[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
Borja Golan (ESP) bt [9/16] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 6-11,
11-8 (65m)
[9/16] Declan James (ENG) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-8, 11-5
(31m)
[5] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bye
[9/16] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) 11-9,
11-7 (29m)
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-2,
11-2 (15m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
[9/16] Tom Richards (ENG) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-4, 12-10
(29m)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-5, 11-7
(32m)
[6] Max Lee (HKG) bye
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
[9/16] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt George Parker (ENG) 5-11, 11-6,
11-6 (52m)
[9/16] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [WC] Sam Todd (ENG) 11-6,
11-1 (17m)
[2] Simon Rösner (GER) bye
Wildcard) Sam Todd (ENG)
REPORTS
New Zealand’s Coll Beats Momen to Become Canary Wharf Classic Champion World
No.7 Paul Coll has become the first New Zealander to get his hands on the
Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic trophy after he overcame Egypt’s
Tarek Momen by a 3-0 scoreline in their final fixture at London’s spectacular
East Wintergarden earlier today.
Both players were appearing in their second successive PSA Tour finals, with
Coll falling to Peru’s Diego Elias in the Troilus Canada Cup last week, while
Momen went down to World No.1 Ali Farag in the title decider at the PSA World
Championships in Chicago a fortnight ago.
A best-of-three games format was used up to and including the quarter-finals in
Canary Wharf, with scoring reverting to best of five for the semis and final -
and Coll hadn’t dropped a game all tournament. Momen, meanwhile, was looking to
match wife Raneem El Welily after she won the CIB Black Ball Open title earlier
today.
The
26-year-old Kiwi was sublime in the final as he attacked with accuracy into the
front of the court and hit a flawless length game to edge the first two games.
The third game was all Coll though as Momen struggled with his movement, and the
man from Greymouth closed out an 11-8, 12-10, 11-3 victory in 64 minutes to
capture the 13th PSA Tour title of his career.
Tonight’s win sees Coll win his first PSA Tour event since December 2016, when
he beat Momen in the final of the Channel VAS Championships at St George’s Hill.
"It is such a prestigious tournament, there are such phenomenal names on the
trophy and to be a part of that is something special,” said Coll afterwards.
"I
have played this tournament three times, and I feel like I have played well
every year. I love coming here, it is such a well organised event. The
atmosphere is amazing, it is packed out every round and I love that.
“I have been trying to make some improvements for a while now, and I really felt
them come into my game in the World Championships. I felt quite strong on court.
In Toronto, I just lost out in the final and that really hurt me. I was
confident in my squash and as long as I could get my head right this week, I was
confident. I am really happy with the squash, and also [happy] to stay strong
mentally for the entire event."
Coll also had a message for people affected by the recent tragic events in
Christchurch and dedicated his win to them.
He said: "To everyone back home in Christchurch, stay strong.
"It is a horrible thing that has happened to New Zealand and that was for you,
and for everyone in Christchurch tonight. Stay strong guys."
Coll takes home $17,500 in prize money and his next tournament will be the DPD
Open in Eindhoven, which takes place between April 9-14, 2019.
Momen
and Coll to Meet in
Citigold Canary Wharf Classic Final Egypt’s
World No.3 Tarek Momen and New Zealand’s World No.7 Paul Coll will contest the
final of the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic tomorrow after
they claimed respective wins over World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy and Mathieu
Castagnet at London’s East Wintergarden earlier today.
Momen lost in the final here 12 months ago to ElShorbagy, but he was in sublime
form to avenge that defeat, winning 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9 to reach the final
of this tournament for the second time.
World No.3 Momen ended a nine-match losing streak to ElShorbagy with an
extraordinary triumph in the semi-finals of the PSA World Championships two
weeks ago, and ‘The Viper’ picked up where he left off in Chicago tonight as he
came flying out of the traps to take a comfortable 11-7 victory in the opening
game.
