RESULTS: PSA International 50 Banque Misr Sky Open, Cairo, Egypt
Mohamed Elshorbagy Is Sky Open Champion
Mohamed Elshorbagy
collected his second PSA World Tour title in eight days - and
established a career-best 10-match winning streak - when he upset
top-seeded Egyptian compatriot Karim Darwish in the final of the
Banque Misr Sky Open, the PSA International 50 squash
event at the Sky Resort in New Cairo, Egypt.
Ranked
six in the world, Elshorbagy is enjoying the form of his life: Last week
in Doha, the 22-year-old from Alexandria captured his first PSA World
Series title at the Qatar Classic - again defying the world
rankings by beating world No 5 Darwish en-route to the final.
Elshorbagy (pictured above in Sky action with Darwish) went into
the final 3-9 down to Darwish on a career head-to-head tally over the
past four years - but had only dropped a single game in his three wins
over the former world No 1 from Cairo.
And
the young pretender clearly took full advantage of Darwish's demanding
route to the final, which had included two five-game marathons in which
the 32-year-old had had to recover from two games down.
Darwish had no answer to the youngster's pressure as Elshorbagy romped
to an 11-2, 11-7, 11-8 victory in 43 minutes to win the seventh Tour
title of his career.
"I had to be very focused from the
very first point today as I knew if this gets very tough I could be in
trouble mentally as I could feel last night I was tired mentally,"
Elshorbagy told
www.squashsite.com
later.
"After
winning the first game I knew he would give it a big push in the second
as we both know there was no way today he could come back from 2/0 down
as physically it would have been close to impossible after the amount of
hard matches he had.
"So
after the few long rallies we had in the second I knew that was good for
me and I started going short more at the end of the second and I could
feel he was struggling to move there because I could feel he was tired.
"I am
just very happy I could back up after Qatar and the worlds."
Top Seeds Make Sky Open Summit
The
two top seeds will contest an all-Egyptian final of the Banque Misr
Sky Open after favourite Karim Darwish and second seed
Mohamed Elshorbagy survived close-fought five-game semi-finals in
the PSA World Tour International 50 squash event at the Sky
Resort in New Cairo, Egypt.
For
the second time in three days, world No 5 Darwish had to fight back from
two games down to survive an onslaught from an up-and-coming fellow
countryman.
This
time the 32-year-old from Cairo's opponent was fifth seed Marwan
Elshorbagy, the 20-year-old former two-time world junior champion
from Alexandria - and younger brother of Mohamed.
The
former world No 1 (pictured above, left, with Elshorbagy) was
stretched for 64 minutes before finally prevailing 9-11, 10-12, 11-9,
11-9, 11-6.
"I'm not sure what's going on with
me, but I'd better figure it out soon, because it's not going to do well
at all," conceded Darwish. "Maybe the court is very cold, and I'm not
ready to face those young warriors!
"I've
been playing and training with them since they were seven or eight years
old, and I probably don't see them as the threat they are now - I can't
imagine that they can play that well," added Darwish, now in the 42nd
Tour final of his career, and his third of the year.
"So
from now on, I'll have to prepare myself as if I'm playing a top four
player!"
Elshorbagy junior acknowledged his opponent's greater experience: "Karim
used his experience today and played better the crucial points," said
the world No 32. "And all credit to him for coming back, again, from 2/0
down against a young player!
"I am
happy with my performance. When you think that I nearly lost in the
first round, and today, I nearly beat the world number five! So,
although I'm not satisfied, I think this tournament will make me hungry
for more."
Elshorbagy senior had to dig deep to see off sixth seed Omar Abdel
Meguid 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7. Meguid, the world No 35 from
Giza, made the semis after upsetting No 4 seed Alister Walker.
Underdog Meguid (pictured above, left, with Elshorbagy senior)
led 2/1 before his 22-year-old opponent, ranked six in the world,
reclaimed the upper hand to close out the match 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-1,
11-7 in 60 minutes.
