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2018 Winning Finalists
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His Final British Open

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Allam British Open 2018
Men's Draw
13 - 20 May
Hull, England, $165,000
Round Two
15 May
Round two
16-17May
Quarters
18May
Semis
19 May
Final
20 May
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY)
5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (54m)
Diego Elias (PER)
Mohamed Elshorbagy
8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (55m)
 Gregoire Marche
Mohamed Elshorbagy
11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 (72m)
Paul Coll
 

Mohamed Elshorbagy
8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 3-11, 11-5 (71m)
Gregory Gaultier


Mohamed Elshorbagy
11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 (102m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
[Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
11-9, 2-11, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 (76m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
Paul Coll (NZL)
11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 11-8 (72m)
[Q] George Parker (ENG)
Paul Coll
3-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 (68m)
Karim Abdel Gawad
[7] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
9-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 (49m)
Daryl Selby (ENG)
[6] Simon Rösner (GER)
11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (45m)
[WC] Declan James (ENG)
Simon Rösner
11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (31m)
Saurav Ghosa
Simon Rösner
11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (35m)
Gregory Gaultier
Saurav Ghosal (IND)
11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3 (71m)
[Q] Greg Lobban (SCO)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (47m)
[Q] Joel Makin (WAL)
Mohamed Abouelghar
8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (55m)
Gregory Gaultier
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (45m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (36m)
James Willstrop (ENG)
Marwan Elshorbagy
12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
Cesar Salazar
Marwan Elshorbagy
11-7, 11-13, 6-11, 13-11, 11-6 (72m)
Raphael Kandra
Raphael Kandra
11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3 (44m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
Cesar Salazar (MEX)
11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 13-11 (67m)
Nicolas Müller (SUI)
[Q] Raphael Kandra (GER)
11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (49m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Raphael Kandra
9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (58m)
Nick Matthew
Nick Matthew (ENG)
11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2 (80m)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
7-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-4 (35m)
[8] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-2 (44m)
Omar Mosaad
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 (68m)
Ali Farag
 (EGY) Omar Mosaad
12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5 (58m)
[Q] Ben Coleman (ENG)
Max Lee (HKG)
11-4, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 (47m)
[Q] Adrian Waller (ENG)
Max Lee
 11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 11-1 (51m)
Ali Farag
[Q] Chris Simpson (ENG)
11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (32m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY)
Qualifying

Qualifying finals:
[8] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [10] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 (37m)
[2] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt [9] Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (51m)
[1] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [13] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
[11] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [4] Tom Richards (ENG) 3-2: 11-9, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 (62m)
[16] Ben Coleman (ENG) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-1: 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 14-12 (75m)
George Parker (ENG) bt [5] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 3-1: 10-12, 11-7, 0-1 retired (39m)
[12] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [6] Alan Clyne (SCO) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (47m)
[7] Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [14] Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (35m)

1st qualifying round:
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 (23m)
Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-8, 12-10, 11-7 (45m)
Joel Makin (WAL) bt Patrick Rooney (ENG) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 (50m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Tom Walsh (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (44m)
Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (32m)
George Parker (ENG) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9 (74m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Youssef Soliman (EGY) 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (31m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Christopher Binnie (JAM) 11-6, 11-9, 13-11 (45m)
Todd Harrity (USA) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-1 (77m)
Ben Coleman (ENG) bt Kyle Finch (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (35m)
Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Charlie Lee (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7 (81m)
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Richie Fallows (ENG) 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (59m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-4, 11-8, 4-11, 6-11, 11-2 (52m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (21m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Lyell Fuller (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-1 (35m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Joshua Masters (ENG) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (37m)
 

Allam British Open 2018
Women's Draw
13 - 20 May
Hull, England, $165,000
Round Two
15 May
Round two
16-17May
Quarters
18May
Semis
19 May
Final
20 May
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (25m)
Emily Whitlock (ENG)
Nour El Sherbini
8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 (34m)
Salma Hany
Nour El Sherbini
6-11, 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5 (58m)
Alison Waters
Nour El Sherbini
11-13, 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5 (70m)
Laura Massaro


 
Nour El Sherbini
11-6, 11-9, 14-12 (47m)
Raneem El Welily

 

 

[16] Salma Hany (EGY)
11-7, 11-4, 11-7 (27m)
[Q] Nele Gilis (BEL)
[9] Alison Waters (ENG)
11-5, 13-11, 11-6 (33m)
Joey Chan (HKG)
Alison Waters
11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 11-3 (32m)
Nouran Gohar
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
[7] Laura Massaro (ENG)
21-19, 11-6, 11-6 (42m)
[Q] Mayar Hany (EGY)
Laura Massaro
11-4, 15-13, 11-3 (31m)
Yathreb Adel
Laura Massaro
11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (31m)
Nour El Tayeb
[Q] Yathreb Adel (EGY)
11-7, 11-3, 12-10 (27m)
[13] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
Amanda Sobhy (USA)
11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2 (30m)
[12] Olivia Blatchford (USA)
Amanda Sobhy
11-3, 11-9, 11-3 (36m)
Nour El Tayeb
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (21m)
Rachael Grinham (AUS)
[4] Joelle King (NZL)
11-3, 11-6, 11-7 (25m)
[Q] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL)
Joelle King
11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
Tesni Evans
Tesni Evans
16-14, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (72m)
Camille Serme
Camille Serme
11-7, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6 (43m)
Raneem El Welily


 
[11] Tesni Evans (WAL)
11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (30m)
[Q] Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[15] Donna Urquhart (AUS)
11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (26m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY)
Donna Urquhart
11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (29m)
 Camille Serme
[6] Camille Serme (FRA)
11-1, 11-6, 11-8 (27m)
[Q] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 (42m)
Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry
11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (25m)
Annie Au
Sarah-Jane Perry
11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4 (38m)
Raneem El Welily
[10] Annie Au (HKG)
17-15, 11-5, 11-1 (31m)
[Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN)
[14] Victoria Lust (ENG)
11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10 (48m)
[WC] Fiona Moverley (ENG)
Victoria Lust
9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4
Raneem El Welily
[Q] Milou van der Heijden (NED)
11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (26m)
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Qualifying

Qualifying finals:
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt [15] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (22m)
[4] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [14] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 3-1: 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 (52m)
[11] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt [8] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 3-1: 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-4 (36m)
[2] Mayar Hany (EGY) bt [16] Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 3-2: 11-5, 5-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-5 (45m)
[3] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt [10] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-1: 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (38m)
[13] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [7] Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-2: 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8 (64m)
[6] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [12] Coline Aumard (FRA) 3-2: 7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8 (48m)
[5] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [9] Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 14-12, 11-4 (25m)

