Timmy On Tour
Photos; Courtesy Timmy Brownell, PSA
Hello avid squash fans!
Welcome back to the chaotic series of Maspeth on Tour, currently being brought to you by myself (Timmy Brownell), Steel court regular and frequent flyer on the PSA World Tour.
For this season’s first installment, I figured I would take you on a speed run of some of the squash and non squash happenings that I’ve been a part of in the last few months and give some insight that isn’t generally available to the public!! That being said, strap in…
The end of last season was a bit of a whirlwind, finally coming to an end in front of one of the loudest crowds I’ve seen, against arguably the best player in the world. Check it out!!!
I have to say, it was one of my favorite squash experiences listening to the noise in the Rep Theatre in Birmingham. The voices rang down straight onto the court given the acoustics of the room, and we even had to stop play once to let the crowd finish chanting! Squash needs a heck of a lot more of that, and I was really happy to be a part of a match where both players truly enjoyed putting on a show for the crowd.
After the season’s end (I actually had to play one more week after the British Open at US Nationals), I got to spend a few days at Acadia National Park in Maine with my girlfriend Sara- it did not disappoint!! Many people underestimate the impact of a few days off on the mind (and of course, the body!) and how it can set you up for next few weeks or even months. I found this trip to be just what the doctor ordered. Fresh air, some amazing views, and some seafood and ice cream on the water. Tough to beat.
Summer training was a little different this year without our head coach Beng Hee there. It certainly didn’t feel the same without him, but we did gain a new Philly Superstar in Alina Bushma, Steel Court mainstay! She was in the gym every day this summer working hard, and I can’t wait to see her shoot up the rankings this year. Probably my favorite morning from summer training was the infamous scavenger hunt, where contestants have to run around the local shops and landmarks and take selfies of all their tasks. I was paired with Alina, and I’ll even share a few of those blackmail material selfie’s here (We ended up losing to Spencer Lovejoy and Dillon Huang by a few points, absolutely rigged).
The first event of the season for me was the Egyptian Open (in, you guessed it, Egypt!!). I personally have struggled competing in Egypt, as nobody can really trust the food and something always seems to go awry with courts/scheduling/hotel/transport- as Marwan Elshorbagy put it best after beating Paul Coll there: “In Egypt, you just never know!” I have to say, this time around the hotel was quite amazing and I did actually enjoy myself a little bit, but unfortunately yet again I found myself (along with half the other foreign players in the draw) not feeling my best after trying to eat as safely as possible to no avail. Should’ve just gone for it and had the tuna tartare I guess, if you’re going down you might as well go down swinging! Personal highlight for me was watching fellow American (and Steel court player!) Marina Stefanoni defy the odds and win not one, not two, but THREE qualifying matches to make the main draw of the event, in which she shot the lights out and won her first round match!! This was a stellar performance, and one that should garner some more attention, so hats off to you Marina!!
The next event of the year for me was in Paris, where I had the pleasure of playing on the stadium court in the Cirque d’hiver Bouglione against the World #1, Ali Farag!! I was able to stay with my godmother Sabina and her family, which includes the very talented triumvirate of Camila (future software engineer), Chiara (fashionista and recent masters graduate!), Cecilia (current law student), as well as Patrick (below average backgammon player), and Bloom (the head of the household, pictured below!). It was an amazing week from start to finish, and I’m happy as well I got to show that part of our family what squash looks like on a glass court against the best in the world!!!
This brings us to current day, where I’ve just returned from my most recent event in Doha. Qatar is without a doubt the most well run event on tour, where the players are looked after exceptionally well (car rides to the courts, amazing hotel rooms, good food, phenomenal facilities, you name it!). I wish I could’ve been there longer, but I ran up against Mostafa Asal in the first round- we had a few mega rallies and shared some good laughs on court, I have to say I am thoroughly impressed by not only his power and speed, but also his squash IQ and ability to react to unknowns. That side of his game is very underrated, and it’s no surprise he’s topped the field in the first two majors of the season. My favorite story from this event happened after a practice session with Leonel Cardenas from Mexico, which we were scheduled as the last practice of the day and as a result missed the player shuttle to the opening banquet. We spent about 25 minutes wandering around outside in fancy clothes and 95 degree heat looking for the banquet room, eventually we made it just in time for the magic acts and steak dinner! Apparently, we missed 25 minutes of straight violin solo music so I have to say, we hit the lottery (sorry to you violin enthusiasts out there). I enjoy overlapping with players in funny moments like this, as it reminds you that we’re all just people and can share a few laughs!
Stay tuned for more on the Maspeth on Tour Series, as there’s some big events coming up as well as some fall Steel Court matches!
