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CIB Black Ball Open 2022
Men's Draw
12 - 17 Mar
Cairo, Egypt, $180k |
ROUND TWO
13 Mar |
ROUND THREE
14 Mar |
QUARTERS
15 Mar |
SEMIS
16 Mar |
FINAL
17 Mar |
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[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8 (55m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) |
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (36m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) |
Nour El Sherbini
11-3, 11-6, 11-7 (24m)
Georgina Kennedy |
Nour El Sherbini
11-6, 16-14, 11-4 (33m)
Rowan Elaraby |
Nour El Sherbini
17-15, 11-8, 2-0 retired (33m)
Nouran Gohar |
Hana Ramadan (EGY)
11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (24m)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) |
[9/16] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)
8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-2 (48m)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) |
Georgina Kennedy (ENG)
11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 (46m)
Salma Hany (EGY) |
[7] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-8, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7 (36m)
Donna Lobban (AUS) |
[8] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
11-4, 11-4, 11-7 (26m)
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) |
Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
13-11, 16-14, 5-11, 11-9 (61m)
Jana Shiha (EGY) |
Rowan Elaraby
15-13, 11-7, 11-9 (33m)
Nour El Tayeb
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[WC] Jana Shiha (EGY)
3-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-8 (50m)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) |
[9/16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (33m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) |
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (60m)
Hania El Hammamy (EGY) |
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11-4, 12-10, 11-7 (39m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) |
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (49m)
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) |
Amanda Sobhy (USA)
10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3 (49m)
Joshna Chinappa (IND) |
Amanda Sobhy
11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (31m)
Joelle King |
Joelle King
5-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-5 (59m)
Nouran Gohar |
[9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 14-16, 11-8 (49m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) |
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL)
12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3 (59m)
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) |
Joelle King (NZL)
11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (29m)
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) |
[6] Joelle King (NZL)
11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 9-3 ret. (81m)
Farida Mohamed (EGY) |
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (25m)
Emily Whitlock (WAL) |
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (30m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) |
Sarah-Jane Perry
11-9, 11-8, 13-11 (38m)
Nouran Gohar |
Nada Abbas (EGY)
9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 12-10 (46m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) |
[9/16] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (28m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) |
[9/16] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
w/o
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) |
Lisa Aitken (SCO)
11-6, 11-6, 11-2 (28m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) |
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye
Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (26m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 11-1, 11-4, 11-4 (18m)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bye
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 2-11, 15-13, 8-11,
11-1, 11-7 (49m)
[9/16] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
Donna Lobban (AUS) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 (33m)
[7] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[8] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bye
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8
(39m)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) bye
[WC] Jana Shiha (EGY) bt Tze Lok Ho (HKG) 13-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 (39m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 11-8, 13-11, 11-9 (33m)
[9/16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bye
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Mayar Hany (EGY) 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (27m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bye
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt Yathreb Adel (EGY) 10-12, 11-6, 11-1, 11-8 (35m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Anna Serme (CZE) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (24m)
[9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bye
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) bye
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 12-10, 11-3, 11-6 (31m)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) bye
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bye
Emily Whitlock (WAL) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 12-10, 13-15, 11-8, 11-7
(48m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt [WC] Nour El-Sharkawy (EGY) 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (19m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 11-2, 11-9, 11-4 (19m)
[9/16] Olivia Fiechter (USA) bye
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Énora Villard (FRA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (29m)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 11-7, 11-6, 12-10 (24m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye |
Nouran Gohar Wins Cib Black Ball Open
Following El Sherbini Injury Retirement
Nouran Gohar (left) and Nour El Sherbini (right)
World No.2 Nouran Gohar has collected her first CIB Black Ball title and
her fourth consecutive Platinum trophy, though her recollection of
tonight’s triumph will no doubt be bittersweet, following the mid-final
retirement of World No.1 Nour El Sherbini due to injury.
Ahead of tonight’s match, much had been made of the intense but amicable
rivalry between the two, with Gohar set to replace El Sherbini as World
No.1 in next month's rankings.
