Paris Open

PHOTO ALBUM

Finals

[3] Mostafa Asal 3-1 [1] Ali Farag  11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7 (56m)
[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-2 [2] Nouran Gohar  6-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 (64m)

NOUR’S SPEECH ABOUT CAPTAIN WALEED

World No.1 Nour El Sherbini shrugged off a slow start to defeat fierce rival Nouran Gohar in five games and defend her Paris Squash title.

In a match where both Gohar and El Sherbini’s levels peaked and dipped at numerous points, it was ‘The Warrior Princess’ who managed to eventually claim victory after coming from 2-1 down to win by a 6-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 scoreline.

The 36th meeting between the two Egyptian players started in surprising fashion, with neither player finding their best squash in the first game. Such was the slow start from El Sherbini that the top seed hit seven errors in the first game alone, with Gohar managing to take the first game without a single winner coming from her racket.

El Sherbini bounced back in typical fashion in the second though, jumping on the ball far earlier and managing to assert dominance with her straight attacks. The top seed moved into a 7-2 lead and managed to level proceedings after 22 minutes of action.

Once again, the third game saw another swing in momentum, with El Sherbini’s levels dropping off and Gohar finding her targets to her usual standards. From 7-7, ‘The Terminator’ edged away to move within a game of the title.

However, El Sherbini refused to go down without a fight, re-establishing herself at the ’T’ and troubling Gohar with her hold, especially down the backhand wing.

After forcing a deciding game, El Sherbini remained the player in the ascendancy, cruising into a 5-0 lead with some clinical squash at the perfect time. The pressure which the World No.1 put on Gohar was evident, with the No.2 seed stopping twice mid-rally in search of a stroke, only to be handed no-let by referee Andrea Santamaria.

The defending champion moved to championship ball after 64 minutes of action, and at the first time of asking managed to claim her second consecutive title in the French capital.

After the match, El Sherbini said: “[Gohar]  is always making it challenging. She always tries to change things and improve and she takes the edge for a while. Then I try to figure it out and take the edge for a while, so we keep teasing each other.

“I think that’s why it’s always like this. It’s one of the best matches, and hopefully it’s always going to be like this. I think the women’s game is improving a lot. We’re having a lot of tough matches which shows that so many players are almost at the same level.”

World No.2 Mostafa Asal continued his unbeaten start to the 2024/25 season by claiming victory over Ali Farag in the Paris Squash 2024 final, defeating the World No.1 by an 11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7 scoreline.

In a rematch of the CIB Egyptian Open final just over a fortnight ago, it was ‘The Raging Bull’ who managed to capture the first Platinum-level title of the season.

Both players arrived into the match with physical issues – Farag returning to the court less than 24 hours after his mammoth 94-minute encounter with Diego Elias and Asal admitting after his semi-final victory to bruising on his right leg and right hand.

However, it was Farag who seemed to be struggling with the after-effects of his semi-final the most in the early stages of the match, having to adapt his usual tactics and shorten the rallies as much whenever possible.

Asal, though, was on the contrary, asserting himself on the ’T’ and striking the perfect balance between aggression and control. The 23-year-old moved into a 1-0 lead after 13 minutes and soon after doubled his advantage to move within a game of the Platinum-level title. Such was Asal’s dominance that the No.3 seed managed to hit nine winners to Farag’s one in the second game of the match.

A completely contrasting game three would follow though, with Farag racing into a 5-0 lead in a flash. The World No.1 brought the crowd into animated applause with a string of accurate winners, with Asal beginning to look ahead to the fourth game as the scoreboard moved in Farag’s favour, choosing not to chase down a couple of tough balls from 7-2 down.

Farag reduced the deficit to 2-1, but Asal managed to regain his composure and return to the squash which had fared him so well in the early stages of the match.

The World No.2 moved to championship ball at 10-7 up and sealed victory when Farag was awarded a conduct stroke for his reaction to a no-let decision down the forehand wing.

