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13/03/2020
Windy City Open 2020
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Windy City Open
2020
Men's Draw
28 Feb - 04 Mar
Chicago, USA, $250k |
SECOND
ROUND
29 FEB |
THIRD ROUND
01-02 Mar |
QUARTERS
02 Mar |
SEMIS
03 Mar |
FINAL
04 Mar |
[1] Ali Farag (EGY)
11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5 (38m)
Leo Au (HKG) |
Ali Farag
13-11, 11-5, 11-6 (42m)
Omar Mosaad |
Ali Farag
11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (49m)
Diego Elias |
12-10, 11-2, 11-8 (37m)
Tarek Momen |
Ali Farag
12-14, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-1 (77m)
Paul Coll
|
Omar Mosaad (EGY)
7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 (71m)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) |
Joel Makin (WAL)
7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (63m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) |
Joel Makin
12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (48m)
Diego Elias |
[6] Diego Elias (PER)
11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (38m)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) |
Youssef Soliman (EGY)
11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (49m)
[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) |
Youssef Soliman
8-11, 11-9, 11-4,
11-9 (67m)
Borja Golan |
Borja Golan
11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3 (60m)
Tarek Momen |
Borja Golan (ESP)
11-8, 11-4, 13-11 (47m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) |
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-6 (63m)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) |
Iker Pajares Bernabeu
11-5, 11-4, 9-11,
11-5 (46m)
Tarek Momen |
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
11-8, 11-3, 12-10 (31m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) |
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (47m)
Miguel Rodriguez (COL) |
Karim Abdel Gawad
11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (43m)
Mathieu Castagnet |
Karim Abdel Gawad
3-11, 11-3, 11-6, 3-11, 11-7 (70m)
Simon Rösner |
Karim Abdel Gawad
11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (80m)
Paul Coll |
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
11-9, 8-11, 14-16, 15-13, 12-10 (100m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) |
Adrian Waller (ENG)
11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 (54m)
Zahed Salem (EGY) |
Adrian Waller
11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)
Simon Rösner |
[7] Simon Rösner (GER)
8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (73m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) |
[5] Paul Coll (NZL)
11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (53m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) |
Paul Coll
11-6, 8-11, 11-4,
11-6 (63m)
Declan James |
Paul Coll
12-10, 11-7, 11-6 (51m)
Mohamed ElShorbagy |
Declan James (ENG)
11-9, 12-10, 13-15, 11-9 (70m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) |
Mazen Hesham (EGY)
11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (37m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) |
Mazen Hesham
w/o
Mohamed ElShorbagy |
Daryl Selby (ENG)
11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (30m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) |
|
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
Leo Au (HKG) bt [WC] Shahjahan Khan (USA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 (34m)
[9/16] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bye
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 12-10, 12-10, 11-3 (41m)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bye
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
[6] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[8] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Mostafa Asal (EGY) 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 11-6,
11-6 (109m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-4, 11-8, 16-14 (48m)
Nicolas Müller (SUI) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-9
(51m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (44m)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 2-11, 11-6, 11-4, 13-11
(49m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Edmon Lopez (ESP) 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (25m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bye
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bye
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (40m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-7, 11-5, 13-11 (49m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
[7] Simon Rösner (GER) bye
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Max Lee (HKG) 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7 (65m)
Declan James (ENG) bt Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (42m)
Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 16-18, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7
(55m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Vikram Malhotra (IND) 6-11, 13-11, 11-13, 11-6,
11-4 (53m)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) 12-14, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10,
11-8 (69m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 15-13, 8-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8
(98m)
[2] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
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Windy City Open
2020
Women's Draw
27 Feb - 04 Mar
Chicago, USA, $250k |
SECOND
ROUND
29 FEB |
THIRD ROUND
01-02 Mar |
QUARTERS
02 Mar |
SEMIS
03 Mar |
FINAL
04 Mar |
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (26m)
Julianne Courtice (ENG) |
Raneem El Welily
11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (22m)
Salma Hany |
Raneem El Welily
11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (29m)
Olivia Blatchford Clyne |
Raneem El Welily
11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (31m)
Nouran Gohar
|
Raneem El Welily
11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9
Nour El Sherbini |
[12] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) |
[15] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (29m)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) |
Olivia Blatchford Clyne
8-11, 11-6, 11-3,
9-11, 11-9 (49m)
Nadine Shahin |
Nadine Shahin (EGY)
11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) |
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
11-1, 11-0, 11-4 (17m)
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) |
Amanda Sobhy
7-11, 11-9, 5-11,
11-5, 11-7 (51m)
Annie Au |
Amanda Sobhy
11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (30m)
Nouran Gohar |
[10] Annie Au (HKG)
11-13, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 (51m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) |
[16] Nele Gilis (BEL)
11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 (57m)
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) |
Nele Gilis
11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (24m)
Nouran Gohar |
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) |
Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (36m)
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) |
Rowan Elaraby
11-7, 11-7, 11-1 (29m)
Lucy Turmel |
Rowan Elaraby
11-8, 5-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-7 (65m)
Sarah-Jane Perry |
Sarah-Jane Perry
11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (31m)
Nour El Sherbini |
Lucy Turmel (ENG)
7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (55m)
[13] Victoria Lust (ENG) |
[14] Yathreb Adel (EGY)
12-10, 11-9, 11-1 (32m)
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) |
Yathreb Adel
7-11, 11-7, 5-11,
11-5, 11-9 (84m)
Sarah-Jane Perry |
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
14-12, 12-10, 11-8 (37m)
Melissa Alves (ENG) |
[5] Camille Serme (FRA)
11-2, 11-3, 1-0 rtd. (15m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) |
Camille Serme
11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 (81m)
Hania El Hammamy |
Camille Serme
11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9 (45m)
Nour El Sherbini |
[9] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (44m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) |
Donna Lobban (AUS)
11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8 (39m)
[11] Joshna Chinappa (IND) |
Donna Lobban
5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 (33m)
Nour El Sherbini |
Joey Chan (HKG)
11-6, 11-4, 12-10 (23m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) |
|
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bye
Julianne Courtice (ENG) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4
(27m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) bt [WC] Hana Moataz (EGY) 11-6, 11-4, 14-16, 11-8
(47m)
[12] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[15] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) bye
Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 (43m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Mayar Hany (EGY) 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 (45m)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) bye
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bye
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 11-9, 11-5, 4-11,
8-11, 11-7 (41m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 11-8, 11-9, 4-11,
12-10 (42m)
[10] Annie Au (HKG) bye
[16] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (40m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 14-12
(77m)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bye
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (21m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 13-15, 8-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-6
(57m)
[13] Victoria Lust (ENG) bye
[14] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bye
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt Nada Abbas (EGY) 4-11, 14-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8
(50m)
Melissa Alves (FRA) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 7-11, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-8
(51m)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bye
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) bye
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-1,
11-3 (35m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (26m)
[9] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[11] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bye
Donna Lobban (AUS) bt Olivia Fiechter (USA) 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-13,
14-12 (62m)
Joey Chan (HKG) bt Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 (21m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye
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Final
Farag and El Sherbini Capture 2020 Windy City Open Titles
 Egyptian
duo Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini have been crowned the 2020 Windy City
Open presented by the Walter Family champions after they achieved
victories over men’s World No.5 Paul Coll and women’s World No.1 Raneem
El Welily, respectively, in the University Club of Chicago’s stunning
Cathedral Hall earlier today.
