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El Gouna International 2023 |
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El Gouna International 2023
Men's Draw
26 May - 02 Jun
El Gouna, Egypt, $180k |
ROUND TWO
27 May |
ROUND THREE
28-29 May |
QUARTERS
30-31 MAY |
SEMIS
01 Jun |
FINAL
02 Jun |
|
[1] Diego Elias (PER)
11-3, 2-11, 11-9, 11-4 (49m)
[9/16] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) |
Diego Elias
11-3, 11-4, 11-5 (40m)
Eain Yow Ng
|
Diego Elias
11-9, 11-2, 11-2 (39m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu |
Diego Elias
7-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-7 (73m)
Ali Farag
|
Ali Farag
12-10, 10-12,
11-6, 11-2 (62m)
Mostafa Asal |
Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
11-6, 11-3, 11-13, 11-5 (51m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) |
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
11-8, 11-9, 11-2 (48m)
Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) |
Iker Pajares Bernabeu
8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (63m)
Tarek Momen |
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY)
8-11, 11-4, 1-11, 11-7, 11-8 (65m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) |
[8] Victor Crouin (FRA)
7-11, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9 (80m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) |
Victor Crouin
10-12, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9 (95m)
Aly Abou Eleinen |
Victor Crouin
6-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 (42m)
Ali Farag |
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY)
3-11, 11-1, 11-4, 5-11, 12-10 (69m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) |
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
11-5, 11-1, 11-4 (33m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) |
Youssef Soliman
7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 12-10 (57m)
Ali Farag
|
[4] Ali Farag (EGY)
7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (60m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) |
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
11-9, 15-17, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9 (80m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) |
Mostafa Asal
11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (71m)
Joel Makin |
Mostafa Asal
11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (59m)
Mazen Hesham
|
Mostafa Asal
11-8, 11-8, 14-16, 6-11, 11-2 (110m)
Mohamed ElShorbagy
|
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-7, 17-15, 11-5 (42m)
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) |
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4 (58m)
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) |
Mazen Hesham
11-2, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5 (37m)
Marwan ElShorbagy |
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-6, 11-9, 5-11, 11-13, 11-7 (45m)
[9/16] Nicolas Müller (SUI) |
[5] Paul Coll (NZL)
11-4, 13-11, 11-2 (41m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) |
Paul Coll
14-12, 11-5, 11-9 (63m)
Omar Mosaad
|
Paul Coll
8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 (61m)
Mohamed ElShorbagy
|
Omar Mosaad (EGY)
11-9, 1-11, 11-9, 11-8 (58m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) |
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
11-7, 11-2, 11-4 (34m)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) |
Fares Dessouky
11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5 (58m)
Mohamed ElShorbagy |
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (35m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) |
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[9/16] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bye
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 11-4, 20-18, 11-8 (41m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5 (44m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Balázs Farkas (HUN) 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
(39m)
Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 (44m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt George Parker (ENG) 11-0, 11-6, 11-6 (31m)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[8] Victor Crouin (FRA) bye
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt [WC] Aly Hussein (EGY) 6-11, 6-11, 11-9,
11-1, 11-7 (90m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [WC] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) 6-11, 11-5, 11-5,
11-5 (43m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 14-12, 11-8, 11-7 (45m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (32m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3 (57m)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bye
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9 (45m)
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 13-11, 11-5, 11-5 (28m)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
[9/16] Nicolas Müller (SUI) bye
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bye
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Grégoire Marche (FRA) 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7
(61m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (37m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 (30m)
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-13, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7,
11-3 (60m)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bye
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bye |
|
El Gouna International 2023
Women's Draw
26 May - 02 Jun
El Gouna, Egypt, $180k |
ROUND TWO
27 May |
ROUND THREE
28-29 May |
QUARTERS
30-31 MAY |
SEMIS
01 Jun |
FINAL
02 Jun |
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (25m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) |
Nouran Gohar
v
Fayrouz Aboelkheir
|
Nouran Gohar
11-8, 11-2, 11-5 (37m)
Georgina Kennedy
|
Nouran Gohar
15-13, 9-11, 17-15, 11-6 (107m)
Hania El Hammamy
|
Nouran Gohar
11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (58m)
Nele Gilis
|
Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)
11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8 (39m)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) |
Yathreb Adel (EGY)
3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (50m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) |
Yathreb Adel
11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (31m)
Georgina Kennedy
|
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)
11-4, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8 (36m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) |