"He
played extremely well today - he surprised me so much with how he played
and his patience and the few errors he did," acknowledged Mohamed later.
"This
match was so important for me and it was difficult for me mentally as
this match would get me to number four in the ranking and this is huge
for me and certainly Omar made it so difficult for me with the way he
played."
Elshorbagy, winner of his first PSA World Series title last week
at the Qatar Classic, is now marking his fourth Tour final of the
year - and the 15th of his career.
Meguid Makes All-Egyptian Sky Open Semis
Omar
Abdel Meguid
claimed the biggest scalp of his squash career when he beat world No 15
Alister Walker in the Banque Misr Sky Open to ensure an
unexpected all-Egyptian semi-final line-up in the PSA World Tour
International 50 event at the Sky Resort in New Cairo,
Egypt.
The
sixth-seeded 25-year-old from Giza battled for 45 minutes to overcome
Botswana's Walker, the No 4 seed, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5.
"It's up there with my victories over
Tom Richards and Steve Coppinger," Meguid said
later - referring to his upsets as a qualifier in last month's Macau
Open.
"In
the third I was so tired, I could feel my legs giving in - but I went
back in the fourth telling myself to give it 200%, and to make it as
hard for him as I could," explained the world No 35.
"Today, I concentrated on playing squash. And it worked. I knew I had it
in me to do a good performance. I had a game plan, and I stuck to it!"
Meguid
will now face fellow countryman Mohamed Elshorbagy, the in-form
22-year-old from Alexandria who lifted his first PSA World Series
title earlier this month at the Qatar Classic.
Second
seed Elshorbagy needed four games to see off compatriot Mazen Hesham
Ga Sabry(both pictured in Sky Open action above) 11-3, 11-7,
9-11, 11-9 in 50 minutes.
It was
a good day for the Elshorbagy family as Mohamed was joined in the semis
by his younger brother Marwan Elshorbagy. The 20-year-old fifth
seed secured his unexpected place in the last four at the expense of
giant-killer Fares Mohamed Dessouki, the 19-year-old qualifier
from his home town who ousted third seed Omar Mosaad in the
previous round.
Marwan
ended the teenager's run in 45 minutes, winning 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 to set
up a clash with the event's top seed Karim Darwish.
"Fares
is a great squash player - he proved it yesterday by beating world
number nine Mosaad in five games," said Elshorbagy junior later. "He is
19 years old and reminds me of me when I was young! And if he keeps on
playing like that, he'll be playing top 30 in a year. And I wish him all
the best for his next tournaments.
"Fares
is one of the players of my generation, and I have studied all of them
for the World Juniors," added the former world junior champion. "I knew
what to expect, and I used my experience. Plus I was 100% focused from
the first rally."
Darwish, the world No 5 who had to recover from two games down to reach
the quarter-finals, was back to his best as he cruised to a straight
games win over unseeded compatriot Zahed Mohamed, winning 11-7,
11-3, 11-3 in 31 minutes.
The
32-year-old from Cairo, the 2009 Sky Open champion (pictured above
with Mohamed), is just one win away from reaching his fourth
successive final since 2008.
Dessouki Downs Mosaad In Sky Open Upset
Egyptian teenager Fares Mohamed Dessouki, ranked outside the
world top 100, caused a major upset in the Banque Misr Sky Open
when he overcame third seed Omar Mosaad, a senior Egyptian
international, to claim an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the
PSA World Tour International 50 squash event at the Sky Resort
in New Cairo, Egypt.
The
19-year-old qualifier, competing in his third Tour event since reaching
the World Junior Championship final in Poland in July, took the
opening two games before 25-year-old Mosaad, the world No 9, recovered
his form to take the next two games to level the match.
But
Dessouki, coached by his opponent's brother, maintained his composure to
regain the upper hand - and, after 83 minutes, celebrated his
breakthrough 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7 triumph.
"I really focused for each point of
the match," the delighted teenager said
later. "The court was very cold, and that really was a big bonus for me,
as I just went for shots and nicks. He made a lot of errors, which is
not like Omar. I know the pressure was on him, and that's very hard when
you are trying to play with that weight on your shoulders.