After the match, Asal said:

“I was almost not going to play the match. [My hand] was just unbelievably bruised. I came here at 15:30, and I couldn’t hit the ball at all. I want to thank my team, including James Willstrop, they just pushed me all the way.

“I couldn’t even grab the racket. Having someone in your corner, a former World No.1, who’s dealt with all of these things before is amazing.

“We were chatting a lot today about yesterday’s match. I’m telling him that sometimes there are messy matches. As a player, Paul [Coll] is a big guy, I’m a big guy, so if there’s any tension between us it’s going to be messy. To be honest, it wasn’t a good show-up.

“Today, I was just fighting to come here and play in front of this amazing crowd. I wanted to give them something, even if I lost.”

Semis

[1] Nour El Sherbini 3-0 [8] Rowan Elaraby 11-7, 14-12, 11-1 (41m)
[2] Nouran Gohar  3-0 [3] Hania El Hammamy  11-7, 14-12, 11-1 (41m)

[1] Ali Farag 3-2 [4] Diego Elias (PER)  7-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4 (95m)
[3] Mostafa Asal 3-2 [2] Paul Coll (NZL)  9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (83m)

 

World No.1 Ali Farag booked his spot in the Paris Squash final after conquering current World Champion Diego Elias in an epic 94-minute encounter at the Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione.
In a match which will likely go down as one of the finest of the modern era, it was Farag who managed to eventually wear down Elias to take the match by a 7-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4 scoreline.

Farag will play World No.2 Mostafa Asal in the final of the PSA Squash Tour Platinum event after he defeated Paul Coll, while Egyptian duo Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar will renew their rivalry in the women’s event after defeating Rowan Elaraby and Hania El Hammamy, respectively.

Right from the get-go of the first men’s match of the evening, Farag and Elias delivered a series of high-quality exchanges, with two-minute rallies taking place with regularity. Such was the brutal nature of the squash in the opening two games, that the match clock neared the hour-mark as Farag won a second-game tie-break to bring the scores level.

Although Elias looked down and out physically after the 26 and 27-minute opening games, the World No.4 managed to keep his quality miraculously high upon his return for the third game, once again edging ahead of Farag on the scoreboard.

Farag, though, rallied to force a deciding game and soon afterwards finally began to see Elias crack physically. The top seed roared into an early 7-2 lead and wasn’t to be denied the victory, collapsing to the floor with cramp after 94 minutes of thrilling action.

After the match, an exhausted Farag said:

“That was one of the matches that I will remember for the rest of my life. Diego and I have had some unbelievable battles over the years, but we would fade away by the third, but this time around it wasn’t the case. That second game was one of the most proud games of my career.
“At the beginning of the fifth, I could feel the cramp in my left quad, and then there was that crazy rally at 8-4 which got me to 9-4 up. I was really seizing up and I had to hide it somehow. I’m so proud that I got through it.”

The other men’s semi-final was as equally entertaining, with ‘The Raging Bull’ Mostafa Asal fighting back from two games down to defeat New Zealand No.1 Coll.

The 23-year-old, who defeated Farag in the final of the season-opening CIB Egyptian Open earlier this month, continued his unbeaten start to the campaign with a gutsy 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 victory.
Meanwhile, in the women’s event, current World Champion Gohar booked her spot in the title decider after claiming an 11-6, 11-1, 9-11, 11-6 victory over arch-rival El Hammamy – her fourth straight victory over the World No.3 on the PSA Tour.

Gohar found her targets to great effect throughout the 71-minute encounter, pushing El Hammamy deep in the court with her destructive, but equally accurate, hitting.

Despite No.3 seed El Hammamy managing to pull a game back after falling 2-0 behind, a comeback victory wasn’t to be, with Gohar reaching her second consecutive final in the French capital.
After the match, Gohar said:

“Hania is such a fighter. I think I played really well in the first game and I was hitting my targets really well and my short game was on point.
“Sometimes it is too good to be true, though. She had nothing to lose at 2-0 down, and she was going to go for her shots as well. I think in the third I didn’t follow my game plan as well as I had before, but all credit to her, she made it tough. Overall, I’m really proud of my mental game and my tactical work. I think it is a match that has set me up well tomorrow.”

