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El Gouna International Open 2019
Men's Draw
20 - 28 May
 El Gouna, Egypt, $181k

ROUND TWO
21-22 MAY
ROUND THREE
23-24 MAY
QUARTERS
25-26 MAY
SEMIS
27 MAY
FINAL
28 MAY

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-7, 11-3, 12-10 (44m)
Greg Lobban (SCO)

Mohamed ElShorbagy
10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 (59m)
Baptiste Masotti
Mohamed ElShorbagy
13-11, 11-3, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7 (158m)
Joel Makin
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6 (69m)
Fares Dessouky
 
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-5, 11-2, 11-7 (49m)
 Paul Coll
Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (30m)
Todd Harrity (USA)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (34m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
Youssef Ibrahim
12-10, 11-7, 11-2 (42m)
Joel Makin
[7] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-4, 11-5 (32m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-9,
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 (53m)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Fares Dessouky
4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 (48m)
Patrick Rooney
Fares Dessouky
10-12, 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9 (123m)
Mostafa Asal
Patrick Rooney (ENG)
11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 (48m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)
Mostafa Asal (EGY)
11-2, 11-9, 11-6 (54m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND)
Mostafa Asal
12-10, 4-11, 14-12, 1-11, 12-10 (102m)
Mohamed Abouelghar
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
8-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-5, 11-3 (70m)
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)

[3] Paul Coll (NZL)
11-3, 11-8, 11-8 (54m)
Youssef Soliman (EGY)

Paul Coll
11-7, 11-3, 12-10 (36m)
Victor Crouin
Paul Coll
2-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (52m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
Paul Coll
11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (63m)
 Tarek Momen
Victor Crouin (FRA)
12-10, 11-8, 11-4 (52m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 (52m)
Zahed Salem (EGY)
Karim El Hammamy
11-6, 15-13, 11-6 (70m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
11-6, 13-11, 11-7 (64m)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY)
 Gregoire Marche (FRA)
 11-7, 14-12, 11-4 (60m)
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregoire Marche
6-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (57m)
Raphael Kandra
Gregoire Marche
1-5, 11-5, 11-4 (41m)
Tarek Momen
Raphael Kandra (GER)
11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (38m)
Lucas Serme (FRA)
Mazen Hesham (EGY)
7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 15-13 (65m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Mazen Hesham
12-10, 11-8, 11-4 (43m)
Tarek Momen
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY)

ROUND ONE

Results - First Round: Men’s 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open
1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[9/16] Greg Lobban (SCO) bye
Todd Harrity (USA) bt George Parker (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (41m)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Edmon Lopez (ESP) 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10 (59m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [WC] Roger Baddour (EGY) 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (37m)
[9/16] Adrian Waller (ENG) bye
[7] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 (44m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Declan James (ENG) 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 (54m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 13-11, 8-9 ret. (35m)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bye
[9/16] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [WC] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 12-10, 14-12, 3-11, 11-8 (80m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (65m)
Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7 (66m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5 (46m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bye
Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) bt Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 12-14, 13-11, 11-7, 11-7 (66m)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bye
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bye
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-3 (58m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Vikram Malhotra (IND) 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (41m)
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye
Nicolas Müller (SUI) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 13-11, 11-6, 14-12 (46m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Aditya Jagtap (IND) 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye

El Gouna International Open 2019
Women's Draw
20 - 28 May
 El Gouna, Egypt, $181k

ROUND TWO
21-22 MAY
ROUND THREE
23-24 MAY
QUARTERS
25-26 MAY
SEMIS
27 MAY
FINAL
28 MAY

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
11-9, 11-4, 11-5 (30m)
Farida Mohamed (EGY)

Nour El Sherbini
w/o
Yathreb Adel
Nour El Sherbini
11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (31m)
Sarah-Jane Perry
Nour El Sherbini
11-7, 11-7, 7-11,
7-11, 11-5 (74m)
Hania El Hammamy
 
Nour El Sherbini
11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (38m)
 Nouran Gohar
Yathreb Adel (EGY)
11-8, 11-2, 11-3 (20m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY)
Alison Waters (ENG)
11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 (40m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY)
Alison Waters
11-6, 11-4 ret. (24m)
Sarah-Jane Perry
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
w/o
Mayar Hany (EGY)
[6] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (30m)
Emily Whitlock (WAL)
 Hania El Hammamy
v
Nada Abbas
Hania El Hammamy
11-2, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (59m)
Camille Serme
Nada Abbas (EGY)
11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 (36m)
Menna Hamed (EGY)
Hollie Naughton (CAN)
10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8 (43m)
Joshna Chinappa (IND)
Hollie Naughton
11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (27m)
Camille Serme
Tinne Gilis (BEL)
11-4, 11-13, 12-10, 11-9 (74m)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA)

[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
5-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
Danielle Letourneau (CAN)

Amanda Sobhy
11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
Lucy Turmel
Amanda Sobhy
 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6 (48m)
Salma Hany
Amanda Sobhy
11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (29m)
  Nouran Gohar
 
Lucy Turmel (ENG)
11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
Olivia Clyne (USA)
Olivia Fiechter (USA)
3-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (51m)
Nele Gilis (BEL)
Olivia Fiechter
11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (27m)
Salma Hany
[8] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (40m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[7] Joelle King (NZL)
11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (24m)
Jana Shiha (EGY)
 Joelle King
11-6, 12-10, 11-8 (28m)
Rowan Elaraby
Rowan Elaraby
11-2, 11-5, 11-13, 11-9 (46m)
 Nouran Gohar
Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 (38m)
Enora Villard (FRA)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-6 (49m)
Tesni Evans (WAL)
Sivasangari Subramaniam
11-9, 12-10, 11-7 (41m)
 Nouran Gohar
Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
11-1, 11-9, 11-1 (27m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

