Coll Crushes Asal To Set Up Farag Final
Paul Coll marched into the Windy City Open final for the second straight occasion, crushing Mostafa Asal 3-0 in the last semi-final.
The Kiwi – champion here in 2022 when this event was last staged – has produced some outstanding squash so far this week, and continued that in his win over Asal, his most clinical performance of the week.
The young Egyptian had needed all five games to see off Diego Elias in the quarter-finals, and that workload perhaps took its toll in what ended up being a one-sided semi-final.
After dropping 5-2 behind early, the ‘Raging Bull’ broke the strings on his racket and headed off court to get a new one, but the change in racket did little to change his fortunes.
The rallies were short and sharp, with none exceeding 50 seconds in the first 12 points of the match, Coll closing out game one on a backhand drop in only 12 minutes.
That front left-hand corner continued to be a successful avenue of attack for the New Zealander, with Asal struggling to read his shots and guessing more than he would have liked.
A two-game lead for Coll was soon wrapped up, as Asal hit a backhand boast at 10-3 down and then turned to walk off court, barely waiting for his opponent to complete the rally with a successful drop.
James Willstrop tried to rally Asal in between games, but it was to no avail. Coll steamrolled through the final game in just seven minutes and for the loss of only one point, hitting a backhand boast winner on match ball before turning to the crowd with a fist pump.
‘Superman’ – who is yet to drop a game this week – will now play Ali Farag in a major final for the third time this season, having beaten the World No.1 to the title at both the U.S. Open presented by TRUIST and the TTI Milwaukee Hong Kong Squash Open.
“Mostafa is a really tricky opponent, so I had a clear game plan in my head, but it’s all about executing it,” Coll said, moments after victory.
“I’m stoked with how I came out aggressively and played at the pace that I wanted to play at. I took the game to him, which I haven’t quite done in the past, so I’m really happy with that and I’m looking forward to another battle tomorrow.
“This season I’ve felt that level again [the level that took him to World No.1]. That’s some of the best squash I’ve ever played, but I’m trying to evolve as a player, I’m adding stuff and getting to a level where my squash is better than that. I just need to keep working on it and keep executing it in big semi-finals and finals.
“We’ve [Coll and Farag] had some brutal matches, so tomorrow’s going to be the same. When it gets tough you’ve got to hang in there, you’ve seen today how he’s come from behind and in the end won comfortably. You’ve got to beat him, he’s not going to give it to you, so it’s going to be a tough match.”
Result:
[3] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [5] Mostafa Asal (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-1 (30m)
Gohar Beats El Hammamy To Reach Final Once More
Defending champion Nouran Gohar weathered the storm Hania El Hammamy threw at her in the Windy City Open semi-finals, winning 3-1 as a tornado engulfed Chicago.
Anticipation was high for this second women’s semi-final, with the Egyptian pair having shared some monumental battles in recent times, most recently going to five over 99 minutes at the SmartCentres Kinetic Florida Open.
It was perhaps fitting that a tornado was brewing in the Windy City just as the players took to the court, and it was Gohar who made a lightning-fast start, winning eight points on the bounce to move from 2-2 to 10-2 in game one.
A poor backhand volley into the tin from El Hammamy handed Gohar the game, but the reigning champion was on the back foot early in the second, falling 6-3 behind after a drawn-out start, which saw four minutes pass before a point had even been scored.
A fist bump from Gohar followed a sharp backhand drop to get back to 4-6, and she was soon out in front at 8-7 up.
The video referee was then called upon to review a pickup on an El Hammamy dive, with the replay showing a double to give Gohar a two-point lead.
She converted that two-point lead into a two-game lead when El Hammamy tinned a backhand boast on game ball, but the 23-year-old got herself back into the contest in game three.
From 7-4 up, she began to relax, putting some hold into her swing to limit the movement of her opponent, and gave herself four game balls at 10-6.
A breathtaking rally ensued, ending disappointingly in a let, but El Hammamy did not have to wait long to wrap up the game, drilling a backhand winner down the line on the following rally.
The start of game four was always likely to be important, and it was Gohar who got her nose in front.
The World No.3 had requested a new ball and was quickly 2-0 up when the players collided, both crashing to the floor with all eyes on referee Andrea Santamaria.
