GRASSHOPPER CUP: DAY TWO - AS IT HAPPENS

The Grasshopper Cup continues today in Zurich as play moves over to Halle 622 for the remainder of the tournament – and squash fans can watch all the action LIVE on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

'Colombian Cannonball' Miguel Rodriguez and Egypt's Zahed Salem get play under way at 17:00 (GMT+1) before former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and Hong Kong's Max Lee take to the court an hour later.

Top seed and 2018 runner-up Mohamed ElShorbagy begins his tournament against Spain's Borja Golan at 20:00, while No.4 seed Simon Rösner takes on English veteran Daryl Selby in the last match of the evening at 21:00.
CREDIT:PSA NEWS

Wshington DC 2019 National Squash Championship

The 108th National Squash Championships head to the nation’s capital for the first time since 1986 at first-time hosts Squash on Fire this week, March 26-31.

The National Singles weekend features the S.L. Green U.S. Men’s Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship, March 26-30, and an additional fifteen national titles on offer across age divisions–men’s 35+ through 80+ and women’s 40+ through 65+–March 29-31.

Follow live streaming from Squash on Fire’s courts 1 and 8 throughout the weekend and live scores for all matches powered by Club Locker on ussquash.com/live. View all draws from Wednesday, March 27, at 5pm EDT here.

After a round of qualifying play on Tuesday, March 26, the S.L. Green U.S. Men’s Championship field of sixteen is set with the first round taking place from 2pm local time Wednesday.

Two-time defending champion Chris Hanson enters the draw as the two seed, and is predicted to face fellow two-time champion Todd Harrity in the final. Harrity enters the tournament as the highest-ranked U.S. male with a career-high world No. 44 and leads the field as the top seed.

Hanson could face a rematch of the past two S.L. Green finals in the semis against Penn’s Andrew Douglas, who Hanson defeated in both finals. In the top half of the draw, Harrity could face four seed and 2013 champion Chris Gordon. The U.S. veteran would first have to advance past three current or former collegiate players to reach the semis.

The U.S. Women’s Championship draw sees 2017 champion and world No. 19 Olivia Blatchford Clyne lead the draw as the top seed. Blatchford Clyne could face three-time U.S. junior champion Marina Stefanoni in the semifinals, and is seeded to meet Penn senior Reeham Sedky in the final.

Sedky, who defeated Blatchford Clyne in the 2018 semifinals, enters the tournament a week after claiming her largest career PSA title in Canada, where she defeated Sabrina Sobhy in the final. Sobhy, the 2014 champion, is seeded to face Sedky in a rematch of that final in the semis as the four seed.

More than 150 adult competitors will compete across the eighteen age divisions, which includes three B draws outside of the national championship draws.

The S.L. Green U.S. Men’s Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship finals take place Saturday, March 30, from 5:45pm local time. The National Singles finals will take place throughout Sunday from 8am onward.

Yemisi Olatunji is out of the Slaight Music Granite Open

Nigeria's female number one squash player, Yemisi Olatunji is out of the 2019 Slaight Music Granite Open 2019 after losing in the Round of 16 0-3 (8-11, 5-11, 7-11) to world number 68 in the PSA rankings, Jessica Turnbull of Australia on Monday 25th of March.

Concise News reports that the tournament in Toronto is Olatunji Sr.’s second competition in 10 days in Canada. In the North American country, she won two and lost two. The highpoint of her participation in the two events in Canada is a stunning comeback win in her Round 1 match against a home player, Molly Chadwick.

The 25-year-old is one of the only two African players that competed at the women’s category of the event ending tomorrow, 28th of March. The other African representative being Amina El Rihany of Egypt.

Swiss No.1 Mueller Kicks off Grasshopper Cup Campaign with Victory on Home Soil

Swiss No.1 Nicolas Mueller got off to a winning start at the 2019 Grasshopper Cup as he overcame Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip by a 3-1 scoreline earlier today to reach the second round of the PSA World Tour Gold tournament.

The entirety of the first round took place at Squash Arena Uster today, and Zurich-based Mueller booked his place in the last 16 courtesy of an 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 triumph over Yip.

The World No.28 was backed to the hilt by partizan home support, with every winner greeted by a crescendo of cheers as the spectators got behind their man, and he will play World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I’m very pumped,” said Mueller afterwards.

“I’ve been playing well over the last two or three weeks, and I was glad I peaked at the right moments. This season hasn’t been the best, but I’m very happy to be here and happy to play like this in front of my home crowd, it was amazing.

“I’m one of those people that would rather play in front of 10,000 people rather than two people. There are a couple of people who prefer it the other way round, but I thrive during moments like that, especially when you know that most of the people in the crowd are rooting for you. I’m looking forward to the match with Abouelghar because he is one of the fairest players out there, and I know it’s going to be a good spectacle for the crowd.”

Mueller’s younger compatriot, Dimitri Steinmann, was also in action against Hong Kong opposition as the tournament wildcard fell in four games to World No.24 Max Lee, who will now go on to play former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad in the next round.

Like Mueller, 21-year-old Steinmann had the home crowd in his corner, and he put in a tenacious performance as he played well above his current World Ranking of No.70. He drew level after conceding the opener, but Lee’s experience came to the forefront in games three and four as he closed out the win in 60 minutes.

“I know the feeling of having the crowd behind the players because at the Hong Kong Open, the crowd is behind all the Hong Kong players," Lee said.

"Today, it was the opposite and I tried to be focused because you have to fight and keep the spirit going. I got a bit excited towards the end, but mentally I had to stay calm and got through by playing good squash.”

The longest match of the day was contested by two veterans of the sport as England’s Daryl Selby and Australia’s Cameron Pilley, both 36, played out a gripping 85-minute battle, which went the way of the former.

Selby and Pilley are close friends - even co-hosting the squash podcast ‘Comments from the Couch’ together - and they put on an enthralling spectacle which went all the way to five. Both players held three match balls each in the decider, and it was Selby who was able to convert to record an 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 16-14 victory.

“I think I was a little bit lucky at the end, to be honest,” said Selby.

“You could see how well he was moving by the end of the third and fourth game, he was picking everything up at the front and putting me under a lot of pressure. Sometimes you have to just grind it out and get a win on the board. Somehow, I found a way to win."

Selby will play No.4 seed Simon Rösner in the next round, while top seed and 2018 runner-up Mohamed ElShorbagy will line up against Spain’s Borja Golan after Golan took just 23 minutes to see off England’s World No.15 James Willstrop.

Willstrop led their head-to-head record 10-3 coming into the match, but the Englishman had suffered from illness in the build up to the tournament and looked off the pace as he never really got going. Golan, meanwhile, was clinical and accurate with his shots in all four corners of the court as he recorded his first win over Willstrop since 2013.

“It’s so difficult to win 3-0 against James, he’s such a good player,” said Golan.

“I think today, he struggled with his movement, so I tried to take advantage of that. He played to the front a lot and his movement was not the best. In any tournament, I will take the 3-0 victory in 20 minutes all day long. These matches are so difficult, it’s so equal, and you play with very good players. To go through is really good for me.”

Golan and ElShorbagy will meet for a second tournament in a row after the latter beat the Spaniard in the Citigold Canary Wharf Classic two weeks ago.

There were also wins for Welshman Joel Makin, England's Declan James, France's Mathieu Castagnet and Egypt's Zahed Salem.

The second round begins on Wednesday March 27 as the likes of ElShorbagy, Rösner, Gawad and Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez begin their tournaments after receiving byes through to the last 16. Halle 622 will host the rest of the Grasshopper Cup from the second round onwards and action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

Results - First Round: 2019 Grasshopper Cup
Borja Golan (ESP) bt James Willstrop (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 (23m)
Zahed Salem (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (37m)
Max Lee (HKG) bt [WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-1: 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7 (60m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 3-2: 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 16-14 (85m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-7, 11-8 (55m)
Declan James (ENG) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-2: 13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5 (67m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 (38m)
Joel Makin (WAL) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 (56m)

Draw - Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played March 27th
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Zahed Salem (EGY) v [6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Max Lee (HKG)
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [4] Simon Rösner (GER)

Draw - Second Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played March 28th
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [9/16] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Declan James (ENG) v [8] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Joel Makin (WAL) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)

Grasshopper Cup gets underway this week

The Grasshopper Cup gets underway this week with the second major European tournament of 2019 taking place in Zurich, Switzerland.

