Egypt’s Farag & El Sherbini Lift 2018-2019 PSA World Championship
Titles Egyptian
duo Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini have been crowned World Champions after they
got the better of compatriots Tarek Momen and Nour El Tayeb, respectively, at
Chicago’s Union Station earlier today to win the 2018-2019 PSA World
Championships presented by the Walter Family.
The 2018-2019 PSA World Championships was the sport’s first $1 million
tournament, with $500,000 split equally between the male and female athletes.
Union Station’s Great Hall played host to two finals befitting squash’s richest
tournament, with over two hours of world-class squash on show.
Just
24 hours after dethroning fellow Egyptian Mohamed ElShorbagy to take the World
No.1 spot, Farag lifted the sport’s most iconic title after prevailing by an
11-5, 11-13, 13-11, 11-3 scoreline after 79 gripping minutes of action.
Both of the men’s finalists were appearing in the World Championships title
decider for the first time, with Momen defeating both of the 2017 finalists –
brothers Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy – en route. Farag, meanwhile, had toppled
Germany’s World No.5 Simon Rösner in the semi-finals to book his final berth.
Fourth seed Momen fought back after going a game down to Farag, the No.2 seed. A
crucial third game went the way of Farag on the tie-break and that proved
pivotal as the 26-year-old powered to victory in the fifth game to write his
name into the history books.
“As
I stand here today, I can’t help but think about the road I’ve taken to be
here,” said Harvard-graduate Farag following the biggest win of his career.
“If, five years back, you had told me that I would be standing here holding the
World Championship trophy, then no chance would I have believed you. As a senior
at college, I never thought about going pro and the main driving force behind it
is Nour. It sounds like a cliché, but find someone who lifts you up day in and
day out, I’m deeply blessed to have her in my life, and she is the one who
pushed me to go pro.
“Winning the World Championships is one thing, but winning it in front of this
crowd is something else. Thanks to the Walter Family, it’s the biggest prize
purse that’s ever been on offer in squash and it’s a huge honour.”
Farag’s win came shortly after wife El Tayeb fell in the women’s final as World
No.2 El Sherbini captured her third World Championship crown at the age of just
23.
Appearing in her fourth successive World Championship final – and fifth overall
– El Sherbini dominated the opening stages against a nervy-looking El Tayeb to
go two games up in just 18 minutes.
El Tayeb and Farag became the first married couple in sporting history to lift
the same major sports title on the same day when they won the 2017 U.S. Open,
and El Tayeb kept hopes of bettering that achievement alive when she battled
back with a vengeance to halve the deficit, recovering from championship ball
down in the process.
But
El Sherbini edged a tense tie-break in the fourth to finally end El Tayeb’s
resistance, and she becomes the fifth woman to lift three World Championship
titles after Malaysia’s Nicol David, New Zealand’s Susan Devoy and Australian
duo Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Michelle Martin.
“I think I’m out of words,” said El Sherbini.
“The last two games were really close and she was coming back. I think she likes
it like that, she was a little bit tense in the first two games and then she
started to relax. I was trying to focus point after point and I’m really happy
of course.
“It was really tough tournament for me, and a lot of things happened before I
came here and behind the scenes. But I’m really glad that I came because one of
the options was that I wouldn’t be able to come. I was improving match after
match, and I had a lot of tough matches in the earlier rounds, but I’m really
glad that I managed to get everything together this week.”
Farag and El Sherbini will each take home over $70,000 in prize money, which is
the largest prize winnings in the history of professional squash.
Tournament
Sponsors Mark and Kimbra Walter pictured with Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini
A
thrilling night of action at Chicago’s Union Station saw World No.3 Tarek Momen
end the run of reigning champion Mohamed ElShorbagy to reach the final of the
2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family - while married
couple Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb will also feature in the title deciders of
the men’s and women’s events, respectively.
Momen had suffered nine straight defeats to World No.2 ElShorbagy coming into
tonight’s match and hadn’t beaten his fellow Egyptian since 2013. ElShorbagy,
who beat younger brother Marwan to win his maiden World Championship crown in
December 2017, had the better of the early stages to go 2-1 up in Union
Station’s Great Hall.
But Momen - who dispatched Marwan earlier on in this tournament - dug into his
mental reserves and showed some sublime touches at the front of the court to
level the scores. The 31-year-old crept ahead in the deciding fifth game and
held off his opponent to book his place in the final of the sport’s biggest
event for the first time.
Momen’s win came less than two hours after wife and reigning women’s champion
Raneem El Welily saw her hopes of retaining her title extinguished by World No.3
El Tayeb.
“I’m so happy to be in the final, this is my first ever [World Championship]
final, but it’s not over," said Momen.
"I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, whoever I play, it is going to be the
first time for both of us. I’m going to fight for it and give it my all, how can
it get any better than if I win the World Championships? It cannot get any
better.
“I’ve been inspired by her [El Welily’s] win since last year. I was heartbroken
for myself for not making it past the last 16, but seeing her win the title
brought so much joy, watching her win that last point and get the trophy and all
I could think of is that one day I wanted to be there. I would have loved to
have done it together, but she’s had it, and if I can have it then the two of us
can tell our future kids and grandkids that we won that title.”
There
will be a new name etched into the men’s trophy after Momen’s fellow Egyptian
Ali Farag got his reign at World No.1 under way with an 11-2, 11-9, 11-4 triumph
against Germany’s Simon Rösner to reach his first World Championship final.
“It was such an emotional, long day, with Nour [El Tayeb] playing and winning an
epic one and then going back to the hotel and watching the other semi-final of
the men’s… so it was quite an emotional one," said Farag.
“I woke up really happy to be the new World No.1 and then I had to get it out of
my system because if I had have been dragged away with that then I wouldn’t have
played my best today, and I can’t play Simon at 99%, I have to be at 100 per
cent all the time. I’m really glad that I did that, and I hope tomorrow can be a
special day for us.”
