Maiden senior squash title has Rory hungry for more success

Squash: British Open under-23 champ from Perth wants to follow maiden victory with another success

Perth squash player Rory Stewart is hoping for back-to-back tournament wins this weekend after securing his maiden senior squash title on Sunday.

It was fourth time lucky for the 21-year-old who finally got the better of top seed Jaymie Haycocks at the weekend’s BSPA Boston Open in Lincolnshire.

Stewart, currently world-ranked 186, lost to the experienced Englishman as a raw 18-year-old and again a year later.

Haycocks, who was ranked 74 in the world last month, got the better of him for a third time in April this year, winning in five tight games before Stewart emphatically turned the tables on Sunday with an impressive 11-6, 11-5, 13-11 win in 40 minutes.

Stewart, who heads south again this weekend to play in the PSA Grimsby Cleethorpes Open, said: “I am really pleased to get the win, especially having lost to Jaymie a few times before.

“I had a hit before the final and felt pretty good and comfortable with my game. When the match started, everything was working for me.

“I managed to keep my concentration

“

I went 8-2 down in the third and dugdeepto claw my way back and get it done in three games, so to beat Jaymie 3-0 was really good.

throughout most of the match which was something I hadn’t done in my semifinal.

“I went 8-2 down in the third and dug deep to claw my way back and get it done in three games, so to beat Jaymie 3-0 was really good.

“I have learned every time I’ve played him in terms of what works and what doesn’t work.

“I needed to control the middle of the court and I did that really well and it showed in the result.”

The British Open under-23 champion added: “I have been working quite hard on strengthening my back the last couple of months after having some issues and it’s held up well the past few weeks.

“My semi-final went five games over an hour against Tom Walsh who won the British under-19 title and is essentially the best junior squash player in Britain.

“It was quite physical but thankfully I felt fine the next day before the final.”

Unseeded Stewart takes on second seeded Frenchman Victor Crouin in Grimsby tomorrow and is confident he can go deep again if he can get past his first round opponent.

He said: “I am looking forward to the tournament because it will mark a year since my first PSA event.

“I have gone from ranked 420 to 186 in a year which I am pretty happy with.

“There’s about 10 players that probably have a good chance of winning and I would like to think I am one of that 10.

“I have a tough first round match against Victor Crouin but if I can get through that, I can hopefully do well again.”

enicolson@thecourier.co.uk

Rory Stewart heads south this weekend in search of another victory.