ROUND ONE

Results - First Round: Women’s 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye
Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt [WC] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 11-9, 15-13, 10-12, 11-8 (44m)
[9/16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bye
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 11-7 (33m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (22m)
[9/16] Alison Waters (ENG) bye
Mayar Hany (EGY) bt Anna Serme (CZE) 11-7, 1-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6 (36m)
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bye
[6] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
Emily Whitlock (WAL) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 11-6, 11-3, 11-9 (27m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 (26m)
Menna Hamed (EGY) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6 (53m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Hana Moataz (EGY) 11-7, 12-14, 11-8, 14-12 (41m)
[9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bye
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) bye
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bye
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (26m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (31m)
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) bye
Olivia Fiechter (USA) bt [WC] Habiba El Dafrawy (EGY) 11-3, 11-1, 11-4 (19m)
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Nadia Pfister (SUI) 11-2, 11-4, 11-9 (19m)
[8] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[7] Joelle King (NZL) bye
Jana Shiha (EGY) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (45m)
[9/16] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bye
Enora Villard (FRA) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 11-5, 11-8, 12-10 (29m)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) bye
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 11-7, 14-12, 11-8 (32m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (15m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye

REPORTS

Finals

ElShorbagy and El Sherbini Capture 2021 El Gouna International Titles

Top seeds Mohamed ElShorbagy and Nour El Sherbini are the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open champions after they overcame World No.4 Paul Coll and World No.2 Nouran Gohar, respectively, to win the PSA World Tour Platinum event, which was held at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center for the first time.

ElShorbagy has won his second El Gouna International trophy after a sensational performance from the World No.2 saw him outclass New Zealand’s Coll 11-5, 11-2, 11-7 in 47 minutes - a win which sees him close the gap on current World No.1 Ali Farag.

It’s ElShorbagy’s 43rd title on the PSA Tour, and it puts him just one behind French veteran Gregory Gaultier, who currently sits fifth on the all-time winners list.

“I’m really happy to win here at home,” said ElShorbagy.

“To win my second title here means the world to me and to do it in front of my parents, this means so much for me. I’m here today because of them and I would have never dreamed of achieving everything I have in my career if you didn’t take me to every training session. My parents have done everything so thank you both for everything.

“This is the ninth edition of El Gouna and I’ve played all nine times. I can remember the first time [Tournament Promoter, Amr] Mansi did this tournament and I remember all the conversations. Your whole story is inspiring, and I’ve seen your story from day one, everything you have achieved and thank you so much for everything you have done for the sport, you’ve taken it to another level. I’d also like to thank all the sponsors for getting us back here, they have done an amazing job to support a great event.”

Meanwhile, El Sherbini has won her 24th PSA Tour title which puts her level with the legendary Raneem El Welily, meaning they are the most successful Egyptian women of all time.

El Sherbini, the World No.1, has lifted her first El Gouna International trophy after beating Gohar 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 in 38 minutes.

The 25-year-old was immaculate throughout the match and put in a peerless display to capture her third PSA Tour title of the season after previous wins at the CIB Egyptian Open and CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open.

“I’ve been playing Nouran for a long time now and at a Platinum event as the No.1 and No.2 it was going to be a tough match,” said El Sherbini.

“She has been playing well the whole tournament and we’re two different styles, so I tried to bring my game more than her game and that was my plan today.

“She is the World No.2, so I always have to be ready. Every point she is fighting and never gives up, so I was making sure I won every point and not give up. I had to bring my ‘A’ game and I’m glad it was working today.”

ElShorbagy and El Sherbini win $22,800 for their efforts, while ElShorbagy has automatically qualified for June’s CIB PSA World Tour Finals as a result of his win. El Sherbini had already qualified courtesy of her Egyptian Open win in October.
 
Semi Finals

Finalists Confirmed at El Gouna Int.

New Zealand’s Paul Coll will feature alongside three Egyptian players on finals day at the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open after he overcame reigning World Champion Tarek Momen at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center.

Coll put on a tactical masterclass against World No.3 Momen, utilising height and slowing the pace down to put the Egyptian on the backfoot as he claimed an 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 victory to reach his first El Gouna International final, where he will meet World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy.

“I was super happy with my game plan and the way I stuck to it all the way through,” said Coll afterwards. “It was really tough mentally for me as well, but super happy. I used a lot of height, Tarek loves the pace and tried to slow my movement down to 80% just to really be balanced on the ball, I thought that was enough to pick up a lot.

“I just tried to do that and put the ball away when I had the opportunity and just soak it up as much as possible.”

The New Zealander’s opponent in the final will be former champion ElShorbagy, who was forced to hold off a comeback from in-form player Fares Dessouky as he triumphed 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6 in the last match of the day.

ElShorbagy, who is the top seed at the tournament in the absence of World No.1 Ali Farag, made sure to get his revenge on Dessouky, who knocked him out at this event in 2019 at the quarter final stage as he booked his place in his first PSA Platinum final since the COVID-enforced suspension of the Tour last year.