A yes let was the decision but Gohar soon extended her lead, nonetheless, finding herself on the brink of victory at 8-4 up.
Determined not to give up without a fight, El Hammamy flung herself across the court to try and reach a diving backhand, tripping over her opponent in the process.
The result was a double blow for the young Egyptian, who was not only forced from the court with a stomach injury, but also not rewarded with a let, dropping to within two points of defeat.
She won the first rally after returning to court, but that was as much joy as she got.
A forehand volley winner – which Gohar had used to good effect throughout the encounter – brought up match ball, and she slammed a backhand down the line to clinch victory soon after, setting up a rematch of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions final against Nour El Sherbini.
“Playing Hania in the semis is not easy, but I think I had a good game plan with my coaches before the match and I executed it pretty well,” Gohar said after her win.
“I hope I can carry on that form for tomorrow’s match and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s final.
“In four or five matches [against El Hammamy] I’ve been leading 2-0 and then she’s won the third and I’ve managed to close it out in four. I think I had that experience in the back of my mind, and I knew that if I got a new ball, it would be a fresh start. I told myself it was 0-0 and there was just one game you had to win.
“Overall, I’m happy with the way I played.
“I watched a bit of [their match in Florida] but not the whole two hours! It’s always tough to watch a match that you lost, but those are the matches you learn the most from. I don’t like to lose at all, but for some reason this match gave me a lot of confidence.
“I was coming back from injury and I didn’t really know what my level was. I was two points away from winning the whole thing. Hania and Nour [El Sherbini] have been winning every title, so to be back and playing at the same level was very positive and I think I carried that form on at the ToC, which was very pleasing.
“I think it’s just the beginning, I’m looking to improve at every tournament and I hope it will keep being better.”
Discussing her defeat in the ToC final, she added: “It was heartbreaking being 2-0 up and one game away from winning the whole thing. What’s in the past is in the past. I’ve had that scenario before when Nour has been 2-0 up and 10-7 up and I managed to sneak it and take the title.
“It’s about squash but also nerves. There’s no pressure whatsoever on me, it’s about winning but not about revenge because we play each other every tournament.”
Result:
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5 (70m)
Farag Fights Back To Reach 12th Straight Final
Ali Farag put a poor start behind him to fight back from 2-1 down and beat Mazen Hesham in the Windy City Open semi-finals, continuing his record of reaching the final in every event he’s played this season.
Farag had beaten his compatriot 3-0 in the HSC Houston Men’s Squash Open final less than two weeks ago, but Hesham has arguably been playing the best squash of his life in the past few matches, and he pushed the World No.1 to five at the University Club of Chicago.
Indeed, it was the World No.7 who made the better start, opening up a 7-3 lead in game one with a forehand drive that wrong-footed Farag.
A handful of errors allowed Farag back within a point, but Hesham closed out the game on a brilliantly soft forehand drop that left the World No.1 with no chance.
Hesham’s extravagant racket skills had been on full display in game one, but it was the consistent length he’d hit that had been key to his success, and he carried that into the second, opening up a 6-1 lead.
The 29-year-old was playing at an exceptionally high level, but his standards dropped ever so slightly, which is all the top seed needed to claw his way back into the contest.
From 6-1 down, Farag reeled off seven points in a row to shift the momentum in his favour, and let out a huge scream of emotion after clinching the game on a backhand volley drop just a few moments later.
Plenty inside the club’s Cathedral Hall would have been expecting the World No.1 to run away with it from there, but Hesham had other ideas.
At 8-5 down after a few uncharacteristic errors, Farag appeared to take a more passive approach, limiting his attacking shots and sticking to the long game, but it would prove to be in vain as Hesham moved back out in front with a backhand winner to clinch game three.
Hesham then had an upset within his sights at 2-0 up in the fourth, but the tides turned in dramatic fashion from there.
Farag went on the charge – just as he’d done in the second – dropping only one more point in the game as Hesham appeared to throw in the towel, focusing his energy instead on the decisive fifth.
But unfortunately for the World No.7, that decisive fifth followed a similar pattern to the fourth, with his frustrations on full display through several outbursts of anger.
