ISSUE03-2017InternationalSquashMagazine

INTERNATIONAL 

ISSN 2042-7611 

SEPTEMBER | 2017 

UK £3.00 | € 4.50 | USA $ 5.50 

MAGAZINE 

INTERNATIONAL SQUASH MAGAZINE 

www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine

ISSN 2042-7611 

CONTENTS 

INTERNATIONAL 

Front Cover 

Gregory Gaultier World Number No.1 


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www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine 

SEPTEMBER | 2017 

UK £3.00 | € 4.50 | USA $ 5.50 

MAGAZINE 

Acknowledgements: 

Professional Squash Association 

Steve Cubbins & Framboise Gommendy 

www.squashsite.co.uk 

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CONTENTS 

AJ BELL ESF EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL CLOSED 

SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS 

07 FRENCH DUO GREGORY GAULTIER AND CAMILLE SERME WILL 

HEAD A STELLAR LINE-UP AT THIS YEAR’S AJ BELL ESF EUROPEAN 

INDIVIDUAL CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS WHICH WILL SEE EUROPE’S 

LEADING PLAYERS CONVERGE ON THE DAVID ROSS SPORTS 

VILLAGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM FROM THE 24TH TO 

27TH AUGUST WITH ASPIRATIONS OF WINNING EUROPE’S MOST 

PRESTIGIOUS INDIVIDUAL TITLES 

SIMON RÖSNER & CAMILLE SERME CROWNED 

WORLD GAMES CHAMPIONS 

11 SIMON RÖSNER AND CAMILLE SERME WON GOLD FOR GERMANY 

AND FRANCE RESPECTIVELY AT THE WORLD GAMES IN WROCLAW, 

POLAND – THE QUADRENNIAL MULTI-SPORT EVENT FOR NON- 

OLYMPIC PROGRAMME SPORTS STAGED UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF 

THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE 

WSF WORLD DOUBLES SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS 

14 NEW ZEALAND DOMINATED THE FINALS DAY OF THE WSF WORLD 

DOUBLES SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS AND RETAINED BOTH THE 

WOMEN’S AND MIXED GOLD MEDALS WHIL E AUSTRALIA RECLAIMED 

THE MEN’S TITLE AFTER UPSETTING THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS IN 

THE CLIMAX OF THE WORLD SQUASH FEDERATION EVENT AT THE 

NATIONAL SQUASH CENTRE IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND 

FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SQUASH 

18 JAMES WILLSTROP TALKS WITH INTERNATIONAL SQUASH 

MAGAZINE TO IDENTIFY THE FIVE KEY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR 

SQUASH: FIND A FRIENDLY CLUB; TAKE SOLID ADVICE FROM A 

SMART COACH; WATCH AND LEARN FROM THE BEST PLAYERS; 

INVEST IN A PHYSIO; MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SESSION; AND 

ENJOY IT 

QUESTION & ANSWER: IKER PAJARES BERNABEU 

21 RISING SPANISH STAR IKER PAJARES BERNABEU TALKS WITH 


AJ BELL PSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – 

MANCHESTER 2017 

23 THE BIGGEST EVENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL SQUASH 

CALENDAR, THE 2017 AJ BELL PSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL 

LIGHT UP MANCHESTER FROM THE 8TH TO 17TH DECEMBER WHEN 

THE GREATEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD DESCEND ON THE UK’S 

LEADING SPORTING CITY TO BATTLE IT OUT FOR THE RIGHT TO BE 

CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION 

ASICS GEL-BLAST SQUASH SHOE 

27 INTERNATIONAL SQUASH MAGAZINE REVIEWS THE LATEST 

EDITION OF THE ASICS GEL-BLAST, A PROVEN FAVOURITE WITH 

SQUASH PLAYERS OF ALL STANDARDS, FEATURING STRIKING NEW 

COSMETICS AND OFFERING THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE, 

DURABILITY AND SUPPORT 

WORLD RANKINGS 

29 MEN’S & WOMEN’S WORLD RANKINGS AT A GLANCE 

INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE September 2017 | 03 


World Amateur Champion (aged 15) 

Youngest British Open & World Champion (aged 17) 

Unbeaten in 555 consecutive matches over 5 years 

and 8 months – the longest winning streak of any 

sportsman 

10 time British Open Champion (1982-1993) 

6 time World Champion 

Played longest squash match in 

history (2 hours, 46 minutes) 

JAHANGIR

If longevity, consistency and 

domination in their sport are the key 

ingredients to being recognised as the world’s 

greatest sportsman, there is only one name that 

stands head and shoulders above all others. 

Jahangir Khan is a man whose name is synonymous 

with squash. A man universally recognised as the 

world’s greatest ever player and an athlete who 

transcended his sport to be acknowledged as the world’s 

greatest ever sportsman. A man who set the bar so high, 

precious few others have come close, never 

mind surpass his achievements. 

Through courage, determination and personal sacrifice, 

Jahangir Khan overcame personal tragedy to dominate 

and ultimately transcend the world’s most 

physically demanding sport. 

