World No.1s Farag and Welily Secure El Gouna
International Crowns World
No.1s Ali Farag and Raneem El Welily took the honours on an all-Egyptian
finals night at the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum
event as they beat Karim Abdel Gawad and Nouran Gohar in their
respective finals at the spectacular Abu Tig Marina.
Farag avenged his defeat to the former World Champion in December’s
Black Ball Open by winning his maiden El Gouna crown.
Farag, who turned 27 this week, finished runner-up to compatriot Marwan
ElShorbagy 12 months ago, but he built on a strong start to win 11-9,
12-10, 11-3, picking up his 17th PSA Tour title in the process.
Gawad had his opportunities, leading 9-7 in the first game and 6-2 in
the second, but Farag came back both times to take a two-game lead.
An ankle injury suffered by Gawad in the second prevented him from
really getting his teeth into the third, and Farag made no mistake to
etch his name onto the trophy, his first title on home soil since
February 2015.
"I’ve
played Karim in so many great finals in Egypt,” Farag said after his
win.
"It was really a shame what happened at the end of the second and in the
third. I’m sure if he was better physically, it would have been a
totally different story. I think he had an amazing week, he’s playing
well this season, and it’s great to have him on tour.
"This season has been amazing for me, I couldn’t have asked for a better
one. I might have won a lot of big titles, like the World Championships
and claiming that No.1 spot at the ToC, but this one is a very special
one as I’m sharing it in front of my people."
World
No.1 Raneem El Welily successfully defended her El Gouna International
title after overcoming fellow Egyptian Nouran Gohar to lift her third
successive PSA Tour trophy.
El Welily beat World No.2 Nour El Sherbini in last year’s final, and was
up against the woman who ended El Sherbini’s run in this tournament at
the quarter-final stage. The 30-year-old took the opening game, despite
being under immense pressure from her hard-hitting opponent.
Gohar, nine years El Welily’s junior, struck back in the second as El
Welily went walkabout mentally and surrendered a 5-2 lead to lose 9 of
the next 11 points as Gohar levelled.
The momentum then shifted in El Welily’s favour as she came back to take
the third 12-10 on the tie-break, and their battle continued into the
fourth game where Gohar, sporting heavy strapping on her left knee,
required an injury break after a lunge into the front corner to send El
Welily 8-6 up.
The World No.7 returned to court, but it was clear that she was having
to protect the knee as she lacked the same explosivity in her movement,
and El Welily closed out the win to earn the 22nd PSA Tour title of her
career.
“I think that the blood injury break turned me down a little bit, so I'm
glad I managed to come back after being 6-2 down [in the third],” El
Welily said afterwards.
“It's definitely hard pushing pushing yourself this way, but when you're
in a final of such a great tournament, you do your best to stay in, and
you do your best to win. That's what I was thinking at that point.
“All
thanks to [Tournament Promoter] Amr Mansi and his entire for putting on
such a great event. It's always special here in El Gouna, We always love
being here, and I think I speak for the players when I say we really
enjoy being here.
“Not just for the organisation, but also for the good weather, the great
crowd, and there's nothing better than playing in front of your home
crowd.”
This is the second PSA Tour event in a row in which Farag and El Welily
have taken silverware, and both players win $22,800 for their triumphs
in El Gouna.
Farag, Gawad and El Welily will next be in action at the British Open in
Hull between May 20-26, while Nouran Gohar will be playing in the
Manchester Open, which starts on May 9th.
All-Egyptian Finals Set For El Gouna
Both the men's and women's finals of the El Gouna International, PSA
World Tour Platinum tournament will be all-Egyptian clashes, as Ali
Farag, Karim Abdel Gawad, Nouran Gohar and Raneem El Welily won their
respective semi final match-ups at Abu Tig Marina.
World
No.1 Farag is into the final for the second year in a row after coming
from two games down to win in five against World No.3 Tarek Momen in a
repeat of March's PSA World Championship final, winning 9-11, 2-11,
11-5, 11-9, 12-10 in 84 minutes.
Farag, 27, lost out to compatriot Marwan ElShorbagy in the final 12
months ago, and will have the chance to go a step further after denying
Momen a place in a fourth successive PSA Tour final.
“I couldn’t be more proud of today. I didn’t start the game badly, but
by the end of the first, and then the entirety of the second game, he
was standing in front of me,” Farag said.
“He did so for the whole game really, and I couldn’t get the ball back
in the deep corners. I have to say thanks to Karim [Darwish] and Nour
[El Tayeb] in my corner.
“You know, some days, some people make the difference. Today, looking at
my brother who I haven’t seen for a while, he gave me the energy which
made all the difference and I am really happy to be through. Tarek
played really well when he was down. He was attacking really well and he
played both points so well. At 10-10, I told myself that it was not
lost, and that we were still all even. All credit to Tarek, he never
makes it easy but I am over the moon with the win and to be in another
final here in El Gouna."
Farag will aim to avenge his defeat to former World No.1 Gawad in the
final of December's Black Ball Open, with Gawad beating wildcard Fares
Dessouky 5-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-1 to reach a second El Gouna
International final.
Gawad
fell to a one-game deficit and looked on the ropes as Dessouky looked to
follow up a quarter-final scalp of World No.2 ElShorbagy. But he found
his range towards the back end of the second and stayed out in front to
earn his spot in the title decider.
“I didn’t play my best squash today, I feel that in the first game I was
picking up the ball for him! So from the second on, I tried and forget
about it and push as much as I could, and to stay as strong as I could
mentally,” Gawad said.
“It was a bit scrappy at times, but this is the outdoor conditions,
squash is also an outdoor sport, and we are used to it. I also need to
salute Fares, he is just back from an ACL injury, and the way he came
back shows how strong and how professional he is.”
Meanwhile,
Gohar advanced to her first Platinum final since August 2016 after
beating France’s Camille Serme in four games at Abu Tig Marina. The
Egyptian last reached a final of a Platinum event at the Hong Kong Open
and will have the chance to add a second Platinum title to her trophy
haul after an 11-1, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4 triumph.
“I am feeling very happy right now, I cannot express what I feel at the
moment. It’s my first final since 2016, but more importantly, I’m
playing well again,” Gohar said.
“My game plan was to put as much pressure on her I could, but making
sure I was as accurate as possible. Camille is physically so strong, I
cannot reach the ball when she plays her short game, so I had to make
sure I was as tight and precise as I could today.”
Her
final opponent will be defending champion Raneem El Welily after she
eased to a straight games victory over US No.1 Amanda Sobhy. She had won
10 of their 11 previous meetings against the American, with Sobhy’s only
victory coming at the 2016 Tournament of Champions.
