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Paris Squash 2023 Day Four: Player Reaction
Round Three of the Paris Squash 2023 continues today with the bottom half of the draw to come from the Palais de Tokyo.
Another eight matches will be played on the glass court in the capital, which you can watch live on SQUASHTV from 12:00 (GMT+2).
We will have post-match reaction from today’s winners below as they bid to earn a place in the quarter-finals.
Order of Play
El Tayeb Downs Azman in Three
Nour El Tayeb kicked off day four in Paris with a straight games victory against Aifa Azman for a place in the quarter-finals.
El Tayeb was ruthless in the opener, charging into a 9-1 lead before taking the game 11-5, and she followed that up with another dominant display in the second – winning that 11-3.
Azman started to find her feet in a crucial third game for the Malaysian, however a break in play for a contributed injury sustained by Azman after being caught by the ball from El Tayeb halted any momentum.
When play resumed, El Tayeb converted one of her two match balls to tee up a quarter-final clash with either Salma Hany or Nour El Sherbini.
Afterwards on court, El Tayeb said:
âI think I felt nervous but I enjoyed playing on the court â it feels very nice and very accurate. I think itâs bound to happen that, as the match goes on, your opponent starts to get into the match more.
“At the end I thought it was a bit controversial but it went my way and Iâm happy to be in the next round.
âIâm very happy to be in the quarter-final. I was saying to my coach that I havenât been in the quarter-final [of a Platinum-level event] since ToC [Tournament of Champions] so itâs been a long time since I was in a quarter-final so Iâm definitely very excited to be in the quarter-finals.”
Result
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Aifa Azman (MAS)Â 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-9 (37m)
Hesham Extinguishes Home Hopes For Dussourd
World No.7 Mazen Hesham extinguished hopes of a quarter-final place for Frenchman Auguste Dussourd after the Egyptian clinched a 3-0 triumph.
Dussourd, who played two five-game matches in rounds one and two, tested Hesham’s resolve in the first game but he was equal to it as he went on to claim the opener.
Hesham’s execution was superb across the court in the second, taking complete control despite a resurgence from Dussourd.
With a two-game lead, Hesham had to work for the victory in the third as Dussourd mounted a comeback late on to save four of five match balls. However Hesham was able to seal the win to book a quarter-final spot.
âLike you saw in the last game, youâre never that comfortable on court, especially someone like me,” said Hesham.
“If I get comfortable then I lose my concentration like I did at the end of the third game. Iâm happy with the way I kept my head â I knew Auguste [Dussourd] was going to be tired today after playing two 3-2 battles before this one, so I knew I had to make it physical for him from the beginning and then go for my shots. I think Iâve done quite well today.
âAny day without an injury on tour is a happy day for me. Iâm pretty happy with the way I am, match by match, and I need to prepare for the winner of the next match whoever that will be. Hopefully I can have another good match next round.â Â
Result
[6] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Auguste Dussourd (FRA)Â 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (43m)
El Sherbini Progresses to Last Eight
Nour El Sherbini continued her excellent start to the Paris Squash 2023 with another 3-0 victory at the expense of Salma Hany.
The World Champion opened her tournament campaign 3-0 against another fellow Egyptian in Rowan Elaraby on Monday, and El Sherbini was in top form once again.
El Sherbini’s shot quality throughout was troubling for Hany, with the World No.2’s sharpness helping her draw first blood.
Hany stepped up in the second in a closer contest between the two countrywomen, however El Sherbini had the luxury of five game balls to double her lead, only for Hany to save three of them before El Sherbini converted at the fourth time of asking.
El Sherbini pressed on in the third, with her shot quality once again causing problems for Hany. El Sherbini faces former World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
âIâm definitely happy with my match today. Salma [Hany] is very tricky and very skilful, and she can kill the shots from anywhere on court so I had to be ready for all of her shots,” said El Sherbini.
“I thought I was moving better today and Iâm happy to win.
âItâs tough to play Egyptians from the first round, but Nour [El Tayeb] is a very good friend and a very tricky opponent. Our last meeting was a tough one and Iâm looking forward to tomorrowâs match.â
Result
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Salma Hany (EGY)Â 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (32m)
ElShorbagy Fights Back Against Rodriguez in Blockbuster Battle
Mohamed ElShorbagy fought back from 2-0 down to come out on top against Miguel Rodriguez in a pulsating clash in the final match of the afternoon session.
Today’s match was the 21st encounter between the Englishman and the Colombian, with ElShorbagy winning on 17 occasions.
It was fast and furious from both players in the first game, with Rodriguez throwing down the gauntlet with a rapid start.
The Colombian won 11-7 as Rodriguez continued his excellent start in the second with a 6-0 lead before ElShorbagy clawed his way back. The rallies began to settle after a frantic start, as Rodriguez closed the game out to go two games ahead.
Going two games down fired ElShorbagy up, who cut a frustrated figure during the first two games. He charged into a 7-2 advantage as the fatigue was beginning to set in for Rodriguez.
ElShorbagy halved the deficit by closing out the third 11-4, and the England No.1 continued to ramp it up in the fourth, storming into another 6-0 lead at the beginning of the game.
After clinching the fourth 11-4, ElShorbagy was in complete control in the fifth game – and had seven match balls to confirm a last eight spot. One was saved by Rodriguez, but ElShorbagy secured the win in what was a blockbuster battle.
âYou donât win the British Open unless you have a Champion mentality and heâs [Miguel Rodriguez] is a Champion. You donât do what he did to me today if youâre not a Champion,” said ElShorbagy.
“Itâs never easy playing me, and itâs never easy playing him. He beat me at ToC and I do have a good record against him over the years. But heâs had a few wins over me and he knows how to do it.
