Weekend Graded Recap!

 

A huge thank you to all players, volunteers, and supporters for making this year’s Reigate Squash Open unforgettable! With 91 players, 136 matches, and a first-ever two-day format, it was fantastic to see the club buzzing with excitement from start to finish.

A big thank you to all the volunteers for running the bar and food side of the event throughout the day, it was much appreciated. And thank you to the spectators and supporters who came down to ensure a fantastic atmosphere across the whole weekend. And another thanks to our photographer Arthur who came down both days.

Finally, a massive thanks to Giggling Squid for sponsoring the event and to Karakal for providing prizes for the B to E Grades!

Tournament Highlights 🌟

Saturday kicked off with the early rounds of Grades A, B, and C. In Grade C, there were some spectacular upsets as Oli Colgate came back from 2-0 down to beat 5/8 seed Natasha Burrett and later took out 3/4 seed Zain Tanweer 3-0. Stuart Rank managed to beat 2nd seed Andy Scott in a tight 5-game encounter, winning 11-8 in the fifth. And Sherif Gebaly came through three tough matches including seeding upsets over a 5/8 and the 1 seed. They would be joined by Reigate’s own Graham Gordon in the semi-finals on Sunday.

The B grade was equally intense, with top seed Hari Patel enduring two fierce five-setters: first against local junior Omar Sherif and then 11-9 in the fifth against Max Sutton Parker. Hari will face 3/4 seed Jaanshere Khan in the semi-finals on Sunday, who defeated Michael Jenkins in his quarter-final. Meanwhile, Tom Broekman of Reigate (2 seed) would face Sam Gemmill (5/8 seed), who had earlier upset 3/4 seed Stuart Hibbert.

In Grade A, Noah Meredith (1 seed) progressed to the semi-finals after a 3-0 win over Luke McBride, and 3/4 seed Michael Chak, who had a bye when Alan Taffinder unfortunately had to withdraw after being hit with the racket earlier in the day. In the other semi-final, 3/4 seed Jake Sim Baskar would play 2 seed Ronnie Hickling after both overcame their opponents 3-1 and 3-0 respectively in the quarter finals.

Sunday brought on Grades D and E. Bharath Somineni and Freddie Anthony, both unseeded, advanced to the E final, where Bharath took a 3-1 victory. In the D grade, Oliver Eley completed a stunning rise from last year’s E grade runner-up to win the D grade, beating 3/4 seed Andy Crossan 2-0.

Grade C saw Reigate’s Graham Gordon overpower a fatigued Sherif Gebaly in straight sets, while Stuart Rank staged a comeback from 2-0 down to outlast Oliver Colgate 3-2. In the final, Graham continued his strong run, winning 3-1 for a well-deserved C grade title.

In Grade B, both semi-finals were intense. Tom Broekman defeated Sam Gemmill 3-1 in a physical battle, while Hari Patel endured yet another five-setter against Jaanshere Khan—his third of the tournament! After a rest and a hearty meal, Hari recovered to beat Tom 3-1 in the final, sealing his B grade win.

Grade A Final: The final was set between Noah Meredith and Ronnie Hickling. Despite Ronnie’s impressive victory earlier, Noah’s strategic play ultimately won the day. Ronnie took the opening game 11-9, but Noah adapted, claiming the next three games 11-8, 11-9, and 11-7 to capture the A grade title and cap off an outstanding weekend.

Cheers to an Amazing Weekend!

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this weekend such a success—players, volunteers, and supporters alike. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Reigate Squash Open!

All match results can be found on League Master.