Halle 622 and Squash Uster will play host to the event, which has just one defending Champion in the field, the 2012 winner Daryl Selby.
Gregory Gaultier has won the event twice in the last six years, with Alister Walker, Amr Shabana, and Marwan ElShorbagy all winning in Zurich.

Ramy Ashour is the defending Champion, but like the other past winners, the Egyptian will not take part in this year’s event.

There is a prize pot of $110,000 for the tournament, with the victor taking home just under $18,000 of it for winning the PSA Gold event.

The first round begins on Tuesday afternoon at 13:30 CET (GMT +1), with Declan James taking on Eain Yow Ng at Squash Uster and will be shown live on the PSA World Tour Facebook page to all territories.

There are two Swiss players in the 24-strong field, including the country’s 13-time national Champion, Nicolas Mueller. Dimitri Steinmann is the other home favourite, after receiving a wild card spot.

The top eight seeds, which includes five Egyptians, have received a bye through to the second round. World No.1 Ali Farag, the tournament’s No.1 seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, Tarek Momen, Karim Abdel Gawad and Mohamed Abouelghar will enter the Grasshopper Cup at the second round stage.
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Yemisi Olatunji beat Molly Chadwick at the ongoing Slaight Music Granite Open

Nigeria's Squash Queen Yemisi Olatunji beat Molly Chadwick 3-2 majors (11-13, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9) at the Slaight Music Granite Open 2019 in Toronto, Canada on Sunday.
The world number 146, Yemisi, featuring in her 10th PSA tournament battled into the Round of 16 against Molly an home based player.

Yemisi Olatunji lost the first two sets but fought back to clinch the third, fourth and fifth set of a healthy contest.

Olatunji would now face Australia’s Jessica Turnbull on Monday for a place in the Quater-finals of the $11,000 (W) PSA-sanctioned event.

Recall that just over a week ago, she competed at the Queen City Open in Regina, Canada where she won one (against a better-ranked player) and lost one match.

Her participation at the Slaight Music Granite Open is her second tournament of the year, and in her four years as a PSA player, her tenth tournament overall – as earlier stated. She is one of the only two African players competing at the women’s category of the event in Toronto. The other African representative being Amina El Rihany of Egypt.

ELSHORBAGY WITHDRAWS FROM GRASSHOPPER CUP

World No.10 Marwan ElShorbagy has withdrawn from next week’s Grasshopper Cup.

As a result of his withdrawal, India’s World No.11 Saurav Ghosal replaces ElShorbagy as the No.8 seed and receives a bye into the second round.

Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet was due to play Ghosal in round one, but he will now play England’s Chris Simpson, who moves into the draw.

Revised Main Draw – 2019 Grasshopper Cup
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) (bye)
Borja Golan (ESP) v [9/16] James Willstrop (ENG)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) v George Parker (ENG)
[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) (bye)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) (bye)
[WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v [9/16] Max Lee (HKG)
[9/16] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[4] Simon Rösner (GER) (bye)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) (bye)
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [9/16] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[9/16] Declan James (ENG) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[8] Saurav Ghosal (IND) (bye)
[7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) (bye)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [9/16] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) (bye)

Draws Released for El Gouna International

The world’s best squash players will go head-to-head on the banks of Egypt’s Red Sea between April 17-26 after the main draws for the 2019 El Gouna International Squash Open were released today.

The El Gouna International is the penultimate PSA World Tour Platinum tournament of the 2018/19 season, and an equal prize fund of $352,000 will be on offer across the men’s and women’s draws.

Men’s World No.1 Ali Farag will top a PSA Platinum event for the first time and he will look to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to fellow Egyptian Marwan ElShorbagy.

Farag, along with the rest of the top eight seeds in the men’s event, receives a bye into round two, where he will play either Australia’s Cameron Pilley or Egypt’s Tayyab Aslam.

Farag is drawn on the same side of the draw as Peru’s Diego Elias, Canary Wharf Classic winner Paul Coll and compatriot Tarek Momen, the latter of whom he beat in the final of the PSA World Championship final earlier this month.

No.2 seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, the 2016 El Gouna International champion, features on the opposite side of the draw alongside British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, defending champion and younger brother Marwan, and former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad.

Former World No.8 Fares Dessouky and fellow Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim have been named the men’s wildcards. Dessouky will play Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly, while Ibrahim takes on England’s Adrian Waller in the opening round,

Reigning women’s champion Raneem El Welily tops the women’s draw and could face eight-time World Champion Nicol David as early as round two. David, a former World No.1, will retire at the end of the season and will make her last appearance in El Gouna.

El Welily beat World Champion Nour El Sherbini to win the inaugural women’s title last year, but the current World No.1 has a difficult path to the final, with the likes of India’s Joshna Chinappa, Hong Kong Open champion Joelle King and World Championship runner-up Nour El Tayeb standing between her and a place in the title decider.

El Sherbini, who beat El Welily in El Gouna two years ago to win the second of her three World Championship titles, is seeded alongside World No.9 Alison Waters, World No.8 Nouran Gohar and World No.4 Camille Serme on the bottom half of the draw.

Rising Egyptian talents Jana Shiha and Farida Mohamed, both 17, take the women’s wildcard spots and will play David and Zeina Mickawy, respectively.

The El Gouna Squash Complex will host the first round matches on April 17-18. Matches will be split between the glass court at Abu Tig Marina and the El Gouna Squash Complex between April 19-22. All matches from the quarter-finals onwards will be held at Abu Tig Marina between April 23-26.

Entry to the tournament up to and including the quarter-finals is free. Tickets for the semi-finals and finals are available for purchase here: www.ticketsmarche.com/el-gouna-international-squash-open-2019_se_2073.html

For more information, visit the tournament website or follow the event on Twitter and Facebook.

2019 El Gouna International Squash Open - Men’s Draw
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
Tayyab Aslam (PAK) v [17/32] Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Joshua Masters (ENG)
[9/16] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
[17/32] Chris Simpson (ENG) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
[17/32] Borja Golan (ESP) v Ben Coleman (ESP)
[7] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]
Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG)
[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v [WC] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [bye]
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [bye]
Todd Harrity (USA) v [17/32] Leo Au (HKG)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Mohamed Reda (EGY) v [17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO)
[17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA) v Mostafa Asal (EGY)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [bye]
[17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Nathan Lake (ENG)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [17/32] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
[9/16] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) [bye]
[17/32] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
[WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [17/32] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[17/32] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Arturo Salazar (MEX)
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX)
[17/32] Max Lee (HKG) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]

2019 El Gouna International Squash Open - Women’s Draw
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [bye]
[WC] Jana Shiha (EGY) v [17/32] Nicol David (MAS)
[17/32] Mayar Hany (EGY) v Tinne Gilis (BEL)
[16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]
[14] Victoria Lust (ENG) [bye]
Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[17/32] Coline Aumard (FRA) v Haley Mendez (USA)
[5] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]
[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) [bye]
Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) v [17/32] Nele Gilis (BEL)
[17/32] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
[13] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [bye]
[12] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) v [17/32] Milou van der Heijden (NED)
[17/32] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Lisa Aitken (SCO)
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]
Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) v [17/32] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
[10] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]
[11] Annie Au (HKG) [bye]
Julianne Courtice (ENG) v [17/32] Joey Chan (HKG)
[17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]
[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]
Ho Tsz-Lok (HKG) v [17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [WC] Farida Mohamed (EGY)
[15] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
[9] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]
Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [17/32] Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[17/32] Yathreb Adel (EGY) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]

Swiss Hope Mueller Privileged to Star in Front of Home Crowd at Grasshopper Cup

Swiss No.1 Nicolas Mueller is expecting ‘goosebumps’ when he lines up in front of a partizan home crowd at Halle 622 for the 2019 Grasshopper Cup, PSA World Tour Gold tournament, which takes place between March 26-31 in Zurich.