1st qualifying round:
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 4-11, 13-11 (51m)
Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt Nikki Todd (CAN) 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt Kace Bartley (ENG) 11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 (32m)
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 11-6, 12-10, 11-6 (30m)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 (44m)
Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Tinne Gilis (BEL) 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (42m)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Lily Taylor (ENG) 17-19, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4 (35m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 (33m)
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (26m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6 (57m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-1 (20m)
Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 11-9, 11-7, 15-13 (39m)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Alice Green (ENG) 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6 (30m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 (39m)
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 11-9, 13-11, 14-12 (27m)
Mayar Hany (EGY) bt Charlotte Jagger (ENG) 11-3, 11-2, 11-7 (14m)
 

 
REPORTS
Finals

Colombia’s Rodriguez and Egypt’s El Sherbini Claim 2018 British Open Titles

World No.14 Miguel Angel Rodriguez has become the first South American player ever to win a PSA World Series tournament after the unseeded Colombian stunned men's World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy to win the iconic Allam British Open title inside Hull’s Airco Arena on a day that also saw women’s World No.1 Nour El Sherbini down World Champion Raneem El Welily to win her second title at the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’.

Rodriguez, the first unseeded player in the modern era to win the British Open, and ElShorbagy, a two-time British Open champion, contested one of the most dramatic finals the tournament has ever seen, with 32-year-old Rodriguez prevailing in a gladiatorial, 102-minute battle by an 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 scoreline.

ElShorbagy, who prior to the final had spent almost an hour longer on court than his opponent during this tournament, fought through the fatigue to take a 2-1 lead but the Egyptian took just two points in the fourth as he recharged his batteries for one last push in the fifth.

What followed was a stunning display of squash from both players, with ElShorbagy sinking to the floor due to sheer exhaustion after a particularly gruelling rally in the latter stages.

The reigning World Champion fought on manfully but he couldn’t deny his opponent and, when the Colombian went match ball up and deceived him with a well-disguised boast, he called an attempted pick-up to be down to ensure that Rodriguez made history.

“I think everything was mental, I dreamed it,” said Rodriguez after claiming the 27th - and biggest - PSA World Tour title of his career.

“I had emotions during the week but I am just speechless. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to win this major tournament, the greatest of all time. I’m so proud of myself, this is for my parents, my family and Colombia.

“It’s huge, this is like winning the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’. No one in South America has achieved this before, I’m a legend I think I can say. I couldn’t believe that I was able to fight with a top player like Mohamed, he has achieved so many titles. I can’t believe that I am 32 years old and I just won the British Open.”

Women’s World No.1 El Sherbini made it two British Open titles out of three finals after the 22-year-old put in a scintillating performance to overcome compatriot and World No.2 El Welily in straight games, avenging her defeat to the 29-year-old in the final of last month’s El Gouna International.

The pair were meeting in a fifth major final of the season with each player taking two wins apiece prior to today’s final. El Sherbini became the first female Egyptian to win the British Open in 2016 and had also reached the final in 2012 at the age of just 16, while 29-year-old El Welily was contesting the title decider of the iconic tournament for the first time in her career.

And it was the younger Egyptian who prevailed in Hull as she played an immaculate brand of squash to record an 11-6, 11-9, 14-12 triumph in 47 minutes to win her 16th PSA crown.

“The British Open is the biggest tournament on tour, it was an honour to win it once and now I have two and I’m really proud," El Sherbini said.

"We always have very tough battles, it’s never an easy 3-0 and I’m really glad it’s ended this way.

“I’m glad I came back and won the third. Every time we play, it gets harder. We’re really good friends and I learn from her a lot and she is a role model to any player. I hope this battle continues and we keep playing each other in the finals.”

Both Rodriguez and El Sherbini take home over $24,000 in prize money after the tournament offered up equal prize money for the second year in succession.

The next stop for the world’s greatest squash players - including all four British Open finalists - will be the ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, which will take place at Emirates Golf Club between June 5-9.
 

Semi FInals

Colombia’s Rodriguez Reaches First World Series Final at British Open


World No.14 Miguel Angel Rodriguez has become the first South American squash player ever to reach a PSA World Series final after he ended the giant-killing run of German qualifier Raphael Kandra to reach the title decider of the prestigious Allam British Open on a day that also saw the defending champions exit the event held at Hull’s Airco Arena.

Rodriguez, the 32-year-old from Bogota, had followed up an opening round scalp of 2013 champion Ramy Ashour with wins over Omar Mosaad and World No.2 Ali Farag to reach the last four, but he was up against one of stars of the tournament, with World No.37 Kandra ending Nick Matthew’s final British Open in round two before claiming a massive win over World No.3 Marwan ElShorbagy yesterday.

Kandra - the first German to reach the semi-finals of this tournament - troubled Rodriguez at times during the opening stages of the match until, with the scores poised at 1-1, the Colombian former World No.4 took control and he completed an 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3 triumph to secure a top eight place on the PSA World Series Standings, which sees him become the last player to qualify for next month’s ATCO PSA Dubai World Series.

“I think we both didn’t have anything to lose,” said Rodriguez following his win.

“I had a little bit of pressure, this is a World Series semi-final, so the emotions you feel on court while you are playing are difficult. The first two games were edgy but then I was moving much better and I felt good physically, my shots were deeper, and I think that was the key. I was patient and that helped.

“It’s huge [to be in the final], this is one of my dreams when I was a kid and I told myself at the beginning of the year that I wanted to reach a final, I have and I’m very proud."

Rodriguez will be up against World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy in the final after the Egyptian powerhouse overcame last year’s winner and three-time British Open champion Gregory Gaultier to reach his third final at the sport’s longest-running tournament.

Both ElShorbagy and Gaultier contested a highly-entertaining five-game battle, with 27-year-old ElShorbagy’s physicality giving him the edge over his French opponent, 35, to claim an 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 3-11, 11-5 win which sees him book his place in a fifth World Series final of the season.

“The first thing I told him after that match was that I absolutely missed him throughout the whole season,” said ElShorbagy.

“There are players that can beat you on the day, great players, but there are players who have the consistency to keep it going the whole season. I miss playing against someone who does that, because he has been injured most of the year, but we are the best two players in the world."

Meanwhile, World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World Champion Raneem El Welily will contest their fifth major final of the season after they achieved wins over title holder Laura Massaro and 2015 winner Camille Serme, respectively.

El Sherbini will appear in her third British Open final after she bested her English opponent in 70 minutes by an 11-13, 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5 scoreline that saw her come back from 2-1 down to win.

