Hamilton Open Preview: Aitken Looking To Win At This Level

The first of six tournaments in a mega week on the Challenger Tour will be the Hamilton Open, which will take place from Tuesday, October 25 to Saturday, October 29 in Lancaster, PA, United States.

Both the Hamilton Club of Lancaster and the Franklin & Marshall College will play host to the Challenger 20 level tournament, which is in its second year. Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk won the event last year, when it had Challenger 10 level status.

England’s World No.30 Lucy Turmel will be the top seed for this year’s edition of the tournament. Scotland’s Lisa Aitken will be the highest-ranked player in the draw though, with the World No.28 as the No.2 seed for the competition.

We spoke to the Scot, who now also spends some time in the commentary box for SQUASHTV, and she believes that after some setbacks in the summer, she is starting to find her game once again.

“I started to feel really comfortable with how I was playing and what I was trying implement in matches towards the end of the season in May 2022. El Gouna especially felt great and I was looking forward to Mauritius and the Commonwealth Games carrying that form,” the Scot said.

“I broke my hand and picked up eColi and unfortunately couldn’t play, and lost the form! I didn’t get a chance to have any form of squash specific preseason and played the Commonwealth Games with a broken hand and went straight into the season, so it was a bit of a stressful start! 

“[There was] lots of anxiety and worry about whether I’d be able to find confidence in my game again so quickly, slowly I feel it is coming back!”

The Scottish No.1 comes into this event following a quarter final appearance in San Francisco. She tried out something new, with the return of her coach, and was happy to get through to the main glass court at the Silver level event.

“It was my second outing at the Oracle NetSuite Open and one I was particularly looking forward to, I had saved up some finances to bring my coach from home and with the coaching coming back in between games I wanted to try out having her presence there after such a long absence,” she explained.

“The event itself started as a bit of an anticlimax with the round being split across a few venues, but fortunately I made it to the glass court which was pretty cool in the ‘hangar’ and had an industrial feel about it. For me, being able to get on to the glass court at big events is what it’s all about, that is the real stage and it’s in those settings you are tested the most.”

As the No.2 seed and the highest-ranked player in the draw at the Hamilton Open this week, Aitken knows that it will be hotly contested, and that any number of players could take home the title this week. 

“I think everyone who enters a tournament turns up with a view to beat everyone there! I don’t think seedings make a particular difference when it comes to that, the depth in the tournament is amazing and there are a number of players there who can lift the title next week. 

“Personally, Challenger 20 level events are ones in which I’m looking to win this season, so I will be surprised if there is anyone there next week who wants to beat me more than I want to beat them.”

Following her time in the States, Aitken will be one of several players travelling East for a run of tournaments in New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to end 2022. She is looking forward to getting back to that part of the world, and to places where she spent a lot of time earlier on in her career.

“I cannot wait to get back across the other side of the world, when I started on the PSA World Tour during the Nicol David era we had so many events in Asia, particularly Malaysia and I loved it there,” she explained.

“Being able to go back almost where it all begun is quite cool, not to mention how important it is we have events back in Asia as a whole, the tour has been dominated by Egypt and USA for some time, a change of scene will be nice for the players and from a tour perspective it helps the sports ‘global’ feel. 

“In terms of New Zealand, it’s my favourite country in the world, after my stint off tour for a couple of years I was based there training with Kylie Lindsay for 6 months at the same club the competition will be held, it’s a home from home with incredible people so it holds a special place in my heart. 

“As a tournament run on the whole, it’s a long and tough stint but this is exactly what we train for and I feel really privileged to be able to pack a bag and travel to these countries consecutively competing.”

Aitken will be joined by fellow Scot Georgia Adderley in the top eight seeds for the competition, along with the English duo of Lucy Beecroft and Millie Tomlinson to make it five Brits inside that seeding bracket. Hana Moataz, who won the women’s event at the Life Time Chicago Open last week, will also be in action.

There will only be two Americans in action on home soil in the Challenger 20 level competition. Lucie Stefanoni and Audrey Berling, one of two wildcards for the tournament, will be in the draw.

The event takes place from Tuesday, October 25 to Saturday, October 29 at the Hamilton Club of Lancaster, PA, United States. Follow the PSA Challenger Tour on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates from the event.

Action from Lancaster will be streamed throughout the week on the PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel, where you can watch Challenger Tour action, and interviews with rising stars.

First Round Draw: Hamilton Open
[1] Lucy Turmel (ENG) – [Bye]
Ambre Allinckx (SUI) v [9/16] Menna Nasser (EGY)
[9/16] Nardine Garas (EGY) v Bruna Marchesi Petrillo (BRA)
[8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) – [Bye]
[7] Hana Moataz (EGY) – [Bye]
[WC] Sanne Veldkamp (NED) v [9/16] Kenzy Ayman (EGY)
[9/16] Karina Tyma (POL) v Laura Tovar (COL)
[4] Nicole Bunyan (CAN) – [Bye]
[3] Ineta Mackevica (LAT) – [Bye]
Ali Loke (WAL) v [9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG)
[9/16] Diana Garcia (MEX) v Lea Barbeau (FRA)
[5] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) – [Bye]
[6] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) – [Bye]
Lucie Stefanoni (USA) v [9/16] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND)
[9/16] Rana Ismail (EGY) v [WC] Audrey Berling (USA)
[2] Lisa Aitken (SCO) – [Bye]