Joel Makin & Georgina Kennedy crowned 2024 British National Squash Champions

Joel Makin and Georgina Kennedy were crowned 2024 British National Squash Champions at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Surrey, England. Welsh No.1 Joel Makin dethroned two-time champion Mohamed ElShorbagy
8-11 15-13 11-3 8-11 11-2 in an intense 85-minute men’s final, whilst women’s top seed Georgina Kennedy clinched her maiden British National title with a 48-minute 11-9 11-8 9-11 11-9 victory over Sarah-Jane Perry.

Mohamed ElShorbagy made a strong start in the men’s final, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening game and although the second-seeded Welshman fought back to 8-10, the two-time champion held his nerve to take the first game.

The second game was a tight affair, with both players exchanging points in gruelling rallies that led to a tie-break. ElShorbagy had four chances to close out the game, but Makin showed resilience, saving all four game balls before converting his first opportunity to win the game 15-13.

The Welshman seized control in the third game, pulling away from 3-3 to dominate 11-3, putting himself just one game away from the title. However, the former World No.1 responded with renewed intensity in the fourth game, quickly establishing an 8-2 lead. Makin managed to close the gap to 8-10, but ElShorbagy held firm, to take the match into a decisive fifth game.

As the match surpassed the 80-minute mark, ElShorbagy appeared more fatigued than his Welsh rival was capitalised on his opportunity to close-out the match and claim his second British National title.

British No.1 Georgina Kennedy made an impressive start in the women’s final against three-time champion Sarah-Jane Perry, who had defeated her in the 2021 final.

Kennedy, using precise boasts to neutralise her opponent’s threat won the first game 11-9 and the second 11-8 to take a commanding lead. The third game however was a closely contested battle between Perry’s accurate shot-making and Kennedy’s relentless retrieving. The top seed surged to an 8-4 lead, finding a steady rhythm in her play. Perry, however, used all of her experience, rallying to take five consecutive points and ultimately winning the game, forcing a fourth.

Perry appeared more composed in the fourth game, advancing to an 8-3 lead. However, Kennedy showing her determination, clawed her way back to 8-9 before closing out the match to secure the title.

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Men’s Final:
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) 8-11, 15-13, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2 (85m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Women’s Final:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (48m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Men’s Semi-Finals:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [3/4] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-9, 11-2, 11-9 (34m)
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [3/4] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) 11-13, 12-10, 2-0 ret. (58m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Women’s Semi-Finals:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [3/4] Tesni Murphy (WAL) 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 2-1 ret. (32m)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [5/8] Emily Whitlock (WAL) 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 12-10 (51m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Men’s Quarter-Finals:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) 7-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (45m)
[3/4] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt [5/8] Curtis Malik (ENG) 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 (57m)
[3/4] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [5/8] Declan James (ENG) 13-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5 (58m)
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [5/8] Rory Stewart (SCO) 11-0, 11-4, 11-4 (29m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Women’s Quarter-Finals:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [5/8] Katie Malliff (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (38m)
[3/4] Tesni Murphy (WAL) bt [5/8] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (40m)
[5/8] Emily Whitlock (WAL) bt [3/4] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7 (56m)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [5/8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 11-7, 8-11, 11-1, 11-6 (46m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Men’s 1st Round:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [Q] Will Salter (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (29m)
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [9/12] Ben Smith (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (37m)
[5/8] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [9/12] Jonah Bryant (ENG) 12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (68m)
[3/4] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt [Q] Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG) 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 (54m)
[3/4] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [Q] Perry Malik (ENG) 13-11, 11-6, 11-6 (38m)
[5/8] Declan James (ENG) bt [9/12] Tom Walsh (ENG) 13-11, 11-5, 11-7 (43m)
[5/8] Rory Stewart (SCO) bt [9/12] Simon Herbert (ENG) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (48m)
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [Q] Emyr Evans (WAL) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (41m)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Women’s 1st Round:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [Q] Olivia Besant (ENG) 11-2, 11-5, 11-1 (16m)
[5/8] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [9/12] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-1 (29m)
[5/8] Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt [9/12] Alison Thomson (SCO) 11-1, 11-3, 11-5 (26m)
[3/4] Tesni Murphy (WAL) bt [Q] Polly Clark (ENG) 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (21m)
[3/4] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [Q] Amelie Haworth (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 (25m)
[5/8] Emily Whitlock (WAL) bt [9/12] Alicia Mead (ENG) 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-4 (40m)
[5/8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt [9/12] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 (38m)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [Q] Isabel McCullough (ENG) 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (29m)

UNSQUASHABLE player Will Salter battled through two rounds of qualifying matches at St George’s Hill LTC in Surrey, England to reach the 1st round of the 2024 British National Squash Championships were he will face top seed and defending Mohamed ElShorbagy.

