Grasshopper 2025

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Final

[1] Nouran Gohar(EGY) bt [3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)  11-7, 14-12, 11-9 (43m)

[1] Ali Farag 3-1 [2] Diego Elias (PER) 13-11, 12-14, 11-4, 11-5 (52m)

PSA report

Egyptian pair Ali Farag and Nouran Gohar have been crowned the Grasshopper Cup 2025 champions for the first time in their careers following their victories against Diego Elias and Sivasangari Subramaniam, respectively, at the Gold-level event at Zurich Hauptbahnhof.

It’s Farag’s 46th title on the PSA Squash Tour, the 27th different event he’s won after finally getting his hands on the piece of silverware that has eluded him throughout his trophy-laden career.

Farag, a four-time world champion, was a runner-up at the Grasshopper Cup back in 2017 where he lost out to Gregory Gaultier, and he defeated Elias for the fourth time this season in a final to take the crown.

The Egyptian overturned a 6-0 deficit in the opening game to nudge ahead before Elias restored parity with victory in the second, but Farag had worn the Peruvian out enough to earn his maiden title in Switzerland with a 13-11, 12-14, 11-4, 11-5 success.

“It sounds good to be the Grasshopper Cup champion,” said Farag afterwards.
“I’ve been trying to win this for many years. I’ve loved the city, loved the event, loved the crowd but the one thing missing was the title. Now that I have that in my bag, I don’t have to come back every again [joked Farag].
“I’m so proud and happy. It’s always an honour to play Diego. He has beautiful racket skills and a beautiful grace about his game. He’s obviously lacking some match fitness but he’ll be scary next week at the World Championships. It’s great to have him back on Tour but not great to play him on court.
“He came out of the blocks very quick but I knew it wasn’t going to be sustainable. I didn’t do well in the first six points but after that, I started to get my length back and squeeze him in the back corners. He played well in the second game and that was a testament to his skill and then I think I got ahead of him and could go from there.”

Meanwhile, Gohar crowned her first-ever visit to Switzerland by taking home the Grasshopper Cup title after downing Sivasangari in straight games.

It was the fourth time defending world champion Gohar was facing Sivasangari on Tour, and the Egyptian boasted a 100 per cent record over the Malaysian coming into today’s final.

The Egyptian kept that streak intact as she claimed her 13th victory in succession on the PSA Squash Tour, with Gohar only losing one match so far this calendar year.

Gohar has been relentless all week in Zurich, and the World No.1 was in the same ruthless form again in the title decider, containing Sivasangari well to win 11-7, 14-12, 11-9 and clinch her 33rd title on Tour.

“I’m very happy. I think this is one of the few tournaments that I’ve won at the first attempt,” said Gohar.
“To be honest, I really enjoyed my time here. It’s my first time in Switzerland. I’ve been around it but never here and it didn’t disappoint. This was one of the most amazing crowds to play in front of so it was a blast and a great week and I’m very happy to end the week positively.
“The second game was crucial. With Siva I knew that there was going to be a period where she was playing amazing squash and I just had to push through that. Once I did, it became a bit easier but overall, I’m very happy with my game management today.
“I’m taking it match by match but obviously I’m very happy with my form but I want to get better and better every day and I try my best very time I step on court.
“I will definitely be back. It’s at the top of my list for next season.”

Semis

[1] Ali Farag 3-2 [3] Joel Makin (WAL)  7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (80m)
[2] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1 [4] Aly Abou Eleinen 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-3 (48m)

[1] Nouran Gohar 3-1 [4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 11-2, 8-11, 11-5, 11-1 (35m)

Farag Topples Makin In 80-Minute Epic

World No.2 Ali Farag sensationally booked his place in the final of the Grasshopper Cup 2025 after downing World No.5 Joel Makin 3-2 in an 80-minute blockbuster battle at Zurich Hauptbahnhof. Farag, a beaten finalist at this event back in 2017 when he lost out to Gregory Gaultier, came through a tough examination from the resilient Makin to advance in five.

Both Farag and Makin played some sensational squash throughout all five games, but it was the tenacious defensive play from the Egyptian that helped him get over the line to record a 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 victory after 80 minutes.

