“I haven’t considered hanging up the racket as long as I still enjoy competing – age is but a number”
By LEE HORTON – Squash Mad Correspondent
England captain Daryl Selby returns to PSA action this week, 16 months after his last professional competition.
After starring at the 2020 Canary Wharf Classic, the final men’s tournament before lockdown, Selby is looking forward to resuming his career as he targets success with Team England at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Selby will be hoping to rekindle some of that sparkling form on show at Canary Wharf, where he overcame Joel Makin on day one and gave Tarek Momen a hard time in the second round.
This week Daryl headlines at the Arion Homes Off The Wall Squash Open PSA Challenger 5 event which starts on Thursday at Ipswich Sport Club, in Suffolk. The men’s and women’s event features two 16-player draws with Selby installed as the men’s No.1 seed.
It will be a welcome return to action for the 38-year-old Colchester-based player who has his sights firmly set on next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He won a bronze medal in 2014, silver in 2018 and is not ruling out Gold next year.
“I still have the Commonwealth Games in my sights although on the doubles and not the singles,” explained Daryl, the current world ranked number 22 player.
“My last PSA tournament was Canary Wharf in 2020, a small matter of 16 months ago, but I beat a top 10 player and nearly the World Champ there so I’m hoping my form just carries on from that!
“I haven’t really considered hanging up the racket as long as I still enjoy competing. Age is but a number.”
The Ipswich event is backed by Arion Homes, a Bolton-based construction company headed by Rory O’Rourke. The organising team are from the Off The Wall Squash Academy based at the Garrison in Colchester.
Arion Homes Off The Wall Squash Open PSA Challenger 5, Ipswich Sports Club, Suffolk, England.
Men’s Top 8 seeds:
Daryl Selby
Rui Soares
Joshua Masters
Curtis Malik
Tom Walsh
Stuart Macgregor
Vini Rodrigues
Owain Taylor
Women’s Top 8 Seeds:
Anna Kimberley
Ally Thomson
Lily Taylor
Ali Loke
Kace Bartley
Georgia Adderley
Katriona Allen
Emelia Korhonen
For tickets click here