Qatar 2024

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Finals

[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-2 [2] Nouran Gohar  10-12, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (96m)
[4] Diego Asal (Per) 3-0 [3] Mostafa Asal 12-10, 12-10, 14-12 (63m)

Nour El Sherbini completed a magnificent comeback as she overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat World Champion Gohar in a thrilling women’s final at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.

The pair were meeting for the ninth major final in a row, with four wins apiece coming into today’s match. El Sherbini had won both of their matches this season, with victories in the CIB Egyptian Open and Paris Squash title deciders.

El Sherbini fought back from two games down, and with the scores tied at 4-4, her forearm accidentally caught Gohar in the nose as she chased down a drop shot at the front of the court. Gohar left the court in tears and required lengthy treatment from the physio.

The World No.2 returned to court and continued to fight through the pain barrier, but El Sherbini was able to get herself in front and was clinical as she closed out a 10-12, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 win after 96 enthralling minutes.

The victory sees El Sherbini fill her trophy cabinet with the only remaining major trophy she was yet to win, further underlining her status as one of the finest players ever to pick up a squash racket. The Egyptian has now won 43 PSA titles and has won 15 matches in a row as she continues her unbeaten start to the season.

“It was a very enjoyable match until she got hit,” said El Sherbini.

“She’s a fighter and a champion. She’s so strong and it’s always a pleasure sharing a court with her. It’s the third final we’ve played this season and I have so much respect for her.

“I’m really happy I’ve finally won this title, and I’ve won everything now, so I can relax a bit. I’m definitely happy I’ve won the first three titles of the season. My parents are here and are sharing this moment with me. It means a lot and they’re always in my corner.”

Semis

[4] Diego Elias (PER) 3-0 [1] Ali Farag  11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (40m)
[3] Mostafa Asal 3-1 Joel Makin (WAL) 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (62m)

[1] Nour ElSherbini3-2 [3] Hania El Hammamy  10-12, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 (83m)
[2] Nouran Gohar 3-1 [5] Olivia Weaver (USA) 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (62m)

Mostafa Asal came from behind to beat Welshman Joel Makin, triumphing by a 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 scoreline to extend his winning run to 14 matches. The Egyptian is looking to win three PSA Squash Tour titles in a row for the first time in his career.

“He was playing elite squash and was forcing me to make errors,” said Asal.

“I wasn’t finding a way, but thanks to the crowd, they pushed me all the way, it feels like home here. I wasn’t giving it 100 per cent in the beginning, but then I looked at the crowd and it pushed me all the way through. It was an amazing match, Joel is just an unbelievable player and I’m really happy with the win.”

A new name will be etched on the women’s trophy tomorrow evening after World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World No.2 Nouran Gohar booked their spots in the title decider. It will be the ninth major final the pair have contested in 2024, with four wins apiece so far.

El Sherbini booked her spot in the final of this tournament for the third time after she ended World No.3 Hania El Hammamy’s title defence. El Sherbini lost out to El Hammamy in five games in the 2023 title decider, but she avenged that defeat today with a 10-12, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 victory after 83 enthralling minutes. She has now become just the second woman after Malaysian legend Nicol David to reach three successive Qatar Classic finals.

“I lost to her in the final last year, so I’m really happy with the way I fought back and pushed her every point,” said El Sherbini.

“Hania is amazing, she’s been through a lot and she’s always coming back stronger. It was tough but fair, and I’m really happy. I’m happy it was a good match for the crowd to watch and I’m happy to be through. I will try not to have any pressure or stress on me tomorrow. I will recover, relax and do my best tomorrow, I hope I can grab that title.”

World No.2 Gohar has reached the Qatar Classic final for the first time after she overcame USA’s No.1 Olivia Weaver, coming back from 8-2 down in the third game in the process. Weaver looked on the verge of leading by two games to one, but her rhythm was halted after she caught Gohar on the bridge of the nose with her racket, meaning the Egyptian left the court to get some treatment.

Upon her return to court, the World No.2 promptly won nine of the next 10 points to stop Weaver’s comeback in its tracks. From there, Gohar was never relinquishing her lead again and she pressed on in the fourth game to seal the win.

Gohar will play El Sherbini for the 37th time on the PSA Squash Tour. El Sherbini currently has the better of their head-to-head record, with 24 wins to Gohar’s 12.