The finals of the World Championships will feature a married couple for the
first time in history, as Farag and El Tayeb look to replicate their incredible
joint U.S. Open wins from October 2017.
That triumph saw them become the first married couple in sporting history to win
the same major sports title on the same day and they will now appear in the
finals of squash’s pinnacle tournament, where the lion’s share of the $1 million
prize fund - the highest in the sport’s history - is up for grabs.
“All
through the match I was just trying to hang in there with Raneem,” said El Tayeb,
who won the Windy City Open in Chicago last year.
“She’s the best in the world for a reason and she makes every rally hard and I
can’t believe it. I’m in the final of the World Championships – wow. I knew I
hadn’t had a big win over the top two since Chicago last year and that gives me
massive confidence going into the final tomorrow… I have proved to myself that I
can fight through a really hard match.”
Meanwhile, two-time winner Nour El Sherbini will appear in her fourth successive
World Championship final - and her fifth overall - at the age of just 23 after
she held off a spirited comeback from French World No.5 Camille Serme.
El
Sherbini became the sport’s youngest ever World Champion in 2016 at the age of
20 before retaining her title the following year. The Egyptian then fell to El
Welily in the final of the previous edition in Manchester in 2017.
And she will have the chance to become the fifth woman to win three World
Championships after an 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 5-11, 11-6 victory over Serme. Her
match will be a repeat of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions semi-finals,
where El Sherbini triumphed en route to winning the title.
The finals of the PSA World Championships will feature an all-Egyptian
contingent for the third year in a row in both the men’s and women’s draws.
“For me, it’s the fifth final of the World Championships and playing Nour is
going to be difficult" El Sherbini said.
"We just played at the ToC and it’s hard to play every tournament against each
other. We haven’t played in a final since ToC last year, so I’m really looking
forward to tomorrow’s match.”
Live action from the finals begins at 19:00 (GMT-6) on Saturday March 2. Matches
will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only)
and mainstream broadcast channels such as BT Sport, Astro, Fox Sports Australia
and more.
Rösner Becomes First German Ever to Reach World Semis
World No.4 Simon Rösner has become the first German player
ever to reach a World Championship semi-final after he overcame India’s Saurav
Ghosal inside Chicago’s Union Station on day six of the 2018-2019 PSA World
Championships presented by the Walter Family. Rösner
- who is the highest ranked German of all time and the only player from that
nation to win a major PSA title - rose to an 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 victory against
World No.11 Ghosal to ensure that he will go head-to-head with World No.2 Ali
Farag for a place in the final of squash’s first $1 million tournament.
“It’s big, I’ve never reached the quarters before, and now I’ve made it to the
semis," said Rösner.
“It’s very satisfying, especially with the way I played. After the tough match I
had two days ago, I felt much better today and played some aggressive and much
more controlling squash, and that put Saurav under a lot of pressure.
“I knew playing Saurav that I would have to be at a 100% because he’s really
playing well these days, so I had to be at my best and I’m happy to be through.
I think you see the finishing line maybe a bit too early and you’re trying to
hang in there. The ball was dead in the third game and Saurav can really chop it
in, so I was pleased that I could convert the tactics that I had before the
match.”
Farag
will dethrone fellow Egyptian Mohamed ElShorbagy to become the new World No.1
tomorrow (March 1) and he will get his reign at the summit of the PSA World
Rankings under way against the German after beating New Zealand’s Paul Coll 3-1.
The Harvard-graduate and World No.6 Paul Coll were meeting for the third
tournament in a row, while Farag boasted a five-match win streak over the Kiwi
coming into the match. Despite dropping the third game to a resurgent Coll,
Farag managed the match well to complete an 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-1 triumph in 57
minutes.
"I've been very excited [about becoming World No.1], I would have loved it to
have been in a different circumstance and not had a match to focus on, but I'm
very excited," said Farag, who will appear in the semi-finals for the second
time.
"He [Coll] gets smarter and fitter, and I think today was very tactical. It was
going to go to whoever got the middle of the court, he used the height and
angles very well and he never gave me anything easy.
“He was standing in front of me for a big chunk of that match, which is all
credit to him, but my length fell short a little bit, so I had to be aggressive
from the fourth. I think I did that well, and that big long rally at the start
of the fourth was crucial.”
Farag’s win means that there will be two married couples in the semi-finals of
the World Championships for the first time after wife Nour El Tayeb, and fellow
Egyptians Raneem El Welily and Tarek Momen claimed victories in their
quarter-final fixtures yesterday.
It is also the first time since the 2014 edition that the top four seeds in the
men’s draw have all reached the semi-finals.
France’s
Camille Serme is through to the semi-finals for the fourth time in her career
after the World No.5 put in a masterclass to end the run of New Zealand’s Joelle
King, winning 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 in just 37 minutes.
King got the better of Serme when they met in the quarter-finals of the J.P.
Morgan Tournament of Champions in January, but the woman from France executed
her game plan to perfection inside Union Station’s Great Hall to move to within
one win of a maiden World Championship final appearance.
“When I lost to Joelle in New York, she played really well, but it was a tough
loss for me,” said Serme afterwards.
“We always say you learn more from a loss than a win, so I worked hard on that
match, and I was really focused on what to do on court and not about the World
Championships or rankings. I just wanted it so badly, I stayed focused the whole
way, and I’m very happy with that."
Two-time
World Champion Nour El Sherbini stands between Serme and a coveted place in the
title decider, with the World No.2 seeing off the challenge of Welsh No.1 Tesni
Evans.
Sherbini, who won both the 2015 and 2016 World Championships, eliminated United
States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in the previous round after a gripping five-game
battle, but the 23-year-old required just three games to get the better of
Evans.
