US Pan American Squash Team

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Natalie Grainger

Latasha Khan

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July 13-19, 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Julian Illingworth, who just recently became the highest ranked USA Squash player in PSA history, just had probably this biggest win in his career as he beat the #1 seed and defending Pan American Gold Medalist Shahier Razik (CAN) 3-0. Razik happens to also be #26 on the PSA World Rankings ladder. This win puts Julian into the Semi Finals and assures him of atleast a bronze medal (the two semi final losers don't play for 3rd).

Julian has had a great 12 months in his first year as a full-time pro. He has a record of 17 wins and 18 losses on the PSA Calendar this year and has some big wins over some PSA guns like Dan Jensen, Bradley Ball, and Wade Johnstone. The Pan American Games is not a PSA sanctioned event and this win wont change Julian's PSA ranking. But this will certainly change the way people view Juilian, and indirectly US Squash and its players as a whole. This is certainly one of the bigger softball singles wins that any American has had in recent years and its impact will be felt for a long time.

Julian reports that “This was one of my best wins – especially since it was three games to zero,” Illingworth said. “I got off the court about 15 minutes before my next opponent did, so hopefully that will help me. I’m feeling pretty confident right now. I just need to carry that momentum into the rest of the tournament.”

Without going too overboard on what this wins means, Juilan still has his work cut out for himself. With a fired up Brazillian crowd backing Rafel Alacorn through a tough loss to Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL), the semis are set. Rodriguez and Illingworth Sunday at 5:30pm (EST). Rodriguez is currently PSA Ranked #46 and boasts 4 PSA Tour titles. He will come at Julian with his fast pace play and hard paced shots. The glass court seems to be eatting up some of that pace and Julian will work to move Miguel around the court the way he did Razik. With a slew of top players still left in the draw, Juilan will certainly not back down shift after this big win. He knows he still has two very difficult matches ahead of him and another possible show down with Razik in the team event. Julian is a gamer and will not let this win get to his head and be ready for the semis on Monday.

But one cannot look at this win as nothing less than spectacular regardless what happens next or what the Canadian camp says was wrong with the court or Razik today. US Squash has always been a little behind the rest of the globe when it comes to international competition and wins like this haven't come very often, if at all. There are lots of explanations for why that is, but a simple explanation can be tied to the simple fact that the softball is still relatively new in the USA. US Squash players have only been using the ball full time for only about 15 years. In 1993, Julian was 9 years old and America just started the switch from harball to the softball and slowly started the conversion of hardball courts to the international version.

Julian is one of the first products of US Squash who grew up entirely on the softball and he certainly has risen to become one of the best american softballers ever. Julian also has some company with the next crop of Juniors "growing up softball" right behind him. Christopher Gordon, the first American to pass on college for the Pro game is now a seasoned PSA'er. And this summer recent Penn grad, Gilly Lane, is embarking on his full time PSA career. The future of US Squash is bright and how sweet would it be to have some of the shine bounce of a Gold Medal hung around Julian's neck.