“It can’t get much better than that [playing El Sherbini in the final],” Gohar said.

“It’s been the final of the World Championship for the past four years. We’ve both been so consistent and I’m very proud to share these moments with Nour. We bring the best out of each other and we keep on trying to level up the game. I’m very excited for a final on this court, so to be through to the final here in Qatar means so much.”

Quarters

[1] Ali Farag 3-0 Nicolas Mueller (SUI)  14-12, 11-5, 11-6 (34m)
[4] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1 [7] Tarek Momen 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4 (54m)
[3] Mostafa Asal 3-1 [6] Karim Gawad   9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (60m)
Joel Makin (WAL) 3-1 Fares Dessouky 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8 (59m)

[1] Nour El Sherbini 3-1 [6] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)  11-6, 7-11, 14-12, 11-5 (40m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy 3-0 [7] Tinne Gilis (BEL)  11-6, 12-10, 11-5 (30m)
[2] Nouran Gohar 3-1 Amina Orfi  11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (60m)

Defending women’s champion Hania El Hammamy has become the first player to reach the semi-finals of this year’s QTerminals Qatar Classic after she completed a 3-0 victory against Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in the opening match of the day in Doha.

The form book wasn’t in Gilis’s favour coming into the match given she had lost all 10 of her previous matches against El Hammamy on the PSA Squash Tour and she was under pressure right from the off.

El Hammamy controlled the space and her weight of shot was often perfect as she punished her opponent at every opportunity. Gilis was able to put some points on the scoreboard at the end of the opening game, but El Hammamy was too good as she took a 1-0 advantage.

Gilis was able to put more work into the legs of the Egyptian in the second as she got up on the volley and took the ball quicker and earlier. El Hammamy is adept at playing at a fast pace though and she was equal to the task, with two immaculate straight kills on the tie-break handing the World No.3 a two-game lead.

El Hammamy was in the ascendancy now and barely gave Gilis a sniff as she closed out a one-sided third game to wrap up an 11-6, 12-10, 11-5 win in half an hour. She will now play either World No.1 Nour El Sherbini or England’s Georgina Kennedy in the last eight.

“I executed the game plan pretty well, and I’m really happy with how I played,” said El Hammamy.

“Every time I gave her a chance to come back and I left the ball in the middle she just went for shots, so I had to quickly come back to my game plan in the second. I didn’t want it to be 1-1, so I’m definitely pleased with how it went today.

“I think today I played better than in the second or first round. I’m getting better with each match, so hopefully tomorrow I can raise my level again.

“It’s going to be tough [between El Sherbini and Kennedy]. Gina always challenges the top three players and it’s never easy to play against her. If she is on her ‘A’ game then it will be even harder.”

Women’s World No.1 Nour El Sherbini came through a tricky quarter-final match against England’s Georgina Kennedy to book her place in the semi-finals. El Sherbini had beaten Kennedy in all nine of their previous matches, but Kennedy tested the seven-time World Champion today in Doha.

After fighting back from a game down to level, Kennedy held four game ball opportunities but was unable to capitalise as El Sherbini came back to restore her lead. The Egyptian pressed on in the fourth and dropped just a handful of points as she closed out an 11-6, 7-11, 14-12, 11-5 win in 40 minutes to claim her 13th successive win on the PSA Squash Tour.

“I’m proud to win this match,” said El Sherbini.

“We haven’t played for a long time, but she was playing amazing. It wasn’t going my way in the middle of the match, but I tried to be patient, tried not to make errors, I tried to be focused for every point and I’m definitely pleased to win this match.

“The goal is to be consistent as much as I can. It’s hard to keep at the same level for a long time and I think this is the difference between the top players.”

El Sherbini will go up against defending champion Hania El Hammamy next in a repeat of last year’s final. World No.3 El Hammamy – who beat El Sherbini in five games during the 2023 title decider – scored a routine 3-0 win against Belgium’s Tinne Gilis to book her last four berth.

Asal – who has won both the CIB Egyptian Open and Paris Squash so far this season – made it 13 wins in a row as he came from behind to beat 2016 winner Karim Abdel Gawad 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.

“Karim is like a big brother to me,” said Asal afterwards.

“I’m super proud and it’s an honour for me to share the court with him. I was 11 years old the first time and he bagelled me twice, I always remember this. He has a big heart and he is a legend, he won the World Championships in 2016 and I was a kid supporting him and going to watch him.

