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Grasshopper Cup 2022
Men's Draw
18 - 23 Oct
Zurich, Switzerland, $107.5k |
ROUND TWO
19-20 Oct |
QUARTERS
21 Oct |
SEMIS
22 Oct |
FINAL
23 Oct |
|
[1] Ali Farag (EGY)
11-6, 11-8 (21m)
[9/16] Nicolas Müller (SUI) |
Nicolas Müller
11-6, 11-4 (21m)
Marwan Elshorbagy |
Marwan Elshorbagy
v
Diego Elias |
Marwan Elshorbagy
13-11, 11-2, 11-5 (39m)
Mostafa Asal |
[7] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
11-6, 11-8 (35m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) |
[6] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-9, 4-11, 11-3 (56m)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) |
Joel Makin
11-7, 11-9 (39m)
Diego Elias |
[4] Diego Elias (PER)
11-2, 4-11, 11-2 (39m)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) |
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
11-7, 11-5 (34m)
[9/16] Grégoire Marche (FRA) |
Mostafa Asal
11-6, 11-3 (22m)
Tarek Momen |
Mostafa Asal
6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5 (85m)
Fares Dessouky |
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY)
11-7, 11-4 (26m)
[WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) |
[8] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
11-8, 15-13 (72m)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) |
Fares Dessouky
11-7, 9-11, 11-7 (45m)
Paul Coll |
Patrick Rooney (ENG)
11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (44m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) |
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
[9/16] Nicolas Müller (SUI) bt Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-6, 11-7
(21m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 9-0 ret. (9m)
[7] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 11-9, 11-5 (38m)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 12-10, 11-5 (32m)
[4] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bye
[9/16] Grégoire Marche (FRA) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-13, 12-10, 11-2
(49m)
[WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt [9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) 1-11, 11-9,
11-4 (45m)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[8] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 11-2, 11-7 (29m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 12-14, 11-3, 11-7
(48m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bye |
|
Grasshopper Cup 2022
Women's Draw
18 - 23 Oct
Zurich, Switzerland, $107.5k |
ROUND TWO
19-20 Oct |
QUARTERS
21 Oct |
SEMIS
22 Oct |
FINAL
23 Oct |
|
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
11-5, 11-6 (13m)
Cindy Merlo (SUI) |
Nour El Sherbini
v
Olivia Fiechter |
Nour El Sherbini
4-11, 9-11, 12-10,
11-8, 11-7 (68m)
Rowan Elaraby |
Nour El Sherbini
9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4 (76m)
Hania El Hammamy |
[8] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
8-11, 11-5, 11-2 (30m)
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) |
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
11-5, 11-8 (20m)
[9/16] Mélissa Alves (FRA) |
Nour El Tayeb
14-12, 11-6 (30m)
Rowan Elaraby |
[4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
11-3, 11-9 (20m)
[9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL) |
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
11-6, 10-12, 11-9 (45m)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) |
Tesni Evans
5-11, 11-7, 11-9 (41m)
Salma Hany |
Tesni Evans
11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9 (51m)
Hania El Hammamy |
[6] Salma Hany (EGY)
4-11, 11-8, 11-1 (25m)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) |
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)
11-6, 9-11, 11-4 (28m)
[9/16] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) |
Georgina Kennedy
11-5, 11-5 (15m)
Hania El Hammamy |
Énora Villard (FRA)
11-3, 11-5 (22m)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) |
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye
Cindy Merlo (SUI) bt [9/16] Anna Serme (CZE) 11-7, 11-2 (14m)
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt [WC] Nadia Pfister (SUI) 11-9, 11-5 (17m)
[8] Olivia Fiechter (USA) bye
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mélissa Alves (FRA) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 11-8, 11-2 (17m)
[9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-8, 11-1 (19m)
[4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bye
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bye
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 11-5, 11-6 (18m)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 11-7, 11-3 (16m)
[6] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
[9/16] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Marie Stéphan (FRA) 11-8, 11-6 (20m)
Énora Villard (FRA) bt [9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) 11-6, 11-5 (17m)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye |
El Sherbini and Asal Claim Grasshopper Cup Titles In
Zurich
Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini and Mostafa Asal were victorious in the finals
of the Grasshopper Cup on Sunday afternoon, claiming the PSA World Tour
Gold level titles at Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland.
