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30/09/2017
NetSuite Open 2017

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Willstrop v Rösner
Netsuite Open 2016

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Oracle NetSuite Open 2017
Men's Draw
26 - 30 Sep
San Fransico, USA
, $100k
Round One
26 sep
Quarters
27-28 sep
Semis
29 sep
Final
30
sep
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12 (75m)
[Q] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-5, 13-11, 11-6 (50m)
Daryl Selby
Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-2, 11-13, 8-11,
11-6, 14-12 (70m)
James Willstrop

Mohamed ElShorbagy
11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (45m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
[7] Daryl Selby (ENG)
11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (55m)
[Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL)
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5 (63m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX)
 Ryan Cuskelly
11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (59m)
James Willstrop
[4] James Willstrop (ENG)
7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (64m)
[Q] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG)
7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (65m)
Borja Golan (ESP)
Nick Matthew
17-19, 11-6, 11-3,
11-6 (68m)
Diego Elias
Diego Elias
 6-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (90m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
Diego Elias (PER)
9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 (54m)
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY)
11-7, 11-8, 13-11 (43m)
[Q] Alan Clyne (SCO)
Tarek Momen
4-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (56m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
[WC] Faraz Khan (USA)
11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (28m)
[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Qualifying

Qualifying finals:
Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 (45m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-4 (70m)
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-13, 11-3, 11-5, 14-12 (71m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6 (49m)
 

Oracle NetSuite Open 2017
Women's Draw
26 - 30 Sep
San Fransico, USA, $100k
Round One
26 sep
Quarters
27 sep
Semis
28-29 sep
Final
30 sep
[1] Laura Massaro (ENG)
11-5, 11-9, 11-2 (25m)
[WC] Aisling Blake (IRL)
Laura Massaro
11-5, 12-14, 11-4,
11-7 (47m)
Salma Hany Ibrahim
Laura Massaro
11-9, 9-11, 11-8,
9-11, 11-7 (68m)
Sarah-Jane Perry
Sarah-Jane Perry
8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-7 (74m)
Nicol David
[8] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY)
11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (32m)
[Q] Nikki Todd (CAN)
[7] Donna Urquhart (AUS)
11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-8 (52m)
[Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN)
Donna Urquhart
11-9, 11-0, 11-9 (25m)
Sarah-Jane Perry
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7 (37m)
[Q] Hollie Naughton (CAN)
Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND)
11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 (52m)
[4] Emily Whitlock (ENG)
Dipika Pallikal Karthik
13-11, 11-6, 11-9 (35m)
Olivia Blatchford
Dipika Pallikal Karthik
11-3, 11-0, 11-5 (22m)
Nicol David
[6] Olivia Blatchford (USA)
11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (28m)
Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[5] Victoria Lust (ENG)
11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (42m)
[Q] Rachael Grinham (AUS)
Victoria Lust
11-5, 7-11, 11-6,
9-11, 12-10 (76m)
Nicol David
Heba El Torky (EGY)
11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
[2]
Nicol David (MAS)

Qualifying

Qualifying finals:
Nikki Todd (CAN) bt Nouran El Torky (EGY) 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (35m)
Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 11-5, 4-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9 (46m)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (27m)
 

 
REPORTS
ElShorbagy and Perry Lift 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open Titles

Egypt’s World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy and England’s World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry are the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open champions after they claimed respective wins over World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad and legendary Malaysian Nicol David on finals day in San Francisco.

ElShorbagy had a difficult 2016/17 season by his own high standards - losing his World No.1 ranking and struggling for form throughout - but has begun the new campaign in style, backing up a thrilling five-game victory over last year’s runner-up James Willstrop with a sublime display against Gawad, who struggled to back up after a brutal 90-minute semi-final with Peru’s Diego Elias.

ElShorbagy hadn’t beaten Gawad in over a year, losing to his compatriot twice in the meantime, but he outclassed the World No.2 this time around, reading his shots well and playing with stunning attacking force to record an 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 triumph - lifting his 26th Tour title and taking the lion’s share of the $100k prize fund.

"I’m really happy, it’s only my first tournament of the season and I think it’s the first time in my life that I have won the first tournament," said ElShorbagy.

"When I was World No.1 for 28 months, all of the players studied me every single day but, coming into this season, I’m studying everyone. I’m coming in really hungry and I really want to do well this season.

