Karim Abdel Gawad
11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (45m) Mohamed El Shorbagy
[Q] Alan Clyne (Sco)
11-5, 11-9, 11-5 (32m)
[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
Qualifying finals: Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Martin Knight (NZL) 10-12, 11-4,
11-5, 11-4 (80m) Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Elvinn Keo (MAS) 9-11, 11-4, 9-11,
11-3, 11-9 (70m) Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)
11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 (61m) Max Lee (HKG) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 11-3, 11-7, 11-4
(35m)
Darwish
Celebrates KL Open Double
Egypt's
Karim Darwish successfully reclaimed the CIMB KL Open Squash Championship
title he first won two years ago when he beat fellow countryman Mohamed El
Shorbagy in today's final of the PSA World Tour International 50
event at Berjaya Times Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
A close battle
was inevitable: Darwish was the top seed, but second seed El Shorbagy had
recently leap-frogged his older compatriot in the world rankings; Darwish led
the career head-to-head tally 7-2, but it was El Shorbagy who had triumphed in
the most recent encounter, in December's PSA World Championship in Qatar.
"The opening
exchanges were tight, lengthy rallies followed by a couple of shorter rallies,"
explained tournament spokesman Andrew Cross. "At six-all, Shorbagy
completely missed a return of serve to give Karim a one point lead. A couple of
lets follow but in the next rally Karim punished Shorbagy with a low cross court
backhand. Shorbagy responded with a forehand drop of his own and was awarded a
stroke in the next rally to level at eight-all.
"Karim
regained his lead but missed a forehand volley which he was slightly reaching
for to tie again at nine-all. It was Karim who got to game ball first after
Shorbagy missed a backhand drop and on game ball again clipped the top of the
tin with a backhand drop."
Darwish, the
31-year-old world No6 from Cairo, went on to build up a two-game lead, but fell
behind in the third as 22-year-old El Shorbagy took the initiative. But it was
short-lived as Darwish took advantage of a series of errors by his younger
opponent before moving on to take the title 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 after 54 minutes.
"I had to play
extremely well - last time he beat me in three," said a relieved Darwish as he
collected his trophy after his 23rd PSA Tour title success. "He is really tough
to play.
"I'm happy
that my wife and son are here - it's his first time watching which has obviously
brought me a bit of luck so I will have to take him with me again!"
El Shorbagy
added: "Karim deserved to win - all credit to him for putting me under more
pressure.
"I would like
to thank CIMB for their support in this event, and the referees who have done a
good job. Hopefully I'll be back again."
Darwish & El
Shorbagy To Meet In Repeat KL Final
Top seeds
Karim Darwish and Mohamed El Shorbagy will meet in Sunday's final of
the CIMB KL Open Squash Championship - the first all-Egyptian climax
since the pair clashed in the 2011 finale - after both prevailed in straight
games in today's semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 50 event
at Berjaya Times Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Second seed El
Shorbagy, the runner-up two years ago, faced Borja Golan, the No4 seed
from Spain. The 22-year-old Egyptian, ranked five in the world, boasted a 3/2
head-to-head lead over the Spaniard going into the match - but it was Golan who
was successful in their most recent meeting in December's Hong Kong Open.
"That feeling
when you lose to someone and can't wait to play that person again so you can get
your revenge badly," tweeted El Shorbagy after today's clash. "Yup, that was me
today!!!"
The young
Egyptian has been in commanding form in KL, reaching the semis without dropping
a game - while Golan came in to the match after a bruising 95-minute five-game
quarter-final battle over Egypt's Tarek Momen.
And El
Shorbagy maintained his run, beating Golan 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 in 45 minutes to
reach the12th Tour final of his career, and his first since finishing as
runner-up in December's PSA World Championship in Qatar.
"Really good
match, Borja played well," said El Shorbagy after the match. "I'm happy to be in
the final, happy to be back in Malaysia and thanking CIMB for their sponsorship.
"Thanks to the
Egyptian crowd for coming today and the Egyptian Ambassador for coming to
support and watch me play. I would like to thank CIMB for their support with the
Olympic bid as I'm sure every squash player would."
