French
World No.3 Gregory Gaultier and England’s World No.5 Laura Massaro
triumphed on finals day at the 2017 Allam British Open, claiming
respective wins over Nick Matthew and Sarah-Jane Perry at the World
Series tournament held in Hull’s Airco Arena.
Gaultier will become the oldest player ever to top the PSA World
Rankings next month after the 34-year-old recovered from a game down
to beat Matthew, capturing his third British Open crown in the
process.
Gaultier,
who also lifted the sport’s oldest and most established title in
2007 and 2014, will overtake Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy at the
summit of the World Rankings and, at 34 years and three months, he
eclipses the record of Women’s former World No.1 Sarah-Fitz Gerald
by a month after a 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 victory saw him take the
iconic title.
"It was a massive day for me," said Gaultier.
"I
only found out a few days ago that there were three of us who could
get to No.1. I wasn't thinking about that during the week, I was
focusing on playing well and executing my tactics.
"I had a great week and a great feeling on court, I was moving well
and to be number one as well again at my age is an amazing feeling -
it's pure pleasure."
In
the Women’s event, Massaro became the first Englishwoman since Janet
Morgan in 1951 to lift the prestigious Allam British Open title on
two occasions after she saw off Perry in four games.
Massaro, the 2013 champion, and Perry were contesting the first
female all-English British Open final since Lisa Opie and Sue Wright
in 1991 after they achieved respective semi-final wins over
defending champion Nour El Sherbini and five-time winner Nicol
David.
And
it was 33-year-old Massaro who imposed her game plan on the
encounter to seal the win by an 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 scoreline.
“It’s just unbelievable,” said Massaro, who will move up to World
No.2 in next month's rankings.
“When I won the British Open for the first time I was so happy.
There was a little bit more pressure coming into today as I beat
Nicol, who was World No.1, for my first title and at the time there
was absolutely no pressure on me.
“I’m proud of myself for the week and for bouncing back because this
has probably not been my best season. I’m just happy I managed to
tough it out in the end and keep getting balls back and it paid off.
It’s a little bit different because the first one was so special."
A historic day of semi-final action at the 2017 Allam British Open -
the sport’s oldest and most established tournament - saw English
trio Nick Matthew, Laura Massaro and Sarah-Jane Perry earn their
final berths in Hull’s Airco Arena - marking the first time in 64
years that England has provided three finalists.
Matthew,
a three-time British Open champion, dethroned defending champion
Mohamed ElShorbagy in his semi-final fixture to reach his first
World Series final since October’s U.S. Open.
The 36-year-old Yorkshireman fought back from 8-6 and 7-3 down in
the opening two games to go 2-0 up and survived a resurgence from
ElShorbagy - which saw the Egyptian take the third - to seal an
11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 victory that will see him do battle with
two-time winner Gregory Gaultier in the final.
“I was trying not to let the adrenaline get to me, I could feel my
heart beating through my head knowing the crowd were cheering," said
fourth seed Matthew.
“I felt him wavering at the end which gave me belief. Never mind the
World Rankings, I’m the World No.1 for my age. The peak is about
five years ago, but me and Greg are trying to rip up that rulebook,
we are always exchanging text messages saying stuff like ‘there is
still life in the old dog’.
“I’ve not been in many World Series finals recently. I know what I
need to be doing, but it’s not always as easy as that. Once you get
to a certain age you know what it looks like, but in many ways that
makes it harder to implement."
Matthew’s win over ElShorbagy means the Egyptian will lose his World
No.1 ranking next month, dropping to World No.3 - with Gaultier in
pole position to profit.
A
win for Gaultier in the final will see the 34-year-old become the
oldest ever World No.1, while a defeat will instead see World
Champion Karim Abdel Gawad sit atop the World Rankings when they are
released on April 1.
Gaultier moved through to the final after last year’s runner-up Ramy
Ashour retired after the opening game due to a hip injury - the
latest problem in a career that has been ravaged by injury over the
past three years.
"The last match we played was here last year and we had an
unbelievable five games," said Gaultier.