El Sherbini, the World No.2, secured her first title on Tour since
winning her sixth World Championship crown back in May, thanks to an
incredible comeback performance to overcome World No.3 Hania El Hammamy
in a thrilling five-game battle.
El Hammamy, who defeated the ‘Warrior Princess’ in the semi-finals of
the CIB Egyptian Open last month, made a bright start as she opened up a
7-2 lead in the first game, one she eventually won 11-9 despite a
fightback from the World No.2. A close, high quality second game then
went the way of El Sherbini who came out on top to draw level, edging it
11-9.
Both players exchanged the lead in the third before El Hammamy
eventually reclaimed the lead with a 12-10 victory. The World No.3 then
requested the new ball heading into the fourth as she looked to notch
another title for the season, but it was El Sherbini who profited,
taking game four 11-3 with a dominant display.
The tournament’s top seed was in her groove, and that showed in the
decider as El Sherbini came out on top 11-4 to become the first women’s
champion of the Grasshopper Cup in Zurich.
Nour El Sherbini
“It’s hard coming from 1-0 and 2-1 down. I always try to get my
experience out on the court and I’m glad I had my coach today Greg [Gaultier]
– he gave me full support and pushing by telling me I can win this, keep
focusing on every point and I think it worked,” El Sherbini said.
“it’s never easy, it’s always hard winning each point and Hania’s [El
Hammamy] an amazing player and she beat me the last four times I think.
For most of the match I was leading and she came back, which she’s known
for. I just wanted to keep focusing on every point – I didn’t want to
give any cheap points and try to win.”
Egypt’s World No.5 Mostafa Asal bounced back from his disappointing exit
at the U.S. Open earlier this month to claim the Grasshopper Cup title
on his first visit to Switzerland, defeating compatriot Marwan
ElShorbagy in straight games.
Asal moved into an 8-3 advantage early on in the first game, but
ElShorbagy managed to pull it back to 10-10 as he saved two game balls,
however Asal was able to edge past his fellow countryman to win 13-11.
From there, the ‘Raging Bull’ dropped just seven more points as he
cruised to the title in Zurich.
“Thanks to the crowd! It’s my first time being here in Switzerland and I
got the tournament (win). I’m really happy to play in front of you guys
(the crowd), it’s such an amazing tournament. Thanks to everyone who
made this tournament, it’s fantastic and a fantastic crowd for the
squash as that’s what we need. I couldn’t be more proud of myself,” Asal
said.
Mostafa Asal
“He’s (Marwan ElShorbagy) really dangerous, he’s someone I looked up to
when I was a junior and he’s playing fantastic. All credit to him – he’s
no 100 per cent or even 70 per cent because he’s been playing so many
tournaments . My early exit in the US Open helped me to perform here. I
couldn’t be more proud of myself, thanks to everyone and thanks to the
sponsors of the tournament.”
The next event on
SQUASHTV
will be the Nations Cup, which will take place in Tauranga, New Zealand
from November 3-6. The next PSA World Tour event will be the Barfoot &
Thompson New Zealand Open and the Robertson Lodges New Zealand Open,
which will take place from November 8-13 at the same venue in Tauranga.
|
ElShorbagy Overcomes US Open Champion Elias To Set Up
All-Egyptian Finals Day
Egypt’s World No.7 Marwan ElShorbagy got the better of U.S. Open
champion Diego Elias to ensure an all-Egyptian finals day on Sunday at
the Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland.
ElShorbagy came up against Elias for the third time this season, having
already met at the CIB Egyptian Open and Oracle NetSuite Open in the
last couple of months. The pair both had one win in that time, with ‘the
Jackal’ taking the most recent victory in San Francisco on route to the
final there.
