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 subsequently halved 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.
After the match, Murphy said: “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.”
Result:
[1] Tesni Murphy (WAL) bt [5] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (45m)
