Welsh Under-19 squash champion Rhys Evans is ramping up his training for the Welsh Open championship in Cardiff next month following a hectic summer when he announced himself on the world and European stage.

The squash prodigy, from Southgate, Aberystwyth will be hoping to reclaim the title he won four years ago at the Sport Wales National Centre in Sophia Gardens.

The tournament is the latest in a busy schedule for Rhys after returning from Nancy, France where he enhanced his growing reputation at the World Junior Championships by losing only two matches against national champions from countries as far apart as Hong Kong, Egypt, America and Malaysia.

That tournament came off the back of his performances in the European Under-19 championships held in Eindhoven, Netherlands, when he recorded some remarkable victories against elite players on his way to a ninth place.

Playing against Number 1 ranked opponents from countries such as Israel, Poland, France and Romania, Rhys lost only one match and recorded five victories, the highlight being when he held his nerve to defeat the French Number 2 in a five-set thriller to secure a top 10 finish.

It was a remarkable performance for a youngster playing out of Plascrug Leisure Centre against intensively-coached opponents from across the continent.

Following his achievement in the individual event, Rhys then led the Wales team to a creditable fifth-placed finish in the mixed team event.

Playing as Wales Number 1, Rhys steered Wales to the quarter-finals, scoring four victories with two defeats – against the Number 1s from Switzerland and eventual winners England.

Sandwiched between the European and World championships, Rhys also competed in the British Junior championships – the Wimbledon of squash – in Nottingham, where he finished 12th overall.

He said, “It’s been a pretty hectic time with lots of travel involved, but that’s the name of the game at this level.

“I’m pretty happy with my performances against some of the best young players in the world and I’m looking forward to going head to head with some of them again next month at the Welsh Open.”

There will be no let-up in Rhys’s busy schedule. Following the Welsh Open, he will be travelling to Sheffield for the British Championships to be held in October.