On the first day of Quarter-Final action Reigning Champions Nouran Gohar and Diego Elias advanced to the semi-finals where they will meet Hania El Hammamy and Ali Farag
Check out reports and reaction from today’s matches below the results …
[1] Nouran Gohar (Egy) 3-0 [11] Satomi Watanabe (Jpn) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (43m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (Egy) 3-0 [14] Nada Abbas (Egy) 11-6, 11-5, 12-10 (41m)
[1] Ali Farag (Egy) 3-0 [5] Tarek Momen (Egy) 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (35m)
[3] Diego Elias (Per) 3-0 [9] Youssef Soliman (Egy) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (41m)
Bottom half quarter-finals take place on Day Seven
Gohar despatches Watanabe
[1] Nouran Gohar (Egy) 3-0 [11] Satomi Watanabe (Jpn) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (43m)
World No.1 and reigning champion Nouran Gohar booked her spot in the semi-finals following a dominant 3-0 win over Japan’s Satomi Watanabe at Chicago’s Lakeshore Sport & Fitness.
Gohar had won all three of their previous matches on the PSA Squash Tour and made it four in row over the World No.11 courtesy of an 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 victory.
The Egyptian has now won 17 matches in a row – a run which has seen her win the Texas Open, the El Gouna International and the Grasshopper Cup – and she was ruthless as she hit her lines accurately to outplay Watanabe in straight games.
It will be her sixth successive semi-final appearance at the sport’s most prestigious tournament.
“I just tried to mix it up a bit,” said Gohar afterwards.
“She’s a very dangerous opponent and we’ve been playing a lot lately. I like to be challenged and I like to have to figure out the puzzle, even if it’s out of my comfort zone, it helps me to improve every time.
“I’m more comfortable on the court and I had a bigger part of my team with me today, also my husband is coming. Having the right people beside me puts me in the right mindset.
“Everyone is here to win, that’s the goal. A week ago it was only winning the first match that was the goal. Now I’m in the semis you look ahead more and you’re more excited for what’s going to happen, but it’s just another match I have to prepare for and I’ll be up for it.”
El Hammamy to Renew Rivalries with Gohar
[3] Hania El Hammamy (Egy) 3-0 [14] Nada Abbas (Egy) 11-6, 11-5, 12-10 (41m)
World No.3 Hania El Hammamy will take on arch-rival and World No.1 Nouran Gohar in a blockbuster semi-final at the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family after she stormed to a 3-0 win over fellow Egyptian Nada Abbas in Chicago.
All six of their previous matches had gone the way of El Hammamy, and she extended that win streak with an 11-6, 11-5, 12-10 victory to earn a spot in her third PSA World Championships semi-final in a row.
Abbas came into the match off the back of a huge comeback from two games down against World No.5 Amina Orfi in the previous round. However, the World No.14 wasn’t able to back that win up as she quickly succumbed to a 2-0 deficit.
Winners into the front of the court from Abbas saw her stretch El Hammamy to go a game ball up in the third, but El Hammamy wasn’t to be denied as she kept the ball out of the tin to complete the win in straight games.
El Hammamy and Gohar will now meet for the 32nd time on the PSA Squash Tour, with Gohar leading 22-9 on their head-to-head record.
Gohar got the better of El Hammamy in the semi-finals of last month’s El Gouna International, but El Hammamy prevailed when they met in the final of January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.
“It’s very tough playing against an opponent who had a huge win the other night,” said El Hammamy.
“I really believed that she played really well, and I knew she wasn’t going to stop there and she would believe that she could come at me today and win. There were some nerves today, but I’m really proud of the way I finished in the third and found a way back into it. I tried as much as I could to cut the errors out and told myself at 10-9 down not to hit the ball into the tin.
“I know how hard I’ve worked to improve [dealing with the nerves], two years ago the nerves would show to everyone off court. I’m trying not to show it to my opponent or the crowd, I still have work to do to not show any nerves, but it’s normal, we’re playing in the World Championships and everybody is going to be nervous. It’s a matter of who can control their emotions and their nerves.
“I’m sure she [Gohar] will be nervous as well. No matter how well you’re playing on the day, if you’re emotional then you’re going to lose. If the other player is slightly stronger than you mentally she will find the edge.
“I think I need to prepare myself mentally rather than with the squash. We’re both going to kill ourselves and we’ll play for as long as it takes to reach that final.”
Farag Axes 2019 World Champion Momen
[1] Ali Farag (Egy) 3-0 [5] Tarek Momen (Egy) 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (35m)
Four-time world champion Ali Farag is into his seventh successive semi-final at the PSA World Championships following his impressive straight games success against Tarek Momen.
Farag, who could also return to World No.1 this week, extends his unbeaten run over his fellow Egyptian to 16 matches to advance to the semi finals in Chicago.
World No.2 Farag charged into a 5-0 lead in the opening game, but 2019 world champion Momen battled back to get within touching distance of Farag. However Farag’s physicality was better than Momen to go one game up.
Momen’s response to going behind was positive with a 7-3 lead in the second, but Farag’s smart finishing into the front helped him on his way to doubling his lead.
World No.6 Momen had to throw everything at Farag in a crucial third game as he tried to test Farag in the middle of the court but he had all the answers to win the third 11-4.
Youssef Soliman or current world champion Diego Elias will be Farag’s opponent in the semi-final.
“I thought I moved well, I played well and I was in the right zone,” he said post-match.
“I was a bit nervous before I stepped on court because I’ve been away from matches for three or four days. It was very unlucky for Leonel [Cardenas] that he had to pull out and I hope he’s okay.
“People think it’s a lucky draw to get a walkover but it’s actually nerve wracking because you’re out of the rhythm and you don’t want to be out of rhythm against Tarek [Momen] – you have to have every inch of your rhythm because if you get an imbalanced game plan Tarek is the best at it.
“I was a bit nervous but I think handled it well.”
Elias Through to Face Farag
[3] Diego Elias (Per) 3-0 [9] Youssef Soliman (Egy) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (41m)
Reigning world champion Diego Elias will meet Ali Farag in a rematch of last year’s semi-final clash on Friday after the Peruvian dispatched Youssef Soliman 3-0.
Elias overcame Farag last season in Cairo on his way to winning the World Championships for the first time, becoming the maiden South American to be crowned world champion.
The World No.3 was in stellar form against Soliman to continue his title defence with his second successive semi-final at the World Championships.
Soliman tried to rush Elias as he pushed up the court, but the Peruvian did an excellent job at controlling the middle of the court and dictating the pace of the game. The sting was taken out of Soliman’s attacks for an 11-8 win in the first.
After a close opener, the second was much more comprehensive for Elias as Soliman only notched one point as World No.3 Elias went two games up.
Soliman, appearing in the quarter finals of this event for the first time, upped the tempo once again but Elias once again diffused all of his attacking prowess to advance to the last four.
“Very happy I could win in three today. It’s been a long time since my last match and it feels like a new tournament and I’m happy I could close it in three,” he said.
“All of my team is here, my best friend is here and I’m very glad to have this support here. Hopefully I can go all the way this week.
“We’ve played so many times now, I think more than 35 times. We know each very well and it’s another semi-final and I think we’ve played eight times this season.
“Just happy to play again against him, it’s always a pleasure to share the court with him and hopefully I can do what I did last year in Egypt.”
