Quarter-Finals: Player Reaction

It’s quarter-finals day at the 2023 British National Squash Championships with eight thrilling matches in store 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 13:00 (GMT+1) as three-time Nationals champion Sarah-Jane Perry takes on No.7 seed Katie Malliff.

Top seeds Georgina Kennedy and Mohamed ElShorbagy are in action this afternoon, while defending women’s champion Jasmine Hutton will take on 2019 runner-up Emily Whitlock in the penultimate match of the day.

No.3 seed Patrick Rooney will take on No.7 seed Charlie Lee in the final match of the day, scheduled for 21:00.

Order of Play

All times are local GMT+1

Perry Secures Semis Berth

Sarah-Jane Perry (right) takes on Katie Malliff (left) during the British Nationals.
Sarah-Jane Perry (right) takes on Katie Malliff (left) during the British Nationals.

Three-time British Nationals champion Sarah-Jane Perry marched into the semi-finals of the 2023 event following a commanding 3-0 victory over No.7 seed Katie Malliff in the day’s opening match.

Perry – a winner in 2015, 2020 and 2021 – wasn’t at her best in her opening round fixture with Alicia Mead but looked like she was enjoying herself on court today as she dismantled World No.41 Malliff by an 11-9, 11-3, 12-10 scoreline.

Slow starts in each of the opening game almost proved to be Perry’s downfall against Mead, but this time around she came storming out of the blocks with her undoubted skills with the racket seeing her hold the ball to halt Malliff’s movement.

A second game ball was converted in the opening game with a perfect width seeing her hit the nick in the back of the court on the forehand side. Her accuracy was even better in the second game as she dropped just three points to double her advantage.

Malliff was able to showcase her own abilities in the third game with some deceptive boasts and deft touches into the front of the court helping her take a 6-4 lead. 

But Perry remained disciplined with her shot selection and structured the rallies well to eliminate that disadvantage, eventually building up two game balls. Some unforced errors gave Malliff a chance, but Perry put the game to bed soon after to close out the win in straight games.

“Today I managed to get a good grip of the pace and I managed to get Katie behind me, I was getting her to have to force things a bit,” said Perry.

“I thought I was dictating the rallies well and getting it to play into my hands. 

“Although we’re very different players physically, we do possess a lot of the same skills that other players utilise. Our coach Rob Owen was really a big fan of teaching us as many different skills as possible and using different angles and things. 

“So shots that might catch other people out that Katie plays might not necessarily catch me out because they are on my radar. Katie is a really incredible player and I’m really pleased to progress through 3-0. She had some good wins last year and it’s great to see her back after her recent injury. 

“I’m looking forward to a fresh start to the new season and I can now put last season behind me. It left me very frustrated and disappointed through injury and illness, so I’m feeling really strong, fit and I’m raring to go now.”

Perry will play either No.2 seed Tesni Evans or No.6 seed Lucy Turmel next.

Result

[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [7] Katie Malliff (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-3, 12-10 (24m)

Waller Downs Wall

Adrian Waller (left) plays a backhand shot against Nick Wall during the British Nationals.
Adrian Waller (left) plays a backhand shot against Nick Wall during the British Nationals.

2021 Nationals runner-up Adrian Waller booked his spot in the last four of this year’s event following a 3-0 victory over fellow Englishman Nick Wall.

Waller – who lost out to Welshman Joel Makin in that 2021 final – was tested by his opponent in the opening exchanges, but the World No.36 found his groove from the second game onwards to close out an 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 victory.

It was a tightly-contested opening game with either player able to pull out much of a lead. However, a few loose cross court efforts from Wall at the back end of the game proved to be his undoing, with Waller having the time and space to play the winners he needed to take a 1-0 advantage.

The second game was a one-sided affair, with Waller’s accuracy seeing him drop just four points amidst an error-strewn performance from Wall. The third game was more of a scrap as Wall tested his opponent, but Waller held his nerve to close out an impressive 3-0 win.

“The first game was a great one to win, it probably allowed me to relax a game earlier than him, so I got that second game relatively comfortably in the end because I had that one game buffer already,” said Waller.

“Nick changed his tactics in the third and made it a lot more open, he started being a lot more positive, and to be fair I thought he had the better of that third game, so I’m pleased to have snuck through those last couple of points in the end.

“It was all about reacting to every situation and using the bank in the back of my mind of shots that I know that he goes to. So first of all it’s about trying to stop those, and then if he improvises, it’s about thinking on my feet.”

Waller’s semi-final opponent will be either 2021 winner Joel Makin or No.10 seed Joe Lee.

Result

[4] Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [5] Nick Wall (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)

Evans Halts Turmel

Tesni Evans in action.
Tesni Evans in action.

Two-time Nationals champion Tesni Evans will take on three-time winner Sarah-Jane Perry in the semi-finals after she came out on top in a captivating contest with World No.31 Lucy Turmel.

