St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club hosts the 2023 British Nationals.

Semi-Finals: Player Reaction

It’s semi-finals day at the 2023 British National Squash Championships with eight players looking to secure their final spots at the St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge.

We’ll have reports and reaction from each match right here, while you can watch the action live on SQUASHTV.

You can also stay up to date with our live scoring page.

Play begins at 18:00 (GMT+1) as three-time Nationals champion Sarah-Jane Perry takes on two-time winner Tesni Evans

Welshman Joel Makin and Englishman Adrian Waller will then contest a repeat of the 2021 final – with the former winning on that occasion – before No.1 women’s seed Georgina Kennedy takes on defending champion Jasmine Hutton.

Men’s defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy takes on No.7 see Charlie Lee in the final match of the evening at 21:00 (GMT+1) and will look to avenge his defeat to his fellow Englishman at March’s Optasia Championships.

Order of Play

All times are local GMT+1

Evans Reaches Third Nationals Final

Tesni Evans (right) celebrates beating Sarah-Jane Perry during the British Nationals.
Tesni Evans (right) celebrates beating Sarah-Jane Perry during the British Nationals.

Two-time British Nationals champion Tesni Evans has booked her place in the title decider of this event for the third time in her career after she came back from 2-1 down to vanquish three-time winner Sarah-Jane Perry.

Evans – the winner in 2018 and 2019 – had only won eight of 23 matches against Perry coming into today’s encounter, but this win has seen her record a fourth straight win over the No.3 seed courtesy of an 11-4, 14-16, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7 scoreline.

Perry didn’t start well and surrendered the opening game after winning just four points. Evans was varying the angles, pace and height of her shots, often leaving Perry stranded on the court.

But Perry recovered and stormed out of the traps in the second to take a 6-2 lead, with her volley drop in particular firing on all cylinders. Evans came back though, eventually forcing a tie-break, with both players having three game ball opportunities. Perry was the one to convert after a brutal rally which saw both players flying into all four corners of the court, much to the appreciation of a packed house.

Perry found her targets with more accuracy than Evans in the third game too to take a 2-1 lead, but Evans fought back in the fourth, with a crucial error from Perry handing her a game ball. However, she was initially unable to convert after being handed a no-let when charging down a loose ball from Perry, much to her annoyance.

The fiery Welsh player kept her cool though, taking the next two points to level the scores.

Evans’ passion was on show though late in the fifth game when she ripped a sensational forehand smash into the nick to put her three match balls up. She only needed one of them to complete the win and set up a mouthwatering final battle with either top seed Georgina Kennedy or defending champion Jasmine Hutton.

“That was very tough,” said Evans afterwards.

“Physically, mentally and tactically, it was an absolute battle. I think we both played pretty well and I always enjoy a battle with SJ [Perry]. It’s always tough, but thoroughly enjoyable. 

“My game plan was to come out fast. It’s something I try and do a lot, it doesn’t always work, but against a player like SJ, [she had to] try and not let her settle, and that first game was great. Unfortunately I didn’t come on in the second with same positivity, but that is all credit to SJ because she changed her game plan as well.

“I’m probably a little surprised. I didn’t have the best summer, so to come out and be in a final, and more than anything to have four amazing matches this week, with a week’s rest before Paris, is going to be fantastic. So one more big push tomorrow and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Result

[2] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-2: 11-4, 14-16, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7 (74m)

Makin into Fourth Successive Final

Joel Makin (right) celebrates his win over Adrian Waller (left) during the British Nationals.
Joel Makin (right) celebrates his win over Adrian Waller (left) during the British Nationals.

Welshman Joel Makin earned his spot in the British Nationals final for the fourth year in succession after he put in a composed performance to defeat No.4 seed Adrian Waller in straight games.

Makin will now look to add to the title he won in 2021 after felling the Englishman by an 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 margin.

Makin hasn’t dropped a game yet in this event and continued his red-hot form against Waller, the man he beat to win the 2021 trophy. Makin’s short game worked well throughout as he put in some nice touches.

Waller was able to put Makin under consistent pressure in the first two games, but the No.2 seed’s athleticism allowed him to pick up balls most players would fail to retrieve, meaning he was equal to the majority of Waller’s holds and attempted winners. 

He ground Waller down and was rewarded with a relatively comfortable third game, dropping just four points to book his place in the title decider. He will either play defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in a rematch of last year’s final or No.7 seed Charlie Lee next.

“Performance-wise, it wasn’t as good as the last couple of days,” Makin said.

“I felt really good the last two days, I felt sharp, my movement was good, I was hitting it short well, but I wasn’t finding those same spots today. 

