Farag And El Tayeb Seal U.S. Open Titles To
Write Names Into Sports History Egyptian
couple Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb wrote their names into the history
books earlier today (October 14) as they triumphed at the 2017 U.S. Open
Presented by Macquarie Investment Management to become the first married
couple in sporting history ever to win the same major sports title on
the same day.
Competing inside Philadelphia's Drexel University the duo - who married
last summer - defied the odds to defeat higher seeded and higher ranking
opposition to secure the titles, the first PSA World Series titles of
both of their careers.
After
felling World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World No.4 Laura Massaro to reach
the title decider - her first appearance in a major final since losing
the 2015 edition of the U.S. Open - El Tayeb continued to play some of
the best squash of her career to defeat compatriot and World No.3 Raneem
El Welily in a breathtaking five-game affair that saw her twice come
from a game behind to take the spoils.
“I’ve been dreaming about it and working really hard for the last two
and half years,” said El Tayeb. “I’ve been improving every single
tournament - it feels amazing to back-up wins against top four athletes
– it’s amazing and I hope this is just the start.
“As soon as I finished my match, I just wanted to watch him (husband Ali
Farag) and I was so
nervous. It’s a dream – I see him every day working hard so it feels
really special that both of our first World Series titles happen to be
together.”
Meanwhile
Farag produced a masterclass performance to dethrone 2016 title winner
Mohamed ElShorbagy, the World No.3 who reigned supreme atop the World
Rankings from over two years, in straight-games, securing his first
major title and firmly establishing his credentials as one of the elite
players on the men's circuit.
“It’s a dream, especially that we have done it together on the same
night,” said Farag. “We couldn’t have asked for a better week and I hope
it’s the first of many to come together.
“I always believed in myself and this win is going to make me believe
even more and hopefully I carry this momentum into future tournaments. I
can enjoy it tonight and then tomorrow I have to forget about it and
move on.
“It’s a good omen when she plays before me! It was a rollercoaster of
emotions but I think I dealt with it really well and I couldn’t be
happier!”
Egyptians
Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb, the Cairo-based pair who married in 2016,
will be hoping for double-delight during the finals of the 2017 U.S.
Open Presented by Macquarie Investment Management after they became the
first married pair ever to reach the finals of the PSA World Series
event as part of an Egyptian quartet who completed a clean sweep on
semi-finals day.
Just over one year since their wedding day the pair enthralled the crowd
inside Philadelphia's Drexel University as they produced similarly
scintillating performances to defeat their last four opposition in the
shape of England's Laura Massaro and fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad - with
Farag's 3-0 win securing him a place in a World Series final for the
first time in his career.
In
a repeat of the 2015 U.S. Open final - which she lost 3-2 - El Tayeb put
in a performance of pure class as she dismantled Massaro with a
shot-mains masterclass to come through 3-1 and book her place in the
finale.
“I’m very pleased with my
performance,” said 24-year-old El Tayeb.
“Laura and I played a few years ago in the final here and I was so
nervous that time - so today I was telling myself that it’s just a
regular match and to go out there and enjoy it, which I did.
“She doesn’t give up and she keeps going - she takes advantage of any
loss of concentration from any of her opponents. That’s something I
learned from her and it’s unbelievable to beat her in such an occasion.
“I made the final three years ago but I’m just enjoying it. My squash
couldn’t be going better - I’ve been working really hard and I’m happy
that it’s starting to pay off.”
World
No.14 El Tayeb will go up against 2012 U.S. Open runner-up Raneem El
Welily, the current World No.3, for the honours after she halted the
charge of New Zealand's Joelle King.
“It feels absolutely fantastic to reach the final," said El Welily.
"Joelle is in fantastic form, I played with her here last year and it
was something similar to today's match.
“She has had a great season and has beaten everyone in the top five. I
just tried to keep pushing and digging as much as I could – she was
playing really well. I think I broke her mentally and that was key.
“Everyone is in top form and Nour El Tayeb is playing her heart out this
tournament.”
Farag,
the 25-year-old Harvard graduate, secured his place in the title decider
courtesy of a dominant straight-games victory over Mosaad - the 2015
runner-up who returned to top form this week after suffering a dip in
form through the past two years.
Farag weathered a Mosaad onslaught during a crucial 14-12 second game to
set up the platform that ensured his progress to face defending title
holder Mohamed ElShorbagy.
