Joel Makin and Nouran Gohar won the 2024/25 PSA Squash Tour Finals after wins over Mostafa Asal and Olivia Weaver at Toronto’s Revival Film Studios. Makin and Gohar won $85,500 each for their season-ending wins.
Makin became the first Welsh player in history to win this tournament after his match with Asal was cut short due to an ankle injury sustained by the latter. He was also the first British player to lift the title since Peter Nicol in 2001.
Makin, 30, was appearing in the first major PSA final of his career and was outplaying Asal as he went a game ahead, before building up a 9-6 lead in the second game. It was at this point that Asal pulled up injured and he spent 15 minutes off the court receiving treatment from the physio for an ankle problem.
He returned to court and played out the second game, which Makin duly won, but shook hands after a solitary point of the third game to bring a premature end to the match. That means Makin has ended a nine-match winless run against the Egyptian, while he has lifted the 10th title of his career.
“I’ve just been chipping away, and It’s not been a short process, that’s for sure,” said Makin afterwards.
“It was a really high quality one, the same as last night [against Diego Elias]. We had two really good games, it was frustrating in the third that we didn’t get to keep going. At sudden death again in the first game, it was really high quality. It’s upsetting that he wasn’t right.
“I’m happy to win, but I want that challenge, I want to win. I want to see how I am against him when he’s playing well. It’s been another good week, it wasn’t my best stuff in the group stages, but you’ve just got to keep trying, keep on getting better and come out and bring my best performance on the night.”
Gohar has won her fourth PSA Squash Tour Finals after beating World No.4 Olivia Weaver in a thrilling women’s final.
Gohar had won all 13 of her matches against Weaver on the PSA Squash Tour coming into today’s title decider, but was put under unrelenting pressure for much of the match by the USA No.1. With the scores poised at one game apiece, Weaver led 8-3 in the third but squandered the opportunity to go ahead as Gohar stormed to take eight points without reply.
Gohar had the bit between her teeth at this point and stormed out of the traps in the fourth game, dropping just three further points to seal her 33rd PSA title. Gohar’s win adds to her PSA Squash Tour Finals wins in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and she is the only woman to have won this tournament on four occasions.
“Olivia is a great competitor and she has improved big time,” said Gohar.
“I really wanted to play her today, I like to play challenging matches and see where I am. I think what got me through today was the mental side and the crowd. When I was 8-3 down I just let it go and played my best. I was happy I shifted my mindset, and it’s all thanks to Haitham Effat [Gohar’s coach].
“I had to find something deep in me. The squash came out after, but I had the belief that even when I was down I had the ability to win. It’s the last match of the season, I had nothing to lose and I’m glad I managed to come back.”
The SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals brings the curtain down on the PSA Squash Tour campaign, with the 2025-26 season set to begin in August.
Result – Men’s Final: 2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals
[4] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) 3-0: 11-10, 11-7, 1-0 ret. (61m)
Result – Women’s Final: 2024-25 SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [2] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-1: 11-10, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3 (61m)