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CIB Egyptian Open 2022
Men's Draw
19- 25 Sep
Cairo, Egypt, $300k |
ROUND TWO
19 SEP |
ROUND THREE
20
-21 SEP |
QUARTERS
22 -23 SEP |
SEMIS
24 SEP |
FINAL
25 SEP |
[1] Ali Farag (EGY)
11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (36m)
Mazen Gamal (EGY) |
Ali Farag
11-4, 11-4, 11-7 (31m)
Raphael Kandra
|
Ali Farag
11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (80m)
Tarek Momen
|
Ali Farag
7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-8 (77m)
Mostafa Asal |
Ali Farag
11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7 (66m)
Paul Coll |
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER)
8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4 (63m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) |
[9/16] Grégoire Marche (FRA)
11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 5-11, 11-3 (58m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) |
Grégoire Marche
15-13, 11-5, 12-10 (52m)
Tarek Momen |
[6] Tarek Momen (EGY)
12-14, 11-4, 11-3, 14-12 (53m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) |
[7] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3 (45m)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) |
Mazen Hesham
11-9, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8 (43m)
Abdulla Al-Tamimi |
Mazen Hesham
11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (80m)
Mostafa Asal |
Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT)
11-6, 11-8, 11-13, 7-11, 11-9 (69m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) |
Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY)
9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2 (29m)
[9/16] Nicolas Müller (SUI) |
Mohamed Elsherbini
11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (37m)
Mostafa Asal
|
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (38m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) |
[4] Diego Elias (PER)
11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2 (45m)
Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) |
Diego Elias
11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (34m)
Declan James |
Diego Elias
8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 (64m)
Marwan Elshorbagy
|
Diego Elias
11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 (81m)
Paul Coll
|
Declan James (ENG)
11-7, 11-4, 11-1 (36m)
Todd Harrity (USA) |
[9/16] Victor Crouin (FRA)
8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 (55m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) |
Victor Crouin
6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (50m)
Marwan Elshorbagy
|
[8] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (56m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) |
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG)
11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (22m)
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) |
Mohamed Elshorbagy
11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 4-11, 11-9 (75m)
Fares Dessouky
|
Fares Dessouky
11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7 (83m)
Paul Coll |
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
12-14, 11-3, 12-10, 4-11, 11-3 (74m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) |
Greg Lobban (SCO)
11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9 (105m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) |
Greg Lobban
11-3, 11-8, 11-6 (36m)
Paul Coll |
Borja Golan (ESP)
11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (42m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) |
Results – Men’s First Round: CIB Egyptian Open 2022
Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-13, 11-5,
13-11 (65m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 3-2: 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-9
(70m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [WC] Karim El Torkey (EGY) 3-1: 11-3, 10-12,
11-6, 11-7 (50m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Zahed Salem (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 13-11, 9-11,
11-3, 11-9 (77m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 3-2: 5-11, 11-9, 11-9,
11-13, 12-10 (67m)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5,
11-5 (43m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8
(54m)
Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5,
11-1 (23m)
Declan James (ENG) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-2, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9
(68m)
Todd Harrity (USA) bt Rui Soares (POR) 3-2: 11-3, 11-9, 4-11, 10-12,
12-10 (55m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-1,
11-7 (45m)
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (40m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt [WC] Salman Khalil (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-6
(31m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (24m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Henry Leung (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 12-10
(42m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (47m) |
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CIB Egyptian Open 2022
Women's Draw
19 - 25 SEP
Cairo, Egypt, $270k |
ROUND TWO
19 SEP |
ROUND THREE
20
-21 SEP |
QUARTERS
22 -23 SEP |
SEMIS
24 SEP |
FINAL
25 SEP |
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) |
Nouran Gohar
11-4, 11-5, 11-8 (36m)
Tinne Gilis
|
Nouran Gohar
11-6, 11-3, 11-2 (33m)
Hollie Naughton
|
Nouran Gohar
11-2, 7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 (64m)
Amanda Sobhy
|
Nouran Gohar
1-7, 11-13, 11-3, 11-4 (81m)
Hania El Hammamy
|
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
13-15, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (46m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) |
Hollie Naughton (CAN)
11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3 (38m)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) |
Hollie Naughton
11-7, 7-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-5 (54m)
Mélissa Alves |
Mélissa Alves (FRA)
13-15, 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (40m)
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) |
Rachel Arnold (MAS)
12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2 (51m)
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) |
Rachel Arnold
8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (41m)
Tesni Evans
|
Tesni Evans
11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (39m)
Amanda Sobhy |
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)
14-12, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 (50m)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) |
[9/16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
11-7, 11-3, 11-4 (24m)
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) |
Nour El Tayeb
11-7, 12-14, 11-9, 11-6 (56m)
Amanda Sobhy |
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (22m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) |
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (27m)
Tomato Ho (HKG) |
Hania El Hammamy
5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (63m)