Top seed El Sherbini, who defeated Gohar in the season-opening CIB Egyptian Open final, came through her respective semi-final match with No.8 seed Elaraby in straight games.
The Paris Squash defending champion saved three crucial game balls in the second game, before moving away to an 11-7, 14-12, 11-1 victory in 41 minutes.

Quarters

[8] Rowan Elaraby 3-0 [4] Nele Gilis (Bel)   11-9, 11-5, 12-10 (41m)
[1] Nour El Sherbini  3-1 [5] Olivia Weaver (Usa) 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9 (47m)
[2] Nouran Gohar 3-1 Amanda Sobhy (Usa)  7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-1 (36m)  9
[3] Hania El Hammamy 3-2 Fayrouz Aboelkheir  9-11, 11-2, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8 (68m)

[1] Ali Farag 3-1 [8] Mohamed ElShorbagy (Eng) 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-2 (52m)
[4] Diego Elias (Per) 3-1 [6] Karim Abdel Gawad  11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2 (61m)
[2] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-1 [7] Tarek Momen 11-8, 10-12, 11-2, 11-8 (57m)
[3] Mostafa Asal3-0 [5] Mazen Hesham 12-10, 11-6, 11-4 (42m)

El Hammamy Battles Back to Defeat Aboelkheir in Gripping Five-Game Duel

World No.3 Hania El Hammamy survived a major scare as she fought back from 2-1 down to defeat Egyptian teenage contender Fayrouz Aboelkheir and advance to the Paris Squash 2024 semi-finals.
El Hammamy, who came from behind twice in the thrilling encounter had to be at her battling best to claim a 9-11, 11-2, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8 victory and set-up a semi-final meeting with long-time rival Nouran Gohar.
The No.3 seed struggled to deal with Aboelkheir’s wide variety of attacks throughout the match, especially when the court was opened up, but found joy herself by exposing Aboelkheir with straight and accurate drops into the front two corners.
After the two players had traded games to move to 2-2, it was El Hammamy who managed to draw on her big-game experience at the right time, moving into an early 6-2 lead. From there, the 23-year-old played some immaculate and error-free squash, eventually sealing the victory after 68 minutes of all-out action.
The other winner from the women’s draw was current World Champion Gohar, who fought off an electrifying start from America’s Amanda Sobhy to progress in four games.
The pair met just over a fortnight ago at the season-opening CIB Egyptian Open, where Gohar stormed to victory in straight games, but this time Sobhy put up a much sterner test, displaying flashes of the squash that saw her reach the 2023 Hong Kong Open final before her untimely Achilles injury.
It was No.2 seed Gohar who proved too strong in the end though, with the Egyptian taking the match by a 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-1 scoreline.
Meanwhile, in the men’s event, World No.2 Mostafa Asal secured impressive win to set up a blockbuster semi-final clash in the French capital. He was the final player to advance to the semi-finals after seeing off the dangerous Mazen Hesham in three games. ‘The Raging Bull’, who won the season-opening CIB Egyptian Open just over a fortnight ago, continued his unbeaten start to the season with a commanding 12-10, 11-6, 11-4 win.

Elaraby Score Statement Win in Quarter-Finals

World No.8 Rowan Elaraby acclaimed an impressive win on day four of Paris Squash 2024, defeating Nele Gilis to progress to the semi-finals of the Platinum-level event.

Elaraby, 24, started the first night of quarter-finals action with a shock straight games victory over No.4 seed Gilis. No.8 seed Elaraby’s victory over Gilis, which she secured by an 11-9, 11-5, 12-10 scoreline, ensured that she advanced to the semi-finals of a Platinum event for the third time in her career.

Throughout the 41-minute encounter, Gilis struggled to read the wide variety of attacks Elaraby had at her disposal, with the Egyptian volleying whenever possible and taking up an aggressive position on the ’T’.

