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Paris Squash 2023 Quarter-Finals: Player Reaction
It’s the quarter-finals of the Paris Squash 2023, as eight players in the Men’s and Women’s draws battle it out for a place in the semi-finals.
All eight matches take place today, with play starting at 12:00 (GMT+2) at the Palais de Tokyo. You can watch all the action live on SQUASHTV.
Keep up to date with all the action from Paris with reaction from the winners below.
Order of Play
Sobhy Overturns Two-Game Deficit To Reach Last Four
US No.1 Amanda Sobhy overturned a two-game deficit to complete a magnificent comeback against Joelle King for a semi-final spot.
Sobhy, who had only beaten King twice previously on the PSA World Tour in their 12 encounters, made a slow start to the first two games as well as King’s pinpoint accuracy being problematic.
New Zealand No.1 King was impeccable and solid with her shot selection, taking a commanding two-game lead with 11-3 and 11-8 wins.
Sobhy turned the tide in what was a vital third game for the American, who was finding more depth in the court and having King cover a lot of ground.
Having won the third 11-6, the confidence from Sobhy was flowing while King seemed to be struggling physically as Sobhy capitalised to level the match.
And Sobhy became the first player to confirm a semi-final place, taking a comprehensive 11-2 win to complete a terrific fightback.
Afterwards, Sobhy said: âWe havenât played for a while and I was stuck on the 8pm shift so coming from a late night where you practice in the morning and then youâre on the noon shift so you have to get up and get going.
“It took a while for me to get going and get Joelle [King] off the middle of the court, but once I got going I felt like I got going.
âI put in a good block of work. At this age Iâm feeling the best Iâve ever felt â Iâm the healthiest Iâve ever been, movement wise the best, squash experience and itâs great to have Wael [El Hindi] in my corner.
“My sister [Sabrina Sobhy] had a phenomenal win last night so I felt like I had to set the tone for the day, and then I was down 2-0 and when I was down I said âyouâre okay, keep going and keep pressingâ. I was a bit anxious at the start but then I let go and took it one point at a time and it worked.â
Result
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [4] Joelle King (NZL)Â 3-2: 3-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (48m)
Coll Sees Off Momen
New Zealand No.1 Paul Coll defeated Tarek Momen 3-0 in a 60-minute tussle for a place in the semi-finals.
Coll was measured throughout the hour-long battle with the former World Champion, with plenty of errors coming from Momen’s racket in the first game while Coll remained steady with some solid defensive work.
More errors from Momen in the next game were pivotal along with Coll maintaining his exemplary defensive play. Momen saved game ball to send the second into a tiebreak, but Coll converted game ball at the second attempt to round off a 25-minute game.
It was close once again in the third but Coll, who’s beaten Momen 11 times from their 17 previous meetings, closed it out to confirm his place in the last four.
âI was happy with that,” said Coll.
“The court played a bit different to how it played the first match I played on it. The temperature is a bit colder.
“It was a bit dead and I had to be careful with because you know what heâs [Tarek Momen] like with his soft drops and poking it around. I was very happy to get off 3-0 without dropping a set.
âThe court was quite dead today so if I let him do what he wants then I was going to be in trouble. I told myself to go for it a bit more and volley it a bit more and put it in quickly when I had the opportunity I put in maybe four winners at the back of the third and that was enough to close it out.â
Result
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [8] Tarek Momen (EGY)Â 3-0: 11-8, 12-10, 11-8 (60m)
Ruthless Gohar Into The Semis
World No.1 Nouran Gohar maintained her ruthless streak at this event with another straight games victory, knocking out Nele Gilis on this occasion.
Gohar has been in a rich vein of form throughout in Paris, not dropping a single game, and she extended that run this afternoon with a dominant victory against Gilis.
Despite the first being level in the early exchanges, Gohar was far too strong as she powered through to draw first blood.
Gilis was beginning to find her range in the second, but Gohar tightened up to go two games ahead and defuse the Belgian.
And Gohar went from strength to strength in the third, with her clean hitting giving her the luxury of six match balls which she converted at the first attempt.
âItâs so hard to play against her [Nele Gilis] because the match can go on for two hours and sheâs not going to get exhausted or tired at all!” Gohar said.
“I knew that wasnât the right game plan to have against her at all and I was just trying to win quick points as much as I can.
“You canât help playing long rallies as you sometimes play them, but when you get chances I just go for it.
âI was trying to be unpredictable and I can stop her moving a bit. She was trying to slow it down which worked for a bit during a patch of the mach. I was aware of this and itâs like a puzzle â when you play a top ten player you have to adapt and thatâs what I was trying to do.â
Result
[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [6] Nele Gilis (BEL)Â 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (37m)
Farag Ends Home Hopes For Crouin
World No.1 Ali Farag ended hopes of a semi-final appearance for French No.1 Victor Crouin on home court by clinching a 3-0 triumph.
Farag boasts a 100 per cent record at this event having not dropped a game and the reigning World Champion notched another straight games victory today in the last match of the afternoon session.
Crouin was the last French player standing, aiming extend his run at a home event, but he couldn’t stop the rampant Farag.
The French No.1 made an excellent start to the opener but it was quickly quelled by Farag, who moved into a 9-5 lead, as he emphatically clinched the first.
Farag stormed into a 6-1 advantage in the second as Crouin, buoyed by the home crowd, clawed it back to 5-6. But Farag pressed on despite the flurry of points from the Frenchman with Farag’s steely determination giving him a two-game lead.
The tournament’s top seed was tested in the third by Crouin, with Farag’s 8-5 lead gone as Crouin pegged it back to eight-all. Farag put himself into the driving seat with two match balls and he sealed his semi-final place at the first time of asking.
âIâm so happy to get through in three. I was playing really well in the first two and I donât think I did much wrong in the third either â maybe a little bit too short as I was trying to take advantage of the soft ball,” said Farag.
“He [Victor Crouin] was