ElShorbagy, who today became the youngest player of the modern era to reach 500
PSA Tour matches, stepped up the ’T’ in the second to level, but he squandered
an 8-4 lead in the third to hand the initiative back to his opponent. Momen fell
9-7 behind in the fourth, but he held his nerve in front of a packed house at
East Wintergarden to overturn that deficit and complete the win.
The win came shortly after wife Raneem El Welily had edged Nouran Gohar in five
games to reach the final of the Black Ball Open in Cairo.
"I was having déjà vu because only two weeks ago, I was playing Mohamed in the
semi-finals of the World Champs, and Raneem had just finished a five-game match,
12-10 in the fifth," Momen said afterwards.
“She lost, and it was very hard for me to go on court and play Mohamed only five
minutes after it happened. Today, it was the same scenario. Literally two
minutes before I started warming up, their match [El Welily and Gohar at the
Black Ball Open] was over.
“I am kind of trying to get this approach where I go on and give 100%. I know I
had Mohamed today, I was tired yes, but I just wanted to win and I didn’t want
to give it up. I want to be the best in the world, and to be the best, I have to
perform at my best every single match and every single tournament."
Meanwhile,
Coll overcame 2016 champion Mathieu Castagnet to reach a second successive PSA
Tour final, winning 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 in 47 minutes.
Castagnet has been one of the surprise packages of this tournament - beating
both No.2 seed Simon Rösner and No.7 seed Fares Dessouky - with the best of
three format used in previous rounds playing into his hands.
But Coll was too strong for the World No.26 today as he matched his traditional
length hitting with some fine touches at the front of the court to close out the
win in straight games.
“I was watching it [Momen v ElShorbagy] while I was warming up," said Coll.
"It was incredible, such high-quality squash in that match. Both players
probably deserved to win that match. I am going to have my work cut out for me
tomorrow, but I am looking forward to the challenge against one of the top
players in the world.
“I am just going to have to be really alert. He is taking it in so well, with
lots of angles and lots of severity. I am going to have to really watch him and
be careful where I leave the ball on the court because he can put it away. He is
one of the best in the world at putting the ball away.”
Coll will appear in the final of this tournament for the first time and will be
aiming to win his first PSA Tour title since the 2016 Channel VAS Championships
- where he beat Momen in the final.
Coverage of the final begins at 19:00 (GMT) on Friday March 15 and will be shown
live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and mainstream
broadcasters such as BT Sport, Sky Sports New Zealand, Fox Sports Australia and
more.
Castagnet’s Run Continues to Reach
Semi-Finals France’s
Mathieu Castagnet continued his superb run at the 2019 Citigold Wealth
Management Canary Wharf Classic as he followed up a second round scalp of No.2
seed Simon Rösner with a 2-1 win over No.7 seed Fares Dessouky at London’s
spectacular East Wintergarden to reach the last four.
Castagnet, the 2016 Canary Wharf Classic champion, fell a game behind to 2017
runner-up Dessouky, who attacked at every opportunity. Castagnet was able to
squeeze some errors from the Egyptian in the second game though as he pulled
away to level for the loss of seven points.
Dessouky marched into a 4-1 lead in the third, but Castagnet’s indomitable
fighting spirit came to the fore as he hung in the rallies and played the big
points well. The 32-year-old closed out the win by an 5-11, 11-7, 11-7 scoreline
to claim his first ever win against Dessouky after three previous defeats.
“I have no words to express my emotions," said Castagnet.
"It is like [yesterday against] Simon Rösner, I had never beaten Fares, this is
the first time I have beaten him. This is the right time to beat him, to reach
the semi-finals of the Canary Wharf Classic again. I would like to thank all the
French guys and all the people who supported me. Also, my wife is watching me
with my little cat, so I say hi to both as well.
“I am pretty happy, I am trying to get back to a better shape and today and
yesterday, I proved that I am able to get back into the world’s top 20, so I did
my best for that."
Castagnet
is the only unseeded player to reach the semi-finals and he will line up against
No.4 seed Paul Coll in the next round as they do battle for a place in the title
decider.