Despite seeing three match balls slip from her grasp in the third game, Elaraby managed to take the subsequent tie-break to seal victory.

After the match, Elaraby said:

“It’s never going to be easy to win [against Nele], even if you were to have ten match balls. She never gives cheap points and I had to stick to my game plan to get the win.

“I think my vision towards the game has changed recently with the help of my coaches. I’m more free when I’m on court, I play however I want to, and that is what has changed my game.”

Elaraby will face defending champion Nour El Sherbini in the semi-finals after the World No.1 held off a valiant comeback from No.5 seed Olivia Weaver to win in four games.

The top seed, who raced into a two-game lead with some sublime squash, had to dig deep in the crucial moments to stop Weaver from forcing a deciding game, fighting back from 8-5 down in the fourth game to take the win.

Round Two

[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-0 Tomato Ho (HKG)  11-3, 11-4, 11-5 (23m)
[8] Rowan Elaraby3-2 Salma Hany  11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 (65m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy3-1 Jasmine Hutton (ENG)  5-11, 11-2, 11-2, 13-11 (49m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir3-2 [6] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 15-13, 12-10, 12-14, 10-12, 11-6 (65m)
Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-1 Farida Mohamed  11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7 (36m)
[2] Nouran Gohar3-0 Tesni Murphy (WAL) 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)

[1] Ali Farag 3-1 Gregoire Marche (FRA)  14-12, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 (47m)
[6] Karim Abdel Gawad 3-0 Joel Makin (WAL)  11-8, 13-11, 11-8 (60m)
[4] Diego Elias (PER) 3-0 Youssef Soliman  11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (50m)
[3] Mostafa Asal 3-0 Leonel Cardenas (MEX)  11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (52m)
[5] Mazen Hesham v Mohamed ElSherbini
[7] Tarek Momen 3-0 Baptiste Masotti (FRA)  11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (37m)

Fayrouz!

Egyptian teenager Fayrouz Aboelkheir delivered a stunning performance beyond her years to defeat World No.6 Georgina Kennedy in five games and advance to the Paris Squash quarter-finals. In a match that thrilled the Parisian crowd inside the Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione from the first rally until the last, it was Aboelkheir who eventually sealed victory by a 15-13, 12-10, 12-14, 10-12, 11-6 scoreline.

The World No.16 moved into a two-game lead with some exceptional squash, troubling Kennedy with her deception and impressive racket skills in the front two corners. However, after the 18-year-old saw two match balls come and go in a tense third-game tie-break, the match swung back in Kennedy’s favour, with the England No.1 battling back to force a deciding game.

A quick start for Aboelkheir in the fifth would prove decisive. The 2024 World Junior runner-up never let Kennedy get a foothold and claimed victory after 66 minutes of action.

After the match, she said:

“I think I’m just out of words right now. It’s my second win against a top-ten player and I’m really happy about it, although I’m just still hungry for more.

“After being 10-5 and match ball up [in the fifth game], she got two points back and I was just trying to take it easy and not force the win, and I think I did that really well.”

Aboelkheir will play compatriot Hania El Hammamy in the quarter-finals after the No.3 seed survived a scare from Jasmine Hutton to progress in four games. The Egyptian saw six match balls slip through her grasp in a see-saw fourth game but managed to eventually clinch victory at the seventh time of asking.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, there were wins for current World Champion Nouran Gohar and USA’s Amanda Sobhy, who will now square off against one another for a spot in the semi-finals.

In the men’s event, all four seeded players progressed without fail. World No.3 Paul Coll and World No.7 Tarek Momen set up a quarter-final meeting with one another after defeating Dimitri Steinmann and Baptiste Masotti in straight games, respectively. Meanwhile, CIB Egyptian Open champion Mostafa Asal and No.5 seed Mazen Hesham were the other two men’s victors on day three.