Farag completed an astonishing comeback from two games down against Coll
as he captured his first Windy City Open title courtesy of a 12-14,
9-11, 11-7, 11-6 11-1 victory which sees him extend his winning streak
over Coll to 12 matches. He also makes it back-to-back titles in Chicago
after winning the 2018-19 PSA Men’s World Championship crown in the city
last season.
 Coll
had ended a five-match losing streak to World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy
and a three-match winless run against World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad en
route to the final, and shot out of the starting blocks to take a
one-game lead, while he held firm to take the second after initially
squandering a 7-3 advantage.
But Farag’s resurgence in that second game looked to drain Coll’s energy
and confidence, and the Kiwi never looked quite the same player over the
course of the next three games as Farag absorbed everything his opponent
threw at him and slowly took control of the encounter.
For Farag, it’s a first PSA World Tour title since the U.S. Open back in
October 2019 and represents his first title win following the death of
his nephew shortly after the 2019-20 PSA Men's World Championship in
November.
 “I
was telling Nour [wife, El Tayeb] after the second that I still had it
in me to win the last three games," said Farag following the 19th PSA
title of his career.
"I could have been the one that was 2-0 up but all credit to Paul, after
beating Mohamed and Karim and I was out of it after the second. I tried
to hang in there and at least if I didn’t win it then I had put some
work into his legs. It has been a great week for myself and I could not
be prouder.
"First of all, I would like to thank my brother and his wife for staying
so strong. I take inspiration from them every day and this one is for
them. Karim Darwish for always letting me believe in myself. He keeps
telling me that I am the best player and that pays off. My parents, they
are up every morning to watch matches, and last but not least, Nour has
been a great inspiration."
 World
No.4 El Sherbini matched Farag in both making it successive title wins
in Chicago and winning today’s final clash in five games as she followed
up her title win at the 2018-19 PSA Women’s World Championship with
victory over compatriot El Welily today.
El Sherbini was a losing finalist to El Welily in the 2016 and 2017
finals but got her revenge over the three-time winner in a week which
saw her brave both illness and a persistent knee injury to win this
tournament for the first time.
El Sherbini has shown a remarkable ability to win titles despite not
being at her best physically, as evidenced by her World Championship win
over El Welily in front of the iconic Great Pyramid of Giza back in
November, which was her first tournament back after undergoing knee
surgery.
And El Sherbini made it 12-12 all on the head-to-head record against the
world’s leading female player to win 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9 in 59
minutes.
 “Finally
I got to win this tournament," said El Sherbini after winning her 21st
PSA title.
"Every year I try very hard and I think Raneem is the favourite here.
She has won it three times before and she plays her best here, but I am
glad it was my turn this time. This is one of the few tournaments I had
not won so it was very important for me to win this title.
"I am really grateful that the tournament is over because I have been
suffering the whole week [with illness], and it was very hard for me
physically and mentally to prepare for every match and try to be fit and
ready. I wasn’t feeling very well and I was dealing with a lot, but I am
really glad that I made it to the last day and that I kept digging in
until the last point in the match."
The Windy City Open is the most lucrative PSA World Tour event outside
of the PSA World Championships and both Farag and El Sherbini will take
home in excess of $35,000 for their efforts in Chicago this week.
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Semi Finals
Coll Reaches First PSA Platinum Final While Egyptian Trio
Claim Wins
 New
Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll has reached his first ever PSA World Tour
Platinum final after overcoming Egypt’s World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad in
their semi-final fixture at the Windy City Open presented by the Walter
Family taking place at the University Club of Chicago.
With $500,000 split equally between the event’s male and female
athletes, the Windy City Open is the most lucrative PSA Platinum
tournament on the PSA World Tour this season, and Coll will have his
chance to get his hands on the trophy - and the lion’s share of the
prize money - after beating Gawad 11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9.
The Kiwi had ended a five-match losing streak to upset World No.1
Mohamed ElShorbagy in the previous round, and he brought a three-match
winless run against Gawad to an end after 80 minutes of action. Coll was
a losing finalist at the 2019-20 PSA Men’s World Championship in
November and he will now have another chance of capturing a major PSA
World Tour title.