Coll, the Kiwi World No.7, defeated Welshman Joel Makin to earn his place in the
semi-finals of this tournament for the second time. Coll got the better of Makin
in a brutal 106-minute encounter in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games
back in April and their encounter at East Wintergarden was similarly attritional.
This time, the match was held under a best-of-three games format - which is
being trialled at this tournament for a second successive year - and Coll
recorded an 11-9, 12-10 triumph in 47 minutes to book his semis berth.
“I knew it was going to be so tough to win a point," said Coll.
“Credit to him, he is a fighter, and he is a quality player already. He is only
going to get better. [It was] very fair, and I enjoyed the match, as tough as it
was. I was a bit off the pace, but I knew what I had to do. I just had to stay
calm and I started attacking a lot more down my backhand where I was feeling
comfortable, and it paid off.”
The
other semi-final will see defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy take on the man
he beat in last year’s final, Tarek Momen, after they claimed respective wins
over England’s Declan James and Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly.
James had got the better of ElShorbagy’s younger brother, Marwan, in the
previous round, but found the older sibling a step too far as the man from Egypt
completed an 11-9, 11-2 triumph to move into the last four.
“Declan is one of my good mates on tour, we trained together this summer. He
came to Bristol and we trained a few times. I don’t think I am going to train
with him anymore,” ElShorbagy joked after the match.
“He beat my brother and I think Marwan is going to blame me for that. He has
been playing really well and I am really happy for him. Tarek got out of jail a
little bit today. Ryan was playing so well, but Tarek has been playing an
amazing season. He beat me last week and I really forward to having another
great match with him.”
Momen ended a nine-match losing streak to ElShorbagy when he ended his fellow
Egyptian’s World Championship title defence in Chicago at the semi-final stage
two weeks ago, and he will look to back up that win after defeating Australia’s
Ryan Cuskelly 8-11, 13-11, 11-5.
“Eventually,
what got me through today was my sheer desire to win and I am very happy to get
through," Momen said.
"I had a rest day yesterday, which I really made use of. It was very important.
The best of three is helping in that regard, so I am happy to go only three
games today, and hopefully I will get some good recovery for tomorrow.”
The semi-finals of the Citigold Canary Wharf Classic will take place on Thursday
March 14 and play will revert back to the best of five format used at all other
ranking PSA Tour events.
Play starts at 18:30 local time (GMT) and action will be broadcast live on
SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only), and mainstream
broadcasters such as BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and more.
French World No.26 Mathieu Castagnet booked his place in the quarter-finals of
the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic after he caused a
stunning upset of No.2 seed Simon Rösner at London’s East Wintergarden earlier
today. This
tournament has been a happy hunting ground at times for Castagnet in the past,
with victory over Egypt’s Omar Mosaad in the 2016 final seeing him win his
biggest title on the PSA Tour.
A string of injuries have seen Castagnet slide down the rankings from a
career-high No.6 ranking, but he rolled back the years with a fearless display
against the German No.1 to claim his first win over Rösner at the seventh
attempt.
All of those matches were played using a best-of-five games format, however the
best of three format - which is being trialled in Canary Wharf for a second
successive year - looked to play into his hands as he attacked well and used the
lob intelligently to complete an 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 victory in 55 minutes.
“The first, and the last, time I beat Simon Rösner was when I was 16 or 17 years
old,” Castagnet said.
“It was at the French Junior Open. Since then, in leagues, exhibitions, PSA
tournaments, European Team Championships, all the time he beats me 3-2, 3-1,
3-0. So when I reached my first match ball against him in the seniors, if I had
to put the ball to the back of the court a thousand times, I would.
“I don’t know if we can say that in English, but he is like my ‘black beast’.
All the injuries I have had, it is such an amazing game for me today. I have so
much respect for him and we are close friends, but I really enjoyed that moment
because I worked so hard to be back at my best and to live that moment, it is
something special to me, to be honest.”
