China to host historic first World Squash Championship

The first world squash championship ever to be held in China will take place in September when the city of Dalian hosts the 2018 WSF Women’s World Team Championship.
Dalian, a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning Province, will stage the biennial World Squash Federation championship at the Xigang Gymnasium, from 11-16 September, in another example of the worldwide reach of the sport as squash makes its case for Olympic inclusion.
The venue will feature three all-glass showcourts, with arena seating, plus four permanent all-glass courts.
Alongside hosts China, confirmed entries include Australia, Canada, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland and USA.
On awarding the rights to the event’s new hosts, WSF President Jacques Fontaine said:  “China is a member of the world squash family that is showing its maturity with this hosting.  There have been major international championships held on showcourts in iconic settings such as the Bund in Shanghai, and now women players from across the globe are excited about playing the World Team Championship in the city of Dalian.
“We are very grateful to the Chinese Squash Association, Dalian Squash and the city authorities who have collaborated to bring this premier event to China.  We know that the teams, officials and spectators will have a memorable time in Dalian.”
Mrs Zhao Liping, Vice-Dean of the Multiball Center of the General Sports Administration of China said:  “The Women’s World Team Championship 2018, which will be held in Dalian city of Liao Ning Province, is welcoming elite lady players from all over the world to compete together.  The great squash event will definitely be a successful one, contributing to the development of the sport of squash in China as well as the world.”
On behalf of Dalian Squash, Mr Wang Guoguang looks forward to the event, saying:  “It is our pleasure and honour to welcome so many elite women players from around the world to our XiGang Centre, where they will inspire the passionate Chinese squash community.  Squash in China is growing quickly and hosting this prestigious championship demonstrates our capability.”
Since its launch in 1979, the Women’s World Team Championship has been held in 11 different countries across all five continents – the most recent being France in 2016 when Egypt won the title for the third time, beating former champions England in the final in the capital Paris.

El Gouna Semi-Finals

Posted: 26 Apr 2018 10:46 PM PDT

Egyptian clean sweep as men’s top seed and defending champion are both beaten

Defending men’s champion Gregory Gaultier and top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy saw their hopes of winning the 2018 El Gouna International dashed at the semi-final stage as they bowed out at the hands of Ali Farag and Marwan ElShorbagy, respectively.
In the fifth meeting so far this season between Elshorbagy brothers Mohamed and Marwan, it was younger brother Marwan, the World No.4, who ended a four-match sibling losing streak to book his place in the tournament’s show-piece match for the first time in his career.
Marwan beat his brother here twelve months ago – his last victory over Mohamed before consecutive defeats in the finals of the 2017 World Championships and 2018 Windy City Open prior to defeat at the 2018 Canary Wharf Classic last month – and tasted success on the banks of the Red Sea once again as he prevailed in a testing five-game battle.

“It’s always difficult to play against my brother – we both say it a lot but it is really the case,” said Marwan, who won 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-2.

“He’s a nightmare to beat but that’s why he’s the World No.1. If I want to be in his place I have to come through matches like this consistently.

“I probably could have won it in the fourth but he played the crucial points better than me. The start of the fifth was so important, I had to be mentally focused and I’m happy to come through.

“I’ve been very consistent this season. It’s another final and I’ll just enjoy it.”

ElShorbagy will face World No.2 Farag – the man he beat to reach the World Championship final – in the title-decider after he halted the run of Gaultier in a similarly combative five-game affair.
Farag took the opening game but Gaultier responded to increase the intensity and come through to take a 2-1 lead. But the French General paid the price in the fourth as he began to fatigue – with Farag pouncing to swing the match back in his favour.

“Greg is such an experienced campaigner and knows exactly how to play to make the game suit him,” said Farag.

“He kept changing his plan and I had to try and adapt. I was going to short too early at times but I think coming back and taking that third game to a tie-breaker, even though I lost it, gave me some momentum that I could take into the fourth and fifth.

“Tomorrow against Marwan I think it will be a great match. I admire the way he plays and we’ve had some big matches this season so I’m preparing for another battle tomorrow.”

In the women’s event top seeds Nour El Sherbini and Raneem El Welily will meet in a repeat of both the 2016 and 2017 World Championship title-deciders as part of an all-Egyptian finals day.
El Sherbini, who prevailed when the pair last played in El Gouna in the 2016 World Championship final, put England’s Laura Massaro to the sword with an impressive 3-1 win while El Welily had to dig deep into her mental resolve to come through a thrilling encounter with Nour El Tayeb.
With both players at their spell-binding best, exchanging sublime winners with abandon, the duo traded games to reach 2-2 before El Welily dug deep to overturn an 1-5 fifth game deficit and seal the match 11-9, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9.

“It took a lot of mental strength today,” said El Welily.

“In the fourth and the fifth I was behind but I just kept digging in. I had a feeling that she was starting to tire in the fifth and I just tried to build on that.

“Tomorrow will be another huge battle with Nour – if I can play as well as I did today, both in terms fo attitude and charter, I will be happy so I hope I can bring that into tomorrow’s match and we will see what happens.”

Men’s SemiFinals: 
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-2 [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)  11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-2 (75m)
[3] Ali Farag (EGY) 3-2 [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)  11-9, 5-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9 (71m)

Women’s SemiFinals:
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-1 [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)  11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 (42m)
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 3-2 [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)  11-9, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9 (63m)

FULL EL GOUNA COVERAGE