In his only previous trip to Zurich, the Egyptian had taken victory at
the Grasshopper Cup, and he continued that unbeaten run in Switzerland
on Saturday evening. The first game was a close affair, with some top
quality squash being played. ElShorbagy saved two game balls before
going on to win on a tie-break 14-12.
The second was another tight affair that went ElShorbagy’s way 12-10,
with the Egyptian coming out better after a number of exciting duels at
the front. In a stunning third game, ‘the Jackal’ was able to coast into
the final after blowing a dejected Elias away 11-3.
“I guess I love this venue so much! I’ve no words to describe how
amazing Diego is. He’s the U.S. Open champion and is only 25,”
ElShorbagy said after the match.
He’s going to be World No.1 one day. He’s a great player. Today was all
about mentality. It’s always hard to back it up after winning a Platinum
event. It was hard mentally on both of us of course. But I’m really glad
to get the win today.”
“I was so fired up today because during the warm up I was listening to
Joey [Barrington, SQUASHTV pundit] say Diego’s going to get the win
today. It fired me up as I thought ‘he doesn’t know what he’s talking
about!’ I’m joking of course, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking
about!
“I’m glad to win and get into another final here. As I’ve said, I love
playing here and this crowd is incredible. They always stay up until
it’s late. It’s always sold out. You guys are amazing, thank you for
coming!”
ElShorbagy will now face compatriot Mostafa Asal in the final of the
Grasshopper Cup after the World No.5 came through a feisty contest with
Fares Dessouky. The pair did battle for more than 80 minutes, with the
‘Raging Bull’ coming back from behind to win in a deciding game.
In the women’s event, World No.2 Nour El Sherbini had to produce a
thrilling comeback to fight from two games down to overcome compatriot
and World No.7 Rowan Elaraby in the opening semi-final contest of the
evening’s action.
Nour El Sherbini
Elaraby had never taken a game off the six-time World Champion, but she
raced into the lead thanks to some sublime squash. After going two games
down, El Sherbini came back well in the third game and opened up a 10-4
lead. Incredibly, though, Elaraby saved all six of the game balls.
The ‘Warrior Princess’ was eventually able to take it 12-10, and she
then converted her first game ball in the fourth to send the match into
a decider. The two then traded points in a thrilling finale, it was El
Sherbini who was able to pull away, ending things 11-7 with an
intelligent shot down the middle.
“I’m really proud of myself today and how I kept fighting mentally and
physically. Rowan played really well today as you can see. In the third
she was coming back and nearly won the match,” the World No.2 said.
“I’m really surprised by the way she played today. She’s been improving
a lot. This was our first 3-2 and I don’t think it’s going to be the
last one.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and all the experience I have in
the last 10-15 years came out on court. I just tried to focus on every
point and forget that I was 2-0 down. I just focused on each point and
tried to win the next one. Winning the third made a huge difference.”
The six-time World Champion will now take on World No.3 Hania El Hammamy
in the final on Sunday evening, after the Egyptian got the better of
Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans in a cracking four-game battle.
The finals of the Grasshopper Cup will take place on Sunday, October 23,
with play starting at 13:30 (GMT+2) at Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland.
All of the action from finals day will be streamed live on
SQUASHTV. |
Dessouky and Evans Gatecrash Grasshopper Cup Semi-Finals
Egypt’s Fares Dessouky and Wales’ Tesni Evans both are into the last
four the Grasshopper Cup after overcoming New Zealand’s World No.2 Paul
Coll and Egypt’s World No.10 Salma Hany, respectively, in the quarter
finals at Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Dessouky produced a dominant performance in the first game to take an
11-7 victory against the New Zealander, and he then had his chance to
wrap up the match in the second game after leading 8-3. However, Coll
produced a stunning fight back to win it 11-9 to send the match into a
decider.
The Kiwi picked up where he left off at the end of the second game as he
took a 4-2 advantage in the decider, but Dessouky battled back as he was
able to prevail 11-7, booking his spot in the semi-finals of the PSA
World Tour Gold level competition.
“I’m very happy to beat Paul today,” Dessouky said afterwards.
“He did his best but I’m proud of myself to be able to come through this
one as it was very tough, especially after the second game. I needed to
show some toughness to come back and win.
