Lucy Turmel: the journey of a Worlds debutant

Ahead of her maiden appearance at the forthcoming World Championships, double British Junior champion Lucy Turmel reveals the secrets to her unprecedented success in 2017.

You wouldn’t be far wrong in betting Lucy Turmel is the most excited player to play in this month’s AJ Bell PSA World Championships.

Instead of watching this year’s tournament from her home on Squash TV, Turmel will be making her bow on the world's stage – a testament to the sterling year the 18-year-old has enjoyed.

The Ipswich hitter has seemingly mastered the transition from the junior ranks towards senior level, having bagged her maiden PSA title at the Cuitat de Barcelona Open in September, only nine months after her PSA debut at last year’s London Open.

Turmel must win two qualifying matches for a place in the main draw, but for the England Squash Academy player – there’s no better opportunity to build on her whirlwind performances in a place which feels like home.

“This year has gone pretty well in terms of what I’ve achieved,” said Turmel, who juggles her squash with her a BTEC Level 3 Sports diploma at Suffolk One Sixth Form College.

“It’s the first year in which I’ve entered any PSA senior tournaments, so it has been about balancing junior and senior events.

“But to be able to still win titles in the juniors and win my first senior title has been amazing.

“The Worlds will be a good experience and I’m just looking to see how much I can take from it and how I can cope with the type of players I’ll be up against."

“There’ll be some local support there and I hit on those courts all the time when I come to Manchester for academy training, so I’m used to them.”

Having achieved a fifth-place finish at her first European Championships in August – where she gained her first senior England cap – the English Open closed winner also defended her U19 crown at October’s British Junior Championships.

Turmel is in hot form heading into her maiden worlds and rooted at the heart of her recent successes – which has seen her climb to 75 in the PSA Squash rankings – is none other than England’s golden girl Laura Massaro.

It was last December when the teenager first went to train with England’s No.1, who has since played an important mentoring role in developing Turmel’s game.

“Recently she’s become more of a mentor to me. She’s helped me loads and I feel lucky to have her by my side,” said Turmel.

“Laura’s quality. She’s always been a role model of mine, having been the No.1 woman in England for some time now – I’ve always looked up to her.”

Picking the brains of the 2013 PSA World champion isn’t the only weapon in Turmel’s arsenal – it’s her industrious attitude and the hours she dedicates in the gym which suggests there are greater things to come on the senior stage.

Turmel puts it down to having her own strength and conditioning coach – Phil Green – a personal trainer renowned for his work on nurturing sports stars through his academy, Become an Athlete.

“I’ll have a session once a week with Phil, where I do deadlifts and squats, but even when I’m not, I still use my local gym for strength sessions,”

“I really enjoy the fitness side of things and quite a big part of my game is being physically strong – I think that’s helped me a lot.”

Watch Lucy in action at the PSA AJ Bell World Championships from 8-17 December - buy tickets

PB this morning?????? 85kg for 6 reps? @PhilGreen_ pic.twitter.com/xSnGg84PKi

— Lucy Turmel (@lucyturmel) September 19, 2017