[1] Tesni Murphy (Wal) 3-1 [5/8] Torrie Malik (Eng) 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (45m)
[1] Joel Makin (Wal) 3-0 [5/8] Nick Wall (Eng) 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (44m)
Murphy defeats Malik to lift third Nationals title
[1] Tesni Murphy (WAL) 3-1 [5] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (45m)
Top seed Tesni Murphy claimed the third British National Squash Championship title of her career after ending the impressive run of No.5 seed Torrie Malik in four games at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge.
Murphy, the 2018 and 2019 champion, held off an impressive showing from 21-year-old Malik to record an 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 victory after 45 minutes of play.
The more experienced Murphy started the match quickly, using her subtle holds and deception to twist the frame of Malik. The Welshwoman raced into a quick-fire 10-3 lead but saw Malik come roaring back into the opener with a string of winners, taking six straight points to limit the deficit to 10-9.
However, it was top seed Murphy who re-found her accuracy at just the right moment, moving through to take the 10-minute opener 11-9.
Murphy’s continued to limit the attacking options of Malik with good width and lengths into the back of the court, ensuring her 21-year-old opponent didn’t have any options from the middle of the court.
As a result, Malik was forced to try to hit winners from unconventional spots in the court, offering up a number of errors for Murphy to feed off. The World No.21 doubled her advantage by an 11-5 scoreline after 22 minutes of play.
Despite the 2-0 deficit, Malik fought back impressively in the third game, raising her level substantially and finding her targets once more into the front two corners. The Englishwoman recovered from 1-4 and 4-7 down to halve the deficit by an 11-7 scoreline.
Malik continued to cause Murphy problems in a back-and-forth fourth game. Murphy edged herself ahead in the latter stages and held three match balls on her racket, but saw Malik once again keep battling right until the end, saving two of these opportunities.
However, at the third time of asking, Murphy sealed victory, whipping a forehand crosscourt beyond the reach of her opponent to seal her third success at the British Nationals.
“I’m glad I’m a bit older so there might not be many more chances that we’ll get to play, but I got to sneak the win today.
“I thought it was a good match, she [Torrie Malik] has got so many weapons, it’s scary to play and you’re always on edge. I’m sure this is just the beginning for what’s to come for Torrie – a great prospect for the UK and England and I wish her all the best as I’m sure this won’t be the last final she’ll be in and I’m sure she’ll win many more.”
Makin Defends British Nationals Title With Wall Victory
[1] Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0 [5] Nick Wall (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (43m)
World No.4 Joel Makin made it back-to-back titles at the British National Squash Championships after overcoming No.5 seed Nick Wall in three games at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club.
Top seed Makin looked in top form right from the outset of the 43-minute match, moving through to secure his third British Nationals title by an 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 scoreline.
As was the case in his semi-final match with Curtis Malik, England’s Wall was a little slow out of the blocks, offering Makin some notable unforced errors early in the first game. The Welshman took full advantage of these openings to move through a 13-minute first game 11-4.
Wall responded well in the second game, finding his targets with greater accuracy and displaying the levels which saw him battle back from 2-0 down to defeat Curtis Malik in yesterday’s semi-final.
The pair traded points in the latter stages of the second, but it was Makin who edged ahead in the crucial tie-break, doubling his advantage with a sharp backhand winner into the front left corner.
With a two-game lead in his back pocket, Makin returned to the court full of confidence and looked like the only ever winner of game three after racing into an early advantage on the scoreboard. Wall attempted to break down the defences of Makin with continual attacks, but the Welshman stood firm to take the 11-3 win and start the 2025/26 season in perfect fashion.
“These guys are coming in as a bit of a free bet. Doesn’t mean I don’t think they can win but all the pressure is off and they can be really disruptive which he [Nick Wall] was. He’s got a lot of good skills about him: heavy ball striker, clean hitter, he created a lot of pressure in the second game and I had to revert back to what I was doing well which was hitting my spots and find my positions around the middle. It wasn’t straightforward.
“I think this tournament has got a lot of history to it and I like to be a part of that. I think it’s important we keep it going and hopefully the players going forward after I’ve finished they’ll carry on and keep the level high and put their names in amongst it as well.”