"But I could see in the first game, in the first few points, he was
struggling a little bit and he was going for quick points. I just
hope it’s not too bad because he’s been struggling for a while now
and hopefully he can play next week in El Gouna."
In
the Women’s event, Massaro and Perry will meet in the first female
all-English British Open final since Lisa Opie and Sue Wright in
1991 after they defeated 2016 winner Nour El Sherbini and five-time
champion Nicol David, respectively.
Massaro, the 2013 British Open champion, looked to be heading out of
the prestigious World Series tournament after an imperious start
from El Sherbini saw the World No.1 go two games ahead inside 20
minutes.
But Massaro, drawing on the energy of a passionate home crowd, dug
in resiliently and swung the momentum of the match on its head to
come through by a 5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6 scoreline.
"I really wanted to do well this week, especially being at home,"
said Massaro.
"There was a lot of pressure on me going into that fifth. They say
that the home crowd helps and when you’re down at the end there, it
definitely does."
Perry,
meanwhile, reached her first ever World Series final after she
defeated David in four games, claiming her second successive win
over the Malaysian five-time champion.
“Knowing Laura was waiting in the final for me, it gave me a bit of
extra fight actually," conceded Perry, who was less than a year old
when Opie and Wright met in the 1991 final.
“There is absolutely no pressure on me, so I’m just going to go out
there and try and play well. If that means that I get the win, then
I’d love to win my first World Series title at the British Open,
that would be really special.”
Five-time
British Open champion Nicol David moved to within one win of an
eighth Allam British Open final after an impressive display from the
33-year-old saw her defeat 2015 winner Camille Serme in Hull’s Airco
Arena.
David, who last won the sport’s oldest and most established
tournament in 2014, gave a performance reminiscent of the ones she
provided with aplomb during her unprecedented nine-year stint atop
the World Rankings between 2006-2015, rising to an 11-6, 11-6, 11-8
victory to claim her first win over a player ranked inside the
world’s top three since she beat Laura Massaro in the 2015 Hong Kong
Open final.
“It’s a sheer bonus, having beaten the British Open champion [from
2015]," David said.
"She’s had a really good season, winning several World Series
events, so I just went in with nothing to lose. I went in with my
game plan to try and gun down everything I could see, everything
paid off and I was really pleased with my performance today.
“I’m just taking every moment as it comes, you don’t get these
opportunities every day. My body is feeling at the top of its game,
so why not have fun out there!"
David
will take on England’s Sarah-Jane Perry for a place in the final
after Perry defeated Australia’s World No.18 Donna Urquhart to claim
her first ever semi-final berth at the iconic World Series
tournament.
Perry, the World No.8, edged the win by an 11-4, 7-11, 13-11, 6-11,
11-4 margin to join compatriot Laura Massaro in the last four.
Perry’s win also sees her seal a top eight berth on the Women’s PSA
Road to Dubai Standings, which means she will join Massaro at the
lucrative, season-ending PSA Dubai World Series Finals held at Dubai
Opera in June.
"I’m just delighted to be there [in the semi-finals] myself, but
Laura being in the other one shows the strength of English squash at
the moment,” said seventh seed Perry.
“The British Open is pretty much the most prestigious tournament,
I’ve not made a World Series final before, but I’ve had a lot of
firsts this year.
"At the Tournament of Champions, I made my first semi-final, so now
I want to push on and show everyone that I’m not just here to make
up the numbers, I’m here to try and win these big events.”
Massaro
earned her place in the semi-finals after an impressive showing from
the 33-year-old Lancastrian saw her defeat World No.3 Raneem El
Welily to set up a repeat of the most recent PSA Women’s World
Championship final with defending champion Nour El Sherbini, who
dispatched Emily Whitlock.
“My plan against Raneem is always just to work hard and try not give
her too many angles," said Massaro.
"I was pretty livid after the second, [husband and coach] Danny [Massaro]
and DP [coach David Pearson] were trying to calm me down. I forgot
that I was up so much in the second, but I knew I definitely had a
couple of game balls. I was really angry with myself because,
playing a player of that level, you just can’t let leads slip."
