NASH Cup serving up top talent

Players from 19 countries will compete at the 15th annual NASH Cup (Sept. 19-23) at the London Squash Club. Bringing to town some of the world’s best, the NASH Cup is a local success story.

Nathan Lake (England) and Edmon Lopez (Spain) battle in a semi-final match at the 2022 NASH Cup. (Photo: Rael Wienburg)

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Word travels fast in the squash world. More and more, some of the world’s best players are sharing their experiences from the NASH Cup in London. And what are they saying? That it’s a tour stop that shouldn’t be missed.

This year, 27 players will get their first taste of the annual tournament, now in its 15th year. They’ll descend on the Forest City in mid-September, get acclimated to the London Squash Club, and then begin competing for a championship – and a $40,000 USD purse – starting Sept. 19.

“I think our reputation precedes us,” said Jay Nash, tournament founder and committee chair. “We’ve been recognized as one of the best stops on tour, particularly for the players, because of the experience they get here, the ability to go do exhibitions in Chatham and Sarnia, and the extra events that we run during the week.”

They also get treated very well. That’s the top priority for Nash and his organizing crew. The tournament billets every player that wants it (a few opt to stay at The Park Hotel, an event partner). The night life is appealing (the NASH Cup happens during Western University’s Homecoming Week). And the players, no matter their rank, are treated like stars by the enthusiastic crowds throughout the week.

NASH Cup crowds don’t fit the mould of the historically tennis-style quiet audiences. They’re energetic. Heck, they’re boisterous. Because the Club’s glass-backed courts are fully closed, they do not need to be quiet.

“People can be rowdy, they can cheer, they can make noise. And the players have expressed that they love this,” said Nash. “As a rally goes on and gets intense, the crowd responds to the shots and to the movements. That’s not something players get anywhere else. And they eat it up.”

The NASH Cup became a ‘Challenger 20’ event last year, meaning that the tournament awards $20,000 USD to both the men’s and women’s winner. This level of tournament also counts more towards a player’s point totals for their world ranking.

On ranks, this year’s field of 48 players includes 25 who are ranked in the top 100 in the world by the Professional Squash Association (PSA). The top male, Yahya Elnawasany from Egypt, was ranked number 34 in the world when the NASH Cup draw was announced. The top female, Canadian Hollie Naughton, is ranked 19th in the world.

Players from 19 different countries will compete at this year’s NASH Cup, including multiple players from Egypt, Canada, the United States, England, Mexico and Spain. Three countries (Portugal, Austria, Hungary) will be represented for the first time.

(Photo: Rael Wienburg)

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Nash knows London’s organizing committee is doing something right when he corresponds with players signing up and confirming to play in the tournament.

“After I’ve sent them a note, a lot of them write back and say they’ve heard so much about this stop and that they’re very excited to be coming here,” he said.

Another unique feature that draws up-and-coming players is the fact everyone gets the opportunity to play on the ‘main courts’ – in front of 100 to 140 fans – for each of their matches. That’s not always the case at tournament stops.

“In many clubs, players are sent down to a dungeon of a court (for preliminary matches) and come back and report their results. Whereas we have a full crowd right from night one,” said Nash. “I think that experience sticks with them – especially for those who are just climbing the ranks. These rising stars like coming to our place because they’re getting the experience that they’ll need to know how to deal with.”

The top eight players in both the men’s and women’s 24-player draws receive a first-round bye, while the other 16 will embark on their hopeful journeys to the final on Tuesday, Sept. 19. That’s 16 matches on day one. And many more to follow. The four semi-final matches happen Friday, while the two finals are set for Saturday evening.

Nash has seen enough pro squash to know predicting winners can be a tough task. But he thinks it’ll be tough for the women’s field to prevent a final of the top two seeds, Naughton and Lucy Turmel (England), who’s ranked 31st in the world.

“It’s a strong field, but those are two incredibly strong players,” he said.

On the men’s side, keep an eye out for England’s Curtis Malik, Nash suggests. He was the runner-up at the tournament last year. He was ranked 75th then. Now, he’s up to 55th.

“I wouldn’t count him out. His skill level is excellent,” Nash said. “But it’s interesting because he’s only the number five seed.”

It’s true. After Elnawasany and Nick Wall (England, #44), the next six seeds on the men’s side are players ranked 52 to 58 in the world. That’s a lot of similarly skilled players – any of which could rise to the top (one of them is Canadian David Baillargeon). Another notable Canadian entry is Nikki Todd on the women’s side. She’s played in every NASH Cup to date.

The 2022 NASH Cup winners, Ziena Zien (Egypt) and Nathan Lake (England).

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Western University, which has always been represented at the tournament, even as the level of competition has gotten better and better, will have three current or former players in this year’s event. Salah Eltorgman, the Mustangs’ top player, is entered as a wild card but he recently upset Portugal’s Rui Soares (the NASH Cup’s sixth seed) in a tournament in Windsor. As a result, his world ranking climbed around 50 spots and, as Nash says, “he’s showing why Western is the strongest program in Canada.”

Mitchell Kahnert, another current Mustang, is also in the men’s field, while Liam Marrison is a graduate. Catherine Giachino will represent Western in the women’s draw.

Without any major changes happening this year, Nash says he’s excited to be able to take in more of the action. Only once a year do some of the world’s best squash players share a facility and play high-level matches on the courts at the London Squash Club.

“When we launched years ago, this was the pipe dream. We thought, if we could ever get to that level, that would be huge. And here we are.

“I had a great committee. I remember, about 10 of us were sitting around a boardroom table and we literally pulled out a blank piece of paper and asked, ‘If you were a pro landing in London, Ontario, what would you want?’ And that’s how we designed it.”

The players have spoken. Yes, they’ve said, this is what we want.