On September 14, 2024, the first stage of the ESqF men’s and women’s leagues was held at the Yolo Squash Club in Tallinn. This was a particularly festive event, as it marked the first time the largest and most modern squash club in Estonia hosted a league tournament. Given the world-class conditions at the club and the fact that it was an open tournament, participation was especially high. A total of 27 male players and 6 female players took part in the tournament. This shows that the players have not been sitting idle over the summer; they are full of desire and motivation to play.
The M-League saw the top players from Estonia once again in attendance. It is a pleasure to note that after a long pause, we saw the return of medal contender Priit Ilomets to the competitive scene. It is always great to welcome new players, and this time, we had the debut of amateur tournament winners Igor Krupenski, the talented junior Anders Rossar, and Indrek Loolaid, who plays at the Tartu club.
As an irreplaceable player, Priit Ilomets immediately mixed up the cards—his first-round opponent, Margus Vilisoo, had to acknowledge his superiority. Margus, who had trained diligently over the summer, certainly had higher ambitions for this tournament, but the tough draw put a stop to that this time.
From the second round onward, we saw some solid battles. The most intriguing duels were between Andri Talts and Priit Ilomets, as well as Eveli Mälk and Jaanus Pettai. In both pairs, we witnessed squash at its finest.
Before Priit and Andri’s match, it was quite hard to predict who might come out on top. Andri had the advantage of solid summer training, while Priit faced a long break from competition and limited summer practice. The match turned out to be very competitive, ultimately resolved in a fast-paced tiebreak in the final game. This time, training prevailed, as Andri claimed the game 12-10 and moved on to the quarter-finals. In the match between Eveli Mälk and Jaanus Pettai, three games were also needed. Eveli has made great strides while training in the USA, significantly improving her accuracy and discipline. Multiple-time Estonian champion Jaanus Pettai had to utilize all his skills to win 2-1.
In the end, all eight seeded players reached the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-finals, Kristjan Pettai faced Kaarel Simm, Silver Saia battled Andri Talts, Jaanus Pettai played against Martin Etverk, and Rasmus Kurm went up against Paul Piik.
While six-time Estonian champion Kristjan Pettai easily overcame his opponent, the other matches showcased much closer squash.
It’s also worth mentioning that from the quarter-finals onwards, matches were played on the glass court, adding even more excitement and flair.
Andri and Paul had to fight through four games in their quarter-final, but in the end, they were quite confident, advancing with a 3-1 victory to the semi-finals. Jaanus Pettai and our top junior Martin Etverk’s match only required three games, but it wasn’t one-sided. We saw very aggressive play and incredible rallies. All games ended very narrowly at 11-9, with the experienced Jaanus Pettai winning them all.
Thus, the semi-finals featured Kristjan Pettai against Andri Talts and Jaanus Pettai against Paul Piik. As expected, the favorites Kristjan and Paul emerged as winners. Although Andri put up a serious fight in the opening game against Kristjan, his strength waned in the following games, and Kristjan Pettai advanced to the finals with a 3-0 victory.
Therefore, the third place was contested between Andri Talts and Jaanus Pettai, while the title match featured the two highest seeds.
In the third-place match, Jaanus was a bit fresher and managed to secure the podium spot with a 3-1 victory.
In the final, we witnessed high-level, fast-paced squash. The glass court favors long rallies, and when the players are of high caliber, it is particularly enjoyable to watch. Both players displayed their best shot arsenals. The rallies even extended so long that Kristjan had to sweep up all the dust from the floor to catch his breath. This tactic worked, and in a tense match, Kristjan Pettai ultimately won 3-1, securing the overall tournament victory.
In the W-League, there were a total of 6 players competing in a single group, with everyone playing against each other. The four-time Estonian champion Reele Komi took on a particularly tough challenge, testing herself in the M-League as well. Thus, Reele played 10 matches and 25 games throughout the day. In the women’s league, Reele didn’t drop a single game, winning all her matches 3-0, and thereby winning the tournament.
The other medal winners, Mari-Liis Stalde and Hannela Artus, had to work hard for their victories. Mari-Liis, who took home the silver medal, played five games each against Küllike Hermet and Eliise Ojasoo, being in the role of the underdog in both matches but ultimately turning them into 3-2 wins.
Hannela Artus, who placed third, also had to showcase her best skills against Eliise Ojasoo, winning narrowly 3-2. Additionally, it was great to see Maire Kurm back in competition, as she had a very solid first tournament!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the historic first competition at Yolo Squash! A special thanks to Guido for providing free coffee, and to the spectators for coming to support! We were very pleased to host everyone, and the lively pizza party will definitely happen next time! We are not just a place to compete but so much more!
Details of the matches are here.
Pics here by Samantha Aleksandra Žurkin.
See you on the court!