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2018
2018/19 PSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BECOME FIRST MILLION-DOLLAR SQUASH…
The 2018/19 Professional Squash Association World Championships will become the first squash tournament to award a $1 million prize as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based Walter Family, the association announced today.
As part of the agreement, the city of Chicago will host the tournament for the next two cycles, in winter 2019 and 2021, and it will be renamed The Walter Family PSA World Championships in those years.
The new prize money amounts to a doubling of the 2017 purse and will be split equally between the men’s and women’s brackets.
“The women’s and men’s prizes are the same — and that has been the case since my wife and I became involved — because it reflects the value we place on gender equality, and it recognises this incredibly talented group of athletes,” said Mark Walter, who lives in Chicago with his wife, Kimbra, and their daughter.
“The PSA World Championships is the pinnacle of the sport, and the $1 million prize fund is a fantastic reflection of the growth that squash has gone through during the past few years,” said PSA Chief Executive Officer Alex Gough.
Under a separate agreement with the Walter Family, the Windy City Open, the PSA World Series tournament, will return in 2020 to Chicago with a $500,000 prize pool – making it the most lucrative PSA World Tour event outside of the World Championships.
The University Club of Chicago will continue to host and promote the Open.
Walter first became involved with professional squash in 2015 when Guggenheim Partners, the investment firm he cofounded, became a sponsor of the Windy City Open. He was pleased to discover that the Open already had an official charity partner in MetroSquash, which trains Chicago Public School students in the sport and improves their academic achievement.
Through this agreement, the charity partnership will extend to the World Championships, enabling MetroSquash students to attend and hit on court with some of the top players in the world.
“My wife, Kimbra, and I are supporting the growth of squash in Chicago for three reasons,” Walter said.
“We want to raise money for MetroSquash, a terrific charity, and allow the kids to hit the court. We want to give this tremendously talented and highly diverse group of athletes the recognition they deserve. And we want to show off Chicago as a home for world-class sports.”
The Walter Family is active in philanthropy, focusing on the inner-city opportunity gap, social justice, education and conservation. Walter owns businesses in the investments, insurance, sports, media, real estate, and food-service industries.
University Club of Chicago Athletic Director and Windy City Open promoter John Flanigan said: “Since 2004, the Windy City Open has grown in stature every year to become one of the leading events on the PSA World Tour and to continue that journey in 2020 is tremendously exciting.”
#WCOsquash #UCCO #Metrosquash
2018
EGYPTIANS EL TAYEB AND ELSHORBAGY LIFT WINDY CITY OPEN…
Women’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb and Men’s World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy prevailed on finals day at the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, beating New Zealand’s Joelle King and younger ElShorbagy brother, Marwan, respectively, to claim the sport’s most lucrative World Series title.
El Tayeb, the Cairo-born player who won her first World Series title at the U.S. Open earlier this season, had already endured three five-game matches, coming from 2-0 down in two of those to win, to reach the title-decider and once again showed her resilience to edge a tense five-game battle with King.
The 24-year-old came from 2-1 down and saved two championship balls to defeat World No.9 King 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10 victory in 78 minutes and claim her share of a record $250,000 prize purse, equal that on offer in the men’s draw.
“I can’t believe it,” said El Tayeb following her second World Series title win.
“I felt like I lost this match three or four times! I was down in the fourth, then I was down in the fifth but looking over at Haitham [Effat] and Ali [Farag] – they gave me the encouragement, but I really can’t believe that I won the tournament.
“Everyday that I’ve woken up I’ve felt tired but I knew that I can do it. I don’t think I’ve ever only played five-setters in a tournament. I think I will have to give my physical fitness coach a very big bonus!”
Meanwhile, in the family battle on the men’s draw, it was Mohamed who came out on top against younger brother Marwan as he produced a masterclass performance to claim the title in straight-games.
It was the second meeting between the brothers in a major final, following their clash in the PSA Men’s World Championship final in December – and it was the elder statesman who yet again took the spoils.
