World Series Squash finals switch venue

 June 5-9 showpiece moves from Dubai Opera to Emirates Golf Club

Image Credit: Organiser

Mohammad Al Shorbagy and Laura Massaro

Dubai: The Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Series Finals will move from Dubai Opera to Emirates Golf Club this year from June 5-9, it was announced on Monday.
The end-of-year play-off between the top eight in both men and women’s PSA World Series standings was held under the shadow of the Burj Khalifa in 2016 before moving inside Dubai Opera last year. It will now switch again to a purpose-built all-glass showcourt at Emirates Golf Club with an equal prize purse of US$160,000 (Dh587,672) in both men’s and women’s formats.

“During the past three years, Dubai has proven to be the perfect destination for the PSA World Series Finals and I am excited to be taking the event back to the Emirate again this June,” said PSA Chairman Ziad Al Turki.
“Every major sport in the world has a presence in Dubai and I’m delighted that squash continues to be a part of that. We have built a strong association with Dubai and Dubai Sports Council since first taking the World Series Finals there in 2016 and this year we are excited to be working with Emirates Golf Club to put on another world-class sporting occasion.
“The World Series Finals is a showcase event for squash, something that fits perfectly with Dubai and Emirates Golf Club and I look forward to welcoming some of the world’s finest athletes back to Dubai again on June 5.”

Chris May, chief executive officer of Dubai Golf said: “We are delighted to be the venue for this prestigious event. Over our 30 year history we have welcomed a host of sporting legends and icons to Emirates Golf Club, and we are all looking forward to what will be a fantastic tournament and witnessing another world class sporting occasion at the club.”
Nine players — five men and four women — have already qualified for the year-ender after the first five events of the eight-stage season, and with the penultimate qualifying event currently underway in El Gouna, Egypt, the race is on to take one of the final qualifying slots.
Arab dominance continues with the three top slots in both men and women’s formats already taken by Egyptians. World No. 1 and PSA World Series Finals defending champion Mohammad Al Shorbagy tops the men’s standings, followed by compatriots Ali Farag and Tarek Momen. Germany’s Simon Rosner is fourth with Mohammad’s brother Marwan fifth.
Egypt’s Karim Abdel Gawad, England’s Nick Matthew and France’s Gregory Gaultier make up the rest of the current top eight but are still to confirm their qualification for Dubai.
The women’s line-up is led by World No. 1 Nour Al Sherbini of Egypt, with compatriots Nour Al Tayeb and Raneem Al Welily in second and third, while New Zealand’s Joelle King is fourth. Unconfirmed but making up the eight is France’s Camille Serme, England’s Laura Massaro, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, while Malaysia’s Nicol David faces a real fight to qualify.
El Gouna concludes on April 27 before the final qualifying event, the British Open, takes place from May 15-20.
Tickets will go on sale soon. For more information visit www.worldseriesfinals.com

Dubai to host world's top squash players in June

Emirates Golf Club will become the latest stunning venue in Dubai to showcase the PSA Dubai World Series Finals 

 

The cream of world squash will be back in Dubai in just over six weeks to contest the lucrative season-ending ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, which this year will be held in a purpose-built all-glass showcourt at the Emirates Golf Club.

After the resounding success of the event held in Dubai Opera last year, the eyes of the sporting world will once again be on Dubai from June 5 to 9, as only the top eight men and women in the PSA World Series Standings qualify to contest one of the most prestigious titles on the PSA World Tour.

Emirates Golf Club will become the latest stunning venue in Dubai to showcase the PSA Dubai World Series Finals, with the 2015/16 edition held in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa - while the 2016/17 instalment saw squash become the first sporting event ever to take place at Dubai Opera.

"During the past three years Dubai has proven to be the perfect destination for the PSA World Series Finals and I am excited to be taking the event back to the Emirate again this June," said PSA Chairman and A. A. Turki Group of Companies (ATCO) chairman Ziad Al Turki.

"Every major sport in the world has a presence in Dubai and I'm delighted that squash continues to be a part of that. We have built a strong association with Dubai and Dubai Sports Council since first taking the World Series Finals there in 2016 and this year we are excited to be working with Emirates Golf Club to put on another world-class sporting occasion.

"The World Series Finals is a showcase event for squash, something that fits perfectly with Dubai and Emirates Golf Club and I look forward to welcoming some of the world's finest athletes back to Dubai again on June 5."

Christopher May, chief executive officer of Dubai Golf commented, "We are delighted to be the venue for this prestigious event. Over our 30 year history we have welcomed a host of sporting legends and icons to Emirates Golf Club, and we are all looking forward to what will be a fantastic tournament and witnessing another world class sporting occasion at the Club."

In order to qualify for the PSA World Series Finals, players must finish in the top eight on the PSA World Series Standings, with points on offer at all eight World Series tournaments throughout the 2017/18 season. Nine players - five men and four women - have already qualified after stellar performances in the first five events, and with the penultimate qualifying event currently underway in El Gouna, Egypt, the race is on to fill the final qualification places.

Egypt's impressive dominance of squash continues, currently claiming the top three qualification spots for both men and women. World number one and PSA World Series Finals defending champion Mohamed Elshorbagy has been in blistering form this year, appearing in four finals and claiming three titles to date and currently tops the standings. Fellow Egyptians Ali Farag, Tarek Momen and Marwan Elshorbagy fill second, third and fifth respectively with Germany's Simon Rosner's win in the Tournament of Champions placing him in fourth.

2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, three-time World Champion Nick Matthew and three-time World Series Finals winner Gregory Gaultier take up the rest of the spots inside the top eight.

The women's line-up is led by world number one Nour El Sherbini, with Nour El Tayeb and World Champion Raneem El Welily in second and third places. New Zealand's Joelle King's runner-up finish in the Windy City Open has pushed her into fourth, and she will make her first appearance at the World Series Finals in June, fresh from her victories in the women's singles and women's doubles at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

France's Camille Serme, defending champion Laura Massaro, Egypt's Nouran Gohar and England's Sarah-Jane Perry complete the top eight on the women's standings, while two-time winner Nicol David currently sits 15 points behind Perry and, with only two World Series tournaments remaining this season, has a real fight on her hands to qualify.

The battle for the final qualification places continues this week at the El Gouna International which concludes on April 27, with the final event, the British Open, held from May 5 to 20.

With an equal prize purse of $160,000 on offer in both the men's and women's tournaments the five day event will bring together the cream of squash talent - with players playing a round-robin best-of-three series for place in the knockout semifinals.