Mueller, 29, resides in Zurich and has appeared at every edition of the Grasshopper Cup since 2012. The World No.17 has come within a whisker of claiming major scalps against the likes of previous winners Ramy Ashour and Mohamed ElShorbagy, and also close friend and current World No.5 Simon Rösner in that time.

Mueller faces Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in round one next week and says the Grasshopper Cup - which is the biggest PSA Tour event in Continental Europe - is a real highlight for him on the calendar.

"I’m very privileged to be able to play in front of a sold out home crowd, who are swinging Swiss flags," Mueller said.

"It’s definitely goosebump material. I love playing in front of a big crowd, even more so when the majority are cheering for you. I’ve played some of my best matches here, so it must give me a big boost.

"I’ve played this event in multiple locations, growing with the tournament, from a $25K prize fund a few years back to now the biggest tournament in Continental Europe.. the new location is perfect, with the VIP section above, it’s very spacious, has a sponsors village and the hotel is just a two-minute walk away."

A combination of injury and illness meant Mueller had a slow start to the 2018/19 season and he struggled to get out of the starting blocks, falling in the early rounds in each of his first eight tournaments.

Mueller followed that up by reaching the semi-finals of the Pittsburgh Open last month though, and the ‘Swiss Rocket’ feels he is back to full fitness as he aims to peak on home soil.

He said: "My season hasn’t really been the best. My summer preparation was non-existent due to illness and injuries, and that definitely didn’t help the process. At least now I feel like I’m back to 100 per cent finally, just in time for the main event.

"If I start beating these guys [Ashour, ElShorbagy, Rösner] that means I’d be amongst the top five in the world. Thats the quality you need to beat players like that. I definitely have to believe in beating them and the crowd definitely helps with that."

The Grasshopper Cup offers a $110,000 prize fund and round one begins on Tuesday March 26 at the Squash Arena Uster. The second round onwards will be staged at Halle 622.

Eight of the world's top 10 players - including World No.1 Ali Farag, top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, and his younger brother, 2016 champion Marwan, will appear alongside Mueller in the draw.

Live matches will be shown on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).

Main Draws Released for Macau Open

Peru’s World No.9 Diego Elias has been seeded to face India’s World No.12 Saurav Ghosal in the final of the 2019 Macau Open after the main draws for the PSA World Tour Gold tournament were released today.

The pair will lock horns in the final at the Tap Seac Square, if they can make it through a high-quality draw which will battle it out in Macau, China, between April 10-14.

Elias, who along with the other top eight seeds receives a bye into the second round, will come up against tough competition in his side of the draw from the likes of 2018 winner Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip, who he is seeded to meet in the semi-finals, and Yip’s compatriots Max Lee and Leo Au.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the draw, Ghosal could face Egypt’s former World No.3 and last year’s runner-up Omar Mosaad for a place in the final. Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Malaysia’s Nafiizwan Adnan are also seeded on his side of the draw. 

The wildcard spots in the men’s draw are occupied by Macau’s Manuel Gassmann and Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Lau, who will face Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen and Spain’s Edmon Lopez in round one, respectively.

Hong Kong’s World No.11 Annie Au, who reached the semi-finals at last year’s tournament, tops the women’s draw and is seeded to meet Egypt’s World No.12 Salma Hany in the title decider.

India’s World No.16 Joshna Chinappa is set to face Au in the last four, while Hany, who finished runner-up at last year’s tournament to compatriot Nouran Gohar, could come up against Hong Kong’s World No.18 Joey Chan in the semi-finals as she looks to do one better this year.

Meanwhile, the wildcard spots are taken up by Macau’s Liu Kwai Chi and Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk, who will face Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy, respectively, in round one.

Both the men’s and women’s draws will be contested by 24 players, while a prize purse of $100,000 will be split equally between the male and female players.

Tickets for round one up until the quarter-finals are free seating at the Macau Bowling Centre. Semi-finals and finals tickets at the all-glass court at the Tap Seac Square are limited seating and will be on a first come, first served basis. For more information regarding tickets, please contact: register@asm.org.mo

Main Draw: Men’s Macau Open

[1] Diego Elias (PER) [Bye]

[WC] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)

[9/16] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [WC] Manuel Gassmann (MAC)

[5] Max Lee (HKG) [Bye]

[7] Leo Au (HKG) [Bye]

Auguste Dussourd (FRA) v [9/16] Peter Creed (WAL)

[9/16] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) v Shahjahan Khan (PAK)

[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) [Bye]

[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [Bye]

Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v [9/16] Mazen Gamal (EGY)

[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Victor Crouin (FRA)

[8] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) [Bye]

[6] Greg Lobban (SCO) [Bye]

Henry Leung (HKG) v [9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)

[9/16] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)

[2] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [Bye]


Main Draw: Women’s Macau Open

[1] Annie Au (HKG) [Bye]

[WC] Liu Kwai Chi (MAC) v [9/16] Satomi Watanabe (JPN)

[9/16] Vanessa Chu (HKG) v Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND)

[7] Samantha Cornett (CAN) [Bye]

[5] Mayar Hany (EGY) [Bye]

Lee Ka Yi (HKG) v [9/16] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)

[9/16] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [WC] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG)

[3] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [Bye]

[4] Joey Chan (HKG) [Bye]

Salma Youssef (EGY) v [9/16] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG)

[9/16] Rachel Arnold (MAS) v Rachael Chadwick (ENG)

[6] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) [Bye]

[8] Nadine Shahin (EGY) [Bye]

Jessica Turnbull (AUS) v [9/16] Ho Tze-Lok (HKG)

[9/16] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Sarah Cardwell (AUS)

[2] Salma Hany (EGY) [Bye]

CREDIT:PSA NEWS

Blockbuster Fixtures in Store at DPD Open

The draws for the 2019 DPD Open Squash have been announced today, with some blockbuster fixtures in store at the DPD Hub Eindhoven between April 9-14.

48 of the best male and female players will descend on the Dutch city next month to battle it out for the PSA World Tour Gold titles.

World No.1 and World Champion Ali Farag is seeded to meet compatriot and World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy in the final. The two players have become familiar foes on the PSA World Tour this season, battling it out in three finals already in 2018/19.

Farag will first have to negotiate through a tough field, which sees him drawn on the same side as the likes of Colombia’s 2018 British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar and Germany’s World No.5 Simon Rösner, who he could face in the last four.

ElShorbagy meanwhile, could face a showdown with compatriot and former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad for a place in the final. Also seeded in the bottom half of the draw is New Zealand’s Paul Coll, who recently won the Canary Wharf Squash Classic title and ElShorbagy’s younger brother, Marwan.

Meanwhile in the women’s draw, World No.1 Raneem El Welily and World Champion Nour El Sherbini could lock horns in the final of the DPD Open, in their fourth meeting in a final this season.

2019 Black Ball Open winner, El Welily could face compatriot and World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the semi-finals of the tournament. The last time the two players came up against each other was in the last four of the PSA World Championships in Chicago when El Tayeb put an end to El Welily’s title defence.

Also situated in the top half of the draw is New Zealand’s World No.5 Joelle King and England’s World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry.

El Sherbini, meanwhile, could face a rematch with France’s World No.4 Camille Serme in the semi-finals in Eindhoven. The two players have faced each other in their last two tournaments with both matches going to five-games and seeing the Egyptian triumph.

Also in the bottom half of the draw is England’s former World No.1 Laura Massaro and Egypt’s World No.8 Nouran Gohar.

Home interest in the women’s draw comes in the form of Netherlands’ Milou van der Heijden and wildcard Tessa ter Sluis who will face England’s Millie Tomlinson and Egypt’s Yathreb Adel, respectively, in round one. The men’s wildcard will be decided on March 31 in a Play-Off match between Roshan Bharos and Thijs Roukens. The winner of that match takes on Joel Makin from Wales in the opening round.