“I feel very happy to get past such a tough opponent,” said Farag.
“Omar is never easy to play against, he’s finding his form again and so
to get a win against him is a great pleasure, but there is still the
final tomorrow so I will just enjoy this for half an hour and then start
focusing on tomorrow’s match.
“I knew today was going to be tough so I’m really pleased to be through
- it's special to be into the final along with Nour, but it will be even
more special if we can hold the trophies together."
After
his victory over England's Nick Matthew, in a repeat of the 2016 final,
ElShorbagy said: “Every single point was very important today.
“The level of squash we have played so far, I think we are playing even
better than last year but sometimes it’s the luck of the draw and we
both had to deal with it as professionals.
“I thought we dealt with it well and in front of a crowd like here,
quality squash is supposed to be played and I’m really glad that we
could both play that kind of squash and I can’t wait to play in my third
final here tomorrow.”
New
Zealand's Joelle King will compete in the semi-finals of a PSA World
Series tournament for the first time in over three years after she
downed England's Alison Waters 3-1 to secure a last four berth at the
2017 U.S. Open presented by Presented by Macquarie Investment
Management.
The 29-year-old, who missed over a year of competitive action after
suffering from an achilles injury in 2015, last made it to a semi-final
at the 2014 Windy City Open but continued to display a re-discovered
confidence on court as she followed up her second round win over 2016
champion Camille Serme with a polished performance against Waters.
The win, which came after 43-minutes of action, sees her through to meet
Egyptian Raneem El Welily - the player who beat her in that semi-final
in Chicago - for a place in the tournament decider.
“Camille is a good player and she won this tournament last year so I
know that if you beat her then you are playing well,” said King.
“But you kind of have to leave that behind and focus on the next match
and Alison was always going to be tough. We were both ranked four and
five in the world for a while so had a lot of battles in the past.
“I felt a bit tight in the second and kind of lost my way and just fell
away from the game I like to play. I just tried to come back and played
my style and it worked and I'm looking forward to the semis.”
El
Welily meanwhile came through in four games over compatriot Nouran Gohar,
bouncing back from dropping the first game to prevail 11-13, 11-7,
12-10, 11-5 and keep alive her hopes of winning a first World Series
title since the 2017 Windy City Open in March.
“We’re teammates and we also play for the same club, so we know each
other’s game quite well," said El Welily after the match. "But everyone
goes on court with a different attitude and a different personality.
“You come on with a plan but that could change any second and it keeps
changing throughout the entire match so you have to adapt and you have
to find a way to win.”
In
the Men's draw Omar Mosaad, who impressed in his straight-games second
round win over the in-form Paul Coll, continued a recent resurgence to
defeat Peruvian Diego Elias and set up an all-Egyptian last four clash
with Ali Farag, the current World No.5.
Former World No.3 Mosaad finished runner-up at the 2015 U.S. Open during
what was his breakthrough event before embarking on a run of poor form
that saw him fall to a current 10-year ranking low at No.31, but he
produced a performance worthy of his former ranking to halt the charge
of the rising 20-year-old talent.
“I really enjoy playing here,” said Mosaad.
“I love to be in Philly and I love the atmosphere here. I’m enjoying the
crowd and I’m really pleased to be through to the semi-final here for
the third time.
“At this level you just have to think about each match, I started in
qualification and then I made it through to the main draw because Ramy [Ashour]
and Greg [Gaultier] pulled out of the event. I’m really happy to get
through and I just want to thank my coaches and everyone around me and
I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Farag
meanwhile will compete in the semi-finals of a World Series event for
just the second time in his career after coming through a brutal
five-game 87-minute encounter with Fares Dessouky.
"It was pure guts that got me the win today," said Farag. "Squash wise
he was the better player but I'm just so happy to be through.
“The first three games the ball was flying and I thought he adapted to
it better than I did because I just couldn’t find any rhythm.
"I hope I can keep it going tomorrow. It's another battle with a good
friend. Omar and I play at least twice a week and it's so good to see
him back. He's been working hard and deserves to be where he is."
After
2016 champion Camille Serme and eight-time World Champion Nicol David
crashed out of the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment
Management at the second round stage, the shocks continued to flow
inside Philadelphia's Drexel University as World No.1 Nour El Sherbini
saw her title hopes dashed by compatriot Nour El Tayeb at the
quarter-final stage.