Iguodala, Aminat, win Ex Pros Diaspora U-13, 16 Squash Championships

U-16 BOYS
Clinton Iguodala (Headwaters) bt
Damilare Alabi (Lagos) 3-0

U-16 GIRLS
Musa Aminat (kwara) bt
Rukayat Oladunmoye (Kwara) 3-0

U-13 BOYS
Wisdom Nzei (Akwa-ibom)
bt
Daniel Nzei ( Akwa-ibom)  3-2

U-13 GIRLS
Mistura Durosinlorun (kwara)
bt
Chidinma Orji(Abia)
3-0

Fans at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos at the weekend left the arena satisfied that Nigerian squash was walking a safe development path following the fantastic displays by emerging stars at the Ex Pros Diaspora Championship.
At the championship in its second edition, Clinton Iguodala defeated Damilare Alabi to win the U-16 boys category of the tournament, which is aimed at discovering and nurturing young talents from across the country.
Musa Aminat also defeated Rukayat Olasumoye to win the U-16 category, while Wisdom Nzei won the U-13 boys’ by beating his younger brother, Daniel Nzei, just as little Mistura Durosinlorun outshined Chidimma Orji to win the U-13 girls’ category.
Speaking at the end of the championship, the boys’ U-16 champion, Iguodala expressed his delight at the opportunity given the youths to contest with their peers from across Nigeria.
He said, “I am happy to be champion at this event. The Ex Pros have given me the platform to sharpen my skills in the sport and I call on the squash federation to continue organising more competitions like this to expose hidden talents.
“My desire is to be Nigeria’s champion in squash in future.” Also speaking at the event, the Tournament Director, Don Pedro David said the Ex Pro Diaspora Squash tournament was organised by former squash players to help groom talents at the grassroots level to be champions. He disclosed that over 200 children from across Nigeria registered for this year’s event.
An NSF board member, Wilson Egberipou, who is also the chairman of Bayelsa State Squash Federation, said the board was working round the clock to expose more kids to international championships in future.
“The Ex Pro tournament and the Sunfit Squash Championship are all directed towards catching them young in the game of squash. Based on the turn out of more children in the second edition of the Ex Pros tournament, it is clear that the awareness of the sport is gaining more momentum. Former Squash players in Nigeria and overseas are forging ahead to revive the game of squash in the country,” he said. At the end of the tournament, rackets, shots, canvases, shirts, squash kits and other prizes were given to the winners and participants, whose parents were present to cheer them.

CREDIT: The Guardian

El Gouna International: Day Five - As it Happens

Marwan ElShorbagy (left) in action during his second round fixture with Mathieu Castagnet (right)

We're onto the quarter-finals here at the 2018 El Gouna International, with some superb matches in store on the banks of Egypt's Red Sea.
First up is World No.1 Nour El Sherbini as she takes on France's World No.6 Camille Serme in one of this evening's most highly-anticipated matches.
El Sherbini overcame United States No.2 Amanda Sobhy in the previous round, while Serme beat England's Victoria Lust in straight games. El Sherbini leads the head-to-head record 8-7 and Serme will try to reduce that deficit when the two take to the court at 18:30 local time (GMT+2).
There's no let up in the action as World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy takes on Simon Rösner at 19:15 – the in-form Egyptian looking to win a 13th straight PSA World Tour match against the tall German.
India’s Joshna Chinappa will look to follow up a huge second round win over former World No.1 Nicol David with victory over a previous incumbent of the World No.1 ranking, Laura Massaro.
Last year’s runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.4 Marwan ElShorbagy will contest the last match of the day at 20:45.
ElShorbagy ended Gawad’s World Championship title defence at this in Manchester four months to go and will look to move into the semi-finals today – where older brother Mohamed ElShorbagy will await.
You can watch LIVE coverage on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player or follow our live scoring page.
Here's the SQUASHTV & Eurosport Player Order of Play
(All times are local GMT+2)

Sublime El Sherbini Sends Serme Out

Nour El Sherbini (left) v Camille Serme (right)

A majestic display from World No.1 Nour El Sherbini saw her dismantle World No.6 Camille Serme by a 3-0 margin to underline her status as the favourite for the women’s title.
El Sherbini, who claimed a second World Championship crown at this venue 12 months ago, had a narrow 8-7 lead on the pair’s head-to-head record and she extended that lead today in a performance that saw Serme unable to really establish herself in the match.
There was positive squash from both players in the opening game as they traded blows early on until El Sherbini found the edge as she pushed Serme deep into the back of the court, while her precision at the front was too much for the Frenchwoman to handle.
The Egyptian then triumphed in a brutal rally at game ball to take the lead, while the onslaught continued in the second as she kept Serme guessing and prevented the number number six seed from executing her attacking shots.

After dropping six points in the second, El Sherbini repeated the feat in the third to follow up her 3-2 victory over former World No.6 Amanda Sobhy two days ago.
“The match was tough even if it finished 3-0,” said El Sherbini.
“I’m used to playing with Camille in the semi-finals of the finals, so it’s really hard to play two tough matches after each other. But I’m really glad that I played well, I’m pleased with the way I’m playing and I’m happy to be in the semis.
“I think today I just relaxed, didn’t put any pressure on myself, enjoyed my game and I was just having fun.”
Result
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Camille Serme (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (35m)
ElShorbagy Makes it a Lucky 13 Against Rösner

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World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy booked his place in the semi-finals after making it 13 wins out of 13 against Germany’s World No.6 Simon Rösner.
The match began with a gruelling 120-shot plus rally which went in ElShorbagy’s favour and that laid down a marker for the rest of the game as the Egyptian powerhouse dropped just two points as he motored to a one-game lead.

Rösner, backed by a vocal German contingent in the crowd, offered more resistance in the second game as he counterattacked and slowed the pace down but ElShorbagy hit a series of piledrivers low on the front wall as he broke the German’s rhythm and he converted the first of his two game balls to double his lead.
A third game blitz from the German Tree-Chopper saw him take the first seven points on offer as ElShorbagy took his foot off the gas but ElShorbagy battled back to within a point before Rösner finally put the ball away to halve the deficit.
But ElShorbagy had the better of the fourth game and, after Rösner had recovered from 8-4 down to level, he took the next three points to wrap up a win that could see him take on younger brother Marwan in the next round if Marwan defeats World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad later this evening.
“Simon has been in great form this year, he’s at his highest World Ranking and he won the Tournament of Champions in January, so I knew how tough it was going to be,” said ElShorbagy.
“I think we played here two years ago and it was tough as well. I just expected it to be tough from the first point and it kept getting tougher and tougher. I’m just glad that I pulled away at the end.
“I was maybe relaxed at the beginning but then he put pressure on me in the third game. I loved that third game, it was very tricky in the fourth and then when he came back from 8-4 it could have been anyone’s game.
“I didn’t want to go to five games but with a player of his quality it was tough going in the end but I’m glad I pulled through.”
Result
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-1: 11-2, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 (56m)
Massaro Marches into Semis