Tickets for the DPD Open are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook and Instagram or visit the event's website.


Main Draw: Men’s DPD Open Squash

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [Bye]

Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [9/16] James Willstrop (ENG)

[9/16] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Lucas Serme (FRA)

[5] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [Bye]

[7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [Bye]

Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [9/16] Declan James (ENG)

[9/16] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Mazen Hesham (EGY)

[4] Simon Rösner (GER) [Bye]

[3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [Bye]

Borja Golan (ESP) v [9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)

[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) v George Parker (ENG)

[6] Paul Coll (NZL) [Bye]

[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [Bye]

[Wildcard] v [9/16] Joel Makin (WAL)

[9/16] Tom Richards (ENG) v Chris Simpson (ENG)

[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [Bye]


Main Draw: Women’s DPD Open Squash

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [Bye]

Milou van der Heijden (NED) v [9/16] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)

[9/16] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)

[5] Joelle King (NZL) [Bye]

[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [Bye]

Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [9/16] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)

[9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Nele Gilis (BEL)

[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [Bye]

[4] Camille Serme (FRA) [Bye]

[WC] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) v [9/16] Yathreb Adel (EGY)

[9/16] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Hollie Naughton (CAN)

[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) [Bye]

[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [Bye]

Coline Aumard (FRA) v [9/16] Alison Waters (ENG)

[9/16] Nicol David (MAS) v Rowan Elaraby (EGY)

[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [Bye]

CREDIT:PSA NEWS

Who Is Ali Farag? Meet The World’s Number One Egyptian Squash Player

On the 2nd of March, 2019, the diligent Ali Farag scored three points against fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen, with the latter scoring only one. A few brief moments followed the referee’s announcement of the results; for the first time in his career, Farag has become the world champion.

The well-deserved victory propelled Farag’s career to new heights, and in a press release, the young champion declared that this is only the beginning of his huge, never-ending dreams.

Farag graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is one of the all-time, greatest athletes of the sport. From his first title at the Open du Gard in 2011 and the victory at the Meersquashheroes Open a week later, the squash community eyed the promising talent. However, it was not until 2015, at the PSA World Tour finals that the world learned that he is a force to reckon with.

The Wadi Degla player stated that reaching the top rankings for the first time in his career has helped him materialize his passion and effort, and to top it all off, the win at the PSA Championship has made his happiness complete.

Farag has proven himself to be one of the most talented and professional athletes to ever represent Egypt in a sport. Also, the young man has become a role model for the new generation of squash players, inspiring them to carry on as nothing is impossible.

Via Professional Squash Association.
When asked what his dreams were, Farag replied saying that he plans to win the championship several times and fight for his number one rank. That would require a great deal of effort and persistence, given the tough competition from fellow Egyptians. However, the world’s champ is confident that he is up for the challenge and ready to give it 100%.

Farag is married to fellow Squash Athlete Nour El Tayeb, and together they set a new record by being the first couple to ever reach the world’s championship final together. However, El Tayeb lost to Nour El Sherbini in a well-played match.


Via Squash Source.
The champion thanked his wife for being his number one source of inspiration and his go-to person. He insists she always made him a priority despite being overwhelmed with her own matches. El Tayeb, through motivation and encouragement, has helped Farag reach the top rank.

2019-2020 CIB PSA WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO TAKE PLACE IN FRONT OF GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

The 2019-2020 CIB PSA Women’s World Championship, the most prestigious squash tournament of the season, will take place in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, after an agreement was reached today between the Professional Squash Association (PSA), Egyptian events company I-Events and title sponsors CIB.

Due to take place from October 23 – November 1, 2019, the tournament will bring 64 of the best female squash players in the world together to compete for the sport’s biggest prize – and a share of a $325,000 prize fund – with the spectacular pyramids set to provide a stunning backdrop for the first time since the Al Ahram Open was staged there in 2016.

The 2019-2020 event will also see the World Championship return to the Pyramids at Giza for the first time since 2006 – when Australian David Palmer defied the odds to defeat Gregory Gaultier and win one of the greatest ever men’s finals.
READ MORE

PSA & WSF JOINT STATEMENT REGARDING PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES SELECTION PROCESS FOR NEW SPORTS

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) & World Squash Federation (WSF) have jointly written to IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell to express our concerns and seek further clarification regarding the selection process for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games ahead of the IOC’s Executive Board Meeting later this month.

Squash has been overlooked for inclusion on the Paris 2024 Olympic Programme, with the Organising Committee instead electing to propose that breakdancing, climbing, skateboarding and surfing should be added to the programme.

Major concerns include but are not limited to:

1) The criteria for nominees that were stipulated at the beginning of the bidding process were very different when announced at the time of the outcome conference, but not communicated to bidding sports.

2) Sports already confirmed by the IOC for Tokyo 2020 were preferred to new sports, leaving virtually no opportunity for other sports to make their case.

We trust that the IOC will recognise our concerns and invite squash’s representatives to a meeting in the near future to discuss squash's Olympic future.

CREDIT: PSA NEWS

8th Edition of El Gouna International Squash Open 2019 to kick off

Cairo, Egypt- 17 March 2019: El Gouna International Squash Open returns to Egypt for the 8th edition to be held from 17th to 26th of April. Squash fans across the region are getting ready to cheer on their sporting heroes, as 96 of the world’s top squash players are participating in the tournament representing 20 countries including Egypt, England, France, Netherlands, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Kuwait, Malta, and Spain.

El Gouna International Squash Open is one of the 7 most prominent international tournaments. As a PSA Platinum, event it offers the highest level of professional squash competition featuring men’s and women’s event. This year’s tournament offers a total prize money of $352,000.

A successful track record has earned this tournament international attention, as it becomes one of the largest tournaments in this sports category, awarding valuable prizes and enhancing ranking of participating squash players. The tournament has placed Egypt on the map of the most efficacious squash tournaments relative to USA, Hong Kong, Britain, Dubai and Qatar.

The exciting matches will be live-streamed across 88 countries in 4 continents, with more than 30 international channels including Euro Sport and Squash TV.

The founder of this tournament, Amr Mansi, expressed the importance of the event to elevate influence in spheres of sports tourism stating: “We are consistently attracting squash champions to participate in the tournament and inspiring the world to witness Egypt’s growth in hosting international tournaments promoting El Gouna and Egypt as a haven for the sports and tourism sectors”. He reiterated the significance of the tournament empowering youth to pursue their dreams of becoming international athletes and competing on a global scale.

Eng. Khaled Bichara, CEO of Orascom Development added, “We are thrilled to be part of this international tournament and continue to have positive prospects towards the capabilities of attracting investment opportunities to contribute to Egypt’s diverse economic prosperity”.

El Gouna International Squash Open has been successful for 7 years, its 8th edition is expected to host more extensive international attendance and participation. The safety and security standards of the country have attracted more investment opportunities and the field of sports tourism has significantly been endorsed by the state in recent years, as the country prepares to celebrate the success of the tournament in 2019.

About El Gouna International Squash Open:

El Gouna International Squash Open is one of the world’s 7 largest international tournaments in respect to the prize and international players ranking points. It is held annually in 6 countries including the United States of America, Hong Kong, England, Egypt, Dubai, and Qatar”. The 8th edition is organized by I-Events in collaboration with Orascom Development and El Gouna. It is sponsored by Arab African International Bank and CI Capital as the Main sponsors, Carrier as the platinum sponsor, as well as Miele , Bridgestone , Moods as the silver sponsors, who all believe that sports is the base of healthy life and progress.

CREDIT: http://www.egypttoday.com

New Zealand's Paul Coll dedicates squash tourney win to Christchurch

    Paul Coll won the Canary Wharf Classic; that was for you, Christchurch he said.

Kiwi squash ace Paul Coll dedicated his first title since 2016 - a victory at the Canary Wharf Classic PSA Gold tournament - to the city following Friday's horror shootings.

"Just to everyone back home in Christchurch, kia kaha, stay strong," Coll said from London.

