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Canary Wharf Classic 2020
08 - 13 Mar
London, UK,
$109k |
Round two
09/10 Mar |
Quarters
11 Mar |
Semis
12 Mar |
Final
13 Mar |
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-6, 8-11, 11-9 (47m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) |
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-13, 11-7, 12-10 (51m)
Saurav Ghosal |
Mohamed ElShorbagy
4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (49m)
Tarek Momen |
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 15-13 (79m)
Ali Farag
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Saurav Ghosal (IND)
13-11, 7-11, 11-4 (61m)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) |
[6] Diego Elias (PER)
11-8, 11-4 (24m)
James Willstrop (ENG) |
Diego Elias
11-8, 8-11, 11-6 (40m)
Tarek Momen |
Daryl Selby (ENG)
9-11, 11-8, 11-8 (51m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) |
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
11-7, 11-9 (36m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) |
Greg Lobban
11-3, 11-8 (27m)
Marwan Elshorbagy |
Marwan Elshorbagy
11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (39m)
Ali Farag |
[7] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
2-11, 11-6, 6-3 rtd (63m)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) |
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) |
Fares Dessouky
12-10, 9-11, 5-2 rtd (51m)
Ali Farag |
Declan James (ENG)
11-6, 11-3 (27m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) |
Round one |
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
12-10, 11-8 (46m)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-7, 11-7
(25m)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) bye
[6] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[9/16] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [WC] Richie Fallows (ENG)
11-5, 11-6 (21m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) 11-8, 15-13
(52m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bye
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt [9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) 11-6, 11-7
(25m)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 7-11, 14-12,
11-8 (69m)
[7] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 8-11,
11-3, 11-5 (35m)
Declan James (ENG) bt [9/16] Adrian Waller (ENG) 12-10, 11-6
(43m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
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Day 6:
World No.1 ElShorbagy Lifts Canary Wharf Title For Second Time
After Beating Farag
Egypt’s
World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy claimed the St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic
title for the second time in his career after he prevailed in a terrific final
against World No.2, and compatriot, Ali Farag at the spectacular East
Wintergarden in London.
The pair were meeting on the PSA World Tour for the 20th time in their careers,
with ElShorbagy coming into this meeting in London holding the 11-8 advantage.
However, Farag had won their last meeting - a straight games victory to lift the
FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championship in Philadelphia in October.
Today's match started in brutal fashion, and continued in that vain for 80
minutes, with lengthy, high-quality rallies throughout. The first game saw work
put into the legs of both players, with ElShorbagy eventually taking it, but it
hurt ’the Beast’.
Farag aimed to used that to his advantage in the second, pushing further up the
court whilst also trying to raise the tempo. He went out to a comfortable lead,
but the World No.1 saved four game balls thanks to a couple of incredible
cross-court nicks. Farag was able to recover to restore parity in the match, and
he then held a lead in the third.
It looked like the former World No.1 would take the lead for the first time in
the final, but a run of seven straight points from ‘the Beast’ took him back
into a one-game lead, and he carried that momentum into the fourth game, and was
only three points from the victory when Farag pushed once again.
The World No.2 won four of the next five points, as ElShorbagy tired, looking
almost out on his feet. He was able to recover, though, saving three game balls
in the process before eventually winning the tie-break 15-13 to claim a second
title at the St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic.
“The
longer you play on Tour, you realise you spend more time with your rival than
your family. Ali is not just a rival for me, he is someone who really inspires
me and he makes me want to be a better squash player every day,” ElShorbagy said
after claiming the win.
“I have played so many different players form many different generations, but if
I get asked who is the toughest opponent I have played in my life, it will be
him. It keeps getting harder every time we play and he keeps bringing something
different to the game. I am really glad to see him back and it is such pleasure
to be on court with him again.
“This could probably be the last match we play this season, and to have the two
best players, it was good to have that. Honestly, what we are facing right now
is something that the whole world needs to come together for. I hope that
everyone takes care of themselves, not just squash fans, but everyone. I hope
this is something that goes away very fast and that we can just come back to
normal.
“Thanks to the sponsors of the event. They choose such a wonderful event to
sponsor and it makes it an honour to come back here every year. Playing in front
of this crowd as well, without you guys, there would be no us. You make it
special for us every single year.”
