World
No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy narrowly avoided a shock first round exit at
the 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open as he came from 2-1 down,
saving multiple match balls, to defeat Mexican qualifier Cesar
Salazar during an opening day of action at Philadelphia’s Drexel
University that saw the Men’s draw blown wide open.
ElShorbagy, who won the tournament in 2014 to go top of the World
Rankings for the first time in his career, struggled to contain an
inspired Salazar during their 77 minute battle but managed to do
just enough in the end to escape the clutches of defat and avoid
joining World No.3 Omar Mosaad and number seven seed Miguel Angel
Rodriguez in exiting the event at the first hurdle, as they fell at
the hands of former World No.1 James Willstrop and Malaysian
qualifier Nafiizwan Adnan, respectively.
“Being World No.1 isn’t always about playing the best, but about
finding the way to win,” said ElShorbagy.
“In the past two seasons I have played more matches than anyone else
and lately things have been going wrong with my body. I’ve had
stomach problems and fevers and been struggling.
“Today I fought and fought. I won - that’s what matters - and I’ll
keep fighting until the end. I’m really happy to come through -
finding the way to win is the most important thing and I know that
I’ll definitely be better next round after that match.”
32-year-old
Englishman Willstrop evoked memories of the form that took him to
the top of the World Rankings in 2012 as he produced a virtuoso
display of complete control to knock out 2015 runner-up Mosaad in
straight games.
Willstrop, currently ranked No.19 in the world after slowly working
his way back from a serious hip operation in 2014, rekindled his
form during last week’s NetSuite Open when he reached a first high
profile tournament final since that surgery and he picked up where
he left off as he controlled the ball and lived up to his ‘Marksman’
moniker to put Mosaad to the sword.
“I’m feeling good,” said Willstrop. “But it’s been a long time since
I’ve put together a tournament winning, or latter stages, run.
“Last week in San Francisco was good but doing it at a World Series
event is even tougher. I’m feeling good and if I can keep the
intensity then you never know what could happen.
“The enjoyment is there for me and there’s a freshness about how I
feel which is pleasing.”
Willstrop
will now face Mohamed Abouelghar in the second round of a draw that
is now wide open after Miguel Angel Rodriguez’s shock first round
defeat to
Nafiizwan
Adnan - the 30-year-old Malaysian qualifier who came through in
straight-games to reach the second round of a PSA World Series
tournament for only the third time in his career.
“I’m really, really happy,” said Adnan. “I almost lost to Charles
Sharpes in the first round of qualification when I was 0-2 down. I
told myself just to play - that I had nothing to lose - and relax.
That worked and I tried to do the same today, and it is really
pleasing to win - it’s a big win for me.”
Elsewhere in the Men’s draw there was a impressive win for Peruvian
qualifier Diego Elias as he downed Frenchman Gregoire Marche while
England’s Chris Simpson came through against Egyptian Karim Ali
Fathi.
It
was more straightforward for the top seeds in the Women’s draw as
World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, three-time US Open champion Nicol David
and World No.5 Raneem El Welily all set down impressive markers to
stroll into the second round.
After returning to form at last month’s Al Ahram Open, where she
claimed the honours with victory over El Sherbini in the decider, El
Welily continued to impress as she saw off Belgian qualifier Nele
Gilis courtesy of a comfortable 3-0 win .
“I’m always happy to be back in the US Open - I always enjoy coming
back here,” said El Welily.
“Looking back at Al Ahram really makes me smile but it is in the
past now. I want to make a strong push now and carry on that kind of
form for the rest of this tournament.”
El Sherbini was equally as impressive as she downed Japanese
qualifier Misaki Kobayashi 3-0 wile three-time US Open champion
David got off to a positive start to defeat Denmark’s Line Hansen in
straight games and set up a second round battle with Egyptian Nour
El Tayeb - the 2015 runner-up.
Nicol
David struggled at the first PSA World Series tournament of the
season, the Hong Kong Open, as she failed to hit her stride in the
early stages but she cut a different figure as she played with
confidence and precision to put in an assured 30 minute win over
Hansen.
“It has been great to see the US Open grow over the past few years
and be involved in this great tournament,” said David.
“A 3-0 win is always a good start for me and I’m pleased to get
through and get into the rhythm here on the glass court. You just
have to keep working harder and harder with each and every round and
I’m looking forward to playing against Nour (El Tayeb) in two days.”
