Rory Stewart Reaches Madeira International Open Final

UNSQUASHABLE player Rory Stewart produced a determined and high-quality campaign at the 2025 PSA Men’s Madeira International Squash Open, battling his way to the final before being halted by top seed Patrick Rooney. Over the course of the week in Madeira, the Scot showcased his athleticism, tactical maturity and trademark competitive edge to deliver several commanding performances.

After receiving a bye in the opening round, Rory opened his campaign with a hard-fought four-game victory over France’s Baptiste Bouin. Despite dropping a tight second game, Rory controlled the key exchanges with disciplined hitting and intelligent variations, securing a 12-10 9-11 11-7 11-7 win in 57 minutes to move confidently into the quarter-finals.

From there, his form sharpened noticeably. Rory delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round with a clinical 23-minute 11-3 11-5 11-3 win over France’s Joshua Phinera. His precision through the mid-court and aggression on the volley gave Phinera no opportunity to settle, allowing the Scot to progress with minimal resistance.

A stern test awaited in the semi-finals against USA’s Shahjahan Khan. In a fluctuating five-game contest, Rory showed exceptional resilience and clarity under pressure. After sharing the opening two games and losing the fourth, he regrouped superbly in the decider to regain control of the tempo and seal an impressive 11-4 10-12 11-7 3-11 11-3 victory in 61 minutes. The performance was a strong statement of Rory’s composure and conditioning at the business end of major PSA events.

The final saw Rory face No.1 seed Patrick Rooney, who produced an outstanding display of accuracy and tempo to claim the title with an 11-2 11-3 11-9 victory in 29 minutes. Although Rory pushed hard in the third game and asked more questions of the Englishman, Rooney’s consistency and control ultimately proved decisive.

Despite the result, Rory leaves Madeira with a highly creditable runner-up finish, having demonstrated poise, tactical discipline and notable physical intensity throughout the event, with his progression to the final, built on both clinical wins and a gutsy five-game semi-final.

2025 Professional Squash Association (PSA) Madeira International Squash Open, Galo Active Health Club, Madeira, Portugal
Final:
[1] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [3] Rory Stewart (SCO) 11-2, 11-3, 11-9 (29m)

Semi-Finals:
[1] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 (34m)
[3] Rory Stewart (SCO) bt [5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) 11-4, 10-12, 11-7, 3-11, 11-3 (61m)

Quarter-Finals:
[1] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [7] Jeremias Azaña (ARG) 11-5, 16-18, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5 (67m)
[9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt [9/16] Nicholas Spizzirri (USA) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 (41m)
[3] Rory Stewart (SCO) bt [9/16] Joshua Phinera (FRA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (23m)
[5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt [9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (43m)

2nd Round:
[1] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [9/16] Bailey Malik (ENG) 11-6, 12-10, 11-5 (37m)
[7] Jeremias Azaña (ARG) bt [9/16] Sam Buckley (IRL) 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 (71m)
[9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt [8] David Bernet (SUI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (39m)
[9/16] Nicholas Spizzirri (USA) bt [4] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (38m)
[3] Rory Stewart (SCO) bt Baptiste Bouin (FRA) 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (57m)
[9/16] Joshua Phinera (FRA) bt [6] Rui Soares (POR) 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 (49m)
[5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt [9/16] Noah Meredith (ENG) 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (62m)
[9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt [2] Matias Knudsen (COL) 3-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (51m)

1st Round:
[1] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bye
[9/16] Bailey Malik (ENG) bt [WC] Diego Pita (POR) 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 (27m)
[9/16] Sam Buckley (IRL) bt Bradley Fullick (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (32m)
[7] Jeremias Azaña (ARG) bye
[8] David Bernet (SUI) bye
[9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt David Maier (LIE) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (32m)
[9/16] Nicholas Spizzirri (USA) bt [WC] Bruno Gomes (POR) 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (21m)
[4] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bye
[3] Rory Stewart (SCO) bye
Baptiste Bouin (FRA) bt [9/16] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 7-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (26m)
[9/16] Joshua Phinera (FRA) bt Rory Richmond (SCO) 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 (59m)
[6] Rui Soares (POR) bye
[5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) bye
[9/16] Noah Meredith (ENG) bt Jared Carter (ENG) 6-11, 12-10, 15-13, 11-8 (49m)
[9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
[2] Matias Knudsen (COL) bye