Will Salter overcame fellow Englishman Bailey Malik 15-13 6-11 7-11 11-2 11-7 in a hard-fought 63 minute 1st round of qualifying before producing a sensational 54-minute 3-11 5-11 11-9 11-6 11-4 victory over 2017 finalist Joe Lee.

The young Englishman will make his maiden appearance in the 1st round of the British National Squash Championships alongside fellow UNSQUASHABLE player Rory Stewart of Scotland who will play England’s Simon Herbert in his opening match.

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Men’s 1st Round:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v [Q] Will Salter (ENG)
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [9/12] Ben Smith (ENG)
[5/8] Curtis Malik (ENG) v [9/12] Jonah Bryant (ENG)
[3/4] Greg Lobban (SCO) v [Q] Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG)
[3/4] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) v [Q] Perry Malik (ENG)
[5/8] Declan James (ENG) v [9/12] Tom Walsh (ENG)
[5/8] Rory Stewart (SCO) v [9/12] Simon Herbert (ENG)
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) v [Q] Emyr Evans (WAL)

British National Squash Championships 2024, St George's Hill LTC, Weybridge, England
Women’s 1st Round:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [Q] Olivia Besant (ENG)
[5/8] Katie Malliff (ENG) v [9/12] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[5/8] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [9/12] Alison Thomson (SCO)
[3/4] Tesni Murphy (WAL) v [Q] Polly Clark (ENG)
[3/4] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v [Q] Amelie Haworth (ENG)
[5/8] Emily Whitlock (WAL) v [9/12] Alicia Mead (ENG)
[5/8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) v [9/12] Torrie Malik (ENG)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [Q] Isabel McCullough (ENG)

Men’s Qualifying Finals:
Perry Malik (ENG) bt Heston Malik (ENG) 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5 (27m)
Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG) bt Archie Turnbull (WAL) 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 (25m)
Will Salter (ENG) bt Joe Lee (ENG) 3-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (54m)
Emyr Evans (WAL) bt Alex Broadbridge (ENG) 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 (48m)

Women’s Qualifying Finals:
Olivia Besant (ENG) bt Harriet Broadbridge (ENG) 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 11-4 (29m)
Polly Clark (ENG) bt Jasmin Kalar (ENG) 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5 (27m)
Amelie Haworth (ENG) bt Lara Newton (ENG) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (16m)
Isabel McCullough (ENG) bt Reka Kemecsei (ENG) 11-3, 11-0, 11-6 (21m)

Men’s 1st Qualifying Round:
Perry Malik (ENG) bt Paul Broadberry (ENG) 7-11, 11-6, 11-2, 12-14, 11-3 (54m)
Heston Malik (ENG) bt Matt Gregory (ENG) 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 13-15, 11-6 (52m)
Archie Turnbull (WAL) bt Josh Attwell (ENG) 11-13, 11-9, 16-14, 11-9 (50m)
Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG) bt Jared Carter (ENG) 8-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-6 (50m)
Joe Lee (ENG) bt Hasnaat Farooqi (ENG) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (30m)
Will Salter (ENG) bt Bailey Malik (ENG) 15-13, 6-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7 (63m)
Emyr Evans (WAL) bt Ruudi Clarke (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (29m)
Alex Broadbridge (ENG) bt Dylan Roberts (ENG) 11-3, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8 (45m)

The 2024 British National Squash Championships will be staged at St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, England from the 14th to 18th August.

England’s top-ranked squash players, Mohamed ElShorbagy and Georgina Kennedy, have been named as the top seeds for the 2024 British National Squash Championships which will also include UNSQUASHABLE players Nick Wall, Rory Stewart and Will Salter.