"I’ve put in a lot of work this summer and there is nothing in my mind apart from getting back to World No.1 this season. I’m going to do everything I can to get back to where I feel I should be."

In the women’s $50k event, 2015 runner-up Perry - who dispatched top seed and defending champion Laura Massaro in the semi-finals - had won the last three meetings between her and David but was up against it as her opponent, an eight-time World Champion, surged into a two-game lead courtesy of some precise attacking at the front of the court.

27-year-old Perry fought back in the third to halve the deficit before squandering two game balls in the fourth to hand David a championship ball.

But a fortuitous nick off a Perry cross court handed the initiative back to the player from England, and she converted her next game ball before holding her nerve in the decider to seal an 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-7 victory that sees her pick up the ninth Tour title of her career and her first since 2015.

"I was just thinking of my nan [at championship ball down], it’s one I’ve got to dedicate to her because she passed away a couple of weeks ago and on that championship ball I told myself that I had to be brave and do it for nan and it worked," said an emotional Perry.

"If a dead nick isn’t a sign that she’s looking down on me, then I don’t know what is. I had nothing in the tank but I just kept getting another ball back against someone who was playing amazing.

"This is my biggest title and I reached my first World Series final last season, so I’m looking to set my marker down early. Winning this one has kickstarted my season and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for the rest of the year."
 
Gawad, ElShorbagy and David Seal Final Spots

World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad will take on compatriot Mohamed ElShorbagy in the final of the 2017 Men’s Oracle NetSuite Open, PSA M100 tournament after he launched a superb comeback from two games down to beat Peru’s World No.17 Diego Elias in San Francisco,

Elias had beaten World No.4 Matthew in the previous round and continued where he left off against the Englishman in the first two games as he outplayed Gawad with some sublime winners paired with a composed and mature game plan that belied his 20 years of age.

However, Gawad grew into the match as time wore on, with his relentless pressure ultimately paying off as Elias’s energy levels dipped and he came back to win three games without reply to take it 6-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 in 90 minutes.

"Me and Mohamed are almost the same age, he’s only six months older, and we’ve always been competing since we were 7 years old.

"It’s very tough playing him and we always have a huge battle. Hopefully we’ll have a great match and have enough in the tank for tomorrow."

ElShorbagy will appear in a second successive PSA World Tour final after he overcame last year's runner-up James Willstrop, also in a five-game thriller.

"It’s very tough playing him and we always have a huge battle. Hopefully we’ll have a great match and have enough in the tank for tomorrow."

ElShorbagy will appear in a second successive PSA World Tour final after he overcame last year's runner-up James Willstrop, also in a five-game thriller.

Willstrop had fought back from a game down and 10-4 down in the second to go 2-1 ahead but ElShorbagy - who won the PSA Dubai World Series Finals on his last Tour outing - came back at him in the fourth to set up a nail-biting decider.

Both players had match balls as the clash headed into a tie-break but it was the man from Egypt who held his nerve to take it 11-2, 11-13, 8-11, 11-6, 14-12.

“I was thinking I should have been 2-0 up and then suddenly I’m 2-1 down in the semi-finals against someone like James, it was such a huge challenge for me to stay positive and remove any kind of negative thoughts," said ElShorbagy.

"I’m really proud with how I came back, it was never easy, and even in the fifth game, to be 10-8 up and then finding myself 11-10 down after having two match balls, it was challenge after challenge.

“James was playing so well today and once he won that second game and got his confidence, he was like a train, there were times when I couldn’t stop him. I had to keep fighting and that’s what I do best."

Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David will play England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in the women’s final after a ruthless display from the World No.5 saw her ease past India’s Pallikal Karthik in just 22 minutes.

David had recovered from match ball down to beat Victoria Lust in the previous round, but she was in charge of proceedings right from the off as she glided around court and gave Pallikal Karthik no chance to launch any kind of attack, with the World No.21 failing to even amass a point in the second game.

Pallikal Karthik found her range more in the third but couldn’t do anything to break David’s spell as the former World No.1 powered to an 11-3, 11-0, 11-5 victory that will see her clash with Perry, who knocked out top seed and defending champion Laura Massaro in yesterday’s semi-final.

“I’m just so pleased to get into the finals here in San Francisco," David said.

"It’s my first time in the final here, so it will be very exciting for me to play in front of a great crowd. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and I’m really going to give it a good go.