“It was quite draining, it was very tense at the end there," said Coll.
"I thought I had won it three times at the end but the ref disagreed,
which is fine. I just had to keep my head which was mentally really
draining. Right at the end there I just wanted to celebrate but I had to
keep my emotions in check and finish the match off.
“I am trying to constantly learn and improve my game, I am not No.1 for
a reason and there are areas of my game that I can improve on. I will
keep doing that and hopefully I can reach the top. I have found a great
coach and I have a great team behind me, it will be my first Platinum
final tomorrow and I will be enjoying it."
The 27-year-old will now need to end an 11-match losing run against
World No.2 Ali Farag if he is to claim a maiden Platinum title, with
Farag ousting World Champion Tarek Momen by an 12-10, 11-2, 11-8
scoreline.
The pair were meeting in a repeat of the 2018-19 PSA Men’s World
Championship, which was held in Chicago’s Union Station 12 months ago.
Today's match went the way of Farag once again as the Harvard-graduate
profited off a number of errors from Momen to reach his first Windy City
Open final, meaning a new name will be engraved onto the men’s trophy
tomorrow night.
 “I
keep surprising myself day after day,” said Farag afterwards.
“The first game was a bit weird, neither Tarek or I did that well at the
beginning, and then Nour gave me a couple of tips in between and they
served me well up until the middle of the third, and then I saw the
finishing line way too soon. I saw Tarek loosening up a little, so I’m
very happy to get back in it for sure.”
The women’s final will be a repeat of the 2016 and 2017 Windy City Open
title deciders as World No.1 Raneem El Welily and World Champion Nour El
Sherbini dismantled World No.2 Nouran Gohar and World No.7 Sarah-Jane
Perry, respectively.
Both players contested the final of the 2019-20 PSA Women’s World
Championship in front of the iconic Great Pyramid of Giza in November,
with El Sherbini capturing her fourth World Championship crown to mark
her 24th birthday.
The World No.4 has struggled with illness and a knee injury all week in
Chicago, but against all the odds El Sherbini has reached a third Windy
City Open final, beating England’s Sarah-Jane Perry by an 11-7, 11-4,
11-8 margin.
 “I
have been struggling against her a few times, but I was making sure that
every time I play her that I have a game plan and I stick to it,” said
El Sherbini, who had lost three of her previous four matches against
Perry.
“To be honest, it is not one of the best weeks for me, but I am glad
that I won and I am in the final. Whatever is happening, I just have to
keep winning, that is it. I just have one more match, one more day to
live and I hope it is going to be a good one.”
Meanwhile, three-time Windy City Open champion El Welily is through to
her fifth final at the University Club of Chicago after putting in a
majestic performance to dispatch World No.2 Nouran Gohar 11-5, 11-8,
11-9 in 31 minutes.
El Welily overcame El Sherbini in the 2016 and 2017 finals and has won
12 of their 23 matches on the PSA World Tour.
 “I’m
very proud to be part of such a great sport, I think we’re the first
sport to have equal prize money for men and women," El Welily said after
her match.
"Chicago has obviously been one of those tournaments which started
things for us a few years ago. All thanks to Mr Mark Walter and the
Walter Family for putting on such a great event year after year, for
raising the bar higher each year and we’re blessed to be here in Chicago
every year. It’s my all-time favourite place.”
The finals will take place tomorrow (Wednesday March 4) with play
beginning at 18:30 (GMT-6). Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest
of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page
of the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website
or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
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Quarter Finals
Coll Sends World No.1 ElShorbagy Out of Windy City Open
 New
Zealand’s Paul Coll claimed his first ever win over World No.1 Mohamed
ElShorbagy to send the defending champion out at the quarter-final stage
of the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family.
World No.5 Coll had lost all five of his previous meetings with
ElShorbagy on the PSA World Tour but, in front of the stained glass
windows of the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall, the Kiwi
claimed one of the most significant victories of his career to date as
he outclassed his opponent by a 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 scoreline to reach the
last four.
“I was just trying to get into a really good headspace," said Coll.
"I had a really good opportunity at the ToC [J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions] and last week I was in another final. I am just trying to
really enjoy the battle out there. Mohamed is such a class act and he
has been top of his game for the last five years, if not more, so I just
wanted to really enjoy the match with him today.
“I am not ashamed of that [five-match winless run] record. I have been
chipping away slowly and getting more confident. For me, it is just a
case of trying to improve day by day to challenge those guys. I am
learning every day and I had the confidence today and it worked out for
me.”
Coll will line up against World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad for a place in
what would be a first PSA Platinum final, and he will aim to end a
three-match winless run against the Egyptian, who came through in five
to beat Germany’s Simon Rösner.
Gawad had won their two previous matches by a 3-2 scoreline, and made it
three in a row as he completed a 3-11, 11-3, 11-6, 3-11, 11-7 victory to
vanquish the World No.7.
Meanwhile, World Champion Tarek Momen was taken to five games by Spanish
veteran Borja Golan, before ultimately pulling through in the fifth to
reach a second Windy City Open semi-final in a row.
 World
No.33 Golan was a surprise quarter-finalist but gave Momen a run for his
money, with a scintillating performance from the Spaniard seeing him
take the World No.3 to a decider against the odds, but Momen held his
nerve to win 11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3.
“Borja loves Chicago, he’s had some incredible performances here,” said
Momen.
“Today was unreal, the gets he was getting, the physicality he was
showing on court, it doesn’t show that he is 37, he could play for three
or four more years. He played a very good match and I’m very happy to
get through in five."
World No.2 Ali Farag will clash with Momen after moving through to a
third straight Windy City Open semi as he put in one of his best
performances in recent months to beat Peru’s Diego Elias 3-0.
