The Bermuda Squash Association Club Championships for 2025 concluded with a dramatic night of finals at the Devonshire club, as both the Men's and Women's Open titles were claimed by the number two seeds in thrilling fashion.
The Men’s Open final delivered a classic five-setter, ultimately seeing the number one seed, Noah Browne, fall to the exceptional resilience of the number two seed, Anaya Smith.
Smith claimed his maiden Club Championship title by coming back from two sets down in a grueling 45-minute battle. The final scoreline was 9-11, 6-11, 12-10, 13-11, 11-8, highlighting the narrow margins in the decisive later sets.
Speaking after the momentous win, Smith admitted the physical and mental toll of the match: "Honestly, I'm just really happy. Like, I'm tired. I had to focus and dig deep mentally because I wanted to win this championship, so I'm just happy I was able to pull through and just bring my best".
He acknowledged the support from the crowd, adding, "Having everyone cheering for me was really great, and I'm just really happy. I obviously worked really hard, and it just paid off".
In the Women’s Open division, the final was decided in straight sets, but still saw an upset as the number two seed, Rachel Barnes, swept aside the top seed, Eilidh Franklin.
Barnes controlled the match from the outset, taking just 30 minutes to secure the title with a dominant 3-0 victory. The score was 11-8, 11-9, 11-5.
Following her win, Barnes thanked the community for the championship's success: "I just thank you to everyone that made this tournament what it was. Everyone logistically, the organizers, the club, coaches, members, it's my favourite tournament of the year, so thank you".
She also highlighted the strong competitive spirit in the women's game: "I really feel like there's five or six or seven people that could have won this tournament, and I'm pumped, but honestly, I have so much respect and so much pride for everyone that played so well".
The night cemented the triumphs of both number two seeds, Barnes and Smith, who were ultimately crowned the 2025 Club Champions.
