m)
Naughton Wins Tie for Canada
World No.17 Hollie Naughton ensured that Canada won the tie as she stormed to a 4-0 win against World No.70 Jessica Turnbull.
Naughton had won both of her previous matches against Turnbull – with their last meeting coming in 2020 – but it was a one-sided affair as Naughton’s skill on the volley drop saw her put away a number of winners to dominate her opponent.
The Canadian dropped just nine points over the course of the four games and her win has put her country on the cusp of a spot in the third-place play-off, with Scotland needing to win both of their matches against pool winners New Zealand A later on to usurp them.
“I think yesterday I was a little disappointed after the first game,” said Naughton.
“Obviously credit to Joelle, she’s a very good player, so if you drop off target slightly then she punishes you. I felt disappointed that I didn’t adapt and didn’t try and change things yesterday, so today I wanted to continue my momentum after a strong first game. I felt like I did that quite well.
“I’ve got to keep working on that, especially with these quick games. It was 20 minutes for four games, that’s just never going to happen in a best of five. It’s crucial to have those good starts.
“I really wanted David to try and get that win, it’s nice to go on feeling a bit more relaxed. As much as it is a team event, we are still individuals and I just wanted to win regardless of whether he won or not. These are the matches where you are expected to win on paper and you’ve got to deal with that pressure, so even with David not winning, there’s still the same pressure I would have had in a regular tournament.
“I’ve seen Jess play over the years and she’s a very talented player. If you leave that ball anywhere near her racket, she’s going to punish you and she’s feisty. She’ll keep running, she’ll give it her all, so there is always that possibility at this level where everyone is capable of beating everyone.”
Result
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 4-0: 7-1, 7-2, 7-2, 7-4 (19m)
USA v New Zealand B
Brownell Gets First Win on the Board
USA’s Timothy Brownell claimed his first Nations Cup victory as he put in an impressive performance against New Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe, winning 7-6, 5-7, 7-3, 7-2, 7-2 to seal third place.
The Philadelphia-based 25-year-old was clinical and on top throughout the match, despite a small blip in the second game which saw Chileshe find his attacking range at the front of the court.
New Zealand B remain the only team not to have won a match so far at this event, and Chileshe’s compatriot Kaitlyn Watts will hope to put a win on the board when she takes on Olivia Clyne next.
“We’ve been working really hard and it’s great to show our level here and show that we’re stuck in and ready to compete with all the teams,” said Brownell.
“Even though we didn’t get wins in the earlier days, we were right in it and a few of the matches went right down to the wire, so to get a win on the board is massive. The atmosphere is great and shoutout to the guys in Superman capes, they were awesome.
“The energy out there was fantastic today and I think it’s gonna keep getting better every day, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s been awesome, I think it’s going to get better every day and I’m looking forward to it.
“She [Clyne] kicks my butt in the gym, so this is nice, it’s a different scene here. We go way back and she’s a lovely person to be around. She doesn’t give an inch, so it’s really exciting to watch her play and compete alongside her.
“It’s huge being out here with all the top players, just seeing how they go about it every day. It’s really nice to show that we belong here. Going into the Silver event next week with some of the top players in the world, there’s a lot of top 10 players here.
“It’s massive just to show that no one can take us lightly in the draws, so I’m looking forward to making some noise.”
Result
Timothy Brownell (USA) bt Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 4-1: 7-6, 5-7, 7-3, 7-2, 7-2 (40m)
Clyne Ends USA’s Campaign with a Win
World No.20 Olivia Clyne ensured that USA ended their Nations Cup campaign on a high with a 4-1 win over World No.88 Kaitlyn Watts.
Clyne was hoping to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Timothy Brownell following his victory over Lwamba Chileshe and made no mistake as she completed a 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-4 triumph in 32 minutes.
Watts was able to win her first game of the event after some sublime drops in the fourth game enabled her to avoid a straight games defeat. However, Clyne refocused and did her bit in the fifth game to seal the win.
“I don’t think I’ve thought too much about being on first, being on second, who’s up, who’s down and where the points are, which has been really nice for me,” said Clyne.
“It’s been very process-oriented, like let’s go out and do the right things regardless of what’s happening, which is why I feel like this has been the perfect practice and very exciting and fun to try something new.
“You’re still under pressure, there’s still something on the line, but there aren’t tons of things on the line. You don’t have that many opportunities in the US, we don’t have leagues, we don’t have situations like that where there is a little bit of pressure, but it’s not a PSA match.
“You go out and play and then you’re on that stage where you have something to play for again, but it’s not the end of the world. And to play world-class players whilst doing that is really the icing on the cake.
‘[The atmosphere] is brilliant, whoever has the tunes: where are you playing and what club are you playing? I need to come and party with you because I’m just digging it. They’ve got Journey going on, they’ve got Tony Orlando. It make it so much more fun and so much more energetic.
“We have a really big tournament like the U.S. Open, where obviously the crowd is mostly on my side, and then here it’s fun to have the opposite because the energy gets everyone involved.
“It is very enticing and it makes it more fun, then I get riled up, so it brings everything up and I think that’s always fun.”
Result
Olivia Clyne (USA) bt Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 4-1: 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-4 (32m)
New Zealand v Scotland
Coll Powers Past Lobban
With their route to the final already secured, home favourite Paul Coll came out and played some incredible squash in his last pool match of the Nations Cup.
