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Pittsburgh Open 2023
Men's Draw
08 - 12 Feb
Pittsburgh, USA, $75k |
ROUND TWO
09 Feb |
QUARTERS
10 Feb |
SEMIS
11 Feb |
FINAL
12 Feb |
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[1] Ali Farag (EGY)
9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (41m)
Nathan Lake (ENG) |
Ali Farag
11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 16-14 (80m)
Youssef Soliman |
Youssef Soliman
9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11 (83m)
Marwan ElShorbagy |
Marwan ElShorbagy
11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (36m)
Diego Elias
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[7] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (43m)
[9/16] Grégoire Marche (FRA) |
[5] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
11-9, 11-3, 11-9 (44m)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) |
Mazen Hesham
11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 2-11, 11-7 (52m)
Marwan ElShorbagy |
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (29m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) |
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
11-9, 13-11, 11-8 (66m)
[4] Tarek Momen (EGY) |
Mohamed Abouelghar
11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (45m)
Joel Makin |
Mohamed Abouelghar
11-9, 11-7, 11-4 (39m)
Diego Elias |
[6] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-3, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 (65m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) |
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (62m)
[9/16] Patrick Rooney (ENG) |
Miguel Rodriguez
11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (39m)
Diego Elias |
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
11-6, 11-9, 4-11, 12-10 (52m)
[2] Diego Elias (PER) |
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 12-14, 11-5, 19-17, 11-7
(70m)
[9/16] Grégoire Marche (FRA) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4
(39m)
[7] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
[5] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-5, 9-11, 12-10,
12-10 (83m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt [9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 11-9, 12-14, 11-5,
11-7 (64m)
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bye
[4] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-5, 11-5,
11-7 (34m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-4, 11-1, 11-2 (28m)
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
[9/16] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9,
11-5 (62m)
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 14-12
(41m)
[2] Diego Elias (PER) bye |
Final
Diego Elias Wins Pittsburgh Open Title
Diego Elias with the Pittsburgh Open trophy. Photo
credit: Miranda Costa
Diego Elias maintained his impressive streak to take the Pittsburgh Open
title, defeating Marwan ElShorbagy in straight games at the Rivers Club.
Elias, who’s already won the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions title
and the Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open crown this year, hasn’t lost
a match since the Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash
Open decider in December as he made it a hat-trick of titles in 2023.
The win in Pittsburgh will also see the Peruvian Puma rise to a
career-best of World No.2 in the PSA World Rankings on Monday to crown
his sensational form.
Elias and ElShorbagy had met four times this season before today’s
final, with their last encounter the ToC decider in New York, and it was
ElShorbagy who started the brighter in the opening game in Pittsburgh.
With some long, testing rallies, Elias eventually pulled clear as he
claimed the first game 11-5.
Elias made a blistering start to the second as he opened up a six-point
cushion over ElShorbagy. Although it seemed the game was running away
from the Egyptian, he managed to claw his way back into the contest, but
errors and the accuracy of Elias saw the Peruvian take a vital two-game
lead after winning 11-7.
The match was then sewn up with a clinical display in the third, with
Elias emphatically victorious 11-2 to cap off an impressive performance
to notch his third straight tournament triumph.
“I’m very happy with my performance today,” Elias said.
“It was a very tough match with Marwan (ElShorbagy) – the start was very
important I felt and I’m just very happy with the result.
“I think all the hard work before this tournament is paying off – I did
a lot of work for this and I’m incredibly proud of myself for winning
three tournaments in a row.
“I had to be very strong mentally at the start. I knew I was in for a
long match, but I stayed solid and patient and at the end it paid off.”
Elias and ElShorbagy head to Egypt next for the Black Ball Squash Open,
which takes place between March 2 – 7, at Black Ball Sporting Club.
Action from Black Ball will be available to watch live on
SQUASHTV.
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Semi Finals
Elias and ElShorbagy To Meet In Pittsburgh Final
Diego Elias and Marwan ElShorbagy will meet in a Tournament of Champions
final rematch, when they battle it out for the Pittsburgh Open title
tomorrow afternoon.
Elias secured his place in the final first when he defeated Mohamed
Abouelghar in straight games.
Abouelghar, who took down Tarek Momen and Joel Makin in the previous
rounds, kept within touching distance of Elias in the first game with
the two playing some excellent, free-flowing squash.