Throughout his record breaking career, he used 

and was synonymous with only one brand. 

INSPIRED BY JAHANGIR KHAN MADE TO WIN

What’s On! 

Summer 2017 in Nottingham... 

www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/summer

AJ BELL ESF EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL 

CLOSED SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS 

AJBELLESFEUROPEANINDIVIDUAL 

CLOSEDSQUASHCHAMPIONSHIPS 

French duo Gregory Gaultier and Camille Serme will head a stellar lineup 

at this year’s AJ Bell ESF European Individual Closed Championships 

which will see Europe’s leading players converge on the David Ross Sports 

Village at the University of Nottingham from the 24th to 27th August with 

aspirations of winning Europe’s most prestigious individual titles. 

Gaultier will be keen to avenge his shock defeat to Spain’s 

Borja Golan in last year’s final and will no doubt be wary of 

the challenge from the defending champion as well as that of 

former World No.1 James Willstrop who will lead the charge of 

home-based players in the men’s draw. 

Englishmen Declan James, Josh Masters, Patrick Rooney 

and Charlie Lee, will all be keen to impress in a high-class 

field which will feature several leading players from around 

Europe including Swiss No.1 Nicolas Mueller, German No.2 

Raphael Kandra, Austrian No.1 Aqeel Rehman and Portugal 

No.1 Rui Soares. 

“The AJ Bell ESF European Individual Closed Squash 

Championships will be my first event of the new season,” said 

nine-time champion Gaultier. 

“Everyone will be fresh and ready to play after the summer 

break and I’m really looking forward to playing and 

representing my country. It will be the first time that I will 

have played at the University of Nottingham since the 2016 

British Open and I’m really looking forward to experiencing the 

university’s wonderful new facilities,” added the World No.1. 

Compatriot Camille Serme will head the women’s draw and can 

be relied upon to mount a tough-minded defence in pursuit of 

a record sixth title. 

Since winning her fifth European individual title last 

September, the 28-year-old French favourite has enjoyed a 

sensational run of form on the PSA World Tour, winning the 

2016 US Open, Cleveland Classic and prestigious Tournament 

of Champions title earlier this year as well as recently being 

crowned World Games Gold Medallist. 

The World No.3 will be joined in Nottingham by compatriot 

Coline Aumard with Emily Whitlock and Millie Tomlinson of 

England and Belgian sisters Nele and Tinne Gilis her likely 

main contenders. 

Hosted on behalf of the European Squash Federation in 

partnership with England Squash and University of Nottingham 

Sport, this year’s AJ Bell ESF European Individual Closed 

Squash Championships will mark the first occasion that the 

event has been staged in the British Isles. 







MEN’SDRAW 

ROUND 1 ROUND 2 QUARTER SEMI FINAL 

FINAL FINAL 

[1] GREGORY GAULTIER FRA 

BYE 

LUDOVICO CIPOLLETTA ITA 

[9/16] CHARLIE LEE ENG 

[9/16] DIMITRI STEINMANN SUI 

ROZLE LANGUS SLO 

ADAM PELCZYNSKI POL 

[5/8] JOSH MASTER ENG) 

[5/8] RAPHAEL KANDRA GER 

BYE 

PATRICK MAIER LIE 

[9/16] RUI SOARES POR 

[6/16] ONDREJ UHERKA CZE 

BALÁZS FARKAS HUN 

BYE 

[3/4] NICOLAS MUELLER SUI 

[3/4] BORJA GOLAN ESP 

BYE 

VICTOR BYRTUS CZE 

[9/16] YURI FARNETI ITA 

[9/16] AQEEL REHMAN AUT 

TUKASZ STACHOWSKI POL 

BYE 

[5/8] DECLAN JAMES ENG 

[5/8] LUCAS SERME FRA 

BYE 

ŽAN BOMBEK SLO 

[9/16] PATRICK ROONEY ENG 

[9/16] SÉBASTIEN BONMALAIS FRA 

DIMITRI DIAMADOPOULOS ITA 

BYE 

[2] JAMES WILLSTROP ENG 

8 | September 2017 INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE 






WOMEN’SDRAW 

ROUND 1 ROUND 2 QUARTER SEMI FINAL 

FINAL FINAL 

24 AUG 2017 24 AUG 2017 25 AUG 2017 26 AUG 2017 27 AUG 2017 

[1] CAMILE SERME FRA 

BYE 

ZUZANA KUBANOVA CZE 

JACQUELINE PEYCHÄR AUT 

LUCY TURMEL ENG 

BYE 

BYE 

[5/8] INETA MACKEVICA LAT 

[5/8] TINNE GILIS BEL 

BYE 

BYE 

CRISTINA GOMEZ ESP 

ELISE ROMBA FRA 

BYE 

BYE 

[3/4] MILLIE TOMLINSON ENG 

[3/4] COLINE AUMARD FRA 

BYE 

MARIJA SHPAKOVA SUI 

BYE 

NADIA PFISTER SUI 

BYE 

BYE 

[5/8] NELE GILIS BEL 

[5/8] ANNA SERME CZE 

BYE 

BYE 

SINA KANDRA GER 

SANNE VELDKAMP NED 

CINDY MERLO SUI 

BYE 

[2] EMILY WHITLOCK ENG 



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WORLDGAMES 

HASTA LA VISTA CLUB, WROCLAW 

SIMONRÖSNER&CAMILLESERME 

CROWNEDWORLDGAMESCHAMPIONS 

Simon Rösner and Camille Serme won gold for Germany and France 

respectively at the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland – the quadrennial 

multi-sport event for non-Olympic programme sports staged under the 

patronage of the International Olympic Committee. 