24-year-old El Tayeb reached the final of the PSA World Series
tournament in 2015 only for injury to strike and rule her out for over
six months but she proved that she is back to her very best form as she
put in an astute and polished performance that saw her out-manoeuvre El
Sherbini and come through 13-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7.
"Nour has been the in-form player over the past 18 months so this is
definitely one of the best wins of my career so far," said El Tayeb.
"I'm very happy to be through to the semi-finals. I reached the final
here two years ago but got injured and I'll never forget that event. It
took a year to come back from that injury and another year to recover
that physical and mental strength to compete.
"So to win today gives me a lot of confidence and belief that I can play
at this level and hopefully I can keep it up for two more matches."
El
Tayeb will go up against England's Laura Massaro for a place in the
final after the 2016 tournament champion came through in four games
against Hong Kong's Annie Au while Massaro's compatriot Nick Matthew,
the 2007 U.S. Open champion, prevailed in an all-English battle with
Daryl Selby.
37-year-old Matthew, appearing in his last ever U.S. Open, showed the
kind of mental grit and resilience that has epitomised his career as he
grinded his way through a bruising 26-minute 15-13 opening game to sap
energy from Selby and break the World No.16's spirit - setting up the
platform for a 3-0 win that takes him into the semi-finals without
dropping a game.
“Tonight
that first game was crucial,” said Matthew.
“I knew that it was a hard first game and that the work was in his legs
so I tried to push on in the second. Psychologically I’m happy with how
I finished it off in three, especially after winning the first.
"And I'm pleased to be back in the semi-finals again. I can probably
count on one hand the number of times I've reached the semi-finals of an
event without dropping a game so there's no excuses for me not to be
fresh and ready for the semi-finals.
"I'll be ready to take my opponent on physically and I look forward to
the battle to come on Friday."
Matthew
will face Mohamed ElShorbagy, the man he lost to in last year's final,
in the last four after the Egyptian downed Simon Rösner of Germany 3-0.
Speaking after the match ElShorbagy said: “In the second game I was down
8-6 and I needed to give it a big push to try and be 2-0 up.
“There is a huge difference between 1-1 and being 2-0 up, so I’m really
happy to be able to get the win in three.
“I thought we played a really high-quality match in the first two games
and I’m really happy to get through.”
2016 Champion Serme Crashes Out Of At The
Hands Of New Zealand's King New
Zealand's World No.10 Joelle King showed impressive poise and composure
to come through a nerve-racking 66 minute battle with World No.3 Camille
Serme that saw her end the Frenchwoman's title defence during the second
round of the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment
Management.
The 29-year-old scalped both Nicol David and Laura Massaro at her first
event this season, September's China Open, and kept up her giant-killing
form to come from 2-1 down and prevail in an intense encounter that saw
her showcase the kind of physical strength and skill that enabled her to
rise as high as World No.4 in 2014 before suffering a long term achilles
injury.
Playing with patience and poise it was King who took the opening game
courtesy of a comfortable 11-5 scoreline, but Serme replied in style to
take the next two games and leave King staring down the barrel of
defeat. Undeterred she maintained her composure to come through a tense
fourth game and then recovered from squandering four match balls in the
fifth to seal the win 11-5, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11.
“Camille is a classy player and has won some of the biggest tournaments
- including this one - so to come away with a win against her is huge
for me," said King.
“I was four in the world when I got injured and I guess a few people
didn’t think I would be able to get back to that standard after such a
major injury and I guess for a period there I didn’t think I was going
to get back either.
“So the main thing for me is that I’m trying to play at that level again
and hopefully I can continue the form that I have started with this
season and see where it takes me.
“I’m happy with the way I’m playing and how I fought back from 2-1
down.”
She will now face England's Alison Waters in the quarter-finals while
Raneem El Welily and Nouran Gohar set up an all-Egyptian battle
following wins over Tesni Evans of Wales and Joshna Chinappa of India.
While
in the Men's draw Peru's Diego Elias kept up his impressive early season
form to defeat World No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy.
The 20-year-old from Lima was agonisingly close to defeating World
Champion Karim Abdel Gawad during his last event - the NetSuite Open -
and continued to demonstrate experience beyond his age as he utilised
all four corners of the court to come through 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 in 46
minutes.
“It’s was hard,” said Elias afterwards.
"With Karim during NetSuite I was 2-0 up and I got a bit tired. I had a
tough match the day before and I think it was more in my head.