Nele Gilis |
Hania El Hammamy
11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4 (53m)
Olivia Fiechter
|
Hania El Hammamy
12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (72m)
Nour El Sherbini |
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL)
11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4 (48m)
[9/16] Farida Mohamed (EGY) |
[9/16] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (43m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) |
Olivia Fiechter
11-7, 11-4, 8-11, 14-12 (50m)
Joelle King
|
[5] Joelle King (NZL)
11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (31m)
[9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL) |
[6] Sarah-Jane PerrySarah-Jane Perry
(ENG)
11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (23m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) |
Sarah-Jane Perry
11-4, 16-18, 12-14, 13-11, 11-8 (71m)
Olivia Clyne |
Sarah-Jane Perry
13-11, 11-3, 11-4 (30m)
Nour El Sherbini
|
Olivia Clyne (USA)
5-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8 (38m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) |
Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (72m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) |
Jasmine Hutton
11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (25m)
Nour El Sherbini |
[9/16] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-9, 11-2, 11-1 (28m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) |
Results – Women’s First Round: CIB
Egyptian Open 2022
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-2: 11-6, 11-5, 5-11,
7-11, 11-9 (50m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-5
(23m)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-1: 13-11, 15-17, 11-5, 11-6
(45m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-1: 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-2
(37m)
Melissa Alves (FRA) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (27m)
Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt [WC] Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-1: 18-16, 10-12, 11-3,
12-10 (44m)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-1: 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-1
(27m)
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt [WC] Amina Orfi (EGY) 3-2: 11-8, 6-11, 2-11,
12-10, 11-6 (62m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (25m)
Tomato Ho (HKG) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (49m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 14-12, 14-16,
11-9 (62m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Jana Shiha (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 12-14, 11-5, 11-3
(33m)
Olivia Clyne (USA) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-7 (22m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Anna Serme (CZE) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 (20m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-1: 12-10, 11-6, 12-14, 11-7 (43m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (28m) |
Egyptian Pair Farag And El Hammamy Clinch CIB
Egyptian Open Titles
Egyptian duo Ali Farag and Hania El Hammamy scooped the CIB Egyptian
Open titles at the Great Pyramid of Giza after they defeated Paul
Coll and Nouran Gohar, respectively.
World No.1 Farag won his third Egyptian Open title as he beat World
No.2 Coll 3-1 in a 66-minute battle.
Farag, whose place at the top of the World rankings was under threat
from Coll going into tonight’s showdown, comfortably took the
opening game 11-6, with the Egyptian playing the court conditions
better as Coll struggled to find a firm footing on a sandy court.
Coll looked more assured in the second game as he moved to 10-6,
with the 30-year-old lifting well in a tactical shift. Farag saved
two game balls, but couldn’t force a tie-break, with an error from
the World No.1 allowing Coll to draw level with an 11-8 win.
The New Zealander’s tactical discipline slipped in the third game
and Farag took full advantage in rapid rallies, easing back into the
lead with an 11-4 victory, to the delight of the home crowd.
In a more even fourth game, Coll was initially able to coax longer
rallies out of Farag, before the World Champion accelerated away
once again to seal his third title in front of the Great Pyramid of
Giza with an 11-7 win.
“It’s still unbelievable every time I come and play in front of the
Pyramids,” said Farag afterwards.
“You think you take it for granted, but then every time you come
here there’s a loss of breath and you can’t really believe that
you’ve watched all the greats of Egypt and globally who have played
on such a stage. I only dreamed of being here.
“For myself, I’m really proud of this week because I wasn’t in a
good place this past couple of weeks. Just one loss can take your
confidence down and it’s thanks to the people behind me, especially
my mum, my parents, the belief they have in me, day in and day out,
makes me believe in myself.
“To them, I’m forever grateful. My brother and Karim Darwish, who’s
always on the court and the phone with me. My wife [Nour El Tayeb],
she sees the worst of me and believe me, the worst of me is not easy
to deal with! I’m very grateful for her.”
Runner-up Coll said afterwards on court: “He’s (Ali Farag) been
World No.1 for so long. It takes a complete performance to beat
someone of his calibre. Tonight, I don’t think I played well enough
for a long enough period of time to get the win.
“Credit to Ali, he’s very hard to beat here in Egypt and he turned
up again and played a great final. I just don’t think I was
consistent enough in my gameplan and accuracy and it let me down a
bit.”
In an all-Egyptian women’s final, El Hammamy put in a dominant
performance to beat her fierce rival Gohar 3-1.
Going into the match, World No.1 and defending champion Gohar
enjoyed a 9-3 head-to-head record against World No.3 El Hammamy –
who will rise to World No.2 in tomorrow’s rankings – and won the
last match, a fiery encounter at the World Tour Finals, 2-0.
El Hammamy, though, has inflicted plenty of hurt on Gohar in recent
times, beating the World No.1 in the finals of the Platinum level
Allam British Open and the El Gouna International last season.
In the opening game, Gohar made a confident start as she took a 5-1
lead. At 6-3 up, though, her scoring momentum was halted by an
injury break after the World No.1 was accidentally caught below the
eye by El Hammamy.
After having the cut glued shut, Gohar saw her lead evaporate, with
El Hammamy scoring eight unanswered points to move from 3-7 to 11-7.
Gohar, whose usual brutal pace had slowed down after the injury
break, looked to strike the ball earlier in the second and was
rewarded with a 13-11 win, with ‘the Terminator’ converting her
third game ball.
El Hammamy came out flying in the third game as she shot back into
the lead with an 11-3 win, with Gohar looking flat on court and
dejected as she exited.
The younger Egyptian’s brutal dominance continued in the fourth
game, with the 22-year-old covering the court brilliantly as she
opened up a 10-3 lead to have seven championship balls.
