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Hong Kong Open Quarter-Finals: Player Reaction
The Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open continues today as play moves over to the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre and we’ll have reports and reaction from the quarter-final matches right here.
Play begins at 12:00 as World No.40 Satomi Watanabe – the first Japanese player to reach a PSA World Tour Platinum quarter-final – aims to upset World No.1 Nouran Gohar.
Other notable matches see 2017 champion Nour El Sherbini take on Belgium’s Nele Gilis, while four-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy locks horns with the in-form Mazen Hesham. Top seed Paul Coll and the younger ElShorbagy brother, Marwan, bring the evening to a close.
You can watch all the action on SQUASHTV, while live scoring is available here.
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Order of Play
(All times are local GMT+8)
Gohar Battles to Win Against Watanabe
World No.1 Nouran Gohar had to draw on all of her experience to get the better of World No.40 Satomi Watanabe as she moved into the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open.
Gohar, the 2016 Hong Kong Open champion, had a far from comfortable afternoon as a superb performance from Japan’s Watanabe saw her take the No.1 seed to two tie-breaks in the opening two games.
In both of those games, Watanabe found her best squash towards the end of the game, fighting back from 9-6 down in the opening game to hold a game ball, which she was unable to convert.
In the second game, the 23-year-old was able to overturn three game balls, before finally succumbing 12-10. There was a short break towards the end of the second, with Watanabe getting caught in the face by Gohar’s racket, but luckily there were no lasting effects.
Gohar was in the zone in the third game though and rattled off five successive points to open up a commanding lead. Watanabe, who had absorbed Gohar’s hard-hitting style with a subtle hold and a number of clever flicks, was beginning to look fatigued at this point.
The woman from Japan grew into the game and was able to come back to within two points, but Gohar had that extra bit of quality as she ramped up the pace to close out an 14-12, 12-10, 11-6 win in 37 minutes to seal her spot in the last four.
‘The Terminator’ will line up against either World No.3 Hania El Hammamy or World No.6 Nour El Tayeb for a place in what would be a 12th PSA final of 2022.
“It was a great match, it’s the first time that I’ve played Satomi,” said Gohar afterwards.
“I know how it feels to cause an upset and then come back in the next match. She played really well and she had nothing to lose. I had to adapt to the conditions, especially coming up against a new player as well, so it was a bit tricky for me but I’m glad with the way I dealt with it today.
“It’s very different [playing on two different courts during a tournament]. Back in 2016, when I won, it I played on three different courts: the traditional, the glass one at the other venue and the glass court here. It’s pretty special for this tournament to have two different glass courts, but I can’t complain about it and I’m happy to be back in the semis tomorrow.
“I’ll be watching it [Nour El Tayeb vs Hania El Hammamy]. My match was only around 30 minutes, so I have a bit of a break and I can watch it closely.”
Result
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 3-0: 14-12, 12-10, 11-6 (37m)
El Hammamy Ends Losing Run Against El Tayeb
No.3 seed Hania El Hammamy has ended a three-match losing streak against fellow Egyptian Nour El Tayeb to set up a mouthwatering semi-final battle with World No.1 and bitter rival Nouran Gohar.
El Hammamy has found it difficult to get wins on the board against El Tayeb in the past, winning just two of their previous 10 matches, while she hadn’t beaten the World No.6 since October 2020.
In the early stages, it looked like El Tayeb was on course to extend her winning run after a an aggressive start to the match from the 29-year-old. El Tayeb was able to combine some fabulous attacking shots into the front corners with a solid length game, burying El Hammamy in the back of the court as she took the first.
El Hammamy was the aggressor in the second though as she ramped up the pace, getting onto the ball early and going short earlier in the rallies compared to the previous game. Her rapid pace continued into the third and she was always able to stay a few points ahead of her opponent to take the lead for the first time.
By this point, El Hammamy had the bit between her teeth and quickly pulled away from El Tayeb at the beginning of the fourth to seal the win, courtesy of a 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 scoreline.
“Playing against Nour is very tough, both mentally and physically,” said El Hammamy.
“The last two meetings went in her favour and I wanted to focus on the things that I did wrong in the last two matches. She’s an amazing player coming back from being a mother, she’s had an incredible journey and it’s very difficult to do what she’s doing and I don’t want to be in her position as I know how tough it is. I have a lot of respect for her and I’m definitely glad to be through today.
“I beat her two years ago and then she became pregnant and she was away for over a year before coming back. I’ve played against her twice since then and lost to her twice. It was just mental, I guess.
“The last two meetings I played the correct game plan and today I tried to keep my mind on court and do the things I needed to do in order to beat her. I learned from my mistakes and came out on top this time.
“In the first game, I was playing the correct game plan but I was making a lot of errors and that’s what I was trying to minimise in the last few games. It gives me a lot of confidence, I stuck to the game plan and that helped me to minimise my errors.”
Result
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-1: 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
Elias Reaches Semis for First Time
World No.5 Diego Elias has booked his place in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open for the first time after he overcame Egypt’s Youssef Soliman in a testing battle.
