InternationalSquashMagazine-December2018

INTERNATIONAL 

DECEMBER | 2018 

ISSN 2042-7611 

UK £3.00 | € 4.50 | USA $ 5.50 

MAGAZINE 

INTERNATIONAL SQUASH MAGAZINE 

www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine

ISSN 2042-7611 

CONTENTS 

INTERNATIONAL 

DECEMBER | 2018 

UK £3.00 | € 4.50 | USA $ 5.50 

MAGAZINE 

CONTENTS 

JOELLE KING & MOHAMED ELSHORBAGY 

CLAIM HONG KONG OPEN TITLES 

05 JOELLE KING AND MOHAMED ELSHORBAGY TRIUMPHED AT THE 2018 EVERBRIGHT 

SUN HUNG KAI HONG KONG SQUASH OPEN TO CLAIM RESPECTIVE WINS OVER RANEEM EL 

WELILY AND ALI FARAG AT HONG KONG PARK SPORTS CENTRE 


www.isportgroup.com/InternationalSquashMagazine 

Front Cover 

Joelle King, Winner of the 2018 

Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong 

Squash Open. 


is published by 

internationalSPORTgroup Limited 

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Cheadle Hulme 

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www.isportgroup.com 

Editor: 

Paul Walters 

Editorial: 

email: marketing@isportgroup.com 

Advertising: 

Telephone: +44 (0) 7766 576834 

email: sales@isportgroup.com 

www.isportgroup.com 

Photography: 

www.squashsite.co.uk 

www.squashpics.com 

Aulia Dyan 

Proofreading: 

Catherine Levack 

Acknowledgements: 

Professional Squash Association 

www.squashsite.com 

Howard Harding, World Squash Federation 

World Media Director 

internationalSPORTgroup Limited 

makes every effort to ensure that editorial 

is factually correct at the time of going to 

press, but cannot accept responsibility for 

any subsequent errors. 

internationalSPORTgroup Limited is 

not responsible for unsolicited material. 

Copyright internationalSPORTgroup 

Limited. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without the written permission 

of the publishers. 

Views expressed and products appearing 

in International Squash Magazine 

are not necessarily endorsed by 

internationalSPORTgroup Limited. 

ALI FARAG WINS QATAR CLASSIC 

09 ALI FARAG DELIGHTED A PARTISAN CROWD INSIDE THE KHALIFA TENNIS & SQUASH 

COMPLEX IN DOHA TO DEFEAT SIMON RÖSNER OF GERMANY IN STRAIGHT GAMES TO WIN 

THE 2018 QATAR CLASSIC AND CLAIM HIS SECOND PSA WORLD TOUR PLATINUM TITLE. 

ASB DELIVER PIONEERING NATIONAL SQUASH CENTRE IN 

AUSTRALIA 

13 WHILST THE REPOSITIONING OF ALL-GLASS SQUASH SHOW COURTS HAS BEEN 

COMMONPLACE FOR MANY YEARS, THE RECENT OPENING OF THE NEW NATIONAL SQUASH 

CENTRE IN AUSTRALIA MARKS A HISTORIC FIRST IN THE RELOCATION OF AN ENTIRE 

FACILITY, MADE POSSIBLE BY THE WORLD’S LEADING COURT MANUFACTURER ASB, WHICH 

IS BASED IN GERMANY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC. 

QUESTION & ANSWER: TODD HARRITY 

14 USA NO.1 TODD HARRITY TALKS WITH INTERNATIONAL SQUASH MAGAZINE 

COACHING & INSTRUCTION: A GAME OF FINE MARGINS 

18 SCOTTISH SQUASH NATIONAL COACH PAUL BELL EXPLAINS WHY HE BELIEVES THAT 

IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO SEE THE GAME LIVE. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLAYERS AT 

THE TOP LEVEL IS SO SUBTLE AND THERE IS NOTHING LIKE SEEING IT LIVE TO REALLY 

APPRECIATE THE FINE MARGINS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TOP PLAYERS ARE REALLY 

DOING. 

MAXIMISING TRAINING ADAPTATIONS THROUGH NUTRITION 

21 OLLIE TURNER, PERFORMANCE NUTRITIONIST AT THE ENGLISH INSTITUTE OF SPORT 

AND ASSOCIATE LECTURER IN SPORTS NUTRITION AT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY, 

EXPLAINS WHY WITHOUT THE CORRECT NUTRITION, HOURS SPENT TRAINING ON COURT 

AND IN THE GYM COULD GO TO WASTE AND OUTLINES SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT TO EAT TO 

MAXIMISE TRAINING ADAPTATIONS. 

BARCELONA GLOBAL SQUASH 

25 BARCELONA GLOBAL SQUASH, COMPRISING THE BGS PERFORMANCE ACADEMY, 

ONE OF EUROPE’S MOST PROGRESSIVE SQUASH ACADEMIES, CONTINUES TO GROW AND 

INCREASE ITS FOOTPRINT WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL SQUASH COMMUNITY 

AJ BELL BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – NOTTINGHAM 2019 

27 MARTHE DE FERRER PREVIEWS THE 2019 AJ BELL BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 

WHICH WILL SEE THE UK’S LEADING PLAYERS VIE FOR THE COVETED TITLES IN 

NOTTINGHAM IN FEBRUARY 

WORLD RANKINGS 

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

INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE December 2018 | 03 


PSA World n°1* 

Blend.fr *Best ranking

EVERBRIGHT SUN HUNG KAI 

HONG KONG SQUASH OPEN 

JOELLEKING&MOHAMEDELSHORBAGY 

CLAIMHONGKONGOPENTITLES 

Joelle King and Mohamed ElShorbagy triumphed at the 2018 Everbright 

Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open to claim respective wins over 

Raneem El Welily and Ali Farag at Hong Kong Park Sports Centre. 