The Egyptian - who became the first female Egyptian to win the British Open in 2016 - will now compete in a fifth World Series final of the season after avenging her defeat to Massaro in the semi-finals of last year’s tournament.

“I’m really happy to win this match,” said the 22-year-old Egyptian following her win.

“It’s always really tough to play Laura in Hull, she was playing so good here but I’m really happy that I managed to get back and win the fourth and happy to be in another final.

“The British Open is one of the biggest tournaments we have on the tour, it’s an honour to win it once and hopefully I can go on to do it again.”

El Welily has reached her maiden British Open final courtesy of a 3-1 victory over France’s Serme, winning 11-7, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6 in 43 minutes to complete a three-strong Egyptian presence across both the men's and women's title deciders.

The World No.2 has claimed most of the big titles on the PSA World Tour but the prestigious ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ is one of the few missing from her expansive collection. El Welily took one step closer to getting her hands on the iconic trophy today though after taking a crucial tie-break in the third game en route to completing the victory in four games.

“It’s very special and I’m very happy to be in my first final at the British Open," El Welily said.

"I haven’t been very lucky in previous years and I’m a little bit gutted to be missing Ramadan back home, but at least I’m in the final and that will make up for it.”

The 2018 British Open finals begin at 15:00 local time (BST) tomorrow (Sunday May 20) and live coverage will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and will be broadcast on mainstream channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
 

Quarter Finals

Giant-Killer Kandra Stuns ElShorbagy to Become First German British Open Semi-Finalist

German qualifier Raphael Kandra continued his giant-killing run at this year’s Allam British Open as he followed up a second round victory over three-time winner Nick Matthew with a stunning 3-2 win over World No.3 Marwan ElShorbagy inside Hull’s Airco Arena - becoming the first German in history to reach the semi-finals of the iconic PSA World Series tournament.

Kandra made headlines in round two as he sent home favourite Matthew packing in his final appearance at this tournament and he put in one of the most remarkable performances the British Open has ever seen as he sent ElShorbagy to a shock defeat.

The World No.37 from Paderborn had never before reached the semi-finals of a World Series tournament but put in a display full of grit and endeavour as he claimed a stunning 11-7, 11-13, 6-11, 13-11, 11-6 victory to send the crowd into raptures as he became the first qualifier to reach the last four of the men’t tournament since 2001.

“I definitely enjoyed the crowd,” said the 27-year-old after the biggest win of his career.

“I was just trying to enjoy my squash out there and the support of the crowd was amazing. It was a spectacular match, it’s hard to say but for me it probably wasn’t the best of Marwan’s squash today, but you need those days.

“I’m fighting through, whoever comes, I don’t mind. Whoever it is, if it’s Gregory Gaultier… or Mohamed ElShorbagy – I don’t mind. These guys are just so impressive at the moment and they play so well."

Kandra will line up against Colombia’s former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez after he upset World No.2 Ali Farag to reach the semi-finals of this tournament for the first time since 2015 - a result that sees him leapfrog Matthew into eighth place on the PSA World Series Standings, which means that the Englishman is unable to qualify for next month’s season-ending ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals.

Matthew’s loss to Kandra means that the 37-year-old three-time World Champion has now officially began his retirement after a glittering 20-year career and his place in Dubai will now be contested by Rodriguez and Kandra, with the latter only able to qualify if he goes on and wins the title.

“What a way to do it,” said Rodriguez.

“The last few seasons have been tough for me with injuries but I’m back and I’m happy to be reaching semis again. I’m over the moon, I’ve been working so hard since last year and today was difficult because I’m sometimes too emotional, but I tried to be disciplined today and it worked."

The other men’s semi-final will see defending champion Gregory Gaultier and World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy lock horns for the 23rd time on the PSA World Tour. Gaultier defeated Kandra’s compatriot - World No.6 Simon Rösner - while ElShorbagy overcame New Zealand’s World No.10 Paul Coll.

In the women’s event, defending champion Laura Massaro took a step closer to retaining her title after a hugely impressive 3-0 win over the in-form Egyptian Nour El Tayeb.

Massaro is now the only English player left in the tournament after compatriots Sarah-Jane Perry - the 2017 runner-up to Massaro - and Alison Waters fell to Egyptian duo Raneem El Welily and Nour El Sherbini, respectively.

The 34-year-old from Preston avenged her defeat to El Tayeb in October’s U.S. Open as she put in a real masterclass to record an 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 victory that will see her take on World No.1 El Sherbini in the last four as she appears in a sixth British Open semi-final.

“I’ve done nothing but think about this match since I won the other day and I’ve had my eye on it since the draw came out, without being disrespectful to my two first round opponents, because you can’t take it for granted," said two-time British Open champion Massaro.

“I’ve seen how Nour has been playing and how she has improved. She is part of the reason that I’ve been training so hard because of how she’s been playing and changing the game and what she’s doing to it.

“But, I also didn’t like the way she showboated and played so amazing against me in the U.S. Open, it was borderline cocky, and I wanted to get my own back for that, but she is bringing a whole different flair and it is what the squash game needs."

Massaro will aim to end a three-match losing streak to World No.1 El Sherbini in the semi-finals, while El Welily will clash with 2015 British Open champion Camille Serme after the Frenchwoman prevailed in a thrilling five-game battle with Wales’ Tesni Evans.

Serme went 2-1 down after some sublime squash from the Welsh player but the physicality eventually took its toll on her opponent as she ground out an 16-14, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 victory to bring an end to an entertaining 72-minute clash.

"She has had an amazing season,” said 29-year-old Serme, who will face World Champion Raneem El Welily in the next round.

“It was a big battle today and I was enjoying it while we were both working really hard. It’s amazing to have all my staff and team behind me. Greg had already played but stayed to watch me and I’m very lucky.”

The semi-finals of the 2018 British Open begin at 13:00 tomorrow (Saturday May 19) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and mainstream broadcast channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
 

Round Two Lower Half

Shock Kandra Win Sees Matthew Bow Out of Final British Open 

Legendary Englishman Nick Matthew has exited his final Allam British Open at the second round stage after falling to a surprise defeat against German qualifier Raphael Kandra inside Hull’s Airco Arena on day three of the PSA World Series tournament.

Matthew - a three-time British Open winner - is one of the greatest English players of all time and will retire either after this tournament or after June’s ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, although that will depend on whether he can retain his place inside the top eight on the PSA World Series Standings, which is under threat from Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez and New Zealand’s Paul Coll, as that will see him qualify for Dubai.

