Joel Makin reached the British Open semi-final for the second time in his career with a 3-1 comeback win over Victor Crouin at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Makin, the Welsh No. 1, overcame a slow start to win 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.

Strategic Adjustment Pays Off

After dropping the opening game, Makin made tactical adjustments, tightening his shot selection and increasing the pressure on Crouin. His ability to maintain long rallies and control the tempo of the match proved key in turning the contest in his favour.

“I felt I was too passive early on,” Makin said post-match. “Once I found my length and took the ball earlier, I started to control the play better.”

First Welshman in Semi-Finals Since 2000

Makin’s win ends a long drought for Welsh squash—he is the first male player from Wales to reach the British Open semi-finals since David Evans in 2000. Evans went on to win the title that year.

While Makin isn’t looking too far ahead, the result is a significant step forward in what’s been a steady climb for one of the most consistent competitors on the PSA World Tour.

Next Challenge Awaits

Makin will now face either World No. 1 Ali Farag of Egypt or New Zealand’s Paul Coll in the semi-finals—both previous British Open champions. Regardless of the outcome, Makin’s run in Birmingham underscores his continued presence among the top echelon of men’s squash.

“For the semi against Asal, if I hit my lines I know I can cause him some issues, but he’s been hitting his lines and just won the World Champs so his aggressive hitting has been top quality,” said Makin.

“I’m going to get stuck in, these are the benchmarks in my career, you either get to a British Open final or you come up short again. These are the big moments that you’re looking forward to and put in all the work for.”

Fellow British players Marwan ElShorbagy and brother Mohamed ElShorbagy are in action on Friday bidding to join Makin in the last four, taking on respectively Paul Coll of New Zealand and Peru’s Diego Elias.

Sportin Wales’s coverage of Wales’s World Cup qualifying campaign is proudly sponsored by S4C. You can watch all of Wales’s matches this year for free on S4C and S4C Clic.

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