“She has been playing very good from the start of the season and improving,” El
Sherbini said.
“She’s in the top ten now, and even though it was 3-0, it wasn’t easy. I’m happy
with the way I played. I had a tough last round against Amanda, but I had a day
off yesterday and recovered well to come back again today refreshed.”
The semi-finals of the PSA World Championships will get under way at 17:00
(GMT-6) on March 1. Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World),
Eurosport Player (Europe only) and major broadcasters around the world, such as
BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
Egyptian Quartet Prevail on Day Five
A quartet of Egyptians - containing reigning champions Mohamed ElShorbagy and
Raneem El Welily - claimed victories on the opening day of quarter-final action
at the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships in Chicago to ensure that there is
guaranteed to be an Egyptian finalist in squash’s first $1 million tournament.
ElShorbagy,
the current World No.1, booked his place in the last four courtesy of a 3-1 win
over Colombian World No.7 Miguel Rodriguez inside the Great Hall of Chicago’s
Union Station.
The pair met in the final of the sport’s longest-running tournament - the
British Open - last May, with Rodriguez taking the win on that occasion. The
South American took the opening game, but ElShorbagy stayed strong mentally and
battled back to take the next three games without reply, winning 5-11, 11-7,
11-6, 11-6 to book his place in the semis.
“I actually think this is one of the best times he has played against me,”
ElShorbagy said.
“From the first point I could see his focus, and I knew that I was one for a
battle tonight. I could see that if I needed to win a point then he wasn’t going
to give it easy to me today. I had to win the point myself and I had to extend
the rallies as much as possible. It was very tough playing him tonight and every
point we played, physically and mentally, I had to get my tactics right after I
lost that first game, and I’m really glad I pulled through in the end.
“[Coach David] Palmer and me worked out a plan after that first game, and we
needed to look at what was happening and that’s what you had to do. You go on
with a game plan and, if it’s not working, then you have to get the next one on
and tonight, I had to do that.”
Compatriot
and World No.3 Tarek Momen awaits ElShorbagy in the semi-finals after he
defeated the defending champion’s brother, Marwan, in straight games.
Marwan narrowly lost out to Mohamed in a historic World Championship final in
Manchester back in December 2017, but was outplayed by Momen, who displayed some
superb attacking touches during an 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 triumph to reach the
semi-finals of this tournament for the first time since 2015.
“This result is more than I could ever have dreamed of because I had a very
tough five-game match with Abouelghar and to keep my hopes alive in this
tournament, I needed an easier match today," said Momen.
"I’m also happy to be back in the semi-finals of the World Championship, the
last time was 2015, also in the US, so I’m happy to be back.”
Momen’s
wife, World No.1 El Welily, will join her husband in the semi-finals after she
saw off the challenge of World No.8 Nouran Gohar.
30-year-old El Welily lost out to her younger compatriot in the semi-finals of
the Egyptian Nationals earlier this month, but she overcame her opponent by an
11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 11-2 margin, which extends her winning run over Gohar on the
PSA Tour to four matches.
“I was a bit nervous to be honest,” said El Welily, a three-time World
Championship finalist.
“Nouran and I have played many times this season, with the last being 10 days
ago at the Nationals and she beat me, so I was a bit edgy at the start. But I
managed to push myself through the pressure to handle the situation that I was
put in, and I’m pleased with that.”
She
will face World No.4 Nour El Tayeb in the next round after she ended the run of
Hong Kong’s Annie Au, winning 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 in just 25 minutes.
Au had beaten former World Champion Laura Massaro in the previous round to
become the first player from Hong Kong ever to reach the quarter-finals of the
sport’s biggest tournament, but she was unable to get into the match against a
ruthless El Tayeb.
El Tayeb’s husband - World No.2 Ali Farag - will contest his quarter-final
fixture tomorrow against New Zealand’s World No.6 Paul Coll, and a win for the
26-year-old Harvard-graduate will mean that the World Championship semi-finals
will feature two married couples for the first time ever.
“For me, anyone who beats Laura, I worry,” said the 25-year-old Egyptian.
“Last time I played Laura was a few months ago and I lost in three, so anyone
who beats Laura scares me, but I was ready for it. I tried to take away all the
time for her because she hits so many lobs. I hope I can become more relaxed now
that I have made it to my second semi-final in a row, and I’m excited for
whoever I play next.”
Quarter-final action continues on Thursday February 28, with play starting at
17:00 (GMT-6). All matches will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World),
Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official PSA World Tour Facebook page
(excluding Europe and Japan).
Eight-Time Winner David Makes
Final PSA World Championships Appearance Malaysia’s
eight-time World Champion Nicol David has made her final ever appearance at the
sport’s pinnacle tournament after a 3-1 defeat to France’s Camille Serme in the
third round of the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter
Family, which is currently talking place inside the Great Hall of Chicago’s
Union Station.
David, the 35-year-old from Penang, last week announced that she will retire
from the sport at the end of this season and she holds more World Championship
titles than any other woman, winning the event eight out of ten times between
2005 and 2014.
David had won 16 of her 18 PSA Tour matches against Serme and started on the
front foot as she rose to the occasion, holding the French player off to take a
one-game lead. But Serme controlled the court well from that moment onwards and
came back to win 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 to deny David the chance at a fairytale
ending.
“She
beat me so many times and of course she is a legend and it’s an honour to be her
last match at the World Championships," said Serme.
"She’s such a fighter, even in the last game, I was 6-0 up, I had really good
length and she came out firing and I thought she could come back, so I had to
push really hard.
“She used to be called “Duracell” because she was physically so strong, and I
think that’s why the top girls push themselves so hard because she was so
physical. She’s so fair as well, she never cheats and she will always say ‘good
shot’, it’s just so enjoyable to play against her.”