It was the American that started the stronger, as she controlled the
first game. However, Welily saved two game balls as she won four
straight points to turn the game around from 10-8 down to win it 12-10.
The second and third games were much more comfortable for the World
No.1.
She secured her spot in the final for a second successive year, while
she also made it to the final of the women's PSA World Championships
when they were held in El Gouna in 2017. The win also sees Welily move
to 12 matches unbeaten, the longest run of her career.
“We are both shot makers so it was always going to be the one who moves
to the front first. It was not easy, there was a lot of work involved,”
El Welily explained.
“Obviously, winning 3-0 in 27 minutes is a great advantage as I will be
fresh for tomorrow’s final. I’m very happy to play against Nouran, she
played fantastic squash this week, she is a terrific player, we had a
lot of great matches this season, and no doubt tomorrow will be another
great battle.”
The action comes to a conclusion tomorrow as the finals take place at
Abu Tig Marina. Play will start at 19:30 local time (GMT+2).
The finals will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport
Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World
Tour (Indian subcontinent only).
Dessouky
and Gohar Scalp World No.2s Egypt’s
Fares Dessouky and Nouran Gohar shocked World No.2s Mohamed ElShorbagy
and Nour El Sherbini, respectively, as the quarter-finals of the El
Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament drew to a close
on a thrilling night of action at the Abu Tig Marina.
Dessouky, who currently sits at World No.42, beat compatriot ElShorbagy
for the first time in four attempts, having lost the previous three to
the former World Champion, to reach his first Platinum semi-final since
he tore his ACL in November 2017.
The 24-year-old was given a wildcard spot for the tournament and will
appear in the semi-finals in El Gouna for a third time after winning
15-13, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9.
“I'm happy to say to everyone that I'm back playing at a high level,”
said Dessouky.
“Mentally as well, I was good today, I feel I'm playing better than
before. I'm really happy to beat Mohamed today, it was a really tough
match, especially after 14 months out injured.
“I love playing in Egypt, I feel like the people here love me, and I
give my best here. I'm playing in front of my family and friends, this
is something incredible, and I'm happy to be here in El Gouna one more
time to play on this beautiful court."
Dessouky’s win guarantees a new men’s champion, and he will take on 2017
runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad for a place in the title decider.
Former
World No.1 Gawad, who claimed top spot when reaching the final in El
Gouna two years ago, ended the title defence of men's champion Marwan
ElShorbagy as he claimed an 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 triumph.
A year ago to the day, ElShorbagy got the better of Gawad in the quarter
finals en route to winning his maiden Platinum final, but this time, it
was the World No.6 who took the victory in straight games.
“It was very tough. 3-0 against someone like Marwan means a lot to me as
he is a very tough opponent. I am really happy to see him back and
really happy with my performance today,” said Gawad, who won the last
Platinum event held in Egypt, December's Black Ball Open
“I have very happy memories [of Gouna]. Reaching the finals and reaching
World No.1 here in Egypt is a huge memory for me that I can never
forget. Playing in Egypt is always different for me, wherever it is, in
Gouna or Cairo. It is a great thing for me and I am always happy to
playing a tournament here in Egypt.”
In
the women’s draw, Gohar is into the semi finals of the El Gouna
International after she beat World Champion El Sherbini for the first
time since 2014.
Gohar had lost nine straight matches to El Sherbini since then, but
played her best squash to win 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, securing a
match-up with France's Camille Serme in the last four.
“It feels amazing. The only other time I beat her was our first meeting
and that was in Egypt as well, it is my lucky place,” Gohar said.
“I am really pleased with it. It was a really tough match which could
have gone either way. I gave my best and she gave her best so I am
really pleased with it. I expected her to come back. She was not going
to leave it like that, even when I was 9-5 up in the last game. I was
sure she was going to get everything and she was playing as if it was
0-0 or something. She is a true fighter and I really respect her for
that."
World
No.4 Serme won the opening match of the night in a high-quality
four-game encounter with England's World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry.
The pair had met nine times on the PSA World Tour previously, with the
Frenchwoman having won seven of those. Serme fell behind after losing
the first, but battled back to win the next three against a spirited
Perry, who is still continuing her return from an elbow surgery.
“I knew I had the right tactic because I was leading in the first game,
but I tried not to panic. Of course, she came back strongly but I knew
what I had to do and I tried to stick to it,” Serme said.
“It was a big battle physically. I think physically, I could feel that
she was getting tired with long rallies, so I was trying to force myself
to have long rallies even though I was losing them. I had to try and
make her tired, and maybe that helped in the end."
The action continues tomorrow as the semi finals take place at Abu Tig
Marina. Play will start at 18:30 local time (GMT+2), with four matches
set for tomorrow evening.
Matches from the glass court will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of
the PSA World Tour (Indian subcontinent only). Play starts at 18:30
local time (GMT+2).
US No.1 Sobhy Comes From Behind To Knock Out El Tayeb In
El Gouna World
No.12 Amanda Sobhy is through to the semi finals of the El Gouna
International, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after sensationally
coming back from two games down against World No.3 Nour El Tayeb on the
at Abu Tig Marina earlier today.
Egypt’s El Tayeb took the first couple of games with ease but a change
of gameplan saw the American fight her way back into it as she showed
more attacking intent.
She took the third and the fourth, and made a strong start to the
decider, as El Tayeb lost her composure completely, resulting in her
breaking her racket against her own leg after falling 4-1 behind. After
the World No.3 returned to court, a conduct stroke was given against
Tayeb, with the American taking full advantage to go on and secure
victory.
Sobhy
will face Egypt’s World No.1 Raneem El Welily on the night of Thursday
April 25 for a place in the final.
“I wasn’t thinking I had a chance to win, I was thinking about not
getting slaughtered and trying not to embarrassing myself. It is a
quarter final… and Tayeb was playing well, but I told myself to give it
everything I had,” Sobhy said after winning.
“There was some rage, some anger fuelling me, and I just tried to power
through. Fortunately I got a good lead in both the third and fourth and
in the fifth, I wasn’t event thinking about how I had come back, I kept
thinking I needed to keep my head down and to keep going.
“I think I was not prepared for the glass court, and I had over 48 hours
of rest. I didn’t do much yesterday apart from a 30 minute hit, so I
think it was just that shock to the system of the pace. I had to get the
lungs working again, I couldn’t find my lengths and she was all over me.
I don’t really know how, but I just told myself to stop being a baby and
to push through.”
Defending champion El Welily is through to the semi finals after beating
New Zealand’s Joelle King in a high-quality four game affair.
