Tunbridge Wells Squash Club
39a London Road • Tunbridge Wells • Kent TN1 1DL
Tel: 01892 527 736
SUSSEX BROTHER AND SISTER CURTIS AND TORRIE MALIK
ARE TOP SEEDS AS WORLD-RANKING SQUASH EVENT
RETURNS TO TUNBRIDGE WELLS IN DECEMBER
Sussex brother and sister Curtis and Torrie Malik are the top seeds as a world-ranking squash tournament returns to Tunbridge Wells.
The Colin Payne Kent Open, sponsored by 501 Entertainment, takes place at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club from December 15-18. It was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic but is now back bigger and better than ever.
A women’s competition has been added for the first time and the two events will have equal prize money of $3,000 (£2,250) spread among the 32 players competing at the popular Kent club.
The tournament is dedicated to former Tunbridge Wells No.1 Colin Payne, a former professional and England Masters national champion who died in tragic circumstances after a domestic incident in 2016.
The Kent Open is sponsored by Tunbridge Wells first teamer Jonny Powell, whose 501 Entertainment company is transforming the hospitality industry by using technology to update traditional pub games like darts and shuffleboard in a fast-growing sector known as competitive socialising.
Jonny awarded the men’s wild card to Tunbridge Wells team-mate Noah Meredith, who has been handed the toughest possible task by being drawn against top seed Curtis in the first round on December 15.
Women’s wild card, Hadlow student Isabel McCullough lost to Torrie in the semi-finals of the England Under-19 Championships after beating the No.2 seed in the quarter-finals. She also faces a tough draw in the Kent Open, meeting No.2 seed Kace Bartley in the first round.
Curtis and sister Torrie have both been in excellent form recently.
Curtis, 22, won the recent Prestbury Open in Macclesfield and was a semi-finalist in the Scottish Open. On the way to the semis in Inverness he beat two experienced internationals, Peter Creed from Wales and Portugal’s Rui Soares. He is now at 106 in the PSA World Tour rankings.
Torrie, 17, is a recent winner of the England Under-19 Championship held in Nottingham. She also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Open, beating the No.2 seed Rachael Chadwick and No.7 seed Alicia Mead along the way.
She is currently ranked 104 in the world and, like brother Curtis, seems certain to break into the top 100 next year.
Both Torrie and Curtis are gaining valuable experience playing smaller tournaments and the Kent Open gives them both an opportunity to shine in a world-ranking competition without the cost of travel and accommodation. A successful week in Tunbridge Wells might just help them make that top 100 rankings breakthrough early in 2022.
They are part of a large squash-loving family from Warninglid, near Haywards Heath. Brother Perry, aged 20, is ranked 183 in the world and is also competing in the Kent Open.
He played his big brother in the semi-finals of the Prestbury Open and Curtis won 3-1 on his way to his triumph in the final against Surrey’s Charlie Lee.
Younger brothers Bailey and Heston will be 16 in January and both are climbing the England junior rankings.
The squash world united to help the family when Bailey and Heston’s triplet brother Sumner was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour known as DIPG. Large sums of money were raised to provide desperately needed treatment and Sumner bravely fought the illness for as long as possible before passing away in August 2018.
Since then, the family have organised several charity events to raise money to further research into the cause and treatment of DIPG.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Title: The Colin Payne Kent Open sponsored by 501 Entertainment
Dates: December 15-18th, 2021.
Venue: Tunbridge Wells Squash Club, London Road, 39A Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1DL.
Format: PSA World Tour event featuring men's and women's competitions with $3,000 prize money in prize money in each. We are delighted to have the Kent Open back on the calendar after being forced to postpone last year’s event because of lockdown.
REMEMBERING COLIN PAYNE
Former Tunbridge Wells number one Colin Payne was a professional player who reached the world top 50 and appeared for Kent on more than 100 occasions. He died in a domestic incident in Dartford in 2016.
He was county champion five times, won the Kent over-35 title on ten occasions and, during the year of his death, he won the British Over-50s Championship.
Payne owned the Ripples chain of bathroom stores in Tunbridge Wells, Reigate and Brighton.
Further information from Alan Thatcher, Kent Open Tournament Director
Phone: 07971 639 829 Email: alan@squashmad.com
Our sponsors, 501 Entertainment: www.501entertainment.co.uk
Malik Family website: www.maliksquash.pro
PSA World Tour: www.psaworldtour.com
02/12/2021
October 2025
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
Hotmail/Outlook Users
GMail Users
Other email service providers may have similar settings -- please follow their instructions. If not, contact their support desk and request delivery of messages from twsrc@no-reply.mycourts.co.uk.