King lifted the first Professional Squash 

Association (PSA) World Tour Platinum 

trophy of her career after a sublime 

performance saw the 30-year-old New 

Zealander defeat World Champion and 

2017 runner-up Raneem El Welily 11-4 

12-10 19-17 in 48 minutes of increasingly 

high drama. 

The Kiwi dominated proceedings in the 

opening game and was able to see out 

the second on the tie-break to put one 

hand on the trophy. El Welily came out 

firing in a captivating third game as she 

looked to avoid defeat in a Hong Kong 

final for a fourth time, but it was King 

who came out on top to capture the 12th 

PSA World Tour title of her career. 

King’s victory ensured that she ended 

the year on a high by becoming the first 

New Zealander since Carol Owens at the 

Tournament of Champions in 2003 to win 

a PSA Platinum tournament. 

“I’m just extremely happy to win my 

first platinum event ever … on a stage 

like this, with such great fans means a 

lot,” said King, whose result qualifies 

her for the season-ending PSA World 

Tour Finals. 

“I just kept thinking that it’s the last 

match of the tournament – just leave it 





all out there. Raneem is such a tough 

competitor and she showed in the third. 

She just kept coming back at me and 

never let it go until the end.” 

Despite the disappointment of losing in 

her fourth Hong Kong final, El Welily had 

the consolation of ending compatriot 

Nour El Sherbini’s 31-month reign at 

World No.1 after the latter suffered a 3-2 

defeat to England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in 

the quarter-finals. The reigning World 

Champion became the first Egyptian 

female in any sport to be crowned World 

No.1 when she brought the legendary 

Nicol David’s unprecedented nine-year 

run atop the rankings to a close back in 

September 2015. 

Men’s World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy 

captured his fourth Hong Kong Open title 

after dismantling compatriot Ali Farag 11-6 

11-7 11-7 in a repeat of last year’s final. 

ElShorbagy and Farag had shared 

the spoils from the first two Platinum 

events of the season between them, 

with ElShorbagy winning the October’s 

U.S. Open and Farag triumphing at last 

month’s Qatar Classic. 

But ElShorbagy was a class apart in Hong 

Kong as he powered to the 35th PSA 

World Tour title of his career - a total 

which sees him move up to joint eighth 

in the all-time PSA title winners list, level 

with the legendary Nick Matthew. 

“I’m really pleased to be able to come 

here and play my best squash,” said 

ElShorbagy. 

“It’s always great when it all comes 

together. I’m really proud of my 

performance but not to take anything 

away from Ali, I have nothing but respect 

for him. He came to the tour later than 

all of us and came up the rankings very 

fast. Very few people can do what he did 

and he’s coming after me, but I’m trying 

to hold him a little bit. 

“We’ve played twice already this season, 

he beat me once and now I’ve beaten 

him. I’m sure we will have many more 

battles and compete in more finals.” 

ElShorbagy and King both collected 

almost $23,000 in prize money after the 

Hong Kong Open this year became the 

final joint Platinum event to commit to 

equal prize money. 

Despite the disappointment of losing in her 

fourth Hong Kong final, Raneem El Welily had the 

consolation of ending compatriot Nour El Sherbini’s 

31-month reign at World No.1 

06 | December 2018 INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE 




Mohamed ElShorbagy was a class apart in Hong 

Kong as he powered to the 35th PSA World Tour 

title of his career 

Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong 

Kong Squash Open 

Men’s Final: 

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt 

[2] Ali Farag (EGY) 

11-6, 11-7, 11-7 

Women’s Final: 

[5] Joelle King (NZL) bt 

[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 

11-4, 12-10, 19-17 



IF HISTORY IS AN INDICATION, 

YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE 

UNSQUASHABLE 

JOEL MAKIN AUTOGRAPH RACKET

2018 QATAR SQUASH CLASSIC 

ALIFARAGWINSQATARCLASSIC 

Ali Farag delighted a partisan crowd inside the Khalifa Tennis 

& Squash Complex in Doha to defeat Simon Rösner of Germany in 

straight games to win the 2018 Qatar Classic and claim his second PSA 

World Tour Platinum title. 

The atmosphere was 

beyond my imagination. 

Nothing I’ve played before 

was like that but midway 

through the first game I 

managed to settle and get 

into my game plan 




I’m very happy with 

the win and really proud 

with the way I handled 

the whole week 

The Egyptian and German went headto-head 

in an eagerly anticipated final 

after prevailing in their respective 

semi-final encounters against Egypt’s 

Tarek Momen and Peruvian Diego Elias 

respectively. 

Paderborn-based Rösner enjoyed 

a career breakthrough at the 

championships last year when he 

reached the semi-finals at a Platinum 

level event for the first time to usher 

in what has proven to be the most 

successful season of his career to date. 

The 30-year-old impressively brushed 

aside George Parker and Tom Richards 

of England and Paul Coll of New Zealand 

in the lead-up to the semi-finals where 

he overwhelmed Diego Elias in just 31 

minutes with the tired looking 21-yearold 

Peruvian struggling both mentally 

and physically to back up his victory 

over World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy in 

the previous round. 

Farag meanwhile experienced a 

cautious start to his Qatar campaign 

with a hard-fought 68-minute five-game 

victory over compatriot Mohamed 

Abouelghar followed by straight game 

victories over Saurav Ghosal of India 

and former World Champion Karim 

Abdel Gawad, before overcoming 

Tarek Momen with a four-game victory 

that avenged his defeat to his fellow 

countryman in the final of the Channel 

VAS Championship the previous week. 

