Former World No.1 Willstrop Claims Five-Game Victory On Day One Of Squash On Fire Open 2024

Former World No.1 James Willstrop rolled back the years to recover from 2-1 down to defeat Portugal’s Rui Soares on the opening day of the Squash On Fire Open 2024.

The Englishman, 40, hadn’t taken to the court competitively on the PSA Tour since mid-December, but there were few signs of rustiness as he raced into a one-game lead in the first round of the PSA World Tour Bronze event in Washington DC.

Despite Soares settling into the match and progressing into a 2-1 lead with some physical squash, Willstrop’s experience came to the fore as he set up a deciding game and moved into a slender lead in the fifth.

The 22-time PSA Tour winner, who delighted the packed house with two of his trademark windmill shots in the latter stages of the match, brought up match ball after 53 minutes of action, and at the second time of asking, claimed victory with a forehand winner.

After the match, Willstrop said: “I haven’t played for so long, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it was great, I loved every minute of it. I’m constantly seeing how I’m doing with my playing. Obviously, with my coaching, there’s much less playing going on, but it was nice to feel good out there and to know why I still want to play out there. To get a win and a good result was a bonus.

“I think I knew before the match that I had to start well and not get embroiled in too many physical rallies. The physicality is a little bit of a doubt, I’m not sure how much of an engine I’ve got at the minute, so getting that first game quickly was good.

“I just got a run in the fourth and completely changed the match. I’m slightly surprised at myself, but I’ll take it.”

Meanwhile, American duo Todd Harrity and Spencer Lovejoy led home success after both coming from two games down to progress to the second-round. World No.54 Harrity defeated Israel’s Daniel Poleshchuk in a 51-minute encounter, while World No.69 Lovejoy came away victorious from his 70-minute thriller against Addeen Idrakie. 

After claiming his first victory of the calendar year, Harrity said: “It was a rollercoaster. I was 2-1 down and somehow I came back. I just slowed it down, took it one point at a time, and focussed on getting it deep to the back and getting him behind me more. Bit by bit, I climbed my way back in and I’m just glad to win. 

“I was getting nervous at the end because I just lost a close match [in Pittsbrugh] 11-9 in the fifth and I was getting déjà vu thinking that I have been here before, but I just had to hang tight and luckily he gave me a couple of errors.

“I really needed that today actually. It’s been a tough season, I haven’t won many matches, so I’m glad to get over the finish line and get the win. He was a tough opponent, he was really fast and I will definitely take some confidence and some positivity after winning that today.”

Elsewhere, Yannick Wilhelmi and Velevan Senthilkumar, who both reached the quarter-finals of the Silver-level Pittsburgh Open last week, came through their matches against Tayyab Aslam and Wildcard Mark Broekman in straight games, respectively.

In the women’s draw, Australia’s Jessica Turnbull came back from match ball down to record a five-game victory over India’s Akanksha Salunkhe.

After falling a game behind to the World No.72 Salunkhe, the match took a crucial turn in Turnbull’s favour in the second game, with the 28-year-old able to nick a 12-10 tiebreak. At 2-1 down and match ball down in the fourth, Turnbull once again looked to be staring at defeat, but claimed three consecutive points to force a deciding game.

The fifth was a back-and-forth affair that saw the trading of points early on, but Turnbull eventually sealed victory through an 11-8 scoreline.

After the match, she said: “I’m really pleased and super relieved. I’ve been over in the US for five weeks now and it’s my first win, so I’m very happy. 

“[At match ball down] I just wanted to think one point at a time, stay in it, chuck something different in here and there, and luckily enough, I was able to hang in there.

“Luckily, I was here in Washington DC quite early, I came straight from Detroit, so I had another two or three days compared to everybody else who came here, so I could get on the glass as much as I could. I don’t get on the glass much and I knew it was going to be different. I just knew I had to get the ball to the back on there, it’s really dead on there, and luckily, length is something that I love, so that was good for me.”

Elsewhere, tournament Wildcard Menna Walid recorded her maiden PSA World Tour victory following a back-and-forth five-game duel with Kenzy Ayman. The 19-year-old, who claimed her spot in the draw thanks to victory at the Squash On Fire Open 2024 Wild Card Challenge event on Sunday, defeated her compatriot by a 6-11, 13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6 scoreline.

There were also notable victories on the opening day in Washington DC for Egyptian trio Salma Eltayeb, Menna Hamed and Haya Ali, as well as Malaysia’s Aira Azman, who came through her match with Saskia Beinhard in five games.

Day two of action from the Squash On Fire Open 2024 commences at 12:00 (GMT-5) on Wednesday, 15th February and will be available to watch live on SQUASHTV. For more information on the Squash On Fire Open 2024, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 

Results: Squash On Fire Open 2024 Men’s RD1 

Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-0: 15-13, 11-5, 11-5 (32m)

Lucas Serme (FRA) bt [WC] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (43m)

Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt Tom Walsh (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (56m)

Todd Harrity (USA) bt Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) 3-2: 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-8 (51m)

Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-2: 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-3 (70m)

Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [WC] Mark Broekman (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 (22m)

James Willstrop (ENG) bt Rui Soares (POR) 3-2: 11-5, 5-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9 (54m)

Ben Smith (ENG) bt Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7 (46m)

Draw – Squash On Fire Open 2024 Men’s RD2: To Be Played February 15th

[1] Victor Crouin (FRA) v Ben Smith (ENG)

Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v [6] Saurav Ghosal (IND)

[8] Nathan Lake (ENG) v James Willstrop (ENG)

Bernat Jaume (ESP) v [3] Iker Pajares (ESP)

[4] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v Lucas Serme (FRA)

Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) v [5] Greg Lobban (SCO)

[7] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Todd Harrity (USA)

Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) v [2] Youssef Soliman (EGY)

Results: Squash On Fire Open 2024 Women’s RD1 

Aira Azman (MAS) bt Saskia Beinhard (GER) 3-2: 9-11, 11-3, 11-5, 6-11, 11-2 (37m)

Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Marta Dominguez (ESP) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (30m)

Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt Nardine Garas (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 (23m)

Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) 3-2: 9-11, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8 (51m)

Menna Hamed (EGY) bt Ineta Hopton (LAT) 3-1: 10-12, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (32m)

[WC] Menna Walid (EGY) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-2: 6-11, 13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6 (38m)

Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt [WC] Anna Serme (CZE) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 (23m)

Haya Ali (EGY) bt Danielle Ray (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-6 (16m)

Draw – Squash On Fire Open 2024 Women’s RD2: To Be Played February 15th

[1] Tinne Gilis (BEL) v Haya Ali (EGY)

Malak Khafagy (EGY) v [8] Hana Moataz (EGY)

[5] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [WC] Menna Walid

Menna Hamed (EGY) v [4] Tomato Ho

[3] Amina Orfi (EGY) v Ainaa Amani (MAS)

Jessica Turnbull (AUS) v [6] Rachel Arnold (MAS)

[7] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v Aira Azman (MAS)

Salma Eltayeb (EGY) v [2] Sabrina Sobhy (USA)