Paul Coll capped a “huge” year when claiming the Black Ball Open in Cairo overnight.
New Zealand’s newest squash hero and world no.2 defeated Egyptian superstar and world no.1 Ali Farag, becoming the first foreign male to win a major in Egypt with a 11-7, 11-5, 13-11 scoreline.
Coll, 29, added to his growing list of trophies won in 2021 which also includes the British Open and the Canary Wharf Classic.
He admits it has been a massive year which has seen his belief in his own game soar to career heights.
“It’s been huge,” he said on SENZ Breakfast.
“All my finals I’ve won, I’ve beaten Ali in the final. He’s obviously the world number one so that’s been huge for my confidence and belief in my game.
“I made a couple of finals earlier in the year and I just didn’t have the confidence in my game that it was good enough to get over the line.
“Halfway through the year I spoke to (NZ squash great) Stu Davenport and he just told me to trust in my game. Once I got that one win in the British Open, it just launched my confidence through the roof.
“I had a lot of trust in my game that it was good enough and I didn’t have to change anything when I played these big boys. I could just get my game plan down pat and it was all about execution and just trusting in my game.”
Coll will now prepare for the Tournament of Champions in New York in January.
Listen to Coll’s full chat on SENZ Breakfast below:
Image courtesy PSA Tour.