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27/06/2021
CIB PSA World Tour Finals 2021
CIB PSA World Tour Finals 2021
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CIB PSA World Tour Finals 2021
Men's Draw
22 - 27 Jun
Cairo, Egypt, $185k |
Final:
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY)
12-14, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 (70m)
Semi-finals:
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [2] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-9, 6-11, 11-4
(68m)
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [3] Paul Coll (NZL) 11-5, 5-11, 11-6
(50m)Semi-finals:
3rd pool round:
Pool A
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) 8-11, 11-4,
11-4 (24m)
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [7] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
Pool B
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 9-11, 11-1, 11-5 (58m)
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [6] Joel Makin (WAL) 14-12, 11-2 (55m)
2nd pool round:
Pool A
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [1] Ali Farag (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 13-11
(64m)
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) 13-11, 11-3 (42m)
Pool B
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [6] Joel Makin (WAL) 6-11, 11-4, 12-10 (64m)
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 13-11, 11-13, 11-7
(65m)
1st pool round:
Pool A
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [1] Ali Farag (EGY) 10-12, 11-4, 13-11
(64m)
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) 11-8, 7-11, 11-8
(93m)
Pool B
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [2] Tarek Momen (EGY) 12-10, 7-11, 11-4 (65m)
[8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [6] Joel Makin (WAL) 8-11, 11-9, 11-3 (59m) |
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CIB PSA World Tour Finals 2021
Women's Draw
22 - 27 Jun
Cairo, Egypt, $185k |
Final:
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
bt [2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 (77m)
Semi-finals:
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [7] Joelle King (NZL) 11-2, 10-12, 11-6
(46m)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [6] Camille Serme (FRA) 11-6, 3-11, 14-12
(54m)
3rd pool round:
Pool A
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [8] Salma Hany (EGY) 11-4, 11-2 (17m)
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [3] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Pool B
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [7] Joelle King (NZL) 12-10, 11-5 (25m)
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-8, 11-4 (23m)
2nd pool round:
Pool A
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [8] Salma Hany (EGY) 11-8, 11-6 (25m)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [6] Camille Serme (FRA) 11-8, 14-12 (48m)
Pool B
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-9, 11-7 (30m)
[7] Joelle King (NZL) bt [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 12-10, 11-7 (32m)
1st pool round:
Pool A
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 10-12, 11-3, 11-6
(34m)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [8] Salma Hany (EGY) 9-11, 11-5, 11-2 (52m)
Pool B
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-7, 11-9
(30m)
[7] Joelle King (NZL) bt [4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-5, 11-8 (26m) |
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Finals
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Asal and Gohar Capture CIB PSA World Tour Finals
Trophies
 Egyptian
duo Mostafa Asal and Nouran Gohar are the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour
Finals champions after they defeated compatriots Mohamed ElShorbagy and
Hania El Hammamy at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia earlier today.
Asal - the reigning World Junior Champion - has lifted the first major
PSA title of his career at the age of 20 after he recovered from a game
down to overcome World No.2 ElShorbagy by an 12-14, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
scoreline.
Asal - who has received both praise and criticism from fans and fellow
players for his on-court demeanour and exuberant celebrations - has
truly announced his arrival on the world stage with a sensational week
in Cairo which saw him finish top of Group A as well as beating World
No.1 Ali Farag, World Champion Tarek Momen, defending champion Marwan
ElShorbagy as well as Mohamed ElShorbagy en route to his fifth PSA Tour
title.
 “I
can’t believe I’ve played with someone that I’ve always looked up to,”
said Asal afterwards.
“He’s a legend, he’s my No.1, he’s an idol, everything. I cannot
celebrate against him, but this is something special for me. Since I was
10-years-old, I went with my friends and cheered for him at every
tournament.
“He [ElShorbagy] said to me to celebrate as I want, that it’s my time. I
came here to enjoy myself, in front of my friends, in my country, in
front of my city. To play this tournament is something unbelievable to
me and to play against the World No.1, World No.2, World No.3, World
No.5 is a dream come true.”