In
the Men’s draw, three-time winner Nick Matthew ensured that an
English trio will compete in the British Open semi-finals for the
first time since 2014 after he prevailed in five games against Tarek
Momen.
Matthew, the World No.4, relinquished a one-game lead on two
occasions to a tenacious Momen, but he pulled through in the
decider, prevailing by an 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6 margin of
victory to set up a mouthwatering semi-final meeting with defending
champion Mohamed ElShorbagy.
"It was like a rollercoaster, he’s that type of player you’ve got to
stay consistent against because he’s going to have his periods where
he plays incredible and then makes mistakes," revealed Matthew.
"Obviously we’re very proud to represent England, but every time I
step on court I’m representing myself, my family, my club, my city,
Yorkshire, England and everything else."
Matthew
will reignite his long-term rivalry with ElShorbagy, who took a step
closer to retaining his World No.1 status after edging past Ali
Farag in five games.
ElShorbagy will need to lift a third successive British Open title
if he is to stay atop the World Rankings, but the Bristol-based
Egyptian insists that keeping his World No.1 ranking isn’t the main
priority.
"For me, the rankings don’t matter, they’re far from my mind right
now," he said.
"I’ve been [World No.1] for the last 28 months, whether I lose it or
keep it, I’ve lived every single second of it and enjoyed every
single second of it.
“If I keep it for longer, it’s a bonus, if I don’t, I’ve already
done it. For me, this is not about keeping the ranking, not about
winning the British Open, it’s about playing like a winner and
that’s what I’ve been doing since I played that fifth game against
[Fares] Dessouky [in round one].”
The
other man in contention for top spot - current World No.3 Gregory
Gaultier - moved past Mathieu Castagnet in straight games, with Ramy
Ashour his semi-final opponent - a year on from their stunning clash
at the 2016 edition of the prestigious tournament.
Ashour went two games down against compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar,
the World No.23 who stunned World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad in
round two, but fought back to take the next three games without
reply.
“He
wasn’t just playing like any normal day, he wasn’t playing like any
normal player, he was playing extraordinarily," said Ashour.
“He was slamming every ball in the nick, it takes a lot for someone
to take me out of my rhythm and my momentum. He did that in the
first two games because first of all, he was playing amazing, but I
wasn’t on it mentally. I didn’t have that explosive edge."
Abouelghar Stuns World Champion Gawad on Day Three World
Champion Karim Abdel Gawad’s wait for the World No.1 spot goes on
after the 26-year-old from Giza fell to a shock defeat against
fellow Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar on day three of the prestigious
2017 Allam British Open, World Series tournament taking place in
Hull’s Airco Arena.
Gawad required just a quarter-final finish at the sport’s oldest and
most distinguished tournament to overtake current incumbent Mohamed
ElShorbagy atop the World Rankings - but a stunning display from
Abouelghar nullified Gawad’s shot-making talents, with the World
No.23 taking it 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 to send shockwaves
throughout the tournament.
“I know it was a very big deal
for Karim, if he’d have won he’d have become the World No.1 and I
think that relaxed me a lot," said Abouelghar.
"I
had nothing to lose, I just wanted to go out, enjoy my squash and
prove something for myself.
"I had mixed feelings. I really wanted him to become World No.1
because I know how hard he works, but on the other side I wanted to
win. I was thinking about that before the match, but as soon as I
went in, I didn’t think about anything other than winning."
Gawad will still move to World No.1 should ElShorbagy or World No.3
Gregory Gaultier fail to lift the iconic title - but Gaultier looked
to be in top form as he put Australian World No.18 Cameron Pilley to
the sword.
The 34-year-old, a British Open champion in 2007 and 2014, laid down
a marker for the rest of the field by annihilating former World No.4
Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the opening round – dropping just nine
points throughout and inflicting a dreaded bagel on the Colombian –
and he was even better against Australia’s Cameron Pilley in round
two.
Not
a single element of Gaultier’s game wasn’t firing on all cylinders
as he outclassed and outmatched Pilley, with the affable Aussie
having no answer to Gaultier’s masterclass of a display as the
34-year-old wrapped up an 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 victory to stay in with a
chance of lifting a third British Open title.