With little to choose between the two ahead of tonight's match, both
players had reasons to be confident. 24-year-old Gohar had gone into the
match looking to continue a magnificent run that had seen her win 23 of
her prior 24 matches, while 26-year-old El Sherbini would have taken
confidence from her 19-5 head-to-head record against the Cairo native.
Fans were treated to a barnstorming first game in which El Sherbini
initially seized the momentum, finding openings from nowhere on the way
to a 10-6 lead. Facing the daunting task of saving four game balls,
Gohar went on the attack, moving up the court to bring her brutal power
to bear.
To the delight of Gohar’s fans, this proved effective, with ‘the
Terminator’ picking off each game ball before flipping the match’s
momentum with a 17-15 win.
As El Sherbini saw her lead dwindle and then evaporate in the opener, it
quickly became obvious that something was troubling her, with her
movement becoming increasingly laboured as Gohar wrapped up the first
game, and the 26-year-old received physio treatment on her hip
immediately after leaving the court.
In the second game, despite the best efforts of El Sherbini, it was
obvious that she was struggling to move, with Gohar continuously able to
punish her in the corners on the way to an 11-8 win.
After receiving post-game physio treatment once more, El Sherbini
initially attempted to return to the court for the third game. That
game, however, lasted only seconds, with El Sherbini forced to call a
premature end to what had at one stage looked to be one of the matches
of the season.
After the match, Gohar said: “I’m definitely not happy with the way it
ended. I just wish her a speedy recovery. I can’t wait for our next
battle. Having the rivalry with Nour El Sherbini right now is something
I’m very proud of. I’ve always looked up to Nour. She’s a great player
and [the rivalry] is something I’m so proud to have.
“[My advice to young players is] never give up. I’ve always tried really
hard and I never really gave up, even when it wasn’t really going my
way. Certainly, it didn’t go my way many times. Now I’m just living
better days and I’m happy with it. I’m not taking it for granted, I just
want more. Always having the hunger and determination are the main
things that you always have to have. Just believe in yourself.”
Gohar added that she wanted to thank her family, husband, coaches and
sponsors for their support, adding that the fans who had come out were
what made Egyptian squash so great: “I want to thank you all for coming
out today. It has been an amazing evening. Having you here makes it
extra special for us, that’s why I like to play in Egypt. Thank you so
much for coming. That’s why we’re good at squash, because of you guys.
Thank you so much for the support.”
El Sherbini, meanwhile, said that she had picked up the injury after her
semi-final win over Rowan Elaraby, but until the end of the first game
it had not troubled her.
She added: “I'm definitely disappointed to end it like this. Actually I
thought it was a very good match and both of us were playing really
good, so unfortunately it had to end like this.
“I think Nouran is the best player right now and you can't play her when
you're not your best. I hope I made the right choice; you always have to
listen to your body and hopefully I will come back again.”
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Gohar And El Sherbini Set Up Heavyweight Clash
The world’s top two players, Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar, put in
stellar performances to set up a mouthwatering CIB Black Ball Open
final.
Nouran Gohar
World No.2 Gohar, who will replace El Sherbini as World No.1 in next
month’s rankings, reached her first ever Black Ball Open final after
coming from behind to beat New Zealand's Joelle King 3-1.
King deservedly took the first game 11-5, which was the first Gohar had
dropped in 2022, on the back of intelligent tactical play. The Kiwi
mitigated Gohar’s brutal power by outhitting the Egyptian, forcing the
World No.2 to play an unfamiliar game of lobs as she attempted to slow
King down.
Gohar, though, roared back furiously in the second, going back on the
attack and pulverising any loose King shots on the volley to level the
match 1-1 with an 11-8 win.
In a frenetic third game, both players had an opportunity to take a
crucial 2-1 lead.
After Gohar was unable to convert a game ball at 10-9, King then
squandered a golden opportunity when, despite being well placed on court
and 11-10 up, she erroneously called a double bounce on Gohar and ended
the rally prematurely.
The No.6 seed was made to pay for this error, as although she was able
to reach another game ball at 12-11, she couldn’t convert, and Gohar
took the game 14-12 to take a crucial lead.
