Timothy Brownell : It’s wonderful to see a new type of competition put in place

The inaugural Carrus Nations Cup begins on Thursday in Tauranga, New Zealand, with a brand new format never before seen in squash. The team event will see eight teams of two players take to the court at the Trustpower Baypark Arena in Tauranga, in a round-robin format with matches being best-of-seven, and with each game being the first-to-seven points.

Ahead of the brand new tournament, we have spoke to some of the players who will be featuring, to get their thoughts.

Timothy Brownell – the 2022 U./S. National Champion – will be featuring for the United States at the tournament, alongside partner Olivia Clyne.

Firstly, what do you make of the new event structure?

I think it’s wonderful to see a new type of competition put in place, it really generates excitement around the community and both players and fans alike have been really looking forward to this event to see how it will all play out!

How much are you looking forward to being a part of the inaugural Nations Cup?

It’s very special for me to be a part of this event for a few reasons. Playing for the United States was always one of my dreams as a young player so I relish every opportunity I have to put the jersey on, couple that with the fact I get to step on court with some of the world’s best players who I’ve looked up to for years? Give me a break!

What are your thoughts on the new scoring format, including the Powerplay rule?

I like the new Powerplay rule, although at first I was uncertain what would happen if you lost that rally – would it backfire and your opponent gets two points? Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the first 5-5 “double game point” Powerplay call!

How does it feel to representing your country in a brand new event?

I can think of so many fun rules but for this particular event it would definitely be that both players have to play first bounce in front of the ’T’ for a rally, pure madness!

It’s a mixed team event, so how much are you looking forward to playing alongside Olivia Clyne?
I’m really looking forward to competing with Olivia, I’ve known her for years and for the past season we’ve been gym buddies – not many of the other teams can say that! She’s a fierce competitor and I can’t wait to suit up alongside her and make some noise in this draw.