KENDAL squash club hosted their first ever PSA tournament which welcomed a European champion.

This was the club’s first ever tournament of this kind which had European Junior Squash Champion, Finn Withington impressing spectators as he moved smoothly through to add the Kendal Sidas Tournament to his portfolio of titles.

Kendal Sidas is the latest addition to the Professional Squash Association calendar and the new tournament saw sixteen young players from across the country - and further afield - on court to face off for the cash prizes and the much sought-after world ranking points.

The top four seeds made it through to Sunday’s semi-finals. Spain’s Pablo Quintana Estevez took on the experienced first seed Lewis Doughty in a match which showcased the players’ athleticism, fitness, and skill levels.

The audience was engrossed, appreciating the long rallies and range of shots as the players continuously retrieved the ball from every corner of the court. It was a hard-fought match which lasted for one and a half hours.

Pablo eventually prevailed 11/8, 8/11, 11/7, 11/8.

He had a tough weekend, as his gruelling first round match on Saturday also went to five sets.

The second semi-final saw Finn Withington play Birmingham University student Will Salter. Finn’s composure and control throughout suggested that he always had an extra gear in reserve, as he took the match 11/7, 11/7, 11/2.

Will played well, but he could not get past Finn.

During the showpiece game, Finn Withington and Pablo Quintana Estevez had contrasting routes to the final. Finn had not dropped a set where he played Kendal’s new club champion Liam Barrett, before competing against the number 5 seed from Essex, Aaron Allpress, followed by the number three seed Will Salter.

Pablo had a tougher time getting to the final: on Saturday he played the very experienced Josh Taylor in a match which went the distance (five sets).

He played Mancunian Carlton Oldham who had earlier knocked out Carlisle’s eighth seeded Ben Hetherington, Pablo won the match by a comfortable margin.

His Sunday morning semi-final match proved to be tough and by the time he was back on court for the final, he looked tired while Finn had more energy.

The final score was 11/6, 11/7, 11/8 to Finn as he dominated from the start, showing his dexterity and range of shots. Prizes were presented by Steve Couper, owner and Managing Director of Kendal company Sidas UK which runs a sports injury and podiatry clinic in the town.

Finn has regularly represented England in junior age-range-competitions and this year he had won the European Junior (under 19) title and was the runner up in the World junior Championship.

He left college in the summer and is now intent on making a career as a professional squash player. Finn's aim is to get into the top 100 this season.

Finlay Withington is clearly a young man who is making waves in the squash world and he promised to come back to play in Kendal in the future. Watch this space.

Finn and top-seed Lewis Doughty flew off to Atlanta the day after the Kendal tournament finished where they are playing their next tournament this week.

Lewis, who has played in tournaments round the world, was very complimentary about the Kendal event, saying,

“I thought the Squash Club was a real gem in the heart of Kendal. Penny and her team did such a great job of welcoming the players and it was a pleasure to play in front of a packed out crowd each day.

“There was a real buzz around the place and it was so nice to chat to so many different people who were all excited about the squash on show.

“I hope this tournament will continue to be on the calendar each year and squash will grow in Kendal as a result.”

If Sidas are willing to keep up the generous sponsorship, Kendal Squash Club would be delighted to make this a regular event.

Sidas UK supports several other local sports clubs including Kendal Golf Club Kendal Rugby Club and the GIANT Sidas Bike Team. Owner and MD, sports enthusiast Steve Couper said, “This was a great opportunity to support the Squash Club with the goal of entertaining current members and encouraging prospective new members to pick up a racquet.

“As the club’s new poster says, “Great Fun and Great for You”, so I would encourage people to get in touch and have a go.”

For information contact secretary@kendalsquashclub.com or visit www.kendalsquash.com

READ MORE: Kendal Squash club players win big for England on international stage