"Omar
is a very good friend - he is a brother actually. And I need to thank my
coach, Mohamed Mosaad - his brother! Also, my dad and my family
who are watching me on the television, and my two other coaches, Mohamed
Kaay and Walid."
Dessouki will now take on fifth seed Marwan Elshorbagy, the
20-year-old world No 32 from Alexandria who guaranteed Egyptian interest
in the final when he defeated South African Shaun le Roux 11-6,
11-5, 11-3.
An
even bigger shock was on the cards when top seed Karim Darwish,
the world No 5 from Cairo who lifted the trophy in 2009, dropped the
first two games to rising Egyptian star Mohamed Abouelghar.
But
the wily 32-year-old former world No 1 called upon his vast experience
in the game to recover to win 11-13, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 in 75
minutes.
"I
just didn't want to lose in front of my wife and my baby," said a
relieved Darwish later, watched by former international Engy
Kheirallah and their son Omar. "It's the first time I have played in
front of him here in Egypt. I played in front of him in Malaysia, and I
won. I never want to lose. And not here, in front of my wife and baby,
and on Egyptian TV!"
Darwish's next opponent Zahed Mohamed also survived a marathon.
The 21-year-old from Alexandria also pulled off a significant upset when
he defeated eighth seed Mohd Ali Anwar Reda 13-11, 6-11, 11-7,
2-11, 11-9 in 94 minutes.
Alister Walker
will be hoping to extend overseas interest in the event when he takes on
Egypt's Omar Abdel Meguid for a place in the semi-finals. The No
4 seed from Botswana, ranked 15 in the world, beat England's Eddie
Charlton 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 - while sixth seed Meguid also
overcame English opposition when he defeated Jaymie Haycocks
11-9, 12-10, 11-8.
Sky Opens For International Squash In Egypt
International squash returned to Egypt for the first time for
more than 18 months when many of the world's leading players convened
for battle in the Banque Misr Sky Open, a PSA World Tour
International 50 event at the Sky Resort in New Cairo.
Top
seed Karim Darwish, the world No 5 from Egypt who won the title
in 2009, moved safely into the second round after despatching English
qualifier Youssef Abdalla(both pictured in action below)
11-3, 11-3, 11-5 in the Egyptian born 20-year-old from Essex's first
match against a world top 10 player.
Former
world number one Darwish, 32, will now face compatriot Mohamed
Abouelghar in one of four all-Egyptian last 16 round clashes.
Abouelghar, the 20-year-old world No 59 from Giza, defeated Argentina's
Gonzalo Miranda 11-7, 11-8, 11-2.
Second
seed Mohamed Elshorbagy, fresh from his maiden PSA World
Series title triumph success last week at the Qatar Classic,
despatched qualifier Ahmed Hussein 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 - and will
now face England's Joel Hinds en-route to a predicted
all-Egyptian final clash with Darwish.
But
Mohamed's younger brother Marwan Elshorbagy was severely tested
in his first round encounter with Jordan's Ahmad Al-Saraj before
taking his place in the second round. The 18-year-old from the Jordan
capital Amman was handed a 'lucky loser' place in the main draw after
the late withdrawal of the top-ranked Czech Republic player Jan
Koukal.
The
Jordanian teenager, ranked almost 100 places lower than his opponent,
twice led Elshorbagy junior before the fifth seed finally prevailed
9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 after 83 minutes.
But
two other Egyptian seeds were also taken the full distance before
claiming places in the second round. Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, the No
8 seed from Cairo, twice saw Kristian Frost Olesen draw level in
the match and then had to survive a tie-break decider before beating the
Dane 11-7, 5-11, 11-2, 9-11, 12-10 in 106 minutes.
And it
took four minutes longer for sixth seed Omar Abdel Meguid to see
off 23-year-old fellow Egyptian Andrew Wagih Shoukry, ranked 25
places lower, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 in 110 minutes.