David said: “It’s been so great to be part of this major event. It’s our first
$1 million event and I got a chance to play in it, which is great.
“Squash has come a long way, so to get this far is a thrill for me. With [this
being] my last Worlds, I gave it my all, I’ll take whatever I got and I really
enjoyed my match today.”
Serme will play New Zealand’s Joelle King in the quarter-finals after she
dispatched Hong Kong’s Joey Chan, while two-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini
survived a thrilling five-game encounter with United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy to
end home hopes at the event.
Buoyed by a partizan crowd, Sobhy went a game up on two occasions, but El
Sherbini dug in to take the win, displaying her title winning credentials with a
10-12, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7.
“This
is the third time [playing Sobhy since the American’s achilles injury] and every
match is getting better and better," said El Sherbini.
"This time was the toughest one and I didn’t want to leave the tournament that
early, so I had to fight until the end and I’m really glad I won this one. I
just tried to put the ball back deep into the corners and attack more, but I
think she was also doing the same.”
El Sherbini will play Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans for a place
in the semi-finals after Evans got the better of World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry,
winning 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7 in 45 minutes to reach the last eight for the
second year running.
Meanwhile, Germany’s World No.4 Simon Rösner had a huge battle on his hands
against Spanish veteran Borja Golan as he recovered from 2-1 to become the first
German player ever to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championships.
Rösner was tested throughout a mammoth 93-minute battle with former World No.5
Golan but came out on top to see off the 36-year-old by an 9-11, 11-7, 10-12,
11-5, 11-5 scoreline.
“I’ve
had my best results in the US, so of course that’s something that’s in the back
of your mind," said Rösner.
"Each point, each game and each match is different so you’ve just got to be at
your best throughout.”
Indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal lies in wait in the quarter-finals after he defeated
Welshman Joel Makin. World No.2 Ali Farag and New Zealand’s Paul Coll will also
do battle in the last eight after they advanced courtesy of respective wins
against Egyptian pair Mazen Hesham and Fares Dessouky.
“I’m
lucky that he didn’t start firing in the first two,” said Farag.
“I did my homework and studied him well and I think it paid off. Two of my three
biggest titles have come on US soil – first with the US Open with Nour and then
last month the ToC, which got me to that number one spot [in March]. I have
great memories here and hopefully it’s going to be a third one.”
The quarter-finals begin at 17:00 (GMT-6) on Wednesday February 27 and all of
the action from Union Station will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World)
Eurosport Player (Europe only) and on the the official Facebook page of the PSA
World Tour.
World
No.12 Annie Au sent former World Champion Laura Massaro out on day three of the
2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family to become the
first ever player from Hong Kong to reach the quarter-finals of the sport’s
first $1 million tournament.
World No.7 Massaro - the 2013 World Champion - boasted a four-match win streak
over Au heading into the fixture but, in the Great Hall of Chicago’s Union
Station, was never able to get into the match as Au made the most of the cold
court conditions, unsettling her opponent with her patented lob and drop game.
The World No.11 claimed an 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 victory in 33 minutes and she will
play World No.4 Nour El Tayeb for a place in the semi-finals. El Tayeb defeated
surprise package Melissa Alves to reach the last eight.
“I’m feeling really good after today’s performance,” said Au following her win.
“Laura is a really experienced and determined player, so I needed to stay
concentrated throughout the whole match. If I lost my concentration, then I knew
that she would fight back and give me a hard time.
“It’s the first time for me and also for Hong Kong to get into the
quarter-finals of the World Championships, so I’m really thankful to all the
coaches and especially to my brother [Leo Au]… who came out to support me.”
Meanwhile,
defending champion Raneem El Welily and World No.8 Nouran Gohar will go
head-to-head for a third successive tournament after respective wins against
English duo Alison Waters and Victoria Lust.
El Welily, the current World No.1, overcame Waters by an 11-8, 11-6, 11-7
scoreline and she will look to build on a three-match unbeaten run against Gohar
as she bids to reach the semi-finals for the seventh successive time.
“Playing Alison in a round of 16 is something hard to believe,” said El Welily
following her win.
“I’m glad I managed to push myself after those crucial points and take the lead,
but it was definitely a close match. I’m very happy to be playing at this great
venue and looking forward to my next match.”
Colombia’s
Miguel Rodriguez is through to the quarter-finals of the men’s tournament after
the World No.7 claimed his first ever win over 2010 runner-up James Willstrop at
the eighth attempt.
Rodriguez, the reigning British Open champion, prevailed in a gruelling
105-minute encounter which saw both players display supreme athleticism and
skill at times, although there were some heated words between the pair after
some traffic issues on the court.
“I didn’t expect this kind of match,” said Bogota-born Rodriguez.
“I had to fight mentally to beat him today. I am very physical, but he has so
much more experience on tour. It is my first win against him and I am very proud
of my performance today. The strength, the passion and the training that I put
in back home before this tournament all helped me today. Getting through the
first three rounds was my main aim and now I’m looking forward to the rest of
the tournament.”
Rodriguez will line up against reigning champion Mohamed ElShorbagy as he aims
to reach the semi-finals of this tournament for the first time. Rodriguez
overcame the World No.1 in the final of the British Open last May, but their
last two meetings on the PSA Tour have gone the way of the Egyptian.
ElShorbagy dispatched World No.29 Leo Au in straight games to book his third
straight World Championship quarter-final spot.
His younger brother, Marwan, overcame Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly to reach the
last eight, and he will take on World No.3 Tarek Momen for a place in the last
four. Momen twice came back from a game down to get the better of World No.9
Mohamed Abouelghar and he will appear in the quarter-finals for the third time
in his career.