Two-time British National Squash Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy aims to become the second male player in tournament history to secure three consecutive titles. The former World No.1 from Bristol will start his title defence against a qualifier, with potential matches against [5/8] seed Patrick Rooney in the quarter-finals and [3/4] seed Greg Lobban of Scotland in the semi-finals. Greg Lobban, currently ranked World No.17, seeks to become the first Scot in two decades to claim the prestigious trophy.

On the other side of the draw, 2021 British National Squash Champion Joel Makin, the No.2 seed, looks to extend his streak of reaching the finals, having done so in the last four editions. The Welshman will begin against a qualifier, followed by a likely encounter with either [5/8] seed Nick Wall or [9/12] seed Tom Walsh. Joel Makin is expected to face [3/4] seed Marwan ElShorbagy in the semi-finals, who will be making his debut at the British National Squash Nationals.

In the women’s draw, World No.7 Georgina Kennedy is set to return with the goal of capturing her first British National Squash Champion title. The London-based 27-year-old, who finished as runner-up in 2021 and reached the semi-finals last year, enjoyed a remarkable season, climbing as high as No.5 in the PSA World Rankings. Georgina Kennedy, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, will face a qualifier in her opening match, with potential clashes against [5/8] seed Katie Malliff in the quarter-finals and [3/4] seed Tesni Murphy of Wales in the semi-finals.

The bottom half of the women’s draw features two-time champion Jasmine Hutton and three-time winner Sarah-Jane Perry, who are on course to meet in the semi-finals. Defending champion Jasmin Hutton, aiming for a third consecutive title, will open her 2024 campaign against a qualifier, with a likely quarter-final against [5/8] seed Emily Whitlock. Sarh-Jane Perry, on the other hand, is projected to face [5/8] seed Georgia Adderley of Scotland in the quarter-finals.

Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will include a qualifying event, with four men and four women players advancing to the respective main draws.

2024 British National Squash Championships
Men’s Main Draw:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v [Q3 Player]
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [9/12] Declan James (ENG)
[3/4] Greg Lobban (SCO) v [Q2 Player]
[5/8] Curtis Malik (ENG) v [9/12] Rory Stewart (SCO)
[2] Joel Makin (WAL) v [Q4 Player]
[5/8] Nick Wall (ENG) v [9/12] Tom Walsh (ENG)
[3/4] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) v [Q1 Player]
[5/8] Adrian Waller (ENG) v [9/12] Simon Herbert (ENG)

2024 British National Squash Championships
Men’s Qualifying Draw:
Perry Malik (ENG) v Paul Broadberry (ENG)
Matt Gregory (ENG) v Heston Malik (ENG)
Ben Smith (ENG) v Alasdair Prott (SCO)
Rhys Evans (WAL) v Samuel Osborne-Wylde (ENG)
Jonah Bryant (ENG) v Hasnaat Farooqi (ENG)
Bailey Malik (ENG) v Will Salter (ENG)
Emyr Evans (WAL) v Jared Carter (ENG)
Alex Broadbridge (ENG) v Joe Lee (ENG)

2024 British National Squash Championships
Women’s Main Draw:
[1] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [Q1 Player] 
[5/8] Katie Malliff (ENG) v [9/12] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[3/4] Tesni Murphy (WAL) v [Q2 Player]
[5/8] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [9/12] Grace Gear (ENG)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [Q4 Player]
[5/8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) v [9/12] Torrie Malik (ENG)
[3/4] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v [Q3 Player] 
[5/8] Emily Whitlock (WAL) v [9/12] Alicia Mead (ENG)

2024 British National Squash Championships
Women’s Qualifying Draw, Round 1: 
Harriet Broadbridge (ENG) v Lara Newton (ENG)
Alison Thomson (SCO) [bye] 
Polly Clark (ENG) [bye] 
Jasmin Kalar (ENG) [bye]
Amelie Haworth (ENG) [bye]
Olivia Besant (ENG) [bye]
Isabel McCullough (ENG) [bye] 
Reka Kemecsei (ENG) [bye]
 
2024 British National Squash Championships
Women’s Qualifying Draw, Round 2:
Alison Thomson (SCO) v Harriet Broadbridge (ENG) / Lara Newton (ENG)
Polly Clark (ENG) v Jasmin Kalar (ENG)
Amelie Haworth (ENG) v Olivia Besant (ENG)
Isabel McCullough (ENG) v Reka Kemecsei (ENG)