Joel Claims Second British National Squash Title

Karakal star Joel Makin claimed his second British Nationals Squash title last night by overcoming two-time defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in a five-game, 85-minute epic at St George’s Hill LTC in Weybridge.

Mohamed stormed to a 5-0 lead in the first game, playing aggressively and trying to put pressure on the Welshman. Joel rallied back to 8-10, but the defending champion kept his composure to take the game 8-11 and a 0-1 lead.

In the second game both players were virtually inseparable, trading points in attritional rallies, before heading into a tie-break. The nip-and-tuck play continued as Mohamed forced four game balls, but it was Joel who dug deepest to take the game 15-13 and level the match at 1-1.

Joel looked fresher as the third game commenced, applying pressure on the defending champion, pulling away to take the game 11-3, gaining the ascendancy at 2-1.

A new ball for the fourth game seemed to suit the Englishman as Mohamed started the game with a renewed intensity that saw Joel struggling to match, and although the Welshman lengthened the rallies and battled back to 8-10, it was Mohamed who held on to take the match to a decisive fifth game.

The former World No.1 looked the more fatigued of the pair as the fifth game progressed, and as the encounter passed the 80 minutes mark, it was the Welshman who was calling the shots. Joel picked up point after point, displaying astounding athleticism, conditioning and precision to win a dramatic final and claim his second British title.

After the match Joel said “It wasn't looking good for the first half hour, I had to bite my tongue a bit and dig in. He can put these tactical matches together, he’s impressive. He nullified me and controlled the pace. He was clinical and I had to wait for him to deviate and me to find my spots.

“I was really happy with the way I found my way back into the match. For the past two years he’s put on unbelievable performances. I've taken those losses and come back. I was almost there again, I was 7-3 down in the second and I was just going to dig down and try and find my way back into the match so it was a massive one to win and I was so happy to get over the line.

“It was massive to win the first one, but this is almost a new era now. We have Mohamed and Marwan [ElShorbagy] both in the draw and to come through a week where you’ve got to beat both of them back-to-back… It’s something I'm very pleased with because these are world-class players and have been for years.

“To turn it around was the biggest thing, the match wasn't going the way I wanted, and I had to find my way back in and overturn the deficit.

“We haven't had much of an off-season. It’s been very busy even until the end of last season and then starting right away again. I just wanted to carry the momentum on from the end of last season. I'm happy with that, but the season starts now and gets busy; there’s going to be tournaments back-to-back so it’s good to get a head start and get good match practice ready for the season.”

2024 British National Squash Championships Men’s Final Result: Joel Makin (WAL) bt Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG) 3-2: 8-11, 15-13, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2 (85m)

In the Women's event top seed Gina Kennedy claimed her first British Nationals title as she overcame Sarah-Jane Perry in a repeat of their 2021 final.

Women’s Final Result: Gina Kennedy (ENG) bt Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (47m).

For a full list of results visit the British Squash Nationals Website.