Rösner began the stronger in the 

opening exchanges of the final to open 

up a quick lead, but it was short-lived as 

Farag nullified the German’s mid-court 

dominance with an impressive near 

faultless 11-9 11-7 11-5 victory. 

“At the beginning I saw how crowded 

the venue was and the screams of 

the crowd were crazy which made me 

nervous - it took me a little while to 

calm my nerves down,” said Farag. 




“The atmosphere was beyond my 

imagination. Nothing I’ve played before 

was like that but midway through the 

first game I managed to settle and get 

into my game plan. 

“I tried to make sure that first game 

was long and that I wasn’t giving away 

any cheap points. I was behind and I 

didn’t think I would win that game, but 

coming through to win it made a huge 

psychological difference I think. 

“At the U.S. Open against Simon I 

became too passive, and if you do that 

he will kill you on court. You have to find 

that balance and I was able to do that 

from the second half of the first game 

all the way to the end today. So I am 

very happy. 

“I’m very happy with the win and really 

proud with the way I handled the whole 

week.” 

Whilst Diego Elias produced the 

performance of his career to defeat 

World No.1 and World Champion Mohamed 

ElShorbagy in a thrilling 76-minute fivegame 

quarter-final, the 2018 Qatar Classic 

was equally notable for the emergence of 

Welshman Joel Makin. 

Having shocked Mohamed ElShorbagy 

with a straight-games triumph at 

the Channel VAS Championships, 

Makin defeated reigning British Open 

Champion Miguel Angel Rodriguez and 

former World No.6 Mathieu Castagnet 

to reach the quarter-finals where he 

found himself one game up against 

Tarek Momen before eventually losing 

to the in-form Egyptian in a thrilling 

51-minutes. 

2018 Qatar Squash Classic, Dohar 

Final 

[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt 

[4] Simon Rösner 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 



MORE THAN BUILDING FOUR WALLS 

EXPERIENCE 

QUALITY 

PASSION 

ENGINEERING 

DISRUPTION 

1976 The first ASB SquashCourt 

1978 ASB Pro GlassBackWall 

1979 ASB movable wall 

1979 ASB rotary GlassBackWall 

1981 The healthy ASB SportsFloor 

1990 ASB GameCourt 

1991 ASB SquashCourt System 100 

1995 ASB RainbowCourts 

1998 ASB ShowGlassCourt 

2000 ASB SensitiveTin 

2001 ASB TopSquash 

2006 ASB GlassFloor 

2007 First Glass Court on a cruise ship 

2009 ASB ShowGlassCourt (upgrade: glass fins replace metal poles) 

2011 ASB RefereeSystem and ASB TopSquash (screens) 

2011 ASB ShowGlassCourt/upgrade: bigger panels, TV visibility 

2012 ASB TVO Floor (TV optimised) 

2013 ASB ShowGlassCourt / upgrade: LED (out, service and tin) lines 

2014 ASB System 100/L (floor runs under wall) 

2014 ASB Permanent GlassCourt 

2015 ASB EventGameCourt 

2015 ASB PublicSquashCourt 

2016 ASB LumiFlex (full LED video sports floor) 

2017 ASB TPoint (the revolutionary squash hub) 

WWW.AS B S Q U A S H .C O M

ASB DELIVER PIONEERING NATIONAL 

SQUASH CENTRE IN AUSTRALIA 

ASBDELIVERPIONEERINGNATIONAL 

SQUASHCENTREINAUSTRALIA 

Whilst the repositioning of all-glass squash show courts has been 

commonplace for many years, the recent opening of the new National 

Squash Centre in Australia marks a historic first in the relocation of an 

entire facility, made possible by the world’s leading court manufacturer 

ASB, which is based in Germany and the Czech Republic. 

Originally constructed in the Oxenford Film Studios in Gold Coast 

for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April, the six glass-backed 

courts together with the state-of-the-art all-glass show court have 

now become the ultimate legacy for Squash Australia in nearby 

Carrara, Queensland. 

Delivered to Gold Coast in seven 40-foot containers, the three 

EventGameCourts (each unit providing three singles courts, 

convertible into two doubles courts within minutes) and 

ShowGlassCourt, with moveable side walls, were erected for Gold 

Coast 2018 by a crack 12-man ASB team in 43 working days. 

Following the completion of the Games, it then took a further 14 

working days for a 12-man team to dismantle and prepare the 

facility for transfer to Carrara - returning the Oxenford Studios to 

use for filming. 

Over a further 30 working days, a six-man ASB team reconstructed 

two EventGameCourts, leaving the third one in storage for use later 

in a further legacy facility, alongside the ShowGlassCourt at the 

Carrara Sports Complex to become the heart of Australia’s first 

national centre. 

“We have provided the courts for each Commonwealth Games since 

1998, all of which have provided long-term legacies for the hosts - 

such as the all the courts (including the all-glass court) for the 2002 

Commonwealth Games in Manchester, which is still in use, and the 

courts at 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Pan American 

Games in Toronto,” said Adam Ondrasik, Production Manager for 

ASB Squash. 

“But the ultimate legacy is the entire facility, not only returning 

the initial location to the use for which it was originally designated, 

but also then providing a new multi-purpose base in a permanent 

location for long-term use.” 

At the opening of the country’s new National Squash Centre, 

which in October hosted its first men’s and women’s Professional 

Squash Association (PSA) World Tour event, Squash Australia Chief 

Executive Richard Vaughan said: “The National Squash Centre 

at Carrara is an amazing legacy outcome for the Gold Coast and 

Queensland. 

“The Gold Coast will now be home to the Squash Australia High 

Performance program, host national events and over the next five 

years host multiple world championship events with the first being 

the World Coaches Conference at the Carrara complex, followed 

by the World Doubles Championships in June 2019 and the World 

Junior Championships in July 2020.” 

