Words by Howard Harding
The top eight seeded nations sailed through their opening encounters on day one of the WSF Men's World Team Championship in Marseille, all winning 3-0.
The 25th staging of the biennial World Squash Federation event is being held in France for the second time in four years. After qualifying rounds at Modern, knockout action from the last 16 round onwards will take place on an all-glass showcourt at Salle Vallier, leading to the final on Sunday (December 3).
The event got underway with a confrontation between two of the giant nations of world squash: Egypt the top seeds looking to gain revenge for their surprise defeat to England in the 2013 final and win the title for a fourth time, faced Pakistan, who reigned supreme between 1981 and 1987, and have been champions six times in total – but in 2017 are the 17th seeds.
Whilst the favourites come into the event with four players in the world top 11, underdogs Pakistan have a squad featuring only one player ranked within the top 150.
With day's playing order set at 3,2,1, third string Marwan Elshorbagy, ranked six in the world, put Egypt firmly in the driving seat with an 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 victory over Amaad Fareed, the World No.162.
Fresh from making the finals of three major PSA World Tour events in the past six weeks, and becoming the U.S. Open champion, World No.4 Ali Farag sealed Egypt's overall win by beating Shahjahan Khan 11-3, 11-4, 11-9.
Karim Abdel Gawad in action for Egypt
It
was in the third match that Pakistan secured their only game of the day
when Farhan Zaman claimed the third against Egypt's Karim Abdel Gawad
(both pictured above) before the World No.2 and current World Champion
wrapped up the match 11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4.
“We would have preferred to play opponents like Pakistan in the second match – it's a pity that such a great squash battle happened on the first day,” said Ashraf Hanafi, the Egyptian National Coach.
“We don't know their players – but we knew they'd be dangerous. It was a tough draw for Pakistan.
“The most important thing for us is the team spirit – I know we have a lot of stars in our team, and it's important to respect that,” added the former British Open O35 champion.
“We lost our title four years ago and we want to win it back.”
Second seeds England began the defence of their title in a tie against Argentina. The 18th seeds were making their seventh appearance in the championships, with a best-ever finish of 13 in 1995, while England, with five titles to their name, have never failed to reach at least the semi-finals in all 17 appearances since 1981.
Third string Daryl Selby put England ahead with an 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 win over Juan Pablo Roude before team-mate James Willstrop took to the court with fellow 34-year-old Robertino Pezzota, the world No.94 from Argentina who recently became the Pan American champion for the first time.
“We would have preferred to play opponents like Pakistan in the second match – it's a pity that such a great squash battle happened on the first day,” said Ashraf Hanafi, the Egyptian National Coach.
“We don't know their players – but we knew they'd be dangerous. It was a tough draw for Pakistan.
“The most important thing for us is the team spirit – I know we have a lot of stars in our team, and it's important to respect that,” added the former British Open O35 champion.
“We lost our title four years ago and we want to win it back.”
Second seeds England began the defence of their title in a tie against Argentina. The 18th seeds were making their seventh appearance in the championships, with a best-ever finish of 13 in 1995, while England, with five titles to their name, have never failed to reach at least the semi-finals in all 17 appearances since 1981.
Third string Daryl Selby put England ahead with an 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 win over Juan Pablo Roude before team-mate James Willstrop took to the court with fellow 34-year-old Robertino Pezzota, the world No.94 from Argentina who recently became the Pan American champion for the first time.
James Willstrop enjoyed a tough tussle with Argentina's Robertino Pezzota before winning in five games
Earning
his 151st cap for England, former World No.1 Willstrop battled for 41
minutes to survive a physical encounter with his Argentinean opponent,
ultimately prevailing 7-11, 11-2, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6.
England No.1 Nick Matthew – like Willstrop, making his seventh successive appearance in the event – beat Leandro Romiglio 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 to give the team maximum points.
The event welcomed a team representing Iraq for the first time in the tournament's history. The newcomers put up a commendable fight before going down to Hong Kong China, the fifth seeds, who are predicted to achieve their best ever finish in their 16th appearance in the championships since 1979.
“I am very happy that Iraq is participating in this event for the first time,” said Ali Albawi, President of the Iraq Squash Federation.
“This is a big day for us – we now have six players who are ranked by PSA and we are determined to do well.
“It would be great if we could make the top 16 this time – but we hope to do even better next time!”
The Hong Kong squad, led by World No.28 Max Lee, achieved their 3-0 win under the direction of new national coach Chris Robertson, the former World No.2 from Australia, who was also the former national coach of Wales and later England.