“Almost
every tournament we are playing now, it’s unlucky for both of us and it can only
mean one thing, that we are learning more about each other and the games are
getting tougher," Momen said.
“We’re anticipating everything and he is trying to study me each time and he
gets better each time. We had a close 3-2 last time and he held match point
today. At some point in the fourth I was 5-2 down, but he had a big gap and led
most of the way. I lost last time in the last 16 and I didn’t want to exit the
tournament at the same round so I kept going."
The third round continues tomorrow, with play starting at 12:00 (GMT-6).
Fixtures will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player
(Europe only) and on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy overcame the country’s No.2 player,
Olivia Blatchford Clyne, in Chicago’s Union Station to prevail in an
all-American battle in round two of the PSA World Championships
presented by the Walter Family. This
season’s PSA World Championships offers up the biggest prize money in
the tournament's history - with $1 million split equally between the
men’s and women’s events - and Sobhy will now carry US hopes on her
shoulders after coming back from a game down to beat Team USA teammate
Blatchford Clyne.
Sobhy had won five of their six PSA Tour meetings, with Blatchford’s
sole win coming at the 2017 Ciudad de Floridablanca after a ruptured
achilles saw Sobhy forced to retire. Blatchford Clyne started the
brighter of the pair to take the opener, but World No.10 Sobhy fought
back to claim an 6-11, 11-7, 11-1, 11-6 victory in 34 minutes.
“It’s never easy playing your teammate,” said 25-year-old Sobhy.
“64 players in the draw and of course you draw your teammate. We’ve
grown up playing against each other and it’s never easy. She had no
pressure on her and I probably had a bit more pressure on me and she
came out firing.
“It was a bit more dead tonight then it was last night, I think the
temperature has dropped quite a bit, so it was a bit of a lob-drop game
and not very many long rallies, but I’m really happy to get through and
make it through to the next round."
Sobhy
will play two-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the last 16. El
Sherbini, the World No.2, was in formidable form to see off Australia’s
Christine Nunn, winning 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 to reach round three.
The Egyptian will look to extend her two-match winning streak over the
American and has won five of their eight PSA matches, with Sobhy’s last
win against the 23-year-old coming at the 2016 Hong Kong Open.
"I needed to make sure that I played my game and got used to the court
more," El Sherbini said.
“We’re playing in a new venue, so you try to get used to everything.
It’s a new experience when there are train announcements while playing,
and it’s important for me to prepare with a good game plan and get
better match after match.”
Reigning champion Raneem El Welily also booked her place in the next
round after beating fellow Egyptian Hania El Hammamy and she will take
on England’s Alison Waters for a place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Malaysia’s legendary Nicol David - an eight-time World
Champion - kept her title hopes alive at what will be her final World
Championships after a dominant display saw the 35-year-old defeat World
No.22 Millie Tomlinson in straight games. The former World No.1 will
line up against France’s Camille Serme in the next round after Serme
overcame Scotland’s Lisa Aitken at the University Club of Chicago.
In
the men’s event, World No.1 and defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy
continued his title defence with a 3-1 win over Mexico’s Cesar Salazar.
The Mexican – who defeated twin brother, Arturo, yesterday – got off to
the perfect start against the defending World Champion as he denied
ElShorbagy two opportunities to take the lead.
However, the momentum swung in the favour of the Egyptian in the second
and he stayed ahead throughout the rest of the match to book his place
in the third round where he will take on Hong Kong’s Leo Au.
“He has beaten me once before, so he’s obviously someone who knows how
to beat me and I knew it was going to be tough from the first point,”
said ElShorbagy.
“Anything can happen and I knew with Cesar today that since he beat me
before, my turn could have been today. I felt sharper than yesterday and
sometimes when you get harder matches at the start of the tournament, it
can make you sharper.”
World No.2 Ali Farag - who will overtake ElShorbagy at the summit of the
PSA World Rankings on March 1 - will join his fellow Egyptian in the
last 16 after he eased past World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal, beating
the 17-year-old 11-1, 11-4, 11-2.
Farag will line up against another Egyptian, Mazen Hesham, in the third
round, with Hesham ending the run of World No.10 Diego Elias’s
conqueror, Adrian Waller.
“He’s
the World Junior Champion for a reason,” said 26-year-old Farag
following his win.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence coming off the back of the
British Junior Open and I had to be on my metal from the first point. We
played in Cairo and it was not easy at all, especially in the second
game. He had multiple game balls, so I knew what to expect and I had to
be solid from the very beginning."
At MetroSquash, Youssef Soliman - the World No.33 who scalped World No.5
Karim Abdel Gawad yesterday - saw his giant-killing run come to an end
after he fell in five games to Welshman Joel Makin.
Meanwhile, 2010 runner-up James Willstrop and World No.7 Miguel
Rodriguez will meet in a mouthwatering encounter at Union Station
tomorrow after they beat Frenchman Victor Crouin and Scotland’s Alan
Clyne, respectively, at the University Club of Chicago.
Third round action begins on Monday February 25 at 12:00 (GMT-6) with
all eight matches taking place at Union Station. They will all be shown
live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the
PSA World Tour’s official Facebook page (Excluding Europe and Japan).
An astonishing comeback from 2-0 down saw Egypt’s World No.33 Youssef
Soliman send 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad to a shock first
round defeat as squash’s first $1 million tournament - the PSA World
Championships presented by the Walter Family - got under way in Chicago
today.
Gawad, the World No.5, was one of the frontrunners for the men’s trophy,
but his exit leaves the draw wide open after a magnificent fightback
from Soliman at MetroSquash saw him record a 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8,
11-9 victory to claim the biggest win of his career.
“To come back against Karim is really tough because you always fear that
he will be the one to come back when you play him,” said Soliman.