Meanwhile, Gohar has also won her first CIB PSA World Tour Finals -
becoming the sixth woman to triumph at the event - after ending El
Hammamy’s title defence courtesy of an 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 victory.
Gohar and El Hammamy were the only undefeated players left in the event
across both the men’s and women’s draws coming into the final and it was
23-year-old Gohar who held her nerve to complete an unbeaten run,
meaning she claims the maximum 1,600 bonus ranking points on offer at
the World Tour Finals.
It’s Gohar’s 10th PSA title and her first major trophy since the 2019
U.S. Open.
 “If
you want to beat Hania then you have to play over your best and be
consistent,” said Gohar afterwards.
“She is the hungriest player right now on tour. I know how it feels to
be her age and beating the top players, so I knew she would be confident
on court and I couldn’t take it for granted being 2-0 up. I really
enjoyed my time on court this week and super happy.
“The ranking is huge and I’ve been there, so there is no more pressure
to get on top and I definitely want to get back [to World No.1]. You
have to think about the performance first to be able to win the titles
and be able to reach the top again. The main point now is to have these
performances consistently and then win titles and then get back to the
ranking.”
Both Asal and Gohar take home over $25,000 in prize money and they will
next be in action at the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter
Family between July 14-22 in Chicago.
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Semi
Finals
Asal Reaches First Major Final As He Sends World Champ
Momen Out of CIB PSA World Tour Finals
 20-year-old
Egyptian Mostafa Asal has reached his first major final after producing
an impressive performance to dispatch World Champion Tarek Momen in the
semi-finals of the CIB PSA World Tour Finals earlier today at Cairo’s
Mall of Arabia.
Asal, the reigning World Junior Champion, has had a marvellous
tournament so far after topping Group A ahead of World No.2 Mohamed
ElShorbagy, defending champion Marwan ElShorbagy and World No.1 Ali
Farag.
The World No.12 continued that form into his match with World No.3 Momen,
winning 11-9, 6-11, 11-4 in a 68-minute match that was punctuated by
scrappy periods of play and a number of refereeing decisions in the
latter stages of the contest.
“I can’t describe my feelings right now,” Asal said.
“It was a very tough game and mentally it was really, really tough. Mind
games is my job, you know, that is what I am good at and I am learning
from Mohamed ElShorbagy and just how mentally tough he is. I didn’t know
whether the quality of squash between me and Tarek was good today but
mentally and physically I was there.
“[There was] lots of interference, too much talking as well so I am
happy to be through. Tarek is an unbelievable player and a World
Champion and all credit to him. I grew up learning from him so I am
really happy to be through and I am looking forward to my next match.”
 Asal
will take on two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy in the title decider
after he overcame New Zealand’s Paul Coll 11-5, 5-11, 11-6 to follow up
his win over the World No.4 in last month’s El Gouna International.
ElShorbagy overcame Asal in a 93-minute encounter in the group stage on
day one and was full of praise for his young compatriot.
“It was the group of death [Group A], and I think myself and Asal were
the best two players and we are the best two in the tournament,” said
ElShorbagy, who will become the first Egyptian to play in the title
decider of the World Tour Finals on four occasions.
“We completely deserve to be in the final. I have played against so many
players, from those 10 years older than me, like Nick Matthew and
Gregory Gaultier. Players from my own generation like Ali, my brother,
Gawad and now I am playing Asal who is 10 years younger than me. I love
the guy off the court, he is one of the nicest guys on Tour, for me, he
is a winner and he will win so many titles.”
 Meanwhile,
defending champion Hania El Hammamy has continued her attempts to become
only the third woman to win two CIB PSA World Tour Finals trophies as
she came back from match ball down to oust France’s Camille Serme.