“I don’t know what happened, but I was thinking about winning the match
and I think this is the bad thing I did today. I’m happy I regrouped and
I kept pushing, I didn’t give up so it’s a good step for me.”
Dessouky will now face off against World No.5 Mostafa Asal in an
all-Egyptian contest. Asal made his way into the last four after getting
the better of compatriot Tarek Momen in a feisty battle. The other
semi-final will see U.S. Open champion Diego Elias take on Egypt’s
Marwan ElShorbagy, after the pair won their respective quarter final
match-ups.
After defeating No.3 seed Sarah-Jane Perry to win in the second round,
Wales’ World No.15 Tesni Evans came up against Egypt’s World No.10 Salma
Hany in the quarter finals in Zurich.
Tesni Evans
It was the Egyptian that started strongly, winning five of the opening
six points, and she would go on to take the first game 11-5. The
Welshwoman fought back, though, finding her groove to take the second
game 11-7 to level the match.
The Welshwoman was growing in confidence as she made it back-to-back
victories against opposition sitting inside the top ten of the World
Rankings, seeing off Hany, who had saved two match balls, 11-9.
“That was nip and tuck at the end! Again that’s two in a row,
something’s on my side this week. I don’t know what it is, but a bit of
luck. I’m absolutely over the moon,” Evans said.
“They’re like buses, aren’t they (wins against top ten players): you
don’t get any then two come along at once! For me it was really
important to back up yesterday, whether it was win or lose, but show
that I want to keep playing at this level and back it up.
“After the first game, I’m really happy with how I turned it round
because it could have easily gone really quickly, but I’m proud of
myself for backing up another good performance and great to get two wins
over two top eight players. So why not keep going!”
Evans will now face World No.3 Hania El Hammamy in the semi-finals,
after the Egyptian overcame Georgina Kennedy in straight games. Egypt’s
Nour El Sherbini and Rowan Elaraby will go head-to-head in the other
women’s semi-final on Saturday afternoon in Zurich.
The semi-finals of the Grasshopper Cup will take place on Saturday,
October 22, with all the action from Halle 622 being streamed live on
SQUASHTV
from 16:45 (GMT+2)
as well as visiting the
tournament website.
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Evans Downs No.3 Seed Perry To Make Grasshopper Cup
Quarter Finals
Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans caused a big upset on the third day, as she
overcame World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry in a thrilling three-game contest
to move through to the quarter finals of the PSA World Tour Gold level
Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland.
Evans had won just three of her previous 14 matches against Perry –
losing the last four in a row – but put in a gritty and tenacious
performance to run out an 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 winner.
Their last match saw Evans surrender a two-game lead as Perry came back
to win at the Manchester Open earlier this year. With this being a
best-of-three contest, a second-game resurgence from Perry – where she
overturned three match balls – evoked memories of that comeback.
The Englishwoman almost produced another gutsy fightback in the third
game as she put Evans under serious pressure after being 7-2 down, but
Evans held her nerve to complete a win which sees her set up a last
eight meeting with No.6 seed Salma Hany.
“This is the first top eight player I’ve beaten in about two and a half
years,” said Evans.
“I haven’t been putting my best self out for about two years and it’s
been really hard. But I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress over the
summer and the win is nice, but it’s more about how I’m playing and
being myself more, and that’s all that matters for now.
“SJ and I have played so many times, it’s ridiculous. Not just on the
PSA, but in every tournament. The last time I was 2-0 up and lost in
five, the time before that I was 2-0 up and lost in five, today I was
1-0 up and was like: ‘You’re going to lose again’.
“She played probably her best level at the end of that second game. I
was still playing well but she was getting better and better as it went
on, so I’m just happy to come out positive in the third. We’re really
good friends, so that makes it tougher. We both gave it a thousand per
cent, and we both want to win. We leave it on there and I’m sure we’ll
catch up soon.”
Evans will now face No.6 seed Salma Hany in the last eight of the
tournament after the World No.10 defeated fellow Egyptian Nadine Shahin
in the opening match of the day’s play. World No.3 Hania El Hammamy and
English No.1 Georgina Kennedy also made it through to the last eight,
and will meet in Friday’s quarter finals.