Gohar saved one, but was unable to mount a shock comeback, as El
Hammamy lifted her first CIB Egyptian Open title with an 11-4 win in
the fourth.
Afterwards, she said: “I wanted to start the first game really well.
I wanted to have a sharp start and a strong one, but unfortunately I
wasn’t able to do it. Definitely, coming back from very far away
against Nouran gives you a huge confidence [boost]. After winning
the first, especially with a bouncy ball like this one with Nouran
gives you big confidence.”
On her goal to be World No.1, she said: “This was definitely really
important. I knew that after my last match yesterday I was going to
be World No.2, but I didn’t want to stop there. I didn’t want to be
satisfied with this. I wanted to come here today and win the match
and prove it’s not where I belong, to be World No.2, it’s even
bigger than this and I’m really glad I managed to prove it to myself
today.”
Afterwards, Gohar said: “I just want to say I’m really proud of
everything I’ve done, not only as a player but as a person as well.
Reaching the final three times in a row isn’t easy at all.
Obviously, sometimes I’m being harsh on myself as I want to win
everything.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go your way and I’m happy with the way I’m
improving. Just one word I want to say: these small setbacks just
make me come back even stronger than ever and I can’t wait to be
back on court.”
For today’s four finalists, attention turns to the Platinum-level
U.S Open, which takes place at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in
Philadelphia, USA, October 8-15.
Meanwhile, the next event on the PSA World Tour is the Silver-level
Oracle Netsuite Open, which will be played across four venues in San
Francisco, USA, September 30 – October 4.
Egyptian Pair Farag And El Hammamy Clinch CIB Egyptian Open Titles
Hania El Hammamy
Egyptian duo Ali Farag and Hania El Hammamy scooped the CIB Egyptian
Open titles at the Great Pyramid of Giza after they defeated Paul
Coll and Nouran Gohar, respectively.
World No.1 Farag won his third Egyptian Open title as he beat World
No.2 Coll 3-1 in a 66-minute battle.
Farag, whose place at the top of the World rankings was under threat
from Coll going into tonight’s showdown, comfortably took the
opening game 11-6, with the Egyptian playing the court conditions
better as Coll struggled to find a firm footing on a sandy court.
Coll looked more assured in the second game as he moved to 10-6,
with the 30-year-old lifting well in a tactical shift. Farag saved
two game balls, but couldn’t force a tie-break, with an error from
the World No.1 allowing Coll to draw level with an 11-8 win.
The New Zealander’s tactical discipline slipped in the third game
and Farag took full advantage in rapid rallies, easing back into the
lead with an 11-4 victory, to the delight of the home crowd.
In a more even fourth game, Coll was initially able to coax longer
rallies out of Farag, before the World Champion accelerated away
once again to seal his third title in front of the Great Pyramid of
Giza with an 11-7 win.
“It’s still unbelievable every time I come and play in front of the
Pyramids,” said Farag afterwards.
“You think you take it for granted, but then every time you come
here there’s a loss of breath and you can’t really believe that
you’ve watched all the greats of Egypt and globally who have played
on such a stage. I only dreamed of being here.
“For myself, I’m really proud of this week because I wasn’t in a
good place this past couple of weeks. Just one loss can take your
confidence down and it’s thanks to the people behind me, especially
my mum, my parents, the belief they have in me, day in and day out,
makes me believe in myself.
“To them, I’m forever grateful. My brother and Karim Darwish, who’s
always on the court and the phone with me. My wife [Nour El Tayeb],
she sees the worst of me and believe me, the worst of me is not easy
to deal with! I’m very grateful for her.”
Runner-up Coll said afterwards on court: “He’s (Ali Farag) been
World No.1 for so long. It takes a complete performance to beat
someone of his calibre. Tonight, I don’t think I played well enough
for a long enough period of time to get the win.
“Credit to Ali, he’s very hard to beat here in Egypt and he turned
up again and played a great final. I just don’t think I was
consistent enough in my gameplan and accuracy and it let me down a
bit.”
|
Farag And Coll To Meet In World No.1 Shootout In
Egyptian Open Final
Ali Farag
World No.1 Ali Farag and World No.2 Paul Coll will battle it out to
be at the World Rankings’ summit and for the CIB Egyptian Open crown
when they meet in the final tomorrow.
Defending champion Farag overcame his Egyptian compatriot Mostafa
Asal, while former World No.1 Coll defeated Peru’s Diego Elias.
Top seed Farag produced a tactical masterclass to defeat the No.3
seed Asal in a match that was disrupted towards the end by a number
of stoppages.
Asal took the first game 11-7, but Farag claimed the second to make
it 1-1 with a 12-10 win despite Asal dragging himself level at 10-10
from 10-6 down.
The defending champion looked dominant in the third as his astute
tactical play was rewarded with an 11-6 win.
The frustrations of Asal boiled over on a number of occasions in a
bizarre fourth game, with a number of strokes awarded against him
for both his movement and conduct. In a fractured contest, that
stood in stark contrast to the entertainment of the opening two
games, Farag booked his place in another final with an 11-8 win.
“My mum is the secret behind today’s win. It’s amazing, no matter
how well you’re playing or how much you’ve trained or how much
you’ve achieved, it’s amazing how one loss can affect your
confidence,” said Farag.