The pair had met 15 times on the PSA World Tour in the past, with the
Egyptian having won 11 of them. However, King had won four of the last
six, including the finals of the Hong Kong Open and Cleveland Classic in
2018.
Welily came out strong to win the first game, but the Kiwi pegged her
back with some quality squash in the second. The World No.1 found
another gear though to claim victory and book her spot in the semi
finals.
“I am definitely pleased to be into the semis here in El Gouna. Playing
Joelle has not been easy for me lately but to come out with a 3-1 win is
definitely something that makes me pleased,” Welily said after her
victory.
“I tried to push myself this time to get the first game and I think that
made a difference somehow. I am also very happy with the way I pushed
myself after the second game. Some things were not going the way I
thought they would, so I am very happy with the way I pushed myself
mentally to come through.”
Meanwhile,
the first men’s semi final will see a repeat of the PSA World
Championship final as both World No.1 Ali Farag and World No.3 Tarek
Momen booked their places in the last four.
Farag advanced to the semi finals after coming through a tricky match
with New Zealand’s Paul Coll.
This was the eighth meeting between the pair, with Farag having won the
last six, including at both the World Championships and the Tournament
of Champions earlier this year.
Despite the 3-0 scoreline, Farag never had full control of the match, as
World No.5 Coll kept himself in the match thanks to his trademark
retrieving ability. However, the Egyptian was able to score points at
exactly the right times to secure victory, setting up a clash with Momen
in the last four as he aims to improve on last year’s runner-up finish
to Marwan ElShorbagy.
“Paul is always tough to play against. Even if it is in three, they are
always 11-8 or 11-9, so it is never easy.” Farag said.
“He is never going to give you any cheap points, so you have to earn
every single point and that is not easy when you play against someone
like this. However, I think I had my tactics sorted today, and I tried
to make sure I did not get into a physical battle with him, so I am glad
to be through in three.”
Germany’s Simon Rösner to claim his 250th win on the PSA Tour.
Momen took the first two games comfortably, but Rösner fought back, as
he aimed to win a third straight match against the Egyptian, a run which
includes the 2018 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions final. It was not
to be though, as Momen went back on the offensive to reach his first
semi-final in El Gouna.
Momen
said: "I try to isolate things, I don't like to get my revenge. Every
match I play, I go in for the win. I'm fully committed to getting my win
over Ali, irrespective of what happened in the past.
“I don't want to link between what happened then and what happened now.
It's just a match, he's a good opponent, and I have to come on court
with the right gameplay and execute it to the best of my abilities."
With both Momen and Farag into the last four, this guarantees an
all-Egyptian men’s final,as Fares Dessouky, Karim Abdel Gawad and both
ElShorbagy brothers face off in the other two quarter final matches.
Quarter final action continues tomorrow evening (Wednesday April 24) as
the bottom half of the draw play their last eight matches on the glass
court.
Matches from the glass court 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). Play starts at 18:30
local time (GMT+2).
Egypt’s
Gawad Comes Back From Brink Against Mosaad To Book Place in
Quarter-Finals Former
World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad had to battle back from two games down to
overcome fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad in the third round of the El Gouna
International, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament taking place at the
spectacular Abu Tig Marina.
The 2016 World Champion started slowly, but managed to fight his way
back into his third round tie with Omar Mosaad, eventually winning the
match in five games.
The pair had met five times in the past on the PSA World Tour, with the
former World Champion having won the last three meetings.
Mosaad came out strongly, as he aimed to put an end to that run. He took
a two-game lead after 38 minutes of pulsating squash, before Gawad
turned the match on its head. The ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ started the
fightback in the third, winning it 11-1. He carried that on into the
fifth game, as Mosaad seemed to tire, winning out 9-11, 9-11, 11-1,
11-7, 11-8 in 90 minutes.
“It is very tough against someone like Mosaad, of course. He is a very
good player, and he is very tough, both physically and mentally, so it
is always tough to play against him,” Gawad said after winning.
“When I was 2-0 down, I was not playing my best squash. I had to change
my gameplan. My fitness coach was also a mental coach today so thanks to
him.
“I just wanted to play some good squash. I did not want to go back home
with a 3-0 loss here in Gouna, especially as I love playing here in
Gouna. The conditions were really tough, but I am really happy that I
managed to get through to the next round.”
Meanwhile,
Egyptian wildcard Fares Dessouky earned his first win over a top 10
player since tearing his ACL as he prevailed in a scrappy, four-game
battle with Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez over at the El Gouna Squash
Complex
Dessouky, the World No.42, spent 14 months on the sidelines due to an
ACL injury but has shown glimpses of getting back to his best since
returning in January, reaching the final of the CCI International in his
first tournament back.
He claimed a milestone win over World No.7 Rodriguez today, winning
11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9. The match was a physical affair, with plenty of
traffic issues on court as Rodriguez in particular got aggravated with
Dessouky’s movement, but the Egyptian prevailed to earn a spot on the
glass court.
“It means a lot to me, it's my first win over a top 10 player since the
injury. It was a very tough match, mentally and physically,” Dessouky
said.
“I was playing my own squash, my attacking games helped me today. The
court didn't bother me a lot, but there were long rallies, so it was
hard physically.
Dessouky will play World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy, who is through to the
last eight of the tournament after dispatching Mexico’s Cesar Salazar in
straight games at the glass court at the marina.
The former World Champion struggled to get his rhythm in the early
stages, but got going to win the first, before convincingly winning both
the second and third to set up a clash with Dessouky.
His younger brother, and defending champion, Marwan, is also into the
quarter finals after beating Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller.
The pair had played each other four times on the PSA World Tour, with
the World No.11 having won the last three, and he came out firing to
start their fifth meeting. Marwan had competed on the glass court in
round one and, despite his second round fixture taking place on the side
court, the World No.25 made no difference as he won out in three.
In
the women’s draw, World No.2 Nour El Sherbini eased her way into the
last eight of the El Gouna International as she dispatched compatriot
Nadine Shahin in just 17 minutes.
The pair had only played once before on the PSA World Tour, with
Sherbini having beaten Shahin in three games at the Windy City Open back
in 2017.
She did exactly the same here as El Sherbini put on an absolute clinic,
allowing her opponent nothing on the glass court.
“I was happy on court. I felt more comfortable because the weather is so
different to Saturday,” Sherbini said.
“I took advantage of having played on this court before, which she
hasn’t. It is not easy on the outdoor court, so I think I was better on
court and I like the court more today and I was happy with my
performance.
“I will just try to take it as another match. Nouran [Gohar] always
gives me a tough match and a physical one. It has been a long time since
we have played, maybe a year, and it is exciting to see how it is going
to go.”