The pair have contested multiple captivating matches on the PSA Tour
over the past two seasons and El Hammamy came out on top after 54
minutes of high-quality squash, winning 11-6, 3-11, 14-12 to book her
place in the title decider.
“The only thing I can say, I can assure you that even if I can’t find my
game and I can’t find my length, I will kill myself, I will run for
every point and I think that is what I did today,” El Hammamy said.
“I dug in and I will always keep digging. Every time I play Camille, it
is always physical and intense, I always enjoy playing against her and I
think I should be proud of how I kept fighting. I’m definitely looking
forward to tomorrow… hopefully I will be able to deliver a good
performance.”
 El
Hammamy will take on World No.2 Nouran Gohar in the title decider after
she beat New Zealand’s Joelle King in a scrappy 2-1 victory to reach the
final of this event for the first time.
There was no love lost between the pair in the latter stages - with both
players sharing a terse racket touch at the end - as Gohar capitalised
on her strong start to the fixture to win 11-2, 10-12, 11-6 in 46
minutes.
“I felt I was playing well this tournament and actually the last few
times we have played each other, I was not on my best form,” said Gohar,
who had lost her previous three matches to King.
“It was tricky here and it is my first time through to the final here at
the World Tour Finals, so I am very happy to be through. I am glad I won
today, for sure, I felt very comfortable and I knew it was very
important to win the first game, so I was very focused from the very
beginning and I was really happy with the way I dealt with it.”
The finals take place tomorrow (June 27) and play begins at 19:30
(GMT+2). The action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the
channels of contracted broadcast partners.
For more information on the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals, visit the
tournament website
or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
Squash fans can also download the new CIB Road to Egypt App now to stay
up-to-date with all the news from the tournament. Get it from the App
Store and Google Play now!
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Day Four Report
Gohar Sends World No.1 El Sherbini Out of CIB PSA
World Tour Finals
 World
No.2 Nouran Gohar ended a three-match losing streak to World No.1 Nour
El Sherbini to send the top seed crashing out of the CIB PSA World Tour
Finals earlier today at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia.
Gohar had already qualified from Group A of the women’s event and came
into the match having only won one of her last four matches against the
four-time World Champion, with that win coming in the group stage of the
2018-19 World Tour Finals.
El Sherbini edged the opener on the tie-break, but Gohar came roaring
back to win 10-12, 11-7, 11-8 in 52 minutes, which sees her qualify top
of Group A along with Camille Serme, who needed Gohar to win to qualify
for the semi-finals.
“Not only in the first game, but in the last game as well she was 8-5
up,” said Gohar afterwards.
“So she was three points away from the win and it’s never easy to play
against Nour. She’s young but very experienced and it’s very tricky and
tough to play against her. That’s why she’s World No.1, so to win
against her is something else.
“For the semis, we are playing best of three as well, so we are kind of
prepared. It’s very different because the semi-final is important, but
it’s best of three, so you have to be on your toes from the first point.
I’m just trying to relax and enjoy it, it’s one of the most prestigious
tournaments and I’m really happy to be playing this event in Egypt, it’s
even more special when your sponsors, CIB and Wadi Degla, are the
sponsors of the event.”
Gohar will take on New Zealand’s Joelle King in the semi-finals, while
Serme will play defending Hania El Hammamy in the latest chapter of
their enthralling rivalry after she beat King 2-0 to top Group B.
 “It
was really tough in the first game, the gap was huge between us,” said
El Hammamy.
“I’m playing against the top eight players in the world, it is never
easy against them. I’m really happy to win the three matches 2-0. It’s
always tough against Joelle, so hopefully we will have more battles.”
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry won the other women’s match of the night,
beating United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy 2-0 to finish third in Group B.
In the men’s event, World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal ended a six-match
losing streak to World No.1 Ali Farag to finish top of Group A ahead of
World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Asal outclassed Farag in a coming-of-age performance and the 20-year-old
won 11-4, 11-6 to set up a semi-final fixture against World Champion
Tarek Momen in his first World Tour Finals.
