Will Salter Reaches PSA Madrid Open Semi-Finals

UNSQUASHABLE player Will Salter continued his impressive progression on the PSA World Squash Tour with a superb run to the semi-finals of the 2026 PSA Madrid Squash Open, held at the Polideportivo de La Luz in Madrid, Spain.

Seeded 9/16 for the tournament, the Englishman produced a series of accomplished performances to defeat three highly regarded opponents before his campaign was brought to an end by eventual finalist Marek Panáček of the Czech Republic.

Will made an assured start to the event with a hard-fought victory over fellow British player Elliott Morris Devred. After cruising through the opening game, the contest briefly swung in Devred's favour when he edged the second, but Will responded impressively. Maintaining his composure and controlling the tempo with accurate length and disciplined shot selection, the UNSQUASHABLE player closed out an 11-3 10-12 11-6 11-6 victory after 65 minutes.

The second round presented an even sterner examination against third seed Muhammad Asim Khan. Will produced one of his finest performances of the week, combining intelligent tactics with confident attacking squash to dominate the higher-ranked Pakistani. Having edged a competitive opening game, he grew stronger as the match progressed, completing an outstanding 11-9 11-5 11-4 victory in just 34 minutes to secure one of the biggest wins of his season.

Momentum continued to build in the quarter-finals against Hong Kong's Matthew Lai, the tournament's seventh seed. Despite surrendering the second game after taking the opener, Will remained composed and quickly re-established control. His disciplined movement, accurate hitting and willingness to attack at the right moments enabled him to dictate the closing stages, sealing an impressive 11-7 4-11 11-8 11-5 success after an hour of high-quality squash.

Will's excellent run came to an end in the semi-finals against Czech Republic's Marek Panacek. Although the scoreline read 11-4 11-7 11-8, the Englishman competed strongly throughout the 66-minute encounter, creating opportunities in each game against an opponent playing with confidence. Panacek ultimately proved more clinical in the decisive exchanges, earning his place in the final.

Reaching the last four in Madrid represents another significant step forward for Will as he continues to establish himself on the PSA World Squash Tour. His victories over two seeded players, including third seed Muhammad Asim Khan, highlighted both his technical development and growing confidence against experienced international opposition.

Reaching the semi-finals provides valuable PSA World Ranking points and further reinforces Will's reputation as one of England's most promising talents. With his all-round game continuing to develop, the UNSQUASHABLE player can take considerable encouragement from another excellent week on the international stage.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Madrid Squash Open, Polideportivo de La Luz, Madrid, Spain
Final:
[5] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Marek Panacek (CZE) 9-11, 11-7, 18-16, 11-9 (85m)

Semi-Finals:
Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [9/16] Will Salter (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (66m)
[5] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Sergio Garcia Pollan (ESP) 11-8, 13-15, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 (106m)

Quarter-Finals:
Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [1] Henry Leung (HKG) 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (95m)
[9/16] Will Salter (ENG) bt [7] Matthew Lai (HKG) 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 11-5 (60m)
[5] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [4] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) 7-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (53m)
Sergio Garcia Pollan (ESP) bt [8] Macéo Lévy (FRA) 11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6 (80m)

2nd Round:
[1] Henry Leung (HKG) bt [9/16] Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (27m)
Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [6] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 11-9, 11-5, 11-2 (30m)
[7] Matthew Lai (HKG) bt [9/16] Salim Khan (USA) 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6 (51m)
[9/16] Will Salter (ENG) bt [3] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (34m)
[4] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) bt [9/16] Joshua Phinera (FRA) 11-8, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4 (47m)
[5] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Yusuf Sheikh (ENG) 9-11, 11-2, 13-11, 11-5 (58m)
[8] Macéo Lévy (FRA) bt [9/16] Jared Carter (ENG) 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6 (59m)
Sergio Garcia Pollan (ESP) bt [2] Ivan Perez (ESP) 10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (83m)

1st Round:
[1] Henry Leung (HKG) bye
[9/16] Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY) bt Ignacio Fajardo (ESP) 11-5, 11-13, 11-7, 11-4 (49m)
Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (30m)
[6] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bye
[7] Matthew Lai (HKG) bye
[9/16] Salim Khan (USA) bt Mattéo Carrouget (FRA) 6-11, 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8 (68m)
[9/16] Will Salter (ENG) bt Elliott Morris Devred (WAL) 11-3, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6 (65m)
[3] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) bye
[4] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) bye
[9/16] Joshua Phinera (FRA) bt Pascal Gomez (ESP) 11-7, 8-11, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9 (63m)
Yusuf Sheikh (ENG) bt [9/16] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (32m)
[5] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bye
[8] Macéo Lévy (FRA) bye
[9/16] Jared Carter (ENG) bt [WC] Cristian Romero (ESP) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (34m)
Sergio Garcia Pollan (ESP) bt [9/16] Joeri Hapers (BEL) 11-4, 12-10, 11-5 (50m)
[2] Ivan Perez (ESP) bye