The British National Championships get underway this week at St George’s Hill, with 16 players aiming to lift the men’s title. One of them is World No.37 and No.5 seed Sam Todd, who, after enjoying the best season of his career last year on the PSA Squash Tour, is aiming to start the 26/27 campaign in strong style in only his fourth main draw appearance at the Nationals and his first in four years.
“I’m really looking forward to the Nationals this year. It’s a great way to start the season and test yourself with hard matches straight away,” said Todd.
“I’ve never actually won a match in the main draw at Nationals before. I lost in five to Greg [Lobban] a few years ago but I’ve either been away or injured in the last four years so it’s nice to be able to play in now as a top 5 seed.”
Todd’s last appearance in the British Nationals was in 2022, where he lost out in round one against fellow Yorkshireman Nick Wall. This year, however, Todd is the No.5 seed and, having shown his quality on the PSA Squash Tour to earn a top 40 ranking, he is determined to show that maturity in the biggest domestic event in the UK.
“I definitely think that my squash has matured a lot since I last played in the Nationals. Four years is a long time in squash and the matches and experiences that I’ve had in that time have really shaped my game and my thinking positively, I feel.
“It’s not been easy to get to the top 40, and last season, I was thankfully injury-free. So that allowed me to play all the events that I wanted to and then train properly in the breaks, which is something that I haven’t really been able to do whilst being a pro.”
Todd’s 25/26 season saw plenty of highs, the best of which came just over the Irish Sea, in Dublin. Where he claimed the prestigious Irish Open title, the biggest title of the 23-year-old’s career so far. A milestone victory for Todd, who is focused on using that to fuel more success.
“The Irish Open win was big for me. I’d reached three finals in the first half of last season but wasn’t able to get over the line, so to finally do it in the second-to-last event of the season was amazing.
“It’s my biggest win, but I felt as though my level for the majority of the season was at a level where I should be winning these kinds of titles and pushing some of the top 20 players. I had some tough losses to well-ranked players which, at the time, hurt but gave me more motivation for this season, and I really want those kinds of matches more often in this season coming.”
Todd is situated in the top half of the draw this week and, after a match with Scotland’s John Meehan, is seeded to face former World Champion and World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy in the quarter-finals. A clash between two eras of the game.
“I’ve never actually played Mohamed [Elshorbagy] before, so if we play in the quarters, that will be very exciting,” said Todd.
“He’s a player that I’ve looked up to since I started playing and what he’s achieved in the game is something that only a handful will ever do. So to share the court with him will be special, but I also want to show the best version of myself and try and beat him.”
Todd’s opening fixture with Meehan will take place on Wednesday 26th August at 15:15.
You can watch the British Nationals live only on SQUASHTV.