“My mum texted me today – a mother is probably the biggest figure in
anyone’s career or life and when your mum sends you a message saying
she believes in you, not just because she’s your mum but because she
knows your character, it builds a lot of confidence in you and I’m
so grateful to her. All I am is because of her and my father and I’m
really grateful.”
Paul Coll
World No.2 Coll, who will be aiming to reclaim top spot in the World
Rankings, edged his way past Elias 3-2 in a see-saw match.
Coll eased into the lead with an 11-4 win, but Elias responded in
the second game as he played more positively, hunting volleys as his
11-7 victory restored parity.
No.2 seed Coll took advantage of a number of Elias errors in the
third to reclaim the lead with a comfortable 11-6 win only for the
Peruvian to come back once again in the fourth to take an 11-5 win
to force a decider.
Elias opened up a 5-2 lead in the fourth, but Coll fought back with
an impressive run of points to go 7-5 up as Elias appeared to tire,
with more mistakes proving costly for the Peruvian as Coll went on
to seal the match.
“[A final] is almost a new tournament. It doesn’t matter what’s
happened before, it’s a final and everyone’s going to be ready for
it,” Coll said.
“I don’t think it matters how hard your matches have been, it’s a
final and you have that extra push in you just to keep pushing to
try and win the title.
“It’s one more match, one more day. Ali and I have had a lot of
finals. I think tomorrow’s going to be another good battle. He’s a
very fair player and it’s another enjoyable battle and that’s what
we play squash for, those clean enjoyable battles.”
Hania El Hammamy
In the women’s draw, Hania El Hammamy will rise to World No.2 in the
rankings after she produced a sublime performance to down current
No.2 Nour El Sherbini and reach her first Egyptian Open final.
El Sherbini took the lead, with the ‘Warrior Princess’ converting
her third game ball with a service ace to go 1-0 up with a 14-12
win, but El Hammamy charged back from 5-1 down to take game two
11-7.
In a thrilling third game, El Hammamy moved into the lead,
recovering from 7-4 down to 11-9.
The World No.3 opened up a 4-1 lead in the fourth game, before El
Sherbini narrowed the gap. However, El Hammamy was able to close out
a huge win as she capitalised on a pair of El Sherbini errors to
clinch an enthralling contest and rise to a career-best ranking.
“It was definitely a very tough match and I’m very happy to reach
the final in my first major tournament of the season,” El Hammamy
said.
“I had an idea that I’d be reaching World No.2 possibly if I won
this match, every time I felt I was approaching winning that match I
was trying to focus on the point and the rally because my focus
isn’t World No.2, it’s World No.1.”
Nouran Gohar
El Hammamy meets defending champion Nouran Gohar in the final, and
the World No.1 came from behind against No.4 seed Amanda Sobhy in a
five-game thriller to collect her 250th tour win.
Gohar went on an incredible 11-point scoring blitz as she scythed
Sobhy down 11-2 in just seven minutes in game one, but Sobhy hit
back brilliantly in the second game as she clinched it 11-7.
The American continued to look strong in the third, moving Gohar
around the court excellently as she took the lead with another 11-7
win.
Gohar requested a new ball for the fourth game, which seemed to
prove effective as the Egyptian forced a fifth game as she pulled
away from 5-5 to 11-6.
In a pulsating and free-flowing decider, Gohar reminded viewers why
she spent the last six months as the World No.1, with the
24-year-old digging in to edge the match with an 11-8 victory.
“I was playing really well which actually scared me a bit, because
when it goes too well it doesn’t go all the way like this,” said the
World No.1.
“I’m proud of the way I dealt with it and if I wasn’t in Egypt, I
don’t think I’d have been able to get back and play, so thank you to
the crowd for cheering for me and giving me a big push.”
The finals of the CIB Egyptian Open 2022 will be played on Sunday 25
September at the Pyramids of Giza. Both matches will be available to
watch live on
SQUASHTV and on the channels
of the PSA’s broadcast partners.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events
at the
PSA World Tour website
on
Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.
|
World No.2 Coll Battles Back To Secure Semi-Final
Spot
Paul Coll
New Zealand’s World No.2 Paul Coll recovered from 2-1 down to beat
Egypt’s Fares Dessouky in an entertaining affair to reach the
semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Open.
After an even opening period, Dessouky’s concentration seemed to
slip and Coll moved into a one game lead with an 11-6 win, but the
Egyptian looked back to his best in the second as he levelled with
an 11-8 victory.
Both players made more errors than they’d have liked in the third,
with Dessouky better able to find his mark as he moved to 10-8. Coll
saved one game ball, before a controversial stroke decision for
Dessouky put the Egyptian 2-1 up.
The Kiwi forced a fifth game thanks to an 11-5 win in the fourth
and, in a thrilling decider, it was the tireless Coll who managed
the game better after converting his first match ball at 10-7 to
reach the semi-finals.
Afterwards, Coll said: “I thought I actually played well in the
third. It was at a crucial time, at 4-2, I made four mistakes from
good positions and against someone like Fares who can hit so many
winners, it’s just suicide.
“Those mistakes were just shocking. It was unforgivable. You can’t
do that.
“I was still trusting my shots and putting them in when I worked an
opening, but it was good. I was happy with that performance. Even
when 2-1 down I believed in myself really well.”
Diego Elias
Coll’s semi-final opponent Diego Elias also fought back to earn a
place in the last four, as he beat Egypt’s No.8 seed Marwan
ElShorbagy 3-2.