Farag was on fire right from the off as a series of lengthy rallies
looked to suit the Egyptian, who sent Elias into all four corners of the
court, with the Peruvian breathing heavily early on. He was tested by
his opponent in the third as Elias finally put some work into Farag’s
legs, but he absorbed everything Elias threw at him to book his spot in
the last four.
Meanwhile, World No.2 Nouran Gohar brought an end to US hopes in the
women’s event as she axed the country’s No.1 player Amanda Sobhy in
straight games, ending a three-match losing streak to the American.
Gohar is nicknamed ‘The Terminator’ on tour and the 22-year-old lived up
to that nickname as she played at an electric pace and found her line
and length right from the off to complete an 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 victory in
30 minutes.
 “For
me, it’s the toughest draw to get playing Amanda,” said Gohar.
“The head-to-head speaks for itself. I don’t think anyone else has a
record like this, beating me six times. I was just trying to focus on
not playing the most beautiful squash, but the most efficient to be able
to beat her today."
Gohar will play World No.1 Raneem El Welily for a place in the final
after the three-time champion defeated United States No.2 Olivia
Blatchford Clyne 11-7, 11-8, 11-6.
World Champion Nour El Sherbini avenged her J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions final defeat to World No.3 Camille Serme after fighting to an
11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9 victory in 45 minutes.
The World No.4 has suffered with illness and a long-standing knee injury
this week in Chicago, but kept her focus at the crucial moments to move
to within one win of a third final Windy City Open final appearance.
 “My
mother kept telling me to not let it get to five, I had to finish it as
quickly as possible," El Sherbini said afterwards.
"I have played Camille before and I knew I had to finish it in four and
not make it any longer. She has been playing amazing the last two
tournaments. She is beating only Egyptians and she beat me in our last
meeting at the final of the Tournament of Champions. I was just trying
to be steady for every shot and to stick to my game plan.”
The semi-finals will take place tomorrow (Tuesday March 3) and play will
get under way at 17:30 (GMT-6). Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV
(rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official
Facebook page of the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website
or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
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3rd
Round Lower Half
France’s Serme Ousts El Hammamy in Windy City Open Thriller
 The
University Club of Chicago’s stunning Cathedral Hall played host to one
of the matches of the season so far earlier today as World No.3 Camille Serme overcame Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy in a thrilling 81-minute
encounter to reach the quarter-finals of the Windy City Open presented
by the Walter Family.
El Hammamy had completed an incredible comeback from two games down when
the pair met in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in the quarter-finals
of November’s CIB PSA Women’s World Championship, leaving Serme
devastated. But in Chicago, the French star avenged that loss to take a
nail-biting 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 victory.
“I knew it was going to be a battle," said Serme.
"She is top 10 now, but she can beat anyone in the top 10, so I knew it
was going to be hard. I was focused on what to do on court, what the
right tactics were and trying to play the best that I could. At the end
it could have gone either way.
“I tried to forget about the Pyramids, but I tried to remember what I
did wrong and what she did well, to try and avoid her playing her best.
It has always been amazing, the standard of women’s squash, but now it
is the best it has ever been. The top 20, top 30, everyone is so good."
Serme comes into this tournament off the back of beating World Champion
Nour El Sherbini to win the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last
month, and she will go head-to-head with Egyptian once again after El
Sherbini defeated Australia’s Donna Lobban in straight games.
El Sherbini is appearing at only her third tournament of the season due
to a persistent knee injury and she struggled with her movement early,
cutting a frustrated figure as Lobban took early control. The World No.4
showcased her immaculate racket skills though in the next three games as
she closed out an 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 triumph.
 “I
am happy to be through, and maybe I was not like I am usually, but I am
very happy to be through to the quarters,” four-time World Champion El
Sherbini said.
“Having my coach and Raneem [El Welily] there, their support helped me a
lot, and having them there tonight helped me through to win. They [Serme
and El Hammamy] had a very tough match, a long one. I am sure she is
going to be ready tomorrow as if it was the first match of the
tournament."
World No.21 Rowan Elaraby is into her first ever Windy City Open
quarter-final after she defeated England’s Lucy Turmel, and her last
eight opponent will be World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry, who ground out a 3-2
win after a scrappy match against Egypt’s Yathreb Adel.
Only three matches took place in the men’s event today, with World No.14
Mazen Hesham pulling out of his fixture with World No.1 Mohamed
ElShorbagy due to a hip flexor injury.
ElShorbagy receives a walkover and a bye into the last eight, where he
will come up against New Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll, who got the
better of World No.24 Declan James by an 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 margin.
 “The
first couple of games the ball was really flying around and I was
struggling to find my range to the front. I was a bit late on the ball
and I was a bit passive,” Coll said.
“He has that big forehand that he winds off and that was pinging off the
front wall so it made it very tough for me. I am very happy to get off
there in four and I felt very good in those last two games.
World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.7 Simon Rösner also booked
their quarter-final berths courtesy of wins over France’s Mathieu
Castagnet and England’s Adrian Waller, respectively.
Gawad beat Castagnet 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, while Rösner got the better of
Waller by an 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 scoreline. The pair met at the same stage
of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month, with Gawad
winning in five.
 “I’ve
been on tour for 12 years and never played him [Castagnet],” said Gawad
afterwards.
“All credit to him, he’s got great spirit on court and off court too.
Castagnet makes you run the whole match, he moves you around the court
and it’s difficult to find winners. Without seeing it, I was expecting
it [his heart rate] to be close to 200bpm, if not above, but I’m really
happy to get through in three.”
All eight quarter-finals will take place tomorrow (Monday March 2) and
play will get under way at 12:00 (GMT-6). Action will be shown live on
SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the
official Facebook page of the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook..