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
Aifa Azman (MAS) |
Nour El Tayeb
11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (26m)
Tesni Evans
|
Tesni Evans
11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (33m)
Hania El Hammamy
|
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)
7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (32m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) |
Nadine Shahin (EGY)
7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7 (54m)
Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) |
Nadine Shahin
11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (26m)
Hania El Hammamy |
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (27m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) |
Nada Abbas (EGY)
8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (55m)
[4] Joelle King (NZL) |
Nada Abbas
11-9, 11-7, 11-2 (44m)
Salma Hany
|
Salma Hany
11-9, 3-11, 11-3, 12-10 (75m)
Nele Gilis |
Nele Gilis
11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (45m)
Nour El Sherbini
|
[9/16] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8 (58m)
[9/16] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) |
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL)
11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (46m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) |
Nele Gilis
9-11, 14-12, 11-4, 11-6 (58m)
Rowan Elaraby |
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (31m)
Énora Villard (FRA) |
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
11-7, 11-13, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7 (64m)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) |
Tinne Gilis
9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (40m)
Farida Mohamed
|
Tinne Gilis
11-4, 11-7, 11-9 (39m)
Nour El Sherbini
|
[9/16] Farida Mohamed (EGY)
5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 13-11 (43m)
Hana Moataz (EGY) |
Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
11-7, 11-8, 11-1 (27m)
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) |
Alexandra Fuller
11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (26m)
Nour El Sherbini
|
Mélissa Alves (FRA)
5-11, 11-2, 11-3, 2-11, 11-4 (38m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) |
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 11-8, 13-11, 11-5 (32m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Tomato Ho (HKG) 11-2, 7-1 ret. (10m)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) bye
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt [WC] Nour Khafagy (EGY) 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-1
(38m)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (19m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [WC] Menna Walid (EGY) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (27m)
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bye
Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 11-6, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4 (35m)
[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) bye
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (20m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6
(28m)
Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt Marie Stéphan (FRA) 16-18, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (51m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Georgia Adderley (SCO) 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9,
11-9 (71m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[4] Joelle King (NZL) bye
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 11-9, 11-3, 11-2 (22m)
[9/16] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[9/16] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bye
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 12-10, 12-10, 12-10 (41m)
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
Énora Villard (FRA) bt Emily Whitlock (WAL) 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 2-3 ret.
(44m)
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bye
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bye
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
Hana Moataz (EGY) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (27m)
[9/16] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bye
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) bye
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Katie Malliff (ENG) 11-7, 14-12, 11-4 (30m)
Mélissa Alves (FRA) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 12-10, 11-3, 11-5 (26m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye |
DAY 8
Farag and Gohar Capture El Gouna Titles And Secure
Return to World No.1
Ali Farag and Nouran Gohar have won the El Gouna International 2023
Platinum-level titles at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, and
both players will return to the summit of the Women’s and Men’s PSA
World Rankings, respectively, on Monday.
Farag beat defending champion Mostafa Asal 3-1 to make it four trophy
wins in succession, while Gohar defeated Belgium’s Nele Gilis in
straight games to secure her maiden El Gouna International title.
Farag’s incredible form has seen him win the British Open, PSA World
Championships, the Manchester Open and now the El Gouna International,
as he stretched his unbeaten run to 20 matches.
Coming into the men’s decider, Asal was up against it following a
mammoth 110-minute semi-final against World No.4 Mohamed ElShorbagy,
with the pair finally walking off court in the early hours of the
morning.
The 22-year-old really had to draw on all of his remaining energy
reserves and relinquished control of the first game despite holding a
9-7 lead, with a big push from Farag seeing him punish his compatriot.
Asal – who beat Farag in the semi-finals of last year’s event – was able
to fight on in the second game, drawing level following a tie-break
victory, but he faded rapidly in the third as Farag restored the
one-game cushion in confident fashion.
That broke Asal’s resistance and the fourth game was a procession, with
Farag in complete control as he dropped just two points against an
ailing opponent.
Farag now has 33 PSA titles to his name – becoming the joint-second most
successful Egyptian alongside the legendary Amr Shabana – while it’s his
fifth triumph of the season. He will also overtake Peru’s Diego Elias at
the top of the PSA World Rankings on Monday.
“I’m very proud with how I’ve dealt with the past couple of months and
I’m very happy with the way I performed today,” said Farag.
“It’s never easy to play against Mostafa [Asal], he’s such a champion.