Kandra - who had upset World No.27 Mathieu Castagnet in round one - proved too much for the 37-year-old Yorkshireman to handle and his 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 triumph will see him join compatriot Simon Rösner in the last eight in what will be the first time that two German players have reached the quarter-finals of this tournament at the same time.

“I would like to congratulate Nick on an amazing career, he’s 37 and he’s still playing at this level,” said Kandra.

“For me it was such a tough match because I was pushing through and he is so experienced so was trying everything at the end.

“I just said yesterday when you expect to do well in a match you lose for some reason and whenever you don’t expect anything you go on court relaxed and there is no pressure on you, you enjoy it and that’s when the best results come out. I was very happy and I’m really looking forward to the quarter-finals.”

After his last ever appearance at a ranking PSA World Tour event, Matthew said: “I have so many good memories of playing in England and that’s why I’m disappointed that I didn’t get on a bit further.

"Mentally I still have that desire and I know how to beat all the top guys, but my body hates playing them now so maybe now is the right time to go."

Kandra will play World No.3 Marwan ElShorbagy in the last eight after the Egyptian defeated Mexico’s Cesar Salazar in four games, while Colombia’s former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez overcame World No.17 Omar Mosaad in a win that could have a major impact on who qualifies for the men’s event at the World Series Finals.

Rodriguez’s quarter-final berth in Hull has given him 25 points on the PSA World Series Standings, which means he now sits 10 points behind Matthew. A win over quarter-final opponent Ali Farag in the next round would see Rodriguez amass 40 points instead which will see him leapfrog Matthew to claim a place amongst the top eight in the final PSA World Series tournament of the season.

However, New Zealand’s Coll is still in with a shout of qualifying but he will need to reach the final if he is to make it to Dubai at the expense of Matthew and Rodriguez.

"I’m happy with my performance so far and I’m enjoying the tour, especially this year," said World No.14 Rodriguez

“It’s a privilege playing the British Open, I’m the only player from South America in the quarters, I’m pushing myself and I’m happy with my achievements so far.”

The women’s event will feature four British quarter-finalists for the first time since 2002 after Tesni Evans of Wales and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry joined English duo Laura Massaro and Alison Waters - who played yesterday - in the last eight.

Evans has become the first female Welsh player of all time to reach the quarter-finals of the sport’s longest-running tournament as she put in an immaculate performance to beat New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joelle King.

Rhyl-based Evans - who won a bronze medal of her own last month in Australia - put the Kiwi on the back foot throughout the encounter and she claimed an 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 victory to become the first Welsh player since former World No.5 and current PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough to qualify for the last eight.

“We have played so many times in practice, not so much on the PSA World Tour but in practice we have and we both know each other so well, so it was just going to be a case of who did it better today," said Evans.

"Fortunately, I did that but it was not an easy match at all, she is a very good friend of mine, but someone had to win today.

“I’ve been able to play well in this tournament. I like playing in the UK anyway and being home and it’s good to bring a Welsh person into the quarter-finals again here.”

Evans will take on 2015 winner Camille Serme after she eased past Australia’s Donna Urquhart - a win which sees her qualify for the World Series Finals - while Perry claimed a win in straight games against Hong Kong’s Annie Au.

Perry - a runner-up at last year’s tournament - will line up against World Champion Raneem El Welily for a place in the semi-finals after she came back from 2-0 down and three match balls down to avoid a shock loss to England’s Victoria Lust.

El Welily was staring down the barrel of defeat as World No.15 Lust hit winners from all over the court to go two games ahead. However, El Welily displayed strong mental resilience as she dug in to take the third and fourth games - fighting back from 10-7 down in the latter - before powering to an 11-4 triumph in the decider to book her place in the last four.

"I wasn’t playing my best and was on my way back home but I’m really happy to still be here and play again tomorrow," El Welily said.

“It’s a special tournament for me, I’ve never made it to the final and I’ve only made it to the semis a few times, so I’m happy to be in the quarters again this year and tomorrow I will fight again harder.”

The quarter-finals of the prestigious British Open begin tomorrow at 12:00 local time (BST), with coverage shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 

Round Two Top Half

New Zealand’s Coll Becomes First Male Kiwi in 25 Years to Reach British Open Quarters

World No.10 Paul Coll today became the first male New Zealander in a quarter of a century to reach the quarter-finals of the prestigious Allam British Open after he upset former World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad at the PSA World Series tournament taking place in Hull’s Airco Arena.

Coll, the 26-year-old from Greymouth, edged a tight five-game battle against Egypt’s Gawad as he came back from a one-game deficit on two occasions to complete an 3-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 victory.

That win means that Coll follows in the footsteps of compatriot Ross Norman, who was the last male Kiwi to make it to the last eight of this iconic tournament.

“It was a weird match, it's not one that I tend to enjoy,” said Coll following his win.

“There wasn't much rhythm in the first few games, I wasn't consistent with my targets and his hands are too good.

“But I'm happy with the last two, I just tried to take it early, hit my corners and try to get a bit of rhythm going."

Coll’s reward is a quarter-final meeting with World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, who was forced to come back from two games down to win for a second day in a row.

The two-time British Open champion overturned a 2-0 deficit against Peru’s Diego Elias to earn his place in round two and he was on the brink of a shock exit once again today as he conceded the first two games against French qualifier Gregoire Marche.

But ElShorbagy fought back once more as Marche caved in to the pressure his Egyptian opponent was exerting on him and he took an 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 triumph to book his place in the last eight.

“He played so well the first two games,” said ElShorbagy.

“I lost a bit of focus in the first game when I was 7-4 up but all credit to him, he played some incredible squash. We came together through juniors and have shared a lot of memories together and it’s great to see him playing well. He is a pleasure to watch and I’m really pleased to see him playing well.

“I’m still in the tournament, it’s not over for me and I know that any day I can beat anyone and I don’t think I can be written off yet. I’ve had two tough matches but that’s what I train for and I’m just glad to be in another quarters.”

Meanwhile, defending champion Gregory Gaultier is also through to the quarter-finals after he defeated Egyptian World No.9 Mohamed Abouelghar in straight games and he will face Germany’s Simon Rösner, who overcame India’s Saurav Ghosal.

In the women’s event, Laura Massaro is still on course for a third British Open crown after she defeated Egyptian qualifier Yathreb Adel by a 3-0 margin.

The former World No.1 was in control for the majority of the match - although she did have to fight back against her opponent to win a second game tie-break - as she earned her place in the last eight where she will take on World No.3 Nour El Tayeb.

“No matter what happened today, Hull would always hold happy memories in my mind and whatever happens this year at the event that won’t change," said defending champion Massaro.

