Get to Know….The 2022 CANADIANS
David Baillargeon
David Baillargeon – World Rank 61
Home Town: Montreal, Quebec
David has been a prolific player competing in 82 tournaments since joining the PSA in 2014. This will be his 5th NASH Cup appearance, and his first as Canada’s top ranked male. He has won 4 PSA titles and won the Canadian Nationals in 2022. He arrives at the 2022 NASH Cup as our 3rd seed and ranked a career best 61st in the world.
Somehow David has always received a challenging draw in the NASH Cup. His improved ranking and seed provide him with a bye in the first round and he will face the winner of local hope Matthew Henderson and Andrew Douglas. From London David may continue to Egypt where he is currently 2nd reserve, otherwise he will be off to the Oracle Netsuite event in San Francisco.
Shawn Delierre
Shawn Delierre – World Rank 111
Home Town: Montreal, Quebec
Club: Club Sportif MAA
Favourite Shot: Get in there and dig
What can really be said about Shawn – legendary; loved; and an absolute institution at the NASH Cup. Shawn is one of the fittest players on the PSA World Tour and has, incredibly, appeared in three of the five longest squash matches ever recorded. He is a 2 time National Champion.
LSRC members may remember his 2021 NASH Cup appearance as he made it to the semi-finals against Timothy Brownell (also back). Shawn employs a unique breathing technique which was clearly audible to those in the stands. It certainly works for him.
Shawn won his first title at the Quebec Open Classic in 2004 and grabbed his fifth at the Goodlife Squash Open in 2006. The Canadian won three consecutive PSA World Tour titles in 2010 with his 10th title coming on home-soil at the NASH Cup in September 2011. Shawn has now been in 34 finals and claimed 17 titles…the most recent of which was Barbados in 2019.
In January 2015 he played a mammoth 170 minute semi-final clash with Leo Au in the Gas City Pro-Am in making headlines as it broke the record for being the longest match ever recorded.
This will be Shawn’s 9th NASH Cup. He meets Edmon Lopez (wr 86) of Spain in the first round.
Twitter – @ShawnDelierre
Iman Shaheen
Iman Shaheen – World Rank 241 – NASH Cup Wildcard
Home Town: Ottawa, ON
Ottawa’s Sheheen has been a fierce competitor on the Junior tour for some time and Since 2021 has brought her passions and talent to PSA events across Canada. She made her PSA debut in Windor 2019 and joined the Nash Cup field in 2021. She stunned Anisha Khan (USA) in the opening round with a 3-1 upset and then fell to Marina Stefanoni in the final 16. A win in her first round against Anna Kimberley (ENG; wr 81 – 4th NASH Cup) and she will face Marina again.
Liam Marrison
Liam Marrison – World Rank 187 – NASH Cup Wildcard
Home Town: Markham, Ontario
Marrison is a GTA native who took gold in the 2019 Canada Winter games. Currently ranked 187th in the world, Liam joined the tour in 2021 and picked up some great ranking points playing at many events throughout North America in 2022. He’s a graduate of Western and has apparently been training in Spain over the past year.
Liam joined the PSA in summer 2021 and has already competed in 13 events. He will face past Nash Cup champion Alfredo Avila of Mexico in the first round and this should be a great match. We can expect his Western supporters out in full force for his first Nash Cup showing!
Mike McCue
Mike McCue – World Rank 108
Home Town: Sudbury, Ontario
Club: Toronto Athletic Club
Favourite Shot: Backhand Volley Drop
This will be Mike’s 8th NASH Cup. Mike’s been climbing the PSA rankings since 2010 and has been ranked as high as 79th (Mar. 2020)
Mike has made tournament finals 10 times and claimed 2 titles. Most recently he reached the quarter finals in the John’s Creek Open in Georgia. The NASH Cup field is strong, but we have often seen players from the middle of the pack work their way to the top and Mike has lots of experience on our courts
Mike should have an exiting first round matchup against Daniel Mekbib of the Czeck Republic on Tuesday the 13th at 4:30.