Laura Massaro (right) v Joshna Chinappa (left)

England’s Laura Massaro continued her impressive form at this year’s El Gouna International as she put India’s Joshna Chinappa to the sword, winning 3-0 in just 23 minutes.
Comfortable wins over Mayar Hany and Joey Chan in previous rounds had suggested that Massaro was working her way back into form after previous disappointments at the Commonwealth Games and the Windy City Open.
And there was no let up against Chinappa – who had caused a huge upset against Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David in round two – as she dominated the ’T’ and put in a clinical performance that gave Chinappa very little chance to attack.
At times Chinappa showed glimpses of the ability that saw her end a five-game winless run against David but she was powerless to stop Massaro at times as the 34-year-old World No.7’s superb length game helped pull Chinappa out of position and she was rewarded with an 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 victory that will see her take on World No.1 Nour El Sherbini for a place in the final.
Massaro has reached the semi-final stage at four of her last six tournaments but hasn’t made it to a PSA World Tour final since the 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals 10 months ago.
“I feel good and I felt like it was a solid performance,” said Massaro.
“It's probably just what I'm known for, consistent and solid, and I guess maybe I haven't been consistent and solid recently, so it's nice to be back to playing that sort of squash.
“I know from last year that it's really hard to transition from the back courts onto the glass courts and especially with such a big win for Joshna [in the last round], I just tried to focus on myself, keep myself positive and not let anything of that come into my game.
“I'm really happy to be in the semi-finals.”
Result
[4] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (23m)
Marwan to Face Mohamed After Masterclass Against 2017 Runner-Up Gawad

Marwan ElShorbagy (right) v Karim Abdel Gawad (left)

World No.4 Marwan ElShorbagy will take on older brother Mohamed for the 14th time on the PSA World Tour after he dispatched last year’s runner-up Gawad in a comfortable three-game fixture.
The two ElShorbagy’s met at the quarter-final stage of last year’s tournament when Marwan eased past his sibling – who was out of form at the time – in just 24 minutes but he has lost their previous meetings on the PSA World Tour, including the final of the PSA World Championships in December.
Speaking after an 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 victory over 2016 World Champion Gawad, Marwan said: “It’s going to be a tough match [against Mohamed] but today I’m just focusing on my game, I played really well to beat Karim in three games, I had to be at my best.
“My brother is a completely different player from 12 months ago so I’m expecting a completely different match.
“Even when he’s not at his best I’m expecting a tough match, he’s never going to give it to me easy, especially me because I’m his younger brother.
“He wants me to have it the hard way, which is making me stronger. I’m just going to enjoy my day off tomorrow and I’m not even going to think about my match with him until a few minutes before my match.”
Result
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (37m)

Rollits Extends Partnership with Allam British Open

Laura Massaro in action against Sarah-Jane Perry at last year's British Open

Leading Yorkshire-based law firm Rollits will be an official event partner of squash’s longest-running tournament – the Allam British Open – for the sixth year in succession when the PSA World Series tournament takes place between May 15-20 inside Hull’s Airco Arena.
With offices in Hull and York, Rollits have established themselves as a highly regarded commercial practice with an extensive list of clients that includes national and international business.
Rollits has expertise in areas such as Agriculture, Charities and Social Enterprise, Education, Family Business, Food, Construction and Development, Renewables and Social Housing and they have held the Lexcel accreditation – the Law Society's international practice management standard – since 1999.
“We are pleased to bring Rollits on board as an Official Event Partner,” said PSA Events Director Tim Garner.
“Rollits has been involved with the British Open since 2013 and we are delighted that we will have the opportunity to work with them again this year.
“The British Open has become synonymous with Hull in recent years and we are pleased to be working with local businesses as we strive to put on a truly world-class tournament.”
Rollits Managing Partner Ralph Gilbert said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with PSA and England Squash again by becoming an event partner for the Allam British Open Squash Championships when it is staged in Hull for a sixth year in succession.
“The firm is keen to be involved with many different initiatives within the community, and this is yet another fantastic opportunity to showcase Hull on the world’s stage following on from our success last year as UK City of Culture.”
The Allam British Open is the most prestigious tournament in squash outside of the PSA World Championships and features a world-class draw which includes the likes of English duo Nick Matthew – making his last ever British Open appearance – and defending women’s champion Laura Massaro.
The likes of World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, men’s defending champion Gregory Gaultier, women’s World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and Raneem El Welily – the reigning women’s World Champion – are also involved.
Qualifying for the tournament takes place between May 13-14 at University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, while the main draw will take place at the Airco Arena between May 15-20 with the exception of 23 of the 32 first round matches on May 15, which will be staged at the university.
Matches held on the glass court at Airco Arena will be shown on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only) while the semi-finals and finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
For more information on Rollits, please visit their website: www.rollits.com
Follow the British Open at www.allambritishopen.com and on Twitter: @BritOpenSquash
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased via Ticketmaster

El Gouna: ElShorbagy Brothers to Meet in Semi-Finals

 
World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy and his younger brother, World No.4 Marwan, will go head-to-head for the fifth time this season as they advanced to the semi-finals of the El Gouna International, PSA World Series tournament held at El Gouna’s marina courtesy of respective wins over Germany’s Simon Rösner and 2017 runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad.
The two ElShorbagy’s met at the quarter-final stage of last year’s tournament when Marwan eased past his sibling – who was out of form at the time – in just 24 minutes but he has lost their four previous meetings on the PSA World Tour, including the final of the PSA World Championships in December.
Mohamed booked his place in the semi-finals this time as he defeated World No.6 Simon Rösner by a 3-1 margin, claiming an 11-2, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 victory to ensure that he has now reached the semi-finals at 10 of his last 11 tournaments.
“Simon has been in great form this year, he’s at his highest World Ranking and he won the Tournament of Champions in January, so I knew how tough it was going to be,” said ElShorbagy.
“I think we played here two years ago and it was tough as well. I just expected it to be tough from the first point and it kept getting tougher and tougher. I’m just glad that I pulled away at the end.
“I didn’t want to go to five games but with a player of his quality it was tough going in the end but I’m glad I pulled through.”
Marwan, meanwhile, overcame 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad after a superb display saw him mix up his shots well in a tactically-astute performance that saw Gawad unable to sustain any kind of rhythm.
“My brother is a completely different player from 12 months ago so I’m expecting a completely different match,” said Marwan afterwards.