However Elias, who’s been in scintillating form of late, was able to
gain some valuable breathing space before he won the first 11-9.
Elias, who’s lifted the Tournament of Champions title and the Sturbridge
Capital Motor City Open crown already this year, made a solid start to
the second as he went 7-3 up.
Abouelghar dug deep to produce the fighting spirit that’s been on
display throughout the tournament to claw his way back into the game,
but Elias was able to fend him off again and go 2-0 up.
The Peruvian Puma got daylight in the third game which resulted in a
comfortable victory for Elias, winning 11-4.
“I’m happy with my performance. Mohamed (Abouelghar) was playing some
great squash, but I’m really happy with the result,” said Elias
afterwards.
“It was a really good match, I felt I played really well. Now I have to
recover and get ready for tomorrow.
“It’s always very enjoyable playing him. He’s such a great and fair
player and it’s always great fun playing against him.”
ElShorbagy, who’s through to his sixth final this season, overcame
Youssef Soliman 3-1 to progress to the final.
ElShorbagy and Soliman, who have met on four occasions before today,
both came through five-game matches yesterday, defeating Mazen Hesham
and Ali Farag, respectively.
An error from ElShorbagy in the first game at 9-9 presented Soliman the
opportunity to take the first game, which he claimed 11-9.
Only two minutes were gone on the clock in the second when play was
halted for a lengthy period of time due to a blood injury sustained by
Soliman. After the long stoppage, ElShorbagy went on to level the match
with an 11-5 victory.
The Jackal was in the groove as he stormed into a 7-0 lead at the start
of the third. Soliman chipped away at the deficit to claw some points
back, but ElShorbagy was able to hold him off and go 2-1 ahead.
ElShorbagy looked to be on course to sealing his spot in the final
comfortably when he had five match balls, but Soliman saved all five
superbly to send the fourth game into a tiebreaker. ElShorbagy
eventually pulled clear to secure a final berth.
ElShorbagy said afterwards: “I’m happy to win today in four games. It
was a tough match, and the first game was tough, but I’m really happy
that I played well after that injury break (in the second game).
“I calmed down a bit and after the second game I felt a bit more
comfortable with the game, so I’m really happy to focus on my game from
the second game and I did quite well from there.
“The fourth game, I was 10-6 up and it’s another lesson to learn after
yesterday but I’m glad to be learning those lessons while winning the
matches.”
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Quarter Finals
Soliman Takes Out Top Seed As Abouelghar Extends Run
No.7 seed Youssef Soliman knocked top seed Ali Farag out to progress to
the semi-finals of the Pittsburgh Open after edging a pulsating
encounter 3-2 at the Rivers Club.
Soliman, who had lost all four of the previous meetings with his fellow
Egyptian, dug deep to reach the last four, with the match settled with
an epic fifth game that went the distance.
Having taken a 1-0 lead with an 11-5 win in the first game, Soliman was
pegged back by the reigning World Champion as Farag clinched the second
11-9.
Soliman regained his advantage, winning 11-9 in the third, but Farag
surged back to once again restore parity, taking the fourth 11-8.
An intense clash throughout culminated in an excellent battle in the
decider. Soliman looked to have sewn the match up when we moved into a
10-5 lead with match ball at his fingertips.
Farag, featuring in his first tournament since the Grasshopper Cup,
remarkably saved five match balls to force a tiebreaker where the two
cancelled each other out on numerous occasions. However it was Soliman
who was able to edge the game 16-14 and advance to the semi-finals.
“I have no idea where to start from!” said Soliman
“Especially that fifth game – every single time I get him (Farag) he
comes back. He might have been struggling physically as he’s just come
back, but I get so excited when I see him (playing) like that.
“The fourth happened where he managed to come back and the fifth I was
10-6 up, I didn’t know what happened. I found myself match ball down and
then it was the tiebreak.
“I’m so proud with how I managed to hold my nerve. Towards the end it
was about holding my nerve and I’m so happy to be through.”
Soliman meets his Egyptian compatriot Marwan ElShorbagy tomorrow for a
place in the final, who held off a fightback from Mazen Hesham to
prevail 3-2.
In the other half of the draw, unseeded Mohamed Abouelghar continued his
sparkling form as he took out another seed to reach the final four,
defeating No.6 seed Joel Makin 3-0.