After the battle of the third game, Gohar looked the more confident
player in the fourth, and she secured passage to her sixth consecutive
Platinum final with an 11-5 win.
Afterwards, Gohar paid tribute to the vocal fans who have cheered her on
throughout the tournament: “It’s one of those matches where you’re
tested and you need to prove that you deserve to be at the top. Without
this crowd, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
“I’m not saying cliches or anything, but if I was playing this
tournament anywhere else, not in Egypt and without my family and
friends, I wouldn’t have been able to win this one, for sure.
“I live three minutes away from here, but I wouldn’t say I performed my
best here. But I love the club [and] I love training here. I can’t
really complain about this year, it’s started really well and I hope it
is the same for the rest of the year.”
Gohar also spoke of her respect for her King: “Joelle was playing really
well during the event and I wasn’t really surprised. I knew she was
going to fight for everything and she was really up for it.”
Nour El Sherbini
Standing between Gohar and a first Black Ball title will be current
World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, after the top seed and defending champion
put in a top-quality performance to knock out No.8 seed Rowan Elaraby,
who was playing in her first semi final on the PSA World Tour.
El Sherbini made a strong start to her semi final, using her rapid
attacks to unsettle Elaraby’s early rhythm on the way to an 11-6 lead.
It appeared that El Sherbini was heading for a comfortable win in the
second game as she raced into a 10-5 lead, with the Warrior Princess
showing her less-often seen urgency of movement to cover the entire
court.
Elaraby, though, who has been so impressive throughout this tournament,
stunned the World No.1 by saving each game ball to force a tie break.
The 21-year-old then went on the attack and came tantalisingly close to
levelling the match when she had two game opportunities of her own, but
was shutdown each time by El Sherbini, who took a commanding two-game
lead after an epic 16-14 win.
Having thrown all she could muster at the reigning World Champion in the
second game, Elaraby’s confidence appeared severely dented as she
entered the third, and El Sherbini was able to see out the match in
relative comfort with an 11-4 win.
Afterwards, El Sherbini said: “Rowan is a very tough opponent and very
skilful.
“It’s her first semi final at a Platinum event, so I know it’s huge for
her and she deserves more than that. Maybe she just needs a little bit
more experience, she’s very good and I’ve watched her growing up at the
same club.
“She’s been good since she was five or six years old, we’re definitely
going to have more battles together.”
Looking ahead to her clash in tomorrow’s final with Gohar, which will be
El Sherbini’s third straight final at the Black Ball Sporting Club, El
Sherbini said: “It’s been a long time since we [El Sherbini and Gohar]
have played each other. We’ve never played on this court, so it’s going
to be a new one.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s always tough against
Nouran. She’s really on top of her game and she’s the most in-form
player now.
“I’m looking forward to this one and I hope it’s going to be a good
match for the crowd to watch.”
Action from the CIB Black Ball Open final will be shown live on
SQUASHTV
tomorrow (March 17).
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
Twitter,
Facebook
and
Instagram
|
Gohar to
return to World No.1
Egypt’s Nouran Gohar will return to World No.1 in April after overcoming
a tenacious Sarah-Jane Perry in three games at the 2022 CIB Black Ball
Open.
Current World No.2 Gohar went into the match against No.5 seed Perry
knowing victory would mean that she would overtake current occupier Nour
El Sherbini regardless of her compatriot’s result against Georgina
Kennedy.
If this fact was preying on her nerves, she certainly didn’t show it.
Against a wily opponent, who when in form is capable of beating anyone
on the tour and won the Gold tournament here in 2020, Gohar was
magnificent.
The 24-year-old played her usual relentlessly aggressive squash against
a strong-looking Perry, taking the first two games 11-9 and 11-8.
Perry threw absolutely everything at Gohar in the third game and came
close to having a foothold in the match when she took a 10-9 lead. ‘The
Terminator,’ however, pulled level with a tidy forehand volley to the
front, before eventually seeing out the match with a 13-11 win.
