Laura Massaro

Laura Jane Massaro MBE (née Lengthorn; born 2 November 1983) is a retired professional squash player from England. She retired after the British Open, in May, 2019.

Laura Massaro
MBE
Full nameLaura Jane Lengthorn
Country England
ResidencePreston, England
Born (1983-11-02) 2 November 1983
Great Yarmouth, England
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Turned Pro2000
PlaysRight Handed
Coached byDavid Pearson, Daniel Massaro
Racquet usedHead
Women's singles and doubles
Highest rankingNo. 1 (January, 2016)
Current rankingNo. 7 (March, 2019)
Title(s)21[1]
Tour final(s)41[1]
World OpenW (2013)
Medal record
Women's squash
Representing  England
World Championships
2013 Penang Singles
2012 Grand Cayman Singles
2015 Kuala Lumpur Singles
World Team Championships
2014 Niagara-on-the-Lake Team
2008 Cairo Team
2010 Palmerston North Team
2012 Nîmes Team
2016 Issy-les-Moulineaux Team
2018 Dalian Team
Commonwealth Games
2010 Delhi Doubles
2014 Glasgow Singles
2014 Glasgow Doubles
Last updated on: March 2019.

She was born in Great Yarmouth. She attended Albany High School, Chorley,[2] which is now called Albany Academy. In July 2007, she married Danny Massaro and became Laura Lengthorn-Massaro. She subsequently dropped 'Lengthorn' from her name and is now known professionally as Laura Massaro.[3]

She won her first top-level title at the German Open in 2004 and went on to become British Open champion in 2013[4] and World Champion in 2014, so become the first Englishwoman to hold both titles at once.[5] She is also a three-time silver medallist for England in Commonwealth Games.

Massaro has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year awards.[6] She won the WISPA Player of the Year award in 2011.[7] She won the US Open and the Cleveland Classic in 2011, the Sharm El Sheikh Open in 2010, and the Monte Carlo Classic in 2008.

Massaro also won the British National Squash Championships in 2011, defeating Jenny Duncalf in the final 7–11, 11–9, 7–11, 11–7, 11–2. She had previously finished runner-up at the championships in 2008 (losing in the final to Alison Waters 11–6, 7–11, 8–11, 9–11).

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Massaro won a silver medal in the women's doubles (partnering Jenny Duncalf). She followed up four years later at the 2014 Commonwealth Games with two silver medals: silver in singles after finishing runner-up to Nicol David and another silver in doubles with Duncalf.[8]

Massaro won the British Open in 2013. She was the first English woman to do so in 22 years.

Laura's sponsors include 305SQUASH for clothing, Head for rackets, Asics for shoes and Technifibre for strings. She is also sponsored by UK Fast, Proto-Col and CourtCare and is provided with a sponsored car by Corkhills Volkswagen in Wigan.[9] Laura has also recently partnered with HFE (Health and Fitness Education) in order to expand on her existing knowledge and enjoyment of yoga.[10]

After starting 2014 brightly by winning the WSA World Tour title in Chicago, Massaro won the biggest title of her career to date at the 2013 World Open in Penang upon beating Nour El Sherbini in the final. Her achievement, alongside that of reigning men's world champion Nick Matthew,[11] meant that England had two reigning world squash champions for the first time.

Massaro's exceptional 2014 season continued when she was runner-up to David at the British Open in Hull in May.[12]

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, Massaro went unbeaten through the women's singles – including a semi-final against compatriot Alison Waters – before falling to David in the gold medal match. She and Duncalf then joined forces in the doubles and won through to the final, where they lost to Indians Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa in straight games.

October saw Massaro reach the quarter-finals of the US Open, where she lost to Nour El-Sherbini.[13] After a string of lacklustre performances throughout late 2014 and early 2015, she progressed to her third British Open final in succession before losing out to eventual victor Camille Serme.

Massaro started her 2015/16 season in strong fashion as she achieved victory at the US Open and Qatar Classic. Upon beating world No. 1 Raneem El Weleily (who herself ended David's 9-year unbroken streak as world No. 1 several months prior) in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open,[14] she became the third Englishwoman (and first since 2004) to ascend to the top of the world rankings.[15]

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to squash.[16]

World Open

Finals: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-up)
Outcome Year Location Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up2012Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Nicol David11–6, 11–8, 11–6
Winner2013Penang, Malaysia Nour El Sherbini11–7, 6–11, 11–9, 5–11, 11–9
Runner-up2015Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Nour El Sherbini6–11, 4–11, 11–3, 11–5, 11–8

Major World Series final appearances

British Open: 4 finals (2 titles, 2 runner-up)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner2013 Nicol David11-4, 3-11, 12-10, 11-8
Runner-up2014 Nicol David8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8
Runner-up2015 Camille Serme11-3, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8
Winner2017 Sarah-Jane Perry11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6

Hong Kong Open: 1 final (1 runner-up)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up2015 Nicol David15-13, 11-9, 11-3

Qatar Classic: 1 final (1 title)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner2015 Nour El Sherbini11-8, 12-14, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9

U.S. Open: 3 finals (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner2011 Kasey Brown5-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Runner-up2013 Nicol David13-11, 11-13, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5
Winner2015 Nour El Tayeb11-6, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7

Kuala Lumpur Open: 1 final (1 title)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner2013 Alison Waters11-9, 11-7, 11-6

Tournament of Champions: 1 final (1 runner-up)
Outcome Year Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up2017 Camille Serme13-11, 8-11, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7
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See also

References
  1. http://www.lauramassaro.co.uk/biography
  2. "Final victory for Laura". Leyland Guardian. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 15 October 2003. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  3. "Elevated Wolverhampton Open Attracts High Class Entries". Wolverhampton Open. Squash Player. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  4. Marianne Bevis (28 May 2013). "Laura Massaro beats Nicol David to take title". The Sport Review.
  5. "Laura Massaro beats Nour El Sherbini to win world title". BBC Sport. 23 March 2014.
  6. "Sportswomen of the Year Awards". Sky Sports. 26 October 2014.
  7. http://www.wispa.net/NM/anmviewer.asp?a=1749&z=25
  8. "Massaro claims second silver of Commonwealth Games". ITV News. 2 August 2014.
  9. "Volkswagen drives sponsorship forward for local sporting legend". Wigan World. 25 September 2014.
  10. "How Does Yoga Help Squash's World Number 1 Player?". HFE Blog. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  11. "World Squash Championship: Nick Matthew wins world final". BBC Sport. 3 November 2013.
  12. "British Open Squash final: Nicol David defeats Laura Massaro". BBC Sport. 19 May 2014.
  13. "Sherbini stuns packed house — and second seed Massaro — in quarterfinals". US Open Squash Championships. 16 October 2014.
  14. https://psaworldtour.com/news/view/2840/hong-kong-update-massaro-downs-world-no-1-to-reach-third-consecutive-world-series-final
  15. https://psaworldtour.com/news/view/2898/england-s-laura-massaro-crowned-world-no-1
  16. "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N20.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Raneem El Weleily		 World No. 1
January 2016 – April 2016		 Succeeded by
Nour El Sherbini
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Shelley Kitchen		 WISPA Most Improved Player of the Year
2008		 Succeeded by
Camille Serme
Preceded by
Nicol David
Nicol David		 WSA Player of the Year
2011
2013		 Succeeded by
Nicol David
Raneem El Weleily
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