The second
semi was resolved even more quickly. Like his compatriot, Darwish also arrived
at the semi-final stage without conceding a game, and continued his dominant
form against Nicolas Mueller, the unseeded Swiss number one who
disappointed local fans by ousting Malaysian number one Ong Beng Hee in
the previous round.
After just 32
minutes, Darwish prevailed 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 over Mueller to book a place in the
41st PSA Tour final of his career.
"So far so
good," said the 31-year-old former world number one from Cairo later. "I always
love coming to KL, and I'm very happy that my wife and son have also followed me
to this event.
"It's a dream
for any athlete to be in the Olympics and for squash to be included in the games
would be brilliant. Thank you to the Egyptian fans and Ambassadors that have
come to watch.
"Tomorrow
playing Shorbagy will be tough," added the event favourite. "We played the final
here two years ago so tomorrow will be good."
Golan Survives
Momen Marathon In KL
Fourth seed
Borja Golan made the semi-finals of the CIMB KL Open Squash Championship
as predicted - but the Spaniard was taken the full distance before overcoming
fast-rising Egyptian Tarek Momen in a 95-minute marathon quarter-final in
the PSA World Tour International 50 event today at Berjaya Times
Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
It was the
pair's sixth meeting Tour meeting, but the first since world No10 Golan lost to
the world No11 in last September's Malaysian Open, also in KL, where
Momen went on to win the title against expectations.
After Golan
took the first game, the Egyptian grabbed the next two to open up a 2/1 lead.
But the 30-year-old Spaniard held his nerve to take the fourth and led 4-0 in
the decider. Momen caught up to nine-all, but after two long rallies Golan
snatched the final two points to secure his 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 victory
in the longest match of the event.
"My match
today was a tough battle as it always as when I play Tarek," said Golan later.
"I tried to push him to the back of the court but it is difficult because he
wants to attack all the time and you have to be very alert.
"I'm very
happy to beat him because last September I lost to him in four games here in
Malaysia and it's always nice to have a revenge.
"Tomorrow it
will be another tough one with Shorbagy so I hope I can play my best. This is my
third semi in Malaysia so I hope I can reach my first final here. Step by Step.
Point by point!"
Mohamed El
Shorbagy,
the No2 seed who was runner-up two years ago, stopped fellow Egyptian Karim
Abdel Gawad 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.
There will
also be Egyptian interest in the other semi-final when top seed Karim Darwish
faces Swiss number one Nicolas Mueller.
Darwish, the
world No6 from Cairo, reached the semis for the fifth time since 2007 after
despatching flying Finn Olli Tuominen 12-10, 11-5, 11-6.
But Mueller
disappointed the packed crowd surrounding the all-glass court by denying the
event local interest in the last four when he beat Malaysian number one Ong
Beng Hee.
Mueller, the
world No21 reached game ball first in the opening game, but 33-year-old Beng Hee
saved it before going on to take the game. Games were then shared to take the
battle into a fifth game decider.
"The fifth
started point for point to four-all," said event spokesman Andrew Cross.
"Nicolas got to match ball first but wasted the first one, but won the second
with a backhand drop as Beng Hee was awarded a no let.
"What we saw
here was two men that have a huge amount of respect for each other, very honest,
no arguing with the referee," added Cross after unseeded Mueller's 11-13, 11-9,
7-11, 12-10, 11-9 in 81 minutes. "Great for the sport!"
Mueller
admitted that he felt nervous during the match: "Beng Hee played really well,
intercepting a lot of my cross courts - but I kept on playing them, hoping they
would go past, but they didn't.
"Little bit
less pressure on me today as he was playing in front of his home crowd," added
the 23-year-old from Zurich. "It was a huge match for both of us but I'm very
happy to be moving on to the semi-finals."
Champion
Mosaad Bows Out To Beng Hee
Local hero
Ong Beng Hee, the Malaysian veteran who made his maiden appearance in the
tournament in 1999, secured an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the
2013 CIMB KL Open Squash Championship after upsetting defending champion
Omar Mosaad in today's opening round of the PSA World Tour
International 50 event in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
A finalist
three times and champion in 2008, unseeded Beng Hee showed signs of the form
which took him to a career-high world No7 12 years ago when he recovered from a
game down to open up a 2/1 lead over the Egyptian opponent who is ranked nine in
the world.