"It is a horrible thing that has happened to New Zealand and that was for you, and for everyone in Christchurch tonight. Stay strong guys!"

The Greymouth product who attended Christchurch Boys' High School defeated Egypt's Tarek Momen, the world No. 3 - in the final in straight games to maintain his record of not losing a game throughout the tournament.

Coll took a big lead in the first game, only for Momen to bounce back and tie it at 8-8. However, the Kiwi was able to win the last three points to take the early lead.

The second game followed suit, with Momen dragging it back after surrendering an early deficit. This time, though, Coll took the game on a tie-break.

The third was much easier, as the world No.7 lost just three points to Momen, who appeared drained whereas Coll had a spring in his step as he moved closer to the title and an eventual victory 11-8, 12-10, 11-3 in 63 minutes.

"It is such a prestigious tournament, and there are such phenomenal names on the trophy and to be a part of that is something special. I have played this tournament three times, and I felt like I have played well every year.

"I have been trying to make some improvements for a while now, and I really felt them come into my game in the World Championships.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel tells the communities of Christchurch to "stay connected during this time".
"I felt quite strong on court. In Toronto, I just lost out in the final and that really hurt me. I took a big knock there, and I wasn't sure how I was going to back that up this week. My coach just told me to get out there and keep performing. I was confident in my squash and as long as I could get my head right this week, I was confident and I am really happy with the squash and also mentally, to stay strong for the entire event."

Coll said he knew he couldn't match Momen's skills at the front of the court and played accordingly.

"It is really incredible what he can do with the ball, and from all sorts of positions on the court. I had to be aware of that, and try to contain him as much as I possibly could and use my speed to soak the pressure up, and then apply pressure on him."

Coll now takes a short break before playing his next PSA event in the Netherlands next month.

CREDIT: STUFFSPORT

Egypt's El Welily is the champion of the Black Ball Squash Open

Egypt’s Raneem El Welily confirmed her status as the world's top ranked player when she beat her fellow country women, the world No 2 Nour El- Sherbini to win the title of the first edition of the Black Ball Women's Squash Open which was held at the club's premises in 5th settlement in New Cairo during the period from 11 to 15 March.
In front of a high spectator-turn out, both El Welily and El Sherbini, who were playing in their 11th sucessive PSA final, entertained the audience with a world- class performance and an exhilarating five-set game that made the home crowd hold their breath with every ball.

But it was the EL-Welily who ended the game in her favour in 53 minutes as she beat the reigning world champion El Sherbini 3-2 (9-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-1, 11-5) to be crowned as the winner of the inaugural 2019 CIB Black Ball Squash Open champion.

Actually, it has been a great season for the winner EL-Welily, who celebrated winning her third title of the 2018-2019 season when winning the Black Ball title. Since the beginning of 2019, EL-Welily achieved two other victories; the China Squash Open and U.S. Open.

“It feels good to have won this match . Playing Nour is never easy and today was a little bit different than any other time we have played,", El Welily addressed the audience from the glass court following her remarkable victory.

“We have both played well and I am very happy to have been a part of this good match. In the fourth set, I was tense, so I decided to go back to basics. Every time we get on court, it’s a different situation. I have got to believe that it’s going to be a different match, a different result, and that the last match doesn’t mean anything", the 30-year old EL-Welily added.

The Black Ball champion also revealed that both El-Sherbini and herself were very good friends off court, and " we fight until the end and respect each other. I think that is why we fought so hard tonight.”

On the other hand, runner up El Sherbini said that It has been a tough week, but "it was a bonus to be playing in Egypt in front of my friends, family and my team. I’m glad I made it to the final here after winning the Worlds a few days ago.

The Black Ball Squash Open is the first major and international women’s squash event of the gold category to be held in Egypt. '" We are glad to be the organisers of such a supreme, and spectacular women's squash event where 24 of the best top ranked players participated. It was a successful event and we are proud of have both the Platinium and Gold events being held by the Black Ball Squash Club." said Mohamed Raef, the tournament director.

"We are planning more squash events this year. In June, we are hosting the Black Ball Juniors Squash Championship. This one is going to be bigger with around 300 participants to take part in a one-week competition. we are lucky to have found this date in the calendar of the PSA. We are also considering a fourth event, so we would have one big event every three months. We'll see if we can apply it in 2019", Raef, told Al Ahram online.

CREDIT: AHRAMONLINE

New Zealand’s Coll Beats Momen to Become 2019 Citigold Canary Wharf Classic Champion

The final of the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic takes place this evening at London’s East Wintergarden, with Paul Coll and Tarek Momen battling it out for the title.

The action begins at 19:30 GMT, as the pair meet for the sixth time on the PSA World Tour. A victory here would give either player the most prestigious title of their careers.

Momen got through to the final after beating former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, just like he did in the World Championships semi finals in Chicago 13 days previous.

The New Zealander overcame the 2016 Canary Wharf Champion, Mathieu Castagnet, in three games, to book his place in the final this evening.

The final from East Wintergarden will be live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe), Facebook (Indian sub-continent), and other TV broadcasters around the world other TV broadcasters around the world.

Momen v Coll: Head-2-Head

Momen has the upper hand from previous meetings, with a 3-2 record in his favour
READ MORE on how the final went....

QUEEN CITY OPEN: Yemisi Olatunji expresses gratitude

The Nigeria female number one, PSA world ranked 146, Yemisi Olatunji expresses a heart felt gratitude towards her sponsors for supporting her career in Squash.
Yemisi Olatunji (146) won her first game defeating JELENA (109) FROM SERBIA, later lost to Emilia soini (65) from Finland, 3/1 majors at the ongoing Queen city Open in Canada.


In her words, she said' It was a good fight for me and if I can play this way despite the fact I don't play psa/wsa tournaments that much in a year that means if I have a Support from  Lagos state , Nigeria  squash  Federation and Federal government I will become world number 1
Lagos state sport commission
We have a lot of good players who are better off than some of this players but because government  is not focusing and not supportive enough it makes things really hard for the home players.

A big thanks to Captain Adedayo Awobokun who has been Supportive in both squash career + Education to most of the Lagos state players...
 I really appreciate you sir

Sir we will surely become the best you wants us to be ......
Firstly am grateful to God for where I am today and where God is  taken me to .... for God  alone is worldly of my praise.

Momen and Coll to Meet in Citigold Canary Wharf Classic Final

Egypt’s World No.3 Tarek Momen and New Zealand’s World No.7 Paul Coll will contest the final of the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic tomorrow after they claimed respective wins over World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy and Mathieu Castagnet at London’s East Wintergarden earlier today.

Momen lost in the final here 12 months ago to ElShorbagy, but he was in sublime form to avenge that defeat, winning 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9 to reach the final of this tournament for the second time.

World No.3 Momen ended a nine-match losing streak to ElShorbagy with an extraordinary triumph in the semi-finals of the PSA World Championships two weeks ago, and ‘The Viper’ picked up where he left off in Chicago tonight as he came flying out of the traps to take a comfortable 11-7 victory in the opening game.

ElShorbagy, who today became the youngest player of the modern era to reach 500 PSA Tour matches, stepped up the ’T’ in the second to level, but he squandered an 8-4 lead in the third to hand the initiative back to his opponent. Momen fell 9-7 behind in the fourth, but he held his nerve in front of a packed house at East Wintergarden to overturn that deficit and complete the win.

The win came shortly after wife Raneem El Welily had edged Nouran Gohar in five games to reach the final of the Black Ball Open in Cairo.

"I was having déjà vu because only two weeks ago, I was playing Mohamed in the semi-finals of the World Champs, and Raneem had just finished a five-game match, 12-10 in the fifth," Momen said afterwards.

“She lost, and it was very hard for me to go on court and play Mohamed only five minutes after it happened. Today, it was the same scenario. Literally two minutes before I started warming up, their match [El Welily and Gohar at the Black Ball Open] was over.