3rd Round Top Half
Two Americans to Appear in Quarter-Finals of Windy City
Open for First Time in History
The quarter-finals of the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family
will feature two Americans for the first time in the tournament’s
26-year history after US duo Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Blatchford claimed
wins earlier today at the University Club of Chicago.
Boston-based Sobhy, the country’s No.1 player, twice came back from a
game behind as she survived a stern test against Hong Kong’s Annie Au,
rising to an 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7 victory after 51 minutes.
The World No.8 initially struggled as Au’s lob and drop game worked
perfectly on a cold court, but a change of ball after the third game
worked in the Sobhy’s favour as she ground out the win. Sobhy will take
on World No.2 Nouran Gohar for a place in the last four after the
Egyptian made short work of Belgium’s Nele Gilis, winning 11-3, 11-3,
11-6 in 24 minutes.
 "That
was definitely tough, Annie came out firing and I think the ball in the
first three games kind of suited her because it was a bit dead and she
loves a good lob, drop” said Harvard-graduate Sobhy.
“I think she is possibly the best in the game at the lob, drop game, so
I was getting killed a little bit. Thankfully I asked to change the
ball, so that helped. Instead of trying to hit the ball hard I had to
use the height a bit, so it was almost like I got sucked into playing
Annie’s game.
“I just told myself to fight for every point, to hustle, hustle, hustle
and fortunately I did that and came out a winner.”
World No.17 Blatchford Clyne also required five games to overcome
Egypt’s Nadine Shahin, winning a captivating contest by an 8-11, 11-6,
11-3, 9-11, 11-9 scoreline to reach the quarter-finals of a PSA World
Tour Platinum tournament for the first time in her career.
Shahin came into the fixture on a high after hammering 2018 runner-up
Joelle King in straight games in the previous round and tested her
opponent throughout. However, an immaculate short game ultimately laid
the foundations for Blatchford Clyne’s triumph and the 27-year-old will
play World No.1 Raneem El Welily in the next round.
 “It’s
such a pleasure to be a part of this new group [of US women]," Port
Chester-based Blatchford Clyne said afterwards.
"I’m really privileged that I get to train with Natalie Grainger who did
so much for US squash when she came and played for us. I definitely see
that it’s blossoming and I think our biggest goal has to be encouraging
girls to come and do this [professional squash] rather than playing
recreational squash after college."
Three-time Windy City Open champion Raneem El Welily booked her place in
the quarter-finals for a sixth successive edition after beating World
No.13 Salma Hany. Hany struggled with a knee injury and never really got
going physically as El Welily swept to an 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 victory in
just 22 minutes.
 In
the men’s event, Spanish veteran Borja Golan - the oldest player left in
the tournament - has reached his first major PSA World Tour
quarter-final for three years after the 37-year-old beat Egypt’s Youssef
Soliman 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9.
Golan’s last quarter-final appearance at a PSA Platinum event came at
the 2017 Windy City Open, He will once again compete on that stage in
Chicago as he locks horns with World Champion Tarek Momen, who defeated
Golan’s compatriot, Iker Pajares Bernabeu.
“I’m so happy, I don’t think this moment is going to come for me again
because I’m finishing my squash career,” said Golan, who won the Windy
City Open in 2013.
“I came into this tournament well-prepared with having the Nationals a
few weeks ago and I had a few matches in my legs. I play so well in
Chicago, probably because it’s a great club, great city and a great
crowd. I’m very happy with this win today and with the way I played.”
Meanwhile, World No.2 Ali Farag and World No.7 Diego Elias will go
head-to-head in a mouthwatering quarter-final contest after they
achieved respective wins over World No.17 Omar Mosaad and World No.11
Joel Makin.
Farag, playing his first tournament since losing the World No.1 ranking
to fellow Egyptian Mohamed ElShorbagy, prevailed in a crucial tie-break
to take the first game, which gave him the platform to rise to an 13-11,
11-5, 11-6 triumph.
 “The
first game was crucial, I played Omar last week at the Egyptian
Nationals and I never feel comfortable against him," Farag said.
"He hits very good straight lines, so it is always a struggle to find a
good game plan against him. If I was to lose the first, then I had to
put some work into his body, but luckily I was able to win the game,
saving three game balls, so that was crucial. Then I ran away with the
second, but I started to see the finish line way to soon, and Omar will
punish you if you do that.”
Elias has been in fine form recently after winning the Motor City Open
and reaching the semi-finals of the Canada Cup earlier this month.
Against Makin, he displayed the skills that have long seen him heralded
as a future contender for the sport’s biggest prizes to complete a
12-10, 11-9, 11-8 victory over his in-form opponent, who had beaten him
at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month.
Round three action continues tomorrow (March 1), with play beginning at
12:00 (GMT-6). All matches will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of
world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of
the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
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2nd
Round
2018 Finalists El Tayeb and King Bow Out in Second Round
Day two of the 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family saw
2018 finalists Nour El Tayeb and Joelle King fall to shock defeats
against World No.20 Rowan Elaraby and World No.19 Nadine Shahin,
respectively, at the University Club of Chicago.
El Tayeb, the defending champion, had put together a superb run of form
in Chicago, which saw her win the 2018 title while she also reached the
final of the PSA Women’s World Championship when it was held at Union
Station last season.
However, the World No.5 cut an increasingly frustrated figure as she
surrendered a one-game lead against Elaraby. The two-time World Junior
Champion had never beaten El Tayeb on the PSA World Tour, but that all
changed today as the 19-year-old cemented her credentials as a future
challenger to the world’s elite, winning 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to send
shockwaves through the draw of the PSA Platinum tournament.
 “It
feels amazing, this win means a lot to me,” said Elaraby.
“It actually gave me confidence that I can beat top 10 players, and I’m
really happy with this win. It’s totally different than the Nationals,
there is more of a vibe here.
