Tesni Evans Ends 20-Year Welsh Wait For Squash Medal

Tesni Evans stunned squash legend Nicol David to end Wales’ 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal.

The 25-year-old beat Malaysia’s eight-time world champion 3-1 to take bronze after a spectacular few days for the British champ.

Evans is the first Welsh squash player to win a medal at the Commonwealths since Alex Gough’s bronze in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The Rhyl-based ace said: “I feel unbelievable and can’t believe I won that match.

“It was so tough after coming back from yesterday but I am happy I put in a performance like that.

“This morning I was having so many doubts in my mind about how tired I was and I was just trying to block it out.

“This is the top of moment my career and I am very proud to represent Wales. I’m absolutely over the moon. 

“I think I have just got a little bit more belief in myself than I used to have. 

“I used to struggle with confidence that I could actually beat these players. Just having a bit more belief now has really helped me with my game.

“I’ve had a great week and to beat someone like Nicol for bronze, if you’d asked me 10 or five years ago I never thought I’d be here playing an absolute legend and managing to beat her.”

Evans triumphed after two tight games after the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth  champion and third seed have levelled the match.

Cardiff-born Evans, seeded six for the Games, had dumped England’s No 1 seed Laura Massaro out in the quarter-finals.

But she lost to Sarah-Jane Perry of England in the semi-final on Sunday.