France’s
Camille Serme moved through to the quarter-finals after a dominant
performance from the World No.4 saw her down Wales’ Tesni Evans in
straight games.
Serme had gotten the better of Evans in all seven of their previous PSA
Tour encounters and this match went the way of the 30-year-old as she
won 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 to set up a last eight meeting with England’s
Sarah-Jane Perry.
Serme’s physicality saw her dominate the opening two games as she took
control of the middle of the court and punished Evans every time the
World No.9 left the ball short. Evans come back into the third game as
she took a 6-2 lead. However, Serme was able to battle back to close out
the match and set up a clash with England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in the
quarter finals.
“I am pretty happy. I think I managed to find a better length, and maybe
having one more match on the glass court compared to Tesni helped me a
little bit,” Serme said.
“In the third, I lost my focus a bit. Tesni played better, she hit the
ball harder and found a better length as well, but I lost my focus a
little bit. The decision at 9-7 was a bit tricky, but I am just very
happy that I came back to win in three.
Perry overcame a spirited performance from Hong Kong No.1 Annie Au to
win her third round match at El Gouna in five, despite thinking she
might not play just an hour before the contest.
The World No.6 had suffered an ankle injury in her win against Rowan
Elaraby two days ago, but luckily for the Englishwoman, she was able to
recover in time to take to the court this afternoon.
Egyptian World No.8 Nouran Gohar was the other woman to earn her place
in the quarter-finals after getting the better of compatriot Zeina
Mickawy in four at the Squash Complex.
The action continues tomorrow as the quarter finals get underway. The
top half of the draw will played on the glass court at Abu Tig Marina,
with play starting at 18:30 local time (GMT+2).
Matches from the glass court 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).
World
No.1 Farag Survives Scare from Peru’s Elias
in El Gouna Egypt’s
World No.1 Ali Farag is through to the quarter finals of the El Gouna
International Squash Open, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after
surviving a gripping, five-game encounter against Peru’s Diego Elias on
the glass court at the spectacular Abu Tig Marina earlier today.
The 81-minute encounter saw some high-quality squash played from both
players, with Farag taking a two-game lead, only to see a stunning
resurgence from Elias put the World No.9 on the verge of an incredible
win.
The Peruvian’s energy levels dipped in the fifth as the physical
exertion took its toll, and Farag re-established himself on the match to
close the win out and book his place in the next round with an 11-8,
11-3, 14-16, 6-11, 11-5 victory to set up a fixture with World No.5 Paul
Coll.
“I played really well for almost three full games, up until 9-5 [in the
third], I had a good lead and I was controlling it,” Farag said.
“Once I lost that one, he let his racket go and he's very dangerous when
he does that. That tensed me up a little bit, and I lost my way. But I'm
glad I found my way back in that fourth, even though I lost it, I think
it gave me a big boost for the beginning of the fifth.
“I'm very thankful to be through that one. I never look at myself as the
favourite to win any tournament, I look at myself as one of the
contenders for sure, but not the favourite, so that releases me a little
bit.”
Also
on the glass court was Egypt’s World No.3 Tarek Momen, who saw off a
strong challenge from India’s Saurav Ghosal to reach the last eight of
the El Gouna International.
Momen came out firing in the first game, moving to the front of the
court as quickly as possible, and nullifying any attacks that the Indian
tried to put together. He won it 11-8, before taking the second in the
same vein, 11-7.
At the end of the second game, Ghosal received treatment on a back
injury. However, he came back strong in the third, and even had a game
ball to take it into a fourth. The Egyptian composed himself though and
recovered to take the match in three, winning the third on a tie-break.
"I’ve always played Saurav and never had a 3-0 win against him," said
Momen.
"It was always very tough because we play a very similar game. I knew
today that I had to be up for it, and I don’t need to give him any
windows of opportunity. It’s hard to do that against a good a player as
Saurav, and I thought I did really well to win the first two games.
"In the third, when I saw he had an injury break, I tried so hard not to
think about it, and I did really well at the start of the game and
didn’t think about his injury. When I got the big lead, I started to
relax a bit and thought that it was a shame, it was a good match, and I
felt sorry for him.
"I’m really glad that I managed to win the last game in a tie-break
because I didn’t want it to go to a fourth because you never know what
might happen. I’m very pleased with the win, and I’m looking forward to
playing after tomorrow."
German No.1 Simon Rösner will face Momen in the quarter finals after
claiming a 3-0 victory over England’s Adrian Waller.
All seven of their previous matches had gone the way of Rösner and he
put in a composed performance in this one to win 11-4, 11-6, 11-2 in
just 29 minutes.
New Zealand’s Paul Coll also moved into the quarter finals of the El
Gouna International, after he defeated Wales’ Joel Makin at the Squash
Complex.
The pair had only met twice on the PSA Tour before this clash, with the
Kiwi getting the better of Makin at the Citigold Wealth Management
Canary Wharf Classic in March. He did so again in this one, to set up a
clash with World No.1 Farag.
In the women’s draw, United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy got her first win
over a top eight player since October as she battled to a 3-1 victory
against former World No.1 Laura Massaro to earn herself a spot on the
glass court in the quarter-finals.
Sobhy
was competing against the Englishwoman for the first time since 2016 and
had never beaten the World No.8 in five previous matches. But Massaro
looked off the pace in the opening two games as Sobhy hit clean lines
and dominated the ’T’ to collect an 11-5 victory in game one, before
following that up with an 11-6 triumph in the second.
Massaro dug into her mental reserves and came out fighting in the third
as the steely 35-year-old stormed into a 7-0 lead. The Englishwoman lost
her length though and made a succession of errors to let Sobhy back into
the encounter, and the American built up two match balls to put herself
on the verge of a straight games win.
Massaro came back to within touching distance, but Sobhy kept her at bay
to hold three match balls, and the 25-year-old converted this time
around to complete an 11-5, 11-6, 11-13, 11-8 victory in 44 minutes,
setting up a clash with Egypt’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the last
eight.
“I think it was the refusal to lose [that got her through it] and being
able to back myself while having the confidence of being able to scalp
the top eight players,” Sobhy said afterwards.
“I saw this as an opportunity, I haven't played Laura in a number of
years, and I wanted to see how I would do up against someone other than
Nour El Tayeb or Nour El Sherbini.
“I'm happy with how I regrouped, hung in there and backed myself to win
in four. I think playing those matches [against the top players] and
learning from those tough losses every time [is key to turning the
losses into wins].”
El
Tayeb joined husband Farag in the quarter-finals after dispatching
fellow Egyptian Salma Hany in straight games.