Castagnet will line up against 2017 runner-up Fares Dessouky for a place in the
semi-finals after the World No.67 defeated home favourite Daryl Selby 11-5,
11-2. Dessouky has recently recovered from an ACL tear which saw him miss out on
appearing at this tournament last year, but he came close to lifting this title
two years ago, ultimately losing out to legendary Englishman Nick Matthew in the
title decider.
Dessouky
was on song in the opening game as he hit a series of thunderous shots into the
nick, and he went on to take the opener for the loss of just five points. The
start of the second game was a scrappy affair as the video referee was called
into action in the first four rallies of the game. Dessouky took a number of
points in succession and he dropped just two points to close out the win in 25
minutes.
"I played very good squash today, even my movement was quite good,” said
Dessouky.
“I had an ACL injury so I had surgery in December [2017]. After that I had
another small surgery, and I feel like I’m improving every tournament.”
New Zealand’s Paul Coll also advanced to the quarter-finals, coming through to
beat England's Tom Richards 11-4, 11-5. The pair had met in the quarter-finals
of the Canada Cup exactly a week ago, with Coll winning that encounter in
straight games too.
“We
played each other last week, so I knew he liked to take it in fast, with lots of
angles," Coll said.
"I tried to stay up the court and cover those angles. We had some fast rallies
last week as well, so I knew exactly what to expect. I am happy with the way I
adjusted and found my length on the court too."
The Kiwi will line up against Welshman Joel Makin. Makin overcame Hong Kong’s
Max Lee, winning 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 to reach the quarter-finals in Canary Wharf
for the first time.
“I
have been watching this tournament for years," Makin said.
"It is one of the favourites for all the players and everyone enjoys it. I
wanted to get through a couple of rounds, I hadn’t done well in this tournament
before, so I am really looking forward to tomorrow.”
The quarter-finals of the Citigold Canary Wharf Classic will take place on
Wednesday March 13 and play starts at 18:00 (GMT). Matches will be shown live on
SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
Results - Second Round (Bottom Half): 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary
Wharf Classic
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 2-0: 11-4, 11-5 (27m)
Joel Makin (WAL) bt [6] Max Lee (HKG) 2-1: 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 (47m)
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 2-0: 11-5, 11-2 (25m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [2] Simon Rösner (GER) 2-1: 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 (55m)
Draw - Quarter-Finals: To Be Played March 13th
1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Declan James (ENG)
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) v Joel Makin (WAL)
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
England’s James Upsets ElShorbagy to Reach Canary Wharf Classic England’s
World No.20 Declan James claimed arguably the biggest win of his career as he
upset Egypt’s World No.10 Marwan ElShorbagy at London’s East Wintergarden
earlier today to reach the quarter-finals of the Citigold Wealth Management
Canary Wharf Classic.
Nottingham-based James had never been able to get the better of a player inside
the world’s top 10 before and was appearing in the second round of the
prestigious PSA World Tour Gold tournament for the first time.
But, in front of a packed house at East Wintergarden, the 25-year-old played
some of his best squash to come back from a game down against last year’s
semi-finalist ElShorbagy. James edged it 7-11, 11-5, 11-9 in 45 minutes and
celebrated with gusto after a pinpoint volley drop saw him convert the second of
his match balls.
“I think, for me, it was more mental over anything else," said James.
"I have been saying for quite a few months now that I wanted to get that win
over a top 10 guy. I have made no secret about the fact that has been one of my
main goals. I feel like this season, I have started to play at a level that is
capable of contending with these guys, but I haven’t got over the line, so this
means so much to me, it really does.
“It is just so exciting. I just remind myself every day of how fortunate I am to
play squash for a living because it is not always fun when you’re training hard
and you’re feeling tired. I am just reminding every day to enjoy myself as much
as I can because when I enjoy it, I play well, and vice versa, so I am literally
just trying to enjoy every day on the court at the moment.”
Defending
champion Mohamed ElShorbagy - Marwan’s older brother - will play James in the
next round after he kept his title defence alive with a testing 2-1 triumph
against Spanish veteran Borja Golan.