World Squash Federation CEO Andrew Shelley added: “The 

Commonwealth Games this year is another great example of why 

squash is such a good fit for all major events, not least the Olympic 

Games if we are successful in securing a place. 

“Courts can be built in days, and in the case of a show court, taken 

down in less than 24 working hours, returning the facility to normal 

use. Then the legacy options, as have already been seen around the 

world, can kick in to support development. A classic win-win! 

“We look forward to the WSF World Championships, already booked 

for Carrara in the next two years, with great anticipation.” 



Q&A: TODD HARRITY 

TODDHARRITY 

No.1 Todd Harrity 

talks with International 

Q&AUSA 

Squash Magazine. 

Earliest sporting memory: 

When I was young I played many sports including soccer, 

baseball, basketball, tennis and ran cross country in high 

school as well. Of course, I played squash from a young 

age too. I still remember my first squash tournament. It 

was just a club tournament at the Merion Cricket Club, 

where I grew up playing. I guess I must have been 8 or 9 

years old and I was so nervous for my first tournament. I 

think I lost in the semi-finals. 

Sports Watched: 

Interestingly, I’m not a big sport junky. I don’t follow 

many sports closely and I don’t watch much sport in 

my free time. But I do love watching tennis and the 

occasional American Football game, but even then, I 

really just watch the Grand Slam tennis tournaments 

and maybe the Masters. I do love watching an American 

Football game on a Sunday afternoon. 

Why a life of sport, or if it hadn’t happened, what 

would you have done instead? 

Squash became a big focus of mine from when I was 

about 13 years old. After my junior squash career, I was 

then recruited to play for Princeton University. As my 

college career was ending and all my friends were busy 

doing job interviews, I realised squash had been such 

a big part of my life for just about as long as I could 

remember. I couldn’t imagine not playing squash and so 

with encouragement from my coaches I decided to go for 

it and join the PSA World Tour. 

If I wasn’t a pro squash player I am not quite sure what 

I would do. It’s something I think about all the time. 

I studied Psychology at Princeton and loved it and 

would definitely consider going back to school to get an 

advanced Psychology degree. I also think I could be a 

great teacher. 

Toughest part of your sporting life? 

Definitely the constant travel. I love travelling 

sometimes, but I’m also a homebody. I don’t like the 

constant bouncing around and the feeling of living out of 

my suitcase and hotel rooms. 

Most memorable sporting moment: 

I have a couple. Definitely winning the US College 

National Championships in 2012 is one of them and 

winning the US Nationals in 2015 and 2016 were special 

moments for me as well. 

Worst sporting moment: 

I once lost in the finals of a tournament after 

being 2-0 up and having a lot of match balls in 

the third game. I forget how many, but I think it 

was at least 5, if not 6 or 7. I then lost the 

match 3-2. 

Squash is such an amazing sport. It is incredibly 

international and I now have friends from all over the 

world. It’s also a life-long sport. There are people at my 

club that are in their 60s and 80s and they’re still playing. 



Q&A: TODD HARRITY 

Country: USA 

Date of Birth: 16th September 1990 

Place of Birth: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 

Place of Residence: Wayne, Pennsylvania 

Marital Status: Single 

Highest PSA World Ranking: 45 

PSA World Tour Titles: 2 

PSA World Tour Finals: 4 

Sporting heroes: 

Definitely Roger Federer. I have so much respect for that man. 

His style is so smooth and fluid. But more importantly it also 

seems like he just loves what he does and has enjoyed his 

career. 

Favourite venue and why? 

My favourite venue is the Tournament of Champions in New 

York. It’s such an electric atmosphere and a great way of 

getting the game more exposure. It’s great that people who 

don’t even know what squash is can pass by and watch for a 

while through the front wall. 

What sporting event would you pay the most to see? 

For lots of sports, like American Football or Basketball, I’d 

honestly prefer to relax on my couch and just watch it on TV. I 

would of course love to have a box seat for the semis or finals 

of Wimbledon or the French Open. 

Question asked most often by the public: 

Has anyone ever told you look like Mark Zuckerberg? 

And the answer: 

Yes, about once a week. 

Sporting motto: 

It’s hard to fail, but it is worse to never have tried to succeed. 

Who would you most like to invite to dinner and why? 

It would probably be Roger Federer again. But I also sometimes 

dream about having dinner with a major historical figure, 

someone who is a legend, that I’ve read and heard so much 

about, but have no way of knowing their personality. Perhaps 

Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Thomas 

Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. 



IF HISTORY IS AN INDICATION, 

YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE

INSPIRED BY JAHANGIR KHAN MADE TO WIN

COACHING & INSTRUCTION: 

A GAME OF FINE MARGINS 

AGAMEOFFINEMARGINS 

I recently attended the Channel VAS Championships at St George’s 

Hill with our Scottish No.1 Greg Lobban. It’s always interesting watching 

the first events of a new season to see what changes the players have 

made over the summer training period. 

By Paul Bell 

Scottish Squash National 

Coach & UNSQUASHABLE 

Ambassador 

I love going and watching live squash, 

because despite the great job SquashTV 

are doing it is always best to see the 

game live really and understand what’s 

happening on court. The differences 

between players at the top level is so 

subtle and there is nothing like seeing it 

live to really appreciate the fine margins 

and what the top players are doing. 

Watching squash is essential for 

coaches and for players 

As a coach I am always learning and 

trying to improve, and a big part of my 

continuous development is to make the 

time and effort to watch squash. When 

I say watch squash I mean really watch 

it to gain an understanding of what is 

happening. I believe that being in touch 

with what is happening at the top of the 

game is vital to ensuring coaches can 

create a long-term vision for how they 

would like their players to play the game. 