After the match, Gohar confessed that reaching World No.1 had meant more
to her than she had suggested previously. “I’m over the moon. In my past
interviews, if I’m honest, I was saying that I wasn’t thinking about the
ranking, but I wanted it badly. I was working hard every day, but I
don’t want it mentioned before matches because it’s freaking me out.
“I wasn’t [initially] aware. I only found out before the match. Even
when I was speaking to my husband, he didn’t know and he wished me luck
like it was a normal match.”
Joelle King
Gohar’s opponent in tomorrow’s semi final will be New Zealand’s No.6
seed Joelle King, after the Kiwi downed No.4 seed Amanda Sobhy in
straight games. While Sobhy may have enjoyed the higher seeding, she
went into the match having lost her last five matches against the
33-year-old, who enjoyed a whopping 9-1 advantage in the head-to-head
record.
Sure enough, the form book proved to be correct, as King dismantled the
attack-minded Sobhy’s game with a masterful defensive display. Try
though she might, Sobhy could not break King’s flow of points, with the
Kiwi returning almost every attempted winner the American hit to claim a
3-0 win in 31 minutes.
After the match, King was in a contemplative mood. “I’m trying to make
the most of my time this year. Time is short, we don’t have long being
professional athletes and I just want to make the most of every chance I
have to be on the tour and play these big matches,” she said.
Rowan Elaraby
In the other half of the draw, Egypt’s No.8 seed Rowan Elaraby reached
her first ever Platinum semi final as she put in an excellent
performance to beat former World No.3 Nour El Tayeb.
El Tayeb had captured the headlines in the last round as she put in her
best showing since returning to the tour to shock No.3 seed Hania El
Hammamy, but was left powerless today by a statement performance from
21-year-old Elaraby.
The first game was an epic that set the tone for the match, with Elaraby
eventually breaking through 15-13 having seen four game balls saved and
then overturning three of El Tayeb’s.
Elaraby built on this and played her best squash in the second and third
games, hunting El Tayeb by pushing high up the court and looking to
volley wherever possible on the way to 11-7 and 11-9 wins.
“I’m out of words,” Elaraby said afterwards. “We all look up to [El
Tayeb] and it’s amazing I played with this performance against her. I’m
really happy with my performance today, I worked hard for this moment,
I’m overwhelmed.”
Nour El Sherbini
Standing between Elaraby and a maiden Platinum final is current World
No.1 and defending Black Ball Open champion Nour El Sherbini, who put in
a ruthless display to quickly dispatch England’s Georgina Kennedy 3-0.
While Kennedy’s pace at times troubled the reigning World Champion, El
Sherbini’s path to a third-successive Platinum Black Ball Open never
looked in true danger, and the 26-year-old needed just 24 minutes to
secure her place in the last four.
Afterwards, El Sherbini threw down the gauntlet to her rival for the
No.1 spot, promising to fight to win it back.
She said: “It’s hard of course to maintain [the World No.1 ranking].
This day is going to come and it’s never the end of the world. I’m
always trying to win tournaments and that’s going to help me get back to
World No.1
“I’m definitely not going to leave this spot easily.”
Action from the CIB Black Ball Open semi finals will be shown live on
SQUASHTV
tomorrow (March 16).
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
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and
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|
Sublime El Tayeb comes from behind to down No.3 seed El
Hammamy
Former World No.3 Nour El Tayeb put in her finest performance since
returning to the PSA World Tour to come from a game down to beat CIB
Black Ball Open No.3 seed Hania El Hammamyl
SQUASHTV
tomorrow (March 16).
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
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and
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In an opening game dominated by long rallies, El Hammamy recovered from
a difficult start to take a one-game lead with an 11-9 win.
El Tayeb came back well in the second, keeping the ball away from El
Hammamy’s dangerous cross-court shots by targeting the back and pouncing
on any errors. The 29-year-old took the second game 11-8 before
repeating the scoreline to take a one-game lead.
In the fourth, El Tayeb’s wide array of shots was on display and she
attacked from around the court, drawing particular applause from the
crowd and onlooking husband and World No.2 Ali Farag with a shot
straight down the middle that caught El Hammamy cold.
While El Hammamy attempted to target the front of the court, too often
her shots were tentative, failing to beat El Tayeb’s reflexes.