“He went on court today with no fear, he wanted to beat me and after that second game I told myself I have to fight. I wasnât going to go down easy and he knew that. I fought back and I won so Iâm happy.â
Result
[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL)Â 3-2: 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (64m)
Kennedy Vanquishes Ramadan
Gina Kennedy ruthlessly put Hana Ramadan to the sword for a quarter-final spot, winning 3-0 in the first match of the evening session.
The English No.1 had the match sewn up in just 23 minutes, taking the first 11-4 as Kennedy proved to be far too strong for Ramadan, who was aiming to reach her first-ever quarter-final at a Platinum-level event.
Kennedy claimed the second by the same scoreline as the first, as Ramadan had no answer to what was being thrown at her.
26-year-old Kennedy pressed on in the third, storming into a 6-0 lead, but Ramadan got four points back in succession to reduce the deficit. However Kennedy kept Ramadan at bay to take the third 11-6 and progress to the last eight.
Afterwards, Kennedy said: âMy coach Ben is here and he was saying no matter what youâre feeling inside, act confident on court. Sometimes I go into a bit of a shell, especially at these bigger occasions and it worked.
“I felt like I had loads of energy, I felt like I was using my physicality to my advantage, which I sometimes donât do. I was really pleased with that.
âSometimes I get into a mood where I want to win every point as quick as possible. Iâm pleased with that because Hana [Ramadan] is such a threatening player so to get her off in three is a good performance.â
Result
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY)Â 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (23m)
Elias Advances In Straight Games
World No.2 Diego Elias is into the last eight in Paris as he chalked up a 3-0 win over Nick Wall.
Both players were crisp with their squash in the opening game, however Elias was too strong for Wall with his accuracy seeing him convert game ball at the first attempt with five up his sleeve.
The former World No.1 was starting to turn the screw against the Englishman, and he had six game balls in the second which he once again clinched at the first time of asking for a two-game lead.
Elias, who has the opportunity to return to World No.1 next week, was moving well in the third which he closed out 11-6 for a quarter-final berth.
âHeâs [Nick Wall] a bit younger than me so Iâve seen him play a lot. Heâs dangerous and good racket skills. I just wanted to keep the ball tight to the wall and Iâm happy with the way I played,” said Elias.
âI havenât trained with many left handers. I think my backhand cross is pretty good so I just used it a bit more today. Against left handers I think thatâs the one to play and I put a lot of pressure in the back.
âI really like it [the court]. I think my length works pretty well in this court. I think I still need to work a bit more with my attacking shots as they werenât that sharp, but Iâm happy with my length and now itâs time to work a bit more on that.â
Result
[2] Diego Elias (PER) bt Nick Wall (ENG)Â 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (40m)
Sobhy Stuns El Hammamy
World No.16 Sabrina Sobhy stunned World No.3 Hania El Hammamy for the second time in her career to reach a quarter-final of a Platinum level event.
Sobhy shocked El Hammamy at last season’s US Open to reach the last eight, and the American delivered again for another quarter-final berth.
A blood injury sustained by Sobhy at the very start of the first halted proceedings, but the 26-year-old came flying out of the traps after to have five game balls. One was saved by El Hammamy, but Sobhy clinched the game at the second attempt.
El Hammamy, who went the distance with Tinne Gilis in the second round, was struggling to get going in the second as Sobhy made a bright start just like she did in the first.
The World No.3 was struggling to get in front of her opponent, as Sobhy opened up a valuable two-game buffer.
The third sparked El Hammamy into life, getting within a point of Sobhy who was repelling everything the Egyptian threw at her. El Hammamy saved two of Sobhy’s match balls, but the American claimed her second career victory against El Hammamy to move into the quarter-finals.
âItâs either that or the one at the US Open against her that are the best performances of my career. I donât know why!” said Sobhy.
“I feel like I was composed and that helped me a lot. Itâs the first tournament back and there can be a lot of expectations, but I turned it around so that there were no expectations and I think that helped a lot.
âI had a similar game plan at the US Open [in 2022] â I just tried to use the height of the front wall as much as I could. I donât think I could hang with her pace nor would I like to. So that was my game plan.
âWeâve [Sabrina and Gina Kennedy] have played in college together on the same team, weâve played each other many times but I donât think weâve played each other on Tour in the past season.
“No one is easy and Gina is incredibly physical and a really determined squash player. Sheâs a good friend of mine which makes it fun!â
Result
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)Â 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 (47m)
Makin Reaches First Platinum Quarter-Final in 2023
Joel Makin is through to his first quarter-final at a Platinum event this calendar year after holding off Marwan ElShorbagy while notching his 200th win on the PSA World Tour in the process.
Makin, whose last quarter-final appearance at a Platinum came at the US Open last year, was able to outmanoeuvre ElShorbagy in the first, which he won 11-7.
It was a slow start for ElShorbagy as he fell two games behind following an 11-5 win for Makin but the 30-year-old, who switched allegiances to England at the start of the season, quickly picked up in the third as he edged a close battle 11-9 to halve the deficit.
The request for a new ball went in from Makin at the end of the third and it was neck and neck again in the fourth. However Makin used the fresh ball to his advantage to deliver some big plays to get him over the line and secure a first quarter-final appearance in a Platinum in 2023.
âI thought I was in for a quicker one,” said Makin.
“I was really happy with my spots, I was hitting good lines. Something I credit Marwan [ElShorbagy] with is his spots in the back corners â you feel like youâre hitting up on the back wall all the time.
“Once I got my lines through I felt I had chances in the middle for some attacking squash, but thatâs where heâs so good â he changed the play, he recognises the softer ball and got some quick attacks in and thatâs why he’s where he is.âÂ
Result
Joel Makin (WAL) bt [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG)Â 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 (69m)