Capacity crowds at the Hasta la Vista Club, the world’s largest 

purpose-built squash venue, showed their appreciation for a 

succession of exhilarating matches on the all-glass show court, 

where medals were also won by Hong Kong and Malaysia - with 

France claiming an historic gold, silver and bronze set. 

Serme faced unexpected opponent Joey Chan from Hong Kong 

who produced the event’s biggest shock when she dethroned 

Nicol David, the three-time Gold Medallist, in a five-game semifinal. 

The match clearly took its toll on the left-hander ranked 19 in 

the world as Serme swooped to an 11-4 11-3 11-4 victory in just 26 

minutes. 

“That’s the best I could have expected,” said the French No.1. 

“I played well and was sharp. 

“Joey played two five-setters in the last two days, so I think she 

was tired - I played some shots she didn’t even go for. I am very 

happy to win - beating a top 20 player like that will give me a lot 

of confidence going into the new season.” 

On the Games’ French success, Serme explained: “At the 

beginning of the week we didn’t expect to do this well. We have 

tried to get into the Olympics three times and with Paris now 

staging the 2024 games, I hope this success will show that we 

have the chance to win medals.” 

In the men’s final, which brought the four-day event to a fitting 

climax, top seed Rösner battled for 78 minutes with French 

outsider Gregoire Marche who overturned two higher-ranked 

opponents to reach the title decider. 

The German No.1, runner-up in the event four years ago, led 6-2 



WORLD GAMES 

HASTA LA VISTA CLUB, WROCLAW 

I am very happy 

to win - beating a 

top 20 player 3-0 

like that will give 

me confidence 

going into the 

new season 

CAMILLE SERME 

8-5 and 9-7 in the first game before reaching game-ball at 10-8, 

but underdog Marche went on to have two game-balls of his 

own before Rösner finally clinched the game 15-13. 

After winning the second game, World No.11 Rösner built up 

a 7-3 lead in the third, however with the Gold Medal in sight, 

Marche, ranked 12 places lower, fought back to 9-all before 

closing-out the game 11-9 to reduce the deficit. 

The German favourite seemed to have refocussed when he 

stormed to a 6-1 lead in the fourth but a succession of unforced 

errors allowed Marche to establish a 7-6, then 8-7 lead. 

That was the end of the 27-year-old Frenchman’s run, however, 

as a patient Rösner moved ahead point by point before 

converting his first match-ball to claim a memorable 15-13 11-6 

9-11 11-8 victory. 

“It’s amazing,” said Rösner as the success sunk in. “I am truly 

over the moon! 

“Greg is such a tough competitor - in that third game when 

I was 7-3 up he was fighting hard and I might have been too 

impatient. In the fourth I needed to be 100 per cent focussed to 

get through. It was such a great feeling playing in front of such 

a great crowd - and it’s been like this since day one. That’s what 

makes this event so special!” 

France’s third medal came in the Bronze Medal play-off when 

5/8 seed Mathieu Castagnet came back from game-balls down 

in both the first two games against Diego Elias to beat the 3/4 

seed from Peru 14-12 12-10 11-8 in 56 minutes. 

Nicol David bounced from her shock semi-final defeat, where 

she fell to a fellow Asian opponent for the first time in 15 years, 

to take the Women’s Bronze Medal, beating Great Britain’s 

surprise semi-finalist Fiona Moverley 11-4 11-8 11-3. 

“The chance to win a medal is still something to play for 

- I wanted to get on and give it everything I had,” said the 

Malaysian, who was seeded to reach a fourth successive final. 

“I am really pleased to have won the medal. It’s fantastic to have 

an event like this in Poland. The World Games is really good 

for squash and I hope we will get more recognition through 

participating in it,” added the former World No.1. 

World Games Squash Championships, Wroclaw, Poland 

Men’s Gold Medal Final: 

[1] Simon Rösner (GER) bt [5/8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 

15-13, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 

Bronze Medal Play-off: 

[5/8] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [3/4] Diego Elias (PER) 

14-12, 12-10, 11-8 

Women’s Gold Medal Final: 

[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [3/4] Joey Chan (HKG) 

11-4, 11-3, 11-4 

Bronze Medal Play-off: 

[2] Nicol David (MAS) bt [5/8] Fiona Moverley (GBR) 

11-4, 11-8, 11-3 

theworldgames2017.com 



WSF WORLD DOUBLES SQUASH 

CHAMPIONSHIPS 

WSFWORLDDOUBLES 

SQUASHCHAMPIONSHIPS 

New Zealand dominated the finals day of the WSF World Doubles 

Squash Championships with New Zealand and retained both the Women’s 

and Mixed Gold Medals while Australia reclaimed the Men’s title after 

upsetting the defending champions in the climax of the World Squash 

Federation event at the National Squash Centre in Manchester, England. 

