Paul Coll & Amina Orfi Retain London Squash Classic Titles
August 31 2026
Paul Coll of New Zealand and Amina Orfi of Egypt successfully defended their London Squash Classic titles, overcoming France’s Victor Crouin and England’s Georgina Kennedy respectively in finals played at the iconic Alexandra Palace.
Paul Coll produced a commanding display to secure a third consecutive London Classic crown, defeating second seed Victor Crouin 11-6 11-5 11-3 in a one-sided final.
The New Zealander maintained his remarkable record in the capital, having previously won the Canary Wharf Classic, the tournament which preceded the London Squash Classic, on three occasions. His latest success takes his career tally to 34 PSA World Tour titles and was achieved without dropping a single game throughout the tournament.
Coll controlled the final from the outset, applying sustained pressure and using his exceptional physical conditioning to prevent Crouin from establishing any rhythm. The Frenchman battled to remain competitive, but Coll's consistency and ability to dictate the tempo proved decisive as he completed another emphatic victory on the Alexandra Palace stage.
Amina Orfi also produced an authoritative performance to retain the women's title, defeating England No.1 Georgina Kennedy 11-6 11-8 11-2.
The victory represents the 14th PSA World Tour title of Orfi's career and caps another significant step in the rapid development of the young Egyptian. Kennedy arrived at the final full of confidence after recording a landmark victory over World No.1 Hania El Hammamy in the semi-finals just 24 hours earlier.
However, the physical and emotional demands of that victory appeared to take their toll as Orfi took control of the final. Her accuracy, precision and exceptional quality of hitting repeatedly exposed gaps in Kennedy's defence, allowing the defending champion to establish a decisive advantage.
Kennedy attempted to fight her way back into the contest, particularly during the second game, but Orfi remained composed during the crucial exchanges before pulling away in the third to complete a comprehensive straight-games victory.
The title has further intensified the race for the women's World No.1 ranking. Orfi will now head to the Qatar Squash Classic later this month with an opportunity to overtake El Hammamy and potentially become the youngest woman in squash history to reach the summit of the PSA World Rankings.
Attention now turns to the 2026 Qatar Squash Classic, the next major stop on the PSA World Squash Tour. The Platinum-level tournament takes place from 12th to 18th September, with both Coll and Orfi entering the event as second seeds.
Following their respective triumphs in London, both players will arrive in Qatar carrying significant momentum as the new PSA season gathers pace.
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) 2026 London Squash Classic was staged at the Alexandra Palace from the 1st to 6th September.
For more information and details of how to watch match highlights, visit: psasquashtour.com
2026 PSA London Squash Classic, Alexandra Palace Theatre, London, England
Men's Final:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [2] Victor Crouin (FRA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (44m)
Women's Final:
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (48m)
Men's Semi-Finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-7, 11-1, 11-3 (44m)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt [3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (36m)
Women's Semi-Finals:
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 11-6, 14-12, 7-11, 11-8 (71m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 11-8, 11-9, 11-0 (46m)
Men's Quarter-Finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [8] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) 11-5, 8-2 ret. (29m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [5] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 11-6, 5-11, 11-3 (56m)
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [9/16] Kareem El Torkey (EGY) 11-5, 7-11, 12-10 (41m)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt [7] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (56m)
Women's Quarter-Finals:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 13-11, 7-11, 11-6 (42m)
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 12-10, 11-4 (26m)
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [9/16] Anahat Singh (IND) 11-4, 11-4 (17m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) 11-3, 12-10 (33m)
Men's 2nd Round:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [9/16] Sam Todd (ENG) 11-2, 11-4 (32m)
[8] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 12-10, 11-9 (29m)
[5] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [9/16] Noor Zaman (PAK) 11-6, 11-5 (30m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [4] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 7-11, 11-4, 11-9 (56m)
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [9/16] Declan James (JAM) 11-1, 11-8 (29m)
[9/16] Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt [6] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 11-9, 11-9 (38m)
[7] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt [9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt [9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 11-2, 11-2 (20m)
Women's 2nd Round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [9/16] Aira Azman (MAS) 11-6, 11-6 (20m)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [9/16] Salma Hany (EGY) 11-13, 12-10, 12-10 (40m)
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt [9/16] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 6-11, 11-8, 11-2 (26m)
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [9/16] Farida Mohamed (EGY) 6-11, 11-8, 11-2 (38m)
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Nardine Garas (EGY) 11-5, 11-5 (17m)