In a helter-skelter first game, Elias raced into a 6-0 lead, however
it was ElShorbagy who took the opener 11-8 after an excellent
fightback.
The World No.9 looked strong at the beginning of the second game
before Elias launched a furious comeback of his own to take nine
unanswered points from 4-2 down to level the match.
ElShorbagy took the third game 11-7 against a passive Elias, but the
Peruvian Puma stepped up in the fourth as he clinched an 11-5 win to
take the match into a fifth game.
In the final game, as Elias began to open up a lead, errors started
to flow from ElShorbagy’s racket, and Elias was able to see things
out with a second 11-5 victory.
“I have the head-to-head record, but he always plays a good match
with me and it’s always close,” said Elias on court post-match.
“I’m just happy to win this one. Marwan’s a very good friend and I
think today, in one game one of us was playing well and in another
the other was. I’m just happy with the win.”
Nour El Sherbini
In the women’s draw, World No.2 and last year’s runner up Nour El
Sherbini eased into the semi-finals after overcoming England’s
Sarah-Jane Perry 3-0.
El Sherbini, who enjoyed a 13-4 head-to-head record against Perry
ahead of the match, was made to work hard by the Englishwoman in the
first game, with both players adjusting to the court conditions.
Perry held a slim lead at 9-8, but El Sherbini was then able to find
a more consistent length as she came back to take the first game
13-11.
That opening game seemed crucial, with El Sherbini looking far more
at ease in the second. ‘The Warrior Princess’ quickly took the
second game 11-3 and then brought the match to an end in 30 minutes
with an 11-4 win in the third game.
“It’s hard to adapt to different types of courts. This one was
totally different to the [SODIC Club S one]. We didn’t have a lot of
time on this one so in the first game both of us were trying to
adapt our game,” El Sherbini said.
“I’m very glad I won the first game, it was a crucial one. I’m happy
to win the first game and I was happy to play better in the next two
games.”
Hania El Hammamy
Elsewhere, Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy came through a fierce test with
Olivia Fiechter to progress to the semi-finals.
In the pair’s first meeting on tour, El Hammamy made an assured
start as she took the first game 11-5, but Fiechter responded well
in the second to level with an 11-9 win.
The Egyptian came back in an entertaining third game battle, with El
Hammamy able to better control the middle against the attack-minded
Fiechter as she regained her lead with an 11-7 triumph.
Fiechter continued to probe El Hammamy’s defences in the fourth
game, but the World No.3 was able to push on to reach a semi-final
showdown with El Sherbini.
“You can’t compare an exhibition match [which the pair played in the
summer] with an official PSA match,” said El Hammamy.
“It’s a major tournament and I knew she’d be giving her all to reach
the semi-final, so I had to be very focused. I knew she’s been
playing really well so I had to watch her and actually get a good
gameplan and I’m happy I could do that.”
The semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Open 2022 will be played on
Saturday 24 September at the Pyramids of Giza. All four matches will
be available to watch live on
SQUASHTV and on the channels
of the PSA’s broadcast partners.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events
at the
PSA World Tour website
on
Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.
|
Defending Champion Farag Fights Back To Earn
Semi-Final Berth
Ali Farag
Defending CIB Egyptian Open champion Ali Farag was made to work
for his semi-final place as he came from behind to defeat his
compatriot Tarek Momen 3-1 at the Pyramids of Giza.
World No.1 Farag went into the clash on the back of a six-match
winning run against Momen, though it was the World No.6 who started
brighter, playing a virtually error-free game to take the opener
11-6.
Momen continued to look impressive for much of the second game as he
went 10-8 up. Farag, however, saved two game balls, cutting out the
errors to hit four successive points and take the second game 12-10,
before moving into the lead with an 11-6 win in the third.
Both players looked fatigued in the fourth game, with the lively
court and warm weather taking its toll on the pair. But Farag was
able to push through, ending the match with a hard-fought 11-7 win.
Farag said afterwards: “It’s one of those days you really want to
play in Egypt and one of those days you really want to be having
coaching back.
“You don’t always feel your best going on court and Tarek definitely
played the first game better and I just needed the extra
encouragement as I couldn’t find my rhythm and targets. It’s great
to have Karim [Darwish] with me.
“He has confidence in me and tells me ‘Ok, if game A’s not working
today then it’s just going to be mental and physical. Just get
there.
“For some strange reason, I guess because the front wall is so fast,
Tarek and I both got tired more easily than we’d normally do. I
think it’s because of the court conditions and bouncy court.”
Mostafa Asal
Farag will meet No.3 seed Mostafa Asal in the semi-final, who
overcame Egyptian compatriot Mazen Hesham 3-1.
Asal took the lead after a 24-minute first game, though the
21-year-old would have been concerned to see his 7-3 lead slip to
9-9 before his eventual 11-9 win.
In a brilliant second game that featured entertaining rallies and
thrilling winners from both players, Hesham pulled level with an
11-9 win of his own, only for Asal to regain his lead with an 11-7
victory in the third.
In the fourth game, which was delayed by a jaw injury to Hesham and
issues with the court lines, Asal eventually saw out the match in
relative comfort with an 11-5 win.
Afterwards, he said: “That was really tough actually.
“I’m happy to be through. This was my first hit on court and it was
tricky. I didn’t go on court today to practice in the morning and
that was really difficult.