“This time when I was 2-0 up I had that in my mind and wanted to make
sure it didn't happen again. I’m feeling good this season."
Elias
will now face Omar Mosaad for a place in the last four after the former
World No.3, back at the court where he reached his first ever World
Series event final in 2015, downed the in-form Paul Coll while the other
winners on day four inside Philadelphia's Drexel University were
Egyptian pairing Ali Farag and Fares Dessouky.
Hong
Kong's Annie Au recorded the biggest win of her career to defeat
eight-time World Champion Nicol David for the first time ever and secure
an unexpected berth in the quarter-finals of the 2017 U.S. Open
Presented by Macquarie Investment Management.
In 17 PSA World Tour matches spanning almost a decade the Hong Kong
player had only ever taken three games from David in total - the last of
which came in 2012 - but under the lights inside Philadelphia's Drexel
University the World No.9 put on a short-game masterclass against
33-year-old David to claim an unexpected place in the last eight where
she will take on England's former World No.1 Laura Massaro.
Utilising her patented lob-drop style Au managed to disturb David and
take the Malaysian out of her comfort zone early on. While David, who
looked far from her best on court, managed to mount a resurgence in the
third and fourth to keep the match alive it was Au who looked the more
relaxed and confident player in the decisive fifth as she maintained her
composure to complete a 11-5, 11-5, 10-12, 8-11, 11-7 upset.
"I feel really, really happy right now," said Au.
"To beat Nicol - in my first ever win on the glass court at this event -
is a massive result and makes all the hard work over the summer feel
worth it.
“At 2-0 love I started to think about the win and I began to rush and
make some mistakes which gave her confidence. She can come back from any
scoreline so I had to get back to my game plan and play patient squash
in the fifth.
"I had to come out in the fifth and imagine it was the start of the
match again. I forgot about the score and just tried to play each point.
"I had already booked my travel for tomorrow so I will have to change my
flights! But I have a day off tomorrow to enjoy this win and prepare for
the next match now."
Au will face Massaro after the Englishwoman beat compatriot Emily
Whitlock 3-0, with Egyptians Nour El Sherbini and Nour El Tayeb also due
to meet after coming through their second round encounters with Victoria
Lust and Salma Hana Ibrahim, respectively.
In
the Men's draw there was double delight for English squash fans as Nick
Matthew - the 37-year-old two-time U.S. Open winner - was joined by
compatriot Daryl Selby, with the pair set to clash for a place in the
semi-finals following Selby's mammoth 3-2 win over Tarek Momen.
Selby was at times sublime as he twice recovered from squandering game
leads to come through a topsy-turvy 102 minute battle and reach the last
eight of a PSA World Series event for just the second time in two years.
“I don't know what to say – it was an up and down match,” said Selby.
“I felt like I was in control for long periods but then I was also under
the cosh for periods as well – he's so fast and dangerous around the
court.
“I'm proud of how I dug in and showed some fight and determination
especially in the fifth. I think I kept my focus a little longer than
him throughout that game – but the difference was just a few mistakes in
the end.
Matthew meanwhile was in total control as he dispatched Frenchman
Gregoire Marche in straight games.
“I will enjoy this win for ten minutes but then it’s back to focusing,”
said Matthew following the game.
“I’ve had a good win but I’ve got to do it against a high calibre player
in the next round and then hopefully another high calibre player again
as you get further into the tournament.
“It
was a great win for Daryl, he is at his best in those five-game matches.
We have had some good battles in the past and he is at his most
dangerous when you count him out so I won’t be underestimating him.”
Defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy and German Simon Rösner were the
other winners on day three of competition.
Kiwi Coll Knocks World Champion Gawad Out New
Zealand's World No.10 Paul Coll pulled off one of the biggest wins of
his career as he knocked World Champion and tournament top seed Karim
Abdel Gawad out of the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment
Management in the first round.
Coll, who has forged a reputation as one of the fittest and strongest
athletes on the PSA World Tour, played to his strengths to extend the
rallies early on and force Gawad into an attritional battle that goes
against the Egyptian's typically flair-based game. And it was a tactic
that paid dividends as he came through a close first game 11-8 before
doubling his advantage courtesy of a comfortable 11-3 second game.
