QF: Windscreen Wipers tactic for Karim against Soliman

[4] Karim Gawad (EGY) 3-1 [11] Youssef Soliman (EGY)  9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 (67m)

A lengthy first game saw both players engage in several 90-second-plus rallies, with the pair unable to be split until 9-9. However, it was there that No.11 seed Soliman who managed to squeeze out two errors from Gawad to move a game to the good.

As the ball began to die off in the second game, Gawad found his stride, attacking at will and pulling Soliman across all four corners of the court.

The No.4 seed found several outright winners to level the match by an 11-4 scoreline and soon after taken the third by an 11-6 scoreline.

Soliman requested a change of ball at the end of the third game, looking to inject longer rallies into the match. However, this tactic was to no avail, with Gawad continuing to attack with superb accuracy and looking in complete control on the all-glass court, making sure Youssef was going side to side, front to back, as you see your windscreen wippers go under the rain.. left, right, left right… Hat to Youssef to be able to stay alive for that duration!!!!

After 67 minutes of play, Gawad advanced to the semi-finals by a 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 scoreline. No.7 seed Youssef Ibrahim awaits Gawad in the last four.

Omar Abdel Aziz, coach to both Ibrahim and Gawad

I’m not sure how many coaches had two of their players in the semis of the Worlds…

I’m so happy. I’m in tears. I can’t believe it.

I was hoping that Karim was going to win against Soliman. And despite everybody telling me that Paul was really ready against Youssef, after being beaten three times, that it was a big event, that Youssef would get overexcited because of the audience,I was so sure, so sure that Youssef would win.

I prepared Youssef for the past three days, I told him those people they are here for you, they love you, even if it’s annoying when they stop the rally, you saw how well he handled it, he wanted to keep playing, even if the crowd was supporting him.

I’m so proud of both of them, nobody knows how much effort those two boys put in to reach that result, both mentally and physically: it’s a very long season. We started so long time ago, at the Egyptian Open. It’s a very long season to perform like this, to be in shape….

Karim is playing amazing squash, his spirit is like never before, everybody noticed how mentally strong he is, he doesn’t want to lose.

And Youssef, he is performing, well, we can see a mixture of Ramy and Amr [Shabana] altogether!

I am so proud of them, tomorrow, I’m going to watch from my home, on SquashTV, and one thing I’m sure of, I’m in the final…

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