"To win two British Open titles is more than anyone could wish for. It’s really nice to be back and I’m happy to be here.”

El Tayeb is through to the quarter-finals of the sport’s longest-running tournament for the first time in her career after edging former World No.6 Amanda Sobhy in a dramatic five-game battle.

The Egyptian has enjoyed the best season of her career to date, taking two World Series titles in the U.S. Open and Windy City Open, and El Tayeb showed she had all the components it would take to add the iconic British Open title to her ever-expanding collection as she prevailed in a tough encounter against the American, winning 11-5 in the fifth after Sobhy had come back from two games down to level.

“Amanda is really hard to play and we have been playing since juniors,” said 25-year-old El Tayeb.

“It’s amazing how well she is coming back from injury. I’m not going to say she is back 100% but she’s almost back so it was a hard game. I thought at 2-0 up she was going to go slower a bit but she didn’t and I was lucky to have Ali [Farag] and my coach Haitham [Effat] in my corner to keep pushing me and to keep focused even when I lost the third and fourth game."

The other winners on day two were England’s Alison Waters - who upset World No.5 Nouran Gohar - and World No.1 Nour El Sherbini - who defeated fellow Egyptian Salma Hany - and they will meet for a place in the semi-finals.

Second round action from the British Open continues tomorrow at 12:00 local time (BST) with live action shown on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 

Round One

England’s Matthew Delays Retirement Plans after Beating Momen to Reach British Open Second Round

Three-time Allam British Open champion Nick Matthew has put his retirement on hold for another two days at least after the 37-year-old veteran rolled back the years to dispatch World No.5 Tarek Momen in a gruelling five-game epic on day one of the 2018 edition of the PSA World Series tournament held at Airco Arena.

Matthew is appearing at his last ever British Open and will retire at the end of this season. Whether or not his final professional match takes place in Hull or not depends on whether he qualifies for next month’s ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals but defeat to Momen would have seen him pushed out of the top eight on the PSA World Series Standings by former World No.3 Omar Mosaad, who would have qualified in Matthew’s place.

But a thrilling 80-minute battle went the way of Sheffield’s Matthew, who put in a valiant display that epitomised the grit and determination that have been hallmarks of the three-time World Champion’s glittering 20-year career to mark his 700th PSA World Tour match with an 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2.

“That was my final, I’m not used to not being seeded, it’s hard work,” said Matthew, who will play Germany’s Raphael Kandra in the next round.

“Every first round is tough but it’s totally different when you’re not seeded. It’s only this month that my ranking slipped out. I knew it was going to be tough and I feel over the moon at the minute.

“The good thing is that I’ve got a day off tomorrow so I think that will give me a chance to reset mentally as much as anything. That was a bit emotional and it was potentially my last one, so I didn’t want to go out on a Tuesday night. I want to go all the way to the weekend so fingers crossed I can keep pushing and I’m sure the crowd will be behind me.”

Meanwhile, World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy avoided a shock first round exit as he came back from two games down to defeat Peru’s World No.12 Diego Elias in five.

ElShorbagy, a two-time British Open winner, was in all sorts of trouble as an out of sorts showing from the two-time winner saw him go two games down against a composed Elias, but the Egyptian powerhouse came onto court a completely different player in the third as he stepped up the court and forced Elias into some brutal movements to record an 5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 triumph.

"To be the best in any sport, you don’t win matches because you play your best every match, you find ways to win when you’re not playing your best and today I found a way to win," ElShorbagy said afterwards.

"The British Open is our ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ and you don’t want to lose a match easily. If someone is going to take me out I’m going to make sure that they have to be at their best."

Three-time runner-up James Willstrop exited the tournament after he lost to World No.3 Marwan ElShorbagy, while 2013 winner Ramy Ashour is also out after falling to Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez in four games.

There were also wins for the likes of second seed Ali Farag, defending champion Gregory Gaultier, former World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.10 Paul Coll, with the latter pair set to face off against each other.

Elsewhere, World No.26 Cesar Salazar made history as he beat Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller to become the first Mexican man ever to reach round two of the British Open.

In the women’s event, title holder Laura Massaro earned her spot in the last 16 courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Egyptian qualifier Mayar Hany which will see her play Yathreb Adel in the next round.

34-year-old Massaro and Hany - 13 years Massaro's junior - had met at the second round stage of last year’s British Open, with Massaro taking a comfortable 3-0 win in just 29 minutes, while the pair met last month at the El Gouna International, with Massaro again triumphing in straight games.

While the scoreline was the same this time around, Massaro didn’t always have it her own way as the two-time British Open champion was forced to overturn three separate game balls in a dramatic 25-minute opener, eventually prevailing 21-19, before following that up with 11-6 victories in each of the final two games.

"I haven’t won a World Series event this season but I’ve made the semi-finals in all of them apart from Chicago I think, so my ranking being at seven feels a little bit harsh because I feel like I’m making regular semis," said Preston-based Massaro when asked about her season so far.

"Having said that, the tour is as strong as ever and my level just hasn’t been strong enough to win those titles this season.

"We’ve got this event to go and I’ll have to adapt as quickly as I can over the summer ready for next season otherwise my ranking will be even further down."

World No.3 Nour El Tayeb began her attempts to lift a third World Series title with a 3-0 win over Australia’s four-time champion Rachael Grinham, who was appearing in her 21st consecutive British Open.

“She is a legend of my whole world, everyone around me knows how big of a deal Rachael is to me,” said El Tayeb.

“I got most of my tricks from her and she’s the first professional squash player I grew up watching. She was the World No.1 at the time and she always played with me when I was around 12 back home in Cairo so I look up to her in every aspect."

United States No.2 Amanda Sobhy awaits El Tayeb after beating fellow American Olivia Blatchford at the University of Hull and Sports Fitness Centre - which hosted 23 of the 32 first round matches - while World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World Champion Raneem El Welily beat Salma Hany and Victoria Lust, respectively.

Second round action begins at 12:00 local time (BST) tomorrow (Wednesday May 16) and action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
 
Qualifying

Makin Becomes First Welshman in a Decade to Reach British Open Main Draw

World No.43 Joel Makin became the first Welshman in a decade to reach the main draw of the prestigious Allam British Open after he defeated England’s Tom Richards by a 3-2 margin in the final qualifying round of the PSA World Series tournament.

The pair waged a gruelling battle at the University of Hull Sports & Fitness Centre as 23-year-old Makin fought back from 2-1 down to complete an 11-9, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 victory that will see him take on World No.9 Mohamed Abouelghar in the first round of the main draw.

