Squash Yukon held a tournament over the weekend in order to give the players a chance to play and tune-up in preparation for their upcoming season. The tournament had four brackets: Men’s Open and Mixed, A, B and C.

The tournament needed that many brackets to meet the demands. Squash Yukon president Stephen Buckler said the league filled up quicker than usual this year.

“The league has 84 people, the same as last year,” said Buckler.

“Eighty-four is the perfect number of people to run the league, it fits out scheduling well. Although we have the same number of people as last year, the league filled up almost instantly, I used to have to call people who had signed up previous years.”

While at the tournament it was easy to see the popularity of the sport.

Each game, which were divided among the three squash courts at Better Bodies, had people watching, whether it was family and friends, or other participants in the tournament. Everyone watching applauded the shots and effort the players put forward, regardless if it was the player they came to see.

The tournament, which played the round robin games Friday, had the championship matches played Saturday afternoon. The first championship match was the Mixed B bracket. Thibeault Rondel and Ava Cairns-Locke were the two competitors to make it to the finals.

The games were tight but it was Rondel who came out on top of the best of five contest, winning 3-0.

“It was a good sweat,” said Rondel. “I am looking forward to playing the league now. Hopefully in the next tournament I will be able to compete at the next level.”

Mixed C held the next championship game, seeing Erika Joubert walk through the glass doors onto the court to take on Andy Brown. Both competitors played tough squash but in the end it was Brown who was able to take the match 3-0.

Although she lost, Joubert had plenty of positives to take away from her match, which she will use to improve as a squash player.

“I felt good, it was the best that I could do,” said Joubert. “He played at a faster pace than I was used to, but I should be playing with and against people like him more often. Usually I play against women, but this will make me a better player.”

The two finalists for the Mixed A championship were Erik Jacobson and Will Chetcuti. Both players exhibited plenty of heart battling to a two game apiece tie. In the fifth and deciding set Jacobson managed to persevere, taking the fifth and final game, winning the match 3-2.

In the last game of the day Julien Revel squared off against Grayson Peters in the Men’s Open final. Both players faced stiff competition in the early rounds of the tournament from experienced squash players, to the up and comers like Mackenzie Cameron, who will be representing the Yukon at the Canada Winter Games being held in Red Deer in March.

Revel who was described by Buckler as “the best player in the Yukon” won the first two games of the match. He was calm on the court and sent the ball zipping off the walls at different levels, challenging Peters into difficult shots and and putting him out of position.

Peters took the third game, as he was able to get his racket on every ball that Revel hit, showing off some spectacular displays of athleticism.

In the fourth game Revel came back with a vengeance, making Peters chase the ball around the court, on route to the victory. Revel took the match 3-1, winning the Men’s Open championship.

“It was a good match, it is always fun to play Grayson,” said Revel. “We have been playing together for the last 17 years now. When Grayson is on his game he is a really hard man to beat. Sometimes he gets me, but today I guess I was just a little bit better than him.”

With the tournament in the books, champions named and the rust mostly shaken off of the players, Squash Yukon can look forward to an eventful, competitive season.