“I’ve never been here playing at this venue, and I feel comfortable
playing on this court. The crowd is amazing as well, so I’m very happy
playing here.”
In the next round, Elaraby will play England’s Lucy Turmel, who is
through to the third round of a PSA Platinum event for the first time
courtesy of a surprise win over No.13 seed Victoria Lust.
Meanwhile, Shahin will take on United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford
Clyne next as both players aim to reach their first Platinum
quarter-final. Shahin went up against King on the traditional plaster
court rather than the glass, and that seemed to suit her game as she
took an 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 victory in just 22 minutes.
Elsewhere, World No.1 Raneem El Welily kickstarted her attempts to win a
fourth Windy City Open title after recovering from a slow start to beat
England’s Julianne Courtice by an 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 scoreline.
After beating Canada’s Danielle Letourneau in the previous round,
Courtice vowed to take the game to El Welily, and she certainly did that
in the early stages, playing some well-constructed rallies to go 6-2
ahead. El Welily soon found her range though, taking eight of the next
10 points to go a game to the good and she followed that up with further
wins in games two and three to reach the last 16.
 "I
didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m definitely happy with the
match today," said El Welily.
"I’ve seen her results, I know what she is capable off, but being on
court with her is definitely something different. I’m very pleased to be
through with a 3-0 win and I wish her all the best.
United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy will join El Welily in the third round
after dispatching Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling, while there were also wins
for World No.2 Nouran Gohar, World No.3 Camille Serme and World No.7
Sarah-Jane Perry.
In the men’s event, World No.17 Omar Mosaad got his first ever win over
French veteran Gregory Gaultier at the 12th attempt after coming through
a brutal 71-minute battle. Gaultier marked his comeback from a 15-month
spell on the sidelines with victory over Mosaad at the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions last month, while he also defeated the former
World No.3 to win the 2015 PSA Men’s World Championship.
However, Mosaad finally ended his hoodoo against the former World No.1,
coming back from 2-1 down to win 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 in 71
minutes.
 “We
played last month at the Tournament of Champions and it was 3-2 there,
so I tried as much as I could to calm down and to start well [in the
fifth], but he took the first three points," said Mosaad afterwards.
"I had to try and just keep going, to keep playing my game, and I did a
good job to come back to win, especially against such an experienced
player like Greg.”
Mosaad will line up against No.1 seed Ali Farag for a place in the last
eight after Farag survived a tough fixture against Hong Kong’s Leo Au.
It wasn’t a straightforward match for the World No.2, who won the PSA
World Championship title in Chicago 12 months ago at Union Station.
Farag saw a one-game lead wiped out as Au grew into the match and
showcased his impressive retrieving abilities in the second, but he
ultimately came through to win 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5.
 "I’m
very happy, Leo injects pace without injecting pace in a very weird
way," said Farag, who was playing his first match since losing the World
No.1 spot to Mohamed ElShorbagy on February 1.
"The subtleties he has with the height on the front wall and the attacks
with a basic line are really deceptive. The court for some reason is a
lot faster this year, and it’s hard to adapt to. I was so scared to go
short so he doesn’t go and flatten it out, so I was a little too
passive."
ElShorbagy made a winning start to life at World No.1 after axing
England’s Daryl Selby in straight games, while his younger brother
Marwan fell to a surprise defeat against World No.37 Youssef Soliman.
France’s Mathieu Castagnet also upset the seedings as the World No.22
downed India’s World No.13 Saurav Ghosal after 100 minutes of action,
while World No.3 Tarek Momen is also through after defeating Germany’s
Raphael Kandra in straight games.
Round three begins tomorrow (February 29) at 12:00 (GMT-6) and all the
action from the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall will be
shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only)
and the official Facebook page of the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
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1st
Round
Sobhy Books Round Two Berth as Windy City Open Gets Under Way in Chicago
 United
States No.3 Sabrina Sobhy overcame Egyptian teenager Nada Abbas earlier
today in the spectacular Cathedral Hall of the University Club of
Chicago to join older sister Amanda and compatriot Olivia Blatchford
Clyne in round two of the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family
- which will feature three Americans for the first time.
The match was played at a ferocious pace, with both players looking to
attack whenever the opportunity presented itself. Sobhy didn’t start
well as Abbas dominated the opening stages, but grew into the match as
it went on. Buoyed by partizan home support, the World No.30 claimed an
4-11, 14-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8 victory to set up a second round clash
with Egypt’s Yathreb Adel.
“I wasn’t expecting this support at all, but I guess that’s one of the
perks of being on the glass, you get fans from all over, which is really
rewarding. " said Sobhy, who has based herself in Cairo since the latter
stages of 2019.
"It’s a complete 180 from what I’m used to [moving to Cairo]. It’s 100
per cent all squash and I think I needed that as a big motivator. There
are no distractions, it’s just squash, and you’ve got to be really
focused with it. I clearly needed it to get going in my squash career as
I was pretty lenient in the past couple of years with it, I think.”
Sobhy was almost joined by fellow American Olivia Fiechter in the last
32. World No.36 Fiechter put in a tenacious display against Australia’s
Donna Lobban, ultimately going down 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12
after a gripping 62-minute battle. Brooklyn-born Haley Mendez was the
other female American in action on day one, and she went down to
Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in straight games.
 On
the side courts, England’s Lucy Turmel has reached the second round of a
PSA World Tour Platinum tournament for the first time after a superb
comeback saw the 20-year-old defeat 2007 World Champion Rachael Grinham.
It was youth versus experience, and experience looked to be winning out
as 43-year-old Grinham took the first game after a lengthy tie-break,
winning it 15-13, and the momentum stayed in her favour she then went on
to take the second game 11-8.
