Evans Credits Good Form To New Coach Waters

Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans has started the new 2022/23 PSA World Tour season in terrific style, out of her first four events, she has reached the semi-final stage twice (at the Open De France & Grasshopper Cup, a Platinum event quarter final (at the Egyptian Open) and has narrowly lost out 3-2 to World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the U.S. Open last 16.

Evans struggled with her form last season, only managing to progress past the last 16 stage once from October to April and lost out to lower ranked opposition more times than she would have liked, an unfamiliar situation for the 30-year-old.

We caught up with the former World No.9 to discuss her thoughts on her current form and what’s changed for her to start so well in this campaign.

“Last season I just didn’t feel comfortable.” said Evans.

“I was lacking direction and lost all my confidence in my squash. It was a low season for me and one I didn’t enjoy. I wasn’t enjoying my squash and I mentally wasn’t good enough and all in all I was just not playing well enough. I think the standard of the women’s tour notched up a few levels and I wasn’t matching it at all.

“I think one of the biggest things is that I have started to work with Alison Waters. I have really enjoyed working with Al, she has really given me a boost. She’s really got me enjoying my squash again, putting me through some really hard sessions. She has really given me a lot of confidence and direction in all parts of my training and has brought something very different to the table, but also simplified how I needed to play. She has a lot of experience, especially within the women’s game, which has been a massive help. I’m really enjoying it and having a lot of fun as well as it being really hard work.

“I think that the women’s game has become very open, with so many challengers for each event, which makes it so exciting. There are so many good players, with the depth being so good and seeing so many upsets in events, I think it’s all on the day sometimes and anyone can beat anyone, all I do is show up and give everything I have and make it as tough as possible.

“The start has given me massive confidence going forward. You can do all the training and practice matches but you’re always going to gain the most confidence from tournaments. You learn the most from these matches and it’s just been nice to play a few matches per tournament which wasn’t the case last season.”

Evans’ last event at the Grasshopper Cup in Switzerland highlighted just how well the former British National Champion is playing at the minute. After beating Spainish No.1 Cristina Gomez in just 18 minutes, Evans produced a big upset as she overcame fellow Brit and No.3 seed Sarah-Jane Perry 2-1 to make the quarter finals.

Shen then beat Egypt’s Salma Hany again in three games to set up a semi-final match up with World No.3 Hania El Hammamy for a place in the final. The Welshwoman battled hard but eventually fell 3-1 in 51 minutes.

“The ambition for the rest of the season is to get back into the top 10. I have a lot of work to do to get there but that’s the main goal. It’s been a good start to the season but it’s still very very early on and still a long way to go and it’s important to back up and not just be pleased with how I have started.”