Team USA’s Timmy Brownell became the first American man to defeat a top ten-ranked player in a PSA Platinum event with a statement win over England’s world No. 7 Marwan ElShorbagy on opening day of the 2026 Sprott Tournament of Champions presented by Crowd Street Thursday, January 22, in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal.
The three-time U.S. Champion entered his fifth career ToC in the best form of his career and highest world ranking of world No. 26. ElShorbagy, the 2023 ToC finalist, weighed in having just defeated world No. 4 Diego Elias to win the PSA Gold Motor City Open title last week in Detroit.
The American matched ElShorbagy’s pace and shot selection early on the match and stayed within reach, dropping the first game 9-11 and quickly leveling the match in the second game with an 11-1 advantage. Motivated by a vocal home crowd, Brownell edged the third game 13-11 but found himself down 8-10. Brownell quickly saved two game balls before two stroke calls handed him the match 13-11 after sixty-one minutes.
“I’m thrilled, I’ve got a lot of work to do with recovery to get ready for the next round, but I’m really happy with the way I fought and my team–everything was to the nines,” Brownell said. “We got everything done and I think we deserved it today. We were within striking distance the whole way. I really felt the way the points were played on the day that he was a bit slower off the ’T’. I decided to keep fighting the whole way and I didn’t think it was ever that far to reach–maybe in the third game when I was a few points back. I looked back at my corner and kept fighting and you’ve got to make them earn it at this level.”
Brownell becomes just the third American man to reach the ToC second round, following the likes of Julian Illingworth and Todd Harrity, and will have the opportunity to become the first American quarterfinalist against England’s world No. 14 Jonah Bryant Saturday.
U.S. teammates Olivia Weaver, Amanda Sobhy, Marina Stefanoni, Dillon Huang and Lily Bourell will all join the fold in the bottom half of the first round Friday.
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