However, World No.46 Turmel fought back to win the last three games,
restricting the 43-year-old to just 13 points across them all. That win,
her second over Grinham, has seen Turmel set up a clash with compatriot
Victoria Lust in the last 32.
“I am very pleased to get through in five today," Turmel said.
"I had a very nervy start going 2-0 down and I felt a bit lost on court,
but I managed to turn it around and play good squash at the end."
Elsewhere, France’s Melissa Alves saved three match balls to beat
Egypt’s Zeina Mickawy, while a 77-minute encounter between former World
No.5 Low Wee Wern and English youngster Jasmine Hutton went the way of
the Malaysian in five games.
In the men’s event, World No.63 Shahjahan Khan saw his tournament come
to an end after he was on the receiving end of a masterclass of a
performance from Hong Kong’s Leo Au.
Khan, who was born in Quetta, Pakistan before switching allegiance to
the United States, was backed to the hilt by spectators at the
University Club of Chicago and showed some nice touches throughout the
34-minute clash. But Au was always ahead, and it was a consummate
performance from the World No.22 as he went about his business with
minimum fuss. He will line up against top seed Ali Farag next.
 "I’m
happy to come back to this event, it’s always nice to play at such an
amazing place,” Au said.
“I’m happy to get through the first round and I hope I can keep the
performance up. I think it will be a tough match [against World No.1 Ali
Farag] and I will look forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Egypt’s World No.19 Mostafa Asal slumped to a surprise defeat
against compatriot Youssef Soliman in a 109-minute battle which was
halted due to a 35-minute injury break during the first game.
Asal left court on a wheelchair in the opener after going down with an
injury to his right leg, but he hobbled back onto court and fought
through the pain barrier to lead 2-1. The 18-year-old then went 6-1 up
in the decider, only to see Soliman take 10 points in a row to finally
halt the World Junior Champion.
That was the longest match of the first round, with the second longest
seeing English veteran Daryl Selby overcome Frenchman Lucas Serme 15-13,
8-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8 after 98 minutes of action.
 “I
think we both move well, he’s exceptional around the court and he picks
up everything,” said Selby, 37.
“I’ve got to use my experience at those crucial times. The two games I
won in the first and fourth were both tie-breaks, and it’s those crucial
points that make the difference."
World No.16 Mazen Hesham also required five games to overcome fellow
Egyptian Mohamed ElSherbini, while Scotland’s Greg Lobban overturned
five match balls against Hong Kong’s Max Lee to advance.
Round two begins on Friday February 28 as the battle for the $500,000
prize fund - the most lucrative on the PSA World Tour this season -
continues.
Top seeds Raneem El Welily and Ali Farag will get their tournaments
under way. Play starts at 12:00 and matches from the glass court in
Cathedral Hall will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport
Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the
PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on
Twitter
or
Facebook.
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El Tayeb ‘Back to a Good Level of Squash’ Ahead of Windy
City Open
 Egypt’s
World No.5 Nour El Tayeb says that she is finding her form again as she
prepares to kickstart her title defence at next week’s Windy City Open
presented by the Walter Family, which takes place in the picturesque
Cathedral Hall of the University Club of Chicago.
The enigmatic 26-year-old began the 2019/20 season with victory at the
China Open, and followed that up with two runner-up finishes at the
Oracle NetSuite Open and U.S. Open.
A loss of form following a family bereavement shortly after October's
PSA World Championship led to a premature exit at the J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champion last month but, after beating England’s
Sarah-Jane Perry to win the Cleveland Classic two weeks ago, El Tayeb
says that her performances are getting back to the standard they were at
the outset of the campaign.
"I’m getting back to a good level of squash," said El Tayeb.
"I still think i was playing better at the beginning of the season than
I did in my last few events. However, going into the Windy City Open
with a title is a definitely a good thing that makes me excited to go
out there and hopefully play my best squash this season.
"My goal at the beginning of the season was to play better than last
season which will automatically improve my ranking. I still have the
same goal and I’m trying to play better, win more matches, and the
ranking will take care of itself."
El Tayeb’s victory at the 2018 Windy City Open was a remarkable one
given she fought through four successive five-game battles to get her
hands on the PSA Platinum title. She ousted Tesni Evans, then World No.1
Nour El Sherbini and Perry to reach the final, where Kiwi Joelle King
awaited after upsetting current World No.1 Raneem El Welily.
Despite taking the opening game, El Tayeb soon found herself 2-1 down
before facing two championship balls. However, the Egyptian came back
from the brink to halt King and get her hands on only the second major
title of her career.
"I think that week was the best performance of my squash career so far,"
El Tayeb reflected.
"I reached new levels of perseverance and confidence in my physical
ability. So I’m definitely very proud of that tournament and it always
gives me a big boost knowing that I’ve done it.
"I’ve got the best memories here in Chicago. I think we all love the
atmosphere here and the cosiness of the event. I definitely enjoy it
very much and cant wait for it to start."
El Tayeb came within a whisker of making it a Chicago double last year
when she reached the final of the 2018/19 PSA Women’s World Championship
- the sport’s first $1,000,000 event thanks to the support of Mark and
Kimbra Walter - which replaced the Windy City Open on the PSA World Tour
calendar.
El Tayeb ultimately fell to El Sherbini inside Union Station’s Great
Hall, but is hoping that going back to the University Club of Chicago
instead of Union Station will help her to look past that defeat.
She said: "The defeat in the final of a World Championship will always
be on my mind. But it’s a different venue from last year, so hopefully
i’ll only take the memory from the 2018 title."
El Tayeb appears in a women’s draw containing El Welily, El Sherbini,
King, Tournament of Champions winner Camille Serme and United States
No.1 Amanda Sobhy.