World No.14 Hany really took the game to El Tayeb at the beginning of
the first and second games, and she had the World Championship runner-up
on the ropes as she displayed some serious attacking intent.
But El Tayeb grew into the match as she played the big points well and
came from behind to win both of the opening two games. She then made
short work of the third to book a quarter-final clash with Sobhy. The
pair have met eight times on the PSA Tour – with four wins apiece –
while their last three matches have gone all the way to five games.
“I think today’s match was tough, first of all it’s Salma, secondly
because Ali’s match kept going and going, and he was so nervous, so I
got nervous,” said El Tayeb afterwards.
“I think I started the match too tired in the end, not physically, but
emotionally because of Ali’s match. But I’m glad that I managed the
conditions.
“I didn’t start well in the first two games, but I managed to play well
in the end, and I’m very happy with my performance. Salma is a very
tough opponent, we practice a lot together, and I’m very happy to be in
the next round.”
Defending champion Raneem El Welily saw off the threat of Belgium’s
Tinne Gilis to earn her spot in the quarter-finals after an 11-8, 11-8,
11-2 victory on a windy night at El Gouna’s Abu Tig Marina.
World No.1 El Welily beat compatriot Nour El Sherbini to win the
inaugural title 12 months ago and was tested at times in the opening two
games against Gilis, who was appearing in her first Platinum third round
after scalping Egypt’s Mayar Hany and India’s Joshna Chinappa.
Gilis cut the ball into the front well to finish the first two games
within three points of the Egyptian, although the third was one-way
traffic as El Welily dropped just two points to close out the win.
The 30-year-old will face New Zealand’s Joelle King in the
quarter-finals, after she got the better of Egypt’s Mariam Metwally.
The Kiwi got off to a flying start, not letting her opponent get a
rhythm going in the first game. She continued that momentum to take the
match in three.
Third round action continues tomorrow at El Gouna Squash Complex, with
matches starting at 12:00 local time (GMT+2). The glass court action at
the Abu Tig Marina will start at 18:30 tomorrow evening.
Matches from the glass court 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).
Defending
Champion Marwan ElShorbagy Survives
R2 Scare Reigning
champion Marwan ElShorbagy survived a huge scare from Mohamed Abouelghar
on day four of the El Gouna International Squash Open as he got his
title defence underway on the spectacular glass court at Abu Tig Marina,
which hosts the PSA World Tour Platinum tournament.
The Egyptian won this title last year, beating current World No.1 Ali
Farag in the final, but it looked like he was on his way out after just
a single match this time around. Abouelghar had never beaten his
compatriot on the PSA World Tour before in three previous attempts, but
he started the stronger of the two, and took the first game.
ElShorbagy came back to win the second and third with ease, but World
No.8 Abouelghar fought back. He eventually had two match balls in the
fifth game, but Bristol-based ElShorbagy saved both of them before
winning the match thanks to some fine attacking shots at the very end.
The win sends the defending champion through to the third round of the
tournament, where he will face Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller on Monday
April 22.
“It was tough. It is always tough with Abouelghar. We have played so
many times,” ElShorbagy said.
“I haven’t beaten a top 10 player in a long time and Abouelghar has been
playing some amazing squash. I did not know what to expect because this
is the best he has ever played. He is on the way up and he now is in the
top eight. He is one of the most talented squash players.
“I think we both settled from the third game, I would say. It was a
tough match and I expected no less. To be able to win today, I am quite
happy with the result. There are a few things I need to improve for my
next match, but it is just good to get into the tournament with a win
like this.”
Also on the glass court, Marwan’s older brother, World No.2 Mohamed,
overcame a tough challenge from Hong Kong’s Max Lee, but the former
World Champion advanced after a four-game victory to get his attempts to
win a second El Gouna International title under way.
Elsewhere
in today’s action, Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez had to come from two
games down to overhaul Germany’s Raphael Kandra at the El Gouna Squash
Complex.
Rodriguez had beaten Kandra in two of their three previous meetings –
including in the semi-finals of last year’s Allam British Open – but
Kandra got the win the last time they played in September’s China Open.
The German played some high-calibre squash to go two games up at the
Squash Complex, saving a game ball in the second. World No.7 Rodriguez
was able to impose himself more on the match though after that point as
he ramped up the pace and picked up all of Kandra’s shots at the front
of the court as the German lost his basic length hitting.
After levelling, the ‘Colombian Cannonball’ made the most of a great
start in the fifth to go two match balls up. Kandra fought back to level
but, to the disappointment of the German contingent in the crowd,
Rodriguez found his winning shots to complete an 8-11, 10-12, 11-5,
11-4, 12-10 victory.
“I didn’t start very well, he did though. He really played his best
squash there, so from that point on, I changed my strategy,” Rodriguez
said after the match.
“Instead of going with a slow pace, I increased it and made the rallies
longer. He seemed to give up mid-game. I realised he was probably going
to be back fighting in the fifth, which he was, and I was ready for it.
“I had lost to Raphael in Shanghai, so I’m happy with the win. Today was
not physical as much as it was mental and tactical, the ball was very
bouncy, and you had to find the right pace to get the ball in the back
corners.”
Mueller also survived a five-game battle on day four, as he overcame
Scotland’s Alan Clyne in a match that lasted over an hour. Egypt’s Karim
Abdel Gawad, Fares Dessouky and Omar Mosaad are also through to the last
16, along with Mexico’s Cesar Salazar.
In
the women’s draw, Egypt’s World No.2 Nour el Sherbini is into the third
round after beating compatriot Yathreb Adel in straight games on the
glass court.
The pair had only met twice before on the PSA World Tour, despite having
both turned professional in the early part of 2009. The first game was a
scrappy one, with neither player able to find any momentum, but El
Sherbini was able to pull through in the end to take an early lead.
But El Sherbini, who won her second World Championship title back in
2017 on this very court, followed that up with a win in the second game,
but that came much tougher, as Adel held a lead for much of the game.
However, El Sherbini was too strong for her compatriot and will now take
on Egypt’s Nadine Shahin in the next round.
“Playing Yathreb in the second round is a very tricky match. We have
been playing for a long, long time. I can’t describe how long we have
been playing against each other,” Sherbini said after her win.
“It was a tough first round, but I am happy with the way I played and I
am happy with my performance. I am trying to get back in the mood after
the DPD Open. It was a very short couple of days between them but it was
a good start and hopefully it will keep going for the rest of the week.
“Gouna is always special and unique and I love being here. I love the
vibe and the people. Your family and friends come and watch you. It is
great being here and apart from the wind, the venue here is really
amazing. Everything is perfect for me and hopefully this year is going
to be another good memory for me as well.”
