AAn "old and feisty" Laura Massaro maintained her stranglehold on squash's shortened format as the 33-year-old Englishwoman defended her World Series title against Nour El Sherbini, of Egypt, on Saturday night.
Massaro, 33, beat an out-of-sorts world champion 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 in the season-ending $160,000 women's finals at Dubai Opera.
However, in a brace of English-Egyptian finals, James Willstrop was then blown away by the sheer pace and power of Mohamed Elshorbagy as the Egyptian claimed the men’s title for the first time.
Despite El Sherbini's error-strewn match, thanks to a number of tinned boasts, Massaro was never assured of her title defence. Not after the 21-year-old had come back from 2-0 down to win last year's world title in Kuala Lumpur against Massaro.
But this week belonged to the England No 1 once more as she shrugged off late finishes - she was asleep by 4am on Saturday morning - and a finals' day cold to record her best victory in the emirate.
Against a succession of younger rivals, the jubilant Lancastrian, who had never defended a major title, turned the tables when asked afterwards if she was overawed by the Egyptian production line.
"I'm the intimidating one, I'm old and feisty," she joked after her 39-minute victory. "If you don't have an edge to you now in the game, you don't have a chance.
"You can't be passive or submissive, you have to have aggression [to win]."
Meanwhile Willstrop, playing in his first final of a World Series event after a brilliant and resurgent week in Dubai, looked short of the aggression and armoury needed to deal with Elshorbagy in the men’s final.
Elshorbagy’s forehand drives proved the ultimate difference as he prevailed 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 in 57 minutes.
The Egyptian has rekindled his love for the sport after a testing year where he lost his world No 1 status after two seasons of dominance. He admitted here that group sessions last month at the lively Vivo Club in Bristol where he trains had helped him return to form - and record a first victory in 2017.
These World Series Finals, rebooted in 2011 under the auspices of PSA president Ziad Al-Turki, continue to both prosper in Dubai and fall into the hands of Massaro.
Last year proved a trying experience for many of the top eight across both genders, the event coming too soon for some injury-ravaged players.
The break in the calendar seems to have done wonders this time. Rarely was there a dud match, the week heralded as one of the finest in terms of skill and entertainment. In the case of Massaro, she simply made less mistakes.
And in the week that Paris became a heavy favourite for the 2024 Olympics and the International Olympic Committee gave Tokyo 2020 more youth, women and urban appeal, squash must now look at Dubai as a possible template for Games inclusion.
One idea could be to use the best-of-three format, which would then free up space to include a potential mixed doubles event. Squash's equality factor would again pay dividends. Though organisers may have to find a larger women's trophy next year to match the men.
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