Kiwi Joelle King was the star of the day, first partnering 

Amanda Landers-Murphy in the Women’s Doubles final to beat 

English outsiders Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters, fighting back 

from a game down and saving three match-balls from 10-8 in 

the decider to win 9-11 11-1 11-10 in 46 minutes. 

“That was so tough,” said a delighted and relieved Landers- 

Murphy after her second Gold Medal since first winning the 

title with King in Darwin, Australia, a year ago. “We were ahead 

in all the games and were both just glad that we could stay 

strong and keep it together at the end.” 

Duncalf, the 34-year-old former World No.2, said: “Losing 11-10 

in the third is always quite tough. We did well to win the first 

and then the second was a bit of a disaster. The third was very 

up and down and they won it right at the end. They are the 

defending champions and we knocked out the Commonwealth 

Gold Medallists [Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal of India] 

so we’re very pleased with that.” 

Immediately after the final of the Women’s Doubles, King 

linked up with Paul Coll to beat England pair Alison Waters and 

Daryl Selby 11-8 9-11 11-6 in the Mixed Doubles final. 



WSF WORLD DOUBLES SQUASH 

CHAMPIONSHIPS 

Coll, also a Gold Medallist for the second time in a year, said 

after his Manchester Gold: “We felt good together again today. 

We dropped off a bit in the second, but managed to get early 

leads in the first and third, which always takes the pressure off. 

“We have a great team spirit in the Kiwi camp. It’s been a 

tough week to start the season off, but a lot of fun, and we’re 

obviously delighted to be going back with more gold medals!” 

Englishman Selby, like Waters a World Doubles finalist for 

the first time, said: “We were seeded five so to win a Silver 

Medal is a fantastic achievement - to push the reigning World 

Champions as hard as we did is really pleasing. Al and Joelle 

both did really well to play two matches in a row and we 

weren’t far away in the end.” 

Continuing the Antipodean run in Manchester, Australians 

Ryan Cuskelly and Cameron Pilley took Gold in the Men’s 

Doubles, despatching Scotland’s reigning champions and top 

seeds Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban 11-6 11-3 in 34 minutes. 

“We’ve had a lot of tough matches with them,” said Australian 

No.1 Pilley, renowned as one of the hardest hitters of the ball. 

“They beat us last year so it was good to turn the tables this 

time. There were some brutal rallies in the first, but we stuck 

to our game plan and it worked out, then in the second we 

continued to execute and they made a few errors which helped 

our cause.” 

WSF World Doubles Squash Championships, 

Manchester, England 

Men’s Doubles Final: 

[2] Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt 

[1] Alan Clyne & Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-6, 11-3 

Bronze Medallists: 

[4] Paul Coll & Campbell Grayson (NZL), 

[5] Declan James & James Willstrop (ENG) 

Women’s Doubles Final: 

[1] Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt 

[5] Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters (ENG) 9-11, 11-1, 11-10 

Bronze Medallists: [2] Joshna Chinappa & 

Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND), 

[3] Rachael Grinham & Donna Urquhart (AUS) 

Mixed Doubles Final: 

[1] Joelle King & Paul Coll (NZL) bt 

[5] Alison Waters & Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 

Bronze Medallists: 

[7] Tesni Evans & Peter Creed (WAL), 

[4] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) 



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BY JAMES WILLSTROP 

FIVEWAYSTOIMPROVE 

YOURSQUASH 

By James Willstrop 

James Willstrop talks with International Squash Magazine to identify 

the five key ways to improve your squash: find a friendly club; take solid 

advice from a smart coach; watch and learn from the best players; invest 

in a physio; make the most of every session; and enjoy it! 

Find A Home 

The best place to start is by finding 

and embracing a thriving squash club 

or community. You will meet players, 

glean inspiration and can join a league 

structure where you can compete and 

improve. You can find training partners 

and perhaps a good coach who will 

motivate you to practice and put in the 

hours required. 

There is a social aspect to squash that 

usually enhances any efforts you make 

to improve. I now live further away 

from the squash club where I grew up 

playing in Pontefract, but I continue to 

go back there because it’s a warm and 

friendly club. We train in groups under 

the direction of my father Malcolm. The 

days when I have to train extra hard 

or do double sessions are made much 

easier because of the atmosphere. 

Search for good advice but don’t 

obsess over it 

Try to find a reputable coach or trainer. 

They are not particularly easy to come 

by so it’s not a disaster if you can’t find 

one or afford to pay for it. 

People are obsessed with quick fixes 

and many fork out hundreds of pounds 

a month for a few 40-minute sessions 

with a coach. High standard coaching 

is highly effective if you want to keep 

improving, but no coach in the world 

does the work for you. You can improve 

so much from hard practice, training 

and putting in the hours yourself. 

