Aberystwyth squash player Rhys Evans joined the ranks of the professional game last week after securing third place in the British Junior Championships, writes Clive Davies.

Rhys, 18, travelled to Huntingdon to participate in his first Professional Squash Association (PSA) tournament – and stunned the organisers and spectators alike by blazing through the draw to win the tournament.

Rhys, from Southgate, shocked the number two seed in the first round with a 3-0 victory and only dropped two games – in a tense 3-2 victory in the semi-final – on his way to the final, where he faced England’s highly fancied Mike Andrews.

As the match unfolded, Andrews wilted in the face of Rhys’ power and accuracy and the new boy on the circuit showed no signs of nerves to claim a convincing 3-0 victory, taking the title and completing a remarkable debut among the professional ranks.

Rhys, a Welsh champion at multiple age levels and the current Wales Number 1 at under 19 level, was typically modest after his spectacular arrival on the professional stage.

“I was expecting the professional game to be pretty tough but I have confidence in my ability and win or lose I just wanted to give a good account of myself,” said Rhys, who plays for Wrexham Brymbo in the NorthWest Counties League.

“I was pleased to get to the final and with the way I handled the pressure – and I was obviously delighted to win the whole tournament on my first appearance on the PSA circuit.”

Rhys’ success is all the more remarkable given that he developed his game while playing out of a council-run leisure centre in Aberystwyth.

While his opponents enjoy elite facilities on a daily basis at private squash clubs with high profile professional coaches, Rhys has had to rely on the facilities at Plascrug Leisure Centre with only his elder brother, Siôn – himself a highly talented player – to provide serious opposition.

His determination to succeed in the unrelenting world of professional squash forced him to travel to centres as far afield as Manchester and Birmingham to find the level of players to help develop his game.

“I know there’s a tough road ahead but I’ll keep plugging away and keep learning from the best players and my coaches to push me on,” said Rhys.

“I’m very grateful to the staff at Plascrug Leisure Centre and to the squash players there for all their encouragement in the early days – especially that of my family and brother, Siôn.

“I couldn’t have achieved anything without their constant support.”