“I’m happy to get through and deal with all of the situations
today.”
Nouran Gohar
In the women’s draw, defending women’s champion and World No.1
Nouran Gohar safely moved into the semi-finals by beating Canada’s
Hollie Naughton 3-0.
Naughton, playing in her first Platinum-level quarter-final, didn’t
look overawed by the occasion as she edged into a 5-3 lead in the
first game.
Gohar, however, then began to find her groove, looking suddenly
dominant as she won seven points in a row on the way to an 11-6 win,
before easing into a 2-0 lead with an 11-3 win.
Gohar continued to look composed as the confidence drained from
Naughton in the third game, with the 24-year-old wrapping up a
33-minute win with an 11-2 victory.
“Playing a tournament and winning it can be a good and bad thing as
it can make you more relaxed,” she said afterwards.
“Houston was my first tournament of the season and I was using it as
preparation for this one and obviously this is bigger.
“I enjoy playing in Egypt in general, especially here. I just wanted
to come here in form and try to play my best.”
Amanda Sobhy
Gohar’s semi-final opponent Amanda Sobhy also recorded a comfortable
3-0 win, defeating Wales’ Tesni Evans.
Sobhy, who yesterday played a thrilling encounter against Nour El
Tayeb, looked both sharp and relaxed throughout today in an
entertaining match, taking the first game 11-7 before extending her
lead with an 11-5 win in the second.
In a stop-start third game that saw both players utilising the
newly introduced review rule, Sobhy
was able to keep her nose ahead to go through with an 11-8 win.
“It was a total contrast from yesterday on the normal courts, where
[Sobhy and El Tayeb] were on at noon and we both play fast-paced
attacking squash and here I feel like Tesni was trying to lull me
into sleep a little bit, she slowed the pace down a tonne,” said
Sobhy.
“It’s totally different circumstances and you’ve got to take the
quarter-finals on as different tournament.
“As much as I’m happy about my win and performance yesterday, it’s
done and I’ve got to move on and prepare for the next one as Tesni
is a tough competitor and she’s going to bring it, so I needed to do
the same and I’m just happy to finally get a rest tomorrow!”
The bottom half of the quarter-final draw of the CIB Egyptian Open
2022 will be played on Friday 23 September at the Pyramids of Giza.
All four matches will be available to watch live on
|
Dessouky And Fiechter Deliver Knockout Blows To Seeds
Fares Dessouky
Fares Dessouky delivered one of the biggest shocks of round three as
he came out on top in a pulsating five-game thriller against No.5
seed Mohamed ElShorbagy to advance to the quarter-finals of the CIB
Egyptian Open.
The unseeded Egyptian, who’s No.11 in the world rankings, produced
an impressive display throughout in a fiery affair between the pair
to overcome the World No.4.
It was a strong start from Dessouky as he went 2-0 up, winning the
first two games 11-6 and 11-8.
But ElShorbagy, who was runner-up in last year’s tournament, stormed
back with two excellent games to restore parity and force a fifth
game decider.
However it was Dessouky who kept his cool in the fifth to defeat
ElShorbagy and reach his first quarter-final at the Egyptian Open
since 2019 where he will face World No.2 Paul Coll at the Great
Pyramids of Giza.
“It was a very tough match. I was up 2-0 and there was a lack of
concentration, a lot of talks to the referee, and then he
(ElShorbagy) played some amazing squash and came back to 2-2, but
I’m happy to get that win,” Dessouky said.
“I thought I was going to lose (going into the fifth game), but I
told myself that I need to play my best squash and both of us were
really tired at the end. I had to push really hard at the end and it
worked. I’m glad it worked.
“It was a bit of a challenge for me today because he’s in form, he
won the last (Platinum) tournament so I had to tell myself that I
can win big matches in big tournaments so it’s a good thing. I’m
happy to be in the quarter-finals and I’m looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed’s brother Marwan ElShorbagy avenged his defeat in
last week’s French Open final by coming from a game down to beat
French No.1 Victor Crouin.
Olivia Fiechter
There was another big upset in the women’s draw as World No.11
Olivia Fiechter downed No.5 seed Joelle King to reach the Egyptian
Open quarter-finals for the first time, where she will play World
No.3 Hania El Hammamy.
Fiechter, who lost 3-0 to King in round three of the El Gouna
International in May this year, made the perfect start to the match
as she took a commanding 2-0 lead after 11-7, 11-4 wins.
The US No.2 made a good start to the third game as she sensed an
upset, with the 27-year-old going 5-3 up.
King, however, is famed for her powers of recovery and pulled a game
back with an 11-8 win.
In a nerve-wracking fourth game, both players threw everything at
each other. Fiechter had a match ball at 10-9, but couldn’t convert
as King forced a tie-break with a perfect drop.
King then had game balls at 11-10 and 12-11, but saw both saved by a
determined Fiechter, who then moved 13-12 ahead before finally
bringing an epic contest to an end with a tight backhand to win
14-12.
“Oh my God, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. Joelle is someone I have
so much respect for and someone I’ve looked up to throughout juniors
and in my career. It was just so neck-and-neck,” said Fiechter.
“Every rally felt like a marathon. There was a lot of emotion in
that match and a lot of ups and downs. It wasn’t as consistent as
I’d have liked it to be, but that’s what happens when there’s a lot
on the line. I was trying not to think about making it into my first
quarters or getting the opportunity to play in front of the
Pyramids.
