In a thrilling British Open final, where the winner would be guaranteed to claim the World #1 spot in next month’s rankings, only one player could come out on top.
Step forward, Paul Coll.
Ten years ago, at 20 years old Paul Coll sat at #115 in the world. In April last year, Coll took home the most prestigious trophy on tour, the British Open. Last month, he became the first non-Egyptian to claim the World #1 spot since Gregory Gaultier in 2018.
And today, Coll has worked his way deeper into the history books, beating Ali Farag to secure his World #1 spot and becoming one of only three male players since 2000 to win back-to-back British Opens. Coll beat Farag in three games – 12-10, 11-6, 11-4.
A performance worthy of a World #1
After a surprise upset at the hands of Victor Crouin in last month’s Canary Wharf tournament, all eyes were on the New Zealander to see if he could back-up his World #1 spot. Was there ever any doubt?
In a gut-busting 51 minute match, Coll asked questions of Farag that no other player has done all tournament. While Farag looked strong, the high intensity, low-risk brand of squash Coll employs was enough to break down the top Egyptian player, securing him the win in just three games.
Paul Coll won a substantial number of points against Farag with an eye-wateringly tight forehand drive, with Farag unable to scrape the ball from the wall. To dismantle one of the world’s best players in such a way is credit to the new-found skill and discipline of Paul Coll.
Coll’s low-error-count style of play forced Farag to try play much riskier, more attacking squash. You could see Farag visibly frustrated at how hard it must have felt to take a single point from the Kiwi player. In the end, the inch-perfect squash from Coll saw him through to success, with both players showing huge respect towards each other as the match closed out.
After the match, Coll said:
“I’m very proud to win this title against such a great champion in Ali Farag”.
“I credit my whole team for this victory. Everyone gives me amazing advice and I feel so much clearer about what I’m doing on court these days. I’m feeling great on court and really enjoying my squash, which is all thanks to the people around me”.
The secrets to Coll’s success
Keen followers of Paul Coll will have no doubt seen a change in the way he plays in recent years. The ‘Superman’ moniker he adopted in the early stages of his career now appears to be fading into insignificance. Coll has replaced diving around the court for more solid, stable and calculated movements, and it shows.
His match tactics have also changed considerably. On the surface, the squash he plays look simple, but the subtleties are where the difference lies. Playing lengths with a huge variety of pace and height, utilising a sensational lob when under pressure, and showing a variety of options from the front of the court have made a phenomenal difference to his game, breaking down even the most battle-hardened players.
Coll often attributes his coach Rob Owen to these changes in his game. I recently had the pleasure of watching SquashSkills’ documentary on Owen – it’s tremendously insightful and therefore definitely worth a watch. Rob, if you’re reading this, I think I could use some of your coaching!
A look at the players’ equipment
Paul Coll
Paul uses the Head Speed 120 Slimbody. A lightweight frame with a large head size and a slick all-black paint job. Paul uses Head’s Adaptive Fan Pattern to give him more control on his shots.
He also wears the Eye Rackets S-Line shoes – you can read our full review of these shoes here.
Purchase links:
Head Speed 120 Slimbody
Eye Rackets S-Line 2.0 Shoes
Ali Farag
Ali’s signature racket is the Dunlop Revelation Pro. A racket designed specifically for Farag with his own specification including a light overall weight with an ultra-head-heavy balance.
Ali wears the Asics Gel Fastballs – one of the most popular shoes on tour thanks to their lightweight, low-profile design, with a wide mid-sole providing excellent levels of stability when moving.
Purchase links:
Dunlop Sonic Core Revelation Pro
Asics Gel Fastball
Hi Rob I was persuaded to buy one of Coll’s Head rackets from PDH so I fully expect to be playing at his standard in no time at all 😉
It’s been my go-to racket for the past 6 months and I’d loved it haha – make sure to try out the fan pattern when it comes to a restring!