2026 British Open Masters
03-07 Jun, Solihull Arden Club & West Warwickshire
Results, Reports and more on England Squash Masters
Semi-Finals Day, Chairman’s Report
Men’s Over 80. Former World Masters Champion Chris Ansell is defending champion here and proved too varied for Robert Smith of Kent maintaining the pressure and squeezing home 11/9 in the third. In the final he will meet Norbert Kornyei, another former World Masters Champion, who beat the very good German player Robert Keilmann in four competitive games in a match that the players belied their age.
Men’s Over 75. Ian Graham is the defending champion and National Champion and the man to beat. Newcomer Richard Lowe from the home club gave his all but couldn’t dent the champion, In the other semi final John Hithersay, another newcomer to the group, proved too strong for current World Masters Champion Larry Grover and in spite of a 14/12 second won through 3-0.
Men’s Over 70. Clive London already has two British Opens and he was dynamic for two games against National Champion David Matthew of Cornwall. Matthew managed to get into the third and take it 11/9 but London reasserted himself and powered into the fourth. In the other semi final Pete Shivas, the Scotland no 1 took the first and the lead in the second but failed to convert it and the tall Swede Jan Zimdahl took over control of the match and won in four.
Men’s Over 65. With eight British Open titles Mark Woodliffe is a Masters legend. Jon Evans, the Wales no 1 is incredibly mobile and a very good player but got no change from Woodliffe who took the match 3-0. Defending champion James Ockwell had to cope with the powerful game of former National Champion Allen Barwise of Cumbria but took control of the match and kept ahead in each game to secure his final spot.
Men’s Over 60. Possibly the match of the day saw top seed Jonas Ulvsback of Sweden take on the many time champion Yawar Abbas. Abbas took two very close games to go two up and with some ferocious rallying got to match ball in the fourth but the Swede proved very resilient and saved that, took the game 12/10, and ran through the fifth. He will now play Simon Spencer of Nottinghamshire who in a repeat of the National final reversed that match and beat the champion Alex Betts in three close and hard fought games.
Men’s Over 55. Adrian Richmond, the Scotland International, is having a great tournament and continued his fine run here against Jason Fletcher. Taking the first game 14/12 he springboarded through the second before Fletcher steadied himself and went point for point in the third but Richmond clinched it to take his place in the final. Steve Dodridge is always a dangerous player who is capable of beating anyone on the day. In the past he has not done it consistently. In this tournament however he removed the no 2 seed John Musto from the USA, Scottish no 1 Peter Buchan and now the two time defending champion Gavin Roger-Lund to take his deserved place in the final.
Men’s Over 50. Mark Davis taking advantage of a fine run having removed one 3/4 seed and the no 1 seed Marcos Mendez of Mexico withdrawing to take his place in the semi final where he had a competitive match with Jolyon Head but always looked to be ahead. Meanwhile England no 1 Alistair Coker showed his excellent form of the last season and put Australian Craig Brann to the sword taking the match in straight games.
Men’s Over 45. National Champion and top seed Lee Jemmett produced another classy performance to nullify the powerful Mick Biggs in straight games and he will now face the winner of a superb contest between Ireland International Nigel Peyton and Birmingham University professional Jonathan Tate, the defending champion. Peyton took the first but Tate clinched an incredible second 19/17 to level. From there, although Peyton fought hard, it was going in Tate’s direction. 3/1 to him.
Men’s Over 40. The seeds in this group tumbled as Paul Wallace beat no 2 seed Murukesh Mani of India and Matthew Sampson outlasted Rory Pennell, the 3 seed coming back from two games down to win it in five. Sampson and Wallace then faced off in the semi final and Wallace took an early lead but Sampson’s determined play overturned the match and he eventually took it 3-1. He will then meet the 2024 Open Champion Phil Rushworth of Surrey who unfortunately had a walkover after Dale Diment withdrew after an attritional match yesterday, with an injury.
Men’s Over 35. Lewis Doughty, the Wimbledon Rackets Club pro is new in the group and won the National title in February. He is the top seed here and in the semi final had to face Daniel West who in that National Championship kept him on court for well over an hour in an incredibly attritional game. The second went to Doughty 16/14 and he had a match point in the third before West took it 12/10. In the fourth game sadly West pulled up with an injury and was forced to retire. Unfortunately second seed Chris Hall withdrew with injury and so in the final will face Jamie Douglas of Northumberland, last year’s England Captain.
Women’s Over 65. Two semi finals that were won convincingly by the top two seeds. Jill Campion of Wales is a many time champion and was far too good for Lesley Sturgess today while former British Open runner up Tamsin Bennett of Surrey was on top form against former National Champion Sian Johnson of Wales always keeping ahead and clinching the third game 12/10 to book her place in the final.
Women’s Over 60. This event is played in round robin groups and serial champion Mandy Akin of Kent eased through against Jackie Gregory although the second game comeback by Akin from 10/4 down was remarkable. Hilary Kenyon also secured a solid straight games win against Colette Starzak. Storte Becker of Germany secured a good win over Colette Starzak and Jackie Gregory, the top seed, had a close but straight games win over Amina Mahmood Islam of Pakistan.
Women’s Over 55. Jillian Lilico of Hertfordshire won this event last year and the England no 1 looks to be in great form again as she removed Amanda Warren in four games. In the final she will meet Donna Cruickshank, the Scotland International, who unfortunately had a walkover due to her opponent being injured.
Women’s Over 50. Defending champion Rachel Calver of England is the dominant player in this group at the moment and the defending champion overcame former National Champion Louisa Dalwood in four games, the first two being very tight and shared. But her reign is under serious threat as Catherine Ruffle of Cumbria has entered the age group and she proved too good for Christine McMullen in a game that had both women covering the court with incredible athleticism but Ruffle had the edge taking the match in four.
Women’s Over 45. A great upset here as Caroline Hazlewood played a superb match against defending champion and European Masters winner Kate Bradshaw. Five very close and hard fought games eventually going to Hazlewood 11/9 in the fifth. She will now play Kate Fuller who also upset the seedings with a 12/10 in the fourth win over Natalie Lawrence. A first British Open title for one of these two ladies.
Women’s Over 40. Stacey Gooding of Wales is still a Wales Senior International recently returning from the European Championships. She is the defending champion and the player everyone is aiming for. This group is played in a group pool and Gooding beat Gemma Barber in straight games and then later on Sophie Beake. The final match in this group will be Gooding against Heather Joy who beat Helen Walsh in straight games.
Women’s Over 35. The British Open Champion for the last two years has been Leonie Holt from Warwickshire and she looks to be in super form as she eased through against Michelle Knight in straight games to reach another final. She will face the talented Kelly Eastment who had to recover from losing the first game to Selina Harper but then took control to take the next three.
There will be some fantastic finals tomorrow as the players reach the end of a week of tremendous world class Masters Squash. The coveted British Open titles await the winners and play will start at Solihill Ardern from 9.00am on Sunday. Spectators are very welcome.
Stuart Hardy, Chairman
Results, Reports and more on England Squash Masters
Results, Reports and more on England Squash Masters
2025 British Open Masters
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2026 British Open Masters To Take Place Alongside British Open In Birmingham
The 2026 Dunlop British Open Masters will feature alongside the prestigious PSA Squash Tour Diamond-level British Open in Birmingham this summer, with the event being held between 3rd and 7th of June at Solihull & Arden […]
Full Draws and Schedules on EnglandSquashMasters Masters PHOTOS