“It’s been eight years since I was last in the final here at the Grasshopper Cup against Greg Gaultier and he beat me 3-0, so I’m very happy get through today,” he said.
“Joel and I played a brilliant match last week at El Gouna and I think this one even surpassed that one. The quality and the grit that we both showed, with the free-flowing squash, there were hardly any decisions throughout the whole match. I don’t think that I used a single review which was so enjoyable to watch.
“I had to use every ounce of my head capacity to try and outsmart Joel today because he was playing very smartly and very physically as always. I had to resort on all sort of things, and I’m very happy that I did that.
“The ball wasn’t as fast as yesterday. Yes it is cold, but once you warm it up it is fine. With every review, with every court service, the ball goes quite cold and dead quite fast, but that is the beauty of our game. You can put a glass court in such a beautiful venue, and you have got to adapt to the conditions.”
Farag will meet Diego Elias for the eighth time this season in the final tomorrow – the fourth time where a piece of silverware will be up for grabs – after the reigning world champion downed Aly Abou Eleinen 3-1.

Nouran Gohar had never dropped a game to Kennedy on Tour from their previous nine matches, but the World No.7 levelled the match to break that streak. However Gohar had too much fire power in her locker to seal the match 11-2, 8-11, 11-5, 11-1.

“Gina played incredibly well, especially in the second game. She is a really good friend of mine off the court and I have so much respect for her, so it is always a pleasure to play against her,” she said post-match.
“I mean the comeback she had yesterday as well was incredible and I knew she had nothing to lose today and she would throw everything at me. She hit nicks from overhead and stuff like that so it was really enjoyable to play against her when she’s playing like that, and find a way to beat her.”

Quarters

[1] Nouran Gohar 2-0  [5] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 11-6, 11-4 (21m)
[2] Tinne Gilis (BEL) 2-0 [7] Salma Hany  11-9, 11-8 (35m)
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 2-0 [8] Nada Abbas 11-6, 11-3 (15m)

[1] Ali Farag 2-1 [7] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-9, 10-12, 11-8 (41m)
[4] Aly Abou Eleinen 2-0 [6] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)  11-7, 11-8 (33m)

Aly Abou Eleinen ended home hopes for Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann following his 2-0 victory to reach the semi finals of the Grasshopper Cup. Steinmann was featuring in the quarter finals of a Gold-level event for the first time in his career in front of his home crowd in the final match of the day, but it was Abou Eleinen who prevailed to knock out the last remaining Swiss player.

The pair had met very recently at the German Open, where Steinmann came out on top with a 3-2 success, and Eleinen struggled to find his range early on. Once Eleinen found his targets, Steinmann got caught of position as the Egyptian drew first blood.

Eleinen continued to do an excellent job at controlling Steinmann’s movement, dominating the ‘T’ as he diffused the majority of attacks Steinmann threw at him. Eleinen won 11-8 to seal the final spot in the semi finals.

“What a couple of days it has been for me. I scraped through last night and I almost packed my bags and was off. But I found a way to get through. I spoke to Ali [Farag] and he said it’s a sign of good character to get through a win like that,” he said.

“Today, ever since I woke up I have been edgy. Dimitri and I had a tough match at the German Open and it was a bit feisty, so to get the win today in two games here in Switzerland, I’m over the moon.

“Playing Dimi is so tough. He’s explosive and he hits the ball hard. The best-of-three format is tough as well, but I just wanted to hit a good length and when the opportunities were there, to go in with confidence.”

The men’s No.1 seed Ali Farag will take on Joel Makin in the semi finals of the Grasshopper Cup on Saturday afternoon following his victory against Greg Lobban. The Grasshopper Cup has eluded the World No.2 during his trophy-laden career, with a runner-up finish back in 2017, but Farag is now one step away from reaching the final in Zurich.

Farag’s fast start looked to have left Lobban with too much work to do, however the Scottish No.1 used pace and height well to reduce the deficit. Farag managed to seal the first 11-9.

The court conditions looked to be working well in Lobban’s favour, with Farag’s movement being disrupted by Lobban’s play as the Scotsman equalised in the tiebreak 12-10.