“To be the one that was 2-0 down and to come back, I had to push really
hard and it was an unbelievable match for me. I worked him really well
in the first game, but he obviously won that one and then the second. If
I played fast and hit the ball hard, he was so good at taking the pace
off the ball and making me run around.
"This is definitely the biggest win of my career, I just beat the No.5
in the world. I won’t think about it because sometimes when you have a
huge win, it takes it out of you a lot. I won’t enjoy it that much, I
will just focus on my next round.”
Soliman will play Welshman Joel Makin in round two, while MetroSquash
also played host to another big upset as England’s Adrian Waller, the
World No.42, defeated World No.10 Diego Elias by a 3-1 scoreline. Meanwhile,
reigning men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy began his title defence at
Chicago’s Union Station, where an all-glass court - featuring an
interactive front wall - has been erected in Union Station’s picturesque
Grand Hall.
The World No.1 overcame training partner and former roommate Joshua
Masters 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5 to set up a round two clash with Mexico’s
Cesar Salazar.
“We aren’t just training partners, we actually lived together for three
years as well, so he knows me very well,” ElShorbagy said.
“Every day you learn something new, and even with my experience on tour
now, being a defending World Champion is not something that I have
experienced before. It’s probably the only thing I have never faced
before in my career and it’s going to be a new experience for me. But I
like challenges, it’s what brings the best out in any athlete and I hope
I can be at my best form this week.”
ElShorbagy is joined in the second round by World No.1-in-waiting Ali
Farag, who beat England’s Daryl Selby, while World No.3 Tarek Momen
defeated men’s United States No.1 Todd Harrity.
Germany’s Simon Rösner also won as he beat 2015 runner-up Omar Mosaad.
New Zealand’s Paul Coll, Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez and the younger
ElShorbagy brother, Marwan, all earned their places in the last 32.
The women’s event will have an all-US fixture in store for fans at Union
Station as the country’s top two players - Boston-based Amanda Sobhy and
Port Chester’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne - both claimed wins on day one.
Sobhy
was making her first appearance at the sport’s biggest tournament since
2016 and the World No.10 overcame England’s Julianne Courtice 11-4,
11-6, 11-7 to book her second round berth.
Blatchford Clyne got the better of Canada’s Hollie Naughton in five
games at the University Club of Chicago.
“I saw the draw and I was like ‘ok, I have one of the tougher first
rounds’, but I’m kind of happy because it just rips the band aid off and
you can get straight into it," said Sobhy, 25.
“She ran me around, but I enjoyed playing on the court and it’s a
fantastic audience. It’s amazing to be playing in front of a home crowd
and I love it. The bigger and rowdier the crowd, the better."
Defending
women’s champion Raneem El Welily also won on the opening day as she
dispatched South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller 3-0 and she will take on
17-year-old compatriot Hania El Hammamy next.
“I think this might be the first time that I have seen her play and
actually played her,” said El Welily, who won the Windy City Open in
Chicago three years in succession between 2015-2017.
“I’ve seen her results though, so I know how dangerous she can be and I
was definitely trying out some new things today. It’s a new court and
atmosphere, [it’s a] great venue and I’m so happy to be back here in
Chicago."
World No.2 Nour El Sherbini, a two-time World Champion, moved past
England’s Lily Taylor by a 3-0 margin, with compatriots Nour El Tayeb
and Nouran Gohar also claiming wins.
Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David kicked off her last
ever World Championships with a comfortable win over Egypt’s Manna
Nasser and her reward is a matchup with England’s Millie Tomlinson at
Union Station.
Second round action begins on Sunday February 24 at 12:00 (GMT-5).
Fixtures from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of
World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of
the PSA World Tour (Excluding Europe and Japan).
El Welily Anticipating Stern Tests at PSA World
Championships Egypt’s
World No.1 Raneem El Welily is relishing the opportunity to defend her
World Championship title when the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships
presented by the Walter Family takes place between February 23 – March 2
in Chicago’s Union Station.
128 of the world’s greatest male and female squash players will descend
on Chicago for the most prestigious title in squash as they battle for a
record prize purse of $1 million, which is the highest in the sport’s
history.
El Welily claimed her maiden title last season at the third attempt
after beating compatriot and two-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini in
the final in Manchester in December 2017 and El Welily is looking
forward to having the chance to defend the sport’s biggest title.
“The World Champs is the biggest event of the year,” said the
Cairo-based 30-year-old.
“Everyone wants to go there and do their very best every year. We all
prepare for the whole season for this one big tournament and it’s
everyone’s dream to win the title at least once.
“I was lucky enough last time to grab the title, but it’s the World
Champs and you can never have enough of it.”
The 2018-2019 PSA World Championships is the first squash tournament to
award a $1 million prize as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal with
the Chicago-based Walter family, with the prize money split equally
between the male and female athletes.
El Welily believes that the women’s draw is stronger than ever, saying:
"Everyone has a chance to win and this year is going to be very
exciting. All the players are in top form so far this season and are
fighting to win every match.
“It’s always a tournament where you do your best to win. Everyone wants
to win it and everyone has a chance.”
Despite going into the tournament as the defending champion, El Welily
believes it holds no advantages as she opens her campaign against South
Africa’s Alexandra Fuller in round one.
“There is no such thing, in my head, as a defending World Champion.
There is, obviously, but everyone is there to win and everyone is there
to do their best.”
The 2018-2019 PSA World Championship will take place at Chicago’s Union
Station, while matches from rounds one and two will also be held at
MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.
Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and
finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around
the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
Tickets for the 2018/19 PSA World Championships start from $30 and are
available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Egypt’s World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy is gearing up to defend his World
Championship title when the 2018-19 PSA World Championships presented by
the Walter Family takes place between February 23 – March 2 in Chicago’s
Union Station.