“I am kind of trying to get this approach where I go on and give 100%. I know I had Mohamed today, I was tired yes, but I just wanted to win and I didn’t want to give it up. I want to be the best in the world, and to be the best, I have to perform at my best every single match and every single tournament."

Meanwhile, Coll overcame 2016 champion Mathieu Castagnet to reach a second successive PSA Tour final, winning 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 in 47 minutes.

Castagnet has been one of the surprise packages of this tournament - beating both No.2 seed Simon Rösner and No.7 seed Fares Dessouky - with the best of three format used in previous rounds playing into his hands.

But Coll was too strong for the World No.26 today as he matched his traditional length hitting with some fine touches at the front of the court to close out the win in straight games.

“I was watching it [Momen v ElShorbagy] while I was warming up," said Coll.

"It was incredible, such high-quality squash in that match. Both players probably deserved to win that match. I am going to have my work cut out for me tomorrow, but I am looking forward to the challenge against one of the top players in the world.

“I am just going to have to be really alert. He is taking it in so well, with lots of angles and lots of severity. I am going to have to really watch him and be careful where I leave the ball on the court because he can put it away. He is one of the best in the world at putting the ball away.”

Coll will appear in the final of this tournament for the first time and will be aiming to win his first PSA Tour title since the 2016 Channel VAS Championships - where he beat Momen in the final.

Coverage of the final begins at 19:00 (GMT) on Friday March 15 and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and mainstream broadcasters such as BT Sport, Sky Sports New Zealand, Fox Sports Australia and more.

Result - Semi-Finals: 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9 (60m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 (47m)

Draw - Final: To Be Played March 15th
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [4] Paul Coll (NZL)

CREDIT:PSA NEWS

Egypt’s El Welily Beats El Sherbini to Claim Black Ball Open Title

Egypt’s World No.1 Raneem El Welily overcame compatriot and reigning World Champion Nour El Sherbini in a five-game thriller in Cairo, Egypt, to be crowned the 2019 CIB Black Ball Squash Open champion.

The Black Ball Squash Open is the first major women’s tournament to take place in Egypt’s Capital since the 2016 Wadi Degla Open, where El Welily also triumphed and the World No.1 continued that strong run of form in Cairo to take home the PSA World Tour Gold title.

El Welily and El Sherbini were meeting in their 11th successive PSA final, with the latter claiming the last victory earlier this year in New York, and it proved to be one of their closest yet as Cairo-based El Welily was forced to come from 2-1 down to capture her 20th PSA title.

A tight first game went in the way of 23-year-old El Sherbini, who was featuring in her third successive final after winning both the Tournament of Champions and PSA World Championships in 2019, before El Welily found her rhythm in the second to draw level for the loss of just two points.

The momentum continued to swing between each player until the fifth, when El Welily was able to create her own patch of dominance to close out a 9-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-1, 11-5 victory in 53 minutes.

The Black Ball Open is her third PSA title of the 2018-2019 season, following wins at the China Squash Open and U.S. Open earlier in the year.

“It feels good to have won this match,” said 30-year-old El Welily following her victory. “Playing Nour is never easy and today was a little bit different than any other time we have played.

“I think we both showed very good patterns throughout the match and we had some very good patches where we both played well. Thar hasn’t happened in a while, so I am very happy to have been a part of this good match.

“In the fourth, I was tense, so I decided to go back to basics. Every time we get on court, it’s a different situation. I have got to believe that it’s going to be a different match, a different result, and that the last match doesn’t mean anything.

“We are very good friends off court, and we fight until the end and respect each other. I think that is why we fought so hard tonight.”

El Sherbini added afterwards: “It’s been a tough week, and it was a bonus to be playing in Egypt in front of my friends, family and my team. I’m glad I made it to the final here after winning the Worlds a few days ago.

“I have played a lot of hard battles with Raneem and she was better today. Hopefully, we’ll have more battles to come.”

Result: CIB Black Ball Squash Open Final

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-1, 11-5 (53m)

CANARY WHARF: FRENCHMAN CASTAGNET CONQUERS RÖSNER ON DAY THREE

French World No.26 Mathieu Castagnet booked his place in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic after he caused a stunning upset of No.2 seed Simon Rösner at London’s East Wintergarden earlier today.

This tournament has been a happy hunting ground at times for Castagnet in the past, with victory over Egypt’s Omar Mosaad in the 2016 final seeing him win his biggest title on the PSA Tour.

A string of injuries have seen Castagnet slide down the rankings from a career-high No.6 ranking, but he rolled back the years with a fearless display against the German No.1 to claim his first win over Rösner at the seventh attempt.

All of those matches were played using a best-of-five games format, however the best of three format – which is being trialled in Canary Wharf for a second successive year – looked to play into his hands as he attacked well and used the lob intelligently to complete an 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 victory in 55 minutes.

“The first, and the last, time I beat Simon Rösner was when I was 16 or 17 years old,” Castagnet said.

“It was at the French Junior Open. Since then, in leagues, exhibitions, PSA tournaments, European Team Championships, all the time he beats me 3-2, 3-1, 3-0. So when I reached my first match ball against him in the seniors, if I had to put the ball to the back of the court a thousand times, I would.

“I don’t know if we can say that in English, but he is like my ‘black beast’. All the injuries I have had, it is such an amazing game for me today. I have so much respect for him and we are close friends, but I really enjoyed that moment because I worked so hard to be back at my best and to live that moment, it is something special to me, to be honest.”

Castagnet will line up against 2017 runner-up Fares Dessouky for a place in the semi-finals after the World No.67 defeated home favourite Daryl Selby 11-5, 11-2. Dessouky has recently recovered from an ACL tear which saw him miss out on appearing at this tournament last year, but he came close to lifting this title two years ago, ultimately losing out to legendary Englishman Nick Matthew in the title decider. READ MORE

BLACK BALL: KING GATECRASHES EGYPTIAN DOMINANCE IN QUARTER-FINALS

New Zealand’s World No.5 Joelle King was the only non-Egyptian player to reach the semi-finals of the CIB Black Ball Squash Open, PSA World Tour Gold event after she overcame India’s Joshna Chinappa in Cairo, Egypt earlier today.

King, 30, played out a tight five-game battle with the Indian No.1 to move within one win of reaching the final after she recovered from going 2-1 down to triumph in five-games at the Black Ball Sporting Club.

“You’ve got to hand it to Joshna,” said World No.5 King. “She has had an amazing tournament. She beat Nicol [David] 3-0, obviously beat SJ [Perry] yesterday and came out firing against me today.

“It’s just one of those wins when you are on the backend of someone playing really well and it took me a while to find my feet, but I think the pleasing thing is that I found a way to win.

“Those matches can be easy to tick off and think you’ve been outplayed, but I dug in and at least thought that if she is going to beat me then I’m going to make it really hard and it’s nice to come off winning.”

The World No.5 will now face reigning World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the last four after the Egyptian overcame France’s World No.4 Camille Serme in a thrilling encounter that went all the way to five-games.READ MORE

Saurav Ghosal on Squash’s Olympic exclusion

Right before Tokyo 2020, the World Squash Federation’s third consecutive appeal to have the sport included in the Olympics was rejected. Interestingly, the Olympic program instead chose to include disciplines like Skateboarding and Sport Climing. More recently, sports in contention for inclusion at Paris 2024 have also been announced and the list includes Break Dancing which enjoyed popular reception at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics in 2018. Squash, once again, was ignored for the fourth consecutive time.

Latest estimated figures suggest that there are close to 20 million squash players worldwide. And if one thinks that the culture and taste for the sport exist only in a few global pockets, that is simply not the case. In June 2009, there were players from nineteen countries in the top fifty of the men’s world rankings showing how widespread the sport actually is.

 Several reasons have been cited for this repeated snub the sport has received from the International Olympic Council- the most recent one has been pertaining to Tokyo 2020 and its bid for the event seems to have been damaged by the fact that the Olympics are being held in Japan. IOC rules allow hosts to propose and back additional sports to be included in the Olympic program and host countries are expected to choose disciplines where they are capable of bringing an impact.