With the momentum in Lobban’s favour, he once again took the game to Farag in the third. But Farag delved deep into his mental reserves to hold off Lobban while also utilising the straight drive and the boast to great effect to secure a semi-final place.

“I’m very pleased and I’m very lucky to be through. I saw myself cracking and going home,” he said.

“Greg played extremely smartly today and he came up with a great gameplan and executed it to perfection. Honestly, I’m glad that I got this match under my belt because after the quick turnaround from El Gouna, you’re still edgy and not as ready for an event. This match, though, has got me up for the rest of it.

“It is important to win it, so I’m glad to fight another day.

“I was not stubborn enough today. I kept cross-courting to his racket quite a lot. It’s credit to him because he forced me to hit cross-courts because of how accurate he was. I should have been more stubborn though.

“I was lucky to have Aly [Abou Eleinen] with me in between games to keep me tough and to keep me focussed.”

Round Two

[1] Nouran Gohar2-0 Georgia Adderley (SCO)  11-4, 11-1 (18m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 2-0 [6] Fayrouz Aboelkheir 11-9, 11-8 (21m)
[4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 2-0 Mariam Metwally  11-6, 11-7 (20m)
[8] Nada Abbas 2-0 Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)  11-8, 11-4 (17m)
[7] Salma Hany  2-0 Hana Moataz 13-11, 12-10 (28m)

[1] Ali Farag v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)  11-5, 11-5 (16m)
[4] Aly Abou Eleinen 2-1 Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-3, 9-11, 11-9 (29m)
[6] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 2-1 Mohamed ElSherbini  13-11, 5-11, 11-8 (49m)

 

Salma Hany, taking on Hana Moataz for the first time on the PSA Squash Tour since 2016, edged a hard-fought battle to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in her career.

Both games followed a similar pattern, with short rallies as both players were hitting plenty of winners all across the court. Hany used the forehand boast to great effect in the first, clinching the game 13-11.

Points were once again being racked up at rapid pace as the short rallies continued. After seeing a match ball saved, Hany was able to convert again in the tiebreak to close out the match and advance to the last eight.

“Hana plays really well today, she kept fighting and coming back, never gave up, she’s a very tricky opponent,” she said. “I was little bit edgy today, but very glad to be through in two games.

“I struggled a little bit to find my targets today, but I knew that at the crucial times that I can keep it together and just be patient, but I very lucky that she tinned that ball.”

It’s Nada Abbas’ first time playing this event, and she’s sealed a last-eight place in style after downing the former England No.1 2-0 in 17 minutes.

Abbas now has four matches in succession against Perry, and the Egyptian was enjoying the better of the short, sharp rallies in both games. The World No.15 was finding more winners, with Perry staying within touching distance in the first, losing out 11-8, before Abbas comprehensively took the second 11-4.

I am really happy to be through, SJ is one of the toughest players to play against – she is very skilful, very deceptive and she can come up with shots that you don’t know where she is getting it from,” she said.

“I did a few changes at the beginning of this year, I am just trying to enjoy it more and take it step by step, try to do what I am doing in training. I’m really glad it’s working.”

“I played Siva at the beginning of this season, it was a very tough match, hopefully tomorrow will be a good one for the crowd and hopefully I can get the win again.”

The women’s top seed Nouran Gohar marked her Grasshopper Cup debut in style with a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Georgia Adderley.

The 27-year-old showed no sign of nerves stepping on court in Zurich for the first time as she sealed a quarter-final place with a dominant display, winning 11-4, 11-1.

“I’ve been dying to come to this tournament every single time but with our calendar it doesn’t really work sometimes,” she said.
“This year I was very happy I was able to manage the schedule well and be able to come.
“It’s an amazing city and an amazing crowd and I wanted to be a part of it before I retire! Georgia is a tough opponent and it was far from easy. Even when there can be a winning shot against another player, she can get it back.
“I’m pleased with the way I adapted but I think I can manage a few things better.”

World No.14 Aly Abou Eleinen held off a strong performance from World No.85 Adrian Waller to progress to the quarter finals.