“I put in a lot of hard work the last period,” said ElShorbagy. “I haven’t played all the tournaments in Egypt for the last year for different reasons and to watch all of them play was hard for me.

“Hadrian Stiff back in Bristol has taken so much from me because it was such a tough period but to be back here and back doing what I love most, I think I belong in finals and to be back there again is quite emotional for me.”

The women’s final will see top seeds Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar lock horns for the PSA Platinum title after they claimed respective wins over Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy and USA’s Amanda Sobhy.

World No.1 El Sherbini was forced to halt a fightback from World No.7 El Hammamy after the 20-year-old battled back from two games down to push the match to a tense fifth game.

However, the experience of four-time World Champion El Sherbini came to the fore as she took the lead in the fifth and never looked back to triumph 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-5 in 74 minutes and reach her second final at the El Gouna International.

“She never gives up,” said El Sherbini. “She’s still young, she’s top seven in the world, she’s very good and has been giving everyone in the top 10 very tough matches. Last time I played Hania, I lost 3-2, so whenever you lose a match, you always wait for this match, it doesn’t matter how many matches you won after, you just wait for the match you lost.

“The fifth game, I always tell myself to play it as if it was the first game. Try to win every point and of course taking the lead made a huge difference. As you saw she kept fighting until the last point, she still wanted to win.”

Meanwhile, Gohar was in scintillating form from the first point as she found her length and accuracy quickly to power into a one-game lead.

Sobhy looked as though she was going to get back into it in the second, but Gohar fought back to double her advantage before seeing out the semi-final win comfortably in the third as the American looked to struggle with the hot conditions by the Red Sea.

The finals take place on Friday, May 28 and play begins at 20:00 (GMT+2). Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV and the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

Glass court action also continues tomorrow at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, with play beginning there at 18:30. Live action from that venue will be shown live on SQUASHTV as well as on Facebook.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 
Quarter Finals Top Half

ElShorbagy Topples Makin During Night of Drama at El Gouna International

It took World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy 158 minutes and two separate venues to finally get the better of Welshman Joel Makin as he booked his place in the semi-finals on a night of drama at the El Gouna International Squash Open.

ElShorbagy and Makin managed to play the first point of their quarter-final clash at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, but a slip from ElShorbagy resulted in over an hour delay in proceedings due to slippery court conditions caused by humidity.

The match was then moved to the El Gouna Squash Complex - which hosted matches in the early rounds of the tournament - where top seed ElShorbagy finally pulled through in the fifth and final game after Makin had fought back from a 2-0 deficit to avenge his defeat to the Welshman in March’s CIB Black Ball Open.

“Me and Joel train so much together in England and we know each other’s games very well,” ElShorbagy said.”

"Even when I won the second 11-2 or 11-3, I knew he is one of the few people on tour who is going to fight. He’s not going to give it to me easy, against a lot of people it would have been done with the way I won the second because I dominated him completely.

“At the end of the day you could see the respect we have for each other, we killed each other. We argued with each other throughout the match, we trash talked each other, but afterwards we shook hands. We’re both the kinds of people who say that whatever happens on court and is said on court is done.”

ElShorbagy will take on the in-form Fares Dessouky after he came back from 2-0 down to beat two-time World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal, reaching his fourth successive semi-final in El Gouna by an 10-12, 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9 scoreline.

Asal took the opening game in confident style, after which point emergency medical attention was required for video referee Ralf Harenberg, which meant a lengthy delay in proceedings while he was attended to.

Everyone at the PSA wishes Ralf a swift recovery and will stay in contact with him to offer him the support he needs.

Speaking about his comeback, Dessouky said: “I did it before with the World No.1 [Ali Farag], so I am used to these kind of situations. I am happy to be through because he is a very dangerous player.

“Off-court, he is a brother, but on-court, he is a bit annoying, so I am happy to keep my head today and to stay solid until the end. I had to make it physical, I had to try and play to the very last point and make the rallies a bit longer and play one more shot on each point. I am lucky that it worked today because I thought I was going to lose in three.”

World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World No.7 Hania El Hammamy will meet in the women’s semis after respective wins over England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and France’s Camille Serme.

El Sherbini dominated England’s Perry to win 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 in 31 minutes and she will line up in the El Gouna International semis for the second time.

“It is always tough playing SJ,” said El Sherbini.

“You can see our head-to-head [9-4 to El Sherbini], it says it all. We have been playing each other in every tournament this season, so I was trying to stick to my plan and to focus until the very last point.”

Meanwhile, El Hammamy will appear in the El Gouna International semi-finals for the first time after she defeated World No.4 Serme 11-2, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 in the latest chapter of their enthralling rivalry.

El Hammamy and El Sherbini will go head-to-head for the first time since the 2020 CIB Black Ball Open, where El Hammamy prevailed to lift her maiden PSA Platinum title.

“I wanted to get the first and try to be as sharp as I could from the start because it wasn’t really very good for us with the conditions and waiting outside,” said El Hammamy, whose match with Serme started an hour behind schedule due to the humidity delays.

“I’m so happy to be in the semis for the first time in El Gouna. Since I was a kid, I definitely loved this tournament and I always wanted to be a semi-finalist and finalist, so I’m looking forward to it and hopefully I can make it to the final.”