Meanwhile, the men’s draw is headed up by World No.1 and defending champ
Mohamed ElShorbagy, and he will be joined by younger brother and 2018
runner-up Marwan, compatriots Ali Farag, Tarek Momen and Karim Abdel
Gawad, as well as two-time winner Gregory Gaultier, who makes only his
second PSA appearance since returning from a 15-month spell on the
sidelines.
The Windy City Open is the most lucrative tournament on the PSA World
Tour outside of the World Championship, with $500,000 on offer split
evenly across the men’s and women’s events. The winner will also qualify
for June’s PSA World Tour Finals.
Tickets for the 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family are
available for purchase at
windycityopen.com.
Fixtures from the glass court at the University Club of Chicago will be
streamed live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe
only) and the official Facebook page of the
PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe and Japan).
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on
Twitter or
Facebook.
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Main Draws Released for
Windy City Open
 The
main draws for the 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family
have been released, with men’s World No.2 Ali Farag and women’s World
No.4 Nour El Sherbini returning to Chicago a year on from their historic
World Championship triumphs inside Union Station’s Great Hall.
That World Championship - the sport’s first $1,000,000 tournament -
replaced the 2018-19 Windy City Open on the PSA World Tour calendar, but
the PSA World Tour Platinum returns between February 27 - March 4 with a
host of blockbuster fixtures in store in the University Club of
Chicago’s iconic Cathedral Hall.
Farag begins his tournament with a bye, but is seeded to lock horns with
two-time winner Gregory Gaultier in a mouthwatering third round
encounter.
Gaultier made a triumphant return from a 15-month injury lay off at the
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month against former World No.3
Omar Mosaad, and he is predicted to face the Egyptian once again in
round two in Chicago, a repeat of their World Championship final meeting
in 2015, in which Gaultier prevailed.
Stars such as World Champion Tarek Momen, World No.7 Diego Elias and
two-time runner-up Marwan ElShorbagy are seeded on the same side of the
draw as Farag and Gaultier. The bottom half of the men’s draw features
two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy - the reigning champion who reclaimed
the World No.1 ranking on February 1 - former World No.1 Karim Abdel
Gawad and World Championship runner-up Paul Coll.
El Sherbini recieves a bye in round one of the women's draw and could
come up against United States duo Olivia Fiechter and Olivia Blatchford
Clyne in rounds two and three if they make it past their respective
opponents.
In the last eight, the four-time World Champion is seeded to play
Tournament of Champions winner Camille Serme in a repeat of their final
battle inside New York’s Grand Central Terminal last month, while
defending champion Nour El Tayeb - El Sherbini’s final opponent in
Chicago last March when she lifted a third World Championship crown -
could await her in the semi-finals.
World No.1 Raneem El Welily is the most successful player ever at the
Windy City Open with three successive wins in 2015-2017 and she will
kickstart her attempts to become the first person to win four titles
here against either England’s Julianne Courtice or Canada’s Danielle
Letourneau in round two.
New Zealand’s Joelle King is seeded to meet the Egyptian in the last
eight, while World No.2 Nouran Gohar is her predicted semi-final
opponent if results go to seedings.
Men’s wildcard Shahjahan Khan faces Hong Kong’s Leo Au in the opening
round, while his female counterpart Hana Moataz lines up against
Belgium’s Nele Gilis.
The Windy City Open is the most lucrative tournament on the PSA World
Tour outside of the World Championship, with $500,000 on offer split
evenly across the men’s and women’s events. A spot at June’s PSA World
Tour Finals will also be up for grabs.
The World Tour Finals brings together the world’s top eight male and
female players and features the reigning World Champions as well as all
PSA Platinum title winners. The other places will be allocated to the
highest ranked players on the Road to Egypt Standings, with points on
offer at all PSA World Tour events throughout the 2019/20 season.
Tickets for the 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family are
available for purchase at windycityopen.com
Fixtures from the glass court at the University Club of Chicago will be
streamed live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe
only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe and Japan).
For more information on the 2020 Windy City Open, visit the tournament’s
official website or follow the event on Twitter or Facebook.
Men's Draw - 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
[WC] Shahjahan Khan (USA) v [17/32] Leo Au (HKG)
[9/16] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) [bye]
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [17/32] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [bye]
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [bye]
[6] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
Youssef Soliman (EGY) v [17/32] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
[17/32] Borja Golan (ESP) v Tayyab Aslam (PAK)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v [17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[17/32] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v Alan Clyne (SCO)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) v [17/32] Campbell Grayson (NZL)
[17/32] Raphael Kandra (GER) v Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal [bye]
Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
[7] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
Max Lee (HKG) v [17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO)
[17/32] Declan James (ENG) v Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG)
[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Vikram Malhotra (IND)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v [17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[17/32] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
Women's Draw - 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [bye]
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) v [17/32] Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[17/32] Nele Gilis (BEL) v [WC] Hana Moataz (USA)
[14] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
[9] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]
Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [17/32] Emily Whitlock (ENG)
[17/32] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Mayar Hany (EGY)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]
[7] Amanda Sobhy [bye]
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) v [17/32] Milou van der Heijden (NED)
[17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
[11] Annie Au (HKG) [bye]
[13] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]
Tze Lok Ho (HKG) v [17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[17/32] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]
Coline Aumard (FRA) v [17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
[17/32] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Lucy Turmel (ENG)
[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) [bye]
[16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) [bye]
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) v [17/32] Nada Abbas (EGY)
[17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v Melissa Alves (FRA)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) v [17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[17/32] Tinne Gilis (BEL) v Haley Mendez (USA)
[10] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]
Donna Lobban (AUS) v [17/32] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[17/32] Joey Chan (HKG) v Olivia Fiechter (USA)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]
|
FIRST ROUND
29-30 FEB |
SECOND ROUND
31-
01 Mar |
QUARTERS
02 Mar |
SEMIS
03 Mar |
FINAL
04 Mar |
|