The pair had only ever contested two fixtures on the PSA World Tour, with Elias winning both in straight games. While today’s match was also 3-0, it was a far more competitive match, with Elias having to overturn deficits in both of the opening two games.
Soliman was able to open up leads in each of those games courtesy of some fast-paced, attacking squash, but Elias moved up a gear when faced with the prospect of going a game down, fighting back from 8-6 behind to take the lead in the first.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with Soliman able to build up three game ball opportunities on this occasion. After relinquishing one of his game balls, Soliman thought he’d equalled at one game apiece, only to have Elias review one of the Egyptian’s pick-ups.
The review was inconclusive, meaning a yes let was played, much to the chagrin of Soliman. That rattled the World No.12, who conceded four straight points to send Elias two games up.
A confident Elias returned to the court in the third and the Peruvian stormed away with the win, quelling a late fightback from Soliman to earn his place in the semi-finals, where either four-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy or World No.9 Mazen Hesham will await.
“I’m just glad that I could close it in three,” said Elias.
“He’s a tough opponent, he plays very fast and plays a high pace, so I’m happy I could play my game and win in three games.
“The first two games were very close. I don’t think I played my best squash but I’m happy that I could win in three.
“I thought I played very well in the first two rounds, I felt really good, so I knew that I wasn’t going to play my best and that was today, so I’m happy I could find a way to win.”
Result
[2] Diego Elias (PER) bt [8] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-5 (52m)
ElShorbagy Beats Hesham
England’s Mohamed ElShorbagy continued his quest to add a fifth Hong Kong Open trophy to his glittering cabinet with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the in-form Mazen Hesham.
ElShorbagy – aiming for a third successive PSA title – and Hesham – winner of last week’s Malaysian Open – have won the previous three events on the PSA World Tour but today’s match belonged to the former, who stormed to an 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 win in 29 minutes.
Hesham put up some heavy resistance in the opening game but completely went off the boil in the second after a shot which he thought was a winner was called down by the referee.
A bizarre third game saw Hesham barely attempt to retrieve the ball and ElShorbagy had no trouble closing out a comfortable win which will see him pitted against No.2 seed Diego Elias in the next round.
“Mazen is a quality player who just won the Malaysian Open, so he was coming here full of confidence,” said ElShorbagy.
“I think it was very important to win the first game and the second game was very tight until midway through, he lost focus and then I pulled away from 5-4 to 11-4. He kept hitting tin after tin and it was brutal at the beginning of the second. I think that was from the investment from the first game and a half and I’m glad to win in three.
“Coming into the match I think the head-to-head was 7-0 or 8-0 to me. But the last time we played in San Francisco, he got to me and he almost won that match. He was 5-1 up in the third to win 2-1 in the best of three.
“He came very close to winning because I was 1-0, 6-0 up and I lost focus in the second game to give him hope to win the match. I knew that was going to make this match very difficult and I needed to kill off any kind of hope he has against me and I need to be very aggressive from the beginning of the match. We put a plan in place, it worked today, I’m not sure if it’s going to work every time, but today was a happy day.
“We [ElShorbagy and Elias] are very close off the court. He’s probably the closest to me off the court out of all the players. On court we always keep it professional, and results-wise from the beginning of this season we’ve both been first and second in the World Tour Finals Rankings, so on current form we’re the best two players right now.
“We did play twice already this season, he beat me once 3-0 and a few weeks later I beat him 3-0. It’s gone one way each time and I hope it goes my way this time. I’m sure he’d love the same thing, but at the end of the day it’s going to be a great match, a great battle and two top players going against each other. We’ll both have a very big battle tomorrow.”
Result
[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [6] Mazen Hesham (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (29m)
King Cruises Into Last Four
The tournament’s No.4 seed Joelle King cruised into the semi-finals as she dispatched No.7 seed Sarah-Jane Perry in straight sets.
King, whose sole Platinum event win to date came in Hong Kong four years ago, blitzed Perry 11-4 in the opening game with an impressive performance.
Despite going behind in the second game, Perry battled back to draw level at 6-6 but King’s speed and accuracy saw her nudge back ahead before taking the game 11-7.
Perry stood toe-to-toe with King in the third, but the New Zealand. No.1 proved to be too strong in the end to pull away and cement her place in the semi-finals, where she will face either Nele Gilis or Nour El Sherbini.
“I thought I started really well to be honest, the first two were pretty solid until midway through and then I came away a little bit from what I was doing,” said King.
“She stepped up and SJ is so dangerous when she has time on the ball. She never gives up until the very last point, so I’m very happy to be through in three and be fresh for my semi-final tomorrow.
“The goal for this year has been to see how good I can get at playing this game that I’ve been trying to figure out for a very long time. I think I’m playing some of my best squash, it’s never easy to back it up tournament after tournament and it’s been something I’ve been really bad at in the past. With experience now in the bank and a very clear picture of what I’m trying to achieve out there, I’m able to play quite freely.