“Even when he’s not at his best I’m expecting a tough match, he’s never going to give it to me easy, especially me because I’m his younger brother. He wants me to have it the hard way, which is making me stronger. I’m just going to enjoy my day off tomorrow and I’m not even going to think about my match with him until a few minutes before my match.”
World No.1 Nour El Sherbini joined her compatriots in the semi-finals as she sent French World No.6 Camille Serme out with an 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 victory to underline her status as the favourite for the women’s title.
The 22-year-old, who was 8-7 up on the head-to-head was majestic as she dismantled her opponent pushing Serme deep into the back of the court, while her precision at the front was too much for the Frenchwoman to handle as she stormed to the win in 35 minutes.
“The match was tough even if it finished 3-0,” said El Sherbini.
“I’m used to playing with Camille in the semi-finals of the finals, so it’s really hard to play two tough matches after each other. But I’m really glad that I played well, I’m pleased with the way I’m playing and I’m happy to be in the semis.
“I think today I just relaxed, didn’t put any pressure on myself, enjoyed my game and I was just having fun.”
She will face England’s Laura Massaro for a place in the final after the 34-year-old World No.7 put in a clinical display to reach a fifth semi-final in her last seven tournaments, winning 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 in just 23 minutes.

“I feel good and I felt like it was a solid performance,” said Massaro.
“It’s probably just what I’m known for, consistent and solid, and I guess maybe I haven’t been consistent and solid recently, so it’s nice to be back to playing that sort of squash.”
Quarter-final action continues tomorrow from 18:30 local time (GMT+2) and the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) & Eurosport Player (Europe only).
Results – Men’s Quarter-Finals (Top Half): 2018 El Gouna International
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-1: 11-2, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 (56m)
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (37m)
Draw – Men’s Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half): To be played April 25th
[3] Ali Farag (EGY) v [6] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Draw – Men’s Semi-Finals (Top Half): To be played April 26th
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
Results – Women’s Quarter-Finals (Top Half): 2018 El Gouna International
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Camille Serme (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (35m)
[4] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (23m)
Draw – Women’s Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half): To be played April 25th
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [10] Alison Waters (ENG)
[11] Annie Au (HKG) v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Draw – Women’s Semi-Finals (Top Half): To be played April 26th
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)

PSA Announces Partnership with Olympic Channel

 

The Professional Squash Association (PSA), in collaboration with the World Squash Federation (WSF), has reached a cooperation agreement with the Olympic Channel in a partnership that will see all three organisations collaborate on content for the multi-platform global media destination.

The agreement will provide the Olympic Channel, launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2016, with access to highlights from the world’s biggest squash tournaments, a range of feature video content featuring the sport’s greatest athletes and an array of written content for its global platforms, ensuring that squash will reach a bigger audience than ever before.

“We are delighted to officially launch our relationship with Olympic Channel, which is a key step for squash as we continue to work toward our goal of bidding for inclusion in future Olympic Games,” said PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough.

“The Olympic Channel is a pioneering multi-media platform and we feel that squash, with its commitment to innovation, will make a fantastic addition to their existing content output.

“Establishing this partnership will ensure that our sport gains greater visibility through the Olympic Channel’s distribution platforms and we are looking forward to highlighting our athletes with engaging and relevant content.”

The agreement means that squash has joined more than 65 international governing bodies who have partnered with the Olympic Channel, strengthening the profile of squash amongst fans of other sports.

Commenting on the agreements, Olympic Channel General Manager Mark Parkman said:

“We share a common goal to increase both the size of the audience and active participation for their organisations, and we look forward to working together to promote their sports and to help grow their audiences worldwide.”

The partnership with the Olympic Channel comes after squash has gone through a strong period of growth in recent years. The PSA launched their OTT streaming service – SQUASHTV – in 2010 and, since then, huge strides have been made in improving SQUASHTV’s coverage of professional squash.

State of the art glass courts host the sport’s greatest players in some of the most iconic sporting locations in the world, while recent partnerships with the likes of interactive Squash and Sports Data Labs have revolutionised the sport’s coverage, enabling biometric data such as player heart-rate data and distance covered to be used in live broadcasts.

New Zealand Tops GC2018 Medals Table As Squash Relishes Its 20th Anniversary

While Squash relished its sixth appearance in the Commonwealth Games since making its debut in Malaysia in 1998, hosts Australia together with New Zealand and England shared the gold medals in the five events at Oxenford Studios in Gold Coast – with New Zealand topping the medals table for the first time since 2002.

105 athletes from 28 nations, officiated by 27 referees from 11 Commonwealth nations, competed in some 140 Singles matches and 115 Doubles matches – the busiest and most successful athlete being Kiwi star Joelle King (pictured above) who compressed 15 matches into the period en-route to collecting two gold and one bronze medal.
Athletes from India returned home with a best-ever two medals, while Malaysia celebrated its first men’s singles medal thanks to unexpected bronze medal success by Nafiizwan Adnan.
Australian veterans David Palmer and Rachael Grinham, both aged 41 and former world number ones, also had much to celebrate. With a successful defence of his Men’s Doubles gold medal – this time in front of a packed and partisan home crowd, and with Zac Alexander, a different partner from 2014 – Palmer extended his tally over six Games to nine medals, more than any other squash athlete.
Queenslander Grinham (pictured below with Palmer) became the most decorated female athlete after a Women’s Doubles bronze took her total to eight medals, thereby maintaining her record as a medallist in each Games in which she has competed.

“It has been a great spectacle for the spectators and the sport as a whole,” said Squash Australia CEO Richard Vaughan. “It was great to see our players exceed expectations. It’s been excellent all round.
“This will be a huge injection for the sport going forward and it’s our job to maximise this.”
The spectacular all-glass showcourt, plus the six side courts which can easily be converted to four doubles courts, will be moved to a new National Squash Centre as a legacy of the Games.
“For the next six weeks we’re going to be busy transitioning these courts into our new Squash Stadium in Carrara,” Vaughan continued. “We’ve been missing a really good venue with a glass court. This will give us a solid foundation to host major events in the future.”

Australian legend Geoff Hunt, the eight-time British Open and four-time World Open champion between the 60s and 80s (pictured above with Australian Men’s Doubles gold medallists Palmer and Alexander), was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the event and the unprecedented home crowd – some 2,500 spectators surrounding the glass court on all sides.
“The great thing about a court like this (see below) is that you can see the squash from everywhere. You’ve got a good view wherever you sit.
“Also, the quality of the TV coverage now is fantastic – it’s made a huge difference. It’s one of the best things to have happened for our sport.”