Farag said: “The season is suspended now so we wanted to give you a match to
remember before we stop! We did our sport very proud today, Mohamed and I have
come to enjoy our battles a lot recently, especially when it is played in front
of such an amazing crowd like you guys. We cannot be more grateful really.
“Thanks to St. James’s Place and the sponsors for making this happen. Thanks to
everyone who has helped put this together and thanks to everyone that has helped
me stand here today.”
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Day 5
ElShorbagy And Farag Set Up Final Clash At Canary Wharf
Classic
Egypt’s World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy and World No.2 Ali Farag will meet in the
final of the St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic after defeating compatriots
Tarek Momen and Marwan ElShorbagy, respectively, in the semi-finals of the PSA
Gold tournament.
364 days previous, it was Momen that took the victory over the World No.1, when
the duo mate in the semi-finals of last year’s event, in what was their 24th
meeting on the PSA World Tour.
‘The Beast’ held a 18-5 advantage over Momen coming into tonight’s clash, but it
was the World No.3 that started the better, with his movement and skill in the
front corners proving too much for his fellow Egyptian.
ElShorbagy,
who won this event in 2018 when he beat ‘the Viper’ in the final, improved his
game in the second, pushing the tempo, attacking into the front corners and
forcing Momen into the type of errors that have plagued his game in recent
years.
He then carried that momentum throughout both the third and fourth games,
picking off Momen when required. More errors from the reigning World Champion
helped give ElShorbagy the comfort of a lead in both games, as he went on to win
out 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 in less than 50 minutes, booking his place in the
final in Canary Wharf for the second time in three seasons.
“I hope everyone enjoyed that match, because we both played such high quality
squash. We always play great matches, and I remember two years ago when we
played in the final we both gave it our all on court and today we did the same,”
ElShorbagy said.
“I absolutely love coming back here. Since the first day, the crowd is always
full and you guys always support this event. It is because of you, and we really
appreciate it, so thanks a lot!
“The last couple of days, it was so high-paced. We went for more winners,
whereas today we were more economical. We had to manage our fitness. There are
more tactics in a best-of-five, and I am really glad to be here for another day.
“Tarek has been in great form this season. After the final in TOC [J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions], he said that he was on the right track. Having to play
someone who feels like that is always hard.”
He will face World No.2 Ali Farag in the final of the St. James’s Place Canary
Wharf Classic, after the 2018-19 World Champion made the final for the first
time in his career, following a comprehensive victory over World No.8 Marwan
ElShorbagy - Mohamed's younger brother - inside the East Wintergarden venue.
The pair had met seven times on the PSA World Tour before, with ElShorbagy
having won four of those. Five of those clashes had come in semi-finals, with
‘the Jackal’ also holding a 3-2 advantage in the last four.
This time however the former World No.1 needed just 39 minutes to take the
victory, as he was able to restrict ElShorbagy to just eleven points across the
entire match. He was able to do so by just containing ‘the Jackal’, constantly
forcing him into the back corners. Farag will feature in the final in Canary
Wharf for the first time in his career, in what is only his second appearance at
the tournament.
“I
would like to think that I can still get better. Today I went on court with a
mix of emotions. I was inspired by Nour, she just won a thriller of a match in
Cairo, at the Black Ball Open, against an unbelievable player in Raneem El
Welily,” Farag admitted.
“I was super inspired but at the same time I was also super intimidated to see
Nick Matthew in his corner. Nick, way beyond his prime years, gave me a lesson
at the U.S. Open. I know that from the outside, he can give the right tactics.
“Even though Mohamed and I are No.1 and No.2 at the moment, we have only played
twice so far this season. We have won one each and I think it is always exciting
when we play against each other. He is totally different to play compared to
Marwan, but it is equally as tough. It will be another test but for now, I will
just enjoy the result and then focus on tomorrow.”
The final will take place from 19:30 local time (GMT) on Friday 13th March and
the action will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player
(Europe only) and the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan),
while the semi-finals and final will also be shown live on multiple mainstream
broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
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Day 4: Mohamed ElShorbagy Survives
Scare From Ghosal To Reach Canary Wharf Semi-Finals
Egypt’s
World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy is through to the last four of the St. James’s
Place Canary Wharf Classic after overcoming India’s Saurav Ghosal in a
nail-biting last eight clash inside the spectacular East Wintergarden, London.
The pair had met at the Channel VAS Championships in November, where ElShorbagy
snuck the win in a fifth game tie-break. That was his eighth consecutive victory
over the Indian No.1 across a ten-year period.
