Egyptian
teenager Marwan El Shorbagy upset top seed Chris Simpson in the
climax of the Northern Ontario Championship in Canada and ended the
Englishman's career-long unbeaten run in PSA World Tour finals.
Both players
had reached the final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event at
the Sudbury YMCA in Sudbury, Ontario, after testing semis.
Simpson, the
26-year-old world No29 from Guernsey, was celebrating the seventh Tour final of
his career - with a 100% success record in the previous six dating back to
September 2008.
But this was
to be El Shorbagy's night. The 19-year-old reigning world junior champion - who
had lost to Simpson in straight games in their only other meeting - held off the
experienced Englishman's challenge, winning 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 in 49 minutes to
claim the second Tour title of his career.
"The second
seeded Shorbagy produced a dominant performance to become the first Egyptian
winner of the Sudbury crown," said tournament spokesman Michael McCue.
"His length and width were immaculate from the first rally, contrasting with
Simpson who struggled to find correct lines on both sides.
"A few long
rallies at the end of the first suggested the Englishman might be too fit, but
Marwan confidently finished the game. After racing to a 10-4 lead in the second,
he lost four straight points and again appeared winded. The lead was enough of a
cushion to prevent a miracle comeback though, and the third game was a formality
as Chris repeatedly found the tin going short.
"Marwan
clinched the title overcoming an indisputably difficult road to the final, and a
very resilient opponent today," concluded McCue.
The jubilant
world No32 from Alexandria was quick to tweet: "Just won my 2nd PSA tournament
here in Sudbury. It's been a great week for me and I'm glad to win here."
Simpson told
his Twitter followers a different story: "It's been a tough trip for me, & I
should probably be reasonably content with making the final, but I'll never be
content with 2nd best!
"All credit to
Marwan today tho," continued the Harrogate-based Channel Islander "He pushed
hard and played good squash when it mattered most."
Top Seeds
Battle Into Sudbury Final
Top seeds
Chris Simpson and Marwan El Shorbagy will contest the final of the
Northern Ontario Championship in Canada after surviving testing semi-finals
in the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event marking its fourth year
at the Sudbury YMCA in Sudbury, Ontario.
English
favourite Simpson faced fast-rising fellow countryman Charles Sharpes. It
was the pair's first Tour encounter - and underdog Sharpes, the 21-year-old
world No66, twice levelled the match after leads established by world No29
Simpson.
But
Guernsey-born Simpson held his nerve to close out the match 11-6, 7-11, 11-4,
9-11, 11-8 after 78 minutes.
"Scrapped out
an 11/8 in the 5th win today," tweeted the top seed later. "Can't say I felt
great on court but that's a lot down to the pressure Charles put me under."
El Shorbagy,
the reigning world junior champion from Egypt, dropped the first game to
unseeded Mexican opponent Cesar Salazar.
But the
19-year-old from Alexandria, who had beaten Cesar's twin brother Arturo
Salazar in the opening round, reasserted his authority on the match to go on
to win 9-11, 11-3, 15-13, 11-4 in 58 minutes.
"Marwan took
out both Salazars in one tournament," said a spokesman for the event. "Not an
easy task."
El Shorbagy is
celebrating his fifth final on the PSA Tour - but his first appearance in the
climax of an event since the World Junior Championship final in Qatar last July.
Simpson is
marking his seventh Tour final - and will be keen to extend his impressive
unbeaten record in all the previous six!
Sharpes Shuts
Out Illingworth In Sudbury
For the second
successive year, England's world No66 Charles Sharpes has pulled off a
major upset in the Northern Ontario Championship in Canada to reach the
semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event in its
fourth year at the Sudbury YMCA in Sudbury, Ontario.
After stunning
the No2 seed last year, the fast-rising London-born 21-year-old turned his
attention to the third seed and dismissed Julian Illingworth, the
title-holder from the USA ranked 25 places higher, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 in 62
minutes.
"Sharpes (who
beat Shahier Razik at this stage last year) set a very high pace from the
first rally which Julian was not quite ready to match," explained tournament
spokesman Michael McCue. "Roles reversed in the second as the American
began attacking short from all areas of the court, and Sharpes was forced into
some very hard work.
