A History of Squash

The World Squash Federation has published a new history of its sport. The two new additions to the WSF website have been produced by respected veteran U.S. journalist James Zug. The first is a 6,000 word essay on the history of the game. SQUASH: a Sport with History (in 10 1/2 Chapters) Zug connects the parents of squash – real tennis, racquets and fives – with the origins of squash at Harrow School in England in the 1850s. He goes on to show how the game spread around the world; the emergence of a professional tour; the development of doubles; and the game’s position today as a global sport. The History of Squash Timeline  begins at Harrow in the 1850s and identifies the first court built in USA in 1884 – making it the second of the current 185 countries where squash is now played. The first book on squash is listed (1901), as is the formation of various national federations – including South Africa in 1910, Canada in 1913 and Egypt in 1931, for example. History of Squash TIMELINE In 1965 the first window in a solid court wall appeared; the viewing revolution in the 1980s is detailed (a decade in which legendary Pakistani Jahangir Khan’s five-and-a-half-year unbeaten run ended, in 1986); and, later, scoring and tin height changes are also covered. “There was a time when squash rackets were made of wood, there was no such thing as a glass backwall, never mind an all-glass showcourt – and even further back there were no standard rules of the game nor defined court dimensions,” said Andrew Shelley, CEO of the World Squash Federation. “Squash has a long history that began in the 1850s and to be able to scroll through the many dates helps us remember game’s key milestones. James Zug has ensured that while we look to the future the past is not lost.” James Zug is the executive editor of Squash Magazine, the New York-based publication; he blogs at SquashWord.com; tweets at SquashWord; leads the squash podcast “Outside The Glass”; and is the author of six books, including two on the game: “Squash: A History of the Game” (2003) and “Run to the Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear” (2010). SQUASH: a Sport with History (in 10 1/2 Chapters) History of Squash TIMELINE

ElShorbagy and Massaro capture World Series Finals Titles Posted: 11 Jun 2017 01:56 AM PDT Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy and defending champion Laura Massaro claimed the titles at the 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals after prevailing in their final clashes inside the stunning Dubai Opera. The World Series Finals is the first sporting event ever to take place in Dubai Opera and sees ElShorbagy and Massaro claim over $40,000 each after respective wins over England’s former World No.1 James Willstrop and Egyptian World Champion Nour El Sherbini. ElShorbagy ended a difficult season on a high to lift his first ever World Series Finals crown and his first Tour title since November after beating Willstrop by an 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 in 57 minutes. “To win this tournament has been a dream for so long,” said ElShorbagy after lifting his 25th Tour title. “It’s a very emotional win. I lost some confidence in myself during the season but I feel like I bounced back this week. “I don’t want to lose. I hate losing. This season I didn’t play with my spirit, but I’m really proud I got that back this week. It was my best squash since being World No.1.” Meanwhile, Massaro has become only the second woman ever after Malaysian legend Nicol David to win two World Series Finals titles after she overcame El Sherbini in straight games. Massaro was appearing in the final of the World Series Finals for a third time in a row and had won one and lost one of her final appearances against Egypt’s Raneem El Welily and Malaysia’s David, respectively. The pair had met earlier on in the tournament – with El Sherbini winning the best-of-three games contest to qualify second in Group B – but in the best-of-five games final, it was Massaro who emerged the victor after claiming an 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 victory to capture her 22nd Tour crown. “I’m really happy with my performance overall,” said Massaro. “It took a lot of focus, discipline, hard work and I had to keep pushing throughout the whole match. The first two games were really tight and I managed to get that good lead in the third. “I’m one of the oldest ones on Tour now and as long as I feel as though I’m still in contention to win titles then I’m happy. To be able to win the British Open, to reach the final of the ToC [Tournament of Champions] and to win here really makes me think that I’m still in contention and I can still win titles.” The World Series Finals brought together the top eight players on the Men’s and Women’s PSA Road to Dubai Standings who were then split into two groups of four, with matches played in a best-of-three games format. Players then battled for points to qualify for the knockout semi-finals and beyond, while the final was contested in the regular best-of-five games format. Final: Women’s 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals [3] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 (35m) Final: Men’s 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals [3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [6] James Willstrop (ENG) 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (57m)