As the match approached the hour mark, both players put everything into
the late stages of the fourth game. From 8-8, the game and match were
delightfully poised, until eventually El Tayeb was able to break through
with a fantastic attacking boast to take the game 11-9 and the match
3-1.
El Tayeb will look to keep her stunning run going when she faces
compatriot and No.8 seed Rowan Elaraby - who ended the thrilling run of
wildcard Jana Shiha - in the last eight tomorrow.
After the match, El Tayeb paid tribute to the support of her family,
particularly after returning to the tour after becoming a mother for the
first time: “I could go on for hours about how hard it is [to come back
after giving birth] but having my family to support me is the key.
"I wouldn’t have been able to come back and train every day as hard as I
have wanted without my husband, my mum, my dad and my sisters. Everyone
around me has been pushing me, obviously there are days when there is no
motivation to go out and train.
“On so many days I am not motivated to train, but I’m glad I kept
pushing and I’ve had Ali pushing me every day at home to keep training.
It definitely helps and I’m very excited to be in the quarter finals."
While El Hammamy was the first seed to fall today, she was not the last.
In the day's final match - which came earlier than originally scheduled
due to Olivia Fiechter’s withdrawal following a pre-match injury -
England’s Georgina Kennedy beat Egyptian No.7 seed Salma Hany in a
thrilling encounter to reach her second Platinum quarter final in as
many months.
24-year-old Kennedy, who reached the last eight in February’s Windy City
Open, continued her strong form in a match that pitted her dazzling
speed against Hany’s attacking prowess.
In the pair’s first-ever meeting on tour, the match ebbed and flowed as
each player tried to get a measure of their opponent.
World No.11 Kennedy took the first game 11-9, only for Hany to strike
back in the second by the same scoreline, much to the delight of the
vocal home support.
While Kennedy had made the mistake of allowing Hany too many
opportunities to strike clean volleys in the second game, in the third
she played tighter lines and forced some long and entertaining rallies.
This proved an effective tactic, as the Englishwoman took yet another
11-9 win, before seeing out the final game 11-7 as Hany tired.
“I had to try and dig in there, and I’m really happy with the result and
I’m really excited to be in the quarters again,” Kennedy said
afterwards. “I think I’m lucky because [speed] has always come naturally
to me. I do a lot of fitness work, a lot of conditioning, and I had to
be so explosive today because Salma’s shots are perfect."
Kennedy’s opponent in the quarter final will be World No.1 Nour El
Sherbini, who survived a scare against World No.27 and Egyptian
compatriot Hana Ramadan.
The top seed went one game down to the 24-year-old’s fearless brand of
squash, but after staying on court after the first game for solo
practice, rallied to take the following games 11-3, 11-6 and 11-5.
With World No.2 Nouran Gohar receiving a walkover to the quarter final
due to Fiechter’s injury, El Sherbini must now win the event in order to
keep her place as World No.1 in the April rankings.
Elsewhere, the USA’s No.4 seed Amanda Sobhy came through an exciting
clash 3-2 against India’s Joshna Chinappa, while New Zealand’s No.6 seed
Joelle King and England’s No.5 seed Sarah-Jane Perry recorded 3-0
victories over Nele Gilis and Nada Abbas, respectively.
Action from the CIB Black Ball Open quarter finals will be shown live on
SQUASHTV
tomorrow (March 15).
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
Twitter,
Facebook
and
Instagram
|
Home Wildcard Shiha's run continues after spectacular
comeback
In the shock of the tournament so far, the Black Ball Club’s home
wildcard Jana Shiha conjured a miraculous comeback to stun Wales’ World
No.17 Tesni Evans, recovering from two games and match ball down to win
3-2.
In her first-round match against Hong Kong’s Tze Lok Ho, World No.55
Shiha’s attacking volleys proved a potent weapon. Evans, though, was
able to neutralise this threat early on, pushing the ball deep whenever
possible to take the first two games 11-3 and 11-5.
The Welshwoman appeared on course for a routine 3-0 win when she took a
10-8 lead in the third, only for Shiha to save both match balls and
force a tie-break. The 20-year-old then saved a further match ball at
11-10, before flipping the game on its head with a 14-12 win.