The other, the more widespread argument has been that despite squash’s fast pace, it remains quite low on the television-friendly spectrum given the area the sport is played over, constraints of the court allowing only one angle of filming for the most part and the size of the ball which was too small to track in a fast-paced environment. A dedicated platform, Squash TV, managed by Professional Squash Association (PSA), disagrees citing an improvement in technology which allows for better visibility and easier attention retention.

The Bridge caught up with Saurav Ghosal, India’s premier Squash player, to understand a player’s perspective of what it would mean to have his sport included in the Olympics. In addition to how it would help the World body financially (World Rugby reported net spending of $30 million by National Federations in preparation for Rio 2016 when Rugby Sevens made a comeback to the Olympics after a long time that year), the possibility of an Olympic medal would be a great incentive to encourage the sport among a younger age-group thus ensuring the continuity of the sport.
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Squash Gaming Boosted by Digital Interactivity

Squash, the ball and racket game that originated in London in 1830, is getting a technological shot in the arm thanks to Munich-based company Fun With Balls GmbH and their first two product rollouts, interactiveSQUASH and multiBALL. These products leverage sports tech and existing court infrastructures to maximize enjoyment for the players, the fans and even the sponsors. By adding layers of gamification to a digital screen enclosed by transparent walls, it allows for replays and animation during matches, live feedback on the front wall and creative advertising integration.  In addition, kids and other spectators can actually play various digital games with the screen in between squash matches in tournament and/or World Championship environments.  Check out the videos below for an overview of the possibilities and to see players of all ages test out the technology. READ MORE

CANARY WHARF: DECLAN JAMES UPSETS ELSHORBAGY TO REACH QUARTERS

England’s World No.20 Declan James claimed arguably the biggest win of his career as he upset Egypt’s World No.10 Marwan ElShorbagy at London’s East Wintergarden earlier today to reach the quarter-finals of the Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic.

Nottingham-based James had never been able to get the better of a player inside the world’s top 10 before and was appearing in the second round of the prestigious PSA World Tour Gold tournament for the first time.

But, in front of a packed house at East Wintergarden, the 25-year-old played some of his best squash to come back from a game down against last year’s semi-finalist ElShorbagy. James edged it 7-11, 11-5, 11-9 in 45 minutes and celebrated with gusto after a pinpoint volley drop saw him convert the second of his match balls.

“I think, for me, it was more mental over anything else,” said James.

“I have been saying for quite a few months now that I wanted to get that win over a top 10 guy. I have made no secret about the fact that has been one of my main goals. I feel like this season, I have started to play at a level that is capable of contending with these guys, but I haven’t got over the line, so this means so much to me, it really does.

“It is just so exciting. I just remind myself every day of how fortunate I am to play squash for a living because it is not always fun when you’re training hard and you’re feeling tired. I am just reminding every day to enjoy myself as much as I can because when I enjoy it, I play well, and vice versa, so I am literally just trying to enjoy every day on the court at the moment.”

Defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy – Marwan’s older brother – will play James in the next round after he kept his title defence alive with a testing 2-1 triumph against Spanish veteran Borja Golan.

A best-of-three games format is being trialled up to and including the quarter-finals at East Wintergarden, and at times it looked as though Golan would come through to take the win after some terrific attacking squash saw him go toe-to-toe with the Egyptian. But ElShorbagy held his nerve at the crucial points and ground out an 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 victory to reach the quarter-finals.

“We have had so many great battles before, and today I knew it was going to be another battle again,” said ElShorbagy.

READ MORE: PSA NEWS

El Hammamy and Chinappa Upset the Seedings on Day Two of Black Ball Open

Egypt’s World No.15 Hania El Hammamy and India’s World No.16 Joshna Chinappa both caused upsets on the second day of action at the CIB Black Ball Squash Open after they defeated World No.3 Nour El Tayeb and World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry, respectively, in Cairo, Egypt.

18-year-old El Hammamy claimed the first major scalp of the day after she downed compatriot El Tayeb, who earlier this month finished runner-up at the PSA World Championships, in straight-games to advance to the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Gold tournament.

Up until today, El Hammamy had never beaten El Tayeb, however, the 18-year-old was unstoppable out on court as she played with confidence beyond her years to condemn an out-of-sorts El Tayeb to a premature exit.

“I’ve played against Nour so many times and lost,” said El Hammamy afterwards. “I never even win in training matches, so this one is very special. She came runner-up at the Worlds and she is one of the top three players in the world.

“Obviously, the last two tournaments I have won have given me so much confidence and I was so excited to play today against a top player and believing in myself that I can win.”

She will now face compatriot and World No.8 Nouran Gohar for a place in the semi-finals after she despatched World No.12 Salma Hany in straight-games to advance.

“Every match is completely different,” said former World No.2 Gohar. “Hania played superbly today and to play her is a tricky match. I have to be on my toes from the first point and I hope it will be a great match tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Indian No.1 Chinappa claimed her own big win after she took out English No.1 Perry to reach the last eight of the tournament.

The Indian had not secured a victory over the Englishwoman since the 2012 Chennai Open, with Perry winning the last three encounters. However, Chinappa made sure to reverse her bad fortune as she prevailed in a tight battle to win 11-4, 6-11, 14-12, 11-9 in 50 minutes.

“It was a hard game from the beginning until the end,” said Chinappa following her win. “It was really close in all the games and I’m fortunate to be on the winning side.

“What made the difference today was I think that I was a bit better mentally that I have been in our previous matches. I was more focused, more consistent, and I was able to withstand long rallies.”

Chinappa will now face New Zealand’s World No.5 Joelle King tomorrow night at the Black Ball Sporting Club after the Kiwi prevailed in a tough match with Wales’ World No.10 Tesni Evans.

Evans came through a gruelling five-game encounter against Egypt’s Mariam Metwally yesterday and the Welshwoman looked to have kept that winning momentum on her side as she took the first game.

However, the Welshwoman was unable to continue that form as number three seed King came back firing to impose her game plan and draw level, before going onto seal a 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 win.

“I actually hate playing Tesni,” said 30-year-old King. “She’s probably my best mate on tour, we practise together all the time and so we know each other’s game. It’s always one of my hardest matches to play. She always fights until the end and I was pleased to get off in four.”

Elsewhere, top seed and World No.1 Raneem El Welily set up a mouthwatering quarter-final tie with England’s former World No.1 Laura Massaro after the Egyptian got her tournament off to a winning start against World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby.

The Cairo-based Egyptian got her tournament off to the perfect start as she looked strong on court, taking just 30 minutes to down younger compatriot Elaraby and advance to the last eight.

“It’s never easy against Laura,” said El Welily following her win. “She is very stubborn and tough on course and I hope that it is going to be a good match. I will have to rest today and prepare for tomorrow.”

Massaro, meanwhile, found her accuracy quickly and looked sharp on court to defeat Egypt’s Yathreb Adel in straight-games.

“She is such a dangerous opponent and it can make you a bit on edge because you don’t know what you’re going to get from her,” said England’s Massaro following her win over Adel.

“I’m really happy with how I stayed strong at the right times, getting over that line in the second was probably a really big one and then just picking up balls and making things tough in the third.”

Elsewhere, Egypt’s World No.2 Nour El Sherbini and France’s World No.4 Camille Serme will go head-to-head, just over a week after meeting in the semi-finals of the PSA World Championships, which the Egyptian went onto win.

El Sherbini was dominant against England’s former World No.3 Alison Waters in round two of the Black Ball Open to send the 34-year-old out in the early stages as she stormed to an 11-5, 12-10, 11-3 victory.

“It’s never easy playing Alison,” said the 23-year-old Egyptian. “She has been playing for a long time and it’s always tough playing her.

“This is the first match after the Worlds and it is always very hard mentally to get back on court and play after a big win.”

Meanwhile, Serme claimed her own impressive win as she successfully manoeuvred past Hong Kong’s Joey Chan in straight-games in a masterclass of a performance.

“After the worlds, I was obviously very disappointed, but it passed quite quickly,” said the Frenchwoman following her win.

