Tunbridge Wells Squash Club
39a London Road • Tunbridge Wells • Kent TN1 1DL
Tel: 01892 527 736
WORLD-RANKING KENT OPEN SQUASH RETURNS TO TUNBRIDGE WELLS
By ALAN THATCHER
The world-ranking Colin Payne Kent Open, sponsored by 501 Fun, returns to Tunbridge Wells Squash Club this week.
The tournament, part of the PSA Challenger Tour, takes place from Wednesday January 11th to Saturday January 14th with strong draws in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Players will be battling for $3,000 prize money in each event.
Tunbridge Wells first team number one Noah Meredith is the No.8 seed and meets Lowie Delbekie from Belgium in the first round. Noah was originally drawn against No.7 seed Miko Aljanen but the Finn withdrew over the weekend because of injury.
Noah had originally been awarded the wild card but has been playing so well this season that he got into the draw on his ranking.
The reserve wild card went to Bailey Malik, from Haywards Heath, and as luck would have it he went into the draw against his big brother Perry, who is seeded five.
Perry will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of elder brother Curtis, who won last season’s Kent Open men’s final and has since climbed to 62 in the world.
Women’s top seed Torrie Malik keeps the peace on court as brothers Perry (right) and Bailey prepare to meet in this week’s Kent Open first round
Another rising star from Sussex, Jonah Bryant, meets No.2 seed Owain Taylor (Wales) in the first round. Bryant finished runner-up to Finnlay Withington in yesterday’s final of the British Junior Open in Birmingham, having beaten the top seed Rowan Damming (Netherlands) in the semi-finals.
It was the first all-English final for 21 years after many years of dominance by Egypt.
Jonah will enjoy the luxury of two days of rest before getting back on court in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday evening.
Jonah Bryant (left) in action against Finnlay Withington in the final of the British Junior Open in Birmingham
Valentin Rapp from Germany is the men’s top seed in the Kent Open, followed by Taylor, Temwa Chileshe from New Zealand and Aqeel Rehman from Austria.
Torrie Malik, who was runner-up to Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in last year’s Kent Open final, returns as top seed in the women’s event. Torrie, 18, has won three titles this season, including the British Junior Nationals in Sheffield, and she finished in fifth place in Birmingham last week.
She meets Kent wild card Isabel McCullough, from Orpington, in the first round on Wednesday evening.
Following Malik, the number two seed is Elise Romba from France, with Ali Loke (Wales) at three and Malaysia’s Yasshmita Jadishkumar at four.
Phoebe Colman, who coaches at Tunbridge Wells, is a popular addition to the draw and she faces No.8 seed Polly Clark on Wednesday.
Spectators are welcome to watch all of the high-paced action for free throughout the four- day competition, which once again promises to deliver a feast of entertainment on court with players from 16 nations competing.
The tournament is dedicated to former Tunbridge Wells No.1 Colin Payne, a former professional player and England Masters national champion who died in tragic circumstances in 2016.
The Kent Open is sponsored by Tunbridge Wells first teamer Jonny Powell, whose 501 Fun 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.
Further information from Tournament Director Alan Thatcher. Email: alan@squashuk.com Mobile: 07971 639829
09/01/2023
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