Egyptian teenager Nouran Gohar grabbed the biggest title of her
life - and maintained her unbeaten record in WSA World Tour
finals - when she upset experienced compatriot and former champion
Omneya Abdel Kawy in the final of the Women's Monte Carlo Classic
at Stade Louis II in Monaco.
The
19th staging of the WSA Silver 25 squash event produced its first
all-Egyptian final - and one of the longest.
Fourth
seed Abdel Kawy, the world No11 and champion in 2010, was unable to
convert four game balls in the opening game as underdog Gohar, the
17-year-old world No22, took an early lead.
The
second again went to a tie-break, but this time Abdel Kawy prevailed to
draw level.
After
the next two games were shared, the capacity crowd was treated to a
dramatic decider. Eighth seed Gohar reached match ball at 10-6 - but
Abdel Kawy (pictured above, left, with Gohar) took the next three
points in a row to reduce the deficit before Gohar converted her fourth
chance to win the title for the first time after 73 minutes.
"Because we know each other's games, and as Omneya has got very good
experience in this kind of match, I tried to change my game and put her
under pressure," said Cairo-based Gohar after her 15-13, 10-12, 11-7,
7-11, 11-9 triumph.
"I
like this tournament - especially now that I have won my first big title
here!"
The
Monte Carlo success marks the third WSA Tour title of Gohar's career.
Abdel Kawy & Gohar To Contest All-Egyptian Monte Carlo
Final
Omneya
Abdel Kawy
and Nouran Gohar will battle for the Women's Monte Carlo
Classic title at Stade Louis II in Monaco in the first
all-Egyptian final in the 19-year history of the WSA Silver 25
event.
Eighth
seed Gohar, the 17-year-old world No22 from Cairo who reached last
year's semi-finals as a qualifier, produced her second upset in 24 hours
when she beat second-seeded Indian Dipika Pallikal.
The
world No16 from Chennai led 2/0 and looked on course to become the
event's first Indian finalist.
But
plucky teenager Gohar (pictured above, left, with Pallikal) was
in no mood to concede - and took the next three games in convincing
style to overcome Pallikal 9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2 in 70 minutes.
The
win marked Gohar's fifth victory over a world top 20 player in the last
two months.
"It
was my first match against Dipika - she is very difficult to play
because she plays such good shots and is also deceptive on the court,"
said Gohar, now in the third WSA World Tour final of her career.
"I
like playing here - it's the only tournament I have played three times.
I love the atmosphere here."
By
contrast, experienced world No11 Abdel Kawy achieved her semi-final win
in half the time. The No4 seed ended the impressive run of compatriot
Habiba Mohamed Ahmed, the unseeded 15-year-old who ousted top seed
and defending champion Camille Serme 24 hours earlier.
Egyptian Youngsters Maintain Monte Carlo Mayhem
Egyptian-led upsets continued to dominate proceedings in the 19th
edition of the Women's Monte Carlo Classic as teenagers Habiba
Mohamed Ahmed and Nouran Gohar ousted experienced opponents
to secure surprise semi-final berths in the WSA Silver 25 event
at Stade Louis II in Monaco.
Unseeded Ahmed, a 15-year-old from Alexandria, masterminded her second
shock win over world No6 Camille Serme in three months when she
twice fought from behind to topple the top seed from France 4-11, 11-7,
10-12, 11-6, 11-8 in 75 minutes.
Ahmed's mighty win guarantees Egyptian interest in the final for the
first time for four years as the new world No24 (pictured above,
left, with Serme) now faces compatriot Omneya Abdel Kawy, the
winner of the title in 2010.
Fourth
seed Kawy stopped another teenage upset when she prevailed 5-11, 11-6,
11-4, 11-13, 11-2 over 17-year-old Alexandria-born qualifier Mariam
Metwally.
Gohar
denied WSA veteran Madeline Perry the chance of a fourth
appearance in the final when she beat the 37-year-old third seed from
Belfast 11-2, 12-10, 15-13. Former world No3 Perry was runner-up in
2005, 2009 and 2012.
Gohar,
the 17-year-old world No22 from Cairo (pictured above, right, with
Perry), now takes on Dipika Pallikal, the second seed who is
bidding to become the first Indian to reach the final.
The
world No16 from Chennai made it a bad night for Ireland when she
defeated Perry's international team-mate Aisling Blake, the world
No37 from Sligo, 11-5, 11-4, 11-2.
Egyptian Teenagers Triumph In Monte Carlo
Egyptian teenagers Habiba Mohamed Ahmed and Mariam Metwally
defied the seedings in the Women's Monte Carlo Classic by
claiming unexpected places in the quarter-finals of the WSA Silver 25
event in its 19th year at Stade Louis II in Monaco.
Ahmed,
at 15, the youngest player in the draw, despatched England's experienced
No5 seed Sarah Kippax - a semi-finalist in 2011 - 11-9, 11-7,
11-7 in 33 minutes.
The
youngster from Alexandria (pictured above with Kippax), who is
making her debut in the event after celebrating a career-high world No24
ranking this month, now takes on top seed Camille Serme.
The
world No6 from Creteil in France successfully began the defence of her
title by beating Canada's Samantha Cornett 11-3, 11-9, 11-8.
Metwally, a 17-year-old qualifier also from Alexandria, also removed a
former event semi-finalist when she defeated Denmark's seventh seed
Line Hansen 11-4, 11-6, 11-5.
Currently boasting a career-best world ranking of 52 and also a Monte
Carlo Classic debutante, Metwally (pictured above with Hansen)
now lines up against fellow Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy.
The
29-year-old fourth seed from Cairo - who made her debut in the 2001
championship and clinched the title in 2010 - brushed aside New Zealand
qualifier Amanda Landers-Murphy 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 in just 18
minutes.
WSA
veteran Aisling Blake also added her name to the list of surprise
quartet-finalists when she battled to an hour-long upset over Guyana's
No6 seed Nicolette Fernandes, winning 8-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-2,
11-5.
The
33-year-old former world No21 from Sligo (pictured above, left, with
Fernandes) joins compatriot Madeline Perry in the last eight
when she takes on second seed Dipika Pallikal - the Indian star
who ousted top-ranked Welsh opponent Tesni Evans 11-2, 11-6,
13-11.
