Marwan ElShorbagy Defeats Older Brother Mohamed to Set Up Semis Clash with Gaultier in El Gouna

Egyptian World No.5 Marwan ElShorbagy claimed a second successive victory over older brother and defending champion Mohamed to set up a semi-final clash with World No.1 Gregory Gaultier in the 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open, World Series tournament.


Marwan claimed his first ever win over his Mohamed during February’s Windy City Open, resulting in an outpouring of emotion from both brothers in Chicago.


And lightning struck twice in El Gouna as Marwan outfought and outplayed his brother – who looked well of the pace – with an impeccable display seeing the 23-year-old Egyptian prevail in just 24 minutes by an 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 scoreline.


“Maybe today it was a little bit different than the first time I beat him, the first time I beat him was the hardest time for me,” said Marwan.


“I was thinking about it too much when I was leading in the fourth and fifth games in Chicago. Today it was a bit different because I didn’t want to let the emotions go to my head. Of course the emotions were still there, but maybe I was dealing with it better.

I was focused from the first point to the last one.


"This is probably the best match I’ve played all season. Today couldn’t have gone any better for me, but I think it was a bad day at the office for him. It’s a big win for me, but I can’t celebrate it. It’s been a tough season for him, he’ll come back stronger though I’m sure. He just needs a good break.”


Marwan and Gaultier will face off in a repeat of the Windy City Open final, with Gaultier overcoming New Zealand’s Paul Coll by a 3-1 margin to extend his unbeaten run to 17 matches.


The Frenchman, who is targeting a fourth PSA World Tour title in a row, had an almost metronomic quality about him in the early stages as he dominated the court, with the ‘French General’ going two games ahead.


A resurgent Coll halved the deficit with victory in the third, but Gaultier soon found his way back on top again to close out an 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6 victory, reaching his seventh consecutive PSA World Tour semi-final.


"I felt a bit flat tonight," said Gaultier.




"In the first two games, I made the good choices on court, but I should have won in three. He plays at such a pace and I feel I fell into his pace instead of pushing and forcing mine a bit.




"When you are a bit too confident, you can fall in the trap of getting a bit too passive and not aggressive enough. I just didn’t push myself enough. I have a lot of time for Paul. He is one of the players that have improved the most. He managed to break James [Willstrop] and other players in the top 10."


Result - Quarter-Final (Top Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open

[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 (24m)

[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Paul Coll (NZL) 3-1: 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6 (72m)


Draw - Quarter-Final (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 12

Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Diego Elias (PER)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Gohar and El Sherbini to Face Off in Semi-Finals of Women’s World Championship

World No.5 Nouran Gohar will take on reigning World Champion Nour El Sherbini for a place in the final of the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship after they managed respective wins over Malaysia’s Nicol David and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in El Gouna, Egypt.


World Junior Champion Gohar put in an unrelenting display to go two games and five match balls up against David, an eight-time winner of the most prestigious tournament on the Women’s Tour.


David fought tooth and nail for every point and saved four of the match balls, but a loose shot from the 33-year-old towards the end of an intense rally saw a stroke awarded against the 81-time PSA World Tour title winner, handing the match to Gohar.


“It feels amazing to beat my idol, it was a very, very tough match today, mentally more than physically,” said the 19-year-old.


“At 2-0 up and five match balls up, I still couldn't believe it and then she started playing amazingly, like it was still 0-0. She came back really strongly, so I just tried to stick to my game plan and not try to think about the win.


“There were nerves for sure at that point, but the crowd supported me really strongly, so I'd like to thank them, my coaches and the support from my family. They were the reason why I won those last points.”


World No.1 El Sherbini got the better of Gohar in last year’s British Open final and in the same stage of the World Championship 12 months ago.


And the 21-year-old - who beat World No.2 Laura Massaro in last year’s final - earned her place in the last four courtesy of a 11-6, 11-3, 12-10 scoreline over British Open runner-up Perry.


“I get a lot of support when I play here, I get a lot of people coming and it makes me push to win because I want to win in front of them," El Sherbini said.


“I'm happy that I'm through 3-0, it was nearly longer than that, but I'm happy to finish it in the third game.


“I think that the court conditions changed from the other days and it was hotter and bouncier. I just tried to change my plan and she was playing well at the end, but thankfully it worked and I managed to win the match.”