"Despite
probably running 30% more than his opponent to this point, the Englishman didn't
come off the pace one bit in the third. He was brimming with confidence and
began whipping in boasts and kills to test Julian's movement and fitness. With
neither player willing to retreat from this aggressive approach, something had
to give.
"Illingworth
started finding the tin too often, while Sharpes' attacks were becoming winners.
At 9-6 in the fourth he hit what some people called the best shot they had ever
seen live, in the form of a forehand straight volley kill off a lob. This set up
match-ball and seconds later he was into the semis."
Sharpes was
clearly delighted with his performance: "Really happy to win against Julian,
lost to him earlier in the year, so to get the win is amazing. Thought I played
really well tonight, I was attacking really well.
"I hope I can
keep it up tomorrow against Chris, going to be a really tough game but happy to
be in the semis again."
Sharpes now
faces compatriot Chris Simpson in a match which will ensure English
representation in the final for the first time. Top seed Simpson ended qualifier
Scott Arnold's run by beating the Australian 11-6, 11-8, 12-10.
"Happy to win
in three tonight and get to the semis again," said Guernsey-born Simpson.
"Particularly happy to be back in Sudbury again and see all the great things
this town has to offer."
Two five-game
battles resolved the line-up of the other semi which will feature second seed
Marwan El Shorbagy and unseeded Mexican Cesar Salazar.
El Shorbagy
twice saw US champion Christopher Gordon draw level before the
19-year-old world junior champion from Egypt finally closed out the match 11-4,
7-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-5 in 62 minutes.
It took a
minute longer for Salazar to end 2010 champion Jan Koukal's chance of a
second title. The 25-year-old from San Luis Potosi twice came from behind to
beat the Czech number one 6-11, 11-6, 2-11, 11-8, 11-7.
Scott & Cesar
Celebrate Surprise Sudbury Successes
Australia's
Scott Arnold and Mexican Cesar Salazar defied the world rankings on
the opening day of main draw action in the Northern Ontario Championship
in Canada to claim unexpected quarter-final berths in the PSA World Tour
Challenger 15 squash event in its fourth successive year at the Sudbury
YMCA in Sudbury, Ontario.
Arnold upset
speedy Mexican Alfredo Avila by controlling the pace and not engaging the
world No60 in many wide-open rallies. From 8-5 down in the fifth, the Australian
qualifier staged a comeback and won the match on two consecutive strokes in the
front left corner.
Ranked 100 in
the world, Sydney-born Arnold now faces world No29 Chris Simpson, the top
seed from England who recovered from a game down to overcome local hope Dane
Sharp, a qualifier from Toronto, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
Cesar
Salazar
caused the only seeding upset, dismissing leading Canadian Shawn Delierre,
the No4 seed from Montreal, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.
"Cesar was
ruthless and finished the match in under 40 minutes," said tournament spokesman
Michael McCue. "Impressive, considering these two are notorious for
marathon matches, particularly on bouncy panel courts like the ones here in
Sudbury."
But there was
no such luck for Cesar's twin brother Arturo Salazar who went down in
four games to Marwan El Shorbagy, the second seed from Egypt.
"Marwan
dropped the first game in rapid fashion and found himself 6-8 down in the second
before levelling at one-all," explained McCue. "Arturo again threatened to take
a commanding lead with two game balls in the third, but the Egyptian sensed the
danger and played four brilliant rallies to take the ever-important 2/1 lead.
"The fourth
was not as competitive at the other games, and Marwan successfully navigated a
tricky opener."
Reigning world
junior champion El Shorbagy, now 19 and the youngest player in the draw, moves
on to face Christopher Gordon, the 26-year-old US number two. Recent
winner of the US National Championship, Gordon despatched Calgary-based Canadian
Andrew Schnell 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.
Gordon will be
joined in the last eight by compatriot Julian Illingworth. In what was
described as the 'match of the night' - and was certainly the longest - third
seed Illingworth defeated Mexican qualifier Eric Galvez 6-11, 11-9,
12-10, 13-11 in 72 minutes.
