Americans dominate on day two of Bermuda Open squash event – The Royal Gazette

Created: Apr 15, 2026 08:05 PM (Updated: Apr 15, 2026 08:46 PM)

Timothy Brownell showed his class

American excellence came to the fore on the second day of the Starr Bermuda Open squash tournament.

Three of the four Americans across the men’s and women’s draw made it into the quarter-finals with seeds Sabrina Sobhy and Timothy Brownell coming through their matches comfortably and Nick Spizzirri continuing his fine knack of winning epic matches.

Brownell, seeded four, overcame crowd favourite Mathias Knudsen, from Colombia, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11 in a clash of styles with the smaller Brownell attempting to keep the 6ft 3in Knudsen on the move with some timely drop shots.

“He’s one of the most skilled guys on tour,” Brownell said.

“He’s known as kind of a squash Messi as he does things that people can’t do. He’s also ranked in the top 50 and you really shouldn’t be playing someone of that standard at that stage of the tournament. But you’ve got to deal with the draws you’re given.”

Brownell will next play his US team-mate Spizzirri, who knocked out seventh seed Nathan Lake, from England, in a long four-game match, winning 12-10 in the fourth.

Timothy Brownell has been accompanied to Bermuda by his mother Christina, a former professional

No one has spent more time on court over the past couple of days than the tall American and he had a novel way of recovering from his epic first-round match on Tuesday.

“Last night I actually sat in the ocean for eight minutes t do like an ice bath,” Spizzirri said.

“I have to drink a lot of fluids and it’s quite hot here, especially on the court I’ve been playing at as there is no air conditioning, but I knew I had to come in firing today as he has been in the world’s top 20 and plays a nice English brand of squash.”

Sobhy entered the tournament on day two after receiving a bye in the first round but she wasted little time in dispensing with Hong Kong’s Heylie Fung, winning 11-5, 11-4, 11-5.

Ranked nineteenth in the world, the 29-year-old is favourite to be lifting the women’s trophy on Saturday night and was pleased to have sailed through her opening encounter.

“The first match is always difficult and there’s pros and cons of playing a day before,” she said.

“I got here on Monday and I practised on Monday and Tuesday just to make sure that I was used to it and feeling sharp for my first round.

“I’m trying to just make sure that I take it one match at a time. Sure, there is an extra pressure of being top seed but I’m just trying to not think about any numbers and just enjoying playing squash right now. I just want to play and get stuck in each day. Hopefully I can keep making the next round and that’s all that I’m thinking about right now.”

Not every seed made it through with Noa Romero eliminating Madeliene Hylland, from Norway. Romero just avoided elimination in the first round against Caribbean champion Meagan Best on Tuesday but looked far more fluent 24 hours later.

Noa Romero knocked out the No 8 seed

Romero was another to make use of the drop shot against a taller opponent and was delighted to reach the quarter-finals.

“She’s way taller than I am, so I tried to keep it lower and get her to struggle,” Romero said.

“I feel like it worked but she was definitely picking a lot of balls up, so I had to be extremely consistent physically and mentally.

“When I saw the draw I was actually quite anxious about it because I feel like there’s definitely amazing opponents here at this tournament, so being able to go through the first round, the second round and being in the quarter-finals is definitely an achievement.”

In other matches on the day, tennis legend John McEnroe might just have a rival when it comes to verbals in the shape of Finnlay Withington.

The charismatic 22-year-old from England ranked 77 in the world, must feature in the nightmares of every squash umpire, with almost every decision questioned via a mix of funny insults or expletives muttered under his breath.

The sledging of the umpire at times appeared to inspire Withington, who showed signs of brilliance against top seed Kareem El Torkey, from Egypt, before losing in straight games.

The first two days of action have enthralled sponsors with Stephen Young from Starr Bermuda proud to be associated with the event.

“We’re proud to support this squash event that draws such a diverse, international field to Bermuda, reflecting the global reach and connectivity that sits at the heart of Starr,” Young said.

“The quality of the tournament has been exceptional, showcasing the very best of the sport of squash. It has been superbly delivered and we’d like to thank the organisers, players and volunteers for creating such a successful event. A fantastic example of bringing people together from across the globe in a meaningful and engaging way.”