Saurav Ghosal and James Willstrop exchanged a laugh and a fist bump the moment they crossed paths in the show court of the University of Birmingham squash courts on Wednesday.
Riding on this match was a bronze medal and an undercurrent of emotion. James’s father, Malcolm Willstrop, had been Ghosal’s long-time mentor and former coach, someone the Indian went to for life as much as those squash lessons. The passing of Malcolm last year was a soul crusher for the Indian, for he “never got the chance to say goodbye properly”.
Ghosal and the Willstrop family have a deep connection, making it only fitting that the Indian’s most-longed squash accomplishment had a Willstrop around to witness it.
Ghosal, 35, moving across the court like 25, beat James 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 to put his hands on the men’s singles Commonwealth Games (CWG) bronze medal in Birmingham. It was Ghosal’s first singles medal at the CWG, as also that of Indian squash. All of the country’s previous three CWG medals have been in doubles, with Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa the common thread for each of them.
Over the last couple of years, Ghosal had singled out the CWG singles medal as his most desired piece of silverware, and his breaking down holding the glass walls at the end of it all showed just how much it meant to him.
Ghosal had a lopsided 1-8 win-loss record against the much-celebrated home favourite, but history wouldn’t stop Ghosal from breaking the singles duck.
The Indian raced to 6-2 lead in the first game, foxing and wrong-footing James with his subtle wrists before a neatly placed drop in the next point. Ghosal rode the momentum of the 11-6 first game into the second, opening up a comfortable 5-0 lead. Not only was the 35-year-old moving across the court much quicker than the Englishman but also mixing it up well to take the second game 11-1. The world No 15 was bossing the 24th-ranked James, the medal well in sight. An equally efficient third game later, it was indeed.
Ghosal is a three-time Worlds Doubles Championships medallist, the 2018 CWG mixed doubles finalist and a seven-time Asian Games medallist (three of them in singles). A podium finish at the CWG was the one missing link he couldn’t crack, and the biggest motivating factor to push on in his thirties.
More so after the shock second-round exit in the singles of the 2018 CWG, a loss that made him question his ability to carry on competing on the professional tour. But a bold move to switch to the coaching of David Palmer and press the reset button for the last few years of his career picked him up again.
The Indian broke into the top-10 rankings in 2019, strung together some good results in the next couple of years, and carried the form this year. He made the singles semi-finals at the prestigious Tournament of Champions while also winning a Worlds mixed doubles gold with Dipika. Heading into this CWG, Ghosal felt the difference and the quiet confidence of finally landing a singles medal.
“This time, I do feel I am a better squash player than what I was four years back. I know I’m in a good position physically, mentally and squash-wise. I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best possible position for that (singles medal),” he said.