This time around the Egyptian took a strong lead in the first, only for Ghosal
to fight back and take it 13-11. But ElShorbagy started strongly in the second,
going on to level up the match.
He then held a 10-5 lead in the third and deciding game, only to see Ghosal come
racing back. Through some superb shot-making, Ghosal saved five match balls.
However, a series of errors at the crucial stages gifted the victory to
ElShorbagy, who has now reached the semi-finals on his last five visits to
Canary Wharf, dating back to 2012.
“Saurav has been in good form this tournament," said ElShorbagy. "To beat Simon
(Rösner) who is also playing good squash at the moment, and then he was only two
points away from me. I am really happy to see him playing well because he was
struggling with his body.”
ElShorbagy's victory ensures there will be a repeat of last year’s semi-final,
as he will meet reigning World Champion, Tarek Momen, for a place in the final.
‘The Viper’ made his way through to the last four after getting the better of
Peruvian World No.6 Diego Elias in the first match of the evening.
For 40 minutes, the pair battled it out in a high-paced, high-intensity affair,
with both players finding their range early and hit some spectacular shots
throughout. It was the World Champion who took the opening salvo, thanks to some
wonderful play in the front corners, keeping the ball tight with Elias
struggling to return the drop shots the Egyptian was putting in.
He found a way to switch it up in the second, and his power play was enough to
take the match into a decider but it would be Momen who took the win, as he
stretched out a lead in the third. Although the ‘Peruvian Puma’ was able to save
a couple of match balls, it was the World No.3 that booked his place in the last
four in London.
“I
am very happy with the way I played today. A much more focused performance, not
too many errors, which is what I look for. I think I played really well
throughout the whole match,” Momen said.
“The errors I made in the second were not unforced, it was more the high
pressure rallies that we were playing. It got to me for a small part and you
only need one or two points to change the momentum.
“I was happy with my short game today. For a while I was not so sure if I was at
the top of my game in that department. It was still very good but not at the
level I wanted, but today I was very close to how I want it to be, so it is a
positive thing.”
Completing the all-Egyptian line-up in the last four of the St, James’s Place
Canary Wharf Classic will be World No.2 Ali Farag and World No.8 Marwan
ElShorbagy, who will meet in the second semi-final on Thursday evening.
Farag overcame compatriot Fares Dessouky in the last match of the
quarter-finals, while ElShorbagy put on a masterclass to beat Scotland’s Greg
Lobban, who had been appearing in the last eight of a PSA Gold tournament for
the first time in his career.
The quarter-finals take place from 18:00 local time (GMT) on Wednesday 11th
March and the action will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World),
Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan),
while the semi-finals and final will also be shown live on multiple mainstream
broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
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Day 3:
Lobban Shocks Gawad To Reach Canary Wharf Quarter-Finals
Scotland’s
World No.27 Greg Lobban shocked the packed crowd inside London's East
Wintergarden as he got the better of Egypt’s former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad
to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA Gold event for the first time in his
career.
The Scot had never before beaten the former World Champion in six previous
matches, and was yet to take two games off the World No.4, but this was their
first meeting in the best-of-three format, and it suited Lobban.
He came flying out of the gate and after a good run of points in the middle of
the game, the Scot was able take the first 11-7. He then got on a great roll at
the start of the second game, scoring seven of the first eight points to take a
commanding lead.
Gawad threatened to comeback, as he has the tendency to do, especially in the
best-of-five format, pulling it back to 7-8, but Lobban was able to push
through. Despite seeing one match ball saved by the Egyptian, he was able to
take the second, booking his place in the quarter-finals of a Gold level
tournament for the first time in career.
“Without a doubt [the best result of my career]. Coming into today, it always
tough getting into the last 16 of these tournaments because they are such strong
events. There are very few players that play the game better than Karim so it is
extremely rewarding to win this one!” Lobban explained.
“I had played Karim six times and never got close as that, never got two games
off him before. Nick [Matthew] has played him plenty and I think it is good to
go back to him to come up with a good gameplan, and I was happy to execute it
today.”
Lobban will face Egypt’s World No.8 Marwan ElShorbagy in the quarter-finals of
the event, after ‘the Jackal’ made it through to the last eight after Omar
Mosaad had to retire from their second round clash through injury.