Mohamed – who returns to World No.1 next month – was in formidable form all week, not dropping a single game throughout the entire tournament and continued his winning momentum to dispatch his brother to claim his sixth title of the season.
“It’s been an incredible season,” said Mohamed.
“After last season – I worked really hard, set new goals that I wanted to achieve, and it just shows that nothing can stop anyone achieving their dream if they work hard for it.
“I’m really glad to get through this match with my brother. He has played incredible this season and he will still get better. This the second time we’ve played in a big final and his first World Series title will come at the right time – I just wanted to keep it a little bit later than today.”
Result – Men’s Final – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
Result – Women’s Final – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [9] Joelle King (NZL) 3-2: 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10 (78m)
#WCOsquash #UCCO #Metrosquash
2018
MO ELSHORBAGY AND EL TAYEB CLAIM 2018 WINDY CITY…
Egyptian World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy has regained his world number 1 ranking by claiming the richest purse ever in a world series event (500K) defeating his younger brother Marwan ElShorbagy 3-0 to win the 2018 Windy City Open presented by The Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company – while Egyptian National Champion Nour El Tayeb needed all 5 games to overcome Joelle King (NZL)
Match: [7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [9] Joelle King (NZL)
Result: 3-2
Scores: 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10 (78m)
Match: [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
Result: 3-0
Scores: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
2018
WINDY CITY OPEN: FINALS – AS IT HAPPENS
It’s finals night as the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company comes to a close – and you can watch the action LIVE on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player, BT Sport and more.
There are two exciting finals in store as Egypt’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb takes on New Zealand’s Joelle King in the women’s final.
El Tayeb will be targeting her second World Series title, after winning the U.S. Open earlier in the season, while King is targeting her first World Series crown after knocking out reigning three-time champion Raneem El Welily in the last round.
In the men’s final, it is a family affair as brother Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy lock horns under the chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall. The two brothers last met in the final of the PSAWorld Championships and this promises to be another epic encounter between the two brothers.
Match: [7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [9] Joelle King (NZL)
Result: 3-2
Scores: 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10 (78m)
Egypt’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb saved two championship balls to defeat New Zealand’s World No.9 Joelle King as she came out on top in another epic five-game clash at the Windy City Open.
Cairo-born El Tayeb – who won her first World Series title at the U.S. Open earlier this season – had already endured three previous five-game matches with two of those forcing her to come from 2-0 down as the Egyptian once again proved her resilience to edge King in a tense battle.
The two players had not faced each other on the PSA World Tour since 2014 and it was El Tayeb who took the initial advantage – despite King holding four game balls – as she claimed the opener.
From then on it was all about King – who was playing in her first World Series final – as the Kiwi took control to claim the next two games with the momentum swinging in the World No.9’s favour – with that time being her turn to save five game balls in the third to take it 13-11 in the tie-break.
Not one to go down without a fight, El Tayeb showed the kind of resilience that she has become famous for in Chicago as she punished King’s errors to level the scores and take it to a title decider.
In the fifth, it looked as though the title was running away from El Tayeb as King took the lead and held two championship balls before the Egyptian saved both of them and then claimed her second World Series title on the tie-break to win 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10 in 78 minutes.
“I can’t believe it,” said El Tayeb.
“I felt like I lost this match three or four times already! I was down in the fourth, then I was down in the fifth but looking over at Haitham and Ali and I’m very thankful that Raneem and Tarek came to cheer me on and they gave me the encouragement, but I really can’t believe that I won the tournament.
“Everyday I’ve woken up I’ve felt tired but then I know that I can do it, but I don’t think I’ve ever only played five-setters in a tournament. I think I have to give my physical fitness coach a very big bonus!”
Match: [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
Result: 3-0
Scores: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
Egypt’s number one seed Mohamed ElShorbagy came out on top in the battle with younger brother, Marwan, to claim the men’s Windy City Open title under the chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall.
The two brothers have faced each other 11 times on the PSA World Tour with their last encounter coming in December’s PSA World Championship final which Mohamed took in a big five-game encounter.
