Top squash on show at CHA

Squash pro’s John White (left) and Raj Nanda.
(Photo by Tom Utescher)

by TOM UTESCHER

Although squash is known as a winter sport in these parts, a large crowd assembled at the CHASS (Chestnut Hill Academy/Springside School) Squash Club courts last Wednesday evening to take in an exhibition match that was definitely out of the ordinary.

Squaring off on one of the club’s gallery courts were John White, the number one player in the world in 2004, and Raj Nanda, a younger pro who broke into the top 50 in the global rankings last year. Both are originally from Australia, although for some time White has been representing his father’s native country, Scotland.

Currently ranked tenth internationally, the 32-year old White holds the world record for the hardest squash stroke, propelling the ball to 171 miles-per-hour. In the bout here last week Nanda, 26, succumbed to White in a best-of-five contest, 11-8, 18-16, 8-11, 11-9.

The savvy Scot gave Nanda a good runaround, joking with the crowd and tossing in a few trick shots, such as one where he stops a forehand stroke in mid-air, then snaps his wrist to strike the ball just a fraction of a second later. To be fair to Nanda, he had just flown in after playing a tournament in Mexico, and was seen earlier in the day catching some kip on a sofa at the local club.

Prior to the one-on-one match that evening, White and Nanda played a game of doubles along with two teaching pro’s, Joe Russell of the host club, and Scott Devoy of Merion Cricket. Naturally, Russell’s performance was followed closely by the largely local crowd, and was accompanied by the appropriate cheers and moans.

This is an ideal time of year for clinics and exhibitions of this kind, since the pro tour is now in the midst of its summer hiatus. The next major tournament is the English Open in August, and after that myriad events are held around the world, with the season generally running through May. The highlights include the fabled British Open in October, and the World Open, which is held in December and changes location according to the best-qualified sites bidding for the tourney.

According to White, the tour now features a number of stops in North America, as well. The Tournament of Champions in New York City draws top talent these days, and events in St. Louis and Toronto have recently developed a major following. The sport is growing here to the extent that White, who had been living in England for the past five years, recently relocated to Exton, PA. His wife, Susan, is an American who is originally from Ithaca, NY, and the couple has four children aged six and under.

Asked if his wife is a former squash player, White responded, “No, and that’s a good thing, actually. When I’m home, I can get away from squash for a while, which you can’t do if you’re living with other players. I love the game, obviously, but now and then you need a break mentally, as well as physically.”

His appearance in Chestnut Hill was actually arranged through Nanda, who knew him from the pro tour.

Mike Jefferys, the Chestnut Hill Academy coach and one of the pro’s at CHASS, explained, “I knew Raj from Australia, because we worked together at the Victoria Institute of Squash. He’s staying with me for a while and then he’s going down to a tournament in Colombia next month. He knew that John was now in the area and he was able to help set this up.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve had a current world champion play here at Chestnut Hill,” Jefferys noted. “John said he’d like to do more of this type of event, and we’re fortunate to have him living so close by.”