“Whoever is in the final is going to be a contender and I’m up for the battle.”

Live coverage from the final of the Oracle NetSuite Open begins from 19:30 local time (PDT) on Saturday September 30 and all of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 


Elias and Perry Claim Upsets on Day Three of Oracle NetSuite Open

Peruvian World No.17 Diego Elias and England’s World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry upset the seedings on the day three of the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open main draw after they achieved respective victories over English duo Nick Matthew and Laura Massaro at the stunning glass showcourt on Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco.

Elias, 20, and Matthew, 37 were the youngest and oldest players, respectively, in the main draw of the men’s event and the pair played out an incredible opening game which saw Matthew prevail 19-17 after an incredible 32 minutes of play.

But the brutal nature of that game took its toll on the Yorkshireman as Elias claimed wins in the final three games to take reach the semi-finals courtesy of a 17-19, 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 victory in 68 minutes, bringing an end to Matthew’s last ever Oracle NetSuite Open after last week’s announcement that he will retire from the sport at the end of the season.

“I just wanted to do my best today, although I knew it was his last year and I didn’t want to beat him,” said Elias, who also reached the last four last year.

“I was playing my best but he’s an idol for me and I’ve always looked up to him ever since I was a little kid, so playing him here and having the opportunity to play this amazing game with him was very special for me and I’m really happy to win.

“This is my lucky tournament, I was in the semis last year and I love playing here. The crowd are amazing, I’ve had an amazing tournament and I want to keep playing like this, I hope I can keep winning here.”

Elias will take on World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad for a place in the final after the World No.2 defeated fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen in four games.

Gawad looked out of sorts in the opening stages and struggled to deal with the cold conditions on a dead court, making lots of errors as Momen took the opener for the loss of four points.

He completely changed things around in the second game though as he dropped five points en route to victory in the second game, while he capitalised on a loss of focus from Momen in the third to come back from 7-3 down before closing out the fourth to seal an 4-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 triumph.

"It’s harder to play one of your best mates and he’s [Tarek] like a brother to me," said Gawad.

"I grew up watching him and I remember him playing one of the other Egyptian guys and I was so impressed and now we’re here playing and competing together. We had been playing at the same club for 10 years, I’ve moved to another club now but we still train together and are very close.

"It’s always to tough to play such a physical and gifted opponent."

The first semi-final from the women’s tournament took place today and saw Perry claim her first ever win over defending champion and England teammate Massaro on the PSA World Tour to reach the final of the Oracle NetSuite Open for the second time in three years.

Perry and World No.4 Massaro were partners in the WSF World Doubles Championships earlier this year but were going head-to-head for the fourth time on the Tour with Perry failing to take more than a game in all of their previous meetings.

But she held off the World No.4 in San Francisco to take an 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 victory which will see her take on either Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David or India’s World No.21 Dipika Pallikal Karthik in the final.

"I have beaten her once before but it wasn’t on the Tour, so it’s the first time I’ve beaten her on the Tour," said Perry, who also reached the final in 2015.

"I probably had a bit of a mental block against Laura over the last few matches and she’s had a really good game plan against me, executed it perfectly and left me very, very frustrated.

"I played some really good squash, Laura played some really fantastic squash, so I’m really happy to come out with a win against a really tough opponent."

The 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open continues tomorrow (September 29) with both semi-final matches from the men’s tournament, while the semi-final match from the bottom half of the women’s event will also take place tomorrow - all of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 

ElShorbagy and Willstrop Set Up Mouthwatering Semi-Final Clash

Former World No.1s Mohamed ElShorbagy and James Willstrop will meet for the 21st time on the PSA World Tour after they both claimed wins to reach the semi-finals of the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open, PSA M100 tournament held in San Francisco.

Spectators at the Oracle NetSuite Challenge Court on Justin Herman Plaza witnessed ElShorbagy advance to the last four of this tournament for the first time after he overcame England’s World No.12 Daryl Selby by an 11-5, 13-11, 11-6 scoreline.

“At the beginning of the match I struggled a little bit,” said ElShorbagy.

“We both played a really high quality match in a good spirit like always, it was a good battle. It’s my first year here and I’m absolutely loving it.

“The goal for me this season is to get my World No.1 spot back. I didn’t play very well last season and I want to prove to myself that I can still get the wins when I play well.”