[9/16] Anahat Singh (IND) bt [8] Nele Gilis (BEL) 13-11, 4-11, 11-8 (38m)
[6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt [9/16] Sin Yuk Chan (HKG) 11-4, 11-6 (17m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [9/16] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 (48m)
Men's 1st Round:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
[9/16] Sam Todd (ENG) bt Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 2-11, 11-7, 11-4 (41m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt [9/16] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-6, 11-7 (20m)
[8] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bye
[5] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
[9/16] Noor Zaman (PAK) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 11-3, 11-7 (16m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Patrick Rooney (ENG) 11-3, 11-2 (16m)
[4] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bye
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bye
[9/16] Declan James (JAM) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-7, 11-2 (38m)
[9/16] Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt Matias Knudsen (COL) 8-11, 11-3, 11-6 (40m)
[6] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
[7] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bye
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (48m)
[9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Veer Chotrani (IND) 11-9, 11-9 (29m)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bye
Women's 1st Round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[9/16] Aira Azman (MAS) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 5-11, 11-4, 11-6 (26m)
[9/16] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Katie Malliff (ENG) 11-7, 11-5 (21m)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bye
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
[9/16] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (40m)
[9/16] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 12-10, 6-11, 11-3 (27m)
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bye
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bye
Nardine Garas (EGY) bt [9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS) 11-9, 11-7 (26m)
[9/16] Anahat Singh (IND) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 11-3, 11-2 (11m)
[8] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
[6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
[9/16] Sin Yuk Chan (HKG) bt Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 11-8, 7-11, 11-4 (28m)
[9/16] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 11-5, 11-6 (19m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bye
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) have released the draws for the opening PSA Gold-Level event of the 2026/27 PSA Squash Tour, with defending champion Paul Coll and World No.1 Hania El Hammamy named as the respective top seeds for the 2026 London Squash Classic.
The prestigious tournament returns to Alexandra Palace from the 1st to 6th September, with the iconic north London venue once again providing the backdrop for some of the world's leading squash players. First-round matches will be staged at Coolhurst Lawn Tennis & Squash Club before the competition moves to Alexandra Palace from the second round onwards.
The men's draw is headed by defending champion Paul Coll, with the New Zealander returning to Alexandra Palace as the tournament's top seed.
Paul Coll has won 33 PSA titles during his distinguished career, with a significant proportion of those successes coming on British soil. His latest UK triumph came at the British Open in Birmingham, where he secured a third title at one of squash's most prestigious events.
With four PSA World Tour titles already to his name in 2026, Coll will be targeting another major success in London as he attempts to retain his crown and make a winning start to the new PSA season.
The two-time London Champion receives a first-round bye and is seeded to meet former World No.1 and World Champion Mohamed Elshorbagy in his opening match. The potential encounter would add another chapter to a long-running rivalry which has produced 25 meetings on the PSA World Squash Tour.
Although Elshorbagy still holds the overall head-to-head advantage, Coll has won their last six encounters, giving the defending champion plenty of confidence should the anticipated second-round meeting materialise.
World No.6 Victor Crouin is the second seed and occupies the bottom half of the draw. The French No.1 will make his London Squash Classic debut, having last competed in the capital at the 2023 Canary Wharf Classic.
Crouin was one of only three players to win his first Gold-level title during the 2025/26 season, claiming the Texas Squash Open in February. The 27-year-old's analytical approach and meticulous preparation will make him a dangerous contender as he begins a new campaign.
Former World No.3 Marwan Elshorbagy and England's Jonah Bryant are seeded to meet Coll and Crouin respectively in the semi-finals.
Marwan Elshorbagy remains one of the most tactically intelligent players on the PSA World Squash Tour and faces a potentially demanding route through the draw, with Declan James and Mohamed Abouelghar among the players who could stand between him and the latter stages.
Jonah Bryant, meanwhile, returns to competition after an enforced five-month absence. The Englishman, currently ranked World No.10, was forced to end his previous season prematurely after suffering a shoulder injury during his Optasia Squash Championships match against Diego Elias.
His return will be closely watched as he looks to regain his rhythm and competitive sharpness, although the youngster faces a challenging path if he is to reach a projected semi-final against Coll.
One of the most welcome names in the men's draw is Abdulla Al-Tamimi, who is set to make his return to PSA competition following a serious Achilles injury.
