Black Ball Open Semi-Finals: ElShorbagy Halts Elias’ Run To World No.1

England’s Mohamed ElShorbagy took the victory in one of the matches of the season to stop a possible run to the World No.1 spot for Peru’s Diego Elias.

The opening game was played at a frenetic pace, with neither man able to take a commanding lead. Both players were hitting errors when they had opportunities, but ElShorbagy was able to take a quick run of points to secure the opening game 11-7.

Elias came out firing to win the opening five points of game two, but ‘the Beast’ was able to fight back. ElShorbagy was romping around the court to manage to get back to 9-8, with some amazing work in the front corners to win five points in a row. In the end, Elias was able to just about get over the line, to level the match with a cracking flick of the wrist.

The Englishman was in complete control in the third game, with his pace around court pushing him into the lead. Elias looked to be running out of ideas midway through the third, in a game that only lasted nine minutes. ElShorbagy won it 11-4 to move into the lead in the contest for the second time. However, he did not have that lead for long, as the Peruvian found his groove in the fourth to level the match and send it to a decider.

The pace was high in the early stages of the fifth, and once again it was the Englishman that was able to muster a lead with some amazing short play, despite looking like he was winded at one point. The pair were locked in at 9-9 in the fifth with both men looking out on their feet. Elias hit a great winner to earn the first match ball of the contest but ‘the Beast’ was able to save it before going on to win it on his first attempt, to move through to a 78th final on Tour.

“I need to speak about Diego. He’s my closest friend on tour. It was so tough on court but at the same time we were smiling at each other and playing in the right spirit. I’m actually really sad that I’m the one that has stopped him from having his first chance at World No.1,” ElShorbagy said.

“I really like the guy a lot, we’ve been spending a lot of time together over the last few months. He invited me to Peru in December, he and his family have been so great to me. He’s going to get the chance to World No.1, I’m 100 per cent sure.

“The guy is coming out of a country where he doesn’t have anyone to look up at. He’s done it himself with his father in Peru and he has a great team behind him in Wael El Hindi, who is one of the Egyptian icons and has done a tremendous job with him and Amanda. The last time he beat my in Hong Kong we had an amazing match together and this one was probably even better.

“I’m proud to challenge his generation. I had a tough time to get to World No.1 when Greg [Gaultier], Nick [Matthew] and that generation gave me a hard time before I got there. It was my duty to give him a bit of a hard time too, unfortunately I stopped him today and I really hope he gets it soon, but I hope I get it first.

“It’s mental strength, it’s not talent. My talent is my mentality. It’s a hidden talent and people don’t really speak about it. For people who haven’t played sport, it’s a talent that they don’t understand. I’m definitely not the most talented player of my generation, but I’m proud to be one of the toughest when it comes to the mental side of the game. I had a very tough first round with Gawad and I think I was written off after that.

“I kept backing it up and I trained really hard after last season. England Squash has done a great job with me, they’re sending a team with me in every tournament. I have David Campion with me, so thank you for being here every day.

“I was almost going to retire last season. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life or where I was and here I am playing my sixth final this season and will be going for my fifth title, hopefully.”

Result:
[5] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [3] Diego Elias (PER) 3-2: 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10 (75m)