How many people in history can say that they have been the World No.1
and the best player in their sport at the age of 21, it’s unbelievable
what he has achieved already. I’m happy I’m at the back end of my career
because I don’t want to battle it out with him for many years!”
It was fourth time lucky for Gohar to land her maiden El Gouna
International title, having been a runner-up in 2019, 2021 and 2022, but
she ensured she would walk away with the trophy on this occasion after
overcoming Gilis in 58 minutes.
Gilis was the first Belgian player ever to appear in the final of a
major PSA event following her sensational 3-0 dismantling of current
World No.1 and World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the semi-finals. The
27-year-old came out firing as she hit her targets with conviction to
take an early 5-4 lead in the opening game.
Gohar was backing up after contesting a mammoth 107-minute battle with
rival Hania El Hammamy the night before – the fifth longest women’s
match of all time – and she took a while to find her rhythm. There was a
short break in play due to the ball flying out of the court following a
shot from Gilis, which halted the Belgian’s momentum. Gohar took full
advantage as she won seven of the next eight points to take a one-game
lead.
The second game followed a similar pattern as Gilis again came out
swinging and attacked with no fear, but the intensity of Gohar’s hitting
soon told as she dispatched her opponent clinically to double her lead.
Both players traded points in a back and forth third game, with Gohar
coming from 9-8 down to ultimately seal her first Platinum title since
October’s U.S. Open.
The win means that Gohar has lifted her 22nd PSA Tour title and, like
Farag, it’s her fifth title of the season. It will also see her replace
El Sherbini as the World No.1, ending her fellow Egyptian’s four-week
reign at the summit, with Gohar ascending to the top ranking for the
third time in her career.
“Nele [Gilis] had an unbelievable tournament,” said Gohar afterwards.
“I saw it coming, she’s put in the work and it’s very inspirational.
We’ve known each other since juniors and for her to be playing like this
was far from enjoyable for me today! With the weather, her retrieving
everything and the pressure, it was a bit too much.
“It wasn’t the prettiest squash from my side maybe, but I’m super proud
of myself with how I fought hard this week. This will be the third time
that I’m World No.1 in my career, but it’s the first time after winning
a tournament, so it feels amazing. With the new weekly ranking system,
it’s so nice, you win a tournament on Friday and on Monday you’re World
No.1.”
The 2022/23 PSA World Tour season concludes with the World Tour Finals
in Cairo, Egypt, which take place from 20 - 25 June. All the action will
be available to watch live on SQUASHTV. For more information, visit the
PSA World Tour website.
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DAY 7
Gilis Stuns World No.1 El Sherbini to Reach Maiden
Platinum Final at El Gouna International
Nele Gilis
Nele Gilis stunned World No.1 and seven-time World Champion Nour El
Sherbini to reach her first-ever Platinum-level final at the El Gouna
International following her 3-0 success at the El Gouna Conference and
Culture Center.
The Belgian No.1 is also the first player from her country to appear in
a major final, as Gilis claimed her maiden victory over El Sherbini
after five previous unsuccessful attempts where she hadn’t taken a
single game off the Egyptian.
A rejuvenated Gilis got off to a great start, and she earned herself two
game balls at 10-8, which she converted straight away after El Sherbini
hit the tin.
The errors continued to flow from the World Champion’s racket as Gilis
took full advantage to pull El Sherbini across the court. Gilis
converted game ball at the second time of asking to double her lead.
El Sherbini cut a frustrated figure throughout, and that frustration
turned into desperation in the third game as Gilis raced into a 5-2
advantage, which then became a 10-5 lead. Match ball was converted at
the first attempt for Gilis on what was a momentous occasion for the
Belgian.
“I think it was a bit of a mix, I was very relaxed and had nothing to
lose and [Nour] El Sherbini not being at her best, but you still have to
take those opportunities when they arise. I’ve been visualising for the
last 24 hours and not once did I think it would be 3-0. It’s a bit
surreal and I’m beyond happy,” she said afterwards.
“I just had to force myself to volley and stay in front of her and be
confident on my shots that I’ve been practising for years and just do it
because if I don’t I’m never going to win, so I might as well have a
crack and see how it goes and thankfully I did that.”
Gilis’ opponent tomorrow will be Nouran Gohar, who knocked out defending
El Gouna International champion Hania El Hammamy to reach a second
successive final in a monumental 107-minute battle - the fifth longest
women’s match of all time.