In the men’s event, World No.2 Paul Coll had to battle his way past
Englishman Patrick Rooney in a high-quality affair, winning a three-game
contest that dazzled the crowd at Halle 622.
Despite having played several exhibitions over the last couple of years,
this was the first meeting between the pair. It was an enticing
encounter who featured plenty of free-flowing entertainment for the
crowd, with both men playing at a very high level.
Paul Coll in action
“It was enjoyable, he’s a nice clean player, I’ve played a few
exhibitions with him and he has some great skills, so you’ve got to be
very careful out there,” said Coll.
“I let the second slip, which is annoying, but he’s a very good and very
fair player. I’m a big fan of how he plays the game. It’s good squash
and a good battle, so it’s always enjoyable.
“I know what he’s capable of, you can see players play very well in
exhibitions and it’s a case of converting that to the biggest stage. If
he can put that into a professional match then he’s going to be ever
better. I’m happy with the start and the whole match, just closing out
the second would have been nice.”
Coll will now face Egypt’s Fares Dessouky in the quarter finals, after
the World No.10 overcame compatriot Omar Mosaad in a feisty encounter.
Egypt’s Tarek Momen and Mostafa Asal will renew their rivalry in the
last eight as well, after the pair both won their second round matches
on Thursday, against Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann and Frenchman
Gregoire Marche, respectively.
The quarter finals of the Grasshopper Cup will take place on Friday at
Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland. All of the action will be streamed
live on
SQUASHTV
as well as visiting the
tournament website.
|
Mueller Overcomes Injured Farag In Grasshopper Cup Second
Round To Delight Home Crowd
Nicolas Mueller
World No.18 Nicolas Mueller is into the quarter finals of the
Grasshopper Cup after getting the better of World No.1 Ali Farag to
delight the home crowd at Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Farag retired injured from the U.S. Open final after just a couple of
points on Saturday, and four days later, he took to the court against
home favourite Mueller in the second round of the PSA World Tour Gold
level tournament.
However, the Egyptian was clearly still struggling from the same knee
problem, and the Swiss No.1 was able to delight the home crowd to take
advantage and secure a straight-games win to advance to the quarter
finals, where he will now face Egypt’s Marwan ElShorbagy.
“Finally, a win in the second round! It’s obviously very sad to see Ali
not at his best today, I think he’s still struggling with his knee. Even
on one and a half legs he’s still a pretty good player, he’s not World
No.1 for nothing,” Mueller said.
“I played Ramy [Ashour] when he was also on one leg here, and I didn’t
want to end up losing this one, so I made sure I was able to stay on top
and win it. Every time I hit a cross court I thought that he wouldn’t
get it. I feel very sorry for him, but on the other hand I’m very happy
to be playing here on Friday.
“He’s [Marwan ElShorbagy] been playing well recently. He beat me last
time, but the two times before I won. We’re in for a treat on Friday
night, so I need everyone to come back and support us. Dimitri
[Steinmann] also needs the crowd tomorrow so we can have two Swiss
players in the quarters, that’s the main goal.”
Peru’s World No.3 Diego Elias and Welshman Joel Makin also made it
through from the men’s draw, with both winning their respective matches
against Frenchman Baptiste Masotti and Malaysian No.1 Eain Yow Ng in a
deciding third game. The pair will meet in Friday’s semi-finals.
In the opening match of the day’s action at Halle 622, USA’s World No.11
Olivia Fiechter had to fight back from behind to overcome Belgian No.1
Tinne Gilis. The USA No.2 lost a tight first game as Gilis kept in front
of her for the majority of the match, picking off several loose balls
with accurate drops on both the forehand and backhand sides.
Olivia Fiechter celebrates her second round win
Fiechter didn’t panic after losing the opening salvo however, and found
a better length in the second game to pin the Belgian deep in the back
corners and move back in front to showcase her own attacking talents.
Fiechter closed out the game 11-2 to take the match 2-1, and she will
now face six-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the last eight.
