Lagos Squash Classic: Curtis and Torrie Malik Victorious

England’s Curtis and Torrie Malik were victorious at the Lagos State Squash Classic, with the siblings winning their respective finals in straight games.

The pair both came into the competition, the first to be held in Nigeria since 2018, as the top seeds. Younger sister Torrie already had five titles to her name prior to this event, and she would go on to take a Tour-leading sixth, winning the event without dropping a game.

Her three matches all came against Nigerian opposition. She defeated wildcard Titilayo Akinleye to start with, before victories came against No.6 seed Isaac Blessing and No.3 seed Busayo Olatunji.

The final saw her take on Egypt’s Malak Fathy, the No.5 seed for the competition. Fathy had caused two upsets on her way to the final, including beating No.2 seed Lea Barbeau. There would be no repeat in the final, though, as Malik dropped just 14 points in a comprehensive 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 win to claim her sixth victory of an incredible 2022-2023 season.

She was joined in the winners’ circle by brother Curtis. Also the top seed, Malik started his week with a straight games victory over Egypt’s Yusuf Elsherif, before then having to go the distance in his quarter final contest. The Englishman had to come from 2-1 down to defeat Nigerian Adegoke Onaopemipo, the tournament wildcard, eventually winning in five.

Malik then came up against younger brother Perry in the semi-finals of the Challenger 10 level event, winning in four games. The final saw the Englishman take on the Czech Republic’s Martin Svec, and it was comfortable for Malik on the day, as he won in 24 minutes, dropping just 12 points in total, to claim his second victory of the campaign.

Results: Lagos State Squash Classic
Men’s Final
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [3] Martin Svec (CZE) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-2 (24m)

Women’s Final
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [5] Malak Fathy (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (20m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [4] Perry Malik (ENG) 3-1: 14-12, 5-11, 1-6, 11-5 (35m)
[3] Martin Svec (CZE) bt [2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-1: 4-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-5 (49m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [3] Busayo Olatunji (NGR) 3-0: 11-5, 14-12, 11-2 (25m)
[5] Malak Fathy (EGY) bt [2] Lea Barbeau (NGR) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9 (49m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [WC] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) 3-2: 11-6, 14-16, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7 (65m)
[4] Perry Malik (ENG) bt Kehinde Samuel Temitope (NGR) 3-1: 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3
[3] Martin Svec (CZE) bt Seif Tamer (EGY) 3-1: 6-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (35m)
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt [8] Laouenan Loaec (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (34m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [6] Isaac Blessing (NGR) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-4 (15m)
[3] Busayo Olatunji (NGR) bt [7] Mariam Ashraf (EGY) 3-1: 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (40m)
[5] Malak Fathy (EGY) bt [4] Rofiat Abdulazeez (NGR) 3-0: 11-3, 13-11, 11-8 (25m)
[2] Lea Barbeau (FRA) bt [8] Favour Utukpe (NGR) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 (16m)

Men’s Second Round
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Yusuf Elsherif (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-3, 13-11 (37m)
[WC] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) bt [6] Ziad Ibrahim (EGY) 3-2: 16-14, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8 (75m)
Kehine Samuel Temitope (NGR) bt [7] Laszlo Godde (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 13-11 (41m)
[4] Perry Malik (ENG) bt Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 3-2: 5-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (35m)
[3] Martin Svec (CZE) bt [WC] Abel Shedrack (NGR) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (25m)
Seif Tamer (EGY) bt [5] Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) 3-2: 11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9 (60m)
[8] Laouenan Loaec (FRA) bt Aarno Allpress (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 (32m)
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Gabriel Olufunmilayo (NGR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-9 (40m)

Women’s First Round
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [WC] Titilayo Akinleye (NGR) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 (23m)
[6] Isaac Blessing (NGR) bt [WC] Taiwo Ebifemi (NGR) 3-1: 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-1 (32m)
[7] Mariam Ashraf (EGY) bt [WC] Modupe Faniyi (NGR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (20m)
[3] Busayo Olatunji (NGR) bt [WC] Mostural Durosinlorun (NGR) 3-1: 11-5, 11-3, 10-12, 11-5 (22m)
[4] Rofiat Abdulazeez (NGR) bt [WC] Udeme James (NGR) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (19m)
[5] Malak Fathy (EGY) bt [WC] Awawu Balogun (NGR) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 (16m)
[8] Favour Utukpe (NGR) bt [WC] Delight Temple (NGR) 3-1: 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-2 (45m)
[2] Lea Barbeau (FRA) bt [WC] Idowu Ogunyemi (NGR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 (26m)

Men’s First Round
Yusuf Elsherif (EGY) bt [WC] Ayomide Oladipupo Michael (NGR) 3-1: 11-6, 13-11, 6-11, 11-4 (47m)
[WC] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) bt Brice Nicolas (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (24m)
Kehinde Samuel Temitope (NGR) bt [WC] Femi Shedara (NGR) 3-1: 13-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-2 (50m)
Henrik Mustonen (FIN) bt Omar ElKattan (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 12-10 (21m)
[WC] Abel Shedrack (NGR) bt Jan Wipperfurth (GER) 3-1: 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (42m)
Seif Tamer (EGY) bt Manu Paquemar (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 (30m)
Aaron Allpress (ENG) bt Pradeep Malik (IND) 3-0: 11-1, 11-1, 11-3 (20m)
Gabriel Olufunmilayo (NGR) bt Faruq Sulaimon (NGR) 3-0: 11-6, 11-1, 11-2 (19m)