Colin Payne Kent Open: Malik and Watanabe Crowned Champions

England’s Curtis Malik and Japan’s Satomi Watanabe have claimed the titles at the The Colin Payne Kent Open Sponsored by 501 Entertainment at the Tunbridge Wells Squash Club.

The Challenger 3 level tournament was played in honour of former British Masters champion Colin Payne, who died tragically in 2016.

Watanabe, the World No.145, came into the tournament as the No.4 seed, and after receiving a bye through to the quarter finals, the Japanese player got the better of No.5 seed Polly Clark in straight games.

She then needed just 15 minutes to cause her first upset of the tournament, as she got the better of No.2 seed Kace Bartley, before then overcoming the challenge of top seed Torrie Malik in the final on Saturday.

The pair battled it out for half an hour at the Tunbridge Wells Squash Club, with Watanabe taking the first two games by an 11-7 scoreline, before the young Englishwoman fought back to take the third game. However, it was to be Watanabe’s second title of the year, as she won the match 3-1, to finish the event by downing the top two seeds.

In the men’s event, Curtis Malik, an elder sibling of Torrie, came in as the top seed, and defeated wildcard Noah Meredith to get his campaign underway, beating his fellow Englishman in four games.

He then got the better of Aaron Allpress and No.6 seed Owain Taylor en route to the final without dropping a game, before taking on James Peach on Saturday afternoon.

Malik took the first two games of the final, before seeing Peach take a tight third game 11-9 to half the deficit. However, the draw’s top seed was able to take the title, winning the fourth 11-4 to secure his third crown of the year.

Results: The Colin Payne Kent Open Sponsored by 501 Entertainment
Men’s Final
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [7] James Peach (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4 (41m)

Women’s Final
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [1] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (31m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [6] Owain Taylor (WAL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (33m)
[7] James Peach (ENG) bt Finally Withington (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (28m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt [3] Rana Ismail (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 14-12 (25m)
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [2] Kace Bartley (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (15m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Aaron Allpress (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (26m)
[6] Owain Taylor (WAL) bt [4] Perry Malik (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (37m)
Finally Withington (ENG) bt [8] Jack Mitterer (ENG) 3-1: 5-11, 16-14, 11-5, 11-4 (42m)
[7] James Peach (ENG) bt [2] Joshua Masters (ENG) 3-2: 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 15-13, 11-7 (48m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Lara Newton (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (22m)
[3] Rana Ismail (EGY) bt [6] Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (17m)
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [5] Polly Clark (ENG) 3-0: 11-1, 11-5, 11-3 (15m)
[2] Kace Bartley (ENG) bt Amy Royle (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)

Men’s Round One
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [WC] Noah Meredith (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 (41m)
Aaron Allpress (ENG) bt [5] Hasnaat Farooqi (ENG) 3-2: 6-11, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3 (56m)
[6] Owain Taylor (WAL) bt Nick Ratnarajah (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 14-12, 11-3 (27m)
[4] Perry Malik (ENG) bt Jordan Warne (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
Finally Withington (ENG) bt [3] Anthony Royal (ENG) 3-1: 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (36m)
[8] Jack Mitterer (ENG) bt Josh Attwell (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 (39m)
[7] James Peach (ENG) bt Alvaro Martin (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (28m)
[2] Joshua Masters (ENG) bt Phil Nightingale (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 (19m)

Women’s Round One
Lara Newton (ENG) bt [7] Catherine Holland (SCO) 3-1: 11-2, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4 (25m)
[6] Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) bt Emma Keane (BER) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4 (26m)
[5] Polly Clark (ENG) bt Olivia Besant (RUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (21m)
Amy Royle (ENG) bt [8] Isabel McCullough (ENG) 3-2: 9-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-9, 16-14 (46m)