A best-of-three games format is being trialled up to and including the
quarter-finals at East Wintergarden, and at times it looked as though Golan
would come through to take the win after some terrific attacking squash saw him
go toe-to-toe with the Egyptian. But ElShorbagy held his nerve at the crucial
points and ground out an 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 victory to reach the quarter-finals.
"We have had so many great battles before, and today I knew it was going to be
another battle again," said ElShorbagy.
"When I had that lead in the second game, I thought I had him a bit. It is
always a mistake when you do that against an experienced player like him.
Obviously, he took advantage of that and in the third, I was so lucky. He gave
me a few mistakes which were at times when he was attacking in the rally. I have
to thank my lucky stars for winning today."
England’s
top ranked male player - four-time Canary Wharf Classic champion James Willstrop
- saw his tournament come to an end after he fell to a 2-1 defeat against
Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly.
Willstrop, playing his 650th match on the PSA Tour, came out firing on all
cylinders as the 35-year-old took an 11-6 victory in game one. Cuskelly was more
aggressive in the next two games as he took the game to Willstrop with some
attacking play into the front of the court, and it paid off as he closed out the
win in three to book a quarter-final spot against last year’s runner-up Tarek
Momen.
“If you play at James’s pace, he is just going to pick you off all day, so I was
in that slow to medium pace and he was just too comfortable," said Cuskelly.
“Rob Owen [Cuskelly’s coach] told me to step it up a bit and be a bit more
aggressive and hit in front of the ’T’. That’s what I did, and it was tiring. I
tried to just not let him settle. When James sets on the ball, he is probably
the best in the world. He can put the ball away, especially on the backhand. I
have watched him so much that I think like I know where he is going to hit it,
sometimes."
Momen, competing at his first tournament since losing out in the PSA World
Championship final a fortnight ago, surrendered three game balls in the opening
game as Kandra edged it on the tie-break, but the World No.3 struck back in
games two and three to eliminate the German.
“He
just upped the pace and started hitting some beautiful drop shots at the front.
It was a great comeback from him to win that [first] game after being 8-4 down,"
Momen said.
“I am very happy with the way I turned it around in the second and the third. I
got my tactics right again, and I had Mazen [Hesham] and Fares [Dessouky] with
me in the corner. They just had to remind me of what I should be doing. It
worked pretty well and I am very happy with the way I played towards the end.”
Second round action continues on Tuesday March 12. Play starts at 18:00 (GMT)
and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe
only) and the PSA World Tour’s official Facebook page (excluding Europe and
Japan).
The opening day of action at the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf
Classic saw a quartet of Englishmen claim victories on ‘People’s Sunday’ at
London’s East Wintergarden as James Willstrop, Tom Richards, Declan James and
Daryl Selby all advanced to the last 16 of the PSA World Tour Gold tournament.
The Citigold Canary Wharf Classic is trialling a best-of-three games format up
to and including the quarter-finals for a second year in a row and Willstrop –
the highest ranked English male on the tour – put in a composed display to see
off Egyptian shot-maker Mazen Hesham by an 11-9, 11-7 scoreline.
“I don’t very often fist pump, but walking into this [atmosphere] this morning,
I don’t want to stop doing this job,” said Harrogate-based Willstrop.
“It’s an incredible thing to walk into this atmosphere, and [Tournament
Director] Tim Garner and everyone behind this makes it an incredible event.
“I want to be here tomorrow and play again in that atmosphere. This doesn’t
happen by accident, and what a great crowd. It’s become one of the top events on
the tour, and it’s certainly one of my favourites.”
Willstrop will play Australia’s No.8 seed Ryan Cuskelly in round two and will be
joined by his England teammate James after he got the better of Scotland’s Greg
Lobban.
Together with Willstrop, James claimed a Commonwealth Games Bronze medal in the
men’s doubles event last April in Australia, and the duo overcame Lobban and his
teammate, Alan Clyne, in the playoff.
Lobban had beaten James in the final qualifying round of this tournament last
year, but this time the win went the way of the Englishman as he hit his lines
well and played through some traffic issues to win 11-8, 11-5 in 31 minutes.
