Latest news with #squash
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Makin makes history with PSA Squash Tour Finals title win
British number one Joel Makin has become the first Welsh player to win the PSA Squash Tour Finals after he beat world number one Mostafa Asal at Toronto's Revival Film Studios. The 30-year-old won the first two games 11-10, 11-7, before Asal, 24, retired from the match due to an ankle injury after the Egyptian went 1-0 behind in the third game. Advertisement Makin was appearing in the first major PSA final of his career and he has now won the 10th - and biggest - title of his career. It is Makin's second title of the season after also winning the Silicon Valley Open in October 2024. "I've just been chipping away, and it's not been a short process, that's for sure," said Makin. "It was a really high quality one, the same as last night [against Diego Elias]. We had two really good games, it was frustrating in the third that we didn't get to keep going. "At sudden death again in the first game, it was really high quality. It's upsetting that he [Asal] wasn't right. Advertisement "I'm happy to win, but I want that challenge, I want to win. I want to see how I am against him when he's playing well. "It's been another good week, it wasn't my best stuff in the group stages, but you've just got to keep trying, keep on getting better and come out and bring my best performance on the night." World number one Nouran Gohar of Egypt won the women's trophy after beating world number four Olivia Weaver of the United States 11-10, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3. The PSA Squash Tour Finals brings the curtain down on the PSA Squash Tour campaign, with the 2025-26 season set to begin in August.
BBC News
an hour ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Makin makes history with PSA Squash Tour Finals title win
British number one Joel Makin has become the first Welsh player to win the PSA Squash Tour Finals after he beat world number one Mostafa Asal at Toronto's Revival Film 30-year-old won the first two games 11-10, 11-7, before Asal, 24, retired from the match due to an ankle injury after the Egyptian went 1-0 behind in the third game. Makin was appearing in the first major PSA final of his career and he has now won the 10th - and biggest - title of his career. It is Makin's second title of the season after also winning the Silicon Valley Open in October 2024."I've just been chipping away, and it's not been a short process, that's for sure," said Makin."It was a really high quality one, the same as last night [against Diego Elias]. We had two really good games, it was frustrating in the third that we didn't get to keep going. "At sudden death again in the first game, it was really high quality. It's upsetting that he [Asal] wasn't right."I'm happy to win, but I want that challenge, I want to win. I want to see how I am against him when he's playing well. "It's been another good week, it wasn't my best stuff in the group stages, but you've just got to keep trying, keep on getting better and come out and bring my best performance on the night."World number one Nouran Gohar of Egypt won the women's trophy after beating world number four Olivia Weaver of the United States 11-10, 9-11, 11-8, PSA Squash Tour Finals brings the curtain down on the PSA Squash Tour campaign, with the 2025-26 season set to begin in August.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Is the World's Best Squash Player Testing the Rules, or Is He Cheating?
Not long ago, an anonymous YouTuber known only as Quash Bad Squash reposted one of the strangest moments in the history of the sport. It's match ball in the finals of last year's British Open tournament, with a check for $26,600 on the line. The four-time world champion Ali Farag, an Egyptian with the physique of a pipe cleaner and the speed of Mercury, is about to lunge forward and hit a backhand. But as he tries to get past his opponent, a rising superstar and fellow countryman named Mostafa Asal, Mr. Farag does something baffling. He stops playing. Instead, he wheels around to look at Mr. Asal, as if he's momentarily stunned. 'Oh, my goodness gracious me!' shouts one of the commentators broadcasting live on the website SquashTV. 'What has he done?' shouts another. The referee isn't sure. So a second referee, whose job is to handle tough calls, looks at instant replay video footage to determine if Mr. Asal blocked his opponent — a no-no that would cost him the point. The second referee watches the sequence a few times and sees nothing wrong. Point and match to Mr. Asal. He buries his face in his hands, overwhelmed with joy. For everyone else, a mystery remained: Why did Mr. Farag stop playing? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Asia champ Alex Lau targets world rankings rise after 2-year top 40 breakthrough
New Asia squash champion Alex Lau Tsz-kwan said on Friday that he had his eyes on entering the world top 30, after finally breaking through a two-year 'bottleneck' at No 40. The Hongkonger has reached a career high on the rankings list after winning gold in Malaysia at the Asian Squash Championships last week, where he beat Qatar's Abdulla Al-Tamimi 3-0 in the final. And after training overseas, which he called 'finding the right direction for me', the 29-year-old said he expected to focus on competing in more World Series tournaments so he could chase ranking points. 'No 40 was like a bottleneck for me for almost two years, so reaching the 30s for the first time meant a lot to me,' Lau, who is now ranked 39th, said. 'Your ranking tells your consistency throughout the season; I felt I could reach a higher spot but got stuck instead. Other players might be able to play their strongest game whoever they play, but my game might work only on specific players.' Alex Lau (left) and Tomato Ho won their maiden regional individual titles at the Asian Squash Championships in Malaysia last week. Photo: Handout Setbacks in New Zealand and Australia, even with favourable draws, were offset by better results in China, England, Singapore and Switzerland.
The Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Hosts underdogs going into USSA squash championship
Madibaz's squash elite are present and correct for their biggest test of the year when they take on their peers at the University Sports SA tournament in Gqeberha from Sunday. The event, which takes place at Crusaders Squash Club, will welcome more than 100 student-athletes and officials from across the country for a week of high-octane competition in individual and team formats. The last time Mandela University hosted the competition, in 2018, the Gqeberha team finished runners-up to UJ. Coach Jason le Roux said even though they might have less depth than back then, a top-five finish remained their goal. He expected it to be tough going against defending champions UP-Tuks and NWU. 'But it is an excellent opportunity for the players to test themselves,' he said. Even so, with Zunaid Lewis coming in to provide stability at No 3, he said there was already a noticeable improvement within their ranks. 'The guys have worked incredibly hard and we're hoping that extra year of experience will count in our favour,' Le Roux said of his charges, who will no doubt enjoy underdog status. Mike Donaldson, at No 1, will lead the men's squad with Luke Muller, Lewis, Stewart Frieslaar and Adrian Mitchell playing the supporting roles. Donaldson, originally from East London but now one of Eastern Province's top players, will be key to the team's fortunes even though he will face stiff competition at the top of the order. The late withdrawal of Nicole Heuer from the women's side due to unforeseen circumstances is a blow. This means the team remain unchanged from 2024. Despite this setback, Le Roux remained upbeat. 'The experience they gained last year means they know what to expect. They've prepared well and are ready.' Tanith Moreton, Savannah Barron, Bianca Lansdown and Michaela Hill make up the women's contingent. Looking at the tournament as a whole, Le Roux predicted a fierce battle between UP-Tuks and NWU for team honours. 'Much will depend on how those squads have developed since last year. 'Tuks had a young team who won the title, so you'd expect them to be even stronger.' Though North West might not have made a forward step as significant as the team from Pretoria over the past 12 months, he said they were always tough to beat. 'Then you have teams like UJ and Maties. They'll be in the mix, depending on their consistency throughout the week.' New individual champions are guaranteed as 2024 titlists Tristen Worth and Helena Hudson are not in the field. NWU's Gareth Craigen tops the men's seedings, while 2024 runner-up Lara Patrick of UP-Tuks heads the women's draw. Individual competition is from Sunday to Tuesday with the team event following from Wednesday to next Friday. — Full Stop Communications The Herald