Result - Quarter-Final (Top Half): Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 12-10 (41m)

[4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [6] Nicol David (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (45m)


Draw - Quarter-Final (Bottom Half)

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)

[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)

Massaro and El Welily to Contest Blockbuster Quarter-Final in Women’s World Championship

England’s World No.2 Laura Massaro and Egypt’s World No.4 Raneem El Welily will face off in the quarter-finals of a PSA World Tour event for the second tournament in a row after both players rose to wins on the fourth day of the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship.

Massaro, the 33-year-old from Preston, overcame New Zealand’s Joelle King in a tight four-game encounter, hitting consistent lines despite a drop in intensity in the third game, to win it by an 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 13-11 margin.

“The fourth was really close and I felt like I had pulled away a bit, but then she ended up coming back really well and I was in a little bit of a battle really,” said Massaro.

"I think I started quite well. Joelle was a little bit off at the beginning but she began to up her game a little bit. I felt like she started hitting to my forehand a little bit more and was keeping it off my backhand.

“It took me a little while to rejig my plan a little bit and try and figure that out. I was perhaps a little bit edgy towards the end more than anything. Joelle is such a good player, she's so physical and I'm just pleased to get through that in the end.”

Massaro defeated El Welily in the last eight of last month’s Allam British Open and will look to put in a repeat performance against the former World No.1 after El Welily dispatched United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford in a comfortable 3-0 triumph.

Blatchford, competing in the second round of the World Championship for the first time in her career, tried in vein to compete with El Welily, but couldn't find any rhythm.

Struggling to adapt to the dead conditions on court early on – particularly failing to hit her targets in the back corners – she gifted control to El Welily. And the Egyptian, with the benefit of a match on the glass court already behind her, settled early, hitting with perfect weight and precision to dictate proceedings courtesy of a sumptuous display that marks her out as a genuine title threat.

“I'm definitely happy with the way I played today,” said El Welily.

“It was the first time I've ever played Olivia so to come away with a 3-0 win is pleasing and unusual for me.

“I know she's played on glass courts before but I think the conditions today were very different to what she's experienced before. It's windy on there and you never know what’s going to happen with the ball – you have to react and take it as it comes."

French World No.3 Camille Serme is also through to the last eight after she dispatched World No.13 Emily Whitlock in straight games to set up a quarter-final meeting with Indian No.1 Joshna Chinappa, who saw off former World No.3 Alison Waters.

Serme, seeded second for the tournament, took the ball early to crash in a series of devastating backhand volleys and punished any loose shots from Whitlock in clinical fashion to take an 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 victory.

“I knew she beat Alison at the British Open, so I was focused from the start and didn’t want to give her any hope," said Serme.

"I came into the match with a clear tactical plan. Joshna is a very powerful girl, she hits the ball really hard and I think on that court with the wind it might be tricky to try lobs and shots like that because the ball can go out easily."

Results - Second Round (Bottom Half): Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Olivia Blatchford (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 (24m)

[5] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [9] Joelle King (NZL) 3-1: 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 13-11 (50m)

[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [8] Alison Waters (ENG) 3-2: 11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 (66m)

[2] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [13] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 (30m)

Draw - Quarter-Finals (Top Half): To Be Played April 11

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

[6] Nicol David (MAS) v [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Draw - Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 12

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)

[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)

Egyptian Hopes Gawad and Dessouky Triumph On Day Four of El Gouna International

Egyptian duo Karim Abdel Gawad and Fares Dessouky gave the home fans at El Gouna’s New Marina plenty to cheer about after they claimed respective wins over Spain’s Borja Golan and Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly on the fourth day of main draw action at the 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open, World Series tournament.


World Champion Gawad lost out to Golan in their last meeting during February’s Windy City Open - a defeat which put a big dent in the 25-year-old’s attempts to reach World No.1 - but recovered from a game down in Egypt to claim a 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-5 victory in 61 minutes.


"I didn't play my best in the last couple of tournaments, so mentally I really needed to focus in this tournament," Gawad said.


"I needed to have a good start in the beginning, especially against Borja. I just played him [in the Windy City Open] and lost to him in Chicago and, for me, he's one of the toughest players to play.