Hunt, who presented the medals at the Men’s Doubles ceremony, continued: “I coached the Australian team in the 1998 Games. I would love to have been involved in my day as a player – but it wasn’t to be!
“The people like me, Jonah Barrington, Ken Hiscoe, Gogi Alauddin and Hiddy Jahan were the pioneers – we started the PSA Tour. To see the sport to develop to where it is now is exciting for us because we all started it off!”
Cyrus Poncha, the Indian National Coach, said: “We were very disappointed not to get another gold in the Women’s Doubles, but our pair was beaten by the two-time world champions.
“But we are delighted to be going home with two medals rather than one. Joshna (Chinappa) and Dipika (Pallikal) in the women and Saurav (Ghosal) [all three pictured below] in the men have done great honours for Indian squash over the past ten years – and it’s testament to the system we started in 2000. All credit to our Patron Mr N Ramachandran – it was his foresight to build our Academy in Chennai. It was his brainchild”

Speaking about the success of the New Zealand team, manager Wayne Werder said: “We’ve got such a small team. But it’s been a brutal week – Joelle’s had 15 matches and Paul (Coll) 14.
“We started our preparation for this two years ago. I think our strength is our team culture – all the players get on so well with each other.”
Major Maniam, now a Director of the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia but from 2002-2016 the Director of Coaching in India, said: “I was delighted to be involved in the historic debut of squash as head coach in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“We did not earn any medals at the Games but that’s when we enhanced our long-term elite training programme to do well in the coming years. Nicol David went on to win gold in 2010 and 2014.
“No other Malaysian had won a medal until Nafiizwan’s bronze this year. We are absolutely thrilled with this result and hope to better it the next time around.
“I’m also pleased with all our doubles pairs as they put up creditable performances. We’ll be there with a vengeance at the next games I’m sure.
“My thanks to the hosts Australia for organising a great event and my hearty congratulations to all participants and in particular medal winners.”
World Squash Federation CEO Andrew Shelley summed up the sport’s Gold Coast experience: “When squash started its Commonwealth Games journey 20 years ago, the staging and presentation bar were set high in Kuala Lumpur – and it has been nothing but continued progress ever since. The spread of nations, the innovation on and around the court, superb broadcast and general sports presentation are general features that grow edition upon edition.
“Here specifically, the wonderfully ebullient atmosphere generated by the spectators has been memorable – with our athletes responding to it; and the firm, fair and consistent standard of refereeing a standout too.
“Squash will evolve still further and Birmingham will doubtless rise to the challenge in four years’ time – but the splendid Gold Coast Games will give them something to think about!”
2018 Commonwealth Games images courtesy of Toni Van der Kreek

PSA Announces Partnership with Olympic Channel

The Professional Squash Association (PSA), in collaboration with the World Squash Federation (WSF), has reached a cooperation agreement with the Olympic Channel in a partnership that will see all three organisations collaborate on content for the multi-platform global media destination.

The agreement will provide the Olympic Channel, launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2016, with access to highlights from the world’s biggest squash tournaments, a range of feature video content featuring the sport’s greatest athletes and an array of written content for its global platforms, ensuring that squash will reach a bigger audience than ever before.

"We are delighted to officially launch our relationship with Olympic Channel, which is a key step for squash as we continue to work toward our goal of bidding for inclusion in future Olympic Games," said PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough.

"The Olympic Channel is a pioneering multi-media platform and we feel that squash, with its commitment to innovation, will make a fantastic addition to their existing content output.

"Establishing this partnership will ensure that our sport gains greater visibility through the Olympic Channel’s distribution platforms and we are looking forward to highlighting our athletes with engaging and relevant content."

The agreement means that squash has joined more than 65 international governing bodies who have partnered with the Olympic Channel, strengthening the profile of squash amongst fans of other sports.

Commenting on the agreements, Olympic Channel General Manager Mark Parkman said: "We share a common goal to increase both the size of the audience and active participation for their organisations, and we look forward to working together to promote their sports and to help grow their audiences worldwide.”

The partnership with the Olympic Channel comes after squash has gone through a strong period of growth in recent years. The PSA launched their OTT streaming service - SQUASHTV - in 2010 and, since then, huge strides have been made in improving SQUASHTV’s coverage of professional squash.

State of the art glass courts host the sport’s greatest players in some of the most iconic sporting locations in the world, while recent partnerships with the likes of interactive Squash and Sports Data Labs have revolutionised the sport’s coverage, enabling biometric data such as player heart-rate data and distance covered to be used in live broadcasts.

-ends-

About PSA

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the global governing body responsible for the administration of both men’s and women’s professional squash around the world.

With over 850 registered players and more than 200 events taking place around the globe every year, the PSA World Tour – managed and run by the PSA – showcases the game of squash at its highest level in some of the world’s most unique and stunning locations.

Encapsulating all that is good about top flight professional squash and combining athleticism, skill, fitness, tenacity, power, drama and above all else, passion, the PSA World Tour is the pinnacle of world squash.

Social Media 

Follow the PSA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, or visit www.psaworldtour.com

About Olympic Channel

The Olympic Channel is a multi-platform global media destination where fans can discover, engage and share in the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round. Offering original programming, news, live sports events and highlights, the Olympic Channel provides additional exposure for sports and athletes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 11 languages. The Olympic Channel was launched in August 2016 in support of the IOC’s goal, set out in Olympic Agenda 2020, of providing a new way to engage younger generations, fans and new audiences with the Olympic Movement. Founding Partners supporting the Olympic Channel are Worldwide TOP Partners Bridgestone, Toyota and Alibaba. The Olympic Channel is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com

Social Media 

For more information, please follow the Olympic Channel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, or log on to olympicchannel.com.

Mickawy Defeats Top Qualifying Seed as Egyptian Quintet Advance to El Gouna International Main Draw

Egypt’s World No.37 Zeina Mickawy was one of five Egyptian winners on the final day of qualifying at the 2018 El Gouna International after she defeated top qualifying seed Samantha Cornett to progress to the main draw of the PSA World Series tournament, where she will face Malaysian legend Nicol David.

Mickawy, the 19-year-old who hails from Alexandria, took the opening game before a mammoth second game went the way of Canada’s Cornett, who claimed it by a 12-10 margin.

However, Cornett’s exploits at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast - in which she reached the quarter finals of the Women’s Doubles event less than a week ago - soon caught up with the 27-year-old as she began to fatigue and she succumbed to an 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3 defeat.

"I am very happy with the way I played in the first game," Mickawy told the tournament’s official website.

"I was really focused, playing tight drives, finding my targets in the corners, and preventing her from volleying. I was patient and it paid off. But in the second I wanted to win too quickly and kept fighting back. I had nothing to lose I told myself, and I just tried to make the rallies last playing tight drives again.