World-class coaches, fancy facilities and 

equipment are helpful but not essential. 

Hard work costs nothing but your time 

and energy – and you need lots of that if 

you want to get better at squash. 

Practicing with technical faults is not 

ideal but there are plenty of world 

standard players who have reached high 

levels with what some experts might call 

dodgy technique. If you were to study 

the top 20 squash players in the world 

no technique is the same. There is no 

right way to play the sport because so 

many have done it so well so differently. 

Watch, Watch, Watch 

Watch squash. Watch the best players 

play a lot and watch less good players 

sometimes. See how the best do it and 

see also when it’s done less well – if you 

can discern the difference. 

When we watch, we absorb and try to 

emulate. When we see and store images 

and patterns of play we can call on them 

and take inspiration and ideas from 

them. It’s almost plagiarism. 

Inspiration is hard to come by when 

your experiences give you nothing to 

work with. If you’ve seen it, you can 

draw upon it. Budding singers will 

listen to Pavarotti; writers will read 

Shakespeare; tennis players will enjoy 

Federer. And squash? Try Amr Shabana 

or Ramy Ashour, whose videos are 

online, or if you can, go see the best 

players in the flesh. 

Look After Your Body 

Squash places enormous stresses and 

imbalances on the body. There is a great 

deal of impact going through joints and 

muscles in every rally. Prepare the body 

as best you can with the time you have, 

in a very specific way. 

If you only have two chances to train 

in a week, use them wisely. I’d advise 

against going for two five-mile runs or 

doing 10 sets of all-out arm curl efforts 

in front of the mirror. These exercises 

are little to do with the movements 

specific to squash. 

Train, Play & Practice At Different 

Intensities 

Make sure there is some direction in 

every session you do. Your solo practice 

during your lunch break can be either 

valuable or useless depending on how 

you do it. Think about the best way to 

spend that time. 

During much of your practice you will 

want to work with intent and intensity, 

because that is what is required in a tough 

match, so it’s wise to think about what 

you want to improve during the session. 

Try to create a scenario where you 

concentrate for five-minute spells very 

intently. Avoid just hitting the ball any 

old way and thinking about dinner at 

the same time; make every shot you 

hit severe and purposeful. Shorten the 

session if you like, but do what you do 

as well as you possibly can. 




BY JAMES WILLSTROP 

People are obsessed with quick 

fixes and many fork out hundreds of 

pounds a month for a few 40-minute 

sessions with a coach 

Think about the shots or plays that 

let you down in your previous match 

and work on them, making your 

concentration match-like. It’s not easy 

to do and requires effort. I’ve said it 

before, anyone can practice badly. 

Conversely though, if you are 

training hard, make time for some 

sessions which are easy, not 

mentally taxing. Get into a group 

and simply enjoy it. That’s good for 

improvement too. If I’ve come off 

a hard tournament I will try to give 

myself a few days of relaxed practice 

where the aim of the sessions is to 

enjoy it, have fun or maybe just mess 

about, hitting any shot I want. 

James Willstrop is an UNSQUASHABLE brand 

ambassador and sponsored player. 



Barcelona 

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BGS PERFORMANCE ACADEMY 

TRANSITION TO THE PROFESSIONAL PSA WORLD TOUR 

PLAYERS INCLUDE: 

IKER PAJARES ESP WR 69 

EDMON LÓPEZ ESP WR 115 

BERNAT JAUME ESP WR 162 

ALEX NOAKES ENG WR 144 

TIM LASUSA USA WR 236 

BGS INTERNATIONAL 

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CAMPS 

BGS WEEKEND 

CLINICS 

BGS PERSONALISED 

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“BALANCED AND SIMPLY INSPIRING” 

barcelonaglobalsquash.com

Q&A: IKER PAJARES BERNABEU 

Spanish star Iker 

Pajares Bernabeu talks with 

Q&ARising 

International Squash Magazine. 

IKERPAJARES 

BERNABEU 

Best sporting memory: 

Watching Borja Golan defeating Gregory 

Gaultier in the final of the European 

Championship in 2016 and becoming the 

first ever Spaniard to win the title. 

Sports watched: 

Tennis and swimming. If I had to choose 

one, I’d say swimming. 

Sports played: 

Only squash 

Why a life in sport, or if it hadn’t 

happened, what would you have done 

instead? 

I was born to be an athlete. Sport makes 

me happy and healthy, so what better 

than turning your happiness into a paid 

job? I can safely say that if I didn’t play 

squash, I’d be competing in other sports. 

Toughest part of your sporting life: 

The toughest part of my sporting life is 

travelling and food. 

Travelling makes you really tired and I 

have serious problems with food when 

I`m not at home. It’s hard to maintain 

your normal eating habits and that’s 

why I always try to stay in an apartment 

instead of a hotel to have the possibility 

of cooking my own meals. 

Most memorable sporting moment: 

Winning all my PSA World Tour titles. 