"I suffer playing my attacking game against him because he has very good counter-drops at the front of the court. Mentally, I just wanted to have a good start today, I wanted to win today and I wanted to keep the performance that I've had since August. I'm really glad to get through to the quarters here, especially in Egypt."


Gawad will line up against German No.1 Simon Rösner for a place in the semi-finals after Rösner claimed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Egyptian qualifier Karim Ali Fathi.


Meanwhile, Dessouky moved into the last eight courtesy of a 3-0 triumph over Australian No.1 Ryan Cuskelly.


Dessouky, who reached the semi-finals of the World Series tournament last year, caused one of the biggest shocks of the tournament in round one with a superb scalp over three-time World Champion Nick Matthew and he picked up where left off against ‘The Wolf’ to come through in straight games against Cuskelly, beating the World No.14 11-9, 11-7, 1-11, 11-8.


“I lost my concentration in the match a couple of times,” Dessouky admitted.


“I didn’t start well today then from 9-7 at the end, I started playing well and I won the first game 11-9. In the second, I played really well, I was focused, then I lost concentration again in the third.


“I went off court and said to myself that I had to give it everything, I had to win the game. He wasn’t going to give me any cheap points to grab the win."


Two-time World Junior Champion Diego Elias will meet Dessouky in the quarter-finals after the Peruvian got the better of Mexico’s Cesar Salazar, beating the World No.20 in straight games.


The duo - roommates for this tournament - played some fast and furious squash, with Elias displaying some fine retrieval skills to prevail by an 11-9, 13-11, 11-4 margin - earning his place in the quarter-finals of a World Series tournament for the first time in his fledgling career.


"What made me retrieve all of his shots is determination," 20-year-old Elias revealed.


"I have been losing in first round and second round matches that I should have won. I have been training very hard, so I am now ready for long matches, long rallies. It doesn’t matter if a match goes to five, I am ready. I can play those intense rallies because I trust my fitness, and I know I can recover."


Results - Second Round (Bottom Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open

Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 1-11, 11-8 (60m)

Diego Elias (PER) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-0: 11-9, 13-11, 11-4 (51m)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) bt [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (38m)

[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 3-1: 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-5 (61m)


Draw - Quarter-Finals (Top Half): To Be Played April 11

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)

Paul Coll (NZL) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)


Draw - Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 12

Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Diego Elias (PER)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

update from ADEBIYI Mabadeje birthday Squash rumble at O'trafford, Ikoyi

 Olumide Folawewo and the celebrant, Mr. Biyi Mabadeje were the first to slug it out on court with a handicap of 4 - 0 in favour of the celebrant. He took Olumide down. Sope Roberts came in next with a handicap of 5 - 0 in favor of the celebrant also but unfortunately, it was the end of the road for him.

 Sope Roberts of Ikoyi Club eventually 'wifed'  all of the 7 other participants which included Dr. Bunmi Apata of Lagos Country Club, Barr. Cyril Ayemere of O' Trafford Club, Mr. Akin of Ikoyi Club, Mr. Albert Okumagba of O' Trafford Club,Mr Joseph,  Mr. Remi Adeseun, Chairman of O'trafford Club won the rumble .

A chance to win signed merchandise !!Countdown to PSA Dubai World Series finals

 Don't miss out on your chance to win signed merchandise from the world's top Squash players.
Read more from the caption below:

one of Nigeria's best squash player Sodiq Abubakar takes selfies with his boo....

Sodiq Abubakar from Niger state is one of Nigeria's best squash player, a member of PSPAN. Beautiful couple, not too sure if they are married or engaged, whichever way, I love them both in this pictures.

                        B.                      

El Welily, Massaro and Serme All Claim Wins on Second Day of Women’s World Championship

World No.2 Laura Massaro began her Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship campaign with victory over Egypt’s Mariam Metwally in El Gouna, Egypt.


Massaro, who claimed the biggest title on the Women’s Tour three years ago, reached the final of this tournament last year and ensured that she would make a winning start to this instalment, winning 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 in 30 minutes.


"I took her extremely seriously," said 33-year-old Massaro, who will play New Zealand’s Joelle King next.


"I know how good she is, and this is the first round of the World Championship, so I wanted to play as well as I could and not to take any chances."