“I didn’t expect to win with such a score line,” Gaultier said.
“Cameron is dangerous, especially on the glass courts because he can
put the ball away really easily, so I made sure I gave no angles or
openings. I was in front of him in most of the rallies, making him
do a lot of work.
“I’m
very confident, but there are a lot of really strong players. One
day you feel 100%, another you can feel 30% for whatever reason and
you still have to find the keys and solutions to win.”
Gaultier will take on compatriot Mathieu Castagnet for a place in
the semi-finals, while 2013 champion Ramy Ashour defeated Peruvian
Diego Elias to ensure that he will line up against Abouelghar.
2015
Women’s champion Serme, the World No.2, is on course for a second
British Open crown after she beat Egypt’s World No.13 Nour El Tayeb,
despite a contentious end to their second round match in Hull’s
Airco Arena.
Serme was 2-1 up and 9-8 up in the fourth, when a cross-court effort
from El Tayeb struck Serme’s racket – resulting in a controversial
conduct stroke being awarded against the Egyptian player to hand
Serme match ball.
The 27-year-old then converted at the second attempt to set up a
quarter-final meeting with five-time winner Nicol David – a player
who Serme has never beaten in 15 attempts.
“To be honest, I’m relieved to be through,” Serme said.
“I’m not really sure what happened on court [at the end], I need to
see the match again to really see what happened. She came to me and
asked why I didn’t offer a let like she did [in an incident earlier
on in the match].
“But it was a different situation, to be honest. I think that she
gave that let because she was 7-3 up, and it is easier to give a let
when you’re winning, rather than 9-8 in the fourth."
David
claimed her quarter-final berth courtesy of a an 11-4, 14-12, 9-11,
11-2 victory over Hong Kong’s Joey Chan.
“I feel more comfortable every time I play matches and tournaments,"
33-year-old David said.
“You get spurred on playing on the glass court, so I think I raise
my game up even more. I’m just happy to get through to the
quarter-finals, there’s no expectations on me, so I’m looking
forward to a good match tomorrow."
England’s World No.8 Sarah-Jane
Perry and Australia’s World No.18 Donna Urquhart were victorious
against Tesni Evans and Egyptian qualifier Nada Abbas - the
16-year-old who scalped 2016 runner-up Nouran Gohar in round one -
and they will go head-to-head for a place in the last four.
England’s
World No.15 Emily Whitlock will join compatriots Laura Massaro and
Nick Matthew in the quarter-final stage of the prestigious 2017
Allam British Open for the first time in her career after she upset
fellow Englishwoman Alison Waters in their second round fixture at
Hull’s Airco Arena.
Whitlock played with accuracy and intelligent shot-selection to stun
the three-time British Open semi-finalist, claiming an 11-4, 11-7,
11-9 victory to set up a last eight meeting with
defending
champion and World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, with El Sherbini seeing
off Annie Au.
"I just didn’t think I’d win, I’m pretty chuffed about it,” said
Whitlock.
“I’ve beaten Alison once before in practice, but it’s never the
same, tournament wins are just amazing.
"And winning 3-0 is just a joke as I’ve never won a first round
match here – so to win two matches is just a bonus, its been a good
week."
2013
champion Massaro, the World No.5, also moved through to the
quarter-finals after she defeated Egyptian qualifier Mayar Hany.
The 33-year-old had to be patient in the early stages and was forced
to overturn a 4-1 deficit in game one after a strong start from Hany,
who upset World No.11 Joelle King in the opening round.
But the experienced Englishwoman soon found her rhythm after a slow
start and, after claiming a two-game lead, she closed out the third
to wrap up an 11-5, 11-1, 11-9 triumph - sealing her place in the
quarter-finals of the sport’s longest-running tournament for an
eighth consecutive year where she will meet World No.3 Raneem El
Welily, who beat Joshna Chinappa.
Massaro said: “She came out quite attacking and it took me a few
rallies to calm things down a little bit. I needed to get some
longer rallies into the game, she gave me a few errors to help me
get momentum in the first.