“I was just trying to focus on my squash and I had to fight for
every rally. I’m so happy that I just dug in there and kept
retrieving balls and believing in myself. I can’t believe it!”
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Hollie Naughton continued her
excellent streak in the tournament after coming from behind to
defeat France’s Melissa Alves to earn her first-ever Platinum-level
quarter-final.
The top two seeds in the men’s draw, Ali Farag and Paul Coll, and
the women’s draw, Nouran Gohar and Nour El Sherbini, picked up where
they left off yesterday by advancing to the next round with straight
set victories.
The first half of the quarter-finals of the CIB Egyptian Open starts
on Thursday 22 September at 18:15 (GMT+2), and will be played at the
Great Pyramids of Giza. All the matches will be available to watch
live on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events
at the
PSA World Tour website
on
Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.
|
Arnold
Stuns World No.7 Elaraby In Round Two Shock
Rachel Arnold
Rachel Arnold produced the biggest upset of day two of the CIB
Egyptian Open as she dumped World No.7 Rowan Elaraby out to reach
the third round.
Arnold, who’s No.26 in the world rankings, defeated the Egyptian in
five games to progress to the next stage of the tournament.
The 26-year-old, who defeated young Egyptian wildcard Nour Heikal in
the first round, took the first game 12-10.
Elaraby, the tournament’s No.7 seed, made it level when she won the
second game 11-8, but Arnold came roaring back in the third to
reclaim her lead with an 11-9 victory.
It was the third time the pair had met on the PSA World Tour, and
Elaraby fought back again to make it 2-2 heading into the fifth
decisive game.
But it proved to be a comfortable triumph for Arnold, brushing aside
Elaraby 11-2 to confirm her place in the next round.
“It feels great! Rowan is a top ten player too, but it felt a bit
more comfortable today and I went all in for the win,” Arnold said
afterwards.
“It’s a big event, so getting past round two makes me really happy
so I’m glad to be moving into round three tomorrow.
“It was quite comfortable, but I had to really fight in the first
three games. I’m happy with my performance. I have nothing to lose
so I will give my best and hopefully I can play well again
tomorrow.”
There was another rankings upset in the women’s draw as Melissa
Alves came from behind to knock out English No.8 seed Georgina
Kennedy.
Germany No.1 Raphael Kandra
Meanwhile in the men’s draw, Germany No.1 Raphael Kandra fought back
to edge his way past former World No.3 Omar Mosaad to advance to
round three.
An entertaining match-up went the distance and, despite Mosaad
taking a 1-0 lead after winning game one 11-8, Kandra clinched the
second and third games to go 2-1 up.
But Mosaad forced a decisive fifth game when he claimed the fourth
11-7, but it was Kandra, in his first appearance of the tournament,
who prevailed in the fifth 11-4.
The 31-year-old will meet World No.1 Ali Farag in the next round.
“It was a tough encounter against Mosaad. I found it hard to know
which game plan I should go with because he’s so tall and strong at
the T line,” said Kandra.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it didn’t, but overall I’m glad I got
through and now I’m getting ready to go on the glass court tomorrow.
This was a good fight for me, overall there was a lot of ups and
downs.
“In the fifth I stuck to my game plan a bit more. It could have been
easier but a win’s a win and that’s important for me.”
Elsewhere, in one of the most dramatic matches of the day, Abdulla
Mohd Al Tamimi survived a fightback from Switzerland’s Dimitri
Steinmann to move into the next round.
In the evening session on the glass court, the top two seeds in the
men’s and women’s draws booked their places with ease.
Round three of the CIB Egyptian Open gets underway from 12:00
(GMT+2) on Wednesday 21 September at the SODIC Club S, Giza. You can
watch it all live over on
|
Sobhy Avoids Upset On Opening Day Of CIB Egyptian
Open
In the first day of the CIB Egyptian Open 2022, World No.21 Sabrina
Sobhy avoided a huge upset as she overcame 15-year-old wildcard
Amina Orfi.
Sobhy took the first game 11-8 but Orfi, who had the backing of a
passionate home crowd, stormed back to make it 1-1 when she clinched
the second game 11-6.
Orfi, who’s 402 places lower in the world rankings than her
opponent, produced an excellent performance in the third as she won
11-2 to edge 2-1 ahead.
The 15-year-old, who was crowned World Junior champion in the
summer, had a golden opportunity to seal her place in the second
round in the fourth game with a match point but she was unable to
profit. An error from Orfi handed Sobhy the fourth game to tie the
scores and force a decider.
But it was Sobhy’s experience over the young wildcard that helped
her prevail in the decisive fifth game, claiming it 11-6 and moving
into the next round by avoiding what would have been a big upset so
early on in the tournament.
“I wouldn’t say it was one of my best (performances). With any
wildcard, the difficulty is not ever having seen them on Tour and
knowing their game plan and a clear strategy against the opponent,”
Sobhy reflected.
“I was a little bit passive and on edge throughout the match and I
was taken aback by her aggression. With her being a young Egyptian,
she might not have had any experience with professional players or
respect you should show your opponent.
