Gregoire Marche and teenager Hana Ramadan claim Open International de Squash de Nantes titles

Defending champion Marche turned in a display of free-flowing squash from the outset of his final encounter with Chris Simpson and rode the wave of fervent home support to seal an 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2 victory.

“Today, I felt really good from the beginning,” said Marche.

“I found my length first, kept the same rhythm and I was in front of him all match. I was a bit nervous in the second game, and I think, maybe one or two years ago, I wouldn’t be able to keep the same concentration like I did today. 

“I’ve worked on this a lot since last year, so today I’m really happy. It’s my biggest title on the Tour, so it’s a great day. Everything worked, the crowd was a big part of the story here in Nantes as well.”

Ramadan and England’s Rachael Chadwick also served up an entertaining fixture in the inaugural Women’s final, with points ebbing and flowing between the pair before Ramadan took a one-game lead on the tie-break.

Alexandria-born Ramadan put in an immaculate display to record a 12-10, 11-4, 2-11, 11-9 triumph to capture her third PSA World Tour title.

“The atmosphere was amazing, everyone was very loud, very cheerful, and I had the pressure of not disappointing them and I also wanted to perform my best,” said Ramadan.

“It was pretty exciting for me, but there was also a lot of pressure. I wanted to do my best, but I also lost my focus, which was a bit disappointing for me.”

2016 Open International de Squash de Nantes – Men’s Final Result
[4] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [2] Chris Simpson (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2 (76m)
2016 Open International de Squash de Nantes – Women’s Final Result
[3] Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt [6] Rachael Chadwick (ENG) 3-1: 12-10, 11-4, 2-11, 11-9 (35m)