"In the second, I just tried to get on the volley, take the ball
early and just keep the pace really high. She didn’t come off court
after the second, so I thought she was going to be firing on all
cylinders, and fair play to her she changed the plan a little bit.
“It’s really nice to play in front of a home crowd, it really does
pick you up. We get that against us everywhere we play in the world,
so it’s nice to have that on our side and hopefully the crowd can
really get into the quarter-finals.”
Three-time
Men’s champion Nick Matthew moved one stage further than last year
after he defeated German No.1 Simon Rösner.
The Englishman, who lost out to Egypt’s Ali Farag in round two of
the 2016 instalment, dispatched the World No.10 by an 11-7, 11-5,
5-11, 11-3 margin to set up a quarter-final meeting with Tarek Momen,
who dispatched World No.16 Paul Coll.
“I was prepared to work really hard against Simon, the last couple
of times against him it’s been a tough four or five game match,”
said Matthew.
“Everyone I play is going to be a tough match and I’m looking
forward to playing Tarek, he’s a different style of player to
Simon’s power, Tarek has the speed and the touch so it will be
different challenge, but I’ve got a day and a half to prepare for it
and a chance to recover."
Defending
champion Mohamed ElShorbagy took one step closer to a third
successive British Open title after he saw off England’s Daryl Selby
- avenging his first round defeat to the World No.15 in December’s
Channel VAS Championship.
Selby held two game balls in game one, but some chest-thumping
bravado from ElShorbagy helped him to take four straight points to
go ahead - and he refused to relinquish his lead from that point
onwards, completing a 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 victory to keep his hopes of
lifting a third straight British Open crown alive.
“That’s
the hunger I used to have when I was climbing up the rankings," said
ElShorbagy, the World No.1.
"When I got to No.1, I wanted to win everything, which I haven’t, so
I am still hungry. I was pumping myself after every point, I wasn’t
angry with anyone else just myself, I told Daryl it wasn’t about
him, it was me. I was happy to see him playing well, that’s nice for
him."
He will take on compatriot Ali Farag - four months after their
feisty quarter-final clash in November’s PSA Men’s World
Championship - after Farag progressed courtesy of a 3-0 win over Tsz
Fung Yip.
2016 Allam British Open runner-up Nouran Gohar fell to a shock
defeat in the opening round of the 2017 instalment of the iconic
World Series tournament after she succumbed to 16-year-old Egyptian
qualifier Nada Abbas.
Abbas, a two-time PSA World Tour title winner, counteracted Gohar’s
trademark hard-hitting style brilliantly, with the World No.45
slowing the pace right down and controlling the ball well at the
front of the court to claim a stunning 12-10, 14-12, 5-11, 11-8
victory.
"It's a great feeling, it's the first time I've ever beaten anyone
in the top 10, I can't believe it," said Abbas, who will play Donna
Urquhart in the next round.
"I tried to break her game and to not let her play a fast game. I
tried to slow things down a little bit and go for shots in the front
more.
"There's no pressure on me, so I want to play my best squash. I want
to go as far as I can, if I play like this then I could go to the
quarter-finals."
Abbas will be joined in round two by defending champion Nour El
Sherbini, who eased past Denmark’s Line Hansen in straight games.
El
Sherbini looked comfortable as she eased her way into the tournament
with a 21-minute 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 victory to set down a marker for
the rest of the week.
“I feel like I’m playing well and I’m looking forward to seeing how
it goes this week,” said El Sherbini.
“Winning here last year was very big for me. But I’m trying not to
think about being the defending champion – I’m trying to just win
the title again.
“I haven’t won a tournament for a while, but I’m happy with how I’m
playing and I’m pleased to back towards some of my best form."
There were also wins for 2015 champion Camille Serme, World No.3
Raneem El Welily and five-time winner Nicol David - while home hero
Laura Massaro also got off to a winning start on day one.
“I’m happy to be back at the British Open," Massaro said.
"Being British myself makes this event even more special. There’s so
much history and prestige and it’s the first of the big events that
I won – and I made the final three years in a row as well, so it’s
very special for me.”