World No.1 and defending champion Ali Farag ended the run of Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller and he will play World Champion Diego Elias in the semi-finals. Elias got the better of former World Champion Tarek Momen.

Round Two

Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-1 [5] Mazen Hesham  12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 (47m)
[1] Ali Farag 3-1 Youssef Soliman 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (55m)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) 3-0 Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (50m)
[3] Mostafa Asal 3-0 Mohamad Zakaria  11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (49m)
[6] Karim Gawad 3-1 Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 (46m)
Fares Dessouky 3-1 Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)  1-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 (55m)

[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-0 Sana Ibrahim  11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (29m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy 3-0 Salma Eltayeb  11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (29m)
[5] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-0 Fayrouz Aboelkheir  11-5, 11-0, 14-12 (31m)
Amina Orfi 3-0 Lucy Turmel (ENG)  11-4, 11-4, 14-12 (47m)
[2] Nouran Gohar 3-0 Nada Abbas   11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (35m)

17-year-old Amina Orfi has reached the quarter-finals for the first time after beating England’s World No.20 Lucy Turmel in the day’s opening match.

Superb performances in both of the opening two games – coupled with a determined showing in the third – saw Orfi complete an 11-4, 11-4, 14-12 victory to set up a last eight meeting with World No.2 Nouran Gohar.

Both players made big moves in the PSA World Rankings this week, with Orfi becoming the second youngest female to reach the top 10, whilst Turmel returned to the top 20 for the first time in over two years.

Turmel came into today’s match after upsetting No.8 seed Rowan Elaraby in the previous round, but it was Orfi who stormed out of the blocks to take a two-game lead, with Turmel struggling to match the intensity and accuracy of the Egyptian’s hitting.

Orfi was able to showcase the other side of her game in the third as her tenacity saw her overturn six game balls to seal the win in three.

“I was very shocked [to reach the top 10] because I think last year I had my chances to break into the top 10 and I wasn’t able to do that,” said Orfi afterwards.

“So this year I was just focusing on winning as many tough matches as I could, and I think it just came to me in the beginning of the season. Now, I have to set a new goal and aim higher. I think I did well in the first two games, I lost a bit of focus in the third, but I just told myself to keep going.

“Even if I was going to lose that game, I just tried to make her tired. I think that worked out well in the end . This my third [Platinum] quarter-final and to do to it here is very special.

“This is my favourite tournament on the calendar. Last year, I reached the round of sixteen and this year I want to go further.”

Dessouky Turns Things Around to Beat Steinmann

World No.17 Fares Dessouky booked his place in the quarter-finals of a Platinum event for the first time since January 2023 after he came back from a game down to beat Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann.

Dessouky came through a gruelling five-game battle with four-time Qatar Classic champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in the previous round and, despite having a rest day yesterday, he was all at sea in a one-sided first game.

The Egyptian barely troubled the scoreboard and looked disinterested, earning a solitary point as Steinmann stormed to a one-game lead.

Dessouky came alive in the second game though, playing the type of accurate, attacking squash that has taken him as high as No.7 in the world. With the scores locked at one game apiece, the third and fourth games were quite scrappy, with the referee being called into action regularly.

The break in momentum suited Dessouky, who kept his focus and controlled the middle of the court, eventually seeing out a 1-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5.

Dessouky’s quarter-final opponent will be Welshman Joel Makin.

“It look a lot, especially mentally,” said Dessouky.

“It was so hard mentally to jump back on court and play my squash again. He played very well and was very close to winning the match. I’m lucky to be through today.

“I play my best squash here and it’s one of the best tournaments we play here on tour. We have the best hotels, the best transportation, and everything is very clean and organised.

“Joel had a very good start at this tournament, he beat Paul Coll, so he’s on form and he’s playing very well. I think Auguste is in the second round here for the first time, and he has nothing to lose.”

World No.2 Nouran Gohar made it five wins in a row against fellow Egyptian Nada Abbas to earn her place in the last eight, where she will face 17-year-old Amina Orfi.

Gohar and Abbas were meeting for the third time in as many tournaments this season, with Gohar taking 3-0 wins at both the CIB Egyptian Open and Paris Squash.

It was a similar story in Doha. Abbas started each game positively and was able to ask questions of Gohar initially as she probed and prodded and dropped the ball in short with accuracy. However, Gohar was always able to move through the gears, and a clinical performance from the former World No.1 saw her wrap up an 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 win after 35 minutes.