26-year-old Gawad though turned the tide in the third game, finding his
range with greater accuracy and nullifying Coll courtesy of a series of
sweetly struck winners. But the comeback was short-lived as Coll again
assumed the ascendency in the fourth to grind out the win and seal a
huge upset victory.
"It's definitely one of the most significant wins of my career," said
Coll.
"I've known for a long time that I'd be playing him. I’ve been working
really hard during the off-season and I’m cashing in on some of that now
- to beat someone like him in round one is huge.
"I stuck to my game plan and trusted in what I was doing. I knew he'd
come out hard in the third but I got back into it in the fourth and hit
the right lines and length.
"But I have to stay grounded. I can't just be happy with that win,
there's plenty of squash left in this event and I want to go further."
Coll
will now go up against another Egyptian, former World No.3 Omar Mosaad,
in the second round while Peruvian former World Junior champion Diego
Elias, currently at a career high World No.15, sealed his place in the
second round following an impressive 3-0 win over Hong Kong's Max Lee.
“You’re always a bit nervous in the first round so I just tried to
relax,” said Elias.
“I was moving well and feeling really good on court. I’m feeling fresh
right now, I’ve been training hard and I’ve been playing well."
In
the Women's draw former World No.1 Raneem El Welily used a get out of
jail card to keep her tournament hopes alive after a Jekyll-and-Hyde
performance against Canadian qualifier Hollie Naughton.
El Welily could do nothing to stop the 22-year-old in the early going as
Naughton, playing inspired squash, stormed through the first two games
12-10, 11-9. El Welily then hit her own purple patch, restoring parity
on the scoreboard to take the match into a fifth game, where Naughton
squandered a golden opportunity late on to gift the match to the
Egyptian.
“She gave me a gift at the end and thankfully I'm still alive in this
event,” said El Welily.
“At 2-0 down I just relaxed. I was basically out of the event. I have to
learn a lot from today's match.”
The
win means El Welily remains on course to meet defending champion Camille
Serme in the semi-finals after the Frenchwoman put in a clinical display
to defeat wildcard Haley Mendez.
“I’m very happy to be back,” said the 28-year-old following her win.
“I love playing here. It’s an amazing venue and an amazing crowd so I’m
just trying to enjoy my squash.
“I didn't know much about her so I was nervous as I didn’t know what to
expect, but I wanted to play my game and tried to find my targets on the
court, so I'm happy.”
Mexican
Cesar Salazar pulled off a huge upset during the first round of action
at the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment Management as he
downed former World No.1 James Willstrop to reach the second round of
the PSA World Series tournament for this first time in his career.
The 29-year-old World No.19, who lost an agonising fifth game tie-break
against eventual champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in the first round twelve
months ago, showed impressive composure as he recovered from dropping
the opening game to prevail in a mammoth 82-minute five-game encounter
that saw the pair produce squash of the highest calibre.
Utilising his speed and agility to attack Willstrop and force a high
tempo, Salazar was rewarded when he held off a late Willstrop surge to
come through 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9 and set up a second round
match with German Simon Rösner.
“I think the U.S. Open is one of my favourite tournaments – I love
coming to play here,” said Salazar, who's twin brother Arturo lost out
to England's Daryl Selby in his first round match.
“I worked really hard in pre-season and this is a good start for me. To
beat a really top player like James you have to play your very best and
some more, so I'm really happy with my performance.
"I tried to play intelligent, and hit the four corners. I felt I moved
well and played aggressive squash. There was a moment in the fifth game
when I thought about last year and got a little tense, but I forced
myself to relax and it's a great result for me. I hope to be ready for
the next match.”
Rösner
defeated Scotland's Greg Lobban 3-0 while last year's runner-up Nick
Matthew, the 37-year-old Englishman competing at the U.S. Open for the
last time in his career, made a successful start to his title bid with a
3-0 win over Zahed Mohamed.
"My focus today was to try and close the door on him when I was ahead
because these young guys are so good nowadays – they’re a little bit
faster than me so I have to be clever," said Matthew (right).
“I’m
enjoying the challenge and I can enjoy a couple of days now before I’m
back on court on Monday - I just want to do myself justice in these next
matches.”
In the Women's draw there was contesting fortune for England's recent
NetSuite Open winner Sarah-Jane Perry as she suffered a surprise defeat
to Egyptian Salma Hana Ibrahim (below left) in the very first match of
the day.