The Englishwoman will be joined in round two by Egypt’s Raneem El Welily, who beat former World No.2 Jenny Duncalf to move to within one win of a blockbuster quarter-final matchup with Massaro.


El Welily, the World No.4, squandered four championship balls to Malaysia’s Nicol David the last time the Women’s World Championship was held in Egypt in 2014, but she kickstarted her tournament with a 3-0 triumph over England’s Duncalf.


The Egyptian prevailed in a crucial first-game tie-break, which allowed her to press on to record an 13-11, 11-7, 11-5 victory.


“It's the first day, the first match, the first time at this venue, so I was trying to play a little bit basic to start with,” said El Welily.


“You could see at the beginning that my shots weren't as accurate as they could have been, but my mindset was okay, so I wasn't upset that I made the errors, I was actually feeling that I was on the right track.


“Jenny is a really experienced player and every time I play her it's extremely hard. Just like that, she scores with some unbelievable boasts. I'm just happy to be through today. It's one point at a time, I have no bad memories, everything is good.”


El Welily will face United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford, who impressed with a 3-2 win over Australia’s Donna Urquhart.


World No.3 Camille Serme also earned her place in the second round after she came through against World No.21 Salma Hany Ibrahim, winning it 11-6, 11-5, 11-8.


Last year’s World Championship saw Serme bow out at the quarter-final stage to World No.5 Nouran Gohar and she is using the memory of that disappointment to spur her onto greater things this time around.


“Last year, I had a lot of expectations at the Worlds, but when I lost to Nouran in the quarters it was a really big disappointment,” she said.


“It was the end of the season and I don’t want to feel that way again. I know I’ve won two big titles this year, I know I can do well, but everyone is strong at the moment, especially the girls from the top eight and you never know what can happen. I just take it match-by-match and I really focus on what to do on court."


Serme will face England’s Emily Whitlock for a place in the quarter-final after the World No.13 progressed courtesy of a win over French qualifier Coline Aumard.


England’s Alison Waters will meet India’s Joshna Chinappa in the other second round fixture, with the duo claiming respective wins over qualifiers Hana Ramadan and Misaki Kobayashi.


Results - First Round (Bottom Half): Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-7, 11-5 (34m)

Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [15] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 3-2: 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8 (67m)

[9] Joelle King (NZL) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (33m)

[5] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)

[8] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5 (44m)

[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [Q] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 3-0: 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 (33m)

[13] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (33m)

[2] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (35m)


Draw - Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played April 9

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [16] Tesni Evans (WAL)

[14] Victoria Lust (ENG) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

[6] Nicol David (MAS) v [10] Annie Au (HKG)

[11] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY)


Draw - Second Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 10

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Olivia Blatchford (USA)

[9] Joelle King (NZL) bt [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)

[8] Alison Waters (ENG) v [12] Joshna Chinappa (IND)

[13] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)

Dessouky Topples Matthew on Day Two of El Gouna International

Egypt’s Fares Dessouky announced his arrival as a bonafide top 10 player after a superb victory over three-time World Champion Nick Matthew on the second day of the 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open, World Series tournament – a month after he lost out to the Englishman in the final of the Canary Wharf Classic.


Dessouky twice fell behind to the 36-year-old veteran, but an impressive fightback in the fourth and fifth games saw the tide turn in the World No.9’s favour and he battled to a 10-12, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 triumph in El Gouna’s New Marina to record one of the biggest wins of his career.


"I’m very happy with the win, last time it was a close game and I lost it 3-1,” said Dessouky, a semi-finalist here last year.


“He’s very experienced and today I don’t know how I won. The crowd was always behind me from the first point, so that was a great thing for me today. It gave me a push and I kept on going from the first point to the end of the game.


“I love playing here and I always dream of winning this tournament. I didn’t play well in Al Ahram, so I hope to play well here and achieve more than the semi-final. I’m just thinking about things step-by-step. It’s always great to be here playing in front of this great crowd.”


Dessouky’s compatriot, World No.6 Ali Farag, couldn’t follow him into the second round after a surprise defeat to Peruvian World No.22 Diego Elias.


Elias, two-time World Junior Champion, has struggled to translate his junior success into senior triumphs, but looked to have turned a corner in his still fledging career as he put in a mature and focused performance to overturn a recent, and painful, losing streak against Farag.