The game is evolving rapidly and if you 

aren’t evolving your training methods 

and ideas on the game, you will be left 

behind and therefore so will your players. 

This same idea is also crucial for players. 

Watching the best players in the world 

is inspiring but is also the best indicator 

to help players form some opinions 

and ideas on where their game should 

be going next. My coaching method is 

quite different to a lot of other squash 

coaches in that I believe in a co-operative 

approach where the player is the driver 

of the process. The responsibility lies 

with them to develop their own style and 

ideas on the game. 

Within this approach my role is to listen, 

steer, challenge and question ensuring 

the player is following the best path to 

achieve the goals they have chosen. 

Squash is a problem-solving game so 

by taking the conventional approach 

of telling players what they need to do, 

coaches leave players ill-equipped to 

make the right decisions in the heat of 

the moment. The understanding and 

knowledge of the game that players learn 

by watching is a key attribute that is 

often overlooked. 

In order to develop the ability and 

skills that enable players to separate 

themselves from the crowd in a game 

where such small margins make all the 

difference, there are a few key areas that 

are necessary to emphasise. 

Attention to detail 

While the shots of the game remain the 

same, the way that they are used can 

change everything. 

There is the obvious example of the 

Egyptians who are very attack minded 

and use the front of the court, whilst a 

trend of the British players is to focus 

more on dominating the back of the 

court. While the same shots are used 

within the game the real impact comes 

from how they are executed. 

Within my coaching I try to stay away 

from asking players to play shots and 

instead focus a player’s attention on 

where they are putting the ball. Ask a 

player to play a straight drive and the 

margin for error in executing a straight 

drive is huge. Ask a player to get the 

ball second bouncing into the backwall 

nick and suddenly you find a much 

greater purpose to every shot that is 

being played. 

Our language and delivery of a message 

as coaches is crucial to get players to 

understand what really matters in the 

game and what separates the good from 

the great. 

Ball Placement 

To be a good player you need to be able 

to put the ball in the right areas of the 

court in the right way. Generally, these 

are the simple shots but the impact that 

can be made with these shots is huge 

in both a positive and negative way 

depending on the execution. 

Having the ability to make the ball go 

exactly where you need it to in order to 

cause maximum difficulty is something 

top players do flawlessly. The ability 

to execute effectively is down to swing 

control, however in match play players 

struggle to find the right areas of the 

court either through lack of thought 

into what they would like the ball to 

actually do, for example they just hit 

a drive, or they are unable to play the 

shot in the way they need to as a result 

of lazy movement and/or footwork - 

not making the effort to get into the 

required hitting position. 

Shot Options 

In addition to putting the ball in the 

right areas the best players are always 

showing at least two shots they are 

capable of playing. 

During the Channel VAS event Greg 

played Karim Abdel Gawad who is a 

master at this. Gawad’s real weapon is 

his backhand, especially on the volley. 

All match he showed the long and short 

ball every time he was on the volley and 

throughout the match he played both, 

keeping his opponent guessing and 

needing to cover the whole channel. The 



COACHING & INSTRUCTION: 

A GAME OF FINE MARGINS 

ability to do this forces your opponent to 

do a lot more work which takes its toll as 

the match progresses. 

In addition to this Karim then showed us 

that he also had a third option from this 

position. As things were getting really 

tight at 11-11 all in the fourth we saw a 

brand-new shot from the same position, 

a volley boast. It came from exactly 

the same position on the court, racket 

preparation and body shape – he had 

obviously been capable of playing this 

shot all match long, but he was saving it 

for the opportune time to use it to get a 

quick winner and it worked perfectly. 

Playing with a bigger picture in mind 

A big factor in winning matches is also 

your tactics. From watching matches 

from the PSA World Tour, it is clear to 

see that each player has an approach in 

mind which they believe will maximise 

their own strengths and exploit their 

opponents’ weaknesses. This makes 

decision making on court much easier 

because you have pre-identified the best 

approach to beating your opponent. For 

example, you believe you are mentally 

stronger than your opponent which 

is a tactic often adopted by the top 

players; the aim would be to make every 

rally physically tough and enable the 

opponents’ mental fragility to affect their 

shot selections which will allow you to 

take advantage. 

Developing it in your own game and 

your players 

To end on a positive note, most squash 

players are capable of hitting a world 

class shot. In a feeding session which 

allows for players to set up the position, 

swing the racket perfectly and pick out 

exactly where the ball should go, the 

quality is just as good as the world’s best. 

The problem occurs when players are 

asked to do all of these at speed and with 

different choices available. In order to 

play your best game, clarity and attention 

to detail in every shot that is played will 

ensure that you play the best squash that 

you are capable of on the day. 

Give it a try. 

Paul Bell is an UNSQUASHABLE brand 

ambassador and sponsored coach. 



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MAXIMISINGTRAININGADAPTATIONS 

THROUGHNUTRITION 

Ollie Turner, Performance Nutritionist at the English Institute of 

Sport and Associate Lecturer in Sports Nutrition at Sheffield Hallam 

University explains why without the correct nutrition, hours spent training 

on court and in the gym could go to waste and outlines suggestions of 

what to eat to maximise training adaptations. 

By Ollie Turner 

Performance Nutritionist at the English Institute 

of Sport & Associate Lecturer in Sports Nutrition 

at Sheffield Hallam University 

Many will be aware of the brutal training regime undertaken 

by Nick Matthew during his distinguished career, in 

particular the infamous ‘Rumble’ developed by his strength 

and conditioning which coach Mark Campbell, described 

as “downright sadistic” and “one of the most gruelling 

cardio workouts ever published” by Men’s Health Magazine. 