The charismatic Qatari suffered the injury during last season's Qatar Squash Classic on home soil, but is now preparing to resume his professional career in London. Al-Tamimi faces India's Ramit Tandon in the opening round, with the winner earning a second-round meeting against fifth seed Aly Abou Eleinen.
The women's draw promises a fascinating start to the new season, with four of the world's top six players occupying the leading four seeding positions.
World No.1 Hania El Hammamy heads the field ahead of World No.2 Amina Orfi, with the two Egyptian stars once again positioned on opposite sides of the draw and potentially on course for another major encounter.
Their rivalry produced some of the most compelling squash of the previous campaign, including a record-breaking British Squash Open battle which lasted 110 minutes - the longest-ever women's 3-1 match on the PSA World Squash Tour. Another meeting in London would provide an immediate opportunity for both players to renew one of the sport's most intriguing rivalries.
El Hammamy will arrive in London determined to begin the new season strongly. The Egyptian was runner-up at the London Squash Classic in 2024, losing to Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam, and will be targeting a first title at Alexandra Palace as she looks to add to her four PSA titles already secured in 2026.
Standing in her way is defending champion Amina Orfi, who produced a dominant performance to win last year's tournament. The current World Champion surrendered just one game throughout her successful campaign and will be aiming to reproduce that level of consistency as she begins another season at the top of the game.
Orfi enjoyed an exceptional 2025/26 campaign, collecting six titles, and her London triumph was one of the highlights. With the battle for World No.1 set to remain fiercely contested, another strong performance in the capital would provide an ideal start to her title defence.
Former champion Sivasangari Subramaniam is seeded third, while Japan's Satomi Watanabe occupies the fourth seeding position. Subramaniam sits in the same half as Orfi, setting up the possibility of a repeat of their recent rivalry. The Malaysian ended Orfi's 11-match winning streak last season and also prevented the Egyptian from finishing the campaign as World No.1.
Watanabe, meanwhile, is projected to meet El Hammamy in the semi-finals.
There will also be considerable home interest surrounding Georgina Kennedy. The Englishwoman enters the tournament as the World No.8 seed and will be looking to make the most of competing in front of a London crowd.
Kennedy grew up playing squash in Bexley, less than 20 miles from Alexandra Palace, giving the British No.1 a strong connection with the tournament's surroundings. She is seeded to meet Watanabe in the quarter-finals, although she must first negotiate a potentially difficult second-round encounter against either Rachel Arnold or Sana Ibrahim.
With the world's leading players assembled for the first PSA Gold-Level World Squash Tour event of the 2026/27 season, the London Squash Classic promises to provide an immediate indication of the form and ambitions of the sport's biggest names.
For Paul Coll, the objective is clear: successfully defend his title. For Hania El Hammamy and Amina Orfi, London represents the first opportunity of the new campaign to establish an early advantage in the race for World No.1. And for returning players such as Jonah Bryant and Abdulla Al-Tamimi, the tournament offers the chance to begin a new chapter on one of squash's most celebrated stages.
Men’s Draw:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) Bye
Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) vs Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG)
Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) vs Ramit Tandon (IND)
[5] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) Bye
[6] Youssef Soliman (EGY) By
Raphael Kandra (GER) vs Noor Zaman (PAK)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) vs Patrick Rooney (ENG)
[4] Jonah Bryant (ENG) Bye
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) Bye
Sam Todd (ENG) vs Declan James (ENG)
Kareem El Torkey (EGY) vs Matias Knudsen (COL)
[7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) Bye
[8] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) Bye
Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) vs Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) vs Veer Chotrani (IND)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) Bye
Women’s Draw:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) Bye
Nour Heikal (EGY) vs Aira Azman (MAS)
Salma Hany (EGY) vs Katie Malliff (ENG)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) Bye
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) Bye
Rachel Arnold (MAS) vs Sana Ibrahim (EGY)
Farida Mohamed (EGY) vs Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
[4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) Bye
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) Bye
Nardine Garas (EGY) vs Aifa Azman (MAS)
Anahat Singh (IND) vs Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[8] Nele Gilis (BEL) Bye
[6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) Bye
Georgia Adderley (SCO) vs Sin Yuk Chan (HKG)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) vs Hana Ramadan (EGY)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) Bye
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) 2026 London Squash Classic will be staged at the Alexandra Palace from the 1st to 6th September.
For the latest match updates as they happen and details of how to watch live, visit: psasquashtour.com
UNSQUASHABLE will be represented at the 2026 London Squash Classic by Miguel Rodriguez and Yannick Wilhelmi