Mike is from Sudbury but lives and trains in the sunny south (Toronto) with Jonathan Power and Jamie Hickox. From London Mike plans to play in Cleveland where he is currently the #3 reserve, then the White Oaks Court Classic.
Twitter – @mccuemike
Nick Sachvie
Nick Sachvie – world rank 96
Home Town: St. Catharines, Ontario
Club: Toronto Athletic Club
Favourite Shot: Forehand Kill
Nick played in the PSA from 2009 to 2011 and then took two years off before returning in 2013. He has been in the top 120 since January 2017. This will be Nick’s 8th NASH Cup appearance. He is a fan favourite after so many appearances and is known for his exciting and athletic play. He will be starting as the 14th seeded player and will face Diego Gobbi from Brazil (wr 117) in the opening round.
Nick is from St. Catharines and trains in Toronto with his brother Chris as his coach. The NASH Cup will be his 8th tournament of 2022. His last title was a $5K in Gatineau 2021. Nick will continue from the NASH Cup to Cleveland where he is the 21st seed, then to his home club in St. Catherines for the White Oaks Classic.
Twitter – @bignico22
Matthew Henderson – world rank 414
Home Town: Nanaimo, BC
Club: London Squash & Fitness
Nanaimo native Matt Henderson has become an absolute fixture of the London Squash & Racquets Club, and the Canadian scene. Sources tell this writer he has managed to maintain his position as one of the top Mustang players even with ‘minimal training’ (or so the rumours go). He’s also a strong doubles player, hitting events around North America. He held down the #1 spot for the Mustangs team most of his tenure at Western and is sure to be a fan favourite again this year at the Nash Cup!
2022 is Matt’s second appearance. The last was in 2017 where he fell to Canada’s David Baillargeon (wr 61). He will face Andrew Douglas (USA; wr 84) in the opening round and then we could see a rematch with David.
Matt has been increasing his tournament participation and is currently on the reserve list for the White Oaks Classic starting October 10th in St. Catherines.
Amal Izhar – world rank 183 – NASH Cup Wildcard
Home Town: Oakville, Ontario
Oakvilles Izhar began playing in 2015 and was quick to make an impact on the Junior Circuit. Coached by her father, she has been named Squash Ontario’s most improved U19 player. She was also recruited by many Ivy League schools, ultimately deciding on Columbia for this coming fall.
She joined the PSA in 2020, and is currently ranked 183. She stunned the field in her 2021 NASH Cup debut making the quarter finals and falling to finalist Karina Tyma (who has returned for 2022). In her most recent appearance at the Windsor open where she fell to Nikki Todd in the Quarterfinals.
Great experience for this rising Canadian player!
Amal will be facing Nadeem Kotb of Egypt (wr 77). Both are in their 2nd NASH Cup.
Nikki Todd
Nikki Todd – world rank 104
Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan
Club: Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto
Favourite Shot: Forehand Drop
Regina’s Nikki Todd returns for her 9th Nash Cup in 2022. A perennial fan favourite, Nikki started on the Tour in 2012, and cracked the Top 50 in April 2018. Currently Ranked at #104 in the world this is Nikki’s only scheduled event on the PSA tour for the rest of 2022. Her experience should serve her well in this draw.
Todd was only featured four times on Tour in 2021, starting off with an appearance at the PSA World Championships in Chicago. She followed that up with a quarter final result at the Nash Cup, before also making the last four of the Oxford Properties Canadian Senior Championships. In 2022 Nikki has had some successes with a quarter final in Calgary where she lost 3-2 to Canada’s Danielle Letourneau in a Challenger 30 event. Most recently she lost in the finals of the Challenger 5 JK Windsor Open to Diana Garcia, who is also in the 2022 NASH Cup.
We are thrilled to have Nikki back. Local fans will be emphatically cheering her on as she faces Alicia Mead of England in her first round NC match.
Written by Jeremiah Rusznyak