Numerous elite players will be able to relate to this type of 

session and will regularly engage in tough training blocks 

to prepare them for the high intensity demands, dynamic 

movements and long match durations that underpin the 

sport. While the benefits of having a solid foundation of 

a periodised training are well understood, these training 

sessions only act as a stimulus for the intended training 

adaptations. 

Below is a suggested eating plan to help maximise the return 

from your training efforts. 

How do we Maximise Training Adaptations? 

When players engage in training sessions both on and off 

the court, they get little microtears in the muscle. This is 

part of the adaptation process and is called ‘muscle protein 

breakdown’. It acts as a stimulus for the muscle to be repaired 

and remodelled into a new form with the intended training 

adaptations. The type of adaptations will depend on the 

training session undertaken (endurance, strength etc.) with 

this process being referred to as ‘muscle protein synthesis’. 

Research has shown that protein is the key nutrient tasked 

with the tools to repair and rebuild of the muscle. We can 

manipulate our protein intake to maximise our training 

adaptations and below are three simple pointers... 

Firstly, an elite player will endure a high volume of training 

and match play throughout a season which will create more 

muscle protein breakdown. As a result, they will require 

more protein to resynthesise the muscle. Research suggests 

that an optimal amount per day would be roughly 2.2 grams 

of protein per kilogram of body mass. A 75kg player would 

require 165 grams of protein per day to maximise training 

adaptations (75 x 2.2 grams = 165 grams of protein). 

Research has also shown that spacing your protein intake out 

into 4-6 sittings is optimal. Try to aim to consume protein at 

every main meal and roughly every three hours. 

Consuming protein immediately post-exercise is also 

important to maximise training adaptations as this is when 

muscle protein breakdown is at its greatest. The longer an 

athlete waits to consume protein post-exercise, the less 

receptive the muscle becomes to the protein source. 

Translating the Science into Food 

Food and drink are a human’s nutrient currency, so we need 

to be able to translate the science into good practical advice. 

Below is an example of an optimal protein strategy for a 75kg 

player. The scenario is that they are in an intense pre-season 

training block and have completed a strength-based gym 

session in the morning (9:00 to 11:00) and a court session 

(14:30 to 16:30) in the afternoon. 

7:30 – Breakfast – Porridge oats (made with 250 ml milk) 

with Banana and Berries (provides 20 grams of protein) 

It is important to get a serving of protein in for breakfast 

as this will help reduce the breakdown of the muscle during 

exercise. The porridge oats and milk will help provide the 

protein source while also containing carbohydrates to fuel 

the strength session. The banana and berries will provide 

some extra fuel while containing Vitamin C, an antioxidant 

which can help reduce the amount of stress the body is put 

under during hard training periods. 

11:00 – Post-Strength Session – Sports Recovery Shake 

(approx. 25 grams protein) 

We want something quick and fast to supply our bodies with 

the nutrients to repair and rebuild the muscle post-training. 

A sports recovery shake is beneficial as it can be kept in 

a gym bag. Many athletes also don’t feel like eating food 

immediately post-exercise but can generally stomach liquids 

such as the recovery shake. 

Look for ones which contain whey protein and the branch 

chain amino acid Leucine as these will enable the body to 

remodel the muscle quicker. Athletes subject to UKAD laws 

will have to ensure any supplements such as a recovery 

shake are batch tested or display the informed sport logo to 

ensure against inadvertent doping. 

12:30 – Lunch – Teriyaki Salmon with Mixed Grains (rice 

and quinoa), spinach and broccoli (provides 40 grams of 

protein) 

The salmon, mixed grains and broccoli will all contribute 

to the protein count. Salmon contains vitamins B6 and B12 

which help to release energy once it is stored. It is also 



MAXIMISING TRAINING ADAPTATIONS 

THROUGH NUTRITION 

a good source of omega-3, a fatty acid which has been 

shown to increase muscle protein synthesis and reduce 

inflammation. The mixed grains, spinach and broccoli will 

provide vital nutrients which will give the body a muchneeded 

boost during tough training blocks. 

16:30 – Post-Court Session – Fruit Smoothie (20 grams 

protein) 

While a sports recovery shake may be convenient, homemade 

fruit smoothies help provide a more nutrient-dense option. 

These can easily provide a nice protein source by creating 

the base of the smoothie with a combination of milk and 

natural yogurt. Various types of fruits, vegetables, nuts and 

seeds can be added to create the ultimate health cocktail. 

19:30 – Chicken and chickpea stew (Provides 40 grams of 

protein) 

The chicken and chickpeas will help provide the protein 

source. This stew can be made with a base of tomatoes and 

include added extras such as spring onions, kale and kidney 

beans, all of which help keep the body energised and fresh. 

22:00 – Wholegrain toast with a glass of milk (Provides 

20 grams of protein) 

The milk provides a slow releasing form of protein called 

casein which will help to repair and rebuild the muscles 

overnight, while wholegrain toast tops up energy stores. 

Without the 

correct nutrition, 

hours spent 

training on court 

and in the gym 

could go to waste 



G 

L O 

B A R C E L O N A 

B A 

L 

S H 

S Q U A 

BGS 

PERFORMANCE 

ACADEMY 

TRANSITION TO THE 

PROFESSIONAL PSA 

WORLD TOUR 

BGS INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR ADVANCED 

SUMMER CAMPS 

BGS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL, 

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TEAMS 

PLAYERS INCLUDE: 

BGS WEEKEND CLINICS 

Edmon LÓPEZ ESP WR 58 

Iker PAJARES ESP WR 61 

Alex NOAKES ENG WR 142 

Roee AVRAHAM ISR WR 175 

Tess JUTTE HOL WR 215 

Sandeep 

RAMACHANDRAN IND WR 261 

“BALANCED AND SIMPLY INSPIRING” 

barcelonaglobalsquash.com

BARCELONA GLOBAL SQUASH 

BARCELONAGLOBALSQUASH 

Barcelona Global Squash (BGS), comprising the BGS Performance 

Academy, one of Europe’s most progressive squash academies, 

continues to grow and increase its footprint within the international 

squash community. 