“We started working and training hard immediately and I was actually glad we had a big tournament right after. But still, when you see Nour [El Tayeb] losing in the first round, you stop and think maybe it’s not that easy to go into the next one quickly. So today, I made sure I arrived ready to fight from the start of the match.”

The quarter-finals take place on Wednesday March 13 at 17:00 local time (GMT+2) and the action will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan).

Results: CIB Black Ball Squash Open Round Two

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Rowan Elaraby (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 13-11, 11-4 (30m)

[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Yathreb Adel (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (24m)

[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Salma Hany (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-9 (31m)

Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 12-10, 11-4 (32m)

[3] Joelle King (NZL) bt Tesni Evans (WAL) 3-1: 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (51m)

Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 6-11, 14-12, 11-9 (50m)

[5] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (25m)

[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Alison Waters (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-3 (27m)



Draw: CIB Black Ball Squash Open Quarter-Finals – To be played March 13

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [7] Laura Massaro (ENG)

[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v Hania El Hammamy (EGY)

[3] Joelle King (NZL) v Joshna Chinappa (IND)

[5] Camille Serme (FRA) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)

CREDIT:PSA NEWS

Frenchman Castagnet Conquers Rösner on Day Three of Canary Wharf Classic

French World No.26 Mathieu Castagnet booked his place in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic after he caused a stunning upset of No.2 seed Simon Rösner at London’s East Wintergarden earlier today.

This tournament has been a happy hunting ground at times for Castagnet in the past, with victory over Egypt’s Omar Mosaad in the 2016 final seeing him win his biggest title on the PSA Tour.

A string of injuries have seen Castagnet slide down the rankings from a career-high No.6 ranking, but he rolled back the years with a fearless display against the German No.1 to claim his first win over Rösner at the seventh attempt.

All of those matches were played using a best-of-five games format, however the best of three format - which is being trialled in Canary Wharf for a second successive year - looked to play into his hands as he attacked well and used the lob intelligently to complete an 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 victory in 55 minutes.

“The first, and the last, time I beat Simon Rösner was when I was 16 or 17 years old,” Castagnet said.

“It was at the French Junior Open. Since then, in leagues, exhibitions, PSA tournaments, European Team Championships, all the time he beats me 3-2, 3-1, 3-0. So when I reached my first match ball against him in the seniors, if I had to put the ball to the back of the court a thousand times, I would.

“I don’t know if we can say that in English, but he is like my ‘black beast’. All the injuries I have had, it is such an amazing game for me today. I have so much respect for him and we are close friends, but I really enjoyed that moment because I worked so hard to be back at my best and to live that moment, it is something special to me, to be honest.”

Castagnet will line up against 2017 runner-up Fares Dessouky for a place in the semi-finals after the World No.67 defeated home favourite Daryl Selby 11-5, 11-2. Dessouky has recently recovered from an ACL tear which saw him miss out on appearing at this tournament last year, but he came close to lifting this title two years ago, ultimately losing out to legendary Englishman Nick Matthew in the title decider.

Dessouky was on song in the opening game as he hit a series of thunderous shots into the nick, and he went on to take the opener for the loss of just five points. The start of the second game was a scrappy affair as the video referee was called into action in the first four rallies of the game. Dessouky took a number of points in succession and he dropped just two points to close out the win in 25 minutes.

"I played very good squash today, even my movement was quite good,” said Dessouky.

“I had an ACL injury so I had surgery in December [2017]. After that I had another small surgery, and I feel like I’m improving every tournament.”

New Zealand’s Paul Coll also advanced to the quarter-finals, coming through to beat England's Tom Richards 11-4, 11-5. The pair had met in the quarter-finals of the Canada Cup exactly a week ago, with Coll winning that encounter in straight games too.

“We played each other last week, so I knew he liked to take it in fast, with lots of angles," Coll said.

"I tried to stay up the court and cover those angles. We had some fast rallies last week as well, so I knew exactly what to expect. I am happy with the way I adjusted and found my length on the court too."

The Kiwi will line up against Welshman Joel Makin. Makin overcame Hong Kong’s Max Lee, winning 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 to reach the quarter-finals in Canary Wharf for the first time.

“I have been watching this tournament for years," Makin said.

"It is one of the favourites for all the players and everyone enjoys it. I wanted to get through a couple of rounds, I hadn’t done well in this tournament before, so I am really looking forward to tomorrow.”

The quarter-finals of the Citigold Canary Wharf Classic will take place on Wednesday March 13 and play starts at 18:00 (GMT). Matches will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

Results - Second Round (Bottom Half): 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 2-0: 11-4, 11-5 (27m)
Joel Makin (WAL) bt [6] Max Lee (HKG) 2-1: 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 (47m)
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 2-0: 11-5, 11-2 (25m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [2] Simon Rösner (GER) 2-1: 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 (55m)

Draw - Quarter-Finals: To Be Played March 13th
1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Declan James (ENG)
[8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) v Joel Makin (WAL)
[7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)

CREDIT:PSA NEWS

OMOTADE Isaac: Give squash a chance its due at the Olympics

OMOTADE ISAAC (Former Captain : OAU Squash club/ OAU Squash Team 2014 NUGA/ Osun State Squash Team for Eko 2012 18th National Festival)

Barely a week ago the International Olympic Committee on Friday (Mar 8) to be precise quashed the hopes of squash which had kept lobbying for inclusion in the 2024 Games even after Paris organisers had announced its roster. READ MORE

SOME AMAZING SQUASH COURTS

SOME FEATURES

Squash goes Gold, PARIS 2024, We crave for this morethan anything in the world.

Just so you know, Paris 2024 was not the first. Lobbying for the inclusion of Squash, the world healthiest sport at the Olympics have been ongoing for over a decade now. The sport has been denied Olympic status despite meeting criteria.

Leading up to the Rio Olympiad, the International Olympic Committee announced that skateboarding, karate, baseball, sport climbing and surfing will be part of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Absent from the list is squash.

Although getting a sport involved in Olympics is a long and arduous process, it’s surprising that some seemingly minor sports have been given priority over a game that is played by millions of people in more than 175 countries across the globe.
In Nigeria for example with 36 state including her Federal capital territory, you can find at least two squash courts in each state, that's about 72 standard squash courts; Lagos alone which is the citadel of squash players across Nigeria has over 50 squash courts in different locations including sport clubs, hotels, Recreational clubs, Stadium, Squash Academy (Head waters Squash Academy for Teens ); hosting tournament for young and pro players almost every week which serves as a major source of income for most e.g The Apapa Open Squash League, Annual Cargolux squash tournament, Lagos International Classic, Governors cup, Chamberlain Squash Open etc.

Team Nigeria celebrating Victory at Zimbabwe Squash Open
Nigeria alone can boast of over 500 players, 50 professional squash players both male and female most who represents the country in major PSA Tourneys. Some Nigerians who represent in PSA tournaments are: Tunde Ajagbe  who represented Nigeria at the 2019 Bermuda Squash Open, wale Amao, Moses Durosinmi, Lanre Abdulrahman, Endurance Emoso, wasiu Bello, Aliu Quadri, Yemisi Olatunji (current female no1), Idowu Eninakure, Sodiq Taiwo, Gbenga Adeyi and few others.

 Team Lagos
The participation level of squash is growing worldwide, including Africa regions. Egypt for example has consistently produced some of the world best players.

If the Olympics are to reflect which sports are played across the world, then squash surely has a compelling claim for inclusion.

SEE BELOW FOR SOME SQUASH Olympic Bid Videos

Two features of the squash presentation to the IOC Programme Commission woven into the Powerpoint presentation cued into the speeches were bid videos.

First clip shows how Nicol David and Ramy Ashour compellingly highlight the strengths of the squash case and what competing in the Olympic Games would mean to them.

Second clip shows the preparedness, creating the awareness with the hash tag #SQUASHGOESGOLD towards Paris 2019 Olympic Bid.










The third video is a visual illustration that squash is played all over the world, with players from many of them taking part by self-filming their national identity.