In their last two meetings, Elias found himself on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline – having squandered 2-1 game leads on both occasions – but turned the tables as he took advantage of a misfiring Farag early on to secure a huge win that takes him through to meet Mexican Cesar Salazar in the second round.


“I knew it was going to be a very tough match because I lost to him 3-2 the last two times,” said Elias.


“Those two defeats really hurt – I was 2-1 up in both – so I was very determined today to try and turn it around and I'm really happy. I knew the crowd would be behind him but I stuck to my plan and kept my focus.


“I came in with a plan and it worked. I have been on Tour for a few years now and lost a lot of very tough matches. I feel like I know how to deal with the situation much better now and I'm really looking forward to playing Cesar in the next round.”


Elsewhere, World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad bounced back from a disappointing second round exit at last month’s Allam British Open with a 3-0 win over compatriot Zahed Mohamed.


Gawad, the World No.2 who could top the World Rankings next month if results go his way in El Gouna, claimed an 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 victory to set up a second round clash with Spain’s Borja Golan - the former World No.5 who scalped Gawad during February’s Windy City Open.


"It's very important to come back, mentally and physically, after playing so many tournaments this season," Gawad said.


"I had a tough loss in the British Open, but it's part of the game and you have to try to learn from it and try to move on and play your best squash possible in the next tournament."


Australian No.1 Ryan Cuskelly defeated Egyptian qualifier Mohamed Reda to claim a second round berth against Dessouky, while World No.10 Simon Rösner and Karim Ali Fathi will go head-to-head after they beat Raphael Kandra and Saurav Ghosal, respectively.


Results - First Round (Bottom Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open

Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [4] Nick Matthew (ENG) 3-2: 10-12, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 (76m)

Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [Q] Mohamed Reda (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (34m)

Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-1: 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 (63m)

Diego Elias (PER) bt [7] Ali Farag (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 (55m)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) bt [Q] Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 (46m)

[Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-1: 5-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 (71m)

Borja Golan (ESP) bt [LL] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (44m)

[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (46m)


Draw - Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played April 9

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)

Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)

[5] James Willstrop (ENG) v Paul Coll (NZL)

[Q] Mazen Hesham (EGY) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)


Draw - Second Round (Bottom Half) - To Be Played April 10

Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)

Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Diego Elias (PER)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) v [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)

Borja Golan (ESP) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

Adebiyi Mabadeje at 50 birthday Squash rumble

Adebiyi Mabadeje at 50 birthday Squash rumble
Venue : O'trafford squash club, Ikoyi
Date: 09.04.17
Time:3pm

Pictures taken at the just concluded Nigeria Squash Federation National Congress

Pictures taken at the just concluded Nigeria Squash Federation National Congress ;April 2017

Squash after the congress with Gen. Yusuf & Col. Yaradua at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Squash court,  Abuja. 

El Sherbini Heads Trio of Egyptian Winners on Day One of Women’s World Championship

Defending champion Nour El Sherbini led fellow Egyptians Nouran Gohar and Nour El Tayeb through to the second round of the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship after they all rose to wins on the banks of Egypt’s Red Sea on day one of the main draw.

El Sherbini - who defeated England’s Laura Massaro in the final of the last instalment of the prestigious tournament - was in dominant form to see off Canadian qualifier Samantha Cornett by an 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 margin of victory to set up a meeting with Tesni Evans.

“I know she wasn't playing well in the first, but I just wanted to try my shots and try the court with the conditions, the weather and everything,” said El Sherbini.

“Maybe I relaxed a little bit in the third, but I just had to get back to my length and shorts.

“I hope it [the Egyptian crowd] helps. I always love to play in Egypt and I love the crowd and everyone coming to support. I hope it's not going to put pressure on me, I just want to play. It's just a tournament like any other tournament.”

World No.5 Nouran Gohar bounced back from her shock first round loss at last month’s Allam British Open with a comfortable victory over close friend and fellow Egyptian Nadine Shahin.

Gohar, who reached the semi-final stage of this tournament a year ago, fell to 16-year-old Nada Abbas in a huge upset in Hull 12 months after she reached the final of the sport’s oldest tournament.