He would win only two points in the game, putting the final nail is his own coffin with a backhand into the tin on match ball, prompting a huge roar of celebration from Farag, who booked a spot in his 12th straight PSA Tour final.
“I had to dig very deep, mentally, physically and tactically,” Farag said.
“For the first game and a half Mazen was outplaying me. He was hitting better length, better winners and had a better balance overall. I was using height, but not enough, and then I used pace and then somehow, I found myself back in it after two long rallies when I was 6-1 down.
“I had to dig in deep, even if I went 2-0 down it would be a long road back, but at least I would have put myself in the match. I thought I had him in the third, but he’s become even tougher this season and he kept fighting back. I was a bit rattled in the third and he ran away with it.
“I was thinking of changing the ball, but then I decided not to as I thought I could take advantage of the softer ball. He got off to a good start in the fourth and I didn’t want to go home, so I kept on screaming. I know it’s not a very pleasant watch, but it’s the way to get out of it.
“Obviously I was screaming at myself, not anybody else. I’m very proud to fight back and end the match with the win.”
Speaking on the way he ran away with things in game five, he added: “I tried to play shorter rallies and take advantage of the dead ball. He also lost his head after 4-0, 5-0 with a couple of decisions which I believe were the correct decisions. He gave me a bit of headway there and I took advantage of it.”
Farag also discussed a nice moment between the two players, which ended in them sharing a smile and hug after a discussion with the referee.
“Mazen and I are very good friends off court, but on court the two of us want to kill each other, we want to win, respectfully. He said something to the referee about me and I told him not to talk to the referee about me, and he said that he was talking to the referee, not me. It was a funny moment, it wasn’t anything, it was just heated up because of the adrenaline.
“We hugged, we went to the towels together and I didn’t recover from it that well, he did very well to keep his focus.”
Result:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [7] Mazen Hesham (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3, 11-2 (65m)
El Sherbini Battles Past Kennedy To Reach Final
Nour El Sherbini reached her sixth final of the season, battling past England’s Georgina Kennedy 3-1 in the Windy City Open semi-finals.
The World No.1 had never lost in her eight previous matchups with Kennedy, but was made to work for her place in the final in Chicago, needing 45 minutes to complete the win.
Targeting a 13th straight win on the PSA Tour, El Sherbini made a typically strong start, needing only eight minutes to take one game, crunching a forehand winner down the line on her first of five game balls.
But anyone watching who thought it would be one-way traffic from there was in for a shock, as Kennedy took control of the second, dominating the T and not allowing El Sherbini to volley nearly as much as she would have liked.
A 5-3 lead soon turned into six game balls for the English No.1 at 10-4, with things seemingly going against the Egyptian, who needed a new racket after breaking her strings.
Kennedy’s nerves would have been jangling after an El Sherbini fightback made it 10-8, but the World No.9 kept her cool and avoided an error, with an El Sherbini tin halting the comeback in its tracks.
El Sherbini remained somewhat off her best in game three, needing a tie break to get herself back in front, after Kennedy had found a well-timed nick to save the first game ball at 10-9 down.
The point that did eventually clinch the tie break for El Sherbini was a timely reminder of her quality, though, hitting a perfect length on a forehand to the back right-hand corner, off balance towards the back of the court as she hit the shot herself.
Kennedy remained stubborn right until the end and would have been sensing a deciding fifth at 8-6 up, but once again, El Sherbini’s quality showed through.
She hit three winning drop shots in a row – one on the forehand and two on the backhand – to help erase the deficit and bring up match ball, which saw Kennedy hit the tin to bring an end to her campaign.
“It was a tough match, Gina was playing really well, and she’s been playing amazingly the whole tournament,” El Sherbini said after her win.
“I knew it was going to be a tough one. We had some tough matches last year, so I’m happy I won and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s finals.
Dicussing the second game, she added: “My string broke, I hit two tins and I had no lets, so four or five points ran away. I tried to come back, relax and play point by point. I was coming back but it didn’t go my way.
“I tried not to think too much about what happened in the second game, I tried to focus on the third game. It went to a tie-break but I’m glad I won that game.