France’s Camille Serme won the first match of the evening on the glass
court, as she defeated United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford Clyne in
straight games.
At
the Squash Complex, World No.30 Shahin shocked World No.10 Alison Waters
to earn her place against El Sherbini on the glass court.
It was a momentous day for the Egyptian, as she claimed her first
victory over top 10 opposition, and her first berth in the third round
of a PSA World Tour Platinum event.
“It’s one of my biggest wins so far, I’ve never beaten a top 10 player.
I was feeling really excited, and I played her once in Chicago two
months ago,” Waters said.
“I lost 3-0 really quickly, so I was determined to do better in this
one. I had to not lose focus, not even for a second. To beat someone
like Alison, you have to be determined, and you have to be 100 per cent
focused.
“I switched coaches, so for the last couple of months I’ve been working
really hard with my new coach, Omar Abdel Meguid, and I think mentally
I’m tougher and stronger. Even two months ago, I was not like this.”
Two other Egyptians are into the last 16 of the women’s draw, as Zeina
Mickawy and Nouran Gohar defeated Hania El Hammamy and England’s Millie
Tomlinson, respectively.
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, Wales’ Tesni Evans and Hong Kong’s Annie Au
are also through to the third round after claiming respective wins over
Egypt’s Rowan Elaraby, Canada’s Hollie Naughton and England’s Julianne
Courtice.
The action continues tomorrow as the top half of the draw play their
third round matches across the two venues. Action begins at the El Gouna
Squash Complex at 12:00 local time (GMT+2), with glass court action
beginning at 18:30 local (GMT+2).
Matches from the glass court 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).
Egyptian World No.1s Raneem El Welily and Ali Farag have both made it
through to the third round of the El Gouna International Squash Open
after winning on the spectacular glass court at Abu Tig Marina. El
Welily got the better of eight-time World Champion Nicol David in the
first match on the glass court this evening, winning the match in
straight games, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8.
The World No.1 had met the former World No.1 27 times on the PSA World
Tour, with their first meeting all the way back in 2001. David had won
two-thirds of the precious clashes – including a stunning comeback from
four championship balls down in the 2014 World Championship final in
Cairo – but Welily had prevailed in the last six. She did so again in
this one to advance to the last 16 of the tournament.
“I am really happy to have been on court with Nicol again. I was looking
at the head-to-head right before the match and we have played so many
times,” Welily said after the match.
“To play with her one last time, especially in Egypt, is an absolutely
fantastic feeling for me. This past month, I have been spending a lot of
time with her. We had an exhibition tournament in Birmingham and that
was a special week for me.
“I spent so much time with her off court, for the first time ever so
this past month has been really special for me, getting to know her a
bit better. It has been a long journey, and I am proud to have shared
some of it with her, at least.”
Also on the glass court this evening, World No.3 Nour El Tayeb got the
better of 42-year-old Rachael Grinham in straight games. The Egyptian
only needed 18 minutes to seal victory, securing her passage through to
the third round.
At the side courts – staged at the El Gouna Squash Complex – the big
shock came through Belgium’s Tinne Gilis’ victory over India’s World
No.16 Joshna Chinappa.
21-year-old Gilis will now appear in the third round of a PSA Platinum
tournament for the first time after she held off a comeback from the
Indian player to prevail 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 10-12, 11-4.
Their only previous meeting came in January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions – with Chinappa winning in straight games – but it was all
Gilis in the opening stages as she hit her marks early on to take a
two-game advantage.
The third game went the way of Chinappa as the 32-year-old controlled
proceedings, while she narrowly took the fourth on a tie-break to
restore parity. Gilis regrouped impressively though and a composed
performance from the Belgian saw her keep Chinappa at bay to cruise home
in the decider, earning her a spot on the glass court at the Abu Tig
Marina, where she will play El Welily.
“This
is the first time ever I beat a top 20 player, and it’s probably the
best I’ve ever played too,” said Gilis.
“It was the same game plan as my previous match, slowing the pace down
as she is a hard hitter, and then attacking only when the opportunity
arose.
“I kind of knew what to expect as I played her in the second round of
the ToC and lost in three. I’m lucky I had my friends and family to
support me today, I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Mariam Metwally came through a feisty
encounter with England’s Victoria Lust in the only other surprise
victory, while former World No.1 Laura Massaro required five games to
see off Gilis’ older sister, Nele.
New Zealand’s Joelle King, United States’ Amanda Sobhy and Egypt’s Salma
Hany were the other women to win on day three
World No.1 Ali Farag is through to the third round of the El Gouna
International after he overcame a stern test from Cameron Pilley.
The Egyptian, who is the reigning World Champion, got off to a good
start in the first, but the Yamba-native bounced back and had game balls
to win the opener.
However, Farag was able to save both, and turned the game on its head to
win it 14-12. He then took the second 11-7 to take a commanding lead in
the match.
The Australian continued to play well, though, and eventually got a game
on the board, his first in four matches against the World Champion.
Farag would win the fourth game to take the match, though, and move
through to the third round of the tournament.
“I
actually think I started off well, and then the conditions were really
tough, so I think the experience played a role here and he knew how to
play them better,” Farag said of Pilley.
“I think I was slightly off the mark because the turnaround between here
and Holland was really short. The last person you want to play against
when you are slightly flat is Cameron because he can cut you off in the
middle of the court, and he did that really well in the first three
[games].
“Thankfully, I think, at the end of the fourth he got a little tired and
I think I took advantage of that. At all points [of the match] I was on
my toes because I know he is a tough competitor. He understands the game
really well. He is renowned for his hard-hitting but what people don’t
really appreciate is how clean he hits the ball. It is very clean and he
hits his targets every shot. It is not easy to play against him, but I
am glad I could pull through.”
The other men’s second round match on the glass court saw Tarek Momen
beat compatriot Zahed Salem in four games. The World Championship
finalist beat Salem in three quarters of an hour to move into the last
16.
The big shock of the day in the men’s draw came at the Squash Complex
this afternoon, as England’s Adrian Waller overcame World No.18 Gregoire
Marche.
The pair were meeting for the first time since 2016 – with Marche
winning on that occasion – but the Frenchman was unable to really get
into the Englishman this time round as Waller won 13-11, 11-6, 11-3 to
advance to the next round.
Waller will now appear in the last 16 of this tournament for the first
time and will play the winner of Germany’s Simon Rösner or England’s Tom
Richards, who will contest the final men’s side court fixture of the
day.
“Me and Gregoire have played ever since we were young. We’re similar
ages, and I think it does help that I’m so familiar with his game
throughout the years,” Waller said.