Makin’s triumph means that the British Open main draw will feature a male player for the first time since 2008 when former World No.5 and current PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough made it to round two of the sport’s longest-running tournament.

Top qualifying seed Gregoire Marche is also through to the main draw courtesy of a 3-0 win over Malaysia’s World No.46 Eain Yow Ng and his reward is a first round match-up with Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly.

An English quartet also moved through to the main draw on home soil as Adrian Waller, Chris Simpson, Ben Coleman and George Parker all claimed wins on the final day of qualifying.

Hong Kong’s Max Lee lies in wait for Waller, while Simpson, Coleman and Parker have lined up respective fixtures with World No.2 Ali Farag, former World No.3 Omar Mosaad and World No.9 Paul Coll.

There were also wins for second qualifying seed Greg Lobban and Germany’s Raphael Kandra. Lobban beat Frenchman Lucas Serme to set up a first round match with India’s Saurav Ghosal, with Kandra beating Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip to ensure he will face World No.27 Mathieu Castagnet.

In the women’s draw, two successive qualifying round upsets have ensured that World No.58 Alexandra Fuller has become the first South African to earn her place in the main draw since 2015.

The 24-year-old followed up a 3-2 win over Egypt’s top qualifying seed Nadine Shahin with a 3-0 victory over Japan’s Misaki Kobayashi to book a main draw berth against World No.12 Tesni Evans.

Third seed Millie Tomlinson was the only English player in action as she overcame Zeina Mickawy in four games and she will look forward to a first round fixture with 2015 champion Camille Serme in the next round.

Mayar Hany and Yathreb Adel made it an Egyptian double courtesy of respective wins over Danielle Letourneau and Nada Abbas. Hany has a tough encounter against defending champion Laura Massaro in store, while Adel will play Indian No.1 Joshna Chinappa.

Belgium’s Nele Gilis, Canada’s Samantha Cornett, Dutchwoman Milou van der Heijden and New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy also booked their places in the main draw.

The main draw of the 2018 Allam British takes place between Tuesday May 15 - Sunday May 20 at Hull’s Airco Arena, with the exception of 23 of tomorrow’’s 32 first round matches, which will be staged at the University of Hull Sports & Fitness Centre.

Tomorrow will feature a bumper day of English talent as three-time winner Nick Matthew begins his final British Open against World No.5 Tarek Momen, while Commonwealth Games gold medalist James Willstrop, Massaro, World No.23 Emily Whitlock and Chris Simpson are the other English players in action.

Fans can book their tickets now to see the English quintet in action by visiting Ticketmaster.

Fixtures staged on the glass court at the Airco Arena will be shown on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player throughout the tournament, while the semi-finals and finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
 
Previews

Australian Legend Sarah Fitz-Gerald Predicts
‘Mammoth Battles’


Legendary Australian Sarah Fitz-Gerald has tipped Egyptian players to come out on top at the 2018 edition of the Allam British Open - which begins tomorrow (May 15) in Hull - and is looking forward to some exciting battles at the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ over the next six days.

The British Open is the sport’s longest-running tournament and some of the greatest Egyptian players of all time, such as Ramy Ashour, Mohamed ElShorbagy, Abdelfattah AbouTaleb and Nour El Sherbini have gotten their hands on the prestigious title.

Last year’s British Open featured no Egyptians in either the men’s or women’s final for the first time since 2014 but, after a season which has seen all but one World Series title find its way into Egyptian hands, Fitz-Gerald is expecting the nation to reign supreme once more in Hull.

"It’s hard to look past any Egyptian in the men’s and women’s [tournaments]," said the two-time British Open champion.

"And you sure can’t underestimate some of the previous title winners. The British [Open] often produces mammoth performances.

"[SQUASHTV lead commentator] Joey Barrington had a good laugh with me during the Commonwealth Games about ‘sitting on the fence’ regarding predictions. All I know is my guesses are never right, but the Egyptians, any of them [could win] and I will watch with curiosity [New Zealand’s] Joelle King and [Wales’] Tesni Evans in the women’s."

Fitz-Gerald, 49, first won the British Open back in 2001 with victory over New Zealand’s Carol Owens in the final and she followed that up with a second successive win the following year, this time beating England’s Tania Bailey.

In addition to those British Open titles, the Melbourne-based former World No.1 has won the World Championship on five occasions and claimed a Commonwealth Games gold medal - but she insists that the British Open was the tournament that tested her the most.

"The British Open means a huge amount to me and still does," she said.

"I found it the most difficult title to win. It’s history and prestige seemed to add a huge amount of pressure, when I did it, it was a huge relief plus I wanted to win it for my English club, Caversham in Reading, and coach, Mike Johnson.

"To have been on that trophy with the legends of the game was what was important to me, it was the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’."

This year’s British Open looks set to be one of the most exciting yet, with the likes of two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy, World No.2 Ali Farag, 2016 champion Nour El Sherbini and World Champion Raneem El Welily leading the Egyptian charge.

Three-time winner Nick Matthew also returns to Hull as he appears at his final British Open and his opening round match with Tarek Momen on Tuesday May 15 is one of four matches to feature English talent at the Airco Arena, with Commonwealth Games gold medalist James Willstrop, defending women’s champion Laura Massaro and World No.23 Emily Whitlock all involved.

Fans can see the English quartet in action by purchasing tickets via Ticketmaster.

Qualifying for the tournament takes place from May 13-14 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, while the main draw will be held at the Airco Arena between May 15-20, bar 23 of the 32 first round matches, which will be staged at the university on day one of the main draw.

Matches held on the glass court at the Airco Arena will be shown on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player throughout the tournament, while the semi-finals and finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
 
Matthew Aiming to Keep Emotions at Bay Ahead of Last British Open Bow

Three-time Allam British Open champion Nick Matthew has admitted that he will have to work hard to keep the emotions at bay when he makes his final appearance at the sport’s longest-running tournament next week at Hull’s Airco Arena.

Taking place between May 15-20, the British Open will offer up one of the sport's most coveted titles and Matthew has tasted title success at this tournament on three occasions - 2006, 2009 and 2012 - with the former seeing him become the first English-born player since 1938 to capture the crown.

Matthew, the only Englishman to lift the trophy three times, made his British Open debut back in 1998 but his association with the iconic tournament goes back to the 80s when he regularly made the trip down from Sheffield to London to watch the world’s greatest stars in action.

"It’s a tournament that holds special memories for me before I was even old enough or good enough to take part in it," said the 37-year-old.

"The British Open at Wembley was an annual homage for myself and my parents and watching the likes of Jahangir & Jansher Khan, Rodney and Brett Martin and Susan Devoy inspired me to want to become a professional player.

