Gohar Steamrolls Surprise Package Abbas to Reach CIB Egyptian Open Final

World No.2 Nouran Gohar will contest another title against long-standing rival and World No.1 Nour El Sherbini after defeating tournament surprise package Nada Abbas in the semi-final of the 2024 CIB Egyptian Open.

World No.17 Abbas, who was playing in her first ever major semi-final after a dream run in her home city of Cairo, briefly matched the reigning world champion at the beginning of game one, but soon fell away as ‘the Terminator’s’ relentless power and accuracy delivered an 11-3 win for Gohar.

There was no let up from Gohar in game two, with the 26-year-old, who was occasionally troubled by Abbas’ attacking boasts, moving into a 2-0 lead with an 11-6 win.

In a totally one-sided third game, Gohar steamrolled her 24-year-old opponent 11-2 to get off court after just 38 minutes.

“It’s the tournament of her life,” Gohar said of Abbas.

“It’s a great achievement and shows how much of a good player she is and she improved big time obviously, reaching the semi-final amongst the three of us is huge. She should be proud and it shows the depths of the women’s game as well; I think we’ve been drawn to play each other in Paris, which shows it’s not only about the top three or the top five.

“It’s really good and it’s more challenging, which I like. I always like new challenges and working on problem-solving.”

On her final opponent Nour El Sherbini: “I think it’s about the 40th final we’ve played, and our first was back in 2016. It’s just a treat to be able to share this era with her, playing these big finals with her and having historical moments.

“To be honest, I don’t really count [the number of consecutive wins]. The only person who counts is my mental coach; some time we’re going to lose one match and it’s not the end of the world.

“I’m not thinking about it because it’s extra pressure I don’t need.”

Result: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Women’s Semi-Final

[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 (38m)

The finals of the 2024 CIB Egyptian Open take place tomorrow, Friday 06 September, from 19:00 (GMT+3) at Club O West, Cairo.

Watch the 2024 CIB Egyptian Open live on SQUASHTV and on the channels of the PSA Squash Tour’s broadcast partners. For more information on the CIB Egyptian Open 2024, follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.