Hong Kong Open: Semi-Finals – As it Happens

There are some thrilling matches ahead as the 2017 Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open reaches the semi-final stage today.

World Champion Nour El Sherbini meets Laura Massaro, while the ElShorbagy brothers, Mohamed and Marwan, follow on.

Camille Serme and Raneem El Welily are also in action, with World No.2 Karim Abdel Gawad and U.S. Open champion Ali Farag bringing the day’s play to a close.

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Here’s the Order of Play
(All times are local HKT)
15:00 [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [4] Laura Massaro (ENG)
follow on [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
follow on [3] Camille Serme (FRA) v [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
follow on [4] Ali Farag (EGY) v [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)

El Sherbini Defeats Massaro to Reach First Hong Kong Open Final

World Champion Nour El Sherbini will appear in the final of the Hong Kong Open for the first time in her career after she overcame 2015 finalist Laura Massaro in five games.

The Egyptian World No.1 had lost to Massaro in three of their last four matches, but she hit the back corners particularly well in the opening game to go a game ahead.

The second game looked to be following for El Sherbini as she continued to find openings against Massaro, but the player from England switched things up to close the front of the court down and that rattled El Sherbini, who struggled to respond.

Massaro came back from 5-4 down to take seven straight points and level the scores and her momentum continued into the third as she took the lead for the first time.

But El Sherbini came out fighting in a crucial fourth game to level and she stormed over the finishing line in the decider, dropping just three points to earn her place in the final.

“Playing Laura is very hard, and in the middle of the match, I thought that I just needed to give it everything,” said El Sherbini.

“I had to go for my shots and stick to my plan. I went point-by-point and I’m really happy to win today so I can be in the final.

“Everyone is trying to improve their game and whoever is stronger mentally and physically is the one that will win in the end. I’m glad I kept my focus until the end.

“I’m feeling good, it’s only my second time here in Hong Kong. I’m happy with the way I’m playing and hopefully I can keep on going tomorrow.”

Result
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [4] Laura Massaro (ENG) 3-2: 11-7, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3 (56m)

Mohamed Prevails in Battle of the ElShorbagy Brothers

World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy claimed his first win in three matches against younger brother Marwan to advance to reach his sixth successive PSA World Tour final as his stunning start to the season continues.

One of the most memorable moments of last season saw 24-year-old Marwan, two years his brother’s junior, overcome his older sibling for the first time, resulting in an outpouring of emotion from both brothers after his win in February’s Windy City Open.

Marwan followed that up with a comfortable victory at the El Gouna International two months later but Mohamed – who had won all of their first seven matches before the Windy City Open – put in a focused and disciplined performance to eliminate his brother by a 13-11, 11-5, 12-10 scoreline.

“It’s always very tough physically and mentally playing your brother,” said ElShorbagy.

“We’re sharing the same room, and it’s difficult to prepare mentally because you know you are sending your own brother out of the tournament. But we are professionals, so we have to deal with it and we have played so many times on Tour now as well.

“He’s had some wins over me, I’ve had some wins over him, so it was always going to be tough, especially with the way he has been playing this week. He did unbelievably well to take out Greg, so I had to be at my best.

“I’ve put in a lot of hard work this summer to be back playing finals again, it’s what I live for. It’s my sixth PSA final in a row and I’m really happy to have my form back again and to be competing in finals.

“I’ll give it one more shot tomorrow and then I will have a break after the World Championship.”

Result
[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0: 13-11, 11-5, 12-10 (47m)

El Welily Defeats Serme to Set Up All-Egyptian Final

There will be an all-Egyptian women’s final at the Hong Kong Open for the first time after World No.2 Raneem El Welily defeated 2012 runner-up Camille Serme to set up a mouthwatering battle with World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in the title decider – in what will be a repeat of April’s PSA Women’s World Championship.

El Welily came through a gruelling five-game encounter with New Zealand’s Joelle King in the previous round and she looked jaded in round one as Serme – playing with supreme confidence after ending a 16-match losing streak to 10-time winner Nicol David – attacked the space well to open up a one-game lead.

But a drop in intensity from the World No.3 allowed El Welily back into it and she countered Serme well to take the next two games.

Serme levelled to send the match into a decider, where the high quality squash continued apace until El Welily managed to get the win over the line, and she will now compete in a third Hong Kong Open final tomorrow.

What a rally!@CamilleSerme and @RaneemElWelily even have @LeeDrewSquash and Vanessa Atkinson clapping in the @SquashTV commentary box! pic.twitter.com/afu9WvIAej

— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) November 18, 2017

“I started slowly today, I felt flat and mentally wasn’t prepared,” said El Welily.

“I didn’t think I had anything left in the tank, but in the second, my coach gave me the push I needed, my husband [men’s World No.7 Tarek Momen] too.

“I’m very happy to be through, to be in the final is amazing. It was a great match today against Camille, she played really well. At times, it felt like I was doing court sprints.”

Result
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [3] Camille Serme (FRA) 3-2: 5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6 (56m)

Farag Fells Gawad in Four

World No.4 Ali Farag will take on World No.3 Mohamed ElShorbagy in the final of a World Series event for a second time this season after he defeated 2016 runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad in a superb display of attacking squash from both players.

Farag and ElShorbagy met in the final of the U.S. Open last month – with Farag winning his maiden World Series title – and they will go head-to-head again after Farag claimed an 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 victory in 55 exciting minutes.

There were some breathtaking rallies throughout, with Farag taking the opening two games before some spellbinding squash from World Champion Gawad saw him halve the deficit.

Wow! @Karimsamy91 & @AliFarag are playing some incredible squash out there! pic.twitter.com/kfZRzQCAHI

— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) November 18, 2017

Farag is one of the most in-form men on the PSA World Tour today though and he held his nerve in the fourth to set up a thrilling clash against ElShorbagy, with ElShorbagy leading the head-to-head record between the pair 6-4.

“It was far from easy today, he’s won most of our matches,” said Farag.

“To get the win against him today is such a pleasure. He’s very talented, so tough to read, but I always enjoy playing him because it’s always a fair match. I hope we keep playing a lot of matches with each other in the future.

“In the last three tournaments, me and Mohamed have either won the tournament or lost to each other. I really enjoy our battles, the last two times he beat me, the time before that I won, so hopefully it’s going to be a great match for the crowd and for us as well.”

Result
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 (55m)