In Squash - The Podcast

Tribute to Andy Bunting by Neil Harvey

2019 Bermuda Open champion and friend of the podcast Nick Sachvie joined me for his "3rd" visit, and there was lots to talk about. Nick is fresh off a few good wins after some up and down results earlier in the season, and we look at how this all played out. Over the next few months Nick has plenty to play for, including a shot at his 2nd Canadian National title and the potential of a Pan Am Games border skirmish with the US this summer. We also take the opportunity to talk about our mutual love for MMA, and in doing so we discuss what the PSA does in terms of policing PEDs in our sport. Great chat with Nick!!

2 time British National Champion and current world number 10, Tesni Evans is one of the reasons why the women's game has become must-watch squash these days. Tesni describes her season to date, how it felt regaining the British National Championship and becoming the first Welsh player (male or female) to win the Brit Nationals. We also talk about the Empower Squash Foundation and the first season in the PSL for the Welsh Wizards.

Grasshopper Cup 2019 is upon us and event organizer Steve Buchli has put together another fantastic event.

Miguel Rodriquez's incredible 2018 British Open run was unquestionably the story of the 2018 squash year. Behind that win there was blood, sweat, tears and plenty between the ears. Between the ears is where Maxim P. Weithers came into the picture, close to 10 years ago in fact. Maxim tells us how this all evolved and provides some great insight into mental techniques that helped to pave the way to Miguel's stunning British Open victory. Maxim also has his own squash story which we get into, including his relationship with Jahangir and Rahmat Khan, and I also get his thoughts on olympic bid.

Fresh off his first PSA title win at the Guifoyle PSA Squash Classic in Toronto, David Baillargeon is putting in the work to take his squash to the next level. Recently relocated to Bristol with Hadrian Stiff's Elite Squash Team, David talks about his squash roots in the Canadian hotbed of Quebec, Montreal in particular. It was there that he began working with his long time coach, Canadian coaching guru Yvon Provencal. We talk plenty about this, his move to the UK, and near the end I cheekily solicit a Shawn Delierre anecdote and David did not disappoint.

Lead writer for Squash Player Magazine Rod Gilmour is all over the recent Olympic bid setback; he sheds light on Nick Matthew's suggestion that legal action against the IOC should be taken. Rod has also co-authored one of the best squash stories out there, Shot and a Ghost along with James Willstrop; we talk about James and how he sees the next few years playing out for him. Some great content here with Rod on Ep. 74.

Christopher Gordon's longevity at the top of US men's professional squash has been nothing less than impressive, and he has his sites set on more wins and more titles going forward. Chris and I talk about his backstory in US squash, a big win over Simon Rosner in the German Jr. Open, the renaissance in US squash which ultimately led to the huge developments we see there today, his love of hockey, and how pumped he is for this next stage of his pro career. Great chat with Chris.

Alan Thatcher has been an integral part of the world squash scene for as long as I can remember. The founder of squashmad.com talks with me about squash's most recent Olympic bid setback, his baby Canary Wharf which is set to kick off in less than two weeks, and World Squash Day which he founded in 2012 in the aftermath of the World Trade Center 9/11 tragedy.

Senior Reporter Nick Hope lays out the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee's choice of breakdancing as its new sport for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

For the past 10 years, Joey Barrington has truly been a god-sent for squash through his one of a kind, entertaining and insightful commentary on Squash TV. More than that though, Joey's squash story is like no other. The son of living legend Jonah Barrington, Joey's pathway to the pro game wasn't quite what you think. He opens up about what drove him away from the game in his youth, and what it was that inspired return to squash at the age 20. Joey reminisces at length about his legendary father; his game, his pioneering training techniques, his sense of humor, and how he motivated Joey during his PSA career; his admiration for his father is palpable. Other topics include the 2024 Olympic bid, Peter Sellers, a World Open preview, and much much more.