Ibrahim, World No.19, played free flowing attacking squash to come
through 11-7, 11-3, 12-14, 11-6 and knock the No.7 out at the first
hurdle and set up a second round encounter with compatriot Nour El Tayeb.
“I’m
very happy with the performance today,” said the 21-year-old following
the match.
“SJ has been playing really well recently but I knew I had to keep the
ball tight as much as I could and not give her many opportunities.
“I had a match ball in the third and I felt a little scared, so when I
went match ball up again in the fourth I just told myself to go for it
and be fearless and it worked.”
Elsewhere there were straight forward wins for all seeded players
including top seed Nour El Sherbini, who dismantled Mariam Metwally 3-0
in just over 20 minutes.
Perry Springs Surprise As Us Open Qualification Concludes Two-years
after retiring from the PSA World Tour, Ireland’s Madeline Perry sprung
one of the biggest surprises of the day to defeat World No.29 Coline
Aumard in the final round of qualification at the 2017 U.S Open
Presented by Macquarie Investment Management and secure a place in the
main draw of the PSA World Series tournament.
40-year-old Perry, competing in her first event in almost 18 months,
recovered from a 1-2 game deficit to come through and defeat Aumard
8-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, 11-5 and set up a compelling first round match
with American hopeful Olivia Blatchford – whom she defeated in two
previous encounters in 2014 and 2015.
Meanwhile there was also success for Canadian Hollie Naughton as she
prevailed in a similarly tough five-game battle with second seeded Fiona
Moverly to claim an unexpected debut appearance in the first round of
the U.S Open to face Egyptian Raneem El Welily. Compatriot Samantha
Cornett will also appear in the main draw for just the third time in her
career after an impressive 3-0 win over Belgian Nele Gilis.
Unseeded Amanda Landers-Murphy of New Zealand was the other surprise
qualifier in the women’s draw while in the Men’s event Frenchman Lucas
Serme put in a highly impressive display to down second seeded Nicolas
Mueller 3-0 in just 23 minutes – earning a place to take on Ali Farag in
the first round.
Another unseeded player, Egyptian Mazen Hesham, followed up his first
round win over number twelve seed Raphael Kandra with a 3-0 win over
number six seed Declan James. Hesham will now face Colombian Miguel
Angel Rodriguez in one of the stand out encounters of round one.
Arturo Salazar, Adrian Waller and Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi also overcame
the seedings to secure their main draw berths.
Defending Champion Serme Looking Forward to Tough
Competition France’s
World No.2 Camille Serme is feeling positive ahead of the 2017 U.S. Open
Presented by Macquarie Investment Management where she aims to defend
her title when the tournament takes place between October 7 - 14 at
Philadelphia’s Drexel University.
The Frenchwoman finished a semi-finalist in her first tournament of the
2017/18 season at the J.P. Morgan China Squash Open and Serme admitted
she was keen to get her season off to a better start than last year,
when she suffered early exits at both the Al Ahram International and the
Hong Kong Open.
“It was important for me to start in a better way than last year, and
it’s already the case,” said the 28-year-old.
“It’s positive and I want to keep that feeling for the U.S. Open. I will
be with my coach and a physio as well, I feel even more comfortable when
I have my staff with me.”
Serme made history last year when she became the first Frenchwoman in
history to lift the coveted U.S. Open trophy, beating World No.1 Nour El
Sherbini in the final, and the World No.2 insisted she can’t wait to
return.
“It was a huge honour. I can’t believe it’s been a year already – time
flies! I’m looking forward to going back to Philadelphia and playing
again on the beautiful court.”
The U.S. Open marked a turning point in Serme’s season last year with
the Frenchwoman then going on to win the J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions and Cleveland Classic tiles over the course of the season and
she is looking forward to challenging once again amidst strong
competition on the Women's Tour.
“It gave me a big boost, I felt more confident after the tournament last
year. Especially because I beat really good players such as Laura [Massaro],
Amanda [Sobhy] and Nour El Sherbini – it showed me that I could beat
those girls.
“The Women’s Tour hasn’t been as strong and exciting as it is now. I
like the fact that every girl has a different type of game. You have to
adjust your tactic for each girl and it’s more interesting.
“You know everyone can beat everyone and it’s more fun for the
spectators.”
Serme will open up against tournament wildcard Haley Mendez on day two
of the main draw on October 8 and insists she is just going to take it
one game at a time when it comes to the defence of her title.