The 20-year-old stormed out in the fourth game to the delight of the
fans and took the match to five games with an 11-6 win.
With momentum and the crowd truly behind her, Shiha continued to press
relentlessly in the fifth game. As Evans began to tire, Shiha’s
devastating range of attacking shots increasingly found their mark, and
the World No.55 walked off the court to rapturous applause as she sealed
a memorable victory with an 11-8 win.
Shiha will play No.8 seed and compatriot Rowan Elaraby in the next
round, following Elaraby's 3-0 win over Canada's Danielle Letourneau.
Afterwards, Shiha said: “I have no words! After being 2-0 down, I don’t
think I’ve ever come back from 2-0 down, even in juniors, so I’m very
very very proud of how I managed to win today. It was my first time
playing Tesni so I didn’t know how to react. She’s very talented and her
shots are amazing, so I knew this was going to happen. In those first
two games, she really bagelled me. Usually, I let go of the whole match,
but I didn’t today, for the first time which is a plus. In the third
game I tried to hold onto the basic game, but then I had to attack. I
tried to take as many volleys as I could, I tried to do my shots.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect this. I wasn’t training my best, but I had
confidence because I’m at my home club. I didn’t want to let my home
crowd down, so I’m on the right track and I hope tomorrow I play as well
as today.”
Joining Shiha in the next round will be compatriot and World No.1 Nour
El Sherbini, who was forced to do things the hard way in an enthralling
five-game battle with Belgian World No.24 Tinne Gilis.
It initially looked like it would be plain sailing for the defending
Black Ball Open champion, as she quickly took the first game 11-3. Gilis,
however, fought back well to take the second game 11-8, with the
Belgian’s backhand drives a consistent source of trouble for El Sherbini.
El Sherbini then won the third game and looked set to win the fourth,
only for Gilis to save a match ball before taking the game on a tiebreak
12-10 to send the match into a deciding game.
The fifth followed a similar pattern, with Gilis falling behind only to
threaten a comeback. While the Belgian was able to pull back to within a
point of the ‘Warrior Princess,’El Sherbini was able to close out the
match with an 11-8 win and secure her place in the next round, where she
will face compatriot Hana Ramadan.
“I am very lucky to go through this time. Tinne surprised me the last
couple of times we have played. I tried to be strong, have a good
gameplan, but she is very strong and very good. I am enjoying these
tough matches against her and we are definitely going to have more tough
matches like this again!” El Sherbini said after the match.
“Even if I were not the defending champion, I am still the highest seed.
That means there’s no pressure on them, they want to play the best and
they always get the best out of themselves. I am trying to get used to
the pressure, trying to not be stressed or under pressure, to always
play and enjoy my squash. Getting the win today is a really good start,
and I like to play a tough first match, so it’s a good start for me!”
Elsewhere, there was a first on the PSA World Tour as World No.4 Amanda
Sobhy took on younger sister Sabrina in their first tour meeting.
Despite her superior experience, Amanda didn’t have it all her own way
as Sabrina, nicknamed ‘The Roadrunner’ for her speed around court,
hustled and pushed her sister all the way to five games.
It was Amanda who held her nerve in the crucial moments, though, and she
kept Sabrina at arm’s length to take the fifth game by an 11-6 margin,
earning a last-16 clash with India's Joshna Chinappa, who today picked
up her 250th win on the tour.
“I think every older sibling kind of knows how I feel,” said Amanda.
“The younger sibling never really has much pressure and everyone kind of
roots for them to make the upset. It gives me added pressure,
expectations and stress. It’s a relief when you win and then you just
hope and pray that you don’t have to play each other for a very long
time.
“I’ve been avoiding it, thankfully, for a couple of years and mentally
preparing for this day. This day has happened now and I hope I have a
few years to recover, I’m sure we’re going to play each other and I’m
sure it’s not going to be fun.”
Action from round three of the CIB Black Ball Open will be shown live on
SQUASHTV
tomorrow (March 14).