World No.2 Gohar, who will return to the top of the Women’s Rankings if
she wins the El Gouna International, defeated the reigning champion 3-1
to progress to the final.
Nouran Gohar
It was a cagey opening from both players, but El Hammamy went
10-7 ahead only for Gohar to charge back to win four successive points
to take it into a tiebreak. Despite the World No.3 having two more
chances to convert game one, Gohar took it 15-13 in a physical 31-minute
opener.
Mistakes were costly for El Hammamy in the second game, but she was able
to regroup and go 9-4 up. Despite Gohar battling back to 9-10, defending
champion El Hammamy levelled the match.
El Hammamy opened up another cushion in the third when she went 8-5 up,
only for Gohar to peg her back to eight-all. El Hammamy had game ball,
but was thwarted by the resilient Gohar once more to send the game into
another tiebreak.
Three game balls were squandered by El Hammamy, as Gohar capitalised to
clinch the third 17-15. The former World No.1 looked determined as ever
as she relentlessly pushed El Hammamy into the back corners and sealed
the match with an 11-6 victory in the fourth.
“I know they call me mentally tough but these kind of matches give me
more confidence,” said Gohar.
“To be able to close it out in four in 107 minutes, it’s good but I’d
like to close it out sooner. It was tough physically but mentally as
well. I know the referees sweat more actually, we just want to win so
much.”
Mostafa Asal
Mostafa Asal’s title defence remains intact after the defending champion
overcame his idol Mohamed ElShorbagy in a mammoth 110-minute five-set
encounter.
Asal stormed into a two-game lead with his devastating attacks proving
to be too much for ElShorbagy to handle, with the World No.2 winning
both games 11-8.
However ElShorbagy disrupted the rhythm Asal had found in the opening
two games to get a foothold back in the contest, edging a tense and
scrappy third game 16-14.
Asal’s concentration appeared to have dipped in the fourth as ElShorbagy
capitalised to level the match, and the wear and tear on the
Englishman's body was evident in the early stages of the fifth game, so
much so that Asal had to gift his older opponent some socks after
ElShorbagy had sweated through all of his own.
The break in play was beneficial to Asal, who marched into an 8-0 lead
before closing out the match moments later to crown a monumental battle
with ElShorbagy that had finished into the early hours of the morning.
“It was really difficult conditions,” said Asal.
“It’s all about sportsmanship between me and Mohamed [ElShorbagy], we
both lost a bit of control in the third game but I have so much respect
for him. I’m playing my idol - I was here years ago, watching him and
Greg [Gaultier], his coach, in the final. He’s the Beast for a reason.
“It’s a lot of emotions. I was suspended for two months and now I’m in
the final to defend my title. It was not my best season, despite
reaching World No.1. Last season was much better but I was trying to get
all my momentum for this tournament. It's not done yet, I have a final
tomorrow.”
Ali Farag
Ali Faragwill lock horns with Asal for the title, and he continued his
excellent form as he made it 19 wins in a row to secure a fourth
successive final appearance after seeing off World No.1 Diego Elias in
four games.
The four-time World Champion, who has lost the opening game in every
round of this tournament, continued that unwanted record against the
World No.1, who picked off Farag to draw first blood.
Farag, who will return to the summit of the World Rankings if he
clinches the El Gouna International, clicked into gear in the second and
was starting to find his rhythm, however Elias’ one game ball was soon
wiped out after Farag held tough and won the next thee points to
equalise.
The Egyptian hit top form in the third, winning comfortably 11-2, and
Farag’s pace was relentless in the next game as he proved to be too
strong for the Peruvian to make it four finals in a row.
“I have to dig in deep into my reserves, squash reserves, physical
reserves. If that was a true individual sport, I would have stopped in
Manchester,” said Farag.
“I have my wife [Nour El Tayeb], my coaches, my family, my physio. You
think it’s easy to push but it’s all the conversations I have with my
parents, they chill me out so if I was stressed out all day I would not
play the way I do. Hopefully I can push one more time tomorrow to make
them even more proud.”
The finals of the El Gouna International 2023 take place on Friday 2
June, with play starting at 19:00 (GMT+3) at the El Gouna Conference and
Culture Center. Both finals will be available to watch live on
SQUASHTV and selected broadcasters around the world.
For more information on the event, go to
PSA World Tour website.