The World No.8 started terribly, as Mosaad roared through to take the first
game, restricting his compatriot to just a couple of points in the opening
salvo. The ‘Hammer of Thor’ then had a solid start in the second, only for
ElShorbagy to bounce back in the middle part of the game. A run of six straight
points gave ‘the Jackal’ control as he sent the match into a decider.
ElShorbagy held a 4-2 lead in the third when he caught Mosaad with the ball,
with the Egyptian requiring treatment on his leg. Just three points later,
Mosaad went down again after accidentally standing on ElShorbagy’s foot - the
resultant twisted ankle causing the gentle giant too much pain to continue,
sending the tournament’s No.7 seed moving through to the last eight.
“I
just hope it is nothing too serious. We are in the middle of the season and I
just hope that he recovers from it as fast as he can. Hopefully it is not
serious, it is not the way I wanted to win. I just hope he is okay,” ElShorbagy
said.
“To be honest, I didn’t understand what was happening but when I saw it on the
reply I could see that it did not look good. We have a physio in Derek [Ryan]
here, and I know Omar is in good hands.”
The other two matches of the evening saw Egypt’s World No.2 Ali Farag and World
No.12 Fares Dessouky set up a quarter-final clash, after they got the better of
England’s Declan James and Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar, respectively.
The quarter-finals take place from 18:00 local time (GMT) on Wednesday 11th
March and the action will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World),
Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the
official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan),
while the semi-finals and final will also be shown live on multiple mainstream
broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
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Day 2:
ElShorbagy Survives Castagnet Scare To Reach Canary Wharf
Quarter-Finals
Egypt’s
World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy narrowly secured his berth in the quarter-finals
of the St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic after overcoming a tricky test
against France’s Mathieu Castagnet at the East Wintergarden, London.
It was the Egyptian who held control through the first game, as he aimed to
bounce back from his last-eight defeat to New Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll at
the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family in Chicago last month. He
took the first 11-6, but as is always the case with Castagnet, the Frenchman
fought his way back.
Thanks to Castagnet’s mental and physical toughness, the match would be pushed
into a third game as the World No.22 refused to go down without a fight. He took
the second 11-8 to set up a decider and it looked like it could go either way
right through the middle part of it, with neither player able to pull away.
In
the end, the World No.1 took the victory, advancing through to the
quarter-finals where he will face Indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal on Wednesday
evening, after the World No.11 got the better of Germany’s Simon Rösner
“He is a warrior. He had a really bad injury and he is making his way back. I
know his ranking is still outside the top 20 but the level he can play at…once
you are a great player, you don’t just become a bad player. You stay great and
luckily I pulled through at the end!” Elshorbagy said.
“The best-of-three format changes the dynamic of the sport. It will be short,
sharp rallies and you will play at a very high pace. With the best-of-five you
have to think about the whole match, and think about your energy throughout the
match. I am proud of my mental performance today. I got lucky today and I know I
need to try and improve for the next round.
“I have always enjoyed playing this event and the crowd are always fully
supportive from the first day. We play for the crowd and they make it really
exciting for us to play. It is close to Bristol, my home, and I definitely enjoy
playing here.”
ElShorbagy will face Ghosal, who came out firing in the first game of his clash
with World No.7 Rösner. He held the momentum through the middle part of the
first game, before he caught the German on his follow-through at 9-5. After a
ten-minute blood injury delay, Rösner came back onto court and won five of the
next six points, including saving four game balls.
However, it would be Ghosal that took the game, before the German Tree-Chopper
fought his way back into the match, restoring parity in the contest by winning
the second - despite the Indian saving a game ball in the process.
It would eventually be the ‘Mongoose’ that took the win, only his third over
Rösner on the PSA World Tour, as he moves through to the quarter-finals of the
PSA Gold tournament in London,.
“I think it was a culmination of a couple of things. I was 9-5 up, the momentum
was with me, and especially when you are playing Simon, it is so difficult to
get that against him because he has such good power and a great touch art the
front of the court,” Ghosal said.
“He stepped up and played some really good stuff but I am glad that I was able
to finally win it because I think on the balance of play that I deserved to win
it. Beating a player of that quality, in the form that he is in right now, is a
really good win for me!”
Elsewhere on the second day of the tournament, Peru’s World No.6 Diego Elias and
World Champion Tarek Momen made their way through to the last eight, with the
pair scheduled to meet on Wednesday night.