BGS is an active partner of the College 

Squash Association (CSA) offering 

American high schools and colleges 

solutions for both teams and individuals 

alike. BGS is conscious of the growth 

of squash in the US especially in the 

North East and West Coast Bay areas 

and is aware of the continually growing 

international recruitment programs and 

of the ever-increasing competitive level 

of squash in American colleges. 

The combination of Barcelona and BGS 

is one of relatively few international 

study abroad destinations for American 

varsity squash students that offers 

both an attractive, cosmopolitan and 

progressive city destination rich in 

academics, cultural, sport and social 

activism along with a professional 

centre offering the very best in world 

class athletic squash training. 

Programs run by many of America’s 

top Ivy League colleges offer a fullimmersion 

learning experience in one of 

the leading cities in the world. Students 

are immersed in the local university 

environment and take most of their 

courses at one of the partner universities 

such as the Universität de Barcelona 

(UB), the Universität Autònoma de 

Barcelona (UAB) and Spain’s No.1 

university the Universität Pompeu Fabra 

(UPF). BGS currently has two Ivy League 

varsity team players training intensively 

while studying neuroscience during their 

five-month study abroad program. 

Other activities include a new 

collaboration specialising in helping 

international squash athletes obtain 

sports scholarships for the American 

Colleges. At the World Junior Squash 

Championships in 2017 held in Tauranga, 

New Zealand, seven coaches from 

American colleges were there scouting 

for six specific players, but with others 

still able to impress. Big money is at play 

with a scholarship to Drexel for example 

worth US$70,000 a year covering tuition 

fees, food, accommodation, books and 

medical insurance. Squash scholarships 

are now on offer from a limited but 

growing number of colleges. International 

late juniors that need to decide between 

becoming professionals and joining the 

Professional Squash Association (PSA) 

World Tour or continuing their athletic 

and squash development and education 

within the college system, can now train 

at BGS. 

Individuals can prepare for both with 

BGS being responsible for the squash/ 

sports development of the students, the 

opportunity to improve their game and 

the job of increasing their chances of a 

more attractive scholarship. BGS is one 

of very few options available for top 

late junior players to take their game 

forward either into the professional 

world or prepare for American College 

Squash, offering opportunities to train 

in a professional environment and with 

established and emerging professionals. 

Aware of the “squash boom” at junior 

and college levels in the US, Barcelona 

Global Squash is working hard to 

increase the traffic of squash players to 

and from the USA, taking advantage of 

the ever-increasing number of American 

students studying abroad and the everincreasing 

talent, skill and attractive 

competitive level of college squash in 

the USA. 



AJ BELL BRITISH NATIONAL 

CHAMPIONSHIPS – NOTTINGHAM 2019 

AJBELLBRITISHNATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS 

NOTTINGHAM2019 

Marthe de Ferrer previews the 2019 AJ Bell British National 

Championships which will see the UK’s leading players vie for the 

coveted titles in Nottingham in February. 

The 46th edition of the flagship event, hosted by England 

Squash, has been staged in Manchester since 1997 but will 

move to the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Squash 

Rackets Club from the from the 12th to 17th February. 

More than 400 of Britain’s finest will compete across 19 

categories from the men’s and women’s main draw up 

to and including the Men’s Over 80s. Amongst them will 

be Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist James Willstrop, 

defending Women’s Champion Tesni Evans of Wales and 

former title holders Laura Massaro, Daryl Selby and Sarah- 

Jane Perry. 

Following the recent retirement of the record ten times 

champion Nick Matthew, the men’s championship promises to 

be hotly contested by a plethora of challengers with genuine 

title aspirations. 

Two-time champion James Willstrop, who came up against 

Matthew sixty-two times in a sometimes contentious and 

ill-tempered rivalry overcame his illustrious rival on just 13 

occasions. However 2019 could prove to be his time to prevail 

following his recent Commonwealth Games success where he 

was crowned Men’s Singles Gold Medalist as well as winning a 

Bronze Medal in the Men’s Doubles. 

Rivalling Willstrop will be compatriot Declan James who 

partnered the former World No.1 in the Men’s Doubles at 

the Commonwealth Games and who also beat his illustrious 

compatriot in the final of the Nantes Open to record a surprise 

victory on the PSA World Tour in September. 

Daryl Selby, another former national champion who won the 

prestigious title in 2011 by beating Matthew in an enthralling 

final, can also be assured of mounting a tough-minded 

challenge. 

Outside of a strong English contingent, other leading 

contenders for the men’s title include Welsh No.1 Joel Makin 

and Scottish No.1 Greg Lobban. 

The women’s title will be equally competitive with Tesni Evans, 

Laura Massaro, Sarah-Jane Perry and Alison Waters all clear 

contenders. 

Tesni Evans, who made history in 2018 as the first ever Welsh 

player to be crowned British Champion after overpowering 

four-time champion Alison Waters, will be keen to extend her 

impressive run of form which has seen her rise to a careerhigh 

No.9 in the PSA World Rankings. 

Waters, the England No.3 will also be motivated to build 

upon her impressive record of four titles from five final 

appearances, whilst Laura Massaro, who has reached the 

finals seven times, winning the title four times, will be equally 

determined to add to her legacy. 

