Matthew looking to bow out on a high note
One of Britain’s most remarkable, if undervalued, sporting success stories of recent times will end next week when Nick Matthew plays his final event on home soil at the Allam British Open.
The 37-year-old needs a decent run in Hull to qualify for the season-ending finals in Dubai before he retires. But nothing is certain in the cut and thrust world of professional squash these days, especially with gifted Egyptians lurking throughout the men’s draw.
Whatever the outcome, Matthew will be afforded an emotional send-off at the sport’s longest-running tournament.
“The British Open at Wembley was an annual homage for myself and my parents and watching the likes of Jahangir and Jansher Khan inspired me to want to become a professional player,” Matthew said.
“To follow in the footsteps of my idols and lift that trophy was something I could only have dreamed about. When I heard I had become the first English player to have won the title, it made an incredible moment even more surreal.”
Ten years ago, Matthew’s career had looked under threat following a shoulder injury which kept him sidelined for eight months. However, the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield nurtured him back to fitness and thus began a resurgence to the top of the game.
In 2009, he travelled to Saudi Arabia for a match against Ramy Ashour, the talented Egyptian, with the winner assured the world No1 spot.
Ashour prevailed in a final remembered for both players’ shoes overfilling with sweat. “It was the moment I believed I had what it takes to reach the top level in pressure environments,” said Matthew.
Weeks later his name was put to a glass-back court at the Hallamshire club. “They thought this was as good as it would get,” he recalled. “If they had held off a few months, they could have done it when I became world No1 and world champion. A lot of people thought I was punching above my weight, especially into my thirties. I still wind them up about that.”
In all, Matthew has claimed three British and world titles and two Commonwealth golds, falling surprisingly short of the medals at last month’s Gold Coast Games.
Meticulous in his planning, he has been helped to the top by sports psychologist Mark Bawden, who has worked with the England cricket team, and long-term coach David Pearson, who once said he was too “backward” to achieve success. Yet until April, he had held a top-10 ranking for 110 successive months.