 “It’s
definitely one of my favourite matches to date,” said Asal.
“It’s an unbelievable win and I’m looking forward to the semi-finals.
It’s my first tournament here and I appreciate everyone who came and
supported me today.”
New Zealand’s Paul Coll finished top of Group B courtesy of a 9-11,
11-1, 11-5 win over Gregoire Marche to qualify for the semis at this
event for the first time and he will line up against ElShorbagy in the
last four in a repeat of May’s El Gouna International, which the
Egyptian won.
 “I
think it [the semi-final] will be similar to tonight,” Coll said.
“Tonight was pretty much knockout matches for who would go through. I’ve
just got to go out there and look forward to playing Mohamed. It will be
good, he is on top form but I’m feeling good out there at the moment.”
World Champion Tarek Momen is the other men’s player through to the last
four courtesy of a 2-0 win over Joel Makin that was punctured by a
lengthy break in the first game due to humidity making the court floor
slippery. Momen will play Asal for a place in the title decider.
The semi-finals take place tomorrow (June 26) and play begins at 19:00
(GMT+2). The action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the
channels of contracted broadcast partners.
For more information on the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals, visit the
tournament website
or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
Squash fans can also download the new CIB Road to Egypt App now to stay
up-to-date with all the news from the tournament. Get it from the App
Store and Google Play now!
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Day
Three Report
Mohamed ElShorbagy Qualifies for Last Four of CIB PSA
World Tour Finals as World No.1 Challenge Ends
World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy has qualified for the semi-finals of the
2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals - but the Egyptian has seen his
attempts to regain the World No.1 spot in next month’s PSA World
Rankings come to an end after a 2-1 defeat to younger brother Marwan at
Cairo’s Mall of Arabia.
ElShorbagy required just a solitary game to qualify from Group A for the
knockout semi-finals but needed to win every single match throughout
this event to reclaim top spot from current incumbent Ali Farag, who
dispossessed ElShorbagy in November, 2020.
The 30-year-old got the game he needed to earn his spot in the last
four, but Marwan came back to take the next two games without reply,
meaning he currently sits in second in the group with six points, one
point behind Mohamed.
 “Today’s
match was a little bit different of course,” Marwan said.
“I knew my brother only needed one game to qualify, so I knew as soon as
he won the first game, things were different for him, he was a bit more
relaxed knowing he was qualified. I had a tough night last night and it
was very disappointing
“I just had to try and stay as professional as possible in the match to
keep my focus as much as possible, and it was just another match with my
brother, now I am hoping for a result tomorrow. It is a tough group, I
beat the World No.1 and World No.2 and I still don’t know whether I have
qualified or not. I have enjoyed being part of that group and being a
part of the World Tour Finals.”
Marwan will now face an anxious wait to see the result of tomorrow’s
Farag and Mostafa Asal match. If Asal wins, he will top the group and
qualify along with Mohamed. A win for Farag will see Marwan join his
brother in the semi-finals.
In Group B, World Champion Tarek Momen got the win he needed to stay in
the event as he overcame Frenchman Gregoire Marche in a nail-biting
13-11, 11-13, 11-7 victory.
 Having
lost to Paul Coll (left) in his opening match, Momen needed to win to
keep his hopes alive. The World No.3 came back from a 6-3 deficit in the
third to win it 11-7, and he now sits second in Group B.
“He turned on an extra gear, made no errors, everything was going where
it was supposed to go, and I felt that I was getting outplayed until
6-3,” Momen said.
“Then I used my experience and I used matches where I was down. I pushed
hard to come back, I believed in myself that I could do it and I just
had to put in the effort.”
Momen’s win came after Coll had consolidated his position at the top of
Group B thanks to a 2-1 win over Welshman Joel Makin. However, all four
players are in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals ahead of
what looks set to be an exciting final day of group action.
In the women’s event, defending champion Hania El Hammamy and New
Zealand’s Joelle King have qualified from Group B following respective
wins over USA’s Amanda Sobhy and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry.
