Squash latest: Leeds star Willstrop triumphs in Kuwait

James Willstrop continued his rich vein of form to claim a second PSA Tour title in nine days after defeating familiar face Karim Darwish to lift the Kuwait Cup, writes Phil Harrison.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Nov 2011, 20:48 BST

The 28-year-old world No 3 from Leeds had beaten Darwish to clinch the Hong Kong Open earlier this month and once again proved too strong for his Egyptian rival in Kuwait City to win 11-7

10-12 11-4 11-2 in just over an hour.

The triumph continues the turnaround in fortunes for the Yorkshireman – coached by his father Malcolm in Pontefract – after he had gone more than 20 months without a title success before his victory in Hong Kong.

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It was only when he got to the final that Willstrop dropped his first game of the tournament, something he acknowledged afterwards as key to his success.

“I’m incredibly pleased,” said Willstrop. “This has grown into such a massive event and I’m so proud I managed to beat Karim to win it. We fought hard on there but, hopefully, in a good spirit.

“When you try and back up two tournaments the odds are always against you, but I was pleased with the way I played.

“Maybe you manage back-to-back wins by continuing to win 3-0 – that way you put yourself under less pressure physically, even though it’s still tough mentally.”

Related topics:LeedsHong Kong