London Open: Waller & Mead Secure English Double

Adrian Waller and Alicia Mead claimed the 2023 London Open titles, securing an English double in the nation’s capital. 

Waller lives just 15 miles from the Cumberland Squash Club where this tournament is held, and victory represents somewhat of a full circle moment for him, having made his PSA Tour debut at this very event as a 17-year-old in 2007. 

He reached the final of qualifying in that edition, but 16 years on, he was lifting the trophy aloft, capping an impressive week in which he only dropped two games. 

One of those came in the final against No.4 seed Simon Herbert, who himself had enjoyed a good week in reaching this stage, but was unable to get past the experienced lefty. 

Waller took the first two games in similar fashion, going toe-to-toe with Herbert throughout the early rallies, before pulling away midway through, moving from 6-6 to 11-6 in game one, and 6-5 to 11-6 in game two. 

Herbert responded well and dominated proceedings during game three, winning it 11-5, but Waller raced out of the blocks in the fourth, giving himself an early 4-1 lead. 

Herbert threatened to stage another fightback, even saving the first two match balls he faced, before Waller ripped a ferocious forehand into the nick on a return of serve to wrap up the title. 

Speaking after the match, Waller revealed how special it was to win an event so close to home. 

“It’s great to win a tournament, no matter where it is,” he said. 

“But it’s only 15 miles from my home so it’s been a nice week for me, to say the least, so I’m very pleased to win this week and look forward to the tournaments in the next few weeks, hopefully roll on to some good form.” 

“I managed to control the game quite well in the first two, and that sort of meant not going short too much, just getting settled in the game, and I came out on top of that quite well. 

“But in true fashion for Simon, he was never going to give up, he came out firing in the third and all credit to him, he played a really good game, pretty much error-free, to really put some pressure on me there, all the way down to midway in the fourth game before I started to see some cracks, so I’m glad to get that fourth in the end.” 

Waller’s win followed victory in the women’s final for No.5 seed Alicia Mead, who came through a five-game battle with Egypt’s Malak Khafagy to claim the biggest title of her career. 

Mead won her first 12k at the Pader Open in October, and now has a 15k in her collection after twice coming from behind to beat the No.4 seed. 

19-year-old Khafagy has already won four tour titles herself in 2023, and looked as though she might add a fifth to that record when he moved within one game of victory at 2-1 up after 25 minutes. 

Crucially, though, Mead took an early 4-1 lead in the fourth, and saw that lead through to an 11-9 win to send the match into a decider. 

This time it was the Egyptian who made the fast start, winning the first two points, but Mead responded in style, taking control of the rallies to win 10 of the next 12 points and bring up match ball. 

With the score at 10-4 she had six opportunities but only needed one, sealing victory when a backhand drop from Khafagy’s racket hit the tin. 

“That was the best I’ve played in a long time, which I really wanted to produce today” she said after her win. 

“I played some good squash this week but I was really looking for that performance, and I felt like I really produced it today. I’m over the moon.” 

“I feel well conditioned and I do a lot of physical work, so I’ve hung in the matches well. At times it could’ve been a little bit tidier, but building up to the week was exactly how I wanted to play today, and it’s a great win for me.” 

Result: Men’s Final 

[1] Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [4] Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (48m) 

Result: Women’s Final 

[5] Alicia Mead (ENG) bt [4] Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4 (48m)