Where available stream the action on
SQUASHTV and
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok.
|
DAY 6
Gilis Reaches Maiden Platinum Semi-Final With El Gouna
Last Four Appearance
Nele Gilis
Nele Gilis has reached a Platinum-level semi-final for the first time
after defeating Salma Hany to progress to the last four of the El Gouna
International 2023 at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center.
Gilis, who’s been enjoying a rich vein of form, ended a run of six
successive defeats to Hany as she beat the Egyptian 3-1 to tee up a
semi-final showdown with World No.1 Nour El Sherbini.
The Belgian drew first blood, edging the 19-minute first game 11-9,
before the expected Hany response came in the second, with the World
No.12 firing in winners as she struck back with an 11-3 win.
Gilis stormed back into the lead with a dominant 11-3 victory of her
own, but in a nail-biting fourth, Hany had a great opportunity to force
a fifth game, but could not press home her advantage as Gilis dragged
her back to 9-9.
Hany regrouped and had game ball at 10-9, but could not convert as Gilis
– after a lengthy video review on a ‘yes let’ decision that was
overturned – took the game to a tie break.
Gilis struck first to earn match ball at 11-10. In a brutal final rally
in which both players gained and lost the upper hand, the Belgian
finally broke Hany’s resistance to earn a shot at the World No.1 for a
place in the final.
“I’m a bit speechless and a bit emotional. It’s my first time reaching a
semi-final [of a Platinum event] and I’ve looked up to Salma [Hany],
we’ve played all through juniors together; we’ve played seven times on
the PSA World Tour but it must be about 50 in juniors and she chopped me
every time!” Gilis said.
“So to finally get a win over her on a stage like this and in a venue
like this feels a bit surreal right now!”
Nour El Sherbini
World No.1 El Sherbini, Gilis’ opponent tomorrow, cruised past Tinne
Gilis to reach her third consecutive El Gouna International semi-final.
The 2021 champion made a dream start against the Belgian No.2, taking
the first six points as she eased into the lead with an 11-4 win in game
one, before doubling her advantage after coming from 7-6 down to take
the second 11-7.
El Sherbini raced away to a 10-3 lead in the third, only for Gilis to
throw caution to the wind and save six match balls, before the Egyptian
eventually ended things with an 11-9 win.
“Maybe I lost a bit of concentration and wasn’t focusing on what I was
supposed to do," El Sherbini said.
"She was just focusing on what she needed to do and was fighting until
the last point. I’m a bit frustrated with what happened in the last
game, but thankfully it didn’t go any further than this and I won it in
the end. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d lost it.”
Defending champion Mostafa Asal overcame his Egyptian compatriot Mazen
Hesham in straight games to progress to the last four.
In a fast paced and entertaining first game, Asal was able to keep his
nose ahead of Hesham throughout, chasing down enough of the Falcon’s
winners to take the opener 11-7.
After a strong start to the second, Hesham pegged Asal back after
forcing some errors from the top seed’s racket, but the World No.2
regained his focus and moved two ahead with an 11-8 win.
The third game was a more fractured contest, but it was former World
No.1 Asal who was better able to reset after each interruption, keeping
calm to edge ahead and take the game 11-7.
“Mazen [Hesham] is one of the toughest players on tour and he’s in form
now. It’s tough to play players in form at the end of the season, so I’m
happy with my performance today. It was much calmer inside the court,
having my fans all over the place is amazing for me. I hope my loyal
fans are coming for the semis and the final!” Asal said post-match.
Mostafa Asal
“I’m playing in one of the best clubs in Africa and I’m sure they’ll
come and support! I’m really proud of myself today.”
Mohamed ElShorbagy awaits Asal in the semi-finals, who produced a
vintage performance to battle back from a game down to see off last
year’s finalist Paul Coll.
Coll clinched the first game when he converted game ball at the first
time of asking, however ElShorbagy dominated the second to restore
parity with his attacking prowess coming to the fore.
Two-time champion ElShorbagy’s firepower was proving to be too much for
Coll to handle in the third as the Englishman nudged 2-1 ahead.
Despite a positive start to the fourth from Coll, errors proved to be
costly as ElShorbagy took full advantage to secure a semi-final berth.
“Every time I play Paul [Coll], I know it’s going to be brutal. And when
you play him in hot conditions, it's even more brutal!” ElShorbagy said.
Mohamed ElShorbagy
“I’m an honest player and I know he’s not at his best this season, and
he would have known that I was not at my best last season, so we haven’t
really played each other at the same [level] for a while. I think the
last time was the US Open last year when we both played well at the same
time.”