There is a story behind every title. I can’t 

choose one, I’d say all of them. 

Worst sporting moment: 

I had one of the worst weeks of my life 

in Mumbai where I was playing a PSA 

tournament. My teammate and I had 

terrible stomach ache and a high fever 

during the tournament. The food made 

us very sick. 

Sporting heroes: 

Rafael Nadal and Nick Matthew. 

Favourite venue and why: 

I love playing in Malaysia. It’s my 

favourite country and I had unforgettable 

experiences there. The food and the 

country are so nice so it feels like home. 

The Barcelona Open is also one of my 

favourite venues. Playing in front of 

my team and family gives me extra 

motivation. 

Sporting event you would pay the most 

to see: 

I’d have paid a lot of money to see Rafael 

Nadal winning his first ever Roland 

Garros in 2005. 

Question asked most often by the 

public: 

Unfortunately, “What is squash?” 

And the answer: 

I basically explain what squash is. The 

rules, system, events… 

Greatest change you would like to see 

in the running of your sport: 

It would be amazing for squash to be in 

the Olympics and to have the opportunity 

to show the world how hard and 

entertaining our sport is. 

How well is squash covered in the 

media? 

It’s improving so fast. SquashTV is 

doing an unbelievable job. The new 

technologies are really helping to make 

this sport much better covered by TV 

and make it exciting to watch. 

Sporting motto: 

“Don’t burn your opportunities for a 

temporary comfort” 

Who would you most like to invite to 

dinner and why? 

I’d love to invite the legend Nicol 

David. She is a ten as a person and as 

a player. I’d be all night learning from 

her and asking and asking… Would she 

marry me? 

Iker Pajares Bernabeu is an 

UNSQUASHABLE brand ambassador 

and sponsored player. 

Country: Spain 

Date of Birth: 22nd March 1996 

Place of Birth: Barcelona, Spain 

Place of Residence: Barcelona, Spain 

Marital Status: Single 

Highest PSA World Ranking: 65 

PSA World Tour Titles: 5 

PSA World Tour Finals: 3 



IF HISTORY IS AN INDICATION, 

YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE

AJ BELL PSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 


The biggest event on the international squash calendar, the 2017 

AJ Bell PSA World Championships will light up Manchester between 

the 8th to 17th December when the greatest players in the world 

descend on the UK’s leading sporting city to battle it out for the right 

to be crowned World Champion. 

Qualification and early rounds of the 

prestigious event will be held at the 

renowned National Squash Centre, while 

the quarter-final stage onwards will see 

the championships move to Manchester 

Central in the heart of the city. 

Of the 150+ players competing, only 

two will taste the ultimate glory and 

International Squash Magazine takes a 

look at at the main contenders. 

WOMEN’S FAVOURITES: 

Laura Massaro (ENG) 

One of England’s greatest ever squash 

players, Laura Massaro’s determination 

and will to win have seen her become a 

perennial title challenger who, aged 33, 

shows no signs of slowing down. 

What she lacks in natural shot-making 

flair, Massaro makes up for in a 

combination of mental fortitude, 

resilience, physical strength and 

supreme fitness - forming a package 

that makes her almost impossible to 

beat on her day. 

The reigning British Open Champion 

will have the advantage of having a 

passionate home crowd behind her in 

Manchester and, having captured the 

2013 World Championship title, she has 

all the big match experience to deal with 

the pressure. 

The former World No.1 will be hoping for 

a favourable draw in the early rounds 

to enable her to reach the latter stages 

in full fitness - where the dangers of an 

intensely competitive field will lie in wait. 

Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 

Despite being just 21-years-old Nour El 

Sherbini has dominated the PSA World 

Tour for the past 18 months, maintaining 

the World No.1 spot unbroken 

throughout that period and winning 

the past two editions of the World 

Championship. 

Her victory in 2015, coming from 0-2 

down to defeat Massaro, saw her 

crowned the youngest-ever Women’s 

World Champion and she will be a firm 

favourite to complete a hat-trick of wins 

this December. 

A sublime finisher and shot-maker, El 

Sherbini is one of the most exciting 

players on the PSA World Tour but 

one who also harbours a fierce inner 

determination and fire that forms the 

backbone to her success. 

The burden of expectation will not phase 

a player who has been at the very top of 

the game since her teenage years. 

Raneem El Welily (EGY) 

One of the world’s most naturally gifted 

and skilful players, Raneem El Welily is 

an enigmatic character who is at times 

sublime and at times perplexing. 

A consistent figure inside the top five 

since 2012, a period that saw her become 

the first player in nine years to dethrone 

Nicol David and become the first-ever 

female Egyptian World No.1, El Welily has 

at times failed to deliver on the promise 

that accompanies her talent. 

When she puts her game together she is 

arguably the best player on World Tour 

but mental lapses and concentration issues 

seem to accompany her into every event. 

She has appeared in two World 

Championship finals previously, where she 

fell to defeat against Nicol David in 2014 

after holding multiple match balls, and then 

to El Sherbini in 2016. If she can conquer 

her mental doubts, she will be a force to 

reckon with in 2017. 

