Cristina Tartarone Wins 2026 Bristol Squash Open

UNSQUASHABLE player Cristina Tartarone produced a commanding and composed campaign to capture the women’s title at the 2026 Bristol Squash Open, held at Workout Harbourside, capping a highly impressive week of consistent, high-quality performances.

The Italian No.1 progressed through the draw with increasing authority, ultimately defeating Croatia’s Franka Vidovic 11-9 12-14 11-3 11-7 in a competitive 55-minute final to secure the title.

Cristina’s campaign began with a controlled second-round victory over England’s Emily Coulcher-Porter, recovering from a slow start to dominate the latter stages of a 5-11 11-2 11-5 11-5 win in 30 minutes. Her ability to reset after early pressure set the tone for the remainder of her tournament.

In the quarter-finals, Cristina faced a sterner test against Scotland’s Robyn McAlpine. After dropping a tight opening game, the Italian responded with improved accuracy and tempo control, steadily taking command of the match to prevail 9-11 11-9 11-3 11-7 in 44 minutes. Her tactical adjustment after the first game proved decisive, particularly her increased use of controlled width to stretch her opponent.

The semi-finals saw Cristina at her most dominant. Facing Dutch third seed Tessa ter Sluis, she delivered a near-flawless performance, racing through a 11-5 11-1 11-9 victory in just 18 minutes. Her aggressive court positioning and relentless early-ball pressure left little opportunity for the Dutch player to establish any rhythm.

The final, however, provided a more complex examination. Vidovic pushed the Italian hard in a high-intensity contest, taking the second game 14-12 after Cristina had edged a tight opener. Yet the 2nd seeded Italian quickly reasserted control, raising her consistency and tightening her length to dominate the third and fourth games and close out the match with authority.

Across the week, Cristina demonstrated a strong blend of attacking intent and tactical discipline. Her ability to absorb pressure, adjust mid-match and accelerate when needed underlined a mature competitive edge, marking this as one of her most complete tournament performances on the PSA World Squash Tour.

The 2026 Women's Haochi & Bristol Buccaneers Bristol Squash Open was staged at Workout Harbourside, Bristol, England from the 5th to 9th May.

For the latest match updates as they happen and details of how to watch live, visit: psasquashtour.com

2026 Women's Haochi & Bristol Buccaneers Bristol Squash Open, Workout Harbourside, Bristol, England
Final:
[2] Cristina Tartarone (ITA) bt [9/16] Franka Vidovic (CRO) 11-9, 12-14, 11-3, 11-7 (55m) 

Semi-Finals:
[9/16] Franka Vidovic (CRO) bt [WC] Olivia Owens (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 (28m)
[2] Cristina Tartarone (ITA) bt [3] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 11-5, 11-1, 11-9 (18m)

Quarter-Finals:
[WC] Olivia Owens (ENG) bt [9/16] Pilar Etchechoury (ARG) 11-8, 11-13, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3 (43m)
[9/16] Franka Vidovic (CRO) bt [4] Ellie Breach (WAL) 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 (33m)
[3] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) bt [9/16] Rose Lucas-Marcuzzo (FRA) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (18m)
[2] Cristina Tartarone (ITA) bt [8] Robyn McAlpine (SCO) 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 (44m)

2nd Round:
[WC] Olivia Owens (ENG) bt [1] Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP) 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8
[9/16] Pilar Etchechoury (ARG) bt [7] Yu Jie Chen (MAS) 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10 (31m)
[9/16] Franka Vidovic (CRO) bt [6] Anjali Semwal (IND) 11-8, 11-2, 11-5
[4] Ellie Breach (WAL) bt [9/16] Aylin Günsav (GER) 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (27m)
[3] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) bt [WC] Yu Ng Chen (MAS) 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 (46m)
[9/16] Rose Lucas-Marcuzzo (FRA) bt [5] Léa Barbeau (FRA) 11-5, 7-11, 12-10, 11-4 (28m)
[8] Robyn McAlpine (SCO) bt [9/16] Hannah McGugan (IRL) 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 (31m)
[2] Cristina Tartarone (ITA) bt [9/16] Emily Coulcher-Porter (ENG) 5-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (30m)

1st Round:
[1] Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP) bye
[WC] Olivia Owens (ENG) bt [9/16] Wai Lynn Au Yeong (SGP) 11-9, 11-6, 12-10 (27m)
[9/16] Pilar Etchechoury (ARG) bt Katie Cox (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 (23m)
[7] Yu Jie Chen (MAS) bye
[6] Anjali Semwal (IND) bye
[9/16] Franka Vidovic (CRO) bt Jasmin Kalar (ENG) 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 (16m)
[9/16] Aylin Günsav (GER) bt Sara Bonmalais (FRA) 11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8 (29m)
[4] Ellie Breach (WAL) bye
[3] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) bye
[WC] Yu Ng Chen (MAS) bt [9/16] Stella Kaufmann (SUI) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (23m)
[9/16] Rose Lucas-Marcuzzo (FRA) bt Francesca Whyte (ENG) 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (15m)
[5] Léa Barbeau (FRA) bye
[8] Robyn McAlpine (SCO) bye
[9/16] Hannah McGugan (IRL) bt [WC] Ayesha Rania (MAS) 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (43m)
[9/16] Emily Coulcher-Porter (ENG) bt Ayumi Watanabe (JPN) 11-9, 14-12, 8-11, 11-9 (37m)
[2] Cristina Tartarone (ITA) bye