James Willstrop
Encyclopedia
James Willstrop is a professional squash
player from England
.
Willstrop trains at Pontefract Squash Club in West Yorkshire, where he is trained by his Dad, Malcolm Willstrop.
Willstrop crowned a sensational junior squash career in 2002 when he claimed his third consecutive British Junior Under-19 National Championship title, to establish himself as England's most successful junior player of all time – having won National titles at all age groups (under-12, under-14, under-17 and under-19), and British Junior Open trophies at under-14, under-17 and under-19. In the same year, he established himself as the world's top junior player, claiming both the European and the World junior titles.
Willstrop has gone on to be one of the youngest players ever to play for the senior England team, representing his country for the first time at both the European and World Team Squash Championships
in 2003.
The tall Yorkshireman has made rapid progress on the senior stage. In 2004, he won the Pakistan Open title in Islamabad
(upsetting Amr Shabana
in the quarter-finals) in his first appearance in a PSA Super Series
final. In 2005, he finished runner-up at the British Open
as the seventh seed, then followed this by outplaying a top-quality international field in Doha to lift the Qatar Classic
trophy in only his second Super Series final appearance. This first-time success led to Willstrop leaping six places to a career-high World No. 2 in the PSA world rankings published that December. The new ranking catapulted Willstrop to the position of top-ranked Englishman – which led to his promotion to squad number one in the England team for the 2005 World Team Championships in Pakistan later in the month, when he led the team to victory for the first time in eight years.
In the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne
, Australia
, Willstrop partnered Vicky Botwright
to a Silver Medal in the Mixed Doubles. Willstrop also won the 2007 British National Squash Championships
title, beating John White
in the final. In December 2007, Willstrop helped England retain the World Team Championship title in Chennai
, India
, and won the English Open, beating fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew
in the final.
Willstrop retained his British National title in February 2008, beating fellow Pontefract player Lee Beachill
in the final. He also finished runner-up at the British Open for the second time in May 2008, losing in a five-set final to David Palmer
. Willstrop held match balls at 10–9 and 11–10 in the fifth game, but Palmer ultimately won 11–9, 11–9, 8–11, 6–11, 11–10 (3–1).
In January 2010, Willstrop won his first Tournament of Champions
title in New York, defeating World Number 1 Ramy Ashour
in the final and dropping only one game during the whole tournament.
In the singles final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in Delhi
, Willstrop was defeated by compatriot Nick Matthew
11–6, 11–7, 11–7. The match ended after 66 minutes.
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Biography
Willstrop is recognised as a young squash talent with a big future ahead of him. He has an unusual build for a squash player, being 6 feet 4 inches and 91 kg.Willstrop trains at Pontefract Squash Club in West Yorkshire, where he is trained by his Dad, Malcolm Willstrop.
Willstrop crowned a sensational junior squash career in 2002 when he claimed his third consecutive British Junior Under-19 National Championship title, to establish himself as England's most successful junior player of all time – having won National titles at all age groups (under-12, under-14, under-17 and under-19), and British Junior Open trophies at under-14, under-17 and under-19. In the same year, he established himself as the world's top junior player, claiming both the European and the World junior titles.
Willstrop has gone on to be one of the youngest players ever to play for the senior England team, representing his country for the first time at both the European and World Team Squash Championships
World Team Squash Championships
The World Team Squash Championships are an international squash competition played between teams representing different nations. Countries enter teams of three or four players to represent them in the championships. In each round of the competition, teams face each other in a best-of-three singles...
in 2003.
The tall Yorkshireman has made rapid progress on the senior stage. In 2004, he won the Pakistan Open title in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
(upsetting Amr Shabana
Amr Shabana
Amr Shabana is a professional squash player from Egypt. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.-Career overview:...
in the quarter-finals) in his first appearance in a PSA Super Series
PSA Super Series
The PSA World Series is a series of men's squash tournaments which are part of the Professional Squash Association World Tour. The PSA World Series touranaments are some of the most prestigious events on the men's tour...
final. In 2005, he finished runner-up at the British Open
British Open Squash Championships
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...
as the seventh seed, then followed this by outplaying a top-quality international field in Doha to lift the Qatar Classic
Qatar Classic
The Qatar Classic is an annual international squash tournament that takes place in Doha, Qatar in October. The event was re-established in 2001. The tournament features both men and women, the men's event is part of the PSA World Series and the women's event is part of the WISPA World...
trophy in only his second Super Series final appearance. This first-time success led to Willstrop leaping six places to a career-high World No. 2 in the PSA world rankings published that December. The new ranking catapulted Willstrop to the position of top-ranked Englishman – which led to his promotion to squad number one in the England team for the 2005 World Team Championships in Pakistan later in the month, when he led the team to victory for the first time in eight years.
In the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Willstrop partnered Vicky Botwright
Vicky Botwright
Vicky Botwright is a squash coach and former professional squash player from England. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 5 in 2005. In 2008, she finished runner-up at the World Open, losing in the final to Nicol David 11–5, 1–11, 6–11, 9–11...
to a Silver Medal in the Mixed Doubles. Willstrop also won the 2007 British National Squash Championships
British National Squash Championships
The British National Squash Championships are the national squash championships for players from the United Kingdom & Ireland. They are held annually in early February and have been held at the National Squash Centre at Sportscity in Manchester since 2003....
title, beating John White
John White (squash player)
John White is a former World No. 1 squash player.White finished runner-up at both the World Open and the British Open in 2002. He won the PSA Masters title in 2003 . He also won the British National Championships in 2004...
in the final. In December 2007, Willstrop helped England retain the World Team Championship title in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and won the English Open, beating fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew
Nick Matthew
Nicholas Matthew is a professional squash player from England who won the British Open in 2006 and 2009 and is the reigning World Champion. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in June 2010...
in the final.
Willstrop retained his British National title in February 2008, beating fellow Pontefract player Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill is a former World No. 1 squash player from England.Beachill reached the World No. 1 ranking in October 2004. He also finished runner-up at the World Open that year....
in the final. He also finished runner-up at the British Open for the second time in May 2008, losing in a five-set final to David Palmer
David Palmer (squash player)
David Palmer is a professional squash player from Australia. He won the Super Series finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No...
. Willstrop held match balls at 10–9 and 11–10 in the fifth game, but Palmer ultimately won 11–9, 11–9, 8–11, 6–11, 11–10 (3–1).
In January 2010, Willstrop won his first Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (squash)
The Tournament of Champions is an annual international squash championship held in New York City. In recent years, the event has been held at New York's Grand Central Terminal, in a specially-constructed four-walled glass court in the Vanderbilt Hall....
title in New York, defeating World Number 1 Ramy Ashour
Ramy Ashour
Ramy Mohamed Ashour is a professional squash player from Egypt. He reached world No. 1 in January, 2010, after beating Nick Matthew in the final of the 2009 Saudi International Squash Tournament. At 22 he became the youngest player to achieve world No. 1 since the Khan era, having previously been...
in the final and dropping only one game during the whole tournament.
In the singles final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Squash at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Squash at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Siri Fort Sports Complex from 4 to 13 October 2010. The training venue for the participants was Siri Fort Sports Complex - 3. Every CGA has been allowed to send a maximum of 8 players, 4 male and 4 female, for this event.-Medals...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Willstrop was defeated by compatriot Nick Matthew
Nick Matthew
Nicholas Matthew is a professional squash player from England who won the British Open in 2006 and 2009 and is the reigning World Champion. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in June 2010...
11–6, 11–7, 11–7. The match ended after 66 minutes.