128 of the world’s greatest male and female squash players will descend
on Chicago for the most prestigious title in squash as they battle for a
record prize purse of $1 million, which is the highest in the sport’s
history.
The 28-year-old, who claimed his maiden PSA World Championship title
last season, will lead the men’s draw and is looking forward to being
back in the city that has served him well in the past.
“It’s obviously the biggest tournament in the calendar,” said ElShorbagy.
“It took me a while to win it, which just shows how big a title it is
and how much pressure you play under.
“I’m really excited to be back in Chicago again, it’s always been a
great city for me and I’ve always played well there. I’m just really
looking forward to being back.”
ElShorbagy will line up against the world’s best players, including the
likes of compatriots Ali Farag and Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner
and Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez, as they battle out to be crowned the
best player in the world.
Last season, ElShorbagy defeated younger brother, Marwan, in an epic
five-game battle in the final and the World No.1 is ready for the
challenge this year’s tournament will bring.
“It’s a tournament where all the players play at their best and aim to
peak there, so I hope we get a lot of exciting matches,” he said.
“The tournament has a lot of history. Every time you walk on court being
introduced as a World Champion it has a different vibe to it. When I won
it, I just felt like it was something huge. It’s the biggest thing you
can win in sport.
“It’s a different preparation to play this tournament - in terms of
things you do and mentally. It’s always interesting to see how players
cope with it and I’m interested to see how I will cope with it this year
as well.
“I’ll be defending it for the first time in my life, so it will be a
different experience for me and I’m looking forward to see what I’m
going to offer there.”
The 2018-19 PSA World Championships is the first squash tournament to
award a $1 million prize as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal with
the Chicago-based Walter family and ElShorbagy believes that it is a big
step for the sport.
“We are lucky that they appreciate us as athletes. They put up the prize
money last year for the Windy City Open to make it the biggest Platinum
event and this season they are making it the biggest prize money in the
sport’s history and we’re very thankful to them.
“They have always tried to push the sport to another level and it’s a
big step for our sport to push it forward and hopefully other
tournaments can take note from what’s happening in Chicago.”
The 2018-19 PSA World Championship will take place at Chicago’s Union
Station, while matches from rounds one and two will also be held at
MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.
Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and
finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around
the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
The draws for the 2018/19 PSA World Championships presented by the
Walter Family have been announced today, with some blockbuster fixtures
in store at Chicago’s Union Station between February 23 - March 2.
128 of the world’s greatest male and female squash players will descend
on Chicago for the most prestigious title in squash as they battle for a
record prize purse of $1 million, which is the highest in the sport’s
history. Defending
men’s champion and current World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy has been drawn
against England’s Joshua Masters in round one and is featured on the
same side of the draw as three-time winner Ramy Ashour (right).
ElShorbagy and Ashour contested both the 2012 and 2014 finals - both of
which are regarded as two of the greatest squash matches of all time -
and could potentially meet in the semi-finals.
Ashour - who is yet to play this season due to a knee injury - will play
Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly in round one. The Egyptian is unseeded for the
first time since the 2006 World Championships and will look to replicate
his incredible title victory in 2014, where he came back from a
six-month spell on the sidelines to lift the iconic trophy.
World No.2 Ali Farag is seeded on the opposite side of the draw as
fellow Egyptians ElShorbagy and Ashour and he will take on England’s
Daryl Selby in round one. Farag has the likes of Peru’s Diego Elias and
New Zealand’s Paul Coll in his path to the final, while he is predicted
to play World No.3 Simon Rösner in the semi-finals.
Reigning
women’s World Champion Raneem El Welily begins her tournament against
South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller as she bids to continue her strong start
to the season, which has seen her take two PSA titles so far.
The 30-year-old was thwarted in the final of this tournament in 2014 and
2016, but finally got her hands on the trophy in December 2017 courtesy
of a 3-1 victory against two-time winner Nour El Sherbini in Manchester.
12 months later, El Welily ended El Sherbini’s 31-month reign at World
No.1 and the Egyptian duo - who contested six PSA finals last season -
are seeded to do battle in the title decider once again.
El Welily is predicted to meet World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the
semi-finals, but El Tayeb must come through a difficult draw which
contains 2013 World Champion Laura Massaro if she is to play to her
seeding.
Meanwhile, El Sherbini begins her tournament against Satomi Watanabe of
Japan and is predicted to play United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in a
mouthwatering third round fixture.
Eight-time World Champion Nicol David will be looking to add to her
record haul but is seeded to play World No.5 Camille Serme as early as
the third round. The Malaysian will need to end a two-match losing
streak to the French player if she is to progress into the latter
rounds.
New Zealand’s Joelle King will also be one of the frontrunners for the
women’s title. The World No.4 claimed her first PSA Platinum title in
November’s Hong Kong Open and is seeded to go head-to-head with El
Sherbini for a place in the final.
In addition to prize winnings totalling over $72,000, the winner of the
World Championships will also qualify for the season-ending PSA World
Tour Finals, which pits together the reigning World Champions and all
seven PSA World Tour Platinum winners.
The 2018/19 PSA World Championships will take place at Chicago’s Union
Station, while matches from rounds one and two will also be held at
MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.
Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and
finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around
the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
Tickets for the 2018/19 PSA World Championships start from $30 and are
available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Defending Champions ElShorbagy and El Welily Named Top Seeds Reigning
champions Mohamed ElShorbagy and Raneem El Welily will top the seedings
for the 2018/19 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family
when the sport’s first $1 million tournament takes place in Chicago’s
Union Station between February 23 - March 2.
The World Championships is the most illustrious tournament on the PSA
Tour calendar and will bring together 128 of the world’s greatest squash
players as they battle for the most lucrative prize purse in the history
of the sport, with $500,000 on offer across both the men’s and women’s
draws thanks to the support of Mark and Kimbra Walter of Chicago.