The semi-finals continue on May 27 and play begins at 18:30 (GMT+2). Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV and the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

Glass court action also continues tomorrow at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, with play beginning there at 18:30. Live action from that venue will be shown live on SQUASHTV as well as on Facebook.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Quarter Finals Lower Half

Sobhy and Gohar Set up Mouth-Watering El Gouna International Semis Clash

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy and World No.2 Nouran Gohar will lock horns for the first time since a stormy encounter at the Windy City Open 14 months ago after both players achieved 3-1 victories tonight at the El Gouna International Squash Open to reach the semi-finals of the PSA Platinum event.

Gohar took the victory in straight games on that occasion, but it was Sobhy’s comments in the post-match press conference - where she bemoaned both the officiating and accused Gohar of blocking - that caused a wave of discussion across social media.

The World No.5 will now have her chance for revenge after she came back from a game down to dispatch No.9 seed Salma Hany at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center today, winning 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6 to reach the El Gouna International semis for the second time.

“That match is still in my head,” said Sobhy referring to her clash with Gohar in the Windy City.

“It’s definitely going to give me that extra fuel and incentive, but I am not going to let it cloud my judgement or get too much in my head.

"I know Gohar is going to bring her 'A' game on Thursday, so I fully expect a battle."

Gohar, the 2019 El Gouna runner-up, earned her place in the last four courtesy of an 11-2, 11-5, 11-13, 11-9 victory over fellow Egyptian Rowan Elaraby.

The No.2 seed has lost six of her eight matches against Sobhy but did end a three-match losing run to the 27-year-old with that win in Chicago.

“In the first two games I was playing really well,” said Gohar afterwards.

“I felt good on court, was moving well and my targets were hit. I guess I had a drop in concentration a little bit in the third, but all credit to her, she took advantage. She played her’ A’ game, so to come back and try and attack against her when she is playing that well is difficult, but I’m just glad I was able to take it at the end.”

In the men’s event, World No.4 Paul Coll and World No.3 Tarek Momen will do battle in the last four in a repeat of the 2019-20 PSA World Championship final following respective wins over two-time runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad and Frenchman Gregoire Marche.

Coll quickly found himself a game behind due to the class of Gawad. But after the Kiwi drew level, the heel injury that has dogged Gawad’s season reared its head again as the Egyptian struggled to move around court properly. Coll quickly closed out the third and fourth games to earn his spot in the El Gouna semi-finals for the first time.

“Against Karim’s racket work, he just destroyed me [in the first game],” said Coll.

“After the second, I started to see the ball better and dictate the pace, settled down with my movement and I started to feel quite good in the last three. It’s a real positive moving into the semi-finals. I need to focus on the start a bit more [in the next match], settle down quicker, find my targets and focus more at the start.”

World Champion Momen put in a commanding performance to defeat Marche 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 which sees him move into the semis here for the second year in a row.

The No.2 seed was immaculate as he outplayed his opponent, who was appearing in his first major quarter-final since 2016.

“Playing Greg is always a tough task for me,” Momen said.

“We’ve had many tough matches in the past, I know the head-to-head is heavily in my favour but many of those matches went to five games. I’ve always had my eyes on this match, I had to be on my toes from the beginning. I started with this gameplan and it worked out and I’m pleased to win in three."

The quarter-finals continue tomorrow (May 26) and play begins at 18:30 (GMT+2). Live action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

Glass court action also continues tomorrow at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, with play beginning there at 18:30. Live action from that venue will be shown live on SQUASHTV as well as on Facebook.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Round 3 Top Half

Asal Battles Past Abouelghar to Reach El Gouna International Quarters

World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal battled to a scrappy 3-2 victory over compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar earlier today to reach the quarter-finals of the El Gouna International Squash Open after 103 minutes of drama.

After a high-quality beginning to the match, the fixture then fell into a scrappy battle which saw the referee called into action on numerous occasions. After Asal took a third game littered with strokes, Abouelghar - who downed the in-form Marwan ElShorbagy in the previous round - pounced in the fourth as he drew level after dropping a solitary point, before going 6-1 ahead in the decider.

Asal fought back though and a controversial no let on his second match ball handed the match to the Egyptian, who completed a 12-10, 4-11, 14-12, 1-11, 12-10 victory to reach the quarters here for the first time, where he will face World No.7 Fares Dessouky.

“I am so happy that I won today,” said Asal.

“It is unbelievable for me to beat someone like Abou. He is on top form and we saw his match against Marwan, it was an unbelievable match. I was expecting to go home today, but I am happy that I made it today.

“I am thankful for the crowd and thankful for [Tournament Promoter] Amr Mansi for this amazing tournament in El Gouna. As Mohamed [ElShorbagy] said, it is also about the mental game, you have to be tough mentally and this is what the last few years of experience have given me. I am becoming more and more mentally tough and I am happy that I recovered from 6-1 down in the fifth.”

Asal’s victory came following a 45-minute break in play due to humidity earlier in the night, which saw top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy and Baptiste Masotti forced to wait on the sidelines until the court conditions improved.

Masotti made the stronger start of the two when they did eventually get onto court, but ElShorbagy turned things around to record a 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 win and he will take on Welshman Joel Makin in the next round as he looks to avenge his defeat to the World No.9 in March’s CIB Black Ball Open.

“I played him [Masotti] at Black Ball a month ago and he is a player who goes out to win every single match and that is what I admire about him, and he has the character to go all the way to the top one day,” ElShorbagy explained.

“He is young but at the same time, he doesn’t want to wait, he wants it now, he wants it more than anything. I can see it in his eyes because that is how I was when I was young. I respect that about him, and he gave me a huge battle.”