However, Marwan, did beat his brother in Chicago at last year’s tournament but unfortunately lightening did not strike twice for the younger ElShorbagy brother as he could not compete with the relentless pace Mohamed set.
The elder statesman – who has not dropped a single game in the tournament – took no prisoners as he utilised all of his final experience to take the first game, 11-8.
Marwan looked to becoming back in the second, however, Mohamed – who returns to World No.1 next month – was able to outmuscle his brother and showed no signs of fatigue to double his lead.
The World No.2 then refused to let his lead slip as he continued his winning momentum to win 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 to claim his sixth title of a formidable season for the Egyptian.
“It’s been an incredible season,” said ElShorbagy after his seventh final of the season so far.
“After last season – I worked really hard, set new goals that I wanted to achieve, and it just shows that nothing can stop anyone achieving their dream if they work hard for it.
“I took it match by match and I’m really glad to get through this match with my brother. He has played incredible this season and he will still get better. He is learning every day this is the second time we play in a big final and his first world series title will come at the right time – I just wanted to keep it a little bit later then today.
“I remember when I lost last month in New York, I felt like I needed to do more training and it’s the part of the season when there are a lot of matches, so you have to be careful of the tournaments you are playing. I want to thank David Palmer for his help and hopefully I will be back again here next year.”
Result
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
#WCOsquash #UCCO #Metrosquash
2018
WINDY CITY OPEN FINALS PREVIEW: ELSHORBAGY BROTHERS LOCK HORNS…
There are two breathtaking matches in store on finals night at the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company – and you can watch the action LIVE on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player, BT Sport and more.
Action from the University Club of Chicago gets under way at 18:00 local time (GMT-6) as World Series final debutant Joelle King takes on Nour El Tayeb, before the latest battle between the ElShorbagy brothers draws the tournament to a close.
18:00: [7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [9] Joelle King (NZL)
This will be the first women’s World Series final since the British Open last March not to feature either World No.1 Nour El Sherbini or World Champion Raneem El Welily – leaving the door open for Nour El Tayeb and Joelle King to battle for silverware under the stunning chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago tonight.
New Zealand’s King will appear in her first ever World Series final after ending El Welily’s monopoly on the Windy City Open crown in the previous round, with El Welily having won this tournament in each of the past three years.
In doing so, King became the first person to beat El Welily since the final in 2014 and it was the second time in as many tournaments that she had beaten the World No.2, with a 3-0 win in the Cleveland Classic earlier this month.
That Cleveland Classic title win was King’s first since 2016 and came off the back of a strong season which has seen her break back into the world’s top 10, while she also reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open in October.
She comes up against the eventual U.S. Open champion, El Tayeb, tonight and El Tayeb has proven herself a real force to be reckoned with after some stunning displays this season.
The 24-year-old Egyptian made history at the U.S. Open as El Tayeb and husband Ali Farag become the first married couple in sporting history ever to win the same major sports title on the same day.
Farag’s defeat to World No.4 Marwan ElShorbagy in yesterday’s semi-finals means that lightning won’t strike twice today, but the World No.3 will be in his wife’s corner as she comes up against Kiwi King, who is one of the most dangerous players on the women’s Tour at present.
The head-to-head record currently sits at 3-2 in King’s favour but the pair haven’t met since 2014, meaning that tonight’s clash will be as unpredictable as it will be exciting.
Follow On: [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Just two months after contesting the biggest match in squash – the PSA World Championships final – Bristol-based Egyptian brothers Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy are poised to go head-to-head in yet another major final.
The pair were originally seeded to meet in the quarter-finals until an injury to defending champion Gregory Gaultier meant a reshuffle to the fixtures, resulting in the two brothers being pitted on opposite sides of the draw.
Mohamed, who got the better of Marwan to lift a maiden World Championship crown in December, has been in stunning form this season and defeated compatriot Tarek Momen to reach a seventh PSA World Tour final of the season.
In addition to his five PSA titles so far in this campaign, Mohamed has registered just a solitary defeat in his previous 26 matches and will cut an opposing figure across from his brother on court tonight.