“That’s the third time I’ve played her this season and she reached the semis of the first ever Diamond event, which shows the calibre of player she is,” said Gohar. “I knew she was going to make it tough today. I was up for it and it’s never easy. From the very first match you get a tough match and you can see that from the upsets, we have top seeds going out of the tournament in the first round.

“That was unusual in the past, but especially in the women’s game it has been happening. You have to be careful.

“You can’t relax because there are so many players who are improving and chasing you. One thing I learned from being World No.1 is that everyone is chasing you. It’s good to feel like the underdog, but you have to enjoy the challenge.

“My coach, Haitham [Effat], and I always try to improve things, as if I am a project which we are trying to make better every day. I’m trying to improve every single day as a player and as a person.”

World No.2 Mostafa Asal made it 12 wins in a row on the PSA Squash Tour after he defeated World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria in the penultimate men’s match of the day.

Zakaria, making just his second appearance at a Platinum-level event, tested Asal in the opening stages of a lengthy first game, favouring rallies down the backhand wall in particular. Asal is a master on that side of the court though and the 23-year-old possessed the superior accuracy to take the first game, with the second soon following.

Zakaria, the third youngest man to reach the top 50 of the PSA World Rankings, continued to make life difficult for Asal in the third, who had to work hard to get the ball past the 17-year-old as traffic issues began to creep in.

However, the higher-ranked player held off the teenager to see out a win which sets up a last eight match against either Qatari No.1 Abdulla Mohd Al-Tamimi or former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad.

“I’m very impressed with him and I’m so happy that Egypt are going to dominate again,” said Asal. “Seeing a talent like Zakaria is great. He is pushing himself and taking the juniors with him as well. My brother is competing against him and he’s having a tough challenge. I’m surprised by how mature he is, he’s still 17 years old and he reminds me of myself.

“He’s a fighter and he doesn’t care who he is playing with. He’s an amazing talent and hopefully he can keep pushing, he’s going to dominate soon.

“This is the first time that I’m playing with someone who is younger than me, so I was a little bit edgy. All credit to him and his coaches, they are pushing hard and I’m really happy to be through.”

Egypt’s former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad sent Qatari No.1 Abdulla Mohd Al-Tamimi out of his home event as he booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the QTerminals Qatar Classic.

Gawad, the 2016 Qatar Classic champion, was in fine form at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex as he took the opening game, but Al-Tamimi grew into the match in the second to draw level, much to delight of the home crowd. However, Gawad was quickly able to get back on top in the third and took the next two games without reply to earn his last eight spot.

“The Qatari audience is very aware of good shots,” said Gawad.

“Abdulla was on fire today and he can hit winners out of nowhere, so it was hard to read him today. Thanks to the Qatari crowd who supported him but also cheered for my good shots.

“It will be a hard match, Mostafa is in good form and won the last two tournaments. I’m playing better squash now too and I’m moving better on court, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Gawad will play World No.2 Mostafa Asal next, with Asal making it 12 wins in a row after getting the better of World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria earlier in the day.

Round One

[5] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-0 Zeina Mickawy  11-9, 11-1, 11-3 (24m)
Fayrouz Aoelkheir 3-0 Menna Hamed  11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (30m)
Nada Abbas 3-1 Salma Hany 12-14, 7-5 ret. (36m)
[2] Nouran Gohar 3-0 Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-1 (24m)
Emily Whitlock (WAL) 3-2 Malak Khafagy  11-3, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10 (62m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-2 [8] Rowan Elaraby  8-11, 2-11, 14-12, 11-7, 12-10 (62m)
Sana Ibrahim 3-1 Hana Ramadan  10-12, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (45m)
Amina Orfi 3-2 Farida Mohamed  13-15, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (61m)
[1] Nour ElSherbini 3-0 Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (25m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy 3-0 Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 (36m)
Salma Eltayeb 3-0 Tomato Ho (HKG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 (29m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 3-0 Mariam Metwally 11-7, 11-6, 11-2 (23m)

Fares Dessouky 3-2 [8] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG) 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10 (65m)
[6] Karim Gawad 3-0 Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 (26m)
[5] Mazen Hesham 3-2. Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 6-11, 11-6 (57m)
Youssef Soliman 3-2 Aly Abou Eleinen  12-10, 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6 (66m)
[1] Ali Farag3-0 Youssef Ibrahim 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (40m)
[7] Tarek Momen 3-2 Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) 12-10, 6-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9 (57m)
[3] Mostafa Asal3-0 Timothy Brownell (USA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-9 (33m)
Mohamad Zakaria 3-0 Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 (34m)

World No.2 Nouran Gohar got under way in the women’s event with a confident 3-0 win against England’s Lucy Beecroft. Gohar will now play fellow Egyptian Nada Abbas for the third tournament in a row after beating her in both the CIB Egyptian Open and Paris Squash.