Eleinen looked to be cruising his way into the next round having dominated the first 11-3, but a sublime comeback from Waller in the second forced a third deciding game which went to the wire as Abou Eleinen edged it 11-9.

Waller was struggling to cope with the pace set by Abou Eleinen in the first game, with too many errors from the Englishman’s racket leaving him unstuck as Abou Eleinen went 1-0 ahead. But Waller roared back in the second, hitting a variety of good winners as the mistakes came from Abou Eleinen on this occasion, as Waller levelled the match.

The momentum was with Waller in the third, with his forehand a successful weapon time and time again to nudge him ahead as looked on course to cause an upset. But Abou Eleinen had enough quality in the tank at the business end to extinguish hopes for Waller of a shock result.

Afterwards, Eleinen said: “I am lucky to get through today.

“First game I started off well, scrappy first few points and I was able to get a lead after that. Start of the second was a bit random, he got a lead and I got a bit edgy, and then the third I was lucky to get through.

“I was working my way through it, running around, wasn’t accurate at all. Credit to Adrianm – he was so accurate with that quick ball, so deceptive. I’m super, super lucky to get through today.”

Men’s top seed Ali Farag ended hopes for home favourite Nicolas Mueller after defeating the former Swiss No.1 2-0 in round two.

It’s Farag’s first appearance at the Grasshopper Cup in nearly three years, where Mueller stunned the four-time world champion by knocking him out in round two back in 2022.

However Farag was in determined mood this time out despite a partisan crowd backing Mueller. The World No.2 was in full control over the course of both games, claiming two 11-5 victories for a quarter-final match-up with Greg Lobban on Friday.

“I’m very happy to be back healthy and I’ve been unlucky in this tournament for the last few years,” he said. “I’ve always loved coming back, it just hasn’t worked out draw-wise or health-wise. I’m happy to be back, and I couldn’t ask for a better return.

“If you ask me how I want to play Nicky, it’s not in a best of three format, it’s not on a tall court and it’s definitely not in Zurich! Everything was working against me in terms of conditions today, but I said let’s adapt and take them to my advantage.”

Round One

Mariam Metwally 2-1 Zeina Mickawy 11-6, 8-11, 11-6 (36m)
Georgia Adderley 2-1 Nour Aboulmakarim  10-12, 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
Hana Moataz 2-0 Ambre Allinckx (SUI)  11-3, 11-6 (12m)

Mohamed ElSherbini 2-0 David Bernet (SUI)  11-6, 11-2 (22m)

The event, which will take place between April 22-27, will see action split between the Grasshopper Squash Club and a showpiece all-glass court at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, before moving exclusively to the glass court from round two onwards. The first three rounds will be played in the best-of-three format, whilst the semi-finals and finals will be best-of-five games.

World No.2 Ali Farag tops the men’s draw as he aims to score a first win in Zurich on what will be his fifth visit to Switzerland’s largest city. Farag is situated in the top half of the draw alongside No.4 seed Joel Makin, No.5 seed Aly Abou Eleinen and No.8 seed Greg Lobban.

Fireworks are expected in the bottom half of the draw as World No.1 and No.3 Mostafa Asal and Diego Elias are set for another semi-final showdown. The current World Champion and World Championships runner-up have met twice so far this season, with Elias taking hard-fought wins at both the Qatar Classic and the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.

The top seed in the women’s event is World No.1 Nouran Gohar, who has been in electric form of late and hasn’t lost a match since the end of January at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions. ‘The Terminator’ recently defeated rising star Amina Orfi in the final of the El Gouna International, and will be a strong favourite to lift the title in Zurich.

Gohar has been named in the same quarter of the draw as No.5 seed Satomi Watanabe, with potential semi-finals against either No.6 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir and No.4 seed Georgina Kennedy on the cards, if she were to progress through her respective matches.

Sivasangari Subramanaim, Salma Hany and Nada Abbas are the remaining seeds in the bottom half of the draw, all looking to cause upsets in the Gold-level event to reach the final. All four seeds in the bottom half will see this as a big opportunity to reach the final with the absence of both Nour ElSherbini and Hania El Hammamy, and avoiding Gohar until the title decider.

Grasshopper Cup 2025 : It’s Farag & Gohar !

 

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