“She’s a fit, young girl that’s very aggressive, attacking and has a
fast pace. She’s very eager – she’s the World Junior champion so
she’s a phenomenal young athlete so all credit to her at such a
young age at 15. It was, of course, difficult to play with the
conditions being a warm court, late at night and it was quite
difficult to find my own game plan and get stuck into my own game.”
In the men’s draw in what was one of the matches of the day, USA’s
Todd Harrity fought back from 8-1 down in the fifth game to beat
Portugal’s Rui Soares.
Harrity had looked good value for his 2-0 lead before Soares pulled
a game back with an 11-4 win in game three. The American then looked
well set to end the match in four when he came back from 5-0 down to
10-8 up, only for Soares to rally and put together a four-point run
to save the two match balls and force a fifth game.
Soares flew into the fifth game, rapidly opening up an 8-1 lead,
only for a brilliant revival from Harrity. The American reeled off
point after point as he battled back to 9-8 down. Harrity then saved
two match balls at 10-8 and 10-9 before eventually bringing things
to an end with a 12-10 win.
“That was very confusing and very up and down. I’m trying to play a
certain way, which is coming along slowly. Rui’s a strong player and
he played really well. Every time I let up a little, he took
advantage. Honestly, I don’t know what happened in the end! I feel
very lucky to come out on top there,” Harrity said.
“[At 8-1] I just thought ‘Forget about everything. Forget about
winning or losing and just try and make this game last as long as
possible. Somehow I got stuck in, he tightened up a bit and next
thing you know I won!”
Elsewhere, Mazen Gamal shocked his Egyptian compatriot Moustafa
ElSirty, and he will meet another fellow countryman, and the No.1
seed, Ali Farag in the second round.
The second day of the CIB Egyptian Open sees the seeded players
enter the fray at the SODIC Club S, Giza. The action gets underway
from 11:30 (GMT+2) and you can watch it all live over on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events
at the
PSA World Tour website
on
Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.
|
World No.1s Gohar & Farag Top CIB Egyptian Open Draws
World No.1s and reigning champions Nouran Gohar and Ali Farag will top
the draws for the CIB Egyptian Open, which will take place in one of the
most spectacular sporting backdrops of all time – the Great Pyramid of
Giza – between September 19-25.
The CIB Egyptian Open will be the first joint PSA World Tour Platinum
event of the season and $600,000 in total player compensation – a record
amount for a Platinum event – will be up for grabs.
Last season’s CIB Egyptian Open represented the first of Gohar’s seven
PSA title wins during the campaign when she overcame World Champion Nour
El Sherbini in an exciting finale. Both players are again the No.1 &
No.2 seeds for this year’s event and will look to reignite their rivalry
for the new season in front of their home fans.
Both players receive a bye in round one and will play against fellow
Egyptians in round two as Sana Ibrahim and Mariam Metwally will battle
it out for the opportunity to play Gohar. Meanwhile, El Sherbini has
been drawn against 9/16 seed and World No.9 Salma Hany in her opening
match on day two.
World No.3 Hania El Hammamy is the No.3 seed for the event and will be
looking to battle Gohar and El Sherbini for the World No.1 spot this
season. She gets her campaign under way against either France’s Enora
Villard or Tomato Ho, and if she is successful she will play either
Farida Mohamed or Nele Gilis in round three.
World No.11 Nour El Tayeb finished last season in great form, reaching
the semi-finals of her final two events at the PSA World Championships
and the El Gouna International. She’ll be looking to continue that form
into the first women’s Platinum event of the new season to kickstart her
charge towards the world’s top 10.
She plays either wildcard Amina Orfi or USA’s Sabrina Sobhy in round two
and could potentially set up a last-16 encounter with No.4 seed Amanda
Sobhy.
In the men’s event, Farag is guaranteed to get his title defence
underway against a compatriot and will face either Mazen Gamal or
Moustafa El Sirty for a place in round two. The reigning World Champion
could face Germany’s 9/16 seed Raphael Kandra in round three if both
players are successful. Kandra will take on Omar Mosaad or Faraz Khan in
his opening match after also receiving a bye.
Double Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Paul Coll is the No.2 seed for
the event as he begins his attempts to regain the World No.1 spot he
initially captured in March of this year.
He will play either France’s Baptiste Masotti or Spain’s Bernat Jaume in
his opening fixture, and if the seedings go to plan in his quarter of
the draw, there could be a rematch of the brutal semi-final match from
the PSA World Championships between Coll and Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Such is the strength of the PSA World Tour, there are some tough matches
scheduled for round two of the tournament. Welsh World No.7 Joel Makin
and Egypt’s Marwan ElShorbagy will play each other for a spot in round
three. The Egyptian holds an impressive 3-0 lead over Makin in the
head-to-head record, with ElShorbagy winning their last encounter 3-0 at
the CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open last year.
An entertaining all-Egyptian clash will also take place in round two as
two of the best shot makers in the game go head to head, with No.8 seed
Mazen Hesham taking on World No.11 Youssef Ibrahim for a place in the
last 16. The pair have only met once on the PSA World Tour, with Hesham
winning on that occasion at the Qatar QTerminals Classic in a five-game
thriller last year.
All matches from the glass court erected in front of the Pyramids will
be shown live on
SQUASHTV. Selected
first, second and third round matches will be held at the Sodic Club S.
The semi-finals and finals will also be shown live by PSA’s broadcast
partners.
|
|
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events at the
PSA World Tour website
or on Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
and
SQUASHTV. |
|