World No.4 Camille Serme moved through to the quarter-finals of the women’s tournament after she beat Canada’s Hollie Naughton 11-5, 11-7, 11-2.

The Frenchwoman will play Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy next after the World No.7 defeated Nada Abbas 3-1. The pair have met 10 times on the PSA World Tour - with many of those going on to be match of the season contenders - and Serme will look to extend her 6-4 head-to-head lead over her young opponent.

“I found my targets better than the other day,” Serme said.

“I felt good physically and was moving pretty well, so I could get her shots and I think she struggled a bit with the court. That’s the advantage of having one more match on there, which is unlucky for her.”

The other match on the glass court saw an injury to Alison Waters cut her match with England teammate Sarah-Jane Perry short, with Perry moving on to play World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in the last eight. El Sherbini received a walkover into the quarter-finals after her third round opponent, Yathreb Adel, withdrew through injury.

“Me and Alison are really good friends and pre-COVID we were usually roommates, so we have spent a lot of time together,” Perry said.

“I hope it's nothing too bad that she has done and that she is back as soon as possible. There have always been questions about my fitness to get through tournaments, but I think that’s why I was pleased with the Black Ball win in December, to not just show I could play five matches in five days but to still come out the other end and to come out with the win.”

The quarter-finals begin tomorrow (May 25) at 18:30 (GMT+2). Live action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

Glass court action also continues tomorrow at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, with play beginning there at 18:30. Live action from that venue will be shown live on SQUASHTV as well as on Facebook.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Round 3 Lower Half

Gohar and Momen Record Wins on Day Four of El Gouna International

No.2 seeds Nouran Gohar and Tarek Momen recorded victories on day four of the El Gouna International Squash Open as they appeared on the glass court at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center for the first time at the PSA Platinum event.

Gohar reached the final of the 2019 edition of this tournament and took a step closer to this year’s title decider with an 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 victory over Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam.

The match was a competitive affair in which Subramaniam could perhaps count herself unfortunate not to take a game, but it will be Gohar who lines up in the quarter-finals where she will take on fellow Egyptian Rowan Elaraby, who outplayed World No.8 Joelle King over at the El Gouna Squash Complex earlier today.

“Siva is not an up-and-coming player, she is already there, she is one to watch,” said Gohar.

“We haven’t played since the World Juniors which was four or five years ago, and I feel really old now. We have evolved and it was completely different to the last time we played. I am just glad that I managed to grab the last few points in each game to win in three.

“Physically, it was hard. The court is really bouncy, and it is hard to kill the ball, so there are a lot of court sprints to do. I just tried to stay tough even though I was not playing the best squash, I was just trying to dig in and to win.”

Elaraby had won her only previous meeting with King on the PSA Tour – a 3-2 victory at the 2019 U.S. Open – but made short work of her opponent this time around as she powered to an 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 win in just 28 minutes.

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy will also line up in the last eight after she beat England’s Lucy Turmel 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 and she will play Egypt’s Salma Hany in the quarter-finals in a rematch of their semi-final clash at the CIB Black Ball Open in March.

“She [Turmel] is a feisty up-and-coming player, so she is young and hungry, and it shows with the win she had previously,” said Sobhy.

“I wanted to just find my game, I wasn’t happy with my performance on the first day and I wanted to get settled on to the glass court, so it is good to get a match that tests you and she did that. I’m really pleased to just win in three and not let her get any momentum.”

Men’s World Champion Momen made his first glass court appearance of the tournament as he overcame the tricky Mazen Hesham in straight games.

Momen twice squandered heavy leads in the first and second games as Hesham came back to challenge, but the World No.3 had enough in his locker to see the wins over the line, before dominating the third to close out the win.

“Mazen is a very tough player, he is very dangerous, he is extremely skilful, and I knew from the beginning that my plan had to be to elongate the rallies,” Momen said.

“I wanted to make it physical so I could have the edge. I have some shots of my own, but I still wanted to make things conservative and not give him openings to throw in those crazy nicks. Still, he managed to throw in some crazy shots in the crucial moments, it is very difficult to make those decisions and it worked for him, but I was glad to close both games out.”

Momen will go up against Frenchman Gregoire Marche in the next round after the World No.15 overcame Germany’s Raphael Kandra at the El Gouna Squash Complex to reach his first major PSA quarter-final since the 2016 Qatar Classic.

“I haven't played a quarter for a long time, so I was a bit tense,” said Marche.

“I really wanted to win that match, so from the second onwards, I found a find a way to relax and settle down and found my length. I knew that Rafi was coming back playing at a very high level, one doesn’t beat Lucas Serme 3-0 [in the previous round] by playing poor squash. I think it was a very mental match and that’s where I've really improved.”

New Zealand’s Paul Coll was the other victor on the glass as he put in an immaculate display to defeat Marche’s compatriot, Victor Crouin, and he will clash with two-time runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad in the next round, with Gawad requiring 70 minutes to see off Karim El Hammamy in straight games.

The third round continues tomorrow (May 24) and play starts at the El Gouna Squash Complex at 13:45 (GMT+2). The action will be shown live on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

Glass court action also continues tomorrow at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, with play beginning there at 18:30. Live action from that venue will be shown live on SQUASHTV as well as on Facebook.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Round 2 Top Half

Abouelghar Ends ElShorbagy Hoodoo on Day Three of El Gouna International

World No.11 Mohamed Abouelghar finally got the better of fellow Egyptian Marwan ElShorbagy at the sixth attempt on the PSA World Tour as he eliminated the in-form World No.5 to reach the third round of the El Gouna International Squash Open, PSA Platinum event.