30-year-old Evans is aiming to reach her third final at the Nationals following victories in 2018 and 2019 and was tested by Turmel throughout their 52-minute clash, before coming through to win 15-13, 11-9, 11-8.

Turmel initially starting the stronger of the two and was more aggressive in the opening exchanges as she played at a high pace and got in front of Evans to impose her attacking game. Evans was able to come back into it though and got control of the ’T’, enabling her to dictate the tempo of the match to take the first game.

Again, Turmel came out of the traps confidently in the opening part of the second game, but her accuracy died off towards the end, enabling Evans to polish off any loose shots in the middle of the court.

The third game was punctuated by a series of lets early, but Evans kept her cool, taking the volley early when she could to fire the ball into the front. There was a brief revival from Turmel as she began to utilise her short game again, but it was too little, too late as Evans converted her first match ball to earn her place in the next round.

“It was really tough, 3-0 probably doesn’t do Lucy any justice,” said Evans.

“It was very close, so I’m happy to come through 3-0 in three very tight games. I think the first game was really important. I think the tiebreaks and the 11-9s are really crucial, especially in the first game in a big match where Lucy was the underdog, it is really good to win those kind of games, even if it is close.

“It’s always a tough match playing SJ [Perry]. Physically, I need to feel good and my quality needs to be really high to match her. I think it was pretty high-quality out there today, I think we both played pretty well out there. There are a few things to tweak out there tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to a big battle.”

Result

[2] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [6] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 15-13, 11-9, 11-8 (52m)

Makin Storms Past Lee

Joel Makin takes on Joe Lee during the British Nationals.
Joel Makin takes on Joe Lee during the British Nationals.

2021 men’s champion Joel Makin continued his strong start at this year’s British Nationals with a convincing 3-0 victory over England’s Joe Lee.

Lee, a runner-up at the 2017 edition, was a surprise quarter-finalist following a gruelling 3-2 victory over No.6 seed George Parker in the previous round and he found it tough to knock a confident Makin off his stride.

Makin played at a relentless pace and was always looking to play the cross court where possible to twist and turn Lee. 

The No.2 seed won by a commanding 11-2, 11-3, 11-0 scoreline, marking the second match in a row where has inflicted a bagel upon his opponent. Adrian Waller will be his next opponent in a repeat of the 2021 title decider.

“The main area of squash is rotating down the backhand to set patterns up, but that’s his big strength area, so I was happy to do that with him for a period of time, but then I wanted to hit it across his body so I could stay in the middle,” explained Makin.

“This is a very fast front wall, so it rewards a cross-court shot more than other courts do.

“Me and Adrian [Waller] have played a lot over the last couple of years. I rate his squash highly and I’ve just got to use my advantages and play the match on my terms. If the match is played on his terms he is a very dangerous player. 

“I know what he can do, but I want to play the match on my terms, disrupt him and unsettle him as much as possible.

Result

[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [10] Joe Lee (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-0 (26m)

Kennedy Halts Adderley

Georgina Kennedy (right) in action against Georgia Adderley
Georgina Kennedy (right) in action against Georgia Adderley

Georgina Kennedy continued her strong start to the 2023 Nationals with an 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 victory over No.8 seed Georgia Adderley.

Both players started the match accurately, treating the packed house at St George’s Hill to a string of lengthy rallies, but it was 2021 Nationals runner-up Kennedy who pulled away at the business end to take a one-game lead.

Despite falling 4-1 down to Adderley in the second game, Kennedy stayed calm and found her groove, winning 10 of the next 11 points to double her lead.

The No.1 seed continued to use the volley and straight drop smartly in a one-sided third game, forcing Adderley into a couple of unforced errors and eventually progressing through to the final four in 32 minutes. The World No.8 will either play defending champion Jasmine Hutton or Emily Whitlock for a place in the final.

After the game, Kennedy said: “I didn’t have my usual advantage over Georgia, because I usually feel like I can physically dominate my opponents, but Georgia has the exact same assets as I have.

“She gets back some unbelievable balls, she’s very deceptive as well so it is very difficult to win rallies against her. I knew today would be a good test and to see whether my short game would live up to when I have been practising, and it did. I feel like I made really few errors and I feel like I made her do lots of work.

“It’s definitely hard to adapt to the court, but I hit here once or twice a week which is really helpful because it is definitely a fast court that takes some getting used to.”

Result: 

[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 (32m)

ElShorbagy Passes Evans Test 

Mohamed ElShorbagy (front) on his way to victory against Emyr Evans
Mohamed ElShorbagy (front) on his way to victory against Emyr Evans

Mohamed ElShorbagy continued his blemish-free start to his British Nationals defence as he saw off the threat of Welshman Emyr Evans in three hard-fought games. 

Despite Evans throwing everything at the ElShorbagy in the opening exchanges, the World No.3 negated his opponent’s attacking squash to claim the first game 11-8. 