Willstrop, the 2016 runner-up, advanced to the semi-finals of the Oracle NetSuite Open for the second successive year courtesy of a 3-0 triumph against Australia’s World No.15 Ryan Cuskelly.

The match was much closer than the scoreline would suggest, with Cuskelly pushing Willstrop hard and not giving ‘The Marksman’ any room to breath as he narrowly went down 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 in 59 minutes.

Willstrop currently leads the head-to-head record against ElShorbagy 11-9, although the Egyptian has won the last four meetings between the two.

“You’ve got to try not to forget that, even though you’re down on points, you’ve still hopefully put him through some work and played the rallies well,” said Willstrop, who came from behind to win both the second and third games against Cuskelly.

“There’s pressure that might accumulate but I try not think about it because the more you think about the scoreline the worse it will be. You have to concentrate and forget about the scoreboard.”

The other men’s quarter-final matches will take place tomorrow (September 28) as Karim Abdel Gawad, Nick Matthew, Tarek Momen and Diego Elias aim to join ElShorbagy and Willstrop in the semi-finals.

In the women’s event, which features $50k in prize money, England’s top two players Laura Massaro and Sarah-Jane Perry will go head-to-head in a repeat of March’s British Open final after they managed respective wins over Egypt’s Salma Hany Ibrahim and Australia’s Donna Urquhart.

Preston-based Massaro, the defending champion and World No.4, had lost out to Ibrahim the last time they met on the PSA World Tour two years ago but she eased to victory in the first game before a resurgent Ibrahim levelled in the second.

But the lacklustre Ibrahim of the opening game reared her head again in the third as Massaro marched into a 10-1 lead - ultimately seeing it out 11-4 - and the Englishwoman used that momentum to come out on top in a high quality fourth game to seal her place in a second consecutive Oracle NetSuite Open semi-final fixture by an 11-5, 12-14, 11-4, 11-7 scoreline.

"I had to keep myself really upbeat and had to have a lot of positive body language," said Massaro.

"I had to be really alert, had to keep my body language up and had to be 100 per cent respectful of a player with that talent and I’m really happy to get off with a win.

"It’s a lively court, we’ve played on it a few times in other cities. For me personally, it’s just about trying to stay positive at the front of the court. It’s not natural for me to want to do that but once I’ve hit on a court that’s as cold as this I want to be positive when I go short and I think I had that balance towards the end."

Birmingham-based Perry, meanwhile, surged into the semi-finals after beating Urquhart in straight games at the Bay Club San Francisco.

The World No.6 was dominant for the majority the match and didn’t drop a single point in the second game as she powered to an 11-9, 11-0, 11-9 victory to earn her place in the last four.

“Donna’s such a tough opponent, last time we played it was really close and we’ve had some epic matches so I know how dangerous she is,” said 2015 runner-up Perry.

“I’m feeling good and it will be great to play on the glass court, I’ve got good memories from two years ago. I love playing on the glass court, it’ll be pretty awesome.”

The other women’s semi-final will see Malaysian eight-time World Champion Nicol David line up against Dipika Pallikal Karthik. David came back from a match ball down to avoid a shock defeat to England’s Victoria Lust, while Pallikal Karthik overcame United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford.

The Oracle NetSuite Open continues tomorrow (September 28) on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 
 
Top Seeds Prevail on Opening Day

The opening day of main draw action at the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open saw all but two of the seeded players across the mens and women’s events make it through to the quarter-final stage, with last year’s runner-up James Willstrop avoiding a shock defeat to Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi in the standout match at the Bay Club San Francisco.

A capacity crowd were treated to a series of fast-paced rallies, with Al Tamimi’s shot-making talents and incredible retrieval skills seeing him go 2-1 ahead, only to see Willstrop take control in the final two games to emerge from the fixture unscathed by an 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 margin.

"He is very fast and very skilful," said Willstrop.

"It’s also the first match of the season for me and it was a bit cloudy in my head. I have to thank my dad [Malcolm] because I wasn’t calm out there. There’s no time to think in squash and you’re under quite a lot of duress with the oxygen debt, so it’s difficult to think clearly and stay calm.

"It’s that balance about knowing when your shot is on and when not to go for it when you’re under pressure. He was putting me deep and I was having to counter him. That’s the brilliant thing about squash, its about rally construction and choosing the right shots to play at the right time."

Willstrop will take on Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly in the next round after he defeated Mexico’s Cesar Salazar, while World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy overcame former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a four-game thriller.

