Last Wednesday, St Andrews Men’s Squash 1st team faced off against Edinburgh 2s in the first round of the BUCS National Trophy. Following its convincing 5-0 win, the squash team lost 4-1 in matches against Nottingham 2s, one of the top teams in the nation, in the second round.
After a tough return this semester with sickness across the line-up, the team had to change up their strategies with limited practice opportunities. A few matches in the Dundee league provided a solid warmup, but it ultimately wasn’t enough for them to advance in the talented Nottingham squad.
While most of the team suffered tough losses, Raphael Magron-Lorenzo '27 was able to get a 3-0 victory against his opponent, #1 Joe Elliot.
Tommy Kallestrup '28 recalls his match to be a tough 5-gamer, highlighting the support that the team provided for each other despite not having their full starting lineup.
Kallestrup says: “In the match that I played, my opponent and I both had the same playing style, lots of long rallies and tough retrievals, considering the warm temperature inside the court and the bounciness of the ball.
“The game scores were 3-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-13, and 7-11, with each game lasting well over 10 minutes, and I ultimately lost in 5. My game was about the shot choice and quality towards the latter games, but we were both able to just keep the rallies going, and it got scrappy towards the end.
“My opponent also had an argument with the ref during our match, which made the atmosphere quite heated. Overall, we performed decently, and I’m sure we’ll come back stronger in the next tournament."
The team looks to prepare for their remaining matches in the Dundee league, as they are excited for the upcoming regional tournaments.
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