Camille Serme (FRA) 

The only female player to claim two World 

Series titles during the 2016/17 season, 

lifting both the U.S. Open and Tournament 

of Champions titles, Camille Serme is a 

complete all-round player who is both 

physically strong as well as gifted with the 

racket in hand. 

Since turning professional in 2005, 

questions had surrounded the 

Frenchwoman’s mental strength, but a newfound 

approach adopted at the end of 2016 

seemed to put those questions to bed - but 

she is yet to taste success on the biggest 

stage of all. A disappointing semi-final 

exit during the last World Championship 

instalment, an event she entered in the 

form of her life, will have fuelled her 

inner desire. 



AJ BELL PSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 


MEN’S FAVOURITES: 

Mohamed ElShorbagy 

A ferocious hitter with incredible physical 

strength and mental determination, 

Mohamed ElShorbagy has won every title 

there is to win - except for the PSA World 

Championship, and the Egyptian, who now 

resides in Bristol, will be determined to 

change that record in his adopted home 

country this December. 

ElShorbagy has twice lost out in the 

championship final, to Ramy Ashour in both 

2012 and 2014 in two of the greatest finals 

ever, and will deeply feel the absence of the 

biggest title of all. 

The 25-year-old suffered a slump in form 

during the 2016/17 season after spending 

over two years atop the World Rankings, 

but having finished the season on a high 

with victory at the PSA Dubai World Series 

Finals, will be out to settle his score with 

the World Championships this year. 

Gregory Gaultier 

Current World No.1 Gaultier has been an 

ever-present inside the World’s top 10 for 

almost a decade and continues to defy age, 

becoming the oldest ever No.1 at the age 

of 34. 

The enigmatic and charismatic star, dubbed 

the ‘French General’ for his controlling and 

dominating style of play, has gone from 

strength-to-strength during the past two 

years, only improving with age. 

Having banished the mental demons that 

plagued him during four previous World 

Championship defeats, Gaultier won the 

biggest title in squash in 2015 and will be 

determined to double his tally before 

he retires. 

Karim Abdel Gawad 

The defending World Champion, Karim 

Abdel Gawad’s rise to prominence during 

the 2016/17 season saw him capture the 

World Championship crown and take the 

World No.1 spot much to the surprise of 

squash fans around the world. 

The ‘Baby-faced assassin’s’ maturity 

throughout the season saw him add a new 

level of physical fitness to his supreme 

racket control - a combination that allows 

him to make the game look effortless. 

Gawad is often a slow starter and key to a 

successful title defence in Manchester will 

be his ability to start strong and avoid a 

series of consecutive five-game battles en 

route to the latter stages. 

Nick Matthew 

Champion in 2013 when the tournament 

last took place in Manchester, 37-year-old 

Nick Matthew will be hoping for one last 

hurrah in front of a partisan home crowd 

in what will likely be his last ever World 

Championship appearance. 

Matthew has forged a career through his 

fierce competitiveness, mental stubbornness 

and legendary fitness which has seen him 

grind down and despatch the sport’s very 

best players for almost 20 years. 

Victories in the 2010 and 2011 World 

Championships saw him become the first 

player in 15 years to win back-to-back world 

titles and with the chance to join Geoff Hunt 

as joint third on list of all time winners with 

four titles, rest assured Matthew will leave 

no stone unturned in his quest for success. 

As well as the main contenders, there are 

also many other key names to watch as 

the top squash players head to Manchester 

in December. 

Ramy Ashour is one of the most gifted 

players ever to play the game and is a real 

fan favourite on the PSA World Tour - a 

player of stunning, unpredictable capacity. 

His victory in the 2014 World Championship 

after a six-month injury absence was 

one of the greatest ever, but victory this 

December would perhaps even go beyond 

that achievement. 

Ali Farag has enjoyed a meteoric rise since 

joining the PSA World Tour in 2009 with 

the Egyptian already ranked inside the top 

five and with many touting him as a future 

World No.1. with a languid and relaxed 

style, Farag is a master mover and sublime 

finisher - traits that could see him sneak 

under the radar come December. 

Nouran Gohar is just 19 years of age and 

is already a leading contender on the 

women’s international circuit. A hard-hitting 

style and physical strength make her a 

nightmare for all opposition. If she can add 

a few more nuances to her game, come 

December she could be unbeatable. 

Nicol David is one of the most decorated 

sports stars of her generation and has been 

crowned World Champion an incredible 

eight times. The Malaysian has been on a 

downward trajectory for the past two years, 

but if anyone knows how to win on the 

biggest stage of all, it is David. 

Tickets for the AJ Bell PSA World 

Championship can be booked 

online at 

www.ajbellworldchampionships.com 



ASICS GEL-BLAST SQUASH SHOE 

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Through dedication to continuous research and innovation in 

collaboration with world-class players competing on the men’s 

and women’s PSA World Tours, including former British Open 

Champion Laura Massaro, ASICS learn the needs of modern 

squash players, helping to continually improve its products. 