ElShorbagy has been in magnificent form of late after winning the CIB Black Ball Open in March, while he has often played his best squash in El Gouna and captured his first major title here back in 2018.

But Abouelghar twice fought back from a game and then dominated proceedings in the third game at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center to seal a 8-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-5, 11-3 victory that will see him take on rising Egyptian star Mostafa Asal in the next round.

“The last time I beat Marwan was 2010 [non-PSA], so that was 11 years ago,” said Abouelghar.

“I had nothing to lose. He has been playing great and he’s the man of the hour. Getting on court, I wanted to enjoy myself and take it one point at a time and see how the match unfolds. I’m happy with how I held my head throughout it.

“I’ve always challenged the top guys, but I was losing more than I was winning. The mental part played a big part in that, so I had to find the balance and work on that, rather than just attacking everything and I’ve been working on that.”

Meanwhile, top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy got his title challenge under way with victory over Scotland’s Greg Lobban.

The World No.2, who won this tournament in 2016 and is also a two-time runner-up, beat World No.21 Lobban 11-7, 11-3, 12-10 to book his spot in the last 16, where he will take on Frenchman Baptiste Masotti.

“I love a physical battle,” said ElShorbagy afterwards.

“Going a game ball down, going to a tie-break, I think these are all positive things. It all can get better from here, he played really well in the third, he is a tough player. I’ve watched him so many years and I know how he plays. He played the kind of squash that I needed to play against to get myself sharp for the rest of the tournament.”

Over at the El Gouna Squash Complex, World No.7 Fares Dessouky defeated 2017 champion Gregory Gaultier and he will take on England’s Patrick Rooney, who beat Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann to reach a Platinum third round for the first time. Welshman Joel Makin and Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim were the other men’s winners on day three.

El Sherbini, the women’s World No.1, collected a comfortable 3-0 win over 19-year-old Farida Mohamed to ensure she will take on fellow Egyptian Yathreb Adel for a place in the last eight after Adel beat Hana Ramadan in a quick-fire 3-0 victory.

“Another up-and-coming player, she’s playing so well and she’s very tough,” El Sherbini said.

“She’s been giving some very tough matches for lots of the top players now. It’s the first round and the first time to play her, it was difficult in the beginning but I’m really glad I got back to my game plan in the last two games. The first time playing an opponent you have never played before means the first game is always tense.”

World No.4 Camille Serme was also in action on the glass court at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center as she achieved an entertaining 3-1 win against Belgium’s Tinne Gilis.

Gilis battled back well from going a game down as she threw everything she could at Serme, but the Frenchwoman was able to use her experience to close the win out. Serme will face Canada’s Hollie Naughton in the next round of the Platinum event, with Naughton getting the biggest win of her career against India’s Joshna Chinappa over at the complex.

“Because of the COVID rules, we have trained together for the last two days,” Serme said.

“We did play some rallies and I knew they were going to be long rallies and it would be very physical. She had her chance today and played really good squash. I had to work hard physically, mentally and tactically as well.”

World No.7 Hania El Hammamy is also through after beating Wales’ Emily Whitlock, and she will take on World No.33 Nada Abbas next. England’s Alison Waters will take on compatriot Sarah-Jane Perry in the after her win over Mariam Metwally, while Perry received a walkover after her second round opponent, Mayar Hany, withdrew from the tournament earlier today.

The third round begins tomorrow (May 23) and play starts at the El Gouna Squash Complex at 13:00 (GMT+2). The action will be shown live on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Glass court action also begins tomorrow at El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, which hosts the El Gouna International for the first time. Play begins at 18:00.

 

2nd Round Lower half

Subramaniam Takes Out Evans in Round Two of El Gouna International

Malaysian World No.36 Sivasangari Subramaniam caused an upset on day two of the El Gouna International Squash Open, PSA World Tour Platinum event as she sent World No.10 Tesni Evans out after a five-game battle at the El Gouna Squash Complex.

Subramaniam has played well on Egyptian soil in the past - beating her first top 10 player, Amanda Sobhy, at the CIB PSA Women’s World Championship in Egypt back in October 2019 - and found her range early on to take a one-game lead.

Welshwoman Evans, making her first PSA Tour appearance of 2021, fought back to take a 2-1 advantage, but it proved to be in vain as she succumbed to 22-year-old Subramaniam in the fourth and fifth games.

“Obviously I played very well in the first game, I was really warmed up and very comfortable,” said Subramaniam afterwards.

“But in the second and third, I was giving her plenty of errors. She was not winning, I was just giving her points and it was very frustrating. From the fourth game on, I told myself I have the fitness, so I was just going to keep pushing the ball back even if I had the opportunity to volley.

“That worked well, the rallies were going longer, and I think she was feeling it too. It’s a good win, so I’m happy to be back.”

Subramaniam will take on No.2 seed Nouran Gohar next after she got the better of Zeina Mickawy in straight games, while England’s Lucy Turmel enjoyed a surprise win over USA’s Olivia Clyne.

Turmel, the World No.37, completed her first win over a top 15 player as she beat World No.12 Clyne by an 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 scoreline to book her spot in the last 16 of a Platinum event for the second time. The 21-year-old will take on World No.5 Amanda Sobhy next, with Sobhy coming from a game down to beat Canada’s Danielle Letourneau.