The second round continues on
Tuesday March 10 at 18:00 local time (GMT) and the action will be broadcast live
on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan),
while the semi-finals and final will also be shown live on multiple mainstream
broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
|
DAY 1
Selby, Castagnet & Lobban Cause Shocks On First Day In Canary
Wharf
England’s
Daryl Selby provided the biggest shock on the opening day of the 2020 St.
James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic to beat Welsh World No.10 Joel Makin in the
first round of the tournament taking place in London's spectacular East
Wintergarden.
It was the third time that the pair were meeting on the PSA World Tour, after
facing off against each other twice in the space of six days in September 2016,
and like the first two, this one went the way of the Englishman as well.
The two-game clash lasted more than 50 minutes, with both players producing
sublime squash in a match that looked like it would never end.
After going 6-0 up in the first, Selby went on to take the vital opening game,
but then found himself trailing heavily in the second with Makin ahead 5-10.
However, the Englishman saved seven game balls to come back an win it 15-13,
taking the victory to set up a clash with World Champion Tarek Momen in the last
16.
“I got off to a good start which is important in best-of-three, and I am not
notoriously a good starter. It wasn’t quick, as you would expect with someone
like Joel. I felt like I played good squash, and I stuck to my gameplan quite
well!” Selby admitted.
“At the end of the day, I pulled out some shots at crucial times, especially in
the second game. I had to be positive today because there is now way you are
going to out-manoeuvre Joel. He has earned his place in the top 10 and it is
pleasing for me to get a win over a top 10 guy.
“I'm playing Tarek [Momen] tomorrow and I played the World No.1 in Chicago last
week, now the World Champion this week. I might be coming to the end but I love
testing myself against the best guys to see how close I can get, just constantly
trying to push and finish strong.”
There
were a couple of other surprise results on the opening day, with Frenchman
Mathieu Castagnet and Scotland’s Greg Lobban earning victories over France’s
Gregoire Marche and Egypt’s Mazen Hesham, respectively.
World No.22 Castagnet got the better of his compatriot on the glass court after
battling through a lengthy first game, taking it after half an hour. The second
game was slightly more straight-forward, as he eventually came through to take
the win, booking his place in the second round, where he will face World No.1
Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Lobban
got the better of Hesham, who had pulled out of his third round clash at the
Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family in Chicago last week, and he was
clearly not fully fit here, but the Scot pushed on to secure victory, booking
his place against Karim Abdel Gawad on Tuesday.
“I didn’t know which Mazen was going to turn up. I knew he was not 100%, but for
me, even Mazen at 50 or 60% is a good win. You never know when he is going to
roll out some winners, but I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he gets
back to full fitness!” Lobban said.
Elsewhere, there were victories for the English pair of Declan James and James
Willstrop, the Egyptian duo of Omar Mosaad and Fares Dessouky, and India’s
Saurav Ghosal, who all advance to the second round of the PSA Gold tournament.
Follow the event on the
official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe and Japan), while the semi-finals and final
will also be shown live on multiple mainstream broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
|
Previews
World Champion Momen Handed Tricky Fixtures as Canary Wharf
Classic Draw is Released
World
Champion Tarek Momen has been handed a tricky second round tie against either
the in-form Joel Makin or local favourite Daryl Selby after the draw for the St.
James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic - taking place March 8-13 in London’s iconic
East Wintergarden - was released today.
Momen has finished as runner-up at this tournament on two occasions, first to
World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy in 2018 and then to New Zealand’s Paul Coll last
year. However, the World No.3 avenged that defeat to Coll in November 2019 as he
got his hands on the biggest trophy in men’s squash - the PSA World Championship
- and he will look to make it third time lucky this time around at the PSA World
Tour Gold tournament.
Momen is predicted to come up against World No.11 Makin in round two and will
need to end a two-match losing streak to the Welshman after defeats in
November’s CIB Egyptian Squash Open and in December’s WSF Men’s World Team
Squash Championship.
The winner of that match is seeded to play the dangerous World No.7 Diego Elias
in the quarter-finals, while ElShorbagy could lie in wait in the semi-finals.
The bottom half of the draw sees World No.2 Ali Farag pitted against the winner
of an all-English battle between Adrian Waller and Declan James.