In the final session of the day, all attention was focussed on twice runners-up France, who are seeded three and bidding to win the title for the first time.
The hosts faced European rivals Ireland, the 20th seeds whose best finish is 10th place.
Event newcomer Lucas Serme delighted the partisan crowd with an 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7 win over Irish number three Sean Conroy, before Gregoire Marche also survived a four-game battle with Brian Byrne, winning 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3.
The surprise first ever encounter between the two nations top strings saw the 'French General' and World No.1 Gregory Gaultier see off Arthur Gaskin 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 to end the day on a local high.
“Ireland put on a good fight – and we needed it,” said French National Coach Renan Lavigne afterwards.
“They played their top three and they tried their best – and we expected it.
“It was a good win for us. It wasn't ideal playing at night and it was important we didn't start too hard and pick up any injuries.”
When asked what it would mean to win the title, Lavigne said: “We've never experienced it so it's difficult to imagine. I remember it was an unbelievable feeling when Greg won the world individual title and when we won the European team title after losing in the final so many times.
“We will have to wait – we know what to do and we know how important it would be. The sports minister will be here on Friday. The team is fully prepared.”
Results – WSF World Team Squash Championship, Marseille, France
1st qualifying round
Pool A
[1] EGYPT bt [17] PAKISTAN 3/0
Marwan Elshorbagy bt Amaad Fareed 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Ali Farag bt Shahjahan Khan 11-3, 11-4, 11-9 (30m)
Karim Abdel Gawad bt Farhan Zaman 11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4 (29m)
Pool B
[2] ENGLAND bt [18] ARGENTINA 3/0
Daryl Selby bt Juan Pablo Roude 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
James Willstrop bt Robertino Pezzota 7-11, 11-2, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6 (41m)
Nick Matthew bt Leandro Romiglio 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 (29m)
Pool C
[3] FRANCE bt [20] IRELAND 3/0
Lucas Serme bt Sean Conroy 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7 (44m)
Gregoire Marche bt Brian Byrne 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3 (44m)
Gregory Gaultier bt Arthur Gaskin 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (29m)
Pool D
[4] AUSTRALIA bt [19] CZECH REPUBLIC 3/0
Zac Alexander bt Jakub Solnicky 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (35m)
Cameron Pilley bt Ondrej Uherka 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (27m)
Ryan Cuskelly bt Martin Svec 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (33m)
Pool E
[5] HONG KONG CHINA bt [24] IRAQ 3/0
Yip Tsz Fung bt Rasool Alsultani 11-2, 11-13, 11-1, 11-2 (39m)
Leo Au bt Mohammed Hasan 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Max Lee bt Husham Al-Saadi 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (21m)
Pool F
[6] NEW ZEALAND bt [22] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Evan Williams bt Gary Wheadon 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 (36m)
Campbell Grayson bt Christo Potgieter 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (24m)
Paul Coll bt Thoboki Mohohlo 11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2 (38m)
Pool G
[7] GERMANY bt [21] JAMAICA 3/0
Valentin Rapp bt Bruce Burrowes 11-5, 11-1, 11-8 (23m)
Raphael Kandra bt Lewis Walters 12-10, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 (36m)
Simon Rösner bt Christopher Binnie 11-7, 12-14, 11-2, 11-9 (45m)
Pool H
[8] INDIA bt [23] AUSTRIA 3/0
Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Paul Mairinger 11-0, 11-6, 11-2 (23m)
Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu bt Jakob Dirnberger 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (27m)
Vikram Malhotra bt Aqeel Rehman 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 (25m)
Fixtures – Tuesday 28th November
12:00
Group B: England v Finland
Group H: India v Malaysia (GC)
Group F: New Zealand v United States
15:30
Group A: Egypt v Switzerland (GC)
Group G: Germany v Scotland
Group D: Australia v Wales
19:00
Group C: France v Ireland (GC)
Group E: Hong Kong v Spain
SQUASHTV will be screening live action from the World Team Championships from November 27 to December 3 for free to Digital Subscribers.
Sign up for a FREE digital subscription to SQUASHTV to watch the action!
England No.1 Nick Matthew – like Willstrop, making his seventh successive appearance in the event – beat Leandro Romiglio 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 to give the team maximum points.
The event welcomed a team representing Iraq for the first time in the tournament's history. The newcomers put up a commendable fight before going down to Hong Kong China, the fifth seeds, who are predicted to achieve their best ever finish in their 16th appearance in the championships since 1979.