As the second game progressed, the No.1 seed progressed up the court and took the game to Evans, resulting in some highly entertaining rallies and superb shot-making. 

After taking the second game by a scoreline of 11-7, ElShorbagy and the World No.98 continued to thrill the crowd, hitting back-to-back nicks in the back-court mid-way through the third, which drew animated applause on both occasions. 

ElShorbagy secured the third 11-9 to book a semi-final berth against either No. 3 seed Patrick Rooney or Charlie Lee. 

“I think it was a very good battle,” ElShorbagy said. “We both played some very high-quality squash. I was never ahead at all, I was only ever ahead a point or two. He was making me edgy at some points, because he never let me go, he never let me get three, four, five points ahead. 

“He’s very skilful. I have never really played him before, and I’m glad I closed it out 3-0. 

“I have played a lot of attacking players in my career and each one of them attack in a very different manner. 

“He’s quite skilful and he can take you by surprise by the way he attacks because he doesn’t really attack straight from the return of the serve, he is always playing at a medium pace and then he just surprises you with an attack, so it made it very confusing at times, but I’m glad to win and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” 

Result:

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [Q] Emyr Evans (WAL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (35m)

Hutton Edges Past Whitlock In Five

Jasmine Hutton (front) in action against Emily Whitlock.
Jasmine Hutton (front) in action against Emily Whitlock.

Defending champion Jasmine Hutton came through a marathon five-game match against No.4 seed Emily Whitlock 12-14, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 13-11 to set up a semi-final clash against Georgina Kennedy.

Hutton raced out of the blocks and was favourite to claim the opener at game ball up, until an untimely lost ball saw a stark swing in momentum. Whitlock, who was runner-up in the 2019 Nationals, seized her opportunity to subsequently claim the first game in a tie-break.

Whitlock continued to ride her wave of momentum early in the second, varying her pace nicely and moving into an 8-6 lead. However, from there, Hutton won five points on the bounce to level proceedings at one game apiece before taking a tightly-contested third game 11-9.

A cagey fourth game saw Whitlock force her way back into the encounter, playing some smart drop-shots and levelling proceedings at two games apiece.

Both players failed to find their very best rhythm early in the fifth as the pressure dialled up a notch, with World No.23 Hutton hitting a couple of unforced errors which saw Whitlock take an 8-4 lead.

However, in a game that had continuous swings in momentum, there was one last tale to tell as Hutton claimed six straight points and eventually took the fifth and final game 13-11.

After the match, Hutton said: “I feel really relieved. I felt I played well in patches but it wasn’t consistent enough, there were some errors at critical points, especially at 10-8 up in the fifth, so I was really proud to come through in five because she threw everything at me.

“I’m really pleased how I got myself out of that hole in the fifth when I was 8-4 down, I showed some really strong mentality there.

“I’m really excited to play Gina [Kennedy]. We’re incredibly similar players and we’re both fast and physical players so it’s going to be a really fun match.”

Result:

[5] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [4] Emily Whitlock (WAL) 3-2: 12-14, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 13-11 (69m)

Lee Conquers Rooney In Late-Night Thriller 

Charlie Lee (front) during his five game victory against Patrick Rooney.
Charlie Lee (front) during his five game victory against Patrick Rooney.

The final match of quarter-finals day saw Charlie Lee score an upset by defeating No.3 seed Patrick Rooney 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 in 56 minutes.

Rooney came out of the blocks firing, clinically putting away any loose balls from Lee and playing consistently towards the front of the court, comfortably taking the first game of the late-night showing.

However, after falling 6-3 down in the second, Lee noticeably changed his approach, injecting more pace into the match and forcing his opponent into some scrappy errors to bring the match level.

Rooney, who was a Nationals semi-finalist in 2022, found his groove again in the third, taking it 11-8, but gifted up three consecutive errors at the beginning of the fourth to help Lee on his way to levelling the match at two games apiece.

After claiming the fourth, the No.7 seed carried his momentum into the fifth and deciding game, eventually prevailing in just under an hour of play.

The Englishman will play No.1 seed Mohamed ElShorbagy for a spot in the British Nationals final.

“It’s a nice stage to reach,” Lee said. “It was a weird match today. I don’t think either of us were definitely at our best today, but sometimes that happens. It was nice to come out on top, especially after being down 2-1, so now it’s about preparing for tomorrow for Mohamed and to try and keep winning.

“There were things that weren’t quite clicking today, it’s early in the season and a lot of the preparation that goes into it throughout the summer means that you are desperate to show the fruits of your labours.

“I like to draw on my positives and take confidence from what I know and my strengths. I’m going to take each match at a time, each point at a time. You go in and it’s a completely new day against a top-quality player and I’ll be taking it at face value and I’ll be looking to draw on my strengths and find confidence from that.”

Result: 

[7] Charlie Lee (ENG) bt [3] Patrick Rooney (ENG) 3-2: 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (56m)

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