[2] Paul Coll (NZL) 3-0 Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 (39m)
World No.2 Paul Coll stormed to a 3-0 win over Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng as he set up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash with 2017 World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Coll had won two of their three previous matches but did slump to a shock defeat against the World No.18 at the 2022 Singapore Open.
There was to be no repeat tonight at the Palm Hills Club though as Coll put in a masterclass of control against a passive opponent who struggled to really put some hard running into the legs of the New Zealander.
Coll’s reward is a quarter-final match with 2017 World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy. The pair met at the semi-final stage of the 2021-22 PSA World Championships, with ElShorbagy prevailing after a gruelling 109-minute epic.
Since then, ElShorbagy has won four of their seven matches, but Coll did win their last meeting in December’s Hong Kong Open.
Next Opponent: Mohamed ElShorbagy
Interview with Amr Fekry
Paul : “It’s another good runout and I’m happy to be playing tomorrow, there’s not another rest day, so I can flow straight into it.
“I’ve been doing a lot of the work in the last two weeks. At El Gouna I was guilty of not being fully present in that event, I already had my mind on this one. That was a good learning curve, I didn’t really feel like I prepared for that event like I did and I wasn’t really in the moment there.
“It was about staying in the process and I had a daily plan to prepare for this mentally and physically. I stuck to that, I’ve been taking it day by day and I’ve done every session at 100 per cent so I can be ready for whatever happens this week.
“It’s very hard to win a tournament in Egypt. To be a World Champion in Egypt outdoors would be special. These are tough conditions to compete in and it’s a real mental battle to stay focused on your squash and not get caught up on all the outside stuff.
“I’ve learned a lot from Mohamed over the years in terms of the way he plays squash, he does everything he can to win and that’s one of his greatest qualities and strengths on a squash court. I’m going to have to deal with whatever comes my way, I feel like I’ve matured a lot in the last year, and I’m very confident I can deal with whatever happens.”