El Hammamy won 11-9, 11-7 in 30 minutes, while King defeated Perry
12-10, 11-7 in 32 minutes. The victors will face off for top spot
tomorrow.
 “I
didn’t have a very good start in the first game, but I tried to push
myself mentally to find a way back into the game,” said El Hammamy.
“It is the best-of-three, so I had to do it in any possible way. I am
known for being 2-0 down and then coming back, but in this tournament,
there is no way to do that so I had to find a way.”
King said: “SJ and I live an hour and a half away from each other, so we
play a lot of practice matches together. Obviously it is always
different when you step on court in a tournament situation, but it is
nice to be familiar with the players you are playing against, although
everyone is improving, so you have to keep learning and seeing what
improvements they are doing.
 “I’m
playing Hania tomorrow, and we are both in the same situation. We have
both won two matches, so it just brings a new challenge. I go out on
court every time to win, so I will give it my all tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, France’s Camille Serme kept her qualification hopes alive in
Group A after she secured a quick-fire 2-0 win over No.8 seed Salma Hany,
who had already seen her hopes extinguished after defeats in her opening
two matches.
Serme now has to wait until tomorrow to find out whether or not she will
be in the last four. The World No.4 needs the already qualified Nouran
Gohar to defeat World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in order for the Frenchwoman
to advance.
The group stage draws to an exciting climax tomorrow (June 25) and play
begins at 19:00 (GMT+2). The action will be shown live on SQUASHTV
(worldwide) and the
official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals, visit the
tournament website
or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
Squash fans can also download the new CIB Road to Egypt App now to stay
up-to-date with all the news from the tournament. Get it from the App
Store and Google Play now!
|
Day
Two
Gohar First Player to Qualify for Semi-Finals of CIB
PSA World Tour Finals
 Egypt’s
World No.2 Nouran Gohar is the first player through to the semi-finals
of the CIB PSA World Tour Finals after she defeated France’s Camille
Serme 2-0 at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia earlier today.
The CIB PSA World Tour Finals features the top eight male and female
players on the CIB Road to Egypt Standings, with points on offer at all
PSA World Tour events throughout the 2020-21 season. The group stage
uses a round robin, best-of-three games format as players bid to qualify
for the knockout stages.
That win, along with her 2-1 victory over Salma Hany yesterday means
that she currently sits top of Group A with seven points and cannot
finish lower than second due to her head-to-head advantage over Serme,
no matter what her result might be in her final pool match.
“Everyone in here can see how tough it was,” said Gohar afterwards.
“Winning 2-0 in 50 minutes is incredible. Camille never makes it easy on
me, even if I’m going to win the match she’s running everywhere and
getting everything back. She is one of the most experienced and
consistent players on Tour and I have so much respect for her. It’s
always tough to play against her.
“Nour is World No.1, I’m World No.2 – we have played in finals and this
time we are playing in the final of the pool matches, which is going to
be challenging as always. I’m looking forward to it.”
Gohar faces World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in a repeat of their El Gouna
International final, where the latter came out on top in a dominant
victory, in the final pool match.
A win by any scoreline would see El Sherbini go through to the
semi-finals after her 2-0 win over Salma Hany today, however, if she is
to lose and Serme wins her match against Hany then the Frenchwoman would
go through thanks to her better head-to-head record after defeating the
World No.1 on the first night.
“Usually after you lose a match it’s over for you, you go home and see
what everyone is going to do but this tournament is different,” said El
Sherbini.
“You lose and you have to come back the next day and be prepared
mentally. Every match is difficult because we’re playing the top eight
in the world, it’s the final in any tournament. I’m pleased to win today
and have a chance to qualify, I’m really happy with my performance.”
New Zealand’s Joelle King, meanwhile, now sits top of Group B along with
Hania El Hammamy on four points following a dominant 2-0 victory over
USA’s Amanda Sobhy.