But Marwan come out on top against his older sibling 12 months ago on this court in arguably the most significant win of his career to date, ending a seven-match losing streak against the current World No.2.
That emotional victory resulted in tears from both brothers, while the win has acted as something of a catalyst for a stark improvement in Marwan’s game that has elevated the 24-year-old into the world’s top four.
Marwan pushed Mohamed to five games in the World Championship final, making life difficult for the 27-year-old despite slipping to a ninth defeat in 11 matches against his brother – and he has a chance to make amends this evening.
The younger ElShorbagy insisted before the tournament that he believes that a major title will come at the right time for him – and the right time could very well be tonight.
Last Three Meetings
2017 PSA Men’s World Championship Final: Marwan ElShorbagy 2-3 Mohamed ElShorbagy
2017 Hong Kong Open Semi-Finals: Marwan ElShorbagy 0-3 Mohamed ElShorbagy
2017 El Gouna International Quarter-Finals: Marwan ElShorbagy 3-0 Mohamed ElShorbagy
2018
KIWI KING TAKES OUT DEFENDING CHAMPION EL WELILY TO…
New Zealand’s World No.9 Joelle King will compete in the final of a PSA World Series event for the first time in her 13 year career after she knocked World Champion and three-time tournament winner Raneem El Welily out of the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company in a five-game thriller today.
Former World No.4 King suffered a career threatening injury in 2015 just months after reaching her first ever World Series tournament semi-final, at the 2014 Windy City Open. But she crowned her steady rise back up through the rankings with a formidable display against El Welily, coming from a game behind to take out the 2015, 2016 and 2017 title-holder 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10.
El Welily – who was targeting her fourth Windy City crown – looked determined in the first game as she hit with fierce accuracy to take the opener. However, King came back strong to reach the lucrative final – with this year’s event offering a record high prize fund of $250,000 in both the men’s and women’s draws.
“I’m just over the moon that I was able to hold my nerve in the end in what was another brutal battle,” said King following her huge win.
“I definitely think I’m playing the best squash of my whole career right now. I think the injury helped me go away and figure out a few things that were missing in my game and I’ve never really looked back.
“The exciting thing is that I still feel like there is a lot more to come in my game. I think I’m just enjoying my squash which is the main thing and I think it shows and I’m really excited to be in the final.”
The World No.9 will now face World No.3 Nour El Tayeb of Egypt after she defeated England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in another thrilling 3-2 encounter in the women’s event.
“After I won the first two games, I started to feel nervous,” said El Tayeb. “I was thinking ‘am I going to be in another final? This is huge’ and I let go of thinking about the actual points and the squash.
“In the fourth, I started to play well again so I’m happy I won of course.”
In the men’s event, Egyptian brothers Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy will lock horns in the finale in what will be their first meeting since they clashed in the final of the 2017 PSA World Championships in Manchester last December, when it was Mohamed who claimed victory on the day.
The pair saw off the challenge of compatriots Ali Farag and Tarek Momen to earn their spot in the final.
“I’m so happy to reach another final in Chicago and if I could get my first ever World Series title here it would mean a lot,” said Marwan after reaching his second successive Windy City Open final.
“To play in another major final with my brother is amazing. We played in the World Championship final and to play against each other again, this time in Chicago, is fantastic.”
Tomorrow match will be the seventh final of the 2017/18 season for Mohamed’ – who will return to World No.1 next month – and he will be aiming to collect title number six so far this campaign.
“It’s great to be in another final, it will be my third final in Chicago,” said Mohamed following his win over compatriot Momen.
“I’m very happy to be playing my brother, he beat me here last year, so I will be looking for revenge.
“I’m really happy with the way he has been playing this season and I’m really proud of him. He has been playing really well and playing with consistency and he is showing the whole world what he can do and what he can achieve.