“I am very happy that Iraq is participating in this event for the first time,” said Ali Albawi, President of the Iraq Squash Federation.
“This is a big day for us – we now have six players who are ranked by PSA and we are determined to do well.
“It would be great if we could make the top 16 this time – but we hope to do even better next time!”
The Hong Kong squad, led by World No.28 Max Lee, achieved their 3-0 win under the direction of new national coach Chris Robertson, the former World No.2 from Australia, who was also the former national coach of Wales and later England.
In the final session of the day, all attention was focussed on twice runners-up France, who are seeded three and bidding to win the title for the first time.
The hosts faced European rivals Ireland, the 20th seeds whose best finish is 10th place.
Event newcomer Lucas Serme delighted the partisan crowd with an 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7 win over Irish number three Sean Conroy, before Gregoire Marche also survived a four-game battle with Brian Byrne, winning 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3.
The surprise first ever encounter between the two nations top strings saw the 'French General' and World No.1 Gregory Gaultier see off Arthur Gaskin 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 to end the day on a local high.
“Ireland put on a good fight – and we needed it,” said French National Coach Renan Lavigne afterwards.
“They played their top three and they tried their best – and we expected it.
“It was a good win for us. It wasn't ideal playing at night and it was important we didn't start too hard and pick up any injuries.”
When asked what it would mean to win the title, Lavigne said: “We've never experienced it so it's difficult to imagine. I remember it was an unbelievable feeling when Greg won the world individual title and when we won the European team title after losing in the final so many times.
“We will have to wait – we know what to do and we know how important it would be. The sports minister will be here on Friday. The team is fully prepared.”
Results – WSF World Team Squash Championship, Marseille, France
1st qualifying round
Pool A
[1] EGYPT bt [17] PAKISTAN 3/0
Marwan Elshorbagy bt Amaad Fareed 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)
Ali Farag bt Shahjahan Khan 11-3, 11-4, 11-9 (30m)
Karim Abdel Gawad bt Farhan Zaman 11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4 (29m)
Pool B
[2] ENGLAND bt [18] ARGENTINA 3/0
Daryl Selby bt Juan Pablo Roude 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
James Willstrop bt Robertino Pezzota 7-11, 11-2, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6 (41m)
Nick Matthew bt Leandro Romiglio 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 (29m)
Pool C
[3] FRANCE bt [20] IRELAND 3/0
Lucas Serme bt Sean Conroy 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7 (44m)
Gregoire Marche bt Brian Byrne 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3 (44m)
Gregory Gaultier bt Arthur Gaskin 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (29m)
Pool D
[4] AUSTRALIA bt [19] CZECH REPUBLIC 3/0
Zac Alexander bt Jakub Solnicky 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (35m)
Cameron Pilley bt Ondrej Uherka 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (27m)
Ryan Cuskelly bt Martin Svec 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (33m)
Pool E
[5] HONG KONG CHINA bt [24] IRAQ 3/0
Yip Tsz Fung bt Rasool Alsultani 11-2, 11-13, 11-1, 11-2 (39m)
Leo Au bt Mohammed Hasan 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Max Lee bt Husham Al-Saadi 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (21m)
Pool F
[6] NEW ZEALAND bt [22] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Evan Williams bt Gary Wheadon 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 (36m)
Campbell Grayson bt Christo Potgieter 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (24m)
Paul Coll bt Thoboki Mohohlo 11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2 (38m)
Pool G
[7] GERMANY bt [21] JAMAICA 3/0
Valentin Rapp bt Bruce Burrowes 11-5, 11-1, 11-8 (23m)
Raphael Kandra bt Lewis Walters 12-10, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 (36m)
Simon Rösner bt Christopher Binnie 11-7, 12-14, 11-2, 11-9 (45m)
Pool H
[8] INDIA bt [23] AUSTRIA 3/0
Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Paul Mairinger 11-0, 11-6, 11-2 (23m)
Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu bt Jakob Dirnberger 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (27m)
Vikram Malhotra bt Aqeel Rehman 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 (25m)
Fixtures – Tuesday 28th November
12:00
Group B: England v Finland
Group H: India v Malaysia (GC)
Group F: New Zealand v United States
15:30
Group A: Egypt v Switzerland (GC)
Group G: Germany v Scotland
Group D: Australia v Wales
19:00
Group C: France v Ireland (GC)
Group E: Hong Kong v Spain
SQUASHTV will be screening live action from the World Team Championships from November 27 to December 3 for free to Digital Subscribers.
Sign up for a FREE digital subscription to SQUASHTV to watch the action!
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