In
the Men’s event, World No.19 Mathieu Castagnet upset England’s
three-time runner-up James Willstrop, with a 3-1 victory sending
‘The Marksman’ out at the first hurdle.
Castagnet played out an entertaining, 71-minute encounter with
Willstrop as both players treated the spectators to some absorbing
rallies, and the opening two games saw each player claim a game
apiece, before the Frenchman eventually took the next two games to
close it out 11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9.
“To beat James, who is in great form at the moment and sixth in the
world is something special for me," said Castagnet, who will play
Hong Kong’s Max Lee next.
“I can feel his [Willstrop’s] depression, it’s such a big tournament
for him, it’s so important for him to represent his country at the
British Open. It is a big tournament for me, but it is different
because it is not my country."
Castagnet
will line up against Hong Kong’s Max Lee in round two after Lee
completed a stunning comeback from two games down against World No.7
Marwan ElShorbagy.
“It was amazing, but I have no idea how I did it,” Lee admitted.
“I’ve been ready to play the last three tournaments, but it didn’t
go well. The matches were even, long matches but my body cramps have
been quite strange. That’s why I rested a bit after Windy City. I
didn’t play Canary Wharf or any other tournaments and I’m a bit
fresher.”
World
No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy was pushed hard against compatriot Fares
Dessouky, taking it 11-8 in the fifth as he looks to become the
first player since the legendary Jansher Khan in the 1990s to win
three British Open titles in a row.
The Egyptian, now based in Bristol, will hope to keep his winning
run going in Hull – where his status as World No.1 is also on the
line with both Karim Abdel Gawad and Gregory Gaultier in a position
to overtake ElShorbagy atop the standings.
“I’m playing with no expectations right now – but if I can be the
first player since Jansher to win three in a row I’d love that,”
said ElShorbagy.
“I’ve been No.1 for 28 months [in total], and I think it’s natural
for that to catch up on you at some point.
“I knew there was going to be a point where my level would drop and
the motivation went a little. I think having that when I’m 26 is
good for me though because I can learn so much from this and come
back stronger – I’ve seen Nick [Matthew], Greg [Gaultier], [Amr]
Shabana and all those players go through these kind of times, so I
know I can
come
out stronger again at the end.”
Gawad and Gaultier both won on day one against Omar Mosaad and
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, respectively, while three-time winner Nick
Matthew defeated Spain’s Borja Golan.
Qualifying
Home Quintet Prevail in Final Qualifying Round of
British Open
The final qualifying round of the iconic Allam British Open saw five
English players earn their places in the main draw across the Men’s
and Women’s events, with Adrian Waller, Charles Sharpes, Nathan
Lake, Tom Richards and Millie Tomlinson all prevailing at the
University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre.
Waller, the World No.38 from Enfield, overcame Malaysia’s World
No.30 Nafiizwan Adnan in his fixture, twice fighting back from a
game down before going on to triumph in the deciding fifth.
Waller will now face Australian No.1 Cameron Pilley in round one of
the main draw, and he will be joined by compatriot Charles Sharpes,
the London-based World No.48 who overcame higher ranked players
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, the World No.36 and Leo Au, the World No.34,
to set up a first round meeting with Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar.
Elsewhere, World No.57 Nathan Lake followed up his impressive
victory over World No.25 Cesar Salazar in the first round of
qualifying with a 3-1 win over Mohamed Reda, a player ranked 16
places above Lake in the World Rankings.
Lake will play Peruvian Diego Elias next, while fellow Englishman
Tom Richards will take on World No.15 Daryl Selby after he defeated
Campbell Grayson of New Zealand.
Scotland’s Alan Clyne was the other British hope in action on the
final day of qualification, and the World No.32 scalped Indian No.1
Saurav Ghosal to move through to the main draw of the World Series
tournament - where he will play World No.10 Tarek Momen.
Gregoire Marche, Zahed Mohamed and Tsz Fung Yip were the other
victors in the final qualifying round, claiming respective wins over
Karim Ali Fathi, Lucas Serme and Raphael Kandra to seal their main
draw berths.