“I spoke to my brother just before the match and asked him if he had any advice,” Turmel said.

“His advice was to get in front of her and stay in front of her and that’s the simplicity of what I did. Thanks to my brother for the advice he gave me. This tournament I really wanted to prove to myself I could play the level I think I can play at and the aim is to go home happy with the way I performed.”

Sobhy’s USA teammate Olivia Fiechter upset the seedings with victory over World No.13 Nele Gilis and she will play World No.9 Salma Hany for a place in the quarter-finals. New Zealand’s Joelle King and Egypt’s Rowan Elaraby were the other two women’s victors.

In the men’s event, former World Junior Champion Karim El Hammamy followed up his opening day upset of Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi with a 3-0 win against World No.16 Zahed Salem.

Salem was coming off the back of a maiden Platinum quarter-final last time out at the CIB Black Ball Open two months ago, but he suffered an early exit to El Hammamy, who won an intense match 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 in 64 minutes.

“He doesn’t play high percentage squash, his shots are very calculated, so I had to attack, I couldn’t just wait and sit as he was going to put the pressure on me,” El Hammamy said.

"I’m playing Karim Abdel Gawad [next]. We don’t know how the Baby-Faced Assassin is going to do. Yes, he’s just come back from a foot injury, but believe me, he can win on one foot, so I have to wait and see and watch."

Gawad, a two-time runner-up at this event, got the better of Mohamed ElSherbini in four games, while World Champion Tarek Momen began his tournament with a 3-0 win against Iker Pajares Bernabeu.

World No.15 Gregoire Marche was also victorious on day one as he upset the seedings to eliminate World No.10 Miguel Rodriguez. Marche ended a four-match losing run against the former British Open champion when he beat him at the CIB Black Ball Open two months ago and followed that up with a confident 3-0 win in El Gouna today.

The Frenchman will play Germany’s Raphael Kandra after his win over Marche’s compatriot, Lucas Serme, while World No.4 Paul Coll and World No.41 Victor Crouin are also through courtesy of wins against Youssef Soliman and Shahjahan Khan, respectively.

“It was a good draw, when you think that Grégoire has to play Miguel, with all due respect to Alan [Clyne] and Shahjahan, it’s not the same level of players,” Crouin said.

“I’m happy of course that I’m in the third round and I’m playing Paul on the glass court. I’m feeling good, and I cannot express how happy I am to play on the glass. I can’t wait as normally I watch it from behind my screen on SQUASHTV.”

The second round continues tomorrow (May 22) and play begins at the El Gouna Squash Complex at 13:00 (GMT+2). The action will be shown live on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Glass court action also begins tomorrow at El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, which hosts the El Gouna International for the first time. Play begins at 18:00.
 
1st Round

Gaultier Battles Past Lake as El Gouna International Gets Under Way

French veteran Gregory Gaultier battled to a 3-1 victory over World No.44 Nathan Lake as the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, PSA World Tour Platinum event got under way at the El Gouna Squash Complex.

Gaultier, the 2017 El Gouna champion, is making his first appearance at this tournament for three years due to a combination of injury problems and the COVID-19 pandemic - which resulted in the cancellation of last year’s event - and he looked to be making up for lost time as the 38-year-old charged into a one-game lead.

Englishman Lake rallied to take the second game, but the guile and determination of his more experienced opponent shone through as Gaultier closed it out by an 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 margin to book his spot in the last 32, where he will take on the in-form Fares Dessouky.

“It felt a bit weird not to be able to do much for the past two days,” Gaultier said.

“I got to play a bit at 10pm last night, but it was not enough for me, I feel. I have been training very well, but at the start of the match I felt a bit flat. Still, he is a very strong and talented player, very good with the racket and he is a fair player.

“I enjoyed my match with him and now I’m playing Fares in the next round.”

Gaultier was joined in victory by fellow Frenchmen Lucas Serme and Victor Crouin as they enjoyed respective wins over Vikram Malhotra and Auguste Dussourd, while one of the biggest upsets in the men’s draw saw World No.49 Patrick Rooney defeat fellow Englishman Declan James.

Despite meeting in England Squash sanctioned events, the pair had never played on the PSA Tour, and it was 23-year-old Rooney who showed his credentials as one to watch with an impressive 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 victory over the World No.24.

Rooney will play Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann in the next round. Steinmann will compete in the second round of a Platinum event for the first time after his first round opponent - experienced Spaniard Borja Golan - succumbed to a leg injury in the second game of their match, with Steinmann leading at the time.

There were also wins for Steinmann’s compatriot - Nicolas Mueller - as well as the likes of former World Junior Champions Karim El Hammamy and Eain Yow Ng.

In the women’s event, Egypt’s Menna Hamed claimed her first win at a Platinum event as she overcame France’s Melissa Alves in a back-and-forth 53-minute battle.

The 23-year-old has been affected by the COVID-19 virus in recent weeks but put the lack of match practice aside to win 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6.

“I had COVID three weeks ago and I was in bed for a week, so I had very little time to get prepared for the tournament,” Hany revealed.

“To add to that, Anna played really well, I was not expecting her to play that well and she gave me such a hard time on court. Today I was giving it 100 per cent despite having no expectation.”

World No.49 Hana Ramadan caused the biggest upset in the women’s event as she sent World No.18 Nadine Shahin crashing out courtesy of an 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 11-7 victory.

The 23-year-old will play fellow Egyptian Yathreb Adel for the place in round three.

