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EM Noll Classic 2023
Men's Draw
02 - 07 Feb
Philadelphia, USA, PSA $12k |
ROUND One
02 Feb |
QUARTERS
03 Feb |
SEMIS
04 Feb |
FINAL
05 Feb |
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[1] Andrew Douglas (USA)
11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (37m)
Wong Chi Him (HKG) |
Andrew Douglas
8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10 (58m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani |
Andrew Douglas
11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-4 (53m)
Charlie Lee |
Charlie Lee
11-2, 11-7, 5-2 (21m)
Seif Shenawy |
[7] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY)
7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 (57m)
Tom Walsh (ENG) |
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY)
9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-1 (38m)
Joseph White (AUS) |
Zahed Salem
12-10, 11-5, 11-2 (24m)
Charlie Lee |
[3] Charlie Lee (ENG)
11-5, 11-9, 11-2 (28m)
Ben Smith (ENG) |
Tang Ming Hong (HKG)
11-1, 11-8, 11-3 (24m)
[4] Sam Todd (ENG) |
Tang Ming Hong
11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 (36m)
Seif Shenawy |
Seif Shenawy
11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10 (42m)
Bernat Jaume |
[8] Seif Shenawy (EGY)
11-5, 11-8, 13-11 (43m)
Spencer Lovejoy (USA) |
[6] Christopher Gordon (USA)
11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (38m)
Khaled Labib (EGY) |
Christopher Gordon
11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8 (56m)
Bernat Jaume |
[WC] Vini Rodrigues (BRA)
11-1, 11-9, 11-7 (27m)
[2] Bernat Jaume (ESP) |
Final
Lee Wins At Second Time Of Asking
After making the final last year, England’s Charlie Lee went on better
in 2023, beating Egypt’s Seif Shenawy to win the E.M. Noll Classic.
Lee made it to last year’s final at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia,
but lost out to compatriot Sam Todd. This year, the Englishman came into
the event as the No.3 seed, and started his week with a comfortable
straight games victory over another Englishman, in Ben Smith.
Lee then took on Egypt’s Zahed Salem, the former World No.14, in the
quarter finals, and after a tight first game, he was able to come
through in three. The semis saw the Englishman take on top seed Andrew
Douglas, in his toughest test of the week. The World No.64 fell behind
after three games, but battled back to win in a decider 11-4, to move
through to the final in Philadelphia for the second year.
The final saw Lee come up against No.8 seed Seif Shenawy, who had also
caused an upset in the last four by downing Bernat Jaume. The Englishman
held a two-game lead in the contest on Sunday afternoon, before the
Egyptian had to retire midway through the third after aggravating an
injury he suffered earlier in the week.
The win is the Englishman’s second in the last twelve months, following
a victory at the Sekisui Open in April 2022. Lee has also jumped up six
spots in the World Rankings, moving into the world’s top 60 for the
first time, to sit at a career-high of World No.58.
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Semi Finals
Lee and Shenawy Down Top Two Seeds
England’s Charlie Lee and Egypt’s Seif Shenawy caused upsets on Saturday
afternoon, knocking out the top two seeds to reach the E.M. Noll Classic
final.
The semi-finals were played on Saturday afternoon at the Racquet Club of
Philadelphia, and Lee, who reached the final of last year’s event, took
on top seed Andrew Douglas as he attempted to make the same stage this
time round.
The Englishman took the opening game 11-7, but then found Douglas to be
too much in the second and third games, as the top seed came from behind
to lead after three games. Lee fought back, though, to secure the forth
game and to send the match into a decider.
The fifth and final game could have gone either way, but it was the No.3
seed that came through to secure the upset. He won it 11-4 to move
through to the final of the E.M. Noll Classic for the second year in
succession. He will now take on Egypt’s Seif Shenawy after the No.8 seed
also took a surprise win on semi-finals day.
The Egyptian came up against No.2 seed Bernat Jaume in his last four
contest on Saturday, and the pair were level after two games, with the
Spaniard tying the contest by winning the second game 11-9. The
Egyptian, who sits 24 places lower in the World Rankings, wrestled the
momentum back in the third game though, before then clinching victory
with a tie-break win in the fourth, 12-10. |
Quarter Finals
Top Two Seeds Survive Five-Gamers
The second day of the E.M. Noll Classic almost threw up some big
surprises, but the top two seeds were able to come through in deciding
games to make it into the last four.
Top seed Andrew Douglas, took on Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani in the
quarter finals on Friday. It was the No.7 seed who was the better in the
early exchanges, battling through to win the opening game 11-8 before
the home favourite fought back to level the match. The same pattern
emerged over the next two games as well, with the decider going all the
way.
Both men had their chances to take the fifth game, but in the end it was
Douglas who got over the line. He won the decider 12-10 to book his spot
in the semis, where he will now take on England’s Charlie Lee. The No.3
seed came up against former World No.14 Zahed Salem in the last eight,
and after a first game tie-break went his way, he was in complete
control, taking the win inside 25 minutes.
In the bottom half of the draw, No.2 seed Bernat Jaume also had his
struggles on quarter finals day. He came up against the other American
in the draw, Christopher Gordon. The Spaniard took the lead twice in the
contest, but saw the American fight back to level on both occasions. In
the end, Jaume got the job done, winning the fifth 11-8 after just under
an hour of play, to move through to the last four.
The No.2 seed will now face Egypt’s Seif Shenawy in the last four. The
tournament’s No.8 seed came up against surprise package Hong Kong’s Tang
Ming Hong in the quarters. The Hongkonger had gotten the better of
defending champion Sam Todd in the opening round, but Shenawy proved too
much for him, with the Egyptian winning in four games to set up a clash
with Jaume. |
Round 1
Hong Downs Defending Champion Todd
The opening day of the E.M. Noll Classic saw the defending champion
knocked out, as Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong caused a big upset.
England’s Sam Todd won the crown in 2022, and he came up against the
Hongkonger in the opening round of this year’s edition. However, the
World No.102 was in rampant form, dropping just twelve points in a
commanding 11-1, 11-8, 11-3 victory. The Hongkonger will now take on
Egypt’s No.8 seed Seif Shenawy in the quarter finals after the Egyptian
defeated USA’s Spencer Lovejoy.
Two Americans are into the last eight of the competition. Top seed
Andrew Douglas defeated Hong Kong’s Wong Chi Him, while Christopher
Gordon also got the better of an Egyptian, downing Khaled Labib in
straight games. Douglas will now take on Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani in
the quarters, with Gordon facing off against Spain’s No.2 seed Bernat
Jaume.
Last year’s E.M. Noll Classic runner-up, Charlie Lee, got his campaign
underway in Philadelphia as well last night, beating compatriot Ben
Smith in straight games. He will now take on former World No.14 Zahed
Salem for a place in the semi-finals of the Challenger 10 level
tournament. |
Preview
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or
follow on
PSAChallengerTourLivestreams,
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok. Selected
events will also be streamed live on
SQUASHTV.
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