“It would mean a lot to win it for the second year in a row. But I
prefer to focus on each match and on what I have to do on court first
because that’s when I play my best.”
The U.S. Open offers players the first chance to gain points for the
World Series Standings as they bid to qualify for the season-ending PSA
World Series Finals – with only the top eight players on the men’s and
women’s standings earning a coveted berth at the lucrative tournament.
A men’s tournament also features in Philadelphia and sees defending
champion Mohamed ElShorbagy appear in a world-class draw that also stars
the likes of World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, 2007 winner Nick Matthew
and World No.5 Ali Farag.
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open takes place between October 5-6,
while the main draw will be held between October 7-14 inside the
Daskalakis Athletic Centre at Drexel University.
Action from every round of the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV
(Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while the
semi-finals and finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast
channels around the world, including BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports
Australia and Astro.
2017 U.S. Open - Women’s First Round Draw [1]
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[Q] v [14] Victoria Lust (ENG)
[10] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [Q]
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[6] Nicol David (MAS) v Donna Urquhart (AUS)
Joey Chan (HKG) v [9] Annie Au (HKG)
[12] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [Q]
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) v [WC] Haley Mendez (USA)
[Q] v [11] Joelle King (NZL)
[16] Olivia Blatchford (USA) v [Q]
[Q] v [8] Alison Waters (ENG)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [Q]
Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [13] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[15] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Heba El Torky (EGY)
[Q] v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
2017 U.S. Open – Men’s First Round Draw [2]
Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Simon Rösner (GER) v [Q]
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [5] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Q]
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q]
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) v [3] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) v [Q]
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Q]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [Q]
[WC] Christopher Gordon (USA) v [8] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [Q]
Max Lee (HKG) v Diego Elias (PER)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Q]
Paul Coll (NZL) v [1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Egypt’s World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy returns to the 2017 U.S. Open
Presented by Macquarie Investment Management next week as he looks to
defend his crown when the tournament gets under way October 7 - 14 at
Philadelphia’s Drexel University.
The 26-year-old Egyptian defeated England’s World No.4 Nick Matthew at
last year’s instalment, with the Englishman forced to retire in the
fifth game of their title decider, and ElShorbagy is looking forward to
playing at the World Series event once again this year.
“I really enjoy playing there,” said ElShorbagy.
“The promoters and sponsors always make sure we feel welcome and
everything is really easy. I’m sure everyone looks forward to playing
there.”
The Egyptian – who is seeded second at the tournament following the
withdrawal of World No.1 and top seed Gregory Gaultier – recently
reigned victorious at the Oracle NetSuite Open, picking up his first
title of the season, and will open against Australia’s World No.17
Cameron Pilley in round one at the U.S. Open.
ElShorbagy has won the U.S. Open twice in the last three years as he
also conquered compatriot Amr Shabana in the 2014 final – with that
victory leading him to the coveted World No.1 spot – and the Egyptian is
hoping his good run at the tournament continues.
He said: “I have great memories because it is the tournament that got me
to World No.1 three years ago.
“I’ve won it twice in three years and when I didn’t play very well last
season it was one of the tournaments I won, so I have good memories
there.
“I always love playing there and love all of the support. It’s a
tournament I always look forward to.”
The U.S. Open also features a women's event and represents the first
chance for players to earn points for the World Series Standings as they
bid to qualify for the season-ending PSA World Series Finals – with only
the top eight players on the men’s and women’s standings earning a
coveted berth at the lucrative tournament.
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open takes place between October 5-6,
while the main draw will be held between October 7-14 inside the
Daskalakis Athletic Center at Drexel University.
Action from the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of the
World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while tickets start from $25
and can be purchased here: www.usopensquash.com/tickets
Draws
2017 U.S. Open – Men’s First Round Draw
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Simon Rösner (GER) v [Q]
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [5] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Q]
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q]
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) v [3] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) v [Q]
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Q]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [Q]
[WC] Christopher Gordon (USA) v [8] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [Q]
Max Lee (HKG) v Diego Elias (PER)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Q]
Paul Coll (NZL) v [1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
2017 U.S. Open - Women’s First Round Draw
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[Q] v [14] Victoria Lust (ENG)
[10] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [Q]
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[6] Nicol David (MAS) v Donna Urquhart (AUS)
Joey Chan (HKG) v [9] Annie Au (HKG)
[12] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [Q]
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) v [WC] Haley Mendez (USA)
[Q] v [11] Joelle King (NZL)
[16] Olivia Blatchford (USA) v [Q]
[Q] v [8] Alison Waters (ENG)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [Q]
Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [13] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[15] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Heba El Torky (EGY)
[Q] v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open takes place between October 5-6,
while the main draw will be held between October 7-14 inside the
Daskalakis Athletic Centre at Drexel University.