In the Women’s event, Tomlinson’s win over local player Lucy Turmel
meant that she was the sole Englishwoman to progress after her
compatriots Rachael Chadwick and Elise Lazarus both fell to defeats,
and she will line up against Australia’s Donna Urquhart.
Top qualifying seed Nadine Shahin fell to a surprise defeat against
experienced Mexican Samantha Teran, while Canada’s World No.38
Hollie Naughton also suffered a loss against a lower-ranked player,
losing out to 16-year-old Egyptian talent Nada Abbas.
There were also wins for four-time British Open champion Rachael
Grinham, Coline Aumard, Mayar Hany, Nele Gilis and Hania El Hammamy.
The main draw of the 2017 Allam British Open takes place between
March 21-26 and first round matches will be split between Hull’s
Airco Arena and the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre -
with the entirety of the second round onwards being held at the
Airco Arena.
'Pressure Is On' For Matthew Ahead Of British Open England's
number one Nick Matthew says the pressure is on ahead of next week's Allam
British Open as the three time tournament winner aims to peak for the 2017
staging of the 'Wimbledon of Squash' whilst also securing vital points on the
PSA Road To Dubai Standings.
36-year-old Matthew, the 2006, 2009 and 2012 champion, goes into the event as
the oldest player in the draw and is hoping experience will be on his side as he
bids for title number four. A run deep into the tournament will also help the
Sheffield-man to cement a place in Dubai to compete at the PSA Dubai World
Series Finals - the season-ending event where only the top eight players
compete.
"The British Open is the tournament with all the history - it's the oldest event
on Tour," said Matthew.
"And I'm the oldest player on Tour, so hopefully those two things will come
together in my favour this week!
"I'm really looking forward to the event. I've been focusing on that one in
training over the past month or so and it's also an important event on the Road
to Dubai and one of the last events to get points at.
"I'm in sixth place at the moment, so the pressure is on to qualify. I've
promised my family a holiday out there at the end of the year, so I need to up
my game and secure that spot - so this year the British Open is a big one for a
number of reasons."
2016 Win Was 'Special' Says Defending British Open Champion El
Sherbini 2016
Allam British Open Champion Nour El Sherbini says that victory last year, when
she defeated compatriot Nouran Gohar to become the first Egyptian woman ever to
win the sport’s oldest and most established tournament, will live long in her
memory as one of the most special moments of her career.
The 21-year-old - who in 2012 also became the youngest ever finalist in the
event’s history at 16 - came through a thrilling five-game final with Gohar to
lift the title and is hoping to use that victory as inspiration as she travels
to Hull’s Airco Arena ahead of the 2017 iteration of the PSA World Series
tournament, which takes place from March 21-26.
"Winning the British Open last year meant a lot to me,” said El Sherbini, who
followed up her British Open by adding the World Championship title to her name
last season.
"It was a very special victory - to be the first Egyptian winner of the
tournament was an amazing achievement and it was the start of really good period
of form for me last year.
"The event has a lot of history and I always love playing the tournament. I'm
trying to train as hard as I can to defend the title and I'm very much looking
forward to it.
"Hopefully it will be a good week again."
Huge Battles Guaranteed During Blockbuster British Open #AllamBritishOpen
ElShorbagy & Sherbini 2016 Squash fans will be treated to a blockbuster week of action at this year’s 2017
Allam British Open after the draw for the PSA World Series tournament - released
today, February 16 - pitted some of the biggest names in the sport against each
other in a line-up that could see the World Rankings torn apart from the very
first day of action.
Players will descend on Hull’s Airco Arena and University of Hull from March
21-26 as the action gets under way, and with the likes of former World No.1
Gregory Gaultier facing Miguel Angel Rodriguez, World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad
facing former World No.3 Omar Mosaad and former Women’s champion Laura Massaro
facing the dangerous Dipika Pallikal Karthik in the first round, the action is
set to be of the highest intensity from the off.