The latest edition of this long- standing performance 

model provides players with a solid, stable shoe as well as 

outstanding comfort. 

Dynamic Wrap technology supports the midfoot during fast 

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enhances aggressive movement as well as supporting natural 

gait. GEL cushioning in the rear and forefoot absorbs impact 

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cushioning, durability and security of movement. 

For more information, please visit www.asics.co.uk 



KARIM 

A B DEL 

G A W A D 

W O R L D 

CHAMPION 

AVAILABLE NOW AT 

PREFERRED RETAILER

MEN’S PSA WORLD RANKINGS 

France 

1 11 

Born: 1982 

Lives: Aix-en-Provence, France 

GREGORY 

GAULTIER 

KARIM 

ABDEL 

GAWAD 

England 

6 16 

Born: 1983 

Lives: Leeds, England 

JAMES 

WILLSTROP 

MARWAN 

ELSHORBAGY 

World Tour Titles: 38 

Highest World Ranking: 1 

Egypt 

2 12 

Born: 1991 

Lives: Cairo, Egypt 

MOHAMED 

ELSHORBAGY 



Egypt 

3 13 

Born: 1991 

Lives: Bristol, England 



Egypt 

7 17 

Born: 1993 

Lives: Alexandria, Egypt 

RAMY 

ASHOUR 



England 

4 14 

Born: 1980 

Lives: Sheffield, England 

NICK 

MATTHEW 



Egypt 

8 18 

Born: 1987 


TAREK 

MOMEN 



Egypt 

5 15 

Born: 1992 


ALI 

FARAG 



Egypt 

9 19 

Born: 1988 


FARES 

DESSOUKY 





Egypt 

10 20 

Born: 1994 




SIMON 

RÖSNER 

PAUL 

COLL 

DARYL 

SELBY 

RYAN 

CUSKELLY 

MOHAMED 

ABOUELGHAR 

BORJA 

GOLAN 

MAX 

LEE 

CAMERON 

PILLEY 

DIEGO 

ELIAS 

STEPHEN 

COPPINGER 

Germany 

Born: 1987 

Lives: Paderborn, Germany 



New Zealand 

Born: 1992 

Lives: Hoofddorp, Netherlands 



England 

Born: 1982 

Lives: Shenfield, England 

World Tour titles: 12 


Australia 

Born: 1987 

Lives: New York, USA 



Egypt 

Born: 1993 




Spain 

Born: 1983 

Lives: Santiago, Spain 



Hong Kong 

Born: 1988 

Lives: Hong Kong 



Australia 

Born: 1982 

Lives: Den Haag, Netherlands 



Peru 

Born: 1996 

Lives: Lima, Peru 



South Africa 

Born: 1984 

Lives: Cape Town, SA 



For more information, visit: www.psaworldtour.com 



WOMEN’S PSA WORLD RANKINGS 

1 

NOUR EL 

SHERBINI 

Egypt 

Born: 1996 




11 

NOUR EL 

TAYEB 

Egypt 

Born: 1997 




2 

RANEEM 

EL WELILY 

Egypt 

Born: 1989 




12 

JOELLE 

KING 

New Zealand 

Born: 1988 

Lives: Cambridge, 

New Zealand 



3 

CAMILLE 

SERME 

France 

Born: 1989 

Lives: Creteil, Paris 



13 

EMILY 

WHITLOCK 

England 

Born: 1994 

Lives: Colwyn Bay, Wales 



4 

LAURA 

MASSARO 

England 

Born: 1983 

Lives: Preston, England 



14 

JOSHNA 

CHINAPPA 

India 

Born: 1986 

Lives: Chennai, India 



5 

NOURAN 

GOHAR 

Egypt 

Born: 1997 




15 

VICTORIA 

LUST 

England 

Born: 1989 

Lives: Victoria, Canada 



6 

NICOL 

DAVID 

Malaysia 

Born: 1983 

Lives: Penang, Malaysia 



16 

TESNI 

EVANS 

Wales 

Born: 1992 

Lives: Rhyl, Wales 



7 

SARAH- 

JANE 

PERRY 

England 

Born: 1991 

Lives: Kenilworth, England 



17 

OLIVIA 

BLATCHFORD 

USA 

Born: 1993 

Lives: Wilton, USA 



8 

AMANDA 

SOBHY 

USA 

Born: 1993 

Lives: New York 



18 

DONNA 

URQUHART 

Australia 

Born: 1987 

Lives: Brisbane, Australia 



9 

ALISON 

WATERS 

England 

Born: 1984 

Lives: London, England 



19 

JOEY 

CHAN 

Hong Kong 

Born: 1988 




10 

ANNIE 

AU 

Hong Kong 

Born: 1989 




20 

SALMA HANY 

IBRAHIM 

England 

Born: 1996 




For more information, visit: www.psaworldtour.com 



8-17 DECEMBER 

TICKETS NOW ON SALE 

AJBELLWORLDCHAMPIONSHIPS.COM

ISSUE03-2017InternationalSquashMagazine

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