Abouelghar, who took out former World Champion and No.4 seed Tarek Momen
in round two, trailed the Welshman early on in the first game but the
Egyptian fought back superbly to take the first 11-8.
World No.90 Abouelghar opened up a 7-3 lead in game two, only for World
No.11 Makin to peg it back to 7-7. Despite Makin then saving one of
three game balls, Abouelghar converted at the second attempt to take a
two-game lead.
Abouelghar, who’s not dropped a single game so far in Pittsburgh, booked
his semi-final spot with an 11-7 victory in the third to maintain his
perfect streak.
“I’m feeling extremely happy. I think I executed my game plan extremely
well, even when I was 7-3 up in the second game, he came back to
seven-all,” Abouelghar said after his last eight win.
“I didn’t lose my game plan at the time and I just kept going – the
second game was extremely crucial.
“I’m enjoying myself and not thinking much about winning or losing, just
trusting the process. I’m really glad to be back playing and competing.
I’m playing with no pressure and I’m just enjoying myself.”
The Egyptian will face No.2 seed Diego Elias in the semi-finals, who
notched a straight sets victory of his own against his fellow South
American Miguel Rodriguez.
The semi-finals of the Pittsburgh Open take place tomorrow (February
11), with play starting from 14:00 (GMT-5) at the Rivers Club. Both
matches will be streamed live on the PSA website and on
SQUASHTV.
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Round 2
Abouelghar Downs No.4 Seed Momen
Mohamed Abouelghar caused the biggest upset of round two of the
Pittsburgh Open as he dispatched No.4 seed Tarek Momen in straight
games.
Abouelghar, who reached the second round with a 3-0 win over Sebastien
Bonmalais, showed great tenacity in the first game after falling behind
to Momen, with Abouelghar going 10-9 ahead. The World No.90 converted
game ball at the first attempt.
Another early lead for Momen in the second was soon gone as Abouelghar
saved game ball to force a tiebreaker as his fighting spirit paid
dividends to go 2-0 up with a 13-11 victory.
Momen, the World No.7, sustained a calf injury which caused a lengthy
delay while he was trailing 9-8. The pause in play didn’t deter
Abouelghar’s momentum, claiming the third 11-8 to move into the last
eight.
“It feels unbelievable. I’ve always struggled against Tarek (Momen) –
the head-to-heads, I’ve only beaten him once in a best of three. To beat
him in straight games is a massive achievement for me,” said Abouelghar.
“I was 8-2 down in the first game and I told myself to hang in there and
make it long for him so I could gain some momentum for the second game.
“I’m happy it worked out and I won the game – it gave me a huge boost
going into the second game onwards.”
Reigning World Champion and the tournament’s top seed Ali Farag marked
his return to action with a comeback victory against Nathan Lake.
Farag, making his first appearance since the Grasshopper Cup back in
October, lost the first game 11-9 but the World No.2 found his form by
taking the ensuing games 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 to book a quarter-final spot.
“It feels amazing (to be back on court). I feel like a child in a play
area – I’m back to doing what I love most,” said Farag.
“I was very nervous and very excited – I had so many different emotions
but the overriding one is gratitude and happiness.”
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Round 1
Rooney Fights Back To Advance To Round Two
World No.20 Patrick Rooney fought back from two games down to defeat
World No.43 Lucas Serme on the opening day of the Pittsburgh Open.
Rooney, who was facing Serme for the first time on the PSA World Tour,
won 3-2: 3-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 in a bruising 62-minute battle.
Afterwards, Rooney said: "I feel happy to be through. I started way too
slow and probably didn't take the court into consideration with my game
plan.
"I started way too slow and I was giving him (Serme) too much time and
he was punishing me for it.
"I was 2-0 down and I really had to pick up the pace, stick in there,
make it hard, not make any errors and claw my way back. But I'm just
happy to be through."
Elsewhere, Rooney's fellow countryman Nathan Lake came through an
attritional encounter with Egypt's Omar Mosaad, winning 3-1: 12-14,
11-5, 19-17, 11-7 in 70 minutes to set up second round clash with No.1
seed Ali Farag.
The seeds enter the fray for round two of the Pittsburgh Open tomorrow
(February 9), which gets underway from 16:00 (GMT-5) at the Rivers Club.
All four matches on court two will be streamed live and free on the PSA
website.
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Preview
For more information on the event, Where available see the
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