7:39 pm
16 Feb 2025

Bryant & Heikal Win Thrillers On Squash in the Land Day One

15 Jan 2025

Jonah Bryant and Nour Heikal both kicked off the New Year with thrilling five-game wins, as action got underway at Squash in the Land, the first PSA Squash Tour event of 2025.

The first two rounds of this tournament are taking place across three separate venues in Cleveland, Ohio, where temperatures were well below freezing as snow fell across the city, and it was on the all-glass court at Urban Squash Cleveland where the first five-game encounter took place.

England's 19-year-old Bryant enjoyed a sensational year in 2024, climbing inside the top 50 of the world, but faced a tricky test to open this calendar year in the form of Spain's Bernat Jaume.

Runner-up in the event 12 months ago, Jaume started well this time around, cruising through game one for the loss of only five points in less than 10 minutes. But Bryant hit back to take games two and three, 11-9, 12-10.

The second of those two games saw the English teenager save two game balls at 10-8 down, and he carried that momentum into the early rallies of game four, establishing a 5-1 lead.

But Jaume was not about to throw in the towel, turning the game on its head to lead 10-9, sending the match into a decider after being awarded a stroke on the rally that followed.

The Spaniard then found himself 5-3 up in game five, but Bryant showed exactly why he's regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in squash.

He continued to fly around the court, displaying remarkable agility and athleticism on each and very rally, showing no sign of fatigue despite the contest having passed the hour mark.

From 5-3 down he proceeded to reel off eight points in a row to book his spot in round two, setting up a clash with defending champion Leonel Cardenas.

A few miles away at the Cleveland Skating Club, there was an even more dramatic encounter between Egyptian duo Heikal and Malak Khafagy.

Khafagy is ranked 24 places above her fellow Alexandrian at No.28 in the world, but was soon staring down the barrel of defeat after losing the opening two games inside 15 minutes.

Heikal will perhaps feel she should have closed out proceedings in each of the next two games, squandering leads of 9-6 and then 8-6 to suddenly find herself in a decider.

She then had control of game five as well at 8-4 up, but was once again reeled back in - with an injury break adding to the drama - as Khafagy forced a tiebreak and then brought up match ball at 11-10.

She was unable to convert, though, staring up in disbelief after lifting a lob out of court, and Heikal took advantage, getting a stroke decision to bring up match ball before crunching a backhand winner down the line, letting out a roar of emotion as she did.

Elsewhere, there were 3/1 wins from behind for George Parker, Salma Eltayeb and Emily Whitlock, while Nick Wall got the better of wildcard and former world No.1 James Willstrop 3/0 in an all-English matchup.