“I played my last World Juniors here and I won my first Platinum here, so I have lots of good memories. I feel comfortable and I have a really good relationship with Emily [Mak], who runs the tournament and all of the helpers. I’ve known them all for a really long time, so I enjoy coming back.”
Result
[4] Joelle King (NZL) bt [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (31m)
El Sherbini Overcomes Gilis
Nour El Sherbini maintained her 100 per cent record against Nele Gilis to advance to the last four of the Hong Kong Open.
The World No.2, who’s now five unbeaten against Gilis, won 3-0 to book her place in the last four – where she faces Joelle King tomorrow evening.
El Sherbini was ruthless in the first game, winning 11-4, before extending her lead to 2-0 when she chalked up a 11-8 victory.
A strong fightback from Gilis in the third was almost rewarded with her clinching the game to half the deficit, but those hopes were extinguished by El Sherbini when she came out on top 13-11 after going to a tie breaker.
“It’s the hardest match we’ve played against each other,” said El Sherbini.
“She’s been playing really well and she’s improved a lot from the beginning of the season. Winning three titles shows how she’s improved and even though the head-to-head is the way that it is, it’s never as easy as it looks.
“It was tougher than the others this time and hopefully we’re going to have more matches like this?
“I always say to myself that the quarters is a new tournament. It’s a new venue here as well, so it’s quite different, I’ve had to get used to it because I haven’t had a lot of time on it. It took me a while to adapt my game, but I’m happy I managed to sneak the last game.
“It was very important for me and it’s a huge difference to finish the match 3-0 instead of only being 2-1 up and having to play at least one more game.
“It’s going to be a tough match in the semis. Joelle is also playing really well and won New Zealand and Singapore. I hope I’m going to have a good game plan and be ready for tomorrow.”
Result
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 13-11 (42m)
Clinical Asal Advances To Semi-Finals
Mostafa Asal is through to the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open for the first time after a clinical display against Victor Crouin.
Asal raced into a 6-0 lead in the first game and showed no sign of letting up as she took the first emphatically 11-3.
The Egyptian’s momentum continued in the second game as he opened up a four-point cushion over Crouin at 6-2 before claiming the game 11-3 again.
The match was sewn up in just 33 minutes, taking another 11-3 win in the third. Marwan ElShorbagy or Paul Coll await in the semi-final tomorrow night.
“It was my first hit on the glass court,” said Asal.
“I’m a lazy person and I didn’t go for my practice in the morning, so it was a bit tricky. I tried to adapt to the court in the first five minutes when I was warming up. It was a lively court and very different to the other one.
“Thanks to Aly About Eleinen, he came to coach me today. He had a tough battle with Victor yesterday and Victor is an unbelievable squash player, he’s really skilful. In that situation where you have a chance to reach the semi-finals, it’s very important to to get used to the court in the first game.
“I had to be sure from the start and I’m happy to beat him in three.
“A little bit, yeah [when quizzed on whether he intentionally wore shoes that matched the court lines]. Before the matches I’m preparing in front of the mirror and I’m seeing myself performing well with these clothes and with this celebration. I feel that this is the best way to produce squash.”
Result
[4] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [7] Victor Crouin (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (33m)
Coll Earns Maiden Last Four Spot In Hong Kong
Paul Coll has reached his maiden semi-final in Hong Kong after he saw off Marwan ElShorbagy in four games.
The World No.2, who was defeated by Marwan’s brother Mohamed in the quarter-finals the last time the tournament was staged in 2018, made an excellent start in the opening game as he took a 4-0 lead.
ElShorbagy pegged it back to 5-5, before nudging ahead as he began to find his rhythm, only for Coll to surge back and go 1-0 up after winning 11-9.
Coll raced into another early lead at the start of the second, but ElShorbagy brought himself back into the game after stepping up to tie the match at 11-8.
It was close throughout between the two, who had met nine times previously before today’s clash, and Coll restored his advantage when he claimed game three 11-6.
The New Zealander started the fourth in the same vein, taking a 4-0 lead as he had ElShorbagy stretched with his accuracy.
However errors from Coll opened the door for ElShorbagy to come back into the contest but the comeback was short-lived – as Coll went on to clinch game four 11-9 and seal a last four spot.
“I felt like I was in control for a lot of it, but Marwan is so good at winning quick points,” said Coll.
“I was a little bit frustrated in the last, I think I was 9-6 up and then he won three quick points to go to 9-9. Overall, I’m pretty happy, the courts very nice and I felt good on there.
“He [Asal] seems to be playing well. I didn’t see any of his match, but he won in 30 minutes, so it looks like he’s playing well and he’s always a tricky customer. He’s full of energy and you know exactly what he’s going to get, it’s going to be a tough battle.
“But I’m enjoying my squash again, I’ve got my motivation back and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s another semi-final, I’m enjoying Hong Kong, and I’m looking forward to it.
“I can’t be loose as anything around the middle of the court he is absolutely lethal with, especially on that forehand. I’ve got to be accurate, I’ve got to be tight, strong and patient.”
Result
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (64m)