“Waller really threatens you with his ball control. Maybe that was him, maybe that was me, I don’t know. You can’t always get it exactly right, but he was unsettling me and playing some good stuff. 

“Once I could get my lines through and drag him out of the middle a little bit, space opened up towards the front corners and I could take a few more straight drops in there.

“This is a perfect test this week, but I have said it a few times, this is one I want to win, something I have always wanted to win. Getting it for the first time was a really big deal for me, so I really want to do it again. 

“I have beaten these guys before and there is no reason I can’t do it again. I have got to make sure my squash is sharp from the start and I get in front of whoever it is. I’m looking forward to the challenge. This is a big one, this is what I play for and what I train for, so I’m excited.”

Result

[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [4] Adrian Waller (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (44m)

Hutton Topples Kennedy 

Jasmine Hutton celebrates her victory over Georgina Kennedy
Jasmine Hutton celebrates her victory over Georgina Kennedy

Defending champion Jasmine Hutton continued her title defence with a stunning performance to take out No.1 seed Georgina Kennedy 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 in 41 minutes.

Kennedy, who boasted a faultless 6-0 head-to-head advantage coming into the match, flew out of the blocks, dominating the ’T’ and displaying her vastly improved short game to race through the opener 11-2.

However, Hutton showcased her battling qualities to force her way back into the encounter, constructing her rallies more effectively in the second and remaining patient with her back game.

Despite letting Kennedy sneak back into the second from an 8-3 lead, Hutton remained composed to close it out 11-8 and level proceedings.

Both players traded points at the beginning of the third, with the pace ramping up a notch and both intent on trying to take control of the front of the court.

Kennedy continued to play short, but her opponent’s accuracy out of the front corners, combined with a couple of deft volley-drops, was enough for Hutton to edge the 3rd game 11-9 in 14 minutes.

Hutton, who defeated Emily Whitlock in a gruelling five-game encounter less than 24 hours earlier, continued her ascendancy and closed out the fourth 11-5 to book a spot in the final against No.2 seed Tesni Evans.

“I don’t really know what to say,” Hutton said. “Georgina was so good in the first, and I was so passive I thought there was no way I was going to win it today. I got my tactics right, there were a few small things that I wanted to focus on in that match and I started to do them really well.

“I wanted to be more attacking, be more the way I play. I let her dictate that whole first game and I just wanted to take it to her and show her what I can do and what I can do better, so that is what I was trying to tell myself from that second game onwards.

“I’m really excited. Me and Tesni get along really well, she’s an unbelievable tactician, so I’m really looking forward to it. We have played a few practice matches over the summer and the last season so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Result: 

[5] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 3-1: 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (41m)

ElShorbagy Overcomes Lee

Mohamed ElShorbagy (right) on his way to victory against Charlie Lee
Mohamed ElShorbagy (right) on his way to victory against Charlie Lee

Mohamed ElShorbagy set up a mouth-watering clash with Joel Makin in the final of the British Nationals after seeing off the test of Charlie Lee 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 in 39 minutes. 

ElShorbagy, who won the Nationals on first attempt in 2022, eased his way into the opening game, trading points early doors before moving away from the World No.46 to take the first 11-8.

After growing frustrated at the humid conditions on court, the 2017 World Champion notably ramped up his pace in the second, looking to expose Lee with some attacking squash, which included some eye-catching shots at the front of the court. 

Despite the No.7 seed testing ElShorbagy with some smart change-ups of his own, it was the latter who prevailed in the second by a scoreline of 11-8 to double his lead.

The pair jostled for the lead at the start of the third, with the score moving to 5-5, however, ElShorbagy once again began to put his foot on the accelerator at the business end of the game. 

Despite some stern resistance from Lee, who had ElShorbagy scrapping on numerous occasions, the former World No.1 refused to buckle, winning six of the last eight points of the match to progress to Saturday’s final.

“It’s always a tough battle whenever you go out on court, especially when it is very hot and humid on court like that,” ElShorbagy said after the match. 

“In these tough battles, the important thing is to win the last point of the match and I’m just glad that I won and now there is a big battle tomorrow in the final.

“I think it is most important to focus on what I can do, because if I can focus on what I can do, I can beat anyone in the world.”

“I’m really excited to be in another final, I’m very excited to be against Joel again. He might not have been very pleased with his season last year, but when you have someone as tough as him, he becomes even more dangerous the year after, I know from experience.

“He’s going to want to really win tomorrow, not just to beat me, but he will also want to give a warning sign for the rest of the guys. That’s the sort of mentality he has, it’s the kind of mentality I have, so that’s why when we play we always match up so well.”  

Result:

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [7] Charlie Lee (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (39m)

Related News