“We’ve been playing each other for such a long time, we know each other’s game pretty well,” said Ramadan afterwards.

“It was all about who was going to keep pushing and stay in the rallies until the end, and keep the focus and the game plan. I’m playing Yathreb [next] and we played such a long time ago, so I’m going in there with a blank page. I will put my game plan down there and go for my shots as much as I can without losing my concentration as she is a very skilful player.”

Elsewhere, wildcards Nour Aboulmakarim and Habiba El Dafrawy saw their tournaments come to an end at the hands of Farida Mohamed and Olivia Fiechter, respectively.

The second round begins tomorrow (May 21) and play begins at 14:00 (GMT+2). The likes of men’s World Champion Tarek Momen and women’s World No.2 Nouran Gohar will begin their title challenges. All of the action will be shown live on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SquashTV YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Previews

ElShorbagy and El Sherbini Top El Gouna International Draws

Egyptian duo Mohamed ElShorbagy and Nour El Sherbini will headline the 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open when the PSA World Tour Platinum event takes place in Egypt between Thursday May 20 - Friday May 28.

World No.1 Farag misses out on defending his title due to prior family commitments, meaning ElShorbagy will top the 48-player men’s draw as he looks to win this title for the first time since 2016.

This year’s El Gouna International will be held at a new venue - the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center - which will house the glass court between May 22-28, while the El Gouna Squash Complex will be used between May 20-24 for matches in the early rounds of the tournament.

The World No.2 receives a bye into round two, where he will face former World No.1 James Willstrop in a mouthwatering last 32 clash. ElShorbagy is seeded on the same side of the draw as Welshman Joel Makin - who he lost to in December’s CIB Black Ball Squash Open quarter-finals - and the pair could meet again in the same stage in El Gouna.

The man who took the Black Ball Open crown - Marwan ElShorbagy - is also seeded on the top half of the draw and could have a rematch with Black Ball Open runner-up Fares Dessouky in the quarter-finals, before a prospective semi-final showdown with older brother Mohamed if matches go to seeding.

World Champion Tarek Momen is one of the most notable names in the bottom half of the draw and he features alongside the likes of World No.4 Paul Coll, 2019 runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.8 Miguel Rodriguez.

World No.1 El Sherbini will get her tournament under way against either Farida Mohamed or wildcard Nour Aboulmakarim in round two of the women’s event and is seeded to face World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry and World No.4 Camille Serme en route to a predicted final match up with 2019 runner-up Nouran Gohar in the title decider.

Gohar will get her tournament under way against either Zeina Mickawy or Rachel Arnold in round two and has the likes of World No.8 Joelle King and World No.5 Amanda Sobhy on her side of the draw.

The other women’s wildcard - Habiba El Defrawy - will play USA’s Olivia Fiechter in the opening round - while the men’s wildcards - Aly Abou Eleinen and Roger Baddour - will play Youssef Soliman and Youssef Ibrahim, respectively.

All glass court matches will be shown live on SQUASHTV and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan) while matches from the El Gouna Squash Complex will be streamed via Facebook and the PSA SQUASHTV YouTube channel. The semis and finals will be shown on the channels of PSA’s contracted broadcast partners.

The tournament will abide by strict protocols with relation to health and safety, international travel policies and social distancing guidelines.

Squash fans can stay up to date with the latest from the El Gouna International by following the event on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

El Gouna International Squash Open: Men’s Draw
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] James Willstrop (ENG) [bye]
[17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Todd Harrity (USA)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) v [17/32] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
[17/32] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [WC] Roger Baddour (EGY)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v [17/32] Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[9/16] Adrian Waller (ENG) [bye]
[7] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [bye]
Nathan Lake (ENG) v [17/32] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
[17/32] Declan James (ENG) v Patrick Rooney (ENG)
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [17/32] Borja Golan (ESP)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [bye]
[916] Mostafa Asal [bye]
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
[WC] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v [17/32] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
[17/32] Alan Clyne (SCO) v Shahjahan Khan (USA)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[17/32] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]
[17/32] Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v Richie Fallows (ENG)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [bye]
[17/32] Raphael Kandra (GER) v Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
Vikram Malhotra (IND) v [17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA)
[9/16] Mazen Hesham [bye]
Victor Crouin (FRA) v [17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[17/32] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v George Parker (ENG)
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]

El Gouna International Squash Open: Women’s Draw
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]
[WC] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) v [17/32] Farida Mohamed (EGY)
[9/16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) [bye]
Hana Ramadan (EGY) v [17/32] Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Cindy Merlo (SUI)
[9/16] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]
[17/32] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Mayar Hany (EGY)
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG [bye]
[6] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
Ineta Mackevica (LAT) v [17/32] Emily Whitlock (WAL)
[17/32] Nada Abbas (EGY) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
Menna Hamed (EGY) v [17/32] Melissa Alves (FRA)
[17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Aifa Azman (MAS)
[9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) [bye]
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [bye]
Menna Nasser (EGY) v [17/32] Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
[17/32] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v Emilia Soini (FIN)
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) [bye]
[17/32] Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [WC] Habiba El Defrawy (EGY)
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) [bye]
[17/32] Donna Lobban (AUS) v Haley Mendez (USA)
[8] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
[7] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]
Jana Shiha (EGY) v [17/32] Coline Aumard (FRA)
[9/16] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) [bye]
Enora Villard (FRA) v [17/32] Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v [17/32] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
[17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]