“The way he played today was unbelievable to take Ali 3-0. We learn from each other but tomorrow he is going to go for me and I know he feels that this is his time to take his first World Series event and it’s up to me to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Results: Men’s Semi-Finals – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [2] Ali Farag (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 (48m)
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [6] Tarek Momen (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (45m)
Draw: Men’s Final (To be played February 28)
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Results: Women’s Semi-Finals – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-2: 11-6, 11-9, 3-11, 14-16, 11-7 (73m)
[9] Joelle King (NZL) bt [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 (60m)
Draw: Women’s Final (To be played February 28)
[7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [9] Joelle King (NZL)
WCOsquash
WINDY CITY OPEN SEMIS PREVIEW: MARRIED COUPLES EYE UP…
The 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company could become the first PSA World Tour event in history to feature two married couples on finals night with Ali Farag, Nour El Tayeb, Tarek Momen and Raneem El Welily all vying for a spot in the title-decider.
Squash fans can watch the semi-finals action LIVE on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player, BT Sport and more from 17:30 local time (GMT-6), with an unpredictable night of drama in store at the University Club of Chicago.
17:30: [7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry go head-to-head for the second time on the PSA World Tour in the night’s opening match, with their only previous meeting seeing El Tayeb prevail in a five-game clash in August’s China Open.
El Tayeb made history alongside husband Farag in October when they became the first married couple in sporting history ever to win the same major sports title on the same day after taking silverware at the U.S. Open.
That win saw both players claim a maiden World Series title and the pair will hope for history to repeat itself again, starting with a victory for El Tayeb in her clash with Perry tonight.
The Egyptian shot-maker has been in superb form in recent months, with a charge to the final of January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions seeing her rise up to a career-high World No.3 ranking.
Perry, meanwhile, started the season in style to lift her biggest ever title at the Oracle NetSuite Open in September, but her form has tailed off since then, with the World No.8 falling at the quarter-final stage or earlier in each of her last six tournaments.
But the nine-time PSA title winner has returned to her best in Chicago, sweeping past Sabrina Sobhy and Annie Au in the opening two rounds before recovering from a game down to dismantle World No.5 Camille Serme in impressive style.
She comes up against an equally impressive El Tayeb though after the Egyptian achieved a terrific comeback from two games down against World No.1 Nour El Sherbini last night to earn her semi-final berth.
The fixture promises to get tonight’s action off to an enthralling start, with El Tayeb – who also overturned four match balls against Tesni Evans in round two – aiming to get through to a second successive World Series final and Perry looking to reach that stage for the second time in her career.
Follow on: [2] Ali Farag (EGY) v [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
While El Tayeb does battle with Perry, husband Farag will be warming up ahead of a titanic tussle with World Championship runner-up Marwan ElShorbagy in the first of tonight’s all-Egyptian men’s semi-finals.
The sight of Farag and El Tayeb embracing after their victories at the U.S. Open will serve as one of the defining moments of the 2017/18 season and, while Farag will hope for similar scenes tomorrow, he must first navigate a tricky fixture against his in-form compatriot.
ElShorbagy got the better of Farag in their last meeting as he dealt the Harvard-graduate a crushing blow in the semi-finals of December’s PSA World Championships.
Despite falling to older brother Mohamed in the final, ElShorbagy quickly recovered to take the honours at the Pakistan Open a week later before claiming the Motor City Open title last month.
ElShorbagy and Farag have typically traded wins in the past, with ElShorbagy’s victory in Manchester in December coming after Farag won two of their three previous meetings.
Notably, ElShorbagy also got the better of Farag at the same stage of last year’s Windy City Open, following up an emotional win over Mohamed with a composed 3-1 victory that saw him reach the final of a World Series tournament for the first time in his career.
The University Club of Chicago always seems to bring out the best in ElShorbagy – he also reached his first World Series semi-final there in 2015 – and he heads into tonight’s match as perhaps the slight favourite, despite Farag’s superior seeding and World Ranking.
Last Three Meetings
2017 PSA World Championships Semi-Final: Ali Farag 2-3 Marwan ElShorbagy
2017 Bellevue Classic Semi-Finals: Ali Farag 3-1 Marwan ElShorbagy
2017 Windy City Open Semi-Finals: Ali Farag 1-3 Marwan ElShorbagy
Follow on: [9] Joelle King (NZL) v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
World Champion Raneem El Welily is one half of the second married couple in action tonight and the World No.2 is one win away from a remarkable fifth successive final appearance in Chicago.