"To follow in the footsteps of my idols and lift that trophy was something I could only have dreamed about. When I heard I had become the first English [born] player to have won such a prestigious title… it made an incredible moment even more surreal."

Those British Open triumphs, alongside three World Championship titles and three Commonwealth Games gold medals, have ensured that Matthew is one of the most successful players of the modern era, while his bitter rivalry with fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop has been one of the hallmarks of the sport over the last decade - with that rivalry stemming from the 2009 British Open final between the pair.

The two-hour battle went all the way to the wire in a feisty affair which, after Matthew had claimed a 12-10 victory in the decider, laid the foundations for one of the most absorbing rivalries the sport has ever seen.

"Obviously it’s a match that has made headlines for all the wrong reasons over the years which is a shame as it took some of the gloss off the achievement and overshadowed what was a really great squash match," Matthew reflected.

"It’s the match that really cemented the rivalry I’ve had with James over the years."

Matthew lost out to World No.4 Gregory Gaultier in last year’s final and will be up against it from the off this time around as he takes on the in-form World No.5 Tarek Momen in a difficult first round fixture.

Depending on the result, that match could be Matthew’s final professional appearance on home soil and, after falling to a disappointing quarter-final exit at the Commonwealth Games last month in Australia, the man known on tour as ‘The Wolf’ insists that he is determined not to let those thoughts get to him in Hull.

"I made the mistake of building up the Commonwealth Games into the potentially perfect fairytale-type scenario and ended up putting unnecessary pressure on myself in the process," he said.

"I’m determined not to let this happen in Hull and trust myself to perform as if it was any other day.

"We are all humans and despite the best laid plans there’s bound to be a bit of nostalgia for me surrounding the event.

"It’s impossible not to be aware of it but I’m trying not to think about it as much as I can and let my squash do the talking."

Matthew still has a chance of securing a top eight berth on the PSA World Series Standings, which would see him qualify for next month’s ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, thus extending his career by another month.

He currently occupies eighth spot on the standings and needs to equal or surpass the result of Egypt’s Omar Mosaad, who sits at ninth place, to earn his place in the season-ending tournament, which will be held between June 5-9 at Emirates Golf Club.

Matthew’s match against Momen in Hull will take place at 18:30 local time (BST) on Tuesday May 15 and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).

He headlines an English quartet in action at the Airco Arena that day as Willstrop, defending women’s champion Laura Massaro and World No.23 Emily Whitlock all begin their tournaments.

Qualifying for the tournament takes place from May 13-14 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, while the main draw will be held at the Airco Arena between May 15-20, with the exception of 23 of the 32 first round matches, which will be staged at the university on the opening day of main draw action.

Matches held on the glass court at the Airco Arena will be shown on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player throughout the tournament, while the semi-finals and finals will be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.
 

Defending Champion Massaro Hungry for More British Open Glory

Defending Allam British Open women’s champion Laura Massaro is hungry for more success on home soil when the tournament takes place May 15-20 at Hull’s Airco Arena.

Massaro defeated compatriot Sarah-Jane Perry in last year’s final to become the first Englishwoman since Janet Morgan in 1951 to lift the iconic title twice and the 34-year-old is eager to show that she can still compete with the world’s best at next week’s tournament.

“It would mean the world to win the title again,” said the two-time tournament winner, who faces a qualifier in round one.

“It means you are still there competing with the best in the world. There are only a handful of players on tour who have won a British Open and it’s a special thing to have achieved. I would love to lift the trophy at home again!”

Former World No.1 Massaro has a strong affiliation with the British Open having won it in 2012 for the first time in her career when she defeated Malaysian icon Nicol David and the Lancastrian said that the tournament holds special memories for her.

“It’s up there for me with the World Champs. Especially for the British players, it’s so prestigious and it was an honour to win it.

“I remember being so proud in 2012. Especially beating Nicol in the final. To win a huge event like that at home with family and friends there makes it even more special.

“It made it more special because she very rarely lost back then. No one thought I would win but I knew I believed in myself. It was a huge win and even bigger to do it in a final as well.”

Last year was a triumphant one for England squash as a whole with two English female players battling it out for the title - the first time that had happened since 1991 - and Massaro was pleased to see her compatriots performing well on home turf.

“It was actually really hard to play SJ in the final. Normally I’ve been used to having the whole crowd behind me but with two English players in the final it had a different feel to it.

“Obviously, I wanted to win for me, but it was a huge achievement for England squash to have two of us in the final.”

Massaro will face a qualifier in round one at Hull’s Airco Arena in a tantalizing line-up of English talent on Tuesday May 15 with Nick Matthew and James Willstrop also in action during the evening session.

Qualifying for the tournament takes place from May 13-14 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, while the main draw will take place at the Airco Arena between May 15-20, with the exception of 23 of the 32 first round matches on May 15, which will be staged at the university.

Matches held on the glass court at the Airco Arena will be shown 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, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

 

England’s Matthew Handed Tough Momen Test

England’s Nick Matthew has been handed a difficult first round fixture against Egypt’s World No.5 Tarek Momen at next month’s Allam British Open, PSA World Series tournament as the 37-year-old from Sheffield gets ready to appear at the prestigious ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ for the final time.

Former World No.1 Matthew, a three-time British Open champion, will call time on an illustrious career at the end of this season – meaning that the British Open will be his last ranking PSA tournament – and he will have a final shot at capturing the coveted title once more, although he will have to defeat one of the most in-form players on the PSA World Tour if he is to progress beyond the opening round.

Three tournament finals so far this season have seen Momen rise into the world’s top five for the first time earlier this month and he beat Matthew last time the two met in the quarter-finals of November’s Qatar Classic. This year marks Matthew’s first unseeded appearance at the tournament since 2003.

Matthew’s bitter rival and fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop, the 34-year-old who won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games Singles event earlier this week, also has tough Egyptian opposition in round one, which comes in the form of World Championship runner-up Marwan ElShorbagy.

Should Matthew and Willstrop both come through their first and second round matches in Hull, then the pair will face off in the quarter-finals in what could be the final meeting of one of the sport’s most captivating rivalries – a rivalry which stems from a tempestuous meeting between the two in final of the 2009 British Open which went the way of Matthew.

Colchester-based Daryl Selby and Nottingham’s Declan James are the other two Englishman involved in the main draw and they will take on 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad and Tournament of Champions winner Simon Rösner, respectively.

Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy will kick off his attempts to win a third British Open crown against Peruvian two-time World Junior Champion Diego Elias while the man he is seeded to meet in the final, U.S. Open champion Ali Farag, gets under way against a qualifier.