Semi-final action of the El Gouna International 2023 takes place
tomorrow (Thursday 1 June). Play starts at 19:00 (GMT+3), with all four
matches from the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center available to
watch live on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok. |
DAY 5
El Hammamy and Gohar To Meet in Repeat Of 2022 El
Gouna Final
Reigning El Gouna International champion Hania El Hammamy will reignite
her rivalry with Nouran Gohar, with the two Egyptians set to face off in
the semi-finals of this year’s event at the El Gouna Conference and
Culture Center.
El Hammamy downed Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans in straight games, and the
defending champion was in control throughout the contest, on court for
just 33 minutes.
Evans started strongly, trying to back up after beating Nour El Tayeb in
the third round. El Hammamy had just enough for the first, winning it
11-8. She was then able to continue that form into both the second and
third games, dropping just nine points across the two to book her place
in the semis.
“Always great to be able to be ready for the semi-finals in a very short
period of time during the tournament. Sometimes, I play a lot of
matches, 3-2s, I go to five and play longer than my opponents, so this
time, I am happy I am matching them in the duration of the matches,” El
Hammamy explained.
“It is amazing playing in Egypt. It is great for having the juniors to
come and root for us Egyptians. It definitely gives us a huge motivation
and a huge boost on court.”
Hania El Hammamy
Gohar awaits her in the semi-finals on Thursday evening, who overpowered
England’s Georgina Kennedy 3-0.
The tournament’s top seed, who could return to the top of the Women’s
World Rankings if she wins the El Gouna International and Nour El
Sherbini fails to reach the final, clinched a close opening game before
the former World No.1 ruthlessly put the English No.1 to the sword.
“Firstly, I want to say how much respect I have for Gina [Kennedy]. She
is such an unbelievable athlete,” Gohar said.
Nouran Gohar
“It is special because we grew up playing the British Junior
Open together, it is a pleasure seeing how she has improved. It is
always a clean match against her, and I have so much respect for her. It
was great to be competing against her today.”
In the men’s draw, World No.1 secured his first appearance in the
semi-finals of the El Gouna International after beating Iker Pajares
Bernabeu in straight games.
The Peruvian is aiming to stay at the top of the World Rankings
following the last Platinum event of the season, with his opponent in
the last four, Ali Farag, also vying for a return to the summit.
Elias came through the heat and humidity in a tough 20-minute opener
before the 26-year-old comfortably took the second and third games 11-2.
“It is a quarter-final so there are always nerves. I am just happy I won
that first game, I think it was very important. It is tough conditions
so it is hard to get used to it, and it is even harder to practice in
the morning. It is so hot, coming in straight into the matches, but I am
happy I won the first game and then the rest of the match,” Elias said.
“I just came into my game the way I play. With these conditions, it was
really hard. The ball was bouncing a lot, so I changed my game a little
bit. I hit a lot of lobs, there was no point in hitting the ball hard
because it was coming all the way back to the ’T’. Happy with the way I
changed my gameplan, and I am happy to be in the semi-finals.”
Diego Elias
Four-time World Champion Farag battled back brilliantly to
overcome France’s Victor Crouin to book his place in the semi-finals.
French No.1 Crouin was in fine form in the opening stages, with his
natural attacking game being too good for Farag. However, the Egyptian
has gone behind in almost every match since winning the World
Championship final in straight games.
The comeback seemed almost invetiable, but the former World No.1 was
almost perfect throughout the next three games. He dropped just seven
points across the next three games, putting Crouin under too much
pressure, with the Frenchman hitting too many errors throughout the
latter stages.
“I am feeling very good and I think today was the best performance of
the tournament so far. It does make a difference, I keep saying coaching
doesn’t make a difference but having Karim [Darwish] in my corner really
does make a difference.” Farag said.
Ali Farag
“He came today from Cairo, he is driving back because he has another
commitment at 8:30 in the morning, so he is driving overnight, and then
he is coming back again for my semi-final. It does make a difference,
but now that he has done it, it was huge.”
The quarter-finals of the El Gouna International 2023 continues tomorrow
(Wednesday 31 May) with the bottom half of the draw. Play starts at
19:15 (GMT+3), with all four matches from the El Gouna Conference and
Culture Center available to watch live on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok.
|
DAY 4
Defending Champion Asal Continues Title Defence With
Third Round Victory
Mostafa Asal
Reigning El Gouna International champion Mostafa Asal continued his
title defence by dispatching Joel Makin 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals
at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center.