Defending Men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy, the 26-year-old World No.1, will be
vying for his third consecutive British Open crown and the chance go joint tenth
in the list of all-time winners. ElShorbagy meets talented compatriot Fares
Dessouky in a banana skin first round encounter and could have to get past
bitter rival Ali Farag - who faces a huge battle with Ryan Cuskelly in the first
round - to reach the last four.
Home favourites Nick Matthew - who sits tenth on the all-time winners list with
three titles - and former World No.1 James Willstrop will also have their work
cut out to mount a title challenge in a high quality Men’s field.
Matthew faces tenacious Spaniard Borja Golan in the first round and could have
to get past World No.10 Simon Rösner, the in-form World No.16 Paul Coll and
ElShorbagy to reach the final, while Willstrop is seeded to meet World No.6
Marwan ElShorbagy, World No.3 Gaultier and World No.2 Gawad following a tough
opener with Mathieu Castagnet.
Egyptian Ramy Ashour is also set to return to action for the first time since
losing the 2016 World Championship final and could go up against the man who
triumphed that day - Gawad - in the last eight. Gawad has been in the form of
his life since the World Championships, winning the Qatar Classic and Tournament
of Champions, but with Ashour out to make amends, fireworks are guaranteed.
In the Women’s draw, which features equal prize money for the first time in
tournament history, defending champion Nour El Sherbini faces Line Hansen in the
first round, with any path to the final likely to see her face Amanda Sobhy and
either Massaro or Raneem El Welily - who are seeded to meet in a huge last eight
battle - to reach the decider.
Five-time tournament winner Nicol David faces a tough opening encounter with
Australian Donna Urquhart, with the winner seeded to meet either Nour El Tayeb
or the player of the moment, Camille Serme, in the quarters.
Serme has won the past two World Series titles - the U.S. Open and Tournament of
Champions - and will be out to replicate the form that saw her win the British
Open crown in 2015, while the in form Sarah-Jane Perry, England’s No.2, will
hope to keep up her recent momentum in a potential last eight encounter with
2016 runner-up Nouran Gohar.
The 2017 Allam British Open takes place at the Airco Arena, Hull from March
21-26. Tickets are available to purchase, priced from £7.50, by visiting
https://allambritishopensquash2017.com/
Men's First Round Draw - 2017 Allam British Open: [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Qualifier]
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [Qualifier]
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [7] Ali Farag (EGY)
[8] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Paul Coll (NZL) v [WC] Declan James (ENG)
Simon Rösner (GER) v [Qualifier]
Borja Golan (ESP) v [4] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Qualifier]
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v James Willstrop (ENG)
Max Lee (HKG) v [6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Diego Elias (PER) v [Qualifier]
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Women's First Round Draw - 2017 Allam British Open: [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Line Hansen (DEN)
[Qualifier] v [11] Annie Au (HKG)
[14] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) v [6] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[5] Laura Massaro (ENG) v Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND)
[Qualifier] v [10] Joelle King (NZL)
[13] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [Qualifier]
[WC] Fiona Moverley (ENG) v [3] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
[4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [9] Alison Waters (ENG)
[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) v Tesni Evans (WAL)
[Qualifier] v [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[7] Nicol David (MAS) v Donna Urquhart (AUS)
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v [16] Joey Chan (HKG)
[12] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)
Fans can also watch the British Open in style by purchasing a ‘Super Fan’ ticket
for £180, entitling them to; One back-wall ticket for all sessions of the Allam
British Open, an official PSA merchandise polo, headband & wristband, a meet and
greet session with the stars of the tournament, a signed British Open poster,
one month Eurosport Player/SQUASHTV access and a signed player card.
Follow the Allam British Open on Twitter @BritOpenSquash
Fans can also watch the British Open in style by purchasing a ‘Super Fan’ ticket
for £180, entitling them to; One back-wall ticket for all sessions of the Allam
British Open, an official PSA merchandise polo, headband & wristband, a meet and
greet session with the stars of the tournament, a signed British Open poster,
one month Eurosport Player/SQUASHTV access and a signed player card.
The 2017 Allam British Open takes place at the Airco Arena, Hull from March
21-26. Tickets are available to purchase, priced from £7.50, by visiting
https://allambritishopensquash2017.com/