Sarah-Jane Perry, another former champion who triumphed 

over Massaro in 2015 will be another one to watch after an 

impressive start to the season. 

The main draw qualification rounds and half of the men’s first 

round matches will be staged at Nottingham Squash Rackets 

Club before moving over to the all-glass show court at the 

University of Nottingham. 

Nottingham Squash Rackets Club will host the entirety of the 

Masters event. 

NOTTINGHAM 2019 

14 -17 FEBRUARY 

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM 

TICKET HOTLINE 0844 8797 949 

Tickets for the 2019 AJ Bell British National Squash 

Championships can be booked online at 

www.isportstore.com, by telephone on 0844 8797 949, 

or for further information email sales@isportgroup.com 



MEN’S PSA WORLD RANKINGS 

EGYPT 

1 11 

Born: 

1991 

MOHAMED 

ELSHORBAGY 

EGYPT 

2 12 

Born: 

1992 

ALI 

FARAG 

Lives: 

Bristol, England 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

SAURAV 

GHOSAL 

DIEGO 

ELIAS 

INDIA 

Born: 

1986 

Lives: 

Kolkata, India 

PERU 

Born: 

1996 

Lives: 

Lima, Peru 

EGYPT 

3 13 

Born: 

1993 

MARWAN 

ELSHORBAGY 

EGYPT 

4 14 

Born: 

1988 

TAREK 

MOMEN 

GERMANY 

5 15 

Born: 

1987 

SIMON 

RÖSNER 

FRANCE 

6 16 

Born: 

1982 

GREGORY 

GAULTIER 

COLOMBIA 

7 17 

Born: 

1985 

MIGUEL 

ANGEL 

RODRIGUEZ 

NEW ZEALAND 

8 18 

Born: 

1992 

PAUL 

COLL 

EGYPT 

9 19 

Born: 

1991 

KARIM ABDEL 

GAWAD 

Lives: 

Bristol, England 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

Lives: 

Paderborn, Germany 

Lives: 

Prague, 

Czech Republic 

Lives: 

Bogota, Colombia 

Lives: 

Greymouth, 

New Zealand 

Lives: 

Giza, Egypt 

RYAN 

CUSKELLY 

MAX 

LEE 

RAMY 

ASHOUR 

DECLAN 

JAMES 

OMAR 

MOSAAD 

JAMES 

WILLSTROP 

NICOLAS 

MUELLER 

AUSTRALIA 

Born: 

1987 

Lives: 

Greenwich, USA 

HONG KONG 

Born: 

1988 

Lives: 

Hong Kong 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1987 

Lives: 

New York, USA 

ENGLAND 

Born: 

1993 

Lives: 

Nottingham, England 

EGYPT 

Born: 1988 

Lives: Cairo, Egypt 

ENGLAND 

Born: 1983 

Lives: 

Harrogate, England 

SWITZERLAND 

Born: 

1989 

Lives: 

Zurich, Switzerland 

EGYPT 

10 20 

Born: 

1993 

MOHAMED 

ABOUELGHAR 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

RAPHAEL 

KANDRA 

GERMANY 

Born: 

1990 

Lives: 

Paderborn, Germany 

For more information, visit: www.psaworldtour.com 



WOMEN’S PSA WORLD RANKINGS 

1 

NOUR EL 

SHERBINI 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1995 

Lives: 

Alexandria, Egypt 

11 

ALISON 

WATERS 

ENGLAND 

Born: 

1984 

Lives: 

Hertfordshire, England 

2 

RANEEM 

EL WELILY 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1989 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

12 

ANNIE 

AU 

HONG KONG 

Born: 1989 

Lives: Hong Kong 

3 

NOUR EL 

TAYEB 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1997 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

13 

AMANDA 

SOBHY 

USA 

Born: 

1993 

Lives: 

Boston, USA 

4 

CAMILLE 

SERME 

FRANCE 

Born: 

1989 

Lives: 

Creteil, Paris 

14 

JOSHNA 

CHINAPPA 

INDIA 

Born: 

1986 

Lives: 

hennai, India 

5 

LAURA 

MASSARO 

ENGLAND 

Born: 

1983 

Lives: 

Preston, England 

15 

SALMA HANY 

IBRAHIM 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1996 

Lives: 

Alexandria, Egypt 

6 

SARAH-JANE 

PERRY 

ENGLAND 

Born: 

1990 

Lives: 

Kenilworth, England 

16 

VICTORIA 

LUST 

ENGLAND 

Born: 

1989 

Lives: 

Victoria, Canada 

7 

JOELLE 

KING 

NEW ZEALAND 

Born: 

1988 

Lives: 

Cambridge, 

New Zealand 

17 

DONNA 

LOBBAN 

AUSTRALIA 

Born: 

1986 

Lives: 

Edinburgh, Scotland 

8 

NOURAN 

GOHAR 

EGYPT 

Born: 

1997 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

18 

OLIVIA 

BLATCHFORD 

CLYNE 

USA 

Born: 

1993 

Lives: 

Wilton, USA 

9 

TESNI 

EVANS 

WALES 

Born: 1992 

Lives: Rhyl, Wales 

19 

JOEY 

CHAN 

HONG KONG 

Born: 

1988 

Lives: 

Hong Kong 

10 NICOL 

DAVID 

MALAYSIA 

Born: 

1983 

Lives: 

Amsterdam, 

Netherlands 

20 

HANIA EL 

HAMMAMY 

EGYPT 

Born: 

2000 

Lives: 

Cairo, Egypt 

For more information, visit: www.psaworldtour.com 

30 | Dece,ber 2018 INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE 


NOTTINGHAM 2019 

14 -17 FEBRUARY 

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM 

TICKET HOTLINE 0844 8797 949

InternationalSquashMagazine-December2018

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