The World No.2 made it back-to-back wins against the Welshman, who have
gone toe-to-toe in some brutal clashes recently.
Asal booked his place in the last eight by defeating Makin 3-0: 11-6,
11-9, 11-8 in 71 minutes.
“It was a tough battle,” Asal said.
“Joel is an amazing player and he’s such a warrior inside the court. I
played my best squash today and I’m the defending champion here.
Everyone is with me and I want to keep this title.”
Nour El Sherbini
Elsewhere, World Champion Nour El Sherbini eased into the
quarter-finals after overcoming Alexandra Fuller in straight games in 26
minutes.
Quarter-final action of the El Gouna International 2023 begins tomorrow
(Tuesday 30 May) with the top half of the draw. Play starts at 19:15
(GMT+3), with all four matches from the El Gouna Conference and Culture
Center available to watch live on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok. |
DAY 3
Evans and Pajares Produce Round Three Shocks
Tesni Evans
Tesni Evans and Iker Pajares Bernabeu produced the biggest
shocks in round three of the El Gouna International 2023 after defeating
World No.6 Nour El Tayeb and former World Champion Tarek Momen,
respectively, at the El Gouna Squash Complex.
Welshwoman Evans downed El Tayeb in straight games, delivering a
consummate performance against the Egyptian to book her place in the
quarter-finals.
“I’m really happy with that. I thought I played really well and my game
plan that I had before the match worked really well today. Of course you
have to execute it, and I thought I played really well today,” Evan said
afterwards.
Pajares, meanwhile, came from behind to overcome former World No.3 Momen.
The Spanish No.1, who had lost his previous six meetings with the
Egyptian, brought his winless run to a halt by winning 3-1.
Iker Pajares Bernabeu
“I knew it would be tough today – I’ve played Tarek [Momen] so many
times but today I felt different on court. I felt sharper and I saw his
body language was gone and he was mentally very tired, so I kept
fighting very hard and I managed to do it in four games. I still can’t
believe it!” he said.
Meanwhile on the glass court, top seeds Nouran Gohar and Diego Elias
cruised into the quarter-finals with 3-0 wins over Fayrouz Aboelkheir
and Eain Yow Ng, respectively.
Round three of the El Gouna International 2023 continues tomorrow
(Monday 29 May) with the bottom half of the draw. Play gets underway
from 13:00 (GMT+3), with the action from court three at the El Gouna
Squash Complex in the afternoon streamed live on the PSA website, and
the evening session on the glass court at the El Gouna Conference and
Culture Center streamed live on
SQUASHTV.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
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Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok.
|
DAY 2
Defending Champions Make Successful Starts To Title
Defences
Hania El Hammamy
Defending El Gouna International champions Mostafa Asal and
Hania El Hammamy made successful starts to their title defences in the
second round of the Platinum level tournament at the El Gouna Squash
Complex.
Former World No.1 Asal came from 2-1 down to defeat Youssef Ibrahim,
while El Hammamy downed Mariam Metwally in straight games for a spot in
the third round.
“It was a really difficult match. To be defending champion of the
tournament, it’s really difficult. It’s so risky when you play one of
the most talented players I’ve ever seen," Asal said post-match.
Mostafa Asal
“It’s different vibes (coming into a tournament as defending champion).
You’re imagining yourself holding the title again. Last year I won El
Gouna and World Tour Finals so it was a good season for me. I think it’s
better than this season despite reaching World No.1. I’m so glad I got
through against a really talented player. If we both stay injury free,
we could dominate the sport.”
Nour El Sherbini
Elsewhere, seven-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini defeated Melissa
Alves in five games to reach the third round.
The top half of the third round of the El Gouna International 2023 will
be played tomorrow (Sunday 28 May) at 13:00 (GMT+3), with the action
from court three in the afternoon streamed live on the PSA website.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
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Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok. |
DAY 1
Steinmann and ElSherbini Avoid Shock Results While
Waller Scores Upset
Adrian Waller
Dimitri Steinmann and Mohamed ElSherbini both came from two games down
against tournament wildcard Aly Hussein and Cesar Salazar, respectively,
to book their places in the second round of the El Gouna International
2023 at the El Gouna Squash Complex.