King made it four straight wins over Sobhy after she displayed a
confident and composed performance to start her title challenge in the
strongest way.
She will face Sarah-Jane Perry tomorrow with the Englishwoman needing to
win to keep her hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive. While
Sobhy will face El Hammamy as she looks to get her first win of the
tournament against the defending champion.
 “I
felt good out there, I thought I was playing the court well,” said King
afterwards.
“Amanda is class, if you give her a little inch, she is going to come
back at you, which she did at the end. Probably the only thing I can say
for my matches going forward is to keep my foot on the pedal.
“In this format, every point, every game counts, even losing 2-1 can set
you up for the next round that you might get through the pool.”
In the men’s event, Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy has strengthened his grip
at the top of Group A after he claimed a 2-1 victory over World No.1 Ali
Farag and now has six points.
Mohamed’s victory over World No.1 Farag earlier today also gives him a
small boost in his chances of getting the World No.1 spot back from
Farag. However, there is still a lot that has to go his way with the
30-year-old needing to beat younger brother Marwan tomorrow in the final
pool game and then go onto win the title and relying on Mostafa Asal to
beat Farag to send him out at the group stage.
 “We
have been the best two players in the world for the last four or five
years,” said Mohamed afterwards.
“We’ve been great rivals to each other, it’s been going back and forth
between us. I’m really hungry to be back on the throne this year. It’s
all I think about, every single day, I want to go back to World No.1 –
my hunger is always to be the best player in the world and to do that I
need to beat all the players and consistently, not just one tournament
but the whole year.”
Rising Egyptian talent Asal gave his hopes of qualifying for the last
four a significant boost with a 2-0 victory over Marwan ElShorbagy to
send Group A down to the wire to decide who reaches the last four.
Asal came firing out of the blocks early to sneak ahead in a tight first
game before dominating the World No.5 in the second to comfortably close
out his first win of the pool stage.
“I can’t believe I won and still have a chance of reaching the
semi-finals,” said Asal. “I’m so proud of myself today, very big
performance and I want to thank my team and my friends that are here.
“It’s a very tough group, when you play against World No.1, World No.2
and World No.5 it’s an unbelievable group. I’m focusing on my squash,
all of my friends are here and they want to enjoy the moment. There’s
still more to come.”
 Elsewhere,
France’s Gregoire Marche made a mark on his debut at the event after
coming from a game down to defeat Welshman Joel Makin.
Marche was drafted into the draw at the last minute following Fares
Dessouky’s late withdrawal due to a lingering back injury and the
Frenchman was on top form to topple Makin and go top of Group B along
with New Zealand’s Paul Coll with both players on three points.
“It’s crazy how life can be sometimes,” said Marche in his post-match
interview. “I’m sorry for Fares but it was good news for me.
“It’s easier for me maybe because I had no pressure today, I just had to
try and push every rally and I liked the way I played, even in tough
conditions. It’s hot tonight and the ball is pretty bouncy, but I dealt
with it and mentally, it was maybe one of my best matches.”
If Marche and Coll both win tomorrow then they will be through to the
semi-finals.
The CIB PSA World Tour Finals continues tomorrow (June 24) and play
starts at the Mall of Arabia at 19:00 (GMT+2). The action will be shown
live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the
official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals, visit the
tournament website
or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
Squash fans can also download the new CIB Road to Egypt App now to stay
up-to-date with all the news from the tournament. Get it from the App
Store and Google Play now!
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Day
One
Serme Claims El Sherbini Upset on Opening Day of CIB
PSA World Tour Finals
 France’s
World No.4 Camille Serme got the better of World No.1 Nour El Sherbini
on the opening day of the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals to boost her
chances of qualification for the knockout semi-finals at Cairo’s Mall of
Arabia.
The CIB PSA World Tour Finals features the top eight male and female
players on the CIB Road to Egypt Standings, with points on offer at all
PSA World Tour events throughout the 2020-21 season. The group stage
uses a round robin, best-of-three games format as players bid to qualify
for the knockout stages.