“When you’re not playing your best squash, you have to push yourself mentally and physically and believe you can win even if you’re not playing the squash you want to play. You have the experience and the fight that you can win any match in any conditions. You’re not going to play amazing squash every time, so I didn’t put any pressure on myself and tried to win the match.
“All that matters is that you win at the end.”
Result:
[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt [5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (45m)
The semi-finals of the Windy City Open 2024 presented by The Walter Family have arrived, with four great matches lying in store at the University Club of Chicago.
Order of Play
Georgina Kennedy v Nour El Sherbini
The opening semi-final of the evening sees World No.9 Georgina Kennedy and World No.1 Nour El Sherbini square off for a place in the final.
The head-to-head stats between the two lean heavily in the top seed’s favour, with El Sherbini having won all eight of their meetings on tour. However, their quarter-final clash at the U.S. Open earlier this season, which Kennedy led 2-1 before eventually losing out in five, will certainly give the England No.1 confidence that an upset could still be on the cards.
Kennedy has produced some superb squash to reach the last four this week, having notably beaten Sivasangari Subramaniam and Nele Gilis in her last two matches, while El Sherbini looked in sublime form when overcoming home favourite Sabrina Sobhy in her last outing.
Expect both players to inject pace into the match right from the offset in what could be a hugely entertaining encounter.
Ali Farag v Mazen Hesham
Mazen Hesham continued his superb recent run of form with yet another victory over a top-ten opponent when prevailing in his quarter-final battle against Mohamed ElShorbagy in five games.
The Egyptian, who reached the Houston Open final earlier this month with similar five-game victories over ‘The Beast’ and Mostafa Asal, is riding the crest of a wave right now and will be looking to reach his third final of 2024.
However, if there is a player to stop the ‘Black Falcon’ in his tracks, it is World No.1 Ali Farag. The 31-year-old, who has already captured five titles this season, was Hesham’s conqueror in the title decider in Houston and has carried on this winning form with three impressive victories in Chicago. In particular, Farag’s clinical quarter-final win over Karim Abdel Gawad would have left the rest of his competition worried.
Although Farag has looked in unbeatable form at times this season, Hesham’s deception down the backhand wing and ability to fire in winners from all corners of the court could make this a mouthwatering contest.
Nouran Gohar v Hania El Hammamy
Nouran Gohar and Hania El Hammamy will square off against one another for the 21st time on the PSA Tour in Chicago, with the former looking to extend her 13-7 lead in the head-to-head department.
Both players have looked in electric form this week, powering their way through their respective quarters of the draw without dropping a single game. Gohar, in particular, will have drawn immeasurable confidence from her dominant quarter-final victory over the in-form Olivia Weaver – who arrived into the tournament on the back of claiming consecutive PSA World Tour titles.
El Hammamy, meanwhile, has yet to put a foot wrong in her three matches against Zeina Mickawy, Rowan Elaraby and Tinne Gilis, with her longest contest of the event being just 39 minutes long.
World No.2 El Hammamy holds the bragging rights after the pair’s most recent clash at the Florida Open – in which she nicked a fifth game tie-break after 99 minutes of epic action – and another close match looks to be on the cards this evening.
Paul Coll v Mostafa Asal
The last match of the evening looks to be a justified curtain-closer, with World No.3 Paul Coll and World No.4 Mostafa Asal set to face each other for a spot in the final.
Coll, 31, has bounced back from his quarter-final exit to Victor Crouin at the last Platinum event on the PSA World Tour calendar, The J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, with a confident run to the last four here in Chicago. The Kiwi gained revenge upon Crouin in the last eight, defeating the Frenchman by an 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 scoreline in 38 minutes of action.
Asal, on the other hand, spent 45 minutes longer on court in his quarter-final contest, eventually defeating World No.2 Diego Elias in a five-game thriller. How well ‘The Raging Bull’ can recover physically from that gruelling clash is likely to play a huge role in which way tonight’s match swings.
However, the Egyptian will draw confidence from the face that he holds a significant advantage in the head-to-head stats, having won seven of the pair’s 10 meetings on tour.
Those in attendance at the University Club of Chicago could be on for a late-night, with eight of Asal and Coll’s meetings going over the hour mark and two beyond 100 minutes.