"After that game I was very, very tired, but I know I have been working very hard recently on my fitness, so I just decided to trust it and just dig in and pick up all her shots, as I thought she would be pretty tired too."

Mickawy headed up a trio of Egyptian victors in the women’s qualifying draw as compatriots Nadine Shahin and Mayar Hany also progressed to the main draw courtesy of wins over Yathreb Adel and Danielle Letourneau, respectively.

Malaysian teenager Sivasangari Subramaniam, the World No.42, also caused an upset as she disposed of England’s World No.29 Millie Tomlinson to set up a meeting with World Champion Raneem El Welily, while Belgium’s Nele Gilis fell to Liu Tsz-Ling, despite being ranked five places above the player from Hong Kong.

Also through to the main draw is England’s Fiona Moverley, who dispatched local player Jana Shiha in a fiercely-contested five-game battle, with former World Champion Rachael Grinham and France’s Coline Aumard joining her in qualifying.

In the men’s draw, home player Mohamed Reda beat fourth qualifying seed Omar Abdel Meguid for the first time since 2013 to earn his place in the main draw courtesy of a straight games victory over the World No.41.

"Meguid beat me the last couple of times and I guess that today was my turn," Reda said.

"It was my day, he didn’t play as well as he can play but I did I think. 

"The third was crucial, he was up 8-4, he was volleying beautifully, so I went back to basics, keeping the rallies going with tight squash. I’m very happy to win 3-0 and I’m looking forward to another day of squash."

Top qualifying seed Karim Ali Fathi is also through after beating Shehab Essam and he will take on Spain’s Borja Golan in round one, while there was also triple success for England after Chris Simpson, Joshua Masters and Ben Coleman all claimed wins - with the latter of that trio overturning a 2-0 deficit against the in-form Tsz Fung Yip.

March’s PSA Men’s Player of the Month Nafiizwan Adnan is also through to the main draw action after he defeated India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar and he faces a difficult test in round one, where he will look to get the better of World No.1 and 2016 El Gouna International winner Mohamed ElShorbagy. 

France’s Lucas Serme and German’s Raphael Kandra were the other players to claim wins on the final day of qualification.

The main draw of the 2018 El Gouna International begins tomorrow, while selected matches from the glass court staged at the El Gouna Marina will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only) from 18:30 local time (GMT+2).

Matches not held on the glass court will be staged at the El Gouna Squash Complex, which hosted the qualifying action, from 12:00 local time.

Results - Final Qualifying Round: Men’s 2018 El Gouna International

[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt [L] Shehab Essam (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 (63m)

[6] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [10] Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-2: 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 (62m)

[7] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [11] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7 (75m)

[15] Mohamed Reda (EGY) bt [4] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (42m)

[9] Ben Coleman (ENG) bt [3] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 3-2: 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (84m)

[5] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 3-1: 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 (40m)

[13] Joshua Masters (ENG) bt [L] Ahmed Hosny (EGY) 3-1: 11-2, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3 (31m)

[2] Lucas Serme (FRA) bt [16] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 3-1: 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 11-2 (67m)

Draw - Men’s First Round (Top Half): To Be Played April 20

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [Q] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)

Paul Coll (NZL) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)

Zahed Mohamed (EGY) v Declan James (ENG)

Tom Richards (ENG) v [7] Simon Rösner (GER)

[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Leo Au (HKG)

Diego Elias (PER) v [Q] Lucas Serme (FRA)

Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [Q] Mohamed Reda (EGY)

[Q] Ben Coleman (ENG) v [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)

Draw - Men’s First Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 21

[3] Ali Farag (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)


Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)


Max Lee (HKG) v [Q] Raphael Kandra (GER)


[WC] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [6] Tarek Momen (EGY)


[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)


Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [Q] Joshua Masters (ENG)


Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [Qualifier]


Mazen Hesham (EGY) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)

Results - Final Qualifying Round: Women’s 2018 El Gouna International

[12] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt [1] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 3-1: 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3 (36m)

[8] Mayar Hany (EGY) bt [14] Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 16-14 (44m)

[9] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [6] Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 (49m)

[4] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [15] Yathreb Adel (EGY) 3-1: 6-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 (33m)

Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [3] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 (28m)

[7] Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 3-1: 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5 (39m)

[5] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (24m)

[2] Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt [L] Jana Shiha (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8 (44m)

Draw - Women’s First Round (Top Half): To Be Played April 20

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Emily Whitlock (ENG)

Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [12] Tesni Evans (WAL)

[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) v Salma Hany (EGY)

Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [6] Camille Serme (FRA)

[8] Nicol David (MAS) v [Q] Zeina Mickawy (EGY)

[WC] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [16] Joshna Chinappa (IND)

[14] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v Joey Chan (HKG)

[Q] Mayar Hany (EGY) v [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)

Draw - Women’s First Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 21

[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA)

Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [13] Olivia Blatchford (USA)

[10] Alison Waters (ENG) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)

[Q] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [5] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

[7] Joelle King (NZL) v [Q] Fiona Moverley (ENG)

[Q] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) v [11] Annie Au (HKG)

[9] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [Q] Nadine Shahin (EGY)

[Q] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)

Commonwealth Games 2018 squash: Dipika Pallikal-Joshna Chinappa get silver

 
Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa settle for silver in women’s doubles squash final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Defending Champions Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa settle for silver after losing their women’s doubles final match to the New Zealand pair of Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy at the Commonwealth Games 2018 on Sunday.

Pallikal and Chinappa lost the final in straight games 9-11, 8-11 in just over 20 minutes.
READ | 2018 Commonwealth Games: Saina Nehwal Beats PV Sindhu To Win Gold; Kidambi Srikanth Settles For Silver
Coming into the final the Indian pair had lost just three games in their six matches but lost both of their games in the final to win silver.
Dipika was understandably unhappy with the contentious calls.
“There were some shocking calls as usual, those calls changed the match. They need to be looked at. If they don’t, then the game doesn’t grow,” she said.
“It’s sad to see, the players and game are growing, but the officials they’re not growing at all. It’s harsh for us players,” the player from Chennai added.
READ | Manika Batra the star as India dominate table tennis at 2018 Commonwealth Games
Joshna too was disappointed with not winning the gold but found some consolation in the silver.
“It’s great that we could be in the finals, we had a great chance to win. The New Zealanders played really well, we had a few bad calls. It’s disappointing, but it happens, that’s sport. We still managed to get a silver four years later,” she added.
This is India’s and Dipika Pallikal’s second medal in squash at the Games after winning the silver in mixed doubles on Saturday.

Egypt’s El Gouna International Squash Open Gears Up to Feature Heated Matches

 

El Gouna International Squash Open seventh edition top-class draw is released for the PSA World Series tournament and it is expecting heated matches from 20 April to 27 April in Egypt’s Red Sea resort, El Gouna.