“By the end, I really felt like I found my game. Tinne came out firing
as you have to in the best-of-three format, she really took it to me so
I had to step up and be more aggressive and I’m really pleased to get
past a difficult player like Tinne,” Fiechter admitted.
“It’s so different [the best-of-three format], in ways, it feels like a
different game. My coaches love it because they all about coming out
with intensity from the very first point so they’re loving that I’m
playing an event like this as its forcing me to come out strong and be
in the right mental state that I want to be whether it’s best of three
or five and I think it produces a more fast-paced, aggressive game of
squash so it’s fun.”
The other women’s quarter final will see the Egyptian duo of World No.6
Nour El Tayeb and World No.7 Rowan Elaraby go head-to-head. They
defeated Frenchwoman Melissa Alves and Wales’ Emily Whitlock in their
respective second round matches.
The second round of the Grasshopper Cup continues on Thursday, October
20, with the bottom half of each draw taking to the glass court at Halle
622. All of the action from Zurich will be streamed live on
SQUASHTV
as well as visiting the
tournament website. |
Wildcard Steinmann Leads Swiss Trio Into Grasshopper Cup Second Round
Dimitri Steinmann celebrates his first round victory
The Grasshopper Cup got underway on Tuesday afternoon in Uster,
Switzerland, and wildcard Dimitri Steinmann thrilled the home crowd with
a comeback win to lead a trio of home favourites through to the second
round of the PSA World Tour Gold level tournament.
The opening round took place at Squash Arena Uster, where Steinmann took
on German No.1 Raphael Kandra in his first round contest. He looked down
and out after the first game, scoring just a single point, but the home
crowd roared him on at the start of the second game.
He won the first point, and the cheer from the crowd buoyed the World
No.38 on. Steinmann went on to take the second game 11-9, and he then
carried the momentum through the third game as well to win in front of
the home crowd. He will now face former World Champion Tarek Momen in
the last 16.
“I mean, how do you f*** up a game plan that badly? I found my way into
it in the end, my coaches told me to get my head straight and make it
tough physically, and that was what I did,” Steinmann explained.
“The crowd was amazing! Raph played an almost perfect first game, and
then when I won the first point of the second game, the crowd gave me a
huge cheer and I knew I was going to be alright!
“I felt at game ball in the second when I really controlled him, I felt
he was slowing down. It is the wrong place to get tired! I don’t even
know what to say! It is going be amazing!”
Steinmann is joined in the men’s second round by compatriot Nicolas
Mueller, with the World No.18 overcoming France’s Sebastien Bonmalais in
straight games, sending the home crowd into raptures.
Mueller had won their only previous meeting, at the Czech Open in 2021,
and he was in control throughout, winning 11-6, 11-7 in just 21 minutes.
The Swiss No.1 will now take on World No.1 Ali Farag in the last 16 in
Zurich.
Nicolas Mueller in action in Uster
“It doesn’t get much better than this! Being Swiss and playing in front
of your home crowd, with my family and friends here. It is big for Uster
as well! We all enjoy playing in front of this crowd, so we thank you
for making it possible!” Mueller said after his win.
“It is a match like any other. I will just go out there and fight, I
will do what I can! Obviously he is World No.1 for a reason. He is a
good player, and in good form!”
Cindy Merlo assured that there would be Swiss representation in the
second round of the Women’s draw after a commanding performance saw her
defeat Czech No.1 Anna Serme in just 14 minutes. The World No.50 dropped
just nine points in an 11-7, 11-2 victory. Her second round opponent
will be six-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini on Wednesday evening.
“The crowd here is fantastic, and to have won and to get through to the
second round and to play on the glass court tomorrow, it’s amazing,” the
Swiss No.1 admitted.
“There are rituals for sure, but they are a secret! I will just do the
same as always, prepare well and make sure I am ready for tomorrow’s
match!”
Elsewhere on the opening day, England’s Patrick Rooney defeated
Colombian Miguel Rodriguez in an exciting three-game battle, while
Gregoire Marche overcame Greg Lobban to move through to the second
round. In the women’s event, Frenchwoman Enora Villard secured an upset,
defeating World No.17 Hollie Naughton to move through to the last 16.