“Even
though we haven’t played a in a long time, I still watch him. I stuck to
my old tactics today, was nice and steady, and frustrated him as much as
I could.
“I had to take the opportunities when they came, but the first game was
the biggest hurdle. I was up, he came back, then I came back again to
take it. That gave me the confidence to stick with my game plan to see
if he could come back and take it away from me, luckily he didn’t manage
to get me out of it.”
The rest of the men’s action saw No.5 seed Simon Rösner and No.7 seed
Paul Coll win their matches in three, with Joel Makin, Diego Elias and
Saurav Ghosal also moving into the last 16.
Second round action continues tomorrow, with the bottom half of the draw
in action. Play begins at El Gouna Squash Complex at 12:00 local
(GMT+2), with glass court action getting underway at 18:30 local, as
Marwan ElShorbagy begins his defence of the title he won last year.
Matches from the glass court will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world), Eurosport Player (Europe only)
Spain’s Iker Pajares Bernabeu and England’s Julianne Courtice secured
surprise victories against France’s Lucas Serme and Hong Kong’s Joey
Chan, respectively, on day two of the El Gouna International as the PSA
World Tour Platinum event continued at the El Gouna Squash Complex. World
No.59 Pajares overcame the higher-ranked Serme to ensure that a trio of
Spaniards will line up in the second round of the El Gouna International
for the first time. 23-year-old Pajares is ranked 26 places below Serme
in the PSA World Rankings but put in a fine performance to win 11-8,
11-5, 11-7 and beat his opponent for the first time in his career.
Serme had won all four of their previous matches on the PSA Tour –
including a 3-1 win in the final round of qualifying 12 months ago in El
Gouna – but Pajares avenged those defeats with an accurate performance
to join compatriots Borja Golan and Edmon Lopez in the last 32. Bernabeu
will line up against former World No.3 Omar Mosaad in the next round as
he bids to reach the third round of a PSA Platinum tournament for the
first time.
“I’ve played Lucas four times on the PSA, and I’ve lost all of them,”
Pajares said afterwards.
“I’m happy to beat him in three today, I felt very confident today on
court, yesterday Borja and Edmon won, so that gave me confidence for
today as well.
“I’ve played Lucas around 10 times in all, including PSA and league, so
I’ve gotten used to his game. Having Edmon and Borja here supporting me
is always an extra bonus, when you’re playing PSA you’re normally alone,
especially if you don’t bring family or coaches with you. It’s going to
be my first time playing Omar Mosaad, I’m also going to play him in two
week’s time at the Wimbledon Open, and I think it’s going to be a good
pace. I know how he plays, and we’ll see how close I am.”
Egypt’s
Fares Dessouky is also through to the second round after beating Todd
Harrity, having been granted a wildcard spot in the tournament as he
continues to make his way back from injury.
A torn ACL had seen him plummet down the World Rankings, falling as low
as World No.502 in January. The 24-year-old has risen back into the
world’s top 50 since then and now sits at No.42. The two-time El Gouna
semi finalist came through his first round match against Harrity with
relative ease winning out in 36 minutes to claim a third successive win
over the men’s United States No.1.
“I'm very happy with the way I played, it was a very tough match, and
the score doesn't say everything. It was tough physically as well, the
court was a bit bouncy, and I had to adapt my game,” Dessouky said.
“Being the wildcard is something good and new for me. This is such a
great tournament, I love it so much, and I love playing here. I'm
looking forward to playing well, but my goal nowadays is to stay
injury-free, to play well and to enjoy it.”
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Alan Clyne shocked Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip
to advance in the other surprise result of the day, while compatriot
Greg Lobban is also through to the last 32.
Nicolas Mueller, Youssef Soliman, Nafiizwan Adnan, Cesar Salazar and Max
Lee also navigated their way through their first round matches today.
There was also a surprise in the women’s draw, as Julianne Courtice beat
Hong Kong’s Joey Chan in a five-game thriller to book her place in the
second round.
The pair had never met before on the PSA Tour, and the Englishwoman, who
sits 23 places below World No.17 Chan, claimed an 11-7, 9-11, 17-15,
11-13, 11-8 victory. Courtice’s reward for beating Hong Kong's No.2 is a
clash with Hong Kong’s No.1 Annie Au, with the pair set to face off on
the plaster courts at the Squash Complex on Saturday April 20.
“It
feels great. I have been wanting a win against one of the top 20, top 30
players for a while now,” Courtice said after the win.
“I just felt relaxed going into this one, and obviously it was really
tight in the games, but I feel great in getting through. [I was]
definitely panicking. I probably took the third when she was ahead, and
she took the fourth after being ahead and me coming back. It was just
nip and tuck all the way. When we went into that fifth game I just told
myself to go for it.
“As soon as I got to 10-8, it is not a given to win. We had both had
game balls throughout the match, so I just thought I had to play the
next point and to get through it, and it just happened.”
Also in the women’s draw, Yathreb Adel secured her passage through to
the last 32 after she defeated South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller in
straight games.
Adel, who sits at World No.18, showed her class throughout against the
South African, ranked 27 places below her in the world. Although Fuller
bounced back from an 8-2 deficit in the third game to send it to a
tie-break, Adel was able to take the victory and set up a meeting with
three-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the second round.
“I
am very happy to be through today in three. Alex is obviously one of the
good players on court, and it is tricky to play her so I am happy to
come out with a 3-0 win today,” Adel said after her victory.
“She is quite fast on court so I just had to be more patient, rather
than just going for my shots all the time because she would get there
and get it back.”
There were also victories for fellow Egyptians Nadine Shahin, Rowan
Elaraby and Zeina Mickawy at El Gouna’s Squash Complex.
Millie Tomlinson, Olivia Blatchford Clyne and Hollie Naughton also
secured wins, against Ho Tze-Lok, Liu Tsz-Ling and Rachel Arnold,
respectively.
The top half of the draw will play their second round matches tomorrow
starting at 12:00 local time (GMT+2), with the seeded players entering
the draw at this stage. The majority of matches will take place at the
El Gouna Squash Complex, while the likes of World No.1s Ali Farag and
Raneem El Welily will be in action at the glass court at the Abu Tig
Marina from 18:30 local (GMT+2) onwards.
Matches from the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of
the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan
David
Survives Against Wildcard on Day
One of El Gouna Eight-time
World Champion Nicol David survived a scare against Egyptian wildcard
Jana Shiha on day one of the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour
Platinum event as she prevailed in a gripping five-game battle at the El
Gouna Squash Complex.
The top half of the first round action took place today, and Malaysia’s
David, a former World No.1, booked her place in the last 32 thanks to an
11-7, 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8 victory.