“I think we both started pretty nervously and there was a bit of traffic in the
middle,” James said afterwards.
“I think that was because there were a few nerves and we weren’t quite hitting
through the ball, that’s why it got a little bit scrappy. The end of the first
was crucial really, I managed to find my basics and was able to put away a
couple of shots at the end.”
World No.10 Marwan ElShorbagy lies in wait for James in the next round, while
Richards will go up against New Zealand’s World No.7 Paul Coll after beating
Clyne 2-0.
Elsewhere, an all-English clash between World No.21 Selby and George Parker, the
World No.31, saw Selby emerge victorious after he came from a game behind to
dispatch the man from Leicester.
“I knew it would be [tough], George is a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal player
and, to be honest, he is only getting better,” Selby said.
“Every win I can get against him I cherish now because, and I have told him many
times before, I think he is going to go to the top. He has a few things that he
is always working on, but I am happy to beat George to be honest, it was a tough
draw.”
36-year-old Selby was one of five players over the age of 30 to claim wins on
day one, with Willstrop, Richards, Borja Golan and Mathieu Castagnet the other
veterans to advance to the last 16.
Golan defeated fellow 36-year-old Cameron Pilley to set up a second round
encounter against defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy, while 2016 champion
Castagnet eliminated rising English talent Sam Todd.
Aged just 15, Todd is the youngest player ever to appear at the prestigious
Citigold Canary Wharf Classic, and the World No.494 has found great success on
the junior circuit, reaching the final of the British Junior U17 Open in
January, before winning the British U23 Open later that month.
However, the experience of Castagnet shone through at East Wintergarden as the
Frenchman won 11-6, 11-1 in 17 minutes, and the World No.26 will play World No.5
Simon Rösner for a place in the quarter-finals.
“He surprised me to be honest. I used to train with the French players, the
under 13s, 15s and 17s and the quality of his shots were just amazing,” said
Castagnet.
“When he is better physically, and he is more focused on his game plan and more
solid, he is probably going to be an English No.1, for sure.”
There were also wins for Germany’s Raphael Kandra and Welshman Joel Makin, who
beat England’s Adrian Waller and France’s Gregoire Marche, respectively. Kandra
will line up against World Championship runner-up Tarek Momen next, while Makin
will play Hong Kong’s Max Lee.
The second round begins on Monday March 11 at 18:00 (GMT) and the action will be
broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only)
Draw – Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played March 11th
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Declan James (ENG) v [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v James Willstrop (ENG)
Raphael Kandra (GER) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Draw – Second Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played March 12th
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) v Tom Richards (ENG)
Joel Makin (WAL) v [6] Max Lee (HKG)
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Daryl Selby (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [2] Simon Rösner (GER)
Fallows Fancies Chances In Canary Wharf Wildcard Challenge Two
of England’s rising stars, Josh Masters and Richie Fallows, will clash in the
Wildcard Challenge at the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Squash
Classic next week.
The prize for the winner is a place in the main draw of London’s most popular
tournament next year.
While Masters will be attempting to gain his first win at the third attempt in
the Challenge, having lost out previously to Nathan Lake and Lyell Fuller, this
will be Fallows’ first experience of playing on the glass court before a full
house at the spectacular East Wintergarden venue at Canary Wharf.
As a local lad, living just a few tube stops away in Stratford, he is determined
to put on a good show when the Challenge takes place before the main final on
Friday March 15.
With Masters ranked 54 in the world and Fallows at 59, it is bound to be a close
battle between the two 23-year-olds.
Fallows said: “I have played in the qualifying rounds a few times without
getting through to the main draw so this will be my first appearance on the
glass court.
“It has always been a big dream of mine to play at Canary Wharf. It’s a great
tournament and an amazing venue. The place is packed out every night and it’s
just an incredible atmosphere to play in.
“The first live matches I ever saw were at Canary Wharf and I grew up watching
guys like Nick Matthew and James Willstrop. They became heroes of mine and their
two-hour battle at Canary Wharf in 2011 was one of the best matches I have ever
seen. Two things stuck with me, firstly the intense quality of play from them
both throughout the match, and the respect at the end when Nick refused to take
the win when James injured himself.