Switzerland No.2 Steinmann saw off the World No.94 Hussein in a bruising
90-minute battle, while World No.17 ElSherbini overturned a 2-0 deficit
to overcome World No.38 Salazar.
“It was a tough match today, especially mentally. Going 2-0 down is
mentally very tough to come back in the third. I switched into another
gear, and luckily I found it and I was able to come back and win in
five,” Steinmann said.
World No.35 Adrian Waller pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the
opening day as he downed World No.18 Gregoire Marche 3-1.
In the women’s draw, Egyptian Mariam Metwally came from 2-1 down to seal
her place in the second round at the expense of Georgia Adderley.
Round two of the El Gouna International 2023 will be played tomorrow
(Saturday 27 May) at 12:00 (GMT+3), with the action from all four courts
streamed live on the PSA World Tour website.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
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Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok.
|
Preview
The Race to Qualify For the World Tour Finals
The 2022-2023 PSA World Tour season is almost at its end, with the
last Platinum tournament of the season, the El Gouna International,
beginning on Friday.
The event, which will take place at the El Gouna Squash Complex and
the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, will see 96 players
descend on the Egyptian resort. All the action will be streamed
live, with glass court action being shown on SQUASHTV, while the PSA
World Tour website will be the place to watch all the side court
action.
Hania El Hammamy and Mostafa Asal will be back to defend the titles
they won at this event last year. El Hammamy will have to deal with
the challenges of compatriots Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar if
she is to defend her crown and to win a first trophy in 2023.
Meanwhile, Asal is looking get the World No.1 spot back. A win this
week would certainly help that cause, but anything else and he could
lose ground on the rest of the contenders. Egypt’s Ali Farag is the
favourite this week having won his last three tournaments, the
British Open, World Championships and Manchester Open, while World
No.1 Diego Elias and England’s Mohamed ElShorbagy will also be in
contention.
Who Qualifies For The CIB PSA World Tour Finals?
The last Platinum event of the season also provides the last chance
for players to qualify for the season-ending CIB PSA World Tour
Finals, which takes place three weeks after the El Gouna
International.
There is still scope for some changes in the top eight in both the
men’s and women’s Road to Egypt standings. Of course, if someone
outside the top eight was to take the victory in El Gouna this week,
they would automatically qualify for the CIB PSA World Tour Finals.
If that was the case, then the player in 8th place would miss out on
the tournament.
There is only one woman that can mathematically make it into the top
eight without winning the tournament this week. The USA’s Olivia
Fiechter would have been another to have a chance, but she withdrew
from the El Gouna International yesterday.
Instead, the race for 8th spot will be between Belgium’s Nele Gilis
and Egypt’s Salma Hany. Gilis has a couple of titles to her name
this season, and she currently has 7,752.5 points this season.
Egypt’s Hany is currently 10th in the Road to Egypt standings, with
6,217.5 points meaning she has to reach the final in El Gouna to
have a chance.
For Hany To Make The Top Eight & Qualify
– Hany wins El Gouna
OR
– Hany reaches the final AND Gilis fails to reach RD3
For Gilis To Stay In The Top Eight
– Gilis reached RD3 in El Gouna
OR
– Hany fails to reach the final
The Road to Egypt standings following the Manchester Open
Like the women’s, there is only the one man who currently occupies a
place outside the top eight that can make it into the top eight
following the El Gouna International, apart from a possible winner
of the event.
2019 World Champion Tarek Momen sits in 9th prior to the tournament,
with 8,757.5 points. He could mathematically overtake both Mazen
Hesham and Victor Crouin to secure his place at the CIB PSA World
Tour Finals, but he would need to reach the final in El Gouna and
hope the others fail to reach a certain stage of the competition.
For Momen To Make The Top Eight & Qualify
– Momen wins El Gouna
OR
– Momen reaches the final AND Victor Crouin fails to reach the
semi-finals
OR
– Momen reaches the final AND Mazen Hesham fails to reach the
quarter finals
For Hesham To Stay In The Top Eight
– Hesham reaches the quarter finals
OR
– Hesham matches Crouin’s result
OR
– Momen fails to reach the final
For Crouin To Stay In The Top Eight
– Crouin reaches the semi-finals
OR
– Momen fails to reach the final
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
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Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok.
|
ROUND
TWO
28 MAY |
ROUND THREE
29- 30 MAY |
QUARTERS
01 JUNE |
SEMIS
02 JUNE |
FINAL
03 JUNE |
|