Defending champion Gregory Gaultier – who beat Matthew in last year’s final to become the sport’s oldest ever World No.1 – faces Australia’s Cameron Pilley, with 2013 winner Ramy Ashour in action against former World No.4 Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the opening round.

In the women’s draw, defending champion Laura Massaro is seeded seventh and will face a qualifier in round one, with a potential quarter-final meeting against World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in store.

England No.2 Sarah-Jane Perry, who together with Massaro contested the first female all-English British Open final since 1991 last year, will face Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy in round one as she looks to follow up her silver medal at the Commonwealth Games earlier this week.

World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, the 2016 British Open champion, opens up her tournament against England’s World No.19 Emily Whitlock, while World Champion Raneem El Welily will line up against a qualifier in round one.

In-form New Zealander Joelle King, fresh off the back of winning a gold medal on the Gold Coast this week, will pit her wits against a qualifier in round one, with a second round fixture against Welsh bronze medalist Tesni Evans in store if both players can come through their opening round matches unscathed.

There is the potential for another mouthwatering second round clash with five-time winner Nicol David and 2015 champion Camille Serme seeded to meet in the last 16. David will do battle against Egypt’s Mariam Metwally in round one, with France’s Serme set to meet a qualifier.

The British Open will give the players their last chance to win points for the PSA World Series Standings, where only the top eight will qualify for a place in June’s PSA World Series Finals.

The likes of Matthew, Gaultier, Gawad, Serme, Massaro and David are still yet to book their place in the season-ending tournament so every point will be crucial as the season nears its climax.

Qualifying for the tournament takes place from May 13-14 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, while the main draw will be staged between May 15-20 on the glass showcourt at the Airco Arena.

While selected first round matches on May 15th will be held on the glass court, the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre will host the bulk of the round one action, with stars such as Ashour, Gawad, Massaro and Perry beginning their tournaments on a day that will see the university host 24 exciting matches.

Matches held on the glass court throughout the tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only) with the semi-finals and finals set to be shown live by mainstream broadcasters around, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

Main Draw – Men’s 2018 Allam British Open
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Diego Elias (PER)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v
Paul Coll (NZL) v
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [7] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
[6] Simon Rösner (GER) v [WC] Declan James (ENG)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v James Willstrop (ENG)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Borja Golan (ESP) v
Nick Matthew (ENG) v [5] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[8] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v
Max Lee (HKG) v
 v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)

Main Draw – Women’s 2018 Allam British Open
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Emily Whitlock (ENG)
 v [15] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
[10] Alison Waters (ENG) v Joey Chan (HKG)
Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [5] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) v
 v [14] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[13] Olivia Blatchford (USA) v Donna Urquhart (AUS)
Salma Hany (EGY) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[4] Joelle King (NZL) v
 v [12] Tesni Evans (WAL)
[9] Nicol David (MAS) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
 v [6] Camille Serme (FRA)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
 v [11] Annie Au (HKG)
[16] Victoria Lust (ENG) v [WC] Fiona Moverley (ENG)
 v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
 

World’s Best Squash Players to Gather in Hull

The world’s greatest squash players will be on show at Hull’s Airco Arena between May 15-20 when the 2018 edition of the Allam British Open - the sport’s longest running tournament - takes place with a record prize fund of $165,000 up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s events.

The prestigious World Series tournament will be staged in Hull for a sixth year in succession and will feature a host of world-class talent as the likes of men’s World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, defending champion Gregory Gaultier, women’s World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World Champion Raneem El Welily do battle for the title.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on three-time winner Nick Matthew as he makes his final appearance at the iconic tournament, with the 37-year-old veteran set to retire at the end of the season. Matthew has enjoyed title success at this tournament in 2006, 2009 and 2012, with a memorable final victory over fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop in 2009 sparking one of the most captivating rivalries squash has ever seen.

Women’s defending champion Laura Massaro will be one of three English women currently inside the world’s top 10 to compete in Hull. The number seven seed will be joined in the draw by compatriots Sarah-Jane Perry - who together with Massaro contested the first female all-English final since 1991 last year - and Alison Waters, while Victoria Lust and Emily Whitlock are also involved.

Hull-based Fiona Moverley has been named as the wildcard in the women's draw, while Nottingham's World No.25 Declan James claims the men's wildcard spot.

In addition to offering up one of the most coveted titles in professional squash, the British Open will also give players a final opportunity to gain points on the PSA World Series Standings as they aim to secure a top eight berth which will guarantee qualification for June’s PSA World Series Finals.

The University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre will host the qualification rounds between May 13-14 and selected main draw matches from the first round on May 15.

Glass court matches from May 15-20 will be staged at the Airco Arena and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World) and Eurosport Player (Europe only) with the semi-finals and finals being shown live on broadcast channels across the globe, such as BT Sport, beIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

For all of the latest news on the 2018 British Open, please visit www.allambritishopen.com  or follow the tournament on Twitter: @BritOpenSquash

Tickets for the tournament can be purchased via Ticketmaster: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/promo/07uqup

2018 Men’s Allam British Open - Entry List
1) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
2) Ali Farag (EGY)
3) Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
4) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
5) Tarek Momen (EGY)
6) Simon Rösner (GER)
7) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
8) Ramy Ashour (EGY)
9) Paul Coll (NZL)
10) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
11) Diego Elias (PER)
12) Nick Matthew (ENG)
13) Saurav Ghosal (IND)
14) James Willstrop (ENG)
15) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
16) Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
17) Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
18) Daryl Selby (ENG)
19) Cameron Pilley (AUS)
20) Omar Mosaad (EGY)
21) Max Lee (HKG)
22) Borja Golan (ESP)
23) Cesar Salazar (MEX)
Wildcard) Declan James (ENG)

2018 Women’s Allam British Open - Entry List
1) Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
2) Raneem El Welily (EGY)
3) Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
4) Joelle King (NZL)
5) Nouran Gohar (EGY)
6) Camille Serme (FRA)
7) Laura Massaro (ENG)
8) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
9) Nicol David (MAS)
10) Alison Waters (ENG)
11) Annie Au (HKG)
12) Tesni Evans (WAL)
13) Olivia Blatchford (USA)
14) Joshna Chinappa (IND)
15) Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
16) Victoria Lust (ENG)
17) Donna Urquhart (AUS)
18) Salma Hany (EGY)
19) Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND)
20) Emily Whitlock (ENG)
21) Mariam Metwally (EGY)
22) Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
23) Joey Chan (HKG)
Wildcard) Fiona Moverley (ENG)
 

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