“I can honestly say that the reason I became a squash player was because of
Canary Wharf. Watching those players in that amazing venue made my mind up:
That’s what I want to do.
“I am looking forward to it so much. Josh is a good friend and a very talented
player. He loves going for his shots so I will try not to give him too many
openings.”
Last month Fallows reached the quarter-finals of the British National
Championships in Nottingham, losing a tough match to Scotland’s Greg Lobban
11-5, 13-11, 12-10. Masters lost in the first round to the experienced Chris
Simpson.
The 6ft 4in tall Masters is now based in Birmingham and working with top coach
Robert Owen.
“I finished my studies in Bristol 18 months ago and now base myself in
Birmingham, training with Rob. I moved up here in the summer and it’s going well
so far. Physically, I’m getting better and am playing with more structure in my
game,” Masters said.
“I am really looking forward to playing on the Canary Wharf court again. It’s
one of the best venues in the world to play squash.”
To further his career, Masters bade farewell to his long-term Bristol base,
where he regularly trained with World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy.
The two were reunited just over a week ago when they met in Chicago in the first
round of the men’s 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter
Family, with ElShorbagy winning in four games.
Fallows, meanwhile, made it to the second round before being eliminated by World
No.5 Simon Rösner.
The 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Squash Classic takes place
between March 10-15 and will see a best-of-three games format trialled for a
second successive year up until the semi-finals.
All fixtures from East Wintergarden will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only). Semi-final fixtures will also be
shown live on BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and other mainstream
broadcasters.
For more information on the tournament, visit the Citigold Wealth Management
Canary Wharf Squash Classic on Twitter or visit the tournament website.
Citigold Wealth Management are pleased to offer squash fans the chance to win a
1 on 1 session with a pro-player as well as VIP tickets, when you enquire about
Citigold today. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 5th March 2019.
Learn More.
British
U23 Open champion Sam Todd has been named as the wildcard at the upcoming
Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic, and the 15-year-old says that
he is relishing the prospect of appearing at London’s famous East Wintergarden
next month.
Todd, the World No.480 from Pontefract, made his PSA debut at the Ashton and
Fincher Sutton Coldfield International in November and has also starred on the
junior circuit in recent months, with a runner-up finish in the U17 section of
the British Junior Open in January.
He followed that up by beating Wales’ Elliott Devred to win the British U23 Open
less than a month later, and he is hoping he can carry that form into the
professional game.
"I was thrilled with how I performed during the U23 championships," said Todd.
"I’m
very happy with my progress though the junior rankings and now it’s a matter of
balancing my professional squash career with my junior tournaments."
The Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic is one of the most iconic
tournaments on the PSA Tour calendar and the trophy has made its way into
English hands in 10 of the 15 years that the tournament has been held, with
former World No.1s Nick Matthew (6) and James Willstrop (4) sharing the honours.
Matthew has now retired, but Willstrop, now ranked at No.16 in the world, will
compete in East Wintergarden next month and Todd is looking forward at lining up
alongside his fellow Yorkshireman.
He said: "I have been watching and supporting the likes of James Willstrop for
many years and now have the opportunity to play at that outstanding venue. It
will be a massive challenge, but I have no pressure going in and will just enjoy
every moment and hopefully play my best squash.
"I am super excited to have been picked for the wildcard to play in the biggest
tournament of my life."
Todd will take on 2016 Citigold Canary Wharf Classic champion Mathieu Castagnet
in the opening round of the PSA World Tour Gold event. Defending champion
Mohamed ElShorbagy also features in a top-class draw which contains high-profile
players such as World No.3 Tarek Momen, World No.4 Simon Rösner and World No.6
Paul Coll.
Citigold Head of Segments and Client Experience, Corinne Feghali, said: "Citigold
Wealth Management is proud to sponsor a tournament which supports rising talent.