El Sherbini finished top of the women’s CIB Road to Egypt standings, but
her chances of lifting a second title at the CIB PSA World Tour Finals
have suffered a blow after Serme came back from a tie-break defeat in
the opening game to win 10-12, 11-3, 11-6.
“I am very happy with my game tonight,” said Serme.
“It has been a while since I had a good win, so I will take that one,
especially against the World No.1. I was enjoying my game and really
focused on what to do on court and that was really important.
“She can hit many winners as well, but today was more about errors and I
will take that. This tournament is never easy anyway, it is a bonus and
I am just happy to be enjoying my squash again.”
Serme sits in second place in Group A with 3 points, level with World
No.2 Nouran Gohar, who overcame fellow Egyptian Salma Hany 2-1. Gohar
leads the group courtesy of having a higher percentage of points won
compared to Serme.
Serme and Gohar will go head-to-head in the next round of matches and
either player can book their places in the semis if they win and results
elsewhere go their way. Meanwhile, a defeat for El Sherbini against Hany
could see the top seed bow out of the event.
Defending champion Hania El Hammamy and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry
contested the day’s sole Group B fixture, with the Egyptian winning
11-7, 11-9 to become the first player to take maximum points from her
first fixture.
 “I
was a little bit nervous before the match,” El Hammamy said.
“It’s the first pool match, so I have to be sharp from the beginning and
it’s best-of-three. It is never easy against SJ, she is a very tricky
player and she likes to play some tricky stuff. I try as much as I can
not to think about being defending champion, because last time, when I
thought about it [at the CIB Black Ball Open], it gave me a little bit
of extra pressure on myself.”
In the men’s event, the Bristol-based ElShorbagy brothers - Marwan and
Mohamed - sit at the summit of an all-Egyptian Group A following wins
over World No.1 Ali Farag and World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal.
Marwan beat Farag in the semi-finals last season when he took silverware
at this very tournament and he made it three wins in a row against the
No.1 seed with a 10-12, 11-4, 13-11 victory.
 “If
you look at how tough our group is, having my brother and Asal is really
tough,” Marwan said.
“All the matches are 50/50, tomorrow I play Mostafa and it’s going to be
the same as today. Playing Ali is always tough, he is the toughest to
play on tour, him and my brother. They are World No.1 and World No.2 and
every session I practice, I always visualise competing against them
because they are the best in the world and I want to try and beat both
of them on a consistent basis.”
ElShorbagy is hunting Farag’s World No.1 spot and, with the pair set to
meet in the next round of fixtures, the 30-year-old has given himself a
perfect platform to have a real crack at his compatriot following an
11-8, 7-11, 11-8 victory over Asal. The match was subject to a 35-minute
break due to a cut above ElShorbagy’s left eye, but the No.5 seed pulled
through in the end.
“He [Asal] is a superstar of our sport,” ElShorbagy said.
 “He
will take on the sport at some point, so I’m happy to go on court with
him before I finish because it’s the kind of match I will remember for
the rest of my life as he will run the sport one day. He is such a nice
boy, I know him off court and he is such a nice guy, people don’t know
him, he is one of the nicest guys I know on tour. It really annoys me
when people talk badly about him on social media because they just don’t
know him.”
If Marwan and Mohamed both triumph in the next round of fixtures, they
will qualify for the semi-finals.
Group B saw New Zealand’s Paul Coll and Egypt’s Tarek Momen go up
against each other in a repeat of the 2019-20 PSA World Championship
final, with Coll getting the better of his opponent to follow up May’s
El Gouna International triumph over Momen.