Gohar Powers Past Murphy In Three
Current World Champion Nouran Gohar set-up a tantalising quarter-final bout with Amanda Sobhy after easing past Wales’ Tesni Murphy in straight games.

‘The Terminator’, who finished runner-up at last year’s Paris Squash event, started quickly and never let Murphy get a proper foothold into the match, hitting strongly into the back two corners and picking the right moments to fire the ball in short.

Murphy provided some stern resistance in the second game, taking the ball especially well on the volley, but could never gain a significant buffer over the No.2 seed, with Gohar coming on strong in the latter phases to double her lead.

A rapid start to the third game ended any hopes of a Murphy comeback, with Gohar wrapping up the victory after 30 minutes of action.

Momen Ends Home Hopes With Clinical Display

Home hopes were brought to a close in the final match of the afternoon session, with No.7 seed Tarek Momen overcoming Baptiste Masotti in three games.

The first game was full of momentum swings, with Momen winning four straight points from the offset, before Masotti drew level at 4-4. The Frenchman fell away as the opener progressed though, with Momen taking seven of the next ten points to move into a one-game advantage.

Momen, who moved effortlessly throughout the encounter, continued to retrieve any attacks the Frenchman threw his way and countered many of these with some exceptional drops in the front corners.

As the match progressed, ‘The Viper’ continued to silence the home crowd for large spells, not allowing Masotti a sustained spell of pressure to fight back into the match. The 36-year-old moved to match ball and converted at the first time of asking, sealing the match by an 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 scoreline.

 

Play began with a tense all-Egyptian duel between No.8 seed Rowan Elaraby and Salma Hany, which Elaraby eventually took in five games. Elaraby arrived into the match having never defeated Hany from their three meetings on the PSA Tour, but the 24-year-old managed to flip the head-to-head record on its head in a scrappy match that saw regular interruptions in the middle of the court.

After Hany came from 2-1 down to force a decider, and subsequently move 6-3 up in the fifth, it looked like the World No.11 could be the one to take the honours, but Elaraby saved her best squash for the pressure moments, drawing parity and running away to victory by taking eight of the next ten points.

After the match, Elaraby said:

“Salma’s shots are always so accurate, so I’m glad I’m through this match. It is always tough playing her. I have grown up with her and I know her pretty well, so it is challenging every time I step on court with her.

“I wanted to try and move her all over the court. I think I tried to play on my backhand more, because that’s my favourite side and I think I can produce a lot of shots from there, but I tried to also vary my shots from the other side as well – I think I did both well.”

In the men’s event, defending champion Ali Farag booked his spot in the last eight.

Farag fought off a spirited Gregoire Marche in four games to set up a quarter-final date with England No.1 ElShorbagy. Despite Marche throwing everything in his armoury at the World No.1 in the first game, and getting a game ball at 10-9 up, costly errors crept into his game at just the wrong time, with Farag eventually taking the opener 14-12 after 19 minutes.

Despite Farag doubling his lead after a one-sided second, Marche remained strong and managed to pull away at the back end of the third to reduce the deficit to 2-1. This comeback was short-lived though, with Farag taking an unassailable 5-0 lead in the fourth and wrapping up the match after 46 minutes of play.

World No.6 Karim Abdel Gawad was at his masterful best as he defeated Welsh No.1 Joel Makin in an eye-catching conclusion to day two of the Platinum-level Paris Squash 2024.

Gawad, 33, was near-faultless throughout the hour-long encounter at the spectacular Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione, pushing the physical capabilities of Makin – who is regarded as one of the fittest players in the sport – with a barrage of dazzling winners.

After moving his way to a one-game advantage, ’The Baby-Faced Assassin’ crucially saved two game balls before clinching a pivotal second game tie-break. The Egyptian subsequently looked destined to wrap the victory up in swift fashion at 10-4 up in third, but Makin continued to fight until the end, saving four match balls with his own impressive squash.

However, Gawad ultimately proved too strong, claiming the final game by an 11-8 scoreline to set up a compelling quarter-final match with current World Champion Diego Elias.