Over 25 nations will be represented in Chicago and Egypt’s World No.1
ElShorbagy tops the men’s draw. The 27-year-old from Alexandria defeated
younger brother Marwan in Manchester back in December 2017 to lift the
iconic title for the first time and he will look to become just the
third Egyptian ever to become a multiple World Champion after Amr
Shabana and Ramy Ashour.
ElShorbagy will be joined in the draw by Qatar Classic champion Ali
Farag, Tournament of Champions winner Simon Rösner, World No.4 Tarek
Momen, 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, British Open champion
Miguel Rodriguez, World No.7 Paul Coll and Marwan ElShorbagy, who
complete the top eight seedings.
Also involved in the draw is three-time champion Ramy Ashour - whose win
over Mohamed ElShorbagy in the 2014 final is revered as one of the
sport’s greatest ever matches - while 2010 runner-up James Willstrop and
2015 finalist Omar Mosaad are also included. Frenchman Gregory Gaultier
- who beat Mosaad in the 2015 final - misses out due to a knee injury.
After final defeats in 2014 and 2016, El Welily finally got her hands on
the coveted title with victory over two-time winner Nour El Sherbini
back in December 2017 and the pair will be joined in the draw by
compatriot Nour El Tayeb, who won the Windy City Open in Chicago last
March.
The rest of the top eight seeds comprise of Hong Kong Open champion
Joelle King, France’s Camille Serme, English duo Sarah-Jane Perry and
Laura Massaro, and Egyptian Nouran Gohar.
Legendary Malaysian Nicol David is also involved and will look to add to
her haul of eight World Championship titles, which is unmatched in the
women's game.
US interest comes in the form of World No.11 Amanda Sobhy, World No.19
Olivia Blatchford Clyne, World No.42 Haley Mendez and World No.57 Olivia
Fiechter.
Meanwhile, World No.48 Todd Harrity will have US hopes on his shoulders
in the men's event.
The winners of the E.M. Noll Classic, PSA Challenger event - which takes
place in February - will also qualify for the World Championships, while
the final place in the women's draw will be allocated in due course
In addition to prize winnings totalling over $72,000, the winner of the
World Championships will also qualify for the season-ending PSA World
Tour Finals, which pits together the reigning World Champions and all
seven PSA World Tour Platinum winners.
The 2018/19 PSA World Championships will take place at Chicago’s Union
Station on a specially erected exhibition glass court, while matches
from the earlier rounds will also be held at MetroSquash and the
University Club of Chicago.
Tickets for the 2018/19 PSA World Championships start from $30 and are
available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
The inaugural Men’s World Championship began in 1976 in London – with
the whole tournament being played at the old Wembley Stadium, home of
the English football team.
Whilst the Women’s Tour also first began that year in 1976, when the
iconic Heather McKay lifted the first of her two titles, beating Marion
Jackman on home soil in Brisbane, Australia.
Fellow Australians Rhonda Thorne and Sarah Cardwell followed in McKay’s
footsteps before the legendary Susan Devoy became the first
non-Australian player to get her hands on the coveted trophy in 1985, at
which point the tournament was a biennial event.
Since then, the Men’s and Women’s tournaments have been staged in all
four corners of the globe, with the competition being held in countries
such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong and
Germany to name a few.
Australian legend Geoff Hunt took the first Men’s World Championship
title after he beat Pakistan’s Mohibullah Khan in the final and he held
onto it for a further three years after defeating Qamar Zaman on all
three occasions, once in Canada and twice in his native country.
The next 16 years saw the Men’s World Championship dominated by players
from Pakistan and, more specifically Jahangir and Jansher Khan, who
between them won all but two World Championship titles between 1981 and
1996.
The two Khan’s are the most decorated players to have graced the Men’s
World Championship with Jansher having eight to his name, whilst
Jahangir captured the title six times – and the pair are considered to
be two of the greatest players ever to play the sport.
A host of the biggest names in squash have also lifted the illustrious
title, with Amr Shabana (4), Ramy Ashour (3), Nick Matthew (3) and David
Palmer (2) all having their name engraved on the famous trophy.
Martine Le Moignan was the first Englishwoman to capture the title,
before Devoy took the next two titles in 1990 and 1992, with the
tournament switching to an annual format from that point onwards.
Australia dominated the women’s event over the next decade, with
Michelle Martin’s triumph in 1993 bringing about a period that saw the
title shared between her (three wins), Sarah Fitz-Gerald (5) and Carol
Owens (1) in nine of the 10 tournaments held between 1993-2002.
England’s Cassie Campion was the only player to put a dent in the
Australian dominance of the 90s, with her 1999 triumph over Martin
seeing her become the first female English World Champion in 10 years.
Over the next few years, the legendary Malaysian Nicol David made her
mark on the tournament, claiming her maiden World Championship title in
Hong Kong in 2005 courtesy of a win over Australian Rachael Grinham,
before retaining her title the following year with a win over Grinham’s
younger sister, Natalie.
The Grinham sisters met in the final in 2007, with Rachael being the
victor, but David responded with an incredible five wins on the bounce
in an unprecedented spell of dominance.
That run eventually came to an end in the 2013 edition, which saw
England’s Laura Massaro claim her first World title in Penang, beating
then 18-year-old Nour El Sherbini in the showpiece finale.
But El Sherbini soon got her hands on the sport’s biggest prize when she
battled back from two games down to become the youngest ever Women’s
World Champion at the age of 20 – eclipsing the record set by Devoy 31
years earlier.
Tickets are priced from just $30 and are
available for purchase on
Ticketmaster.
the 2018/19 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family when
the sport’s first $1 million tournament takes place in Chicago’s Union
Station between
February 23 - March 2. Click here for
Event's website