The CIB PSA World Tour Finals continues tomorrow (June 23) and play
starts at the Mall of Arabia at 19:00 (GMT+2). The action will be shown
live on SQUASHTV (worldwide) and the
official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
For more information on the 2020-21 CIB PSA World Tour Finals, visit the
tournament website
or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
Squash fans can also download the new CIB Road to Egypt App now to stay
up-to-date with all the news from the tournament. Get it from the App
Store and Google Play now!
|
Preview
Farag and ElShorbagy Drawn Together at World Tour
Finals As Battle for World No.1 Intensifies
 Egyptian
duo Ali Farag and Mohamed ElShorbagy - the Men’s World No.1 and No.2,
respectively - have been drawn together in Group A of the CIB PSA World
Tour Finals, meaning a fascinating battle for the World No.1 spot will
play out at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia between June 22-27.
Farag has held the World No.1 spot for eight successive months since
dethroning ElShorbagy in November, 2020 but following ElShorbagy’s
triumph at the El Gouna International Squash Open in May, the
Bristol-based 30-year-old now has a chance to reclaim the coveted
ranking in July’s PSA World Rankings.
To add to the 49 months he has already spent atop the World Rankings
during his storied career, ElShorbagy must win the tournament, while
Farag will need to go out at the group stage with a maximum of one
victory. If Farag secures two wins or more, he will stay at No.1 no
matter what ElShorbagy does. The pair are set to face off on match day
two, meaning the winner of that clash could take a big step closer
towards top spot.
The pair have been drawn together after Farag finished top of the men's
CIB Road to Egypt Standings, while ElShorbagy came sixth. World Champion
Tarek Momen and CIB World Tour Finals debutant Mostafa Asal are the
other players drawn alongside them in Group A.
The in-form Fares Dessouky - who finished second on the CIB Road to
Egypt Standings - heads up Group B ahead of New Zealand’s Paul Coll,
defending champion Marwan ElShorbagy and Welshman Joel Makin.
Group A of the women’s event will also see the world’s top two players
go head-to-head as World No.1 Nour El Sherbini takes on World No.2
Nouran Gohar in a repeat of last month’s El Gouna International final,
which El Sherbini won. They are joined by World No.4 Camille Serme and
World No.9 Salma Hany.
Group B will see defending champion Hania El Hammamy, USA's Amanda Sobhy,
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and New Zealand’s Joelle King do battle in a
bid to reach the semi-finals.
To qualify, players either had to secure a top eight finish on the CIB
Road to Egypt Standings - for which points were on offer at all PSA
World Tour events throughout the 2020-21 season - or win a prestigious
PSA World Tour Platinum trophy.
A $370,000 prize fund will be split equally across both the women’s and
men’s events as players compete in a best-of-three games group stage
between June 22-25. The top two from each group qualify for the knockout
semi-finals, where a place in the best-of-five games title decider will
await the winner of those fixtures.
Group stage action will begin on Tuesday June 22 at 19:00 (GMT+2). Six
matches will be played per night for the first four days of the event
until the group stage has drawn to a close.
Group stage matches will take place at 19:00, 19:30, 20:15, 20:45, 21:30
and 22:00 between June 22-25. The semi-finals will be held at 19:00 on
Saturday June 26.
The finals will begin at 19:30 on Sunday June 27.
All matches will be held at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia and fixtures will be
streamed live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and the
official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour. The semi-finals and
finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast
partners.
Squash fans can stay up-to-date with news from the tournament by
following the PSA World Tour on Twitter, Facebook
and
Instagram.
2020-21
CIB PSA World Tour Finals – Group Draw |
Group Draw
Men’s Group A
1) Ali Farag (EGY)
3) Tarek Momen (EGY)
6) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
8) Mostafa Asal (EGY)
Men’s Group B
2) Fares Dessouky (EGY)
4) Paul Coll (NZL)
5) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
7) Joel Makin (WAL)
Women’s Group A
1) Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
3) Nouran Gohar (EGY)
6) Camille Serme (FRA)
8) Salma Hany (EGY)
Women’s Group B
2) Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
4) Amanda Sobhy (USA)
5) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
7) Joelle King (NZL)
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