The pair engaged in some lengthy rallies, with ElShorbagy coming out on top more often than not to build up a two-game lead before Rodriguez found his length in the third to take it and send the match into a fourth game which saw both players go hell for leather in a bid to establish their superiority in the match.

As the game went on, the intensity of the matches grew while there were frequent discussions with the referee as the duo refused to give in. Rodriguez forced a tie-break where he overturned two match balls but the gruelling nature of the rallies eventually took its toll on the ‘Colombian Cannonball’ as ElShorbagy’s power won out in the end.

“I thought today was a perfect first match of the season for me,” said ElShorbagy.

“Today, I was tested physically and mentally playing Miguel on the bouncy, traditional courts and I passed that test today. You’re playing probably the best player in these kind of conditions, so it was a challenge.

“I knew he was going to play well, he didn’t play well last season but he will have had some good summer training and I haven’t seem him play that well in a while. I’m really proud with the win."

World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad got his tournament off to a winning start against tournament wildcard Faraz Khan and he will take on fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen in the next round.

Two-time runner-up Nick Matthew was also in action as he got the better of Spain’s Borja Golan with a 3-1 victory in his first tournament appearance since he announced that he will retire at the end of the season last week. The World No.4 will meet Peru’s Diego Elias in the last eight after he got the better of Fares Dessouky.

In the women’s event, defending champion Laura Massaro took a step closer to retaining her crown after she dispatched tournament wildcard Aisling Blake in just 25 minutes.

36-year-old Blake was making her first main draw appearance at a Tour event since 2015 after retiring from the sport two years ago and Massaro, the number one seed, ensured that the result went in her favour after the 33-year-old from Preston surged to an 11-5, 11-9, 11-2 victory.

"I thought Aisling played well considering she's been retired for two years," said Massaro.

"I’m excited to be back, China [the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions] didn't go according to plan but I’ve put in a a few changes in training since then, so hopefully I can do well here ahead of going to the U.S. Open.

"Being in San Francisco is really relaxing, so I feel at home here."

Massaro is joined in the last eight by compatriot and World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry, who defeated Canadian qualifier Hollie Naughton 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7 in 37 minutes.

“A few years ago, you used to see a qualifier and think that’s an alright draw but now they’re really tough,” said Perry.

“My length dropped off a little bit maybe. It was good in the first two games but then she stepped up a bit and I was trying to hit some shots that weren’t really on. I had to wrestle back the control and I think I did that in the last game, although I did switch off for a couple of rallies and then she was right back in it."

Perry will face Australia’s Donna Urquhart in the quarter-finals, while Massaro will take on Egyptian number eight seed Salma Hany Ibrahim.

There were also wins for Malaysian eight-time World Champion Nicol David and Victoria Lust, who will face off in the next round, while United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford and India’s Dipika Pallikal Karthik will go head-to-head in the other quarter-final after they beat Millie Tomlinson and Emily Whitlock, respectively.
 
Al Tamimi Upsets Marche in Oracle NetSuite Open Qualifying

Qatar’s World No.42 Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi caused the only major upset in the final qualifying round of the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open after he overcame World No.23 Gregoire Marche to reach the main draw of the men’s PSA M100 tournament in San Francisco.

The duo were meeting for the first time on the PSA World Tour, with Marche the man in form after his title triumph at the Open International de Squash de Nantes earlier this month.

But it was Al Tamimi who prevailed in San Francisco as the 22-year-old from Doha rose to the win by an 11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6 margin to set up a main draw meeting with last year’s runner-up James Willstrop in round one.

Al Tamimi will be joined in the main draw by Colombia’s former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who came through a nail-biting five-game encounter with Egyptian maverick Mazen Hesham.

Hesham, the 23-year-old World No.70, twice went a game ahead but the experience of Rodriguez paid off as he held his nerve to come back into the clash, winning it 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-4 to ensure he will take on World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy in a mouthwatering first round encounter.

World No.27 Alan Clyne is also through after coming out on top in an all-Scottish fixture with Greg Lobban, while Campbell Grayson beat Frenchman Lucas Serme in straight games to book his main draw berth. They will play Tarek Momen and Daryl Selby, respectively in the first round.

The women’s final round of qualifying saw the matches go to seeding as 2007 World Champion Rachael Grinham joined Canadian trio Samantha Cornett, Hollie Naughton and Nikki Todd in the main draw of the PSA W50 event.