The Egyptian has won the last three editions of the tournament and recorded an 18th consecutive Windy City Open victory last night when she beat England’s Alison Waters to move into a fourth World Series semi-final of the season.
Standing between El Welily and a place in the final is New Zealand’s Joelle King, who beat home hero Amanda Sobhy in four games to book a place in a second World Series semi-final after she also made it to the last four of the U.S. Open.
King lost out to El Welily on that occasion and the Egyptian has a commanding 10-2 lead on their head-to-head record after winning their first nine meetings.
But King has won two of their last three, including in the final of the Cleveland Classic earlier this month which yielded King a first PSA title since 2016.
King, a former World No.4, has never before reached a World Series final and will need to put in a disciplined performance if she is to overcome the reigning champion.
Three of the Best
2017 Hong Kong Open Quarter-Finals: Joelle King 2-3 Raneem El Welily
2017 U.S. Open Semi-Finals: Joelle King 1-3 Raneem El Welily
2016 U.S. Open Second Round: Joelle King 1-3 Raneem El Welily
Follow on: [6] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Tarek Momen will hope to follow wife El Welily through to the title-decider when he lines up against top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy in the final match of the evening.
The World No.7 has reached two World Series finals this season, with his first seeing him go down 3-1 to fellow Egyptian ElShorbagy, while he missed out on the Tournament of Champions title after falling victim to an inspired Simon Rösner.
Momen, who celebrated his 30th birthday on the second day of the Windy City Open, will need to overturn a four-match losing streak against ElShorbagy, with his last win over his Bristol-based compatriot coming back in 2013.
ElShorbagy’s form, however, suggests that Momen will have to do something special to halt the reigning World Champion, who has won six of his last eight tournaments and has lost just once in 25 matches.
Defending champion Gregory Gaultier’s withdrawal from the tournament has ensured that ElShorbagy will return to World No.1 next month for the first time since last April and he will look to cap his rise back to the summit of the World Rankings with a title victory in Chicago.
Last Three Meetings
2017 Qatar Classic Final: Tarek Momen 1-3 Mohamed ElShorbagy
2015 Windy City Open Quarter-Final: Tarek Momen 0-3 Mohamed ElShorbagy
2014 British Open Second Round: Tarek Momen 0-3 Mohamed ElShorbagy
WCOsquash
WINDY CITY OPEN: SEMI-FINALS – AS IT HAPPENS
The semi-finals of the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company takes place today with a place in the coveted World Series event final up for grabs.
There are a number of family links in action as married couples Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb and Tarek Momen and Raneem El Welily could all reach the final.
Another possibility could see an-all sibling clash in the men’s final as both Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy could face each other.
In the women’s draw, New Zealand’s World No.9 Joelle King and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry will be looking to disrupt the Egyptian theme as they face defending champion El Welily and El Tayeb – who took out top seed Nour El Sherbini in the last round – respectively.
Here’s today’s order of play
Semi-Finals
Match: [7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Result: 3-2
Scores: 11-6, 11-9, 3-11, 14-16, 11-7 (73m)
Egypt’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb came through another mammoth five-game encounter to reach her first ever Windy City Open final, as she saw off England’s World No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry.
The two players had only played each other once before, with the encounter coming earlier in the season at the China Squash Open.
That match also went to five, as the Egyptian and Englishwoman played out another thrilling battle under the chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall.
El Tayeb took the first two games, taking complete control from the outset, however, Perry battled back in the third as the shackles came off the Englishwoman to put in a dominant performance to take an 11-3 victory.
Birmingham-born Perry continued to show her metal as she held four game-balls in the fourth to level the scores, with El Tayeb fighting back each time before the 27-year-old Englishwoman eventually claimed the fourth on a 16-14 tie-break.
