Team USA’s Todd Harrity captured his third career PSA title Sunday, September 23, by fulfilling his top seeding at the $11,000 Madeira International Open on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
The world No. 50 from Wayne, Pennsylvania, progressed to the semifinals without dropping a game, before facing his toughest test in the semifinals against India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar.
In the semis, Harrity held off the world No. 68 11-6, 3-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-8 in sixty-nine minutes to reach his tenth career PSA final where he would go on to face England’s Joshua Masters.
On Sunday, Masters took an early lead in the final 12-10, at which point Harrity took control of the match to claim the title in four games 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 in forty-nine minutes.
“I think for me it was just about keeping things as simple as possible,” Harrity said after the final. “I just tried to relax today and not put pressure on myself. I had really good preparation and have been playing well and then Josh just came out firing. After the first game I just tried to loosen up and play my shots and go for it a bit more.”
As a result of the PSA Tour’s new structure this season, the PSA Challenger title guarantees Harrity a spot in the 2019 PSA World Championships, the world’s first million dollar squash tournament in Chicago next February.
“It’s definitely a big weight off my shoulders to already have qualified for the World Championships and it will give me peace of mind that no matter what happens I still have a spot guaranteed there,” Harrity said. “I tried not to think about it too much this week and just take things one step at a time, but it feels great to have qualified.”