Lucas Serme has shown of late that he has the game to make inroads into the world top 10. Lucas lays out the backstory that has gotten him to where he is today. And, did you know he is among the growing collection of PSA tour married couples? Anna Serme just happens to be his better half and she's fresh off two wins on the trot on home soil in the Czech Rep. Lucas describes the nerves he feels when he's in her corner, and his plans for valentine's day :)

Only a few have successfully parlayed supremely successfully professional careers into equally successful careers as coaches; Liz Irving is among those in this rarefied air. She's reached world #2 as a player, helped Vanessa Atkinson make the leap to world #1, and famously coached Nicol David during her illustrious reign as queen of squash; that's an impressive resume. Liz looks back at her promising junior career, the changes she made that took her to world #2, coaching the aforementioned two world #1s, and putting all of this expertise into her new squash app, Squash Lab.

Impressively into its 18th installment, the Linear Logistics Bankers Hall Pro-Am is the longest running PSA event that Canada has to offer. Bob Ballinger, head pro at Bankers Hall since 2001, is the man who's led the charge through these years, and what a spectacular job he's done keeping the event on firm footing, and one that's produced a prolific run of champions since the event's inaugural. Bob and I chat about this year's event, how it's evolved since 2001, insight into the fitness required for an 18 year run, and a few classic anecdotes as only Bob can tell them.

The PSA has made serious inroads over the past 10 years or so including raising the game's profile through the Squash TV initiative and joining forces with the WSF (Women's International Squash Federation). What we have today is a very marketable professional squash product, and behind this is PSA CEO Alex Gough. A world class player himself, Alex takes us back to his playing days against all the #1s from Jansher Khan through to Mohammed El Shorbagy; I encourage you to watch his match v. Jansher in Al Ahram on youtube. He parlayed his successful career as a pro into the PSA CEO post in 2009. Alex talks about the year ahead, the Paris 2024 Olympic bid, officiating issues, and the way forward.

Reigning German National Champion Raphael Kandra has emerged a force to be reckoned with among the top tier of squash. Currently 15 in the world and 16 in the race to Dubai standings, Kandra is more than excited about the 2019 campaign. A brilliant performance at last year's British Open which saw the German come through qualies to reach the semi-final, beating Nick Matthew and Marwan ElShorbagy along the way, was an incredible story. He's not resting on his laurels though; it's onwards and upwards for Raphael, and that means more great squash for us.

Countless PSA tour titles, 3 World Open titles, 3 British Opens, 3 Commonwealth golds and 10 British National Championships: Nick Matthew left the game as an all-time great. Nick and I chat about his character building junior years, what it means (for us across the pond) to be a Yorkshireman, and how competing during the Power/Nicol and Shabana/Gaultier/Darwish eras was different from today's play on tour. During that later era, his rivalry with James Willstrop took shape, and Nick lays out the backstory. Currently, "the wolf" is at the Tournament of Champions, and he gives some incredible insight on the event, the players, officiating issues, and most importantly, the Champions Lounge.

Riding a bit of momentum heading into 2019, Sam Cornett has her sites set on the Tournament of Champions in NYC and the World Championships in Chicago this February. Having reached 3 of 4 Challenger Tour finals since November, winning 2, is proof that she's ready to roll in 2019. Ranked 31 in the world currently, Sam's only a few spots away from her personal best of 28, and at this rate she is poised to make inroads beyond that.

Elite Squash founder and director Hadrian Stiff says the key to enjoying our squash and ultimately to performing at our best is through the harmonization of body and mind on court. How do I bottle those occasions when I go out there, enjoy my squash and play the game without thinking? When you listen to him lay it out, you'll be inspired. Hadrian's unique approach to coaching has obviously proven successful when you look at the players under the Elite Squash umbrella. He goes deep into his philosophy behind squash and we take look at his backstory which explains how his philosophy towards the game came to be.

With the 2018 Irish Open title under his belt along with several very strong performances in 2018, Tom Richards enters the new year on a high. Perhaps playing the best squash of his career, Tom and I chat about the influences during his early years, namely St. George's own Danny Lee. Throughout his professional campaign, Stephen Meads, of "who is Meads?" fame has been tremendously instrumental, and Tom is very excited to have Jesse Englebrecht on board more recently as well. We talk about what each of them have brought to the table for Tom. We also discuss some of his playing heroes, including both JP and Peter Nicol. At any rate, all of this has him playing very good squash of late, and this bodes well for 2019.