World No.37 Sam Todd claimed the first top-ten win of his career to date on semi-finals day at the 2026 British National Squash Championships, stunning World No.9 Marwan ElShorbagy in straight games at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge.
Todd’s composed 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 victory over top seed ElShorbagy saw him join No.5 Simon Herbert in Saturday’s men’s title decider, with both players set to contest their first-ever British Nationals final. In the women’s draw, top two seeds Georgina Kennedy and Jasmine Hutton also progressed with straight-game victories.
In a stop-start contest punctuated by regular stoppages due to traffic around the ‘T’, it was Todd who maintained the greater consistency throughout the 37-minute contest with ElShorbagy.
After edging out ElShorbagy in a tight opening game, Todd never looked back, consistently staying ahead of the top seed on the scoreboard and holding off ElShorbagy’s best efforts to secure one of the biggest wins of his career to date.
“Today was more of a mental battle today,” the 23-year-old said after the match. “It was probably a little messy to watch, but I’m glad I kept my head. I tried to not get too involved in everything that was going on, because it can be very distracting. I just tried to play my squash, which I know I can play. I think I did that well today.
“Marwan’s very good around the middle. His straight lines are so accurate. On this court, that can be so brutal. It goes very fast off the front wall and into the back corners. I just tried to make sure I got him behind me, and I got on the volley and not him.”
In the other men’s semi-final, World No.56 Herbert continued his sublime form with a comprehensive 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 win over No.6 seed Perry Malik.
The Englishman, who stole the show yesterday with a standout victory over Perry’s older brother, Curtis, picked up where he left off in the quarter-finals, needing just 28 minutes to wrap up another three-game victory.
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw, two-time champion Jasmine Hutton produced a battling display to overcome England teammate and tournament No.3 seed Lucy Turmel in straight games.
Despite the three-game scoreline, Hutton was forced to fight back from significant deficits throughout the match. The World No.12 recovered from 6-2 down to take the second game, before snatching the third from Turmel after saving two game balls and winning the subsequent tie-break.
After her 11-3, 11-9, 13-11 victory, Hutton said: “I’m really happy to get through in three. Lucy has improved a lot since last season, and she put me under such pressure. Especially because I was behind in both the second and third games. I’m proud of how I battled back in those moments.
“I’m pleased to get through against a tough opponent.
“I’ve known Lucy since I was 11 years old. Even back then it was a tough match. I love her a lot, but I’m really happy to win today.”
World No.8 Kennedy, meanwhile, continued her blemish-free run with a clinical 12-10, 11-4, 11-2 win over No.4 seed Torrie Malik.
Top seed Kennedy had to withstand an early barrage of attacking play from Malik in a closely fought first game, with the 29-year-old saving a game ball before clinching the subsequent tie-break to move a game up.
From there, Kennedy only grew in strength, finding an immaculate length on the all-glass court and keeping her quest for a second British Nationals title firmly on track.
The finals of the 2026 British National Squash Championships get underway at 15:00 (GMT+1) on Saturday, 29th August. Every second of action will be available to watch live on SQUASHTV.
Results: Men’s Semi-Finals
[4] Sam Todd (ENG) bt [1] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (37m) [5] Simon Herbert (ENG) bt [6] Perry Malik (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 (28m)Results: Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [4] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-4, 11-2 (29m) [2] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [3] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 13-11 (37m)Draw: Men’s Final
[4] Sam Todd (ENG) v [5] Simon Herbert (ENG)Draw: Women’s Final
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [2] Jasmine Hutton (ENG)For updates on the British National Squash Championships, visit the official tournament website or follow England Squash on Facebook and Instagram.