Action from the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of
World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while tickets start from $25
and can be purchased here:
www.usopensquash.com/tickets
French World No.1 Gregory Gaultier and former World No.1 Ramy Ashour
have both withdrawn from the first PSA World Series event of the 2017/18
season - the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment Management
- due to injury.
34-year-old Gaultier, a three-time U.S Open champion, has failed to
recover from an ankle injury that also ruled him out of the recent
Oracle NetSuite Open - a reoccurrence of the injury that forced to pull
out of last year’s PSA Men’s World Championship at the semi-final stage
when he was due to face eventual runner-up Ashour.
The Egyptian, winner of the 2012 U.S. Open, has also withdrawn from the
event which begins this weekend due to illness, meaning Scotsman Alan
Clyne and Egypt's Omar Mosaad move into the main draw automatically.
Those movements mean defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy moves up in
the seedings to replace Gaultier in the top half of the draw and will
play Australian Cameron Pilley in the first round, while Fares Dessouky
takes Ashour's place to play local favourite and tournament wildcard
Christopher Gordon.
Revised Main Draw - Men's 2017 U.S. Open
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Simon Rösner (GER) v [Qualifier]
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [5] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Qualifier]
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) v [3] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Qualifier]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [Qualifier]
[WC] Christopher Gordon (USA) v [8] Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Max Lee (HKG) v Diego Elias (PER)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Paul Coll (NZL) v [1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open takes place between October 5-6,
while the main draw will be held between October 7-14 inside the
Daskalakis Athletic Centre at Drexel University.
Action from the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of
World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while tickets start from $25
and can be purchased here:
www.usopensquash.com/tickets
A number of the world’s top players will go head-to-head right from day
one at the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment Management
after the draws for the PSA World Series tournament were released today
(August 21).
Taking place between October 7-14 in Philadelphia’s Drexel University,
the U.S. Open is the first World Series tournament of the 2017/18 season
and will see World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad take on World No.12 Paul
Coll in the pick of the opening round matches in the men’s draw.
Number two seed Gawad has been drawn on the same side of the draw as
defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy and is seeded to meet the former
World No.1 - who begins his tournament against a qualifier - in a
mouthwatering last four encounter.
Elsewhere, World No.1 Gregory Gaultier gets his tournament under way
against Australia’s Cameron Pilley, with the top seed set to face last
year’s runner-up Nick Matthew for a place in the final if both players
can play to their seedings.
Maverick Egyptian Ramy Ashour will also be in action and he will take on
tournament wildcard Christopher Gordon, who will have home hopes on his
shoulders as he aims to claim a first ever win over the three-time World
Champion after defeats in 2006 and 2008.
Women’s defending champion Camille Serme will begin her tournament
against World No.53 wildcard Haley Mendez and she is seeded to meet
World Championship runner-up Raneem El Welily in the semi-finals.
The top half of the draw will see World No.1 Nour El Sherbini - who lost
to Serme in last year’s final - take on fellow Egyptian Mariam Metwally
on day one, while World No.4 Laura Massaro, a winner in 2011 and 2015,
is seeded on the same side of the draw as El Sherbini and will line up
against compatriot Millie Tomlinson.
The U.S. Open will also see players compete for points on the World
Series Standings for the first time in the 2017/18 season, with only the
top eight men and women on the standings qualifying for a coveted berth
at the season-ending PSA World Series Finals.
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open Presented by Macquarie Investment
Management takes place between October 5-6, while the main draw will be
held between October 7-14 inside the Daskalakis Athletic Centre at
Drexel University.
Action from the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of
World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while the semi-finals and
finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the
world, including BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
Qualification for the 2017 U.S. Open takes place between October 5-6,
while the main draw will be held between October 7-14 inside the
Daskalakis Athletic Centre at Drexel University.
Action from the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of
World) and Eurosport Player (Europe Only), while tickets start from $25
and can be purchased here:
www.usopensquash.com/tickets