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
Twitter,
Facebook
and
Instagram
|
CIB Black Ball Open - Home Wildcard Shiha Through to
Second Round
Tournament wildcard Jana Shiha will play Welsh World No.17 Tesni Evans
in the second round of the CIB Black Ball Open in Cairo, after
collecting her first win at the Black Ball Sporting Club on the PSA
World Tour.
The World No.55 drew the applause of the home fans as she upset her
higher-ranked first-round opponent, Hong Kong’s World No.36 Tze Lok Ho,
by a 13-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 scoreline.
The 20-year-old, who is a player at the Black Ball Club, performed well
above her ranking, with her eye-pleasing attacking brand of squash too
much for Ho to handle.
In the first game, Shiha’s backhand volley consistently caused problems
for Ho and she took a one-game lead after converting the tie-break,
before being pegged back when Ho took the second game 11-6.
Shiha, though, responded excellently, taking the third and fourth games
11-4 to seal a memorable win and progress to the second round.
Speaking after the match, Shiha said: “I haven’t played a match since
the U.S. Open in October, so I wasn’t at my best in the first game.
“I found a better pace in the middle of the first game, then I lost
focus in the second game. In the third and fourth I pushed through. I
was trying to control the pace because she is very talented too, so I
had to be the first one attacking as she has good volley shots.”
In the preceding match, personal history was made as the USA’s Sabrina
Sobhy came from one game down to beat Egypt’s Yathreb Adel and set up a
first match on the tour against her older sister and World No.4 Amanda
Sobhy.
All three of the pair’s previous meetings had finished 3-0, with Adel
holding a 2-1 head-to-head record, so when the Egyptian took the first
game 12-10, some in the crowd may have been expecting the result to be a
foregone conclusion.
Sobhy, though, had other ideas. With her ever-impressive speed and
improving accuracy, Sobhy began to dominate proceedings as Adel tired.
‘The Roadrunner’ took the second game 11-6 before blowing Adel away 11-1
in the third.
Although Adel came back hard in the fourth, she was unable to
consistently trouble Sobhy, with the American’s ability to recover the
ball helping deliver an 11-8 win to end the match.
“I haven’t thought too much about playing Amanda yet. I’m taking it as
any other match and hoping that I’m not going to be as anxious playing a
higher seed which will be good. I’m looking forward to it. We haven’t
played each other for a very long time, so I guess [the sibling rivalry]
flip flops, as does everything else!” Sobhy said afterwards.
She added: “It’s difficult with an earlier start time, and coming from
the States I have to get accustomed to jet lag. I knew if I kept moving
and didn’t take a break it would boost my energy levels and my awareness
on court.
“The biggest positive is just getting through. The first match of the
tournament is always a little nerve-wracking and you’re a bit anxious
out there. To get through and to get some time on the glass court is a
positive, for sure.”
In the day’s final match, Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam overcame
Egypt’s World No.47 Sana Ibrahim in a thrilling encounter and the only
match of the day to go to five games.
World No.23 Subramaniam looked in deep trouble when she lost the opening
game 11-2, before finding parity with a nerve-shredding 15-13 win.
Ibrahim appeared to have reclaimed the momentum when she regained the
lead with an 11-8 win in the third, only for the Malaysian to decisively
strike back with 11-1 and 11-7 wins.
“I don’t think it was my best squash today. All I was thinking was that
I had to push through, there are days when you’re basically going to
play badly, and I think that was the case today; I'm glad I managed to
push through," Subramaniam said afterwards.
Elsewhere, Danielle Letourneau overcame Nicole Bunyan in a Canadian
derby, while Egypt’s Hana Ramadan recorded the day’s quickest match,
needing just 18 minutes to beat Latvia’s Ineta Mackevica.
For the home crowd, there will be 13 Egyptians to cheer for tomorrow,
with today’s six winners being joined in the second round by their
compatriots who received a first-round bye, including World No.1 Nour El
Sherbini World No.2 Nouran Gohar.
Glass court action from round two of the CIB Black Ball Open will be
shown live tomorrow (March 13) on
SQUASHTV.