“Lucy and I go way back,” said Gohar afterwards. “She’s very talented and very skilful. You can’t really play a loose ball from anywhere in the court against her. She can attack from everywhere, so I had to be sharp because I knew she would chop some winners in.

“I had to make it tough out there and I tried to find my targets, which I managed to do quite well throughout the match.

“I’m very proud with my [recent] results. I was injured here last year and I had to stay at home for six months watching everyone playing. I wanted to play at a decent level, and I think that took off a bit of pressure. I learned some lessons at that time.

It doesn’t mean I’m done yet, though. I want to keep improving.”

World No.3 Hania El Hammamy got her title defence under way as she beat Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in straight games.

El Hammamy found herself 7-1 down in the opening game after a fast start by Watanabe. However, the player from Japan lost her accuracy and began finding the tin too often, enabling El Hammamy to claw her way back in and take a 1-0 lead.

There was no let up from El Hammamy from that point onwards as she closed out the win in straight games to set up a second round match against women’s wildcard Salma Eltayeb, who beat Hong Kong’s Tomato Ho.

“It’s a tough draw playing against Satomi in the first round, so there was no time to mess around,” said El Hammamy. “She took an early lead in the first and it’s a good result for me in terms of finding a way in the first game and getting through in three.

“It was very crucial [the first game]. If she had won the first it would have given her a lot of confidence, so I had to find my rhythm and momentum a bit so I could take it with me in the second. It was a great thing for me to do to win the first.

“I’ve got so many good memories here. It’s a great event and everyone here is helpful and makes everything comfortable for the players. It has become my favourite event, not just because I’ve won it, but because of the hospitality and the support we get as players.”

World No.1 Nour El Sherbini was also victorious this afternoon as she beat England’s Sarah-Jane Perry 3-0, and she will play fellow Egyptian Sana Ibrahim in round two.

Momen Battles Past ElShorbagy

Former World Champion Tarek Momen – who lifted the sport’s biggest prize here in Doha in 2019 – battled to a 3-2 victory over World No.10 English Marwan ElShorbagy.

It was a scrappy match at times and Momen had to use all 36 years of his experience to oust the tenacious Englishman. Momen will now play France’s Sebastien Bonmalais for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I’m definitely proud of myself for pushing through today because there were so many things that were going on that were just so hard to deal with,” said Momen.

“Obviously, playing a top player like Marwan, we are both top 10 players, so to play on those side courts is not ideal. I got rattled a bit with the referee and then I decided that I needed to focus because it was not going my way today.

“I just had to deal with what I had today. I kept my head down and stopped thinking too much about the decisions in the fourth and the fifth. I just kept pushing so hard and thankfully I found a way.”

Farag Halts Ibrahim

Men’s defending champion Ali Farag navigated a tricky first round encounter with fellow Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. The World No.1 weaved his web and dictated the tempo of the match, with Ibrahim quickly falling off at 6-6 in the third game after letting his frustration with a decision get the better of him.

“Youssef is one heck of a player, he’s got everything you need, he is explosive and so skilful with the racket,” Farag said. “When I play with his generation at a fast pace, they absolutely dominate me. I had to be very smart with the way I approached the match today. Youssef has been struggling with injuries for the past year or so and he rolled his ankle at the Egyptian Open.

“It’s his first match back, so I knew he wouldn’t be that confident with his movement. I really wish him well in his recovery because we need him on tour. He’s so exciting and we don’t have anyone like him.”

Elsewhere, No.5 seed Mazen Hesham was tested by Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng, while Youssef Soliman also battled to a 3-2 win against Aly Abou Eleinen, and he will take on Farag in the next round.

Qatar Classic 2024 : It’s Sherbini and Elias !!

 

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