He will need to come through a field that contains former World No.1 Karim Abdel
Gawad, 2017 World Championship runner-up Marwan ElShorbagy and 2018-19 PSA World
Tour Finals runner-up Mohamed Abouelghar if he is to reach a first Canary Wharf
Classic final.
There are six Englishman involved in the draw, with three-time World No.1 James
Willstrop taking on tournament wildcard Richie Fallows in round one, while Tom
Richards lines up against Saurav Ghosal of India.
"The draw has thrown up some blockbuster matches right from day one, with the
world’s best set to go head-to-head in front of a packed house at East
Wintergarden," said Tournament Director Tim Garner.
"The Canary Wharf Classic spectators are amongst the most knowledgable and
passionate on the PSA World Tour, and East Wintergarden is transformed into a
cauldron of noise whenever these top-class athletes do battle on court.
"With a plethora of current and former World Champions and World No.1s in
attendance, I expect this year to be no different and I’m looking forward to
watching the drama unfold next month."
The Canary Wharf Classic will use a best-of-three games scoring format up to and
including the quarter-finals for a third year in succession. The semi-finals and
final will revert to traditional best-of-five scoring.
All of the action from East Wintergarden will be streamed live on SQUASHTV (rest
of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official PSA World Tour
Facebook page (excluding Europe & Japan), while the semi-finals and final will
also be shown live on multiple mainstream broadcasters around the globe.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the event's official
website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter
2020 St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic – Draw
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Tom Richards (ENG)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]
[6] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
[WC] Richie Fallows (ENG) v [9/16] James Willstrop (ENG)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) v Daryl Selby (ENG)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]
Greg Lobban (SCO) v [9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[7] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
Raphael Kandra (GER) v [9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[9/16] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Declan James (ENG)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
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World-Class Draw Confirmed for Canary Wharf Classic
World
No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy headlines a stellar draw for the St. James’s Place
Canary Wharf Classic, which will take place at London’s stunning East
Wintergarden between March 8-13.
Now in its 17th year, the PSA World Tour Gold tournament continues to attract
the world’s leading players with World Champion Tarek Momen and former World
No.1s Ali Farag and Karim Abdel Gawad also featuring alongside 2018 winner
ElShorbagy.
ElShorbagy bowed out at last year’s tournament at the semi-final stage to
eventual runner-up Momen and will be looking to go further this season after
reclaiming his place at the top of the World Rankings this month.
Also involved is Germany’s World No.6 Simon Rosner, Peru’s World No.7 Diego
Elias, Egypt’s World No.8 Marwan ElShorbagy and World No.9 Mohamed Abouelghar.
Wales’ World No.11 Joel Makin heads up the British contingent at the event
following an impressive season. The 25-year-old will be joined by Englishmen
James Willstrop, Adrian Waller, Declan James, Daryl Selby and Tom Richards,
while London-born Richie Fallows takes the wildcard spot.
“This is the strongest draw in the history of the tournament," said Tournament
Director Tim Garner.
"Having four world champions at the top of the list is simply amazing. It's a
major bonus all round, and a wonderful way to begin our partnership with our new
title sponsors St. James's Place Wealth Management.
"It's also a huge bonus for the thousands of loyal fans who have clamoured for
every available ticket months in advance and who generate such a brilliant
atmosphere at the East Wintergarden. Everyone is looking forward to an
incredible week of drama and entertainment as these titans of the game take to
the court."
A best-of-three games scoring format will take place at the event for the third
year running. First round, second round and quarter final matches will be played
using the format, while semi-finals and the final will revert to the traditional
best-of-five games scoring.
Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the tournament by visiting the
event's official website or by following the Canary Wharf Classic on Twitter.
2020 St. James’s Place Canary Wharf Classic – Entry List
1) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
2) Ali Farag (EGY)
3) Tarek Momen (EGY)
4) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
5) Simon Rosner (GER)
6) Diego Elias (PER)
7) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
8) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
9) Joel Makin (WAL)
10) Fares Dessouky (EGY)
11) Saurav Ghosal (IND)
12) Gregoire Marche (FRA)
13) Mazen Hesham (EGY)
14) Omar Mosaad (EGY)
15) James Willstrop (ENG)
16) Adrian Waller (ENG)
17) Declan James (ENG)
18) Daryl Selby (ENG)
19) Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
20) Tom Richards (ENG)
21) Greg Lobban (SCO)
22) Raphael Kandra (GER)
23) Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
Wildcard) Richie Fallows (ENG)
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