Under the auspices of Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Egyptian Tourism Authority, the world’s best squash players will assemble in Egypt for Gouna International Squash Open.

“This year’s tournament features a women’s World Series tournament alongside the men’s event for the first time in history, with a total prize fund of $US 330,000 split equally between both draws. The qualifying rounds take place between April 18-19 at the El Gouna Squash Complex, while the main draw will be staged between April 20-27, with matches split between the glass court situated at El Gouna Marina and the qualification venue,” according to the press release of el-Gouna International Squash Open.

Chairman of Orascom Development Egypt Holding Samih Sawiris said “what a joy to be hosting one of the leading tournaments of the Squash world. The growth of our small competition to a world event proves that solid long-term commitment pays. Hopefully, our champions will seal this with winning.”

“For the men’s draw, world number one Mohamed el-Shorbagy heads up the men’s draw opposite number two seed and defending champion Gregory Gaultier, who faces Egyptian maverick Mazen Hesham in the opening round, while el-Shorbagy will line up against a qualifier and wildcard Moustafa Assal is set to meet Tarek Momen in the first rounds.

As for the women’s draw, world number one Nour El Sherbini gets her tournament underway against England’s Emily Whitlock in round one, while World Champion Raneem El Welily, El Tayeb, King, Massaro and David all face qualifiers and wildcard Rowan El Araby to meet India’s Joshana Chinappa in round one,” the press release further added.

Hassan Abdalla, CEO of Arab African International Bank said: “Over the course of seven successive rounds of El Gouna International Squash Open, we have joined forces with all the concerned stakeholders to become among the top seven tournaments worldwide. Today we witness seven Egyptian champions among the top ten internationally ranked contestants holding the Egyptian flag and dominating the game. Despite all the unmatched success, we still aspire to achieve more by further spreading squash among Egyptians and enabling our champions to maintain Egypt’s lead on an international level.”

The men’s seeding quarterfinal predictions expect Mohamed el-Shorbagy set to meet Simon Rosner while Karim Abdel Gawad set to meet Marwan El Shorbagy, Aly Farag set to meet Tarek Momen and Gregory Gaultier set to meet Mohamed Abouelghar.

 The women’s seeding quarterfinal predictions expect Nour el-Sherbini set to meet Camille Serme, Nicol David set to meet Laura Massaro, Nour El Tayeb set to meet Nouran Gohar and Joelle King set to meet Raneem el-Welily.

SUNFIT JUNIOR NATIONAL SQUASH TOURNAMENT FINAL UPDATE

The Maiden Sunfit-sponsored Ex-Pros National Squash Championship for boys and girls within the age range of 13 and 16 has come to an end.
According to the organisers of the tournament which began on Wednesday, ended on Saturday 14th of April at Sunfit Hotel, Amuwo Odofin Lagos, participants were rewarded with certificate and squash kits.
Speaking ahead of the event, the tournament director, who is also the chairman of Bayelsa Sports Council, Wilson Egberipou said the championship would help to discover young talents spread across the country.


Result update from the just concluded

U-13 GIRLS
1st. Jovitah La'ah (kaduna)
2nd. Mistura Durosinlorun(kwara)
3rd.  Joyce Gibson (akwa-ibom)
3rd. Chidinma Orji (abia)

U-13 BOYS
1st. Daniel Nzei  (Akwa-ibom)
2nd. Wisdom Nzei
(Akwa-ibom) 
3rd. Suhaib Giwa ( kwara
3rd. Mohammed Soliu (kwara) 

U-16 GIRLS
1st. Aminat Musa (kwara)
2nd. Rukayat Oladunmoye (Kwara)
3rd. Peace Olusoji (ondo)
3rd. Zainab Jayeola (ondo)

U-16 BOYS
1st. Clinton Iguodala (HEADWATERS)
2nd. Emmanuel Sunday (Kaduna)
3rd. Fortune La'ah (Kaduna)
3rd. Ibrahim Balogun (kwara) .

Australian Men win doubles squash gold

From Glasgow adversaries to Gold Coast doubles gold, the love was real between David Palmer and Zac Alexander.

Australian women win doubles squash bronze

Four years after Australian squash's ugly 2014 Commonwealth Games spat, its two protagonists stood arm in arm with gold medals around their necks on Sunday, the reward for holding their nerve against England's indefatigable duo Daryl Selby and Adrian Waller.
Most of all, Sunday's nerve-racking triumph represented a symbolic line in the sand following the drama in Scotland, where a late Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling saw a furious Alexander ejected from the athletes' village and replaced by a player then coached by Palmer.
But it also marked a momentous individual moment for both men, the less likely of Australia's two male doubles teams after reigning world champions Ryan Cuskelly and Cameron Pilley exited in the quarter-finals.
For Alexander, 29, it was an "unbelievable" end to his belated Games debut.
"It's the best kind if you're going to win your first medal," Alexander said.
"This is as good as it gets."
For stalwart Palmer, it added a third gold medal and ninth overall to a decorated career at his sixth Games.
And after twice coming out of retirement for more glory, the 41-year-old former world No.1 confirmed there are no plans for another John Farnham-style final tour.


"No, this is it," Palmer said.
"I couldn't dream of a better finish for me.
"I'd love to be back sometime as a manager or coach or something but I'll finish on a high.
"It's been great with Zac. We rode under the radar this week as fifth seeds and it was nice not to have the pressure on us.
"It maybe wasn't our best squash today and they made it difficult for us the way they played but we found a way."
The Aussies took time to find their groove in the 11-9 3-11 11-6 win, coming from behind to claim the first game before England strolled to the second.
Down 3-0 in the third, their game finally clicked and the momentum shifted irreversibly.
"Zac was calling the plays all week and I was happy to follow his lead and energy," Palmer said.
"It's fantastic for him to take the gold, he really deserves it.
"It takes a good team. These things aren't won individually."
Earlier on Sunday, fellow Australians Rachael Grinham and mixed doubles gold medallist Donna Urquhart won bronze in the women's doubles.
The pair claimed a straightforward 2-0 play-off win over England duo Laura Massaro and Sarah-Jane Perry to ensure veteran Grinham added an eighth Games medal to her own prolific career.

King & Palmer share glory on final day at 2018 Gold Coast Games

It was fitting that the final match on the final day of 11 days of intense Commonwealth Games Squash competition at Oxenford Studios in Gold Coast produced a second gold medal for hosts Australia – when Zac Alexander & David Palmer held off English rivals Daryl Selby & Adrian Waller in a thrilling near-hour-long Men’s Doubles climax which went the full distance.