The Kiwi, who had the buoyant home crowd behind him, dropped just nine points in total across four games, dispatching Scotland’s Greg Lobban in under half an hour.
Coll’s movement and racket work were both in almost perfect shape in the match, as ‘Superman’ continued New Zealand’s unbeaten start to the tournament, making it five wins from five for the host nation.
“Feeling better every day. It’s probably the best crowd out there today. A lot of fun. It’s just awesome. [I’m] just having the time my life out there and trying to enjoy this week and soak it in as much as possible,” Coll said.
“I’m very happy with my squash and just loved every minute of it. They [the Superman fans] sort of gave me the extra 10% today. Cleaning the court, having a few beers, loving life, it gave me good energy. Before I went on court, one of them just said enjoy it. That’s what I did.
“I’ve definitely got the better snot mop [moustache] I’ve been growing mine for a few days. He’s [Greg Lobban] been on his for six months now. I hope by the end of November I’ve got a good one.
“He’s a legend, Greg. He’s kindly offered to wax his off in December. He’s going to wax his moustache off, his soup strainer, if we rise $5K, so everyone get out their $1, $2. It would be great to see a video of Mr Lobban waxing his snot mop off.
“It is still up for debate [whether Coll would join Lobban in doing so] but I could be persuaded. If we need the support I’ll put mine up as well.”
Result
Paul Coll (NZL) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 4-0: 7-2, 7-2, 7-1, 7-4 (26m)
King Keeps New Zealand Perfect
After seeing her Commonwealth Games Gold Medal-winning partner Paul Coll take victory, Joelle King did the same in her match-up with Scotland’s Lisa Aitken to keep New Zealand perfect throughout the pool stages.
The Kiwi started strongly, dropping just a single point in the first game, before Aitken took a self-inflicted injury break to get her foot strapped prior to the second game.
King continued in the same form after the break, winning the second game before the Scot came back to take the third. However, the Kiwi, buoyed on by her home crowd, dropped just one more point across the last two games of the contest, as she sealed the deal in five, winning 4-1 to make it six wins from six for the tournament’s top seeds.
“I mean it’s a weird thing before I went on Paul [Coll] told me that we were already through. It should relax you in a good way, but sometimes you need that little bit of something to chase, to sort of fire you up. I’m happy. I’m happy with getting off there and getting through tonight,” King said.
“Obviously, Lisa [Aitken], very tough opponent. She came back strong in the third. I came off the pace just a little fraction and she was straight in there. Very happy to be in the final.
“To be honest, no, not really. I’m trying not to think too much ahead [towards the final]. There’s been a bit of trash talk flying around already from potential finalists. So yeah, we’ll see. I think obviously a lot of people are asking about the England and New Zealand match up, obviously with two top ten players in both teams.”
Result
Joelle King (NZL) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 4-1: 7-1, 7-4, 3-7, 7-0, 7-1 (32m)
England v Europe
ElShorbagy Continues Imperious Form
After dropping just eight points in his match on Friday, England’s Mohamed ElShorbagy kept that rich vein of form up. On Saturday evening against Frenchman Sebastien Bonmalais, he won in straight games once more.
‘The Beast’, who is wearing the England shirt for the first time this week, won the opening game of his contest with the Frenchman, playing for Team Europe, 7-3. He then took the second game without dropping a point to really put his stamp on the contest.
The next two games were closer, with Bonmalais trying to implement his attacking squash, but ElShorbagy was too good for the Frenchman. He won in four to almost guarantee England’s place in the final in Tauranga.
“I am very happy with my focus. I think this tournament is very, very good for your focus. It’s good that I didn’t lose focus at all during whole match,” he admitted.
“I think I was happy with how I did yesterday. Sometimes when you’re winning 2-0, 3-0, you can easily lose focus in one of the games. It happens when you’re playing best of five in a normal PSA event a lot. So, this tournament has been very good mentally for all of us.
“There hasn’t been any trash talk at all, don’t fire them up, please. It’s all been good. They’ve [New Zealand] been playing well, we’ve been playing well. I think the final that everyone wants to see I guess is New Zealand against England.
“We are the best two nations here in this tournament right now. That’s why we’re seeded one and two. I really do hope tomorrow, if we get to the final that we give the crowd a very good match.”
Result
Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Sebastien Bonmalais (EUR) 4-0: 7-3, 7-0, 7-4, 7-2 (30m)
Gilis Downs Perry In Incredible Fashion
In the final match of the pool stages, Belgium’s Nele Gilis, playing for Team Europe, got the better of England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games thanks to some terrific squash.
The Belgian had never defeated Perry in five previous matches, but she came firing out of the blocks in Tauranga. She claimed the first game 7-3, before then doubling her advantage following the second game.
Perry managed to get past the points mark she needed to in the third game to secure the tie for England, but Gilis would go on to win in straight games, dropping just 11 points across those four games.
“I was just trying to play and win every single rally. I wasn’t thinking about the score too much, and I thought I did pretty well, this is my first time beating her in an official tournament,” Gilis said.
“That’s what I thought [on New Zealand being a second home] but I wasn’t hearing any cheers for me! It really does feel like a second home to me and I love playing here so much.”
Result
Nele Gilis (EUR) bt Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 4-0: 7-3, 7-4, 7-3, 7-1 (33m)