The Oracle NetSuite winner looked to have turned things around as she went 4-1 up in the fifth, before, Cairo-born El Tayeb – who came from 2-0 down against both Tesni Evans and Nour El Sherbini in the previous rounds – once again proved her resilient nature to claim an 11-6, 11-9, 3-11, 14-16, 11-7 victory in 73 minutes.
“After I won the first two games, I started to feel nervous,” said El Tayeb.
“I was thinking ‘am I going to be in another final? This is huge’ and I let go of thinking about the actual points and the squash.
“In the fourth, I started to play well again but then she won it I was very nervous and I’m happy I won of course – I think I’m going to be the queen of 3-2!
“I don’t think I would have won without my coach and Ali [Farag]. I had to have Ali sit down and not warm-up so that I could see him after every point so hopefully he can carry on the momentum and we can have another family in the final.”
Match: [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [2] Ali Farag (EGY)
Result: 3-0
Scores: 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 (48m)
Egypt’s World No.4 Marwan ElShorbagy put in a powerful performance to dispatch compatriot and World No.3 Ali Farag in straight-games to reach his second successive Windy City Open final.
The Egyptian rivals have played each other four times on the PSA World Tour previously, with each player taking it in turns to take victories. However, ElShorbagy made sure to break that cycle, securing back-to-back wins over Farag on the PSA World Tour.
The last time the two played in Chicago was at the exact same stage of the tournament last year and ElShorbagy made sure the result was the same as he put in a clinical performance against the World No.3.
It was a tight battle in the first as Farag looked nervous on court – after just watching his wife, El Tayeb, compete in a tight five-game battle – as ElShorbagy took the first.
U.S. Open winner Farag managed to regain his composure to build up a lead in the second to hold two game balls before ElShorbagy struck back to take it on a 13-11 tie-break to double his advantage.
From that moment on, Farag struggled to find any rhythm to settle into the match, in contrast, ElShorbagy – who saw off Tournament of Champions Simon Rösner in the last round – looked in his best form to win 11-6, 13-11, 11-7.
ElShorbagy will now either face older brother Mohamed or World No.7 Tarek Momen in the final.
“Every time I come back to Chicago, I have the best tournament,” said ElShorbagy.
“I’m so happy tor reach another final in Chicago and if I could get my first ever World Series title then I would just definitely choose to do it here. I’ve always played well here, I really like the city and the people, so I’m delighted to be in another final.
“Ali has been playing really well recently, he is in great form and has got to World No.3 – which is career high – and he’s just giving a really tough time to all of his opponents.
“I really respect him, he has done so well this season and I’m sure he’s going to keep playing well and I think he can become World No.1 in the future.
“If my brother wins today then that would be amazing, and I really hope he can. We played in the World Championship final and if we could play in Chicago that would be fantastic.”
Match: [9] Joelle King (NZL) bt [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Result: 3-2
Scores: 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 (60m)
New Zealand World No.9 Joelle King put in an emphatic display to knock out three-time Windy City Open champion Raneem El Welily in a five-game thriller to reach her first ever World Series final.
Going into the match the head-to-head records were strongly in favour of the Egyptian World Champion, however, King did take the last meeting – a straight-games win in the final of the 2018 Cleveland Classic and the 29-year-old Kiwi made no mistake in her game plan to take out the defending champion.
El Welily – who was targeting her fourth Windy City crown – looked determined in the first game as she hit with fierce accuracy to take the opener. However, King came back strong in the second to become the only player to take a game off El Welily so far this tournament.
Match: [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [6] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Result: 3-0
Scores: 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (45m)
Egypt’s World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy saw off compatriot Tarek Momen in straight-games to reach his seventh PSA World Tour final this season.
ElShorbagy – who will return to the World No.1 spot next month – was in clinical form to keep his record of not dropping a game so far this tournament as he downed Momen to set up a tantalising final clash with younger brother, Marwan.
It was a nervous start from both players before ElShorbagy settled down after taking the first game to ruthlessly dispatch Momen 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 in 45 minutes.
“I think the first game was really crucial,” said ElShorbagy.
