A tribute evening will pay homage to the French General at the opening of the Nantes tournament
By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Correspondent

39-year-old Gregory Gaultier, who announced his retirement from the international circuit in October 2021, boasts the finest playing record in French squash history, consisting of 44 PSA titles, including 3 US Opens, 3 British Opens and 1 World Championship Title, secured in 2015 after 3 previous final defeats.

He also holds the record for the most matches played in the modern era (758) and the most consecutive months in the world’s top 10 (154).

This stellar career will be celebrated at the opening of the Open de France in Nantes, which returns after an absence of 2 years, on 12th September. It is taking place this year at a location that remains a closely guarded secret. All we know at this stage is that it will be somewhere on the ‘Ile de Nantes’, an island located on the River Loire in the centre of the city.

Two recently retired English squash stars, namely triple World Champion Nick Matthew and his long-standing friend and England teammate Daryl Selby, are travelling to Nantes to help pay tribute to the undisputed national hero of French squash.

The tribute night will start at around 9:00pm, after the conclusion of the evening tournament matches. Gaultier will be introduced to the crowd, following which a short video about his career will be played and an interview conducted.

A double exhibition match will then ensue, pitting Gaultier and a young, upcoming French player against Nick Matthew and Daryl Selby. Like the location of the tournament, the identity of Gaultier’s French teammate is also a closely guarded secret, although the organisers have revealed that at previous editions of the Nantes tournament, he has undertaken the role of court cleaner!

The exhibition matches will feature a novel format, consisting of 4 timed games of 10 minutes duration, rather than the usual 11 points. This should make things interesting, especially if the ‘wiley old foxes’ employ any time-wasting tactics, should they find themselves in the lead. Targets will also be placed on the walls, offering 2 or 3 points if they are hit.

If the match ends 2 all, there will be a points countback to declare the winning team. The match will be followed by a cocktail buffet.

There are still a few tickets left for this celebratory evening, priced at 54 Euros including cocktail buffet, which can be obtained on the event ticketing website here: http://www.opensquashnantes.fr/informations/billetterie,49.html

The Open de France in Nantes is taking place from 12th to 17th September at a secret location on the Ile de Nantes. More information can be obtained on the tournament website: http://www.opensquashnantes.fr/

Pictures courtesy of : Nathan Clarke (PSA) and Squashmad