Nick Wall wins PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023

Nick Wall defeated fellow Englishman Nathan Lake 11-8 12-14 11-4 11-6 in the final of the Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 to win his 13th Professional Squash Association career title.

The young Englishman overcame his fellow countryman in a high-quality 48-minute final at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia, USA to secure the most significant victory of his career to date.

Despite a demanding journey to the final, Nick Wall displayed little signs of fatigue in the eagerly anticipated final against an opponent who had not dropped a single game throughout the tournament.

Nick Wall secured the opening game 11-8 victory to set the tone for the match. Lake, the more experienced third seed, mounted a comeback in the second game, which became a tightly contested affair which was eventually won by the elder Englishman with a 14-12 tiebreak. However, from that point onward the 23-year-old Nick Wall seized control of the match, cruising through the third game 11-4, before winning the fourth game 11-6 to claim his latest title which holds special significance as his first in a PSA Challenger Tour 30 event.

Seeded sixth in the tournament and with a dynamic, fast-paced attacking playing style that has seen him recognised as one of the most exciting young talents on the PSA World Tour, Nick Wall had already demonstrated his prowess earlier in the event by defeating the top seed, Leonel Cardenas of Mexico, in the quarter-finals and triumphing in a gruelling five-game battle against Canadian No.1 Baillargeon in the semi-finals.

In his opening match of the tournament, Nick needed 61-minutes to overcome PSA veteran Christopher Gordon of the USA 10-12 11-3 11-13 11-8 11-5 to advance to the quarter-finals where he produced a sensational 55-minute 9-11 11-7 11-6 11-6 victory over top seed Leonel Cardenas of Mexico. The 6th seeded Englishman produced another impressive performance in the semi-finals to overcome David Baillargeon 9-11 11-4 11-7 9-11 11-8 and advance to his first PSA World Tour final of the 2023-24 season where he defeated 3rd seed Nathan Lake in 48 minutes.

Nick will next compete at the PSA Nash Cup 2023 in Ontario, Canada alongside fellow #teamunsquashable players Daniel Mekbib, Temwa Chileshe and Lwamba Chileshe.

PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Final:
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bt [3] Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-8, 12-14, 11-4, 11-6 (48m)

Following his major upset in the quarter-finals, where he defeated top-seeded Leonel Cardenas of Mexico in a thrilling four-game battle, Nick Wall produced another impressive performance at the Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 to overcome Canadian No.1 David Baillargeon 9-11 11-4 11-7 9-11 11-8 to advance to the final of the PSA World Tour event being staged at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia, USA.

This clash between Nick Wall and David Baillargeon marked their fourth meeting on the PSA World Tour, with the Englishman holding a commanding 3-0 advantage in their head-to-head encounters. Although Baillargeon managed to clinch the opening game 11-9, Wall swiftly regrouped, asserting his dominance in the centre of the court to outmanoeuvre the Canadian which led to him capturing the subsequent two games and surge ahead to establish a 2-1 lead.

Baillargeon, displaying remarkable tenacity, initiated a comeback and strategically countered his opponent’s moves at the front of the court with the shift in momentum forcing Wall into committing some uncharacteristic errors and allowing the Canadian to snatch the fourth game 11-9. The decisive fifth game remained tightly contested, however Nick Wall eventually edged ahead at 7-6 and never relinquished control, securing three match points and ultimately clinching victory on his second attempt to earn his place in the final.

An English winner of the Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 is assured as Nick Wall will face compatriot Nathan Lake who emerged triumphant in his semi-final against the unseeded Juan Camilo Vargas of Colombia with a three-game victory.

Nathan Lake squared-off against Juan Camilo Vargas, a familiar opponent whom he had previously defeated with a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Squash on Fire Open in Washington earlier in the year. Lake's strengths, including his pinpoint accuracy and precision, along with his strategic acumen, were on full display as he dictated play across all areas of the court, making it challenging for the Colombian to string together consecutive points. Lake won the opening game 11-6 and continued to impress to secure the subsequent two games with identical scores of 11-7. The Englishman’s resounding victory propelled him into his 17th final appearance on the PSA World Tour.

PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Semi-Finals:
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bt [8] David Baillargeon (CAN) 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 (62m)
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)

Nick Wall produced a sensational 55-minute 9-11 11-7 11-6 11-6 victory over top seed Leonel Cardenas of Mexico to advance to the semi-finals of the PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 being staged at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia, USA.

The 6th seeded Englishman will face Canadian No.1 David Baillargeon in the semi-finals.

PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Quarter-Finals:
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bt [1] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 (55m)
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt [4] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 13-11, 11-7, 11-7 (39m)
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [9/16] Andrew Douglas (USA) 13-11, 11-5, 11-3 (27m)
[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt [7] Timothy Brownell (USA) 11-8, 14-12, 11-9 (44m)

Nick Wall of England defeated Christopher Gordon of the USA 10-12 11-3 11-13 11-8 11-5 in the 2nd round of the PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 being staged at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia, USA.

The young Englishman faced a tough challenge from the PSA World Tour veteran to secure his spot in the last eight. Despite finding himself trailing 2-1 after losing two tiebreaks, Wall remained his composed and stuck to his game plan, dominating the T to eventually clinch a hard-fought 61 minute victory.

In the quarter-finals, Nick Wall will play top seed Leonel Cardenas of Mexico.

The PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 witnessed two notable 2nd round upsets with Andrew Douglas of the USA and Colombia's Juan Camillo Vargas claimed notable wins to advance to the quarter-finals.

Andrew Douglas delivered a commanding performance to defeat the fifth-seeded Cesar Salazar, progressing in straight games. Douglas showed his dominance right from the start, convincingly winning the opening game 11-4. Douglas continued to assert control, claiming the subsequent games 11-8 11-5 to seal the victory in a brisk 32-minutes.

Meanwhile, Colombia's Juan Camillo Vargas orchestrated a remarkable upset by dispatching the event's second-seeded player, Sebastien Bonmalais of France, also in straight games. Vargas stormed ahead to win the first game 11-3 in emphatic style, and although Bonmalais put up a stronger fight in the following games, the Frenchman couldn't halt Vargas's momentum with the Colombian winning the second and third games 11-9 11-8 to complete an impressive 41-minute upset.

In the quarter-finals, Vargas is set to face off against Timothy Brownell of the USA who showed resilience as he bounced back from a 2-1 deficit against compatriot Faraz Khan. The match featured three closely contested games initially, with Khan clinching the second and third games and needing just one more for victory. However, Brownell mounted a strong comeback, taking control of the contest with an authoritative performance to secure a five-game victory.

PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
2nd Round:
[1] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Aly Hussein (EGY) 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 (76m)
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bt [9/16] Christopher Gordon (USA) 10-12, 11-3, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5 (61m)
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt [9/16] Seif Shenawy (EGY) 11-6, 11-3, 3-0 ret. (17m)
[4] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt [9/16] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 11-5, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9 (43m)
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [9/16] Alfredo Avila (MEX) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 (31m)
[9/16] Andrew Douglas (USA) bt [5] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
[7] Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [9/16] Faraz Khan (USA) 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5 (59m)
[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt [2] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 (41m)

Nick Wall of England will face Christopher Gordon of the USA in the 2nd round of the PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 after the former USA No.1 defeated Mark Broekman of England in his opening match at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia.

Fellow #teamunsquashable players Lwamba Chileshe and brother Temwa were beaten in their 1st round matches by Spencer Lovejoy and Faraz Khan respectively.

PSA Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
1st Round:
[1] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bye
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [9/16] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) 9-11, 11-7, 11-1, 11-6 (79m)
[9/16] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Mark Broekman (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (29m)
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bye
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bye
[9/16] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt Francis Hajek (USA)     9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (38m)
[9/16] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 (28m)
[4] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bye
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bye
[9/16] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt Cory McCartney (CAN) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
[9/16] Andrew Douglas (USA) bt Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (31m)
[5] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bye
[7] Timothy Brownell (USA) bye
[9/16] Faraz Khan (USA) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (32m)
[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Finnlay Withington (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 (30m)
[2] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye

UNSQUASHABLE players Nick Wall, Lwamba Chileshe & Temwa Chileshe will all compete on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour at the Charlottesville Squash Open 2023 to be staged at the Boars Head Resort in Virginia, USA from the 14th to 18th September.

Lwamba Chileshe will play Spencer Lovejoy of the USA in his 1st round match whilst brother Temwa Chileshe will face Faraz Khan, also from the USA, in his opening day match.

Nick Wall will play the winner of Christopher Gordon and Mark Broekman in the 2nd round having received a 1st round bye.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Charlottesville Squash Open 2023, Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Men’s 1st Round:
[1] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bye
[9/16] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) v Aly Hussein (EGY)
[9/16] Christopher Gordon (USA) v Mark Broekman (ENG)
[6] Nick Wall (ENG) bye
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bye
[9/16] Seif Shenawy (EGY) v Francis Hajek (USA)
[9/16] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v Lwamba Chileshe (NZL)
[4] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bye
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bye
[9/16] Alfredo Avila (MEX) v Cory McCartney (CAN)
[9/16] Andrew Douglas (USA) v Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY)
[5] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bye
[7] Timothy Brownell (USA) bye
[9/16] Faraz Khan (USA) v Temwa Chileshe (NZL)
[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) v Finnlay Withington (ENG)
[2] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye

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