But she responded with a focused display against World No.23 Shahin, with the hard-hitting 19-year-old completing the win by an 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 margin to ensure she will take on former World No.5 El Tayeb for a place in the quarter-finals after El Tayeb saw off Hania El Hammamy.

“We play the same, hard-hitting game, we know each other's games really well," Gohar said.

"She is one of my close friends and we're sharing a room here as well. Mentally, it's quite difficult to cope with it because we were laughing and talking half an hour before, then you have to play."

Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David took a step closer to winning the biggest title on the Women’s Tour for a ninth time after she negotiated a tricky encounter with India’s Dipika Pallikal Karthik.

While the scoreline looked comfortable, it was far from plain sailing for David as she had to battle hard in both the first and second games to prevent Pallikal from getting onto the scoreboard.

“Dipika hits the ball very well and on this court I felt like my timing was a little out early on and I wasn't timing my shots,” said David.

“I was opening up the court and allowing her too much time to attack. But I was pleased with how I worked through it to figure out my targets and I really found my groove in the third and felt like I was establishing my game."

She will be joined in the next round by Hong Kong’s Annie Au - who beat Rowan Elaraby - while Sarah-Jane Perry and Victoria Lust will also meet in round two.

Results - First Round (Top Half): Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)

[16] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [Q] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (32m)

[14] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [WC] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (26m)

[7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [Q] Fiona Moverley (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (26m)

[6] Nicol David (MAS) bt Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 (34m)

[10] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-8, 14-12 (31m)

[11] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [Q] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (34m)

[4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 (28m)

Draw - First Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 8

[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v Jenny Duncalf (ENG)

Olivia Blatchford (USA) v [15] Donna Urquhart (AUS)

[9] Joelle King (NZL) v Heba El Torky (EGY)

Mariam Metwally (EGY) v [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)

[8] Alison Waters (ENG) v [Q] Hana Ramadan (EGY)

[Q] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) v [12] Joshna Chinappa (IND)

[13] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA)

Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)

Draw - Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played April 9

[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [16] Tesni Evans (WAL)

[14] Victoria Lust (ENG) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

[6] Nicol David (MAS) v [10] Annie Au (HKG)

[11] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

ElShorbagy Kickstarts El Gouna International Title Defence While Hesham Returns

World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy got his El Gouna International Squash Open tournament off to a winning start after the 2016 champion overcame Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet on day one of the World Series tournament staged in El Gouna’s New Marina.


ElShorbagy was making his first PSA World Tour appearance since losing his World No.1 spot to Castagnet’s compatriot, Gregory Gaultier, and the 26-year-old came out on top to prevail by an 11-9, 11-7, 13-11 margin.


“I've been World No.1 for 28 months and I enjoyed every single minute and every single day of it,” said ElShorbagy, who will take on Mohamed Abouelghar in the next round.


“I felt free from pressure today and I have nothing to lose. I can enjoy my squash again, I haven't enjoyed it this whole season.


“At the British Open, I felt like I was back mentally, my hunger was back, my passion was back, but this time, knowing I have absolutely nothing to lose, there is no pressure on me.

It's just about enjoying my game and I'll see how it goes. My main goal this week is to enjoy my game."


Former World No.13 Mazen Hesham - whose injury issues have seen him fall outside the world’s top 50 - stepped up his return from a seven month absence with a superb 3-1 win over World No.11 Tarek Momen.


Hesham, the 23-year-old from Cairo, became one of the most popular players on the PSA World Tour after a breakthrough 2015/16 campaign and, speaking after his 11-9, 11-13, 12-10, 11-8 win over Momen, says he is delighted to be back.


"Tarek was the worst draw I could have had, he twists you, he tests your body like nobody else, he flicks the ball all over the place, wrong foots you, then plays a strong basic game,” said Hesham.


“But then again, I came on court with no pressure. Sometimes, it just works out fine. I’m just so happy I’m healthy.”


He will face Gaultier in the next round after the 34-year-old Frenchman extended his unbeaten run to 15 matches courtesy of a 3-0 victory over tournament wildcard Marwan Tarek.


Gaultier, the 2016 runner-up, was pushed hard by British Junior Under 17 champion Tarek, but soon took command as he closed out a 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 triumph to progress to the next round.