Grinham dispatched Japan’s Misaki Kobayashi in three games to set up a first round clash with Victoria Lust, while Naughton was forced all the way to five games by Kiwi Amanda Landers-Murphy.

After going 2-1 up, Naughton looked to be up against it after taking just two points from a one-sided fourth game as Landers-Murphy drew level. But the World No.40 prevailed in the fifth game to take it 11-5, 4-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9 and she will face World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry in the main draw.

Cornett defeated fellow Canadian Danielle Letourneau to earn her place in the next round, while Todd ousted Egypt’s Nouran El Torky, who was unable to back up her surprise win over top qualifying seed Coline Aumard in the opening round of qualifying.

First round action from the Oracle NetSuite Open will take place on September 26 at local clubs. Matches from the quarter-finals onwards will take place on the Oracle NetSuite Challenge court on Justin Herman Plaza and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only) between September 27-30.

Tickets start from $20 and can be purchased at www.netsuiteopensquash.tix.com

 
Gaultier Withdraws from Oracle NetSuite Open

French World No.1 Gregory Gaultier has withdrawn from next week’s 2017 Men’s Oracle NetSuite Open in San Francisco due to an ankle injury.

The 34-year-old, who has won three Oracle NetSuite Open titles, was seeded first for the PSA M100 tournament but his ankle injury - a reoccurrence of the one that saw him forced to pull out of last year’s PSA Men’s World Championship at the semi-final stage - will prevent him from defending the title he won 12 months ago.

As a result of the injury, Mohamed ElShorbagy moves up from third seed to number two seed and will take on a qualifier, while Willstrop will now face a qualifier instead of Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly, who now becomes the number eight seed..

Mexico’s World No.21 Cesar Salazar moves into the main draw and will take on Cuskelly for a place in the quarter-finals.

2017 Oracle NetSuite Open - Revised Men's First Round Draw
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [7] Daryl Selby (ENG)
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
[Qualifier] v [4] James Willstrop (ENG)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Diego Elias (PER) v [6] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Qualifier]
[WC] Faraz Khan (USA) v [1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

The qualifying stages and first round of the Oracle NetSuite Open will be held at local clubs between September 24-26, with matches from the quarter-finals onwards taking place on the Oracle NetSuite Challenge court on Justin Herman Plaza between September 27-30.

Action from the Oracle NetSuite Challenge court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while tickets start from $20 and can be purchased at www.netsuiteopensquash.tix.com
 
Gaultier Excited to Begin Season at Oracle NetSuite Open

World No.1 Gregory Gaultier is aiming to make a strong start to the 2017/18 season when he gets his campaign under way at the 2017 Oracle NetSuite Open, which takes place in San Francisco, United States between September 26-30.

Gaultier has dominated the PSA World Tour in 2017, winning six titles and 27 matches in a row en route to becoming the oldest ever World No.1, male or female.

The Frenchman defeated England’s James Willstrop to lift last year’s title - his third Oracle NetSuite Open crown - and he is eyeing up further success as he looks to begin the season in style.

"I’ve played the event five times and have always enjoyed playing there," said 34-year-old Gaultier.

"It’s the first tournament of the season, so of course it’s important to have a good start from there and try to build up some confidence for the rest of the season. We will see what happens.

"[Tournament Promoter] John Nimick always does a good job with organising events and always tries to set up the glass court in spectacular places.

"After all these years going there, I know lot of people and friends, so it's even more pleasant to go somewhere you have already experienced, spent good time and have a lot of good memories. It’s a great place to visit for people who come to watch the event also."

Gaultier is part of the strongest ever men’s draw, with World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy and World No.4 Nick Matthew all seeded to join him in the semi-finals as they battle it out for a share of the $100,000 prize fund.

A women’s tournament featuring $50,000 prize money will also be held alongside the men’s event and sees defending champion Laura Massaro headline the draw ahead of Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David, World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry and World No.13 Emily Whitlock.

The qualifying stages and first round of the Oracle NetSuite Open will be held at local clubs between September 24-26, with matches from the quarter-finals onwards taking place on the Oracle NetSuite Challenge court on Justin Herman Plaza between September 27-30.

Action from the Oracle NetSuite Challenge court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while tickets start from $20 and can be purchased at www.netsuiteopensquash.tix.com
 

 

 

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