After the match, Gawad said: “I really wanted to win, I would have done anything to win today. I was feeling physically good and was moving very well.

“Playing someone like Joel [Makin], you can just never give him cheap points, any easy games. I felt like I could keep pushing all the way through the match. As everyone saw, the last game I was 10-4 up, and then he pulled it back to 10-8, but I just told myself to keep pushing to the very end. I’m really happy to be through in three.”

Elsewhere, World No.1’s Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini both advanced to the quarter-finals without fail, defeating France’s Gregoire Marche and Hong Kong’s Tomato Ho, respectively.

Top seed Farag will face Mohamed ElShorbagy in the quarter-finals, after the England No.1 defeated compatriot Adrian Waller, while El Sherbini will take on Olivia Weaver for a spot in the last four. In what is her first tournament of the season, the American No.1 came through a high-quality four-game bout with Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam.

The last Egyptian to reach the quarter-finals was Rowan Elaraby who defeated Salma Hany in a challenging contest.

Round One

Youssef Soliman 3-0 Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (27m)
[3] Mostafa Asal3-0 Miguel Rodriguez (COL)  11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (36m)
[1] Ali Farag 3-0 Timothy Brownell (USA )  11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (34m)
Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0 Aly Abou Eleinen 11-6, 12-10, 11-1 (46m)

[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-0 Camille Serme (FRA)  11-6, 11-4, 11-6 (24m)
Salma Hany3-0 Zeina Mickawy 11-5, 11-2, 12-10 (26m)
Rowan Elaraby3-1 Joelle King (NZL)  8-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 (38m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-2 Hana Moataz  11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7 (59m)
[5] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-0 Mariam Metwally  11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (34m)

Rowan Elaraby and Salma Hany claimed the first victories of the day as they defeated Joelle King and Zeina Mickawy, respectively.

Lucy Turmel held off a strong comeback from Hana Moataz to book a place in round two whilst No.3 seed and recent CIB Egyptian Open champion Mostafa Asal became the first male player through to the next round, beating Miguel Rodriguez in straight games.

 

The Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione, known for its rich history in circus arts, will be hosting its third professional squash event and the first since 1996. The venue’s first-ever squash event took place in 1983 and was won by the legendary Jahangir Khan.

A week on from the season-opening CIB Egyptian Open, the champions from the first-ever Diamond-level event, Mostafa Asal and Nour El Sherbini, will be looking to continue their unbeaten starts to the campaign.

Asal, 23, faces a tricky test in his opening match in Paris, taking on former British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, while El Sherbini will take on the returning former World No.2 Camille Serme in Round One. Serme will be competing in her first PSA Tour event since the Egyptian Open in 2021.

Elsewhere in the men’s event, World No.1 Ali Farag has been named as the top seed and will be eyeing a bounce-back title charge after losing out in the Egyptian Open final. Diego Elias faces the potential of yet another battle against Farag – with the two having played on 27 occasions during their careers to date – if both were to progress to the semi-finals.

Other noteworthy opening-round matches from the men’s draw see French No.1 Victor Crouin take on former World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, and Welsh No.1 Joel Makin face Aly Abou Eleinen.

In the women’s event, World No.2 Nouran Gohar will face a repeat of her Egyptian Open semi-final against Nada Abbas – a match which she comfortably won in straight games – but this time in Round One in Paris. ‘The Terminator’, who saw her incredible 29-match unbeaten streak broken in the final in Cairo last week, was a runner-up at this event last year and will be looking to go one better as she returns to the French capital.

A potential semi-final clash against fierce rival and World No.3 Hania El Hammamy could await Gohar if the event were to go to seeding. The pair have met 26 times on the PSA Tour, with current World Champion Gohar having won their last three meetings.

American No.1 Olivia Weaver returns to action for the first time this season after missing out on the Egyptian Open through injury and will face Mariam Metwally in the first round. The No.5 seed can be found in the same quarter as World No.1 El Sherbini.

 

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