It was almost certainly the farewell Games performance of veteran campaigner Palmer, the 41-year-old former world number one from New South Wales who has featured in the sport’s six appearances in the Commonwealth Games since 1998, and has now extended his record medals haul to nine.
But it was New Zealander Joelle King who topped the individual medals table in the 2018 Gold Coast Games after striking gold in the Women’s Doubles, to add to her Singles gold and Mixed Doubles bronze.
Alexander & Palmer, the fifth seeds, reached the men’s final after seeing off both the second and third seeds – and took the opening game of the final against the No.7 seeds.

But the tables were turned in the second when Selby (pictured above, left, with Alexander) and Waller levelled the match, for the loss of just three points. The home favourites regrouped, changing their tactics early in the decider before delighting the loud and capacity crowd with their 11-9, 3-11, 11-6 victory after 57 minutes.

“I said from day one, a year and a half ago, when I said I wanted to play, I wasn’t just here to make the numbers up – I still felt, deep down, that if things went my way I had a chance,” said Palmer.

“It’s been great with Zac. We rode under the radar a little bit this week as fifth seeds – it’s been nice not to have the pressure on us. The draw went our way. We snuck through and stepped it up when we needed to – in the quarter-finals we beat New Zealand, and last night was great as we took care of the Scottish team really well.

“It maybe wasn’t our best squash today – but they made it difficult for us, the way they played. But we found a way.”

Speaking of his partner Alexander, a 29-year-old from Brisbane who has now won his first medal, Palmer (pictured above with Alexander) continued: “He was great, he’s so strong on the forehand, he reads the ball well, he hits the ball cleaner than anyone – and tactically he’s very good as well. We played off each other – I’m very happy for him.”

Alexander added: “It’s unbelievable. It’s as good as it gets.

“They outplayed us in the second game – in the third game we had to control the game . We clicked just a few minutes into that last game, and started to play down the middle a bit more – and that worked well. It was huge.”

When asked if he might return for the 2022 Games in Birmingham, Palmer said: “No – this is it, this is it! This is a dream come true to finish like this. I’m going to finish on a high!”

King, the world No.4, partnered Amanda Landers-Murphy to an 11-9, 11-8 win in the Women’s final over Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal Karthik, the Indian pair who won gold in the 2014 Games in Glasgow. (Action pictured below)

It was the climax of an arduous 11 days for 29-year-old King whose tally is now five medals over three Games since 2010.

“When you play such a big match, on such an occasion – against a quality team – and come out on top, it’s unbelievable,” said King. “I’m on cloud nine at the moment.

“Probably a year ago, three medals would have been beyond my wildest dreams – but the way this year has been going, I wanted three golds to be honest. But to come away with two golds and a bronze is pretty amazing.

“But it’s a team effort. It’s not just me, it’s all these guys who have been watching me all the way through the singles and picking me up each day. It’s been pretty amazing and I can’t wait to share it with them.”

Speaking of Landers-Murphy, the 26-year-old world No.41 who partnered her to world titles both in 2016 and 2017, King said:

“She’s the dark horse of the team, she’s the quiet achiever. She works really hard all the time. I’ve known her for a while now and we’ve become really close. I’m really happy for her and proud that she’s put in the effort and got the reward. She’s carried me most of the week – brought me through when I was a bit flat and down.

“I leave the village at 5am tomorrow morning for El Gouna. I’ll probably spend the first day on the beach and let my body heal, then switch over to singles – it’s a big tournament, a World Series event, and I don’t want to let the momentum of the year be broken now. I’ve worked hard to get here and I’m going to do everything I can to put in my best performance there.”

England and Australia shared the two events’ bronze medals. The first match, with a 10.00am start, saw fourth seeds Rachael Grinham & Donna Urquhart (pictured above with fellow medallists) beat the English pair Laura Massaro & Sarah-Jane Perry 11-6, 11-8.
Later, England’s No.4 seeds Declan James & James Willstrop needed 58 minutes to get the better of Scottish rivals Alan Clyne & Greg Lobban, the second seeds, 11-9, 11-9.
Grinham was celebrating her eighth Games medal – and agreed that today’s success was awesome.

“But that’s what we come here for, to win medals. I was close to walking away from this Games without a medal. Luckily we turned it on today and had an awesome match. And it was quite comfortable – a lot of the games this week have been so close.

“Donna’s been incredible, so solid all week. It’s brutal to play in both events, all week.”

It was late the previous evening that Urquhart and Cameron Pilley treated the crowd to a gold-medal-winning performance in the Mixed Doubles.

“It’s a strange feeling,” said Urquhart. “We played the last match last night, a late finish. But I had to be ready for an early start this morning. I think it’s adrenaline that got me through, to be honest. But now that I’ve finished I’m probably going realise how sore my body is.

“Rachael said to me last night: if I’m coming off tomorrow after losing, I’m coming off in a wheelchair!”

When 41-year-old Grinham was asked if she would make the 2022 Games, the former world number one, replied: “Never say never – but very likely not!”

Willstrop, the men’s singles gold medallist earlier in the Games, said after his Doubles win:

“They count for so much, these Commonwealth medals – it’s a huge thing for anyone winning medals, in the village people applaud it and you’re up on a board.

“And yesterday we were a million miles away from thinking about that – it’s incredible how you have to turn yourself around. You wake up the next morning and have another go!”

His partner James, aged 24, added: “After an hour and a half of drama and stress yesterday, I wouldn’t have dreamed of thinking of coming back on court again today!

“We never go through the emotion of losing at squash, then having to play again. It was reconciliation today – we still realised there’s a huge amount to play for and we said fourth is going to feel a hell of a lot worse than third is. We can hold our heads high now knowing that we’ve done everything we could. We’re really happy that we came through today.”

When the subject of the next Games came up, 34-year-old Willstrop (pictured below with fellow English medallists) replied:

“Declan should be there, but it’s different for me – I can’t take anything for granted. All I know now is that I’d like to play squash for a bit, if I can. I have to take it month by month.

“I’m just so thrilled that I’ve got my body to a point where it can get through two weeks of this. I never dreamed of that four years ago.”

Men’s Doubles Final:
[5] Zac Alexander & David Palmer (AUS) bt [7] Daryl Selby & Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-9, 3-11, 11-6 (57m)
Bronze medal play-off:
[4] Declan James & James Willstrop (ENG) bt [2] Alan Clyne & Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-9, 11-9 (58m)
Women’s Doubles Final:
[1] Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [3] Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) 11-9, 11-8 (22m)
Bronze medal play-off:
[4] Rachael Grinham & Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [7] Laura Massaro & Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-6, 11-8 (21m)
2018 Commonwealth Games images courtesy of Toni Van der Kreek