Youth met experience as 17-year-old Shiha performed admirably in front
of her home crowd, and she twice came back from behind to level the
match before pulling ahead to 8-6 in the fifth to put herself on the
brink of a massive upset. But David, 35, dug in and used her experience
to come back to take the win, setting up a round two clash with World
No.1 Raneem El Welily on the glass court at the El Gouna Marina.
“I did what I could, I knew these youngsters are trying to take any
opportunities that come their way,” said David.
“I was playing pretty well, but then she found the windows to take the
opportunities and she played really well. I lost a bit of my focus on
the ball and my timing, and at the end I knew I had to really dig deep.
My focus came in at the right time, and I’m very pleased to win that
3-2.
“I’ve been here before (staring down the barrel of a defeat) and it
takes a lot to get back. I had to see the ball and hit it, so that was
all I did. I was very pleased to come out 3-2 and win it in a close
match, but I really needed to fight.”
Also
surviving in five games was World No.21 Emily Whitlock, as she came from
two games behind to overcome another Egyptian, Nada Abbas.
Abbas has been struggling with a foot injury since January, but she has
still been able to reach two PSA Tour finals in that time, and her
talent was evident in the opening two games as the 18-year-old
controlled proceedings at the El Gouna Squash Complex.
A 2-0 deficit seemed to kick Whitlock into gear, and she found a lot of
joy with some accurate backhand drops as she dropped just a solitary
point in the third. The Englishwoman kicked on from there to secure
victory in five games. The 25-year-old will play United States No.1
Amanda Sobhy in the second round.
“The last place I wanted to be was on a squash court, I just haven’t
been enjoying it, but I treated it like I was on holiday, a going to the
gym in the morning, chilling out in the afternoons kind of thing,” said
Whitlock, who celebrated her 150th win on the PSA Tour.
There were also victories for the Gilis sisters, World No.29 Nele and
World No.42 Tinne, who both won to book their places in the second round
of the tournament.
42-year-old Rachael Grinham and Egyptian Mariam Metwally claimed
respective victories over Scotland’s Lisa Aitken and New Zealand’s
Amanda Landers-Murphy, while there were wins for Danielle Letourneau of
Canada and Coline Aumard of France.
In
the men’s draw, up-and-coming Egyptian Mostafa Asal saw off Campbell
Grayson to secure his spot in the second round of the tournament,
winning 11-6, 12-10, 11-4.
17-year-old Asal, the World No.41, won the first 11-6, but there was a
lengthy delay in the second, as the Kiwi needed treatment to a cut below
his left eye. The delay lasted around 20 minutes, and when he came back
onto the court, the Kiwi put in some fine rallies to send the game to a
tie-break.
However, Asal managed to win the second, before going on to win the
third to secure the match, booking his place in the second round against
Joel Makin.
“I am happy today that I managed to work on my footwork and I managed to
play his game. It was tough but I am happy that I managed to win the
second game because he was a little bit tired, so I am happy that I went
through and I am looking forward to my next match,” the Egyptian said.
The
big shock of the day came through Edmon Lopez, as the World No.62
overcame Hong Kong’s Leo Au, who sits 38 places above the Spaniard in
the rankings.
Au had won both of their previous matches on the PSA Tour, but Lopez –
who only came into the draw on Sunday as a result of Ryan Cuskelly's
withdrawal – prevailed in an attritional affair to win the biggest match
of his career, winning it by an 11-5, 16-14, 11-13, 11-6 scoreline to
set up a second round match with India’s Saurav Ghosal.
“What made the difference today was the fact that I was strong
physically and made sure I prevented him from playing his lob/drop shot
game by picking up the pace as much as I could. It was hard for me
because I had to keep the pressure up, but I'm glad it worked,” Lopez
said.
Fellow Spaniard Borja Golan also took victory in round one, along with
English duo Adrian Waller and Tom Richards, Egyptian maverick Mazen
Hesham and Australia’s Cameron Pilley.
First round action continues tomorrow, as the bottom half of both the
men’s and women’s draws kick off their campaigns at the El Gouna Squash
Complex.
Previews Draws Released for
El Gouna International The
world’s best squash players will go head-to-head on the banks of Egypt’s
Red Sea between April 17-26 after the main draws for the 2019 El Gouna
International Squash Open were released today.
The El Gouna International is the penultimate PSA World Tour Platinum
tournament of the 2018/19 season, and an equal prize fund of $352,000
will be on offer across the men’s and women’s draws.
Men’s World No.1 Ali Farag will top a PSA Platinum event for the first
time and he will look to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to
fellow Egyptian Marwan ElShorbagy.
Farag, along with the rest of the top eight seeds in the men’s event,
receives a bye into round two, where he will play either Australia’s
Cameron Pilley or Egypt’s Tayyab Aslam.
Farag is drawn on the same side of the draw as Peru’s Diego Elias,
Canary Wharf Classic winner Paul Coll and compatriot Tarek Momen, the
latter of whom he beat in the final of the PSA World Championship final
earlier this month.
No.2 seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, the 2016 El Gouna International champion,
features on the opposite side of the draw alongside British Open
champion Miguel Rodriguez, defending champion and younger brother Marwan,
and former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad.
Former World No.8 Fares Dessouky and fellow Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim
have been named the men’s wildcards. Dessouky will play Australia’s Ryan
Cuskelly, while Ibrahim takes on England’s Adrian Waller in the opening
round,
Reigning women’s champion Raneem El Welily tops the women’s draw and
could face eight-time World Champion Nicol David as early as round two.
David, a former World No.1, will retire at the end of the season and
will make her last appearance in El Gouna.
El Welily beat World Champion Nour El Sherbini to win the inaugural
women’s title last year, but the current World No.1 has a difficult path
to the final, with the likes of India’s Joshna Chinappa, Hong Kong Open
champion Joelle King and World Championship runner-up Nour El Tayeb
standing between her and a place in the title decider.
El Sherbini, who beat El Welily in El Gouna two years ago to win the
second of her three World Championship titles, is seeded alongside World
No.9 Alison Waters, World No.8 Nouran Gohar and World No.4 Camille Serme
on the bottom half of the draw.
Rising Egyptian talents Jana Shiha and Farida Mohamed, both 17, take the
women’s wildcard spots and will play David and Zeina Mickawy,
respectively.
The El Gouna Squash Complex will host the first round matches on April
17-18. Matches will be split between the glass court at Abu Tig Marina
and the El Gouna Squash Complex between April 19-22. All matches from
the quarter-finals onwards will be held at Abu Tig Marina between April
23-26.