The main draws for the Men’s and Women’s 2016 Delaware Investments
U.S. Open -
the second PSA World Series tournament on the 2016/17 Road To Dubai
- have been
finalised following an action-packed day of qualification
competition that saw eight
seeded players crash out against lower ranked opposition.
With a place in the main draw of the pioneering tournament, which
takes place at
Philadelphia’s Drexel University from October 8-15, at stake, there
were big wins for
former Trinity student Kanzy Emad El Defrawy, as she knocked out top
seeded
Nicolette Fernandes to reach the main draw, and New Zealand’s
Campbell Grayson,
who claimed the biggest scalp in the Men’s competition to down
Switzerland’s third-
seeded Nicolas Mueller.
Egyptians Karim Ali Fathi, Salma Hany Ibrahim and Nadine Shahin
joined El Defrawy and
Grayson in securing upsets wins, with Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi
and Belgium’s
Nele Gilis also upsetting the odds while Japan’s Misaki Kobayashi
ended the hopes of
fancied American hope Olivia Blatchford - halting the PanAm Games
Gold medalist with
a 3-0 win.
Main draw action gets underway from 12 noon local time at Drexel
University’s
Daskalakis Athletic Center on Saturday October 5, with tickets for
the PSA World
Series tournament available to purchase by visiting
www.usopensquash.com
The 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open looks set to be one of the
most competitive events on the PSA World Tour this season after the
official tournament draws released saw a host
of top stars pitted against each other from the off in a
mouth-watering line-up.
Philadelphia’s Drexel University will play host to the 10-day event
- the second stop on the 2016/17 Road To Dubai - which gets under
way on October 8 and will see defending champion Gregory Gaultier
begin his campaign with a tough opening round fixture against
England's top twenty ranked Daryl Selby.
Gaultier will be relieved to see title rivals Mohamed ElShorbagy,
the World No.1, and Omar Mosaad given the unenviable tasks of facing
World No.11 Tarek Momen and former World No.1 James Willstrop in the
first round, respectively while former Harvard student star Ali
Farag, the World No.10, faces World No.9 Mathieu Castagnet in what
could be the match of the round.
The action in the Women's tournament looks set to be equally
competitive and could see all of the world's top eight clash at the
quarter-final stage in what could be a mouth-watering two days of
action to send ripples through the PSA Road To Dubai Standings.
Philadelphia’s Drexel University will once again play host to the
prestigious 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash
Championships—the second tournament on the 2016/17 PSA Road To
Dubai—October 6-15, when 112 of the world’s best squash players will
descend on the city for the PSA World Series tournament.
For the fourth consecutive year the U.S. Open will offer equal prize
money for men and women, with $150,000 on offer in each draw, and
will be headlined by world No. 1s Mohamed Elshorbagy—the 2014
winner—and Nour El Sherbini, the 20-year-old Egyptian World
Champion.
El Sherbini headlines a stellar Women’s field that will also include
Team USA’s top stars Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy. Fresh from reaching
the final of the Hong Kong Open, the first event of the new season,
Amanda will be hoping to keep her form going and claim a maiden
World Series title while Sabrina, the second year Harvard student,
will hope to consolidate her position as a top 100 player as she
combines studies with limited professional events.
Also competing in a standout field will be defending champion Laura
Massaro, three-time champion Nicol David and former world No. 1
Raneem El Welily while the men’s draw will see the former champions
returning with Elshorbagy joined by 2007 winner Nick Matthew and
2015 winner Gregory Gaultier, the Frenchman who also holds the World
Champion title.
American Chris Gordon occupies the men’s main draw wild card
position and will hope to go one better than his first round exit
here twelve months ago and will find out his first round opponent on
Wednesday September 14, when the full draw is set to be
released.World’s Top Players Confirmed For 2016 U.s. Open
Gaultier will be relieved to see title rivals Mohamed ElShorbagy,
the World No.1, and Omar Mosaad given the unenviable tasks of facing
World No.11 Tarek Momen and former World No.1 James Willstrop in the
first round, respectively while former Harvard student star Ali
Farag, the World No.10, faces World No.9 Mathieu Castagnet in what
could be the match of the round.
The action in the Women's tournament looks set to be equally
competitive and could see all of the world's top eight clash at the
quarter-final stage in what could be a mouth-watering two days of
action to send ripples through the PSA Road To Dubai Standings.