And the
Penang-born 33-year-old, currently ranked 22 in the world, led 9-4 in the fourth
when Mosaad offered his hand to concede the match 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 9-4 (ret.)
after 59 minutes.
Beng Hee now
faces Swiss star Nicolas Mueller in a bid to extend Malaysian interest in
the event through to the semi-finals. Mueller took out Malaysian Muhd Asyraf
Azan 11-5, 11-6, 11-4.
An earlier
upset balanced matters for Egypt when Karim Abdel Gawad, a 21-year-old
from Cairo ranked 25 in the world, defeated experienced Australian Cameron
Pilley, ranked seven places higher, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3 in 57 minutes.
"Pilley
looking strong in the opening two games, leading 6-2 in both," said tournament
spokesman Andrew Cross. "However he could only convert the second. Gawad
went on to win the next two games to advance to the quarters."
Gawad will
meet compatriot Mohamed El Shorbagy after the No2 seed from Alexandria,
bidding to reach the final for the second time since 2011, beat Scottish
qualifier Alan Clyne 11-5, 11-9, 11-5.
With only
eight ranking positions separating the pair, it was no surprise that the clash
between Egypt's world No11 Tarek Momen and Indian Saurav Ghosal,
the world No19, would go the full distance.
"In the battle
of two of the fastest players on the tour, it was Momen that started the better
to take the opening game," explained Cross. "Momen caught Saurav in the face mid
way through the first game which forced a slight medical time out.
"Tarek again
started well in the second leading 5-2 but Saurav won the next five points to
advance to 7-5 before winning 11-8. The third was close all the way to 5-5 but
then again Saurav put a little passage of play together to win the next six
points.
"Tarek was now
looking very animated between games but got it back in the fourth game winning
it 11-6. In the fifth he was holding the ball so well in the front forehand
racing out to a 7-2 lead and booking his place in the quarters with an 11-5
fifth game score."
Tarek now
tackles Borja Golan, the No4 seed from Spain who defeated Malaysian
qualifier Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Yuen & Adnan Boost
Home Interest In KL Open
Ivan Yuen
and Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan added additional home interest in the main draw
of the CIMB KL Open Squash Championship after surviving lengthy
qualifying finals of the PSA World Tour International 50 event today in
the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
KL-based Yuen, ranked
73 in the world, battled the full distance to see off compatriot Elvinn Keo
9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 in 70 minutes.
It was only 24 hours
earlier that Keo, ranked 127 in the world, pulled off a major upset by ousting
Hong Kong's world No40 Leo Au in five games.
Keo clawed his way to
nine-all in the decider Yuen. "Ivan got back the advantage to 10-9 - and ended a
long rally with a cross court nick to take the match, advancing to the main
draw," said event spokesman Andrew Cross. "Ivan pulled a tough draw
taking on top seed Karim Darwish tomorrow."
Adnan, a
quarter-finalist in the past two years, need 61 minutes to overcome Indian hope
Harinder Pal Sandhu - winning 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9.
The 26-year-old world
No39 will now face fourth-seeded Spaniard Borja Golan in a bid to make
the last eight for the third year in a row.
Hong Kong's Max
Lee earned his second successive appearance in the main draw after beating
Welsh champion Peter Creed 11-3, 11-7, 11-4.
Alan Clyne
from Scotland and Martin Knight from New Zealand played the final match
of the evening - "and it was a brutal match," said Cross.
"The opening rally
lasting six minutes 40 seconds - during which time New Zealand national coach
Paul Hornsby could no longer hold his iPad and decided it was better off
back in the bag!
"The opening game
lasting 32 minutes with Martin taking it - but at what cost. In the second game
it was tight to three all taking 12 minutes to get to that stage. At three-all,
Alan got ahead to 9-4 now using more variation getting onto the ball better than
Martin.
"Alan was now
becoming more dominant, winning the next two games for the chance to play
Egypt's Mohamed El Shorbagy, the recent World Championship runner-up."