Sam’s name will be firmly on the map after playing against world-class champions
like Castagnet. [We wish them the] best of luck in the upcoming games."
The 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic takes place between
March 10-15 and will see a best-of-three games format trialled for a second
successive year up until the semi-finals.
All fixtures from East Wintergarden will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only). Semi-final fixtures will also be
shown live on BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and other mainstream
broadcasters.
ElShorbagy to Defend Canary Wharf Classic Crown World
No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy will return to London’s stunning East Wintergarden
between March 10-15 as he aims to defend his Citigold Wealth Management Canary
Wharf Classic title.
ElShorbagy, the reigning men’s World Champion, prevailed in a marathon five-game
battle with compatriot Tarek Momen in last year’s final to mark his first
appearance at the tournament in five years and the pair will once again return
to battle for the PSA World Tour Gold title in March.
A top-class draw will compete for the prestigious title, including Germany’s
World No.3 Simon Rösner and New Zealand’s World No.7 Paul Coll, the latter of
whom reached the semi-finals of this tournament in 2016.
Also involved is World No.8 Marwan ElShorbagy, Hong Kong’s Max Lee, Egypt’s
Fares Dessouky and Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly, who complete the top eight
seedings.
England No.1 James Willstrop heads up the home interest and will look to add to
his four Canary Wharf Classic titles, with the most recent of those coming in
2013.
The 35-year-old will be joined by fellow Englishmen Daryl Selby, Tom Richards,
Declan James and rising Yorkshireman Sam Todd. Todd takes the wildcard spot and
the 15-year-old will look to build on a runner-up finish at the British Junior
Open last week.
FX Counsellor and Captain of the Citi ‘A’ squash team in the Citigold Wealth
Management Corporate Squash Challenge, Alex O’Mahony, said: "We are really
looking forward to watching such a strong line-up compete for the title and are
proud to be sponsoring the prestigious Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf
Squash Classic."
A best-of-three games scoring format will be trialled at the tournament for a
second year in succession. First round, second round and quarter-final matches
will be played using the format, while the semi-finals and finals will revert to
the traditional best-of-five games scoring.
More information on the Citigold Canary Wharf Classic can be found on the
tournament website or by following the event on Twitter.
Tickets are now sold out, but action from every match will be shown live on
SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player. The semi-finals and final will
also be broadcast on BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and more.
2019 Citigold Canary Wharf Classic
to
Continue Best of Three Trial A
best-of-three games scoring format will be trialled for a
second successive year at the Citigold Wealth Management
Canary Wharf Squash Classic when the PSA World Tour Gold
tournament takes place between March 10-15, 2019 at London’s
illustrious East Wintergarden.
The 2018 edition of the prestigious tournament became the
first ranking PSA Tour event to be played using the best of
three format and saw World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy beat
World No.4 Tarek Momen in the final.
This year’s tournament will see a best-of-three games format
used in the first round, second round and quarter-finals,
while scoring for the semi-finals and final will revert to
the traditional best of five format, similar to last year.
"We’re excited to once again trial the best-of-three games
format in Canary Wharf and are confident that it will
contribute to an explosive week of action," said PSA Chief
Operating Officer Lee Beachill.
"Last year’s tournament proved to be one of the most
exciting instalments of the Canary Wharf Classic ever, with
the early rounds showcasing some incredible drama and
high-intensity matches.
"The best of three format gives players more recovery time
between matches and this was evidenced by the fact that we
had three terrific matches across the semi-finals and final
last year, with those fixtures averaging over 75 minutes in
length."
Tournament Director Tim Garner said: "The best-of-three
games format fits our tournament perfectly. Not only was the
on-court action just as eye-catching and dynamic as ever,
the format gave us more flexibility when it came to
scheduling the matches, which resulted in capacity crowds
for every single fixture.
"The Canary Wharf Classic has been a hotbed of innovation
for the sport in recent years and we are pleased to continue
along that vein as we trial the best of three format once
again."
Tickets are now sold out, but action from every match will be shown live on
SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player. The semi-finals and final will
also be broadcast on BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and more.