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
Twitter,
Facebook
and
Instagram
|
El Sherbini and Gohar To Lead CIB Black Ball Open Draw
After sweeping all eight major titles in 2021, World No.1 Nour El
Sherbini and World No.2 Nouran Gohar will again be the top two seeds for
the upcoming CIB Black Ball Open, which will take place from March 12-17
at the Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo.
48 of the world’s leading female players will battle it out in Cairo,
with the world’s top two women expected to meet in the PSA World Tour
Platinum final. World No.1 El Sherbini will face either Finland’s Emilia
Soini or Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in the second round, before potential
clashes against Egypt’s Nadine Shahin, and either England’s Georgina
Kennedy or Egypt’s Salma Hany in the quarter finals.
The World No.1 was the victor on both of the PSA World Tour’s visits to
Cairo in 2021, defeating US No.1 Amanda Sobhy in the final of the
Platinum level event in March, before then beating compatriot Hania El
Hammamy in December’s Gold level final, bookending her year with
success.
On the other side of the draw, Gohar starts her Black Ball campaign
against Scotland’s Lisa Aitken or Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo in the second
round, and she could go on to meet USA’s Olivia Fiechter in the last 16,
in a repeat of the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup final. Sarah-Jane Perry lies in
wait in the quarter finals before a possible duel with USA’s Amanda
Sobhy in the last four.
2020 winner Hania El Hammamy will be the No.3 seed for the tournament,
and after starting her week against either England’s Lucy Turmel or Hong
Kong’s Tze Lok Ho in the second round, she could then meet compatriot
Nour El Tayeb in the last 16.
Sobhy will be the No.4 seed, and the American will begin her campaign
against either Egypt’s Yathreb Adel or younger sister Sabrina in the
last 32. India’s Joshna Chinappa and New Zealand’s Joelle King would
then lie in wait for the World No.4 as the tournament progresses.
Action from the Black Ball Sporting Club will be shown live on SQUASHTV,
while the semi-finals and finals will be shown by PSA’s broadcast
partners.
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
El Sherbini and Gohar To Lead CIB Black Ball Open Draw
After sweeping all eight major titles in 2021, World No.1 Nour El
Sherbini and World No.2 Nouran Gohar will again be the top two seeds for
the upcoming CIB Black Ball Open, which will take place from March 12-17
at the Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo.
48 of the world’s leading female players will battle it out in Cairo,
with the world’s top two women expected to meet in the PSA World Tour
Platinum final. World No.1 El Sherbini will face either Finland’s Emilia
Soini or Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in the second round, before potential
clashes against Egypt’s Nadine Shahin, and either England’s Georgina
Kennedy or Egypt’s Salma Hany in the quarter finals.
The World No.1 was the victor on both of the PSA World Tour’s visits to
Cairo in 2021, defeating US No.1 Amanda Sobhy in the final of the
Platinum level event in March, before then beating compatriot Hania El
Hammamy in December’s Gold level final, bookending her year with
success.
On the other side of the draw, Gohar starts her Black Ball campaign
against Scotland’s Lisa Aitken or Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo in the second
round, and she could go on to meet USA’s Olivia Fiechter in the last 16,
in a repeat of the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup final. Sarah-Jane Perry lies in
wait in the quarter finals before a possible duel with USA’s Amanda
Sobhy in the last four.
2020 winner Hania El Hammamy will be the No.3 seed for the tournament,
and after starting her week against either England’s Lucy Turmel or Hong
Kong’s Tze Lok Ho in the second round, she could then meet compatriot
Nour El Tayeb in the last 16.
Sobhy will be the No.4 seed, and the American will begin her campaign
against either Egypt’s Yathreb Adel or younger sister Sabrina in the
last 32. India’s Joshna Chinappa and New Zealand’s Joelle King would
then lie in wait for the World No.4 as the tournament progresses.
Action from the Black Ball Sporting Club will be shown live on
SQUASHTV,
while the semi-finals and finals will be shown by PSA’s
broadcast
partners.
To buy tickets and for more information, visit the tournament website or
follow the CIB Black Ball Open on
Twitter,
Facebook
and
Instagram
|
|