“I think we were both nervous at the start of the match. Each one of us made eight errors in the first game, which is not good enough for either of us, but I think that was the nerves.
“Once I took that first game it gave me the confidence to go on and take the advantage and implement my game more. He has been playing well, it’s the best season he has ever played, and he is playing with confidence.
“It’s great to be in another final, it will be my third final in Chicago, won one, lost one. So, I’m just really happy to be back here in the final and very happy to be playing my brother, he beat me here last year, so I will be looking for revenge.”
#WCOsquash #UCCO #Metrosquash
2018
EL TAYEB KNOCKS OUT TOP SEED EL SHERBINI AS…
World No.3 Nour El Tayeb staged a huge comeback from 2-0 down to knock World No.1 Nour El Sherbini out of the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company in an all-Egyptian quarter-final battle staged under the chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall.
Top seed El Sherbini took the advantage in the opening two games after, clawing back game balls in both to take a commanding lead over her compatriot.
However, U.S. Open winner El Tayeb refused to be beaten and she showed the same resilience displayed in her round two encounter with Welshwoman Tesni Evans – where she saved four match-balls to come back and win 3-2 – as she claimed the next three games to book herself a semi-final berth at this year’s event – which offers a record high prize fund of $250,000 in both the men’s and women’s draws.
“Nour is an unbelievable player and we have had a lot of battles this season,” said 24-year-old El Tayeb following her win.
“My coach and husband Ali [Farag] told me to dig in and told me not to worry about the first two games because I was playing well. Being 2-0 down against Nour El Sherbini is probably the hardest thing in the world on a squash court but I just thought I am playing so well and so I just let loose but it was close all the way.”
Joining El Tayeb in the next round to make it a family affair is husband Farag, who dispatched Australia’s Cameron Pilley in straight-games to reach the semi-finals for the second consecutive year.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Farag after his victory.
“Both of us won our matches and hopefully the tournament is not over for either of us, but we have very tough competitors tomorrow. The Tour is very deep now, and everyone is playing so well but we hope to keep going forward.”
Farag and El Tayeb will be joined at the last four stage by another married couple after Tarek Momen and defending three-time champion Raneem El Welily also made their way through with wins over compatriot Karim Abdel Gawad and England’s Alison Waters, respectively.
“I’m so glad that I’m having a great week here,” said Momen. “It is my first semi-final at the Windy City Open.
“Karim and I spend a lot of time together and we have had a lot of tough battles in the past with a lot of them going in his favour, so I’m really glad that I came through tonight in three.
“Raneem and I just try to enjoy ourselves on court – everyone is focused on their task and we are both trying to reach as far as possible in this tournament. We just try to support each other the best way we can.”
El Welily, who recorded her 18th successive win in Chicago, added: “Obviously Tarek was playing before me, so I was warming up during his match and it’s fantastic that he won today. He’s been playing well and it’s a big win for him and I’m happy that we’re both in the semi-finals – it doesn’t happen that often.”
Completing the family theme in Chicago are brothers Marwan and Mohamed ElShorbagy as they defeated Tournament of Champions winner Simon Rösner and ‘Colombian Cannonball’ Miguel Angel Rodriguez, respectively, to complete an all-Egyptian last four in the men’s draw.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Joelle King and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry complete the women’s line-up after they overcame American Amanda Sobhy and Camille Serme of France, respectively.
Result: Men’s Quarter-Final – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (43m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-1, 15-13 (46m)
[6] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-0: 16-14, 11-8, 11-3 (53m)
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 3-0: 11-7, 14-12, 11-4 (39m)
Draws: Men’s Semi-Finals (To be played February 27)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) v [4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[6] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Result: Women’s Quarter-Final – 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family & EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [3] Camille Serme (FRA) 3-1: 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (52m)
[7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-2: 10-12, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (77m)
[9] Joelle King (NZL) bt [12] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-1: 11-8, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6 (44m)
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [10] Alison Waters (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (32m)
Draws: Women’s Semi-Finals (To be played February 27)
[7] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[9] Joelle King (NZL) v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
#WCOsquash #UCCO #Metrosquash