The action continues at the Grasshopper Cup on Wednesday, October 19,
with the top half of the second round taking place at Halle 622 in
Zurich, Switzerland. All the action will be streamed live on
SQUASHTV
as well as visiting the
tournament website.
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Previews
Preview & How To Watch Live
After a three-year COVID-enforced hiatus, Switzerland’s Grasshopper Cup
makes a long-awaited return to the PSA World Tour tomorrow.
The Grasshopper Cup, which will be played in Halle 622 in Zurich-Oerlikon
and Squash Arena Uster, is one of squash’s great traditional
tournaments, with the event first being played in 1979.
The Gold-level event, which features a men’s and women’s draw, will be
best-of-three scoring up to and including the quarter-finals, before
moving to best-of-five scoring for the semi-finals and finals [CHECK!]
In the men’s event, World No.1 Ali Farag leads the draw. The 30-year-old
will be hoping to recover from a disappointing end to his US Open last
week after suffering an injury just two minutes into the final. The
Egyptian, who is set to appear in his fourth Grasshopper Cup, is aiming
for a maiden title after a defeat in the 2017 final.
In the women’s event, reigning World Champion and current World No.2
Nour El Sherbini leads the draw. The 26-year-old is playing in her first
Grasshopper Cup and is seeded to meet World No.3 Hania El Hammamy in the
final.
Switzerland No.1 Nicolas Mueller
The four Swiss players involved will no doubt be cheered to the rafters
by the crowd at Halle 622, which has a capacity of 500.
Leading the home hopes is World No.18 Nicolas Mueller. The 33-year-old
faces France’s Sebastien Bonmalais in the opening round, while wildcard
and World No.38 Dimitri Steinmann goes up against Germany’s Raphael
Kandra.
In the women’s draw, World No.50 Cindy Merlo plays Czech Republic’s Anna
Serme, with wildcard and World No.75 Nadia Pfister taking on Belgium’s
World No.12 Tinne Gilis.
The opening round of the Grasshopper Cup will take place at Squash Arena
Uster, where entry will be free for the public. Play then moves to Halle
622 from the second round onwards.
SQUASHTV will be the place to watch all the action live from the glass
court in Switzerland, while you can buy tickets for round two onwards
here and keep up to date with live scores from the tournament here.
For more information on the tournament, visit the
PSA World Tour’s website. You can also follow the tournament on
Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
and
SQUASHTV
as well as visiting the
tournament website.
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Chinappa Withdraws
From Upcoming Grasshopper Cup
Indian No.1 Joshna Chinappa has pulled out from the Grasshopper Cup due
to an ongoing knee problem.
Chinappa last featured at the CIB PSA World Championships Cairo in May,
and is yet to make an appearance on the PSA World Tour this season.
With Chinappa’s withdrawal from the women’s event in Zurich, Czechian
Anna Serme moves up to become a 9/16 seed. She will now face home hope
and Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo in the opening round.
Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim will take the vacant place in the draw, and
will take on Frenchwoman Melissa Alves on the opening day.
The PSA World Tour Gold level event will take place in Switzerland from
October 18-23 across two venues in Zurich. All of the action from Zurich
will be shown live on
SQUASHTV.
Updated Women’s Draw: Grasshopper Cup
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [Bye]
Cindy Merlo (SUI) v [9/16] Anna Serme (CZE)
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) v [WC] Nadia Pfister (SUI)
[8] Olivia Fiechter (USA) [Bye]
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [Bye]
Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) v [9/16] Melissa Alves (FRA)
[9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL) v Emilia Soini (FIN)
[4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) [Bye]
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [Bye]
Cristina Gomez (ESP) v [9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[6] Salma Hany (EGY) [Bye]
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) [Bye]
Marie Stephan (FRA) v [9/16] Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Enora Villard (FRA)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [Bye]
For more information on the event, visit the tournament
website or follow PSA Events on Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
and
SQUASHTV.
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