"I don't think about the big picture, I just think about having a good time and enjoying every practice on the Tour," said Gaultier.


"A few months ago I was really down mentally because of too many injuries in 2016 and being away from the squash court can frustrate you.


"But if you take it positively, it gives you the anger to come back and this is what I tried to prove when I came back in January."


Former World No.1 James Willstrop is also through after he scraped past Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez in five games, with New Zealand’s World No.13 Paul Coll awaiting him for a place in the last eight after he dispatched English qualifier Tom Richards.


Australia’s Cameron Pilley claimed his first win on Egyptian soil since 2010 over New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson to set up a meeting with World No.5 Marwan ElShorbagy - who overcame former World No.3 Omar Mosaad.


Results - First Round (Top Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 13-11 (43m)

Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt [Q] Adrian Waller (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (38m)

Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 3-2: 6-11, 5-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-9 (97m)

[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 13-11, 11-5 (43m)

[5] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 3-2: 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9 (94m)

Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] Tom Richards (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (40m)

[Q] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Tarek Momen (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-13, 12-10, 11-8 (53m)

[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [WC] Marwan Tarek (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 (31m)


Draw - First Round (Bottom Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open (To Be Played April 8)

[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)

Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [Q] Mohamed Reda (EGY)

Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA)

Diego Elias (PER) v [7] Ali Farag (EGY)

[8] Simon Rösner (GER) v [Q] Raphael Kandra (GER)

Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)

Borja Golan (ESP) v [LL] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)

Zahed Mohamed (EGY) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)


Draw - Second Round (Top Half): 2017 El Gouna International Squash Open (To Be Played April 9)

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)

Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)

[5] James Willstrop (ENG) v Paul Coll (NZL)

[Q] Mazen Hesham (EGY) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)

Squash; April 2017 men & women Rankings

Rejuvenated Massaro Ready To Take On World in El Gouna

After returning to form at the recent Allam British Open to secure her first PSA World Series title since 2015, England's World No.2 Laura Massaro says she's relishing the challenge of travelling to Egypt this week to compete in the Orascom Development PSA Women's World Championship.


Massaro lost out to Egypt's World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in last year's title decider - squandering a 2-0 lead in the final - but after reversing that scoreline en route to lifting the British Open for a second time, she's hoping to double-up once again by taking on Egypt's best in their own back yard, in what she thinks will be one of the most competitive World Championships ever.


"A year is a long time in sport so there's no question of me wanting to make amends for last year," said the 33-year-old.


"I know, and showed at the British, that I'm capable of putting together a tournament winning week. But I also know just how tough it is to back up from events and how hungry everyone else is.


"All of the girls in the top eight or ten have hit form in recent months and all have the belief that they can win - it's a hugely exciting time for the fans and the players. Whoever holds it together for the duration of the week and can manage the expectations will win.


"I know from the British Open last week that a home crowd can really spur you on - but they can put a lot of pressure on you as well. In Egypt, the crowd will have high expectations on the home players and for me, I relish that hostile environment and will try and use it to my advantage."


Despite climbing through the World Rankings to top the standings for the first time in her career in January 2016, Massaro, the 2013 World Champion, failed to win a major title in almost 12 months prior to her victory in Hull.


And she credits a frank and open discussion with her team in the wake of a quarter-finals exit at the Windy City Open in February as the turning point in her recent fortunes.


"After the Windy City Open, I sat down with my team to really reassess where I was at because I felt like, in the big events especially, I was struggling to translate the work in training into on-court success," said Massaro.


"The Women's game is moving along at a huge pace, so we analysed what I was trying to achieve and what the objectives are. Seeing people like Nick [Matthew] come out with a new lease of life in the past few months, combined with that reassessment, has really given me a new impetus in training and I feel like the team behind me is stronger now than ever before.


"But to then translate that change in the style we did at the British Open was just unbelievable.


"I knew that I was on the right lines so hopefully now I can carry that form and momentum into the World Champs this week and put another big week together."


Qualifying for the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World Championship takes place between April 5-6, with the main draw held between April 7-14.


Massaro takes on Mariam Metwally in round one and is seeded to face 2014 runner-up Raneem El Welily in the last eight.


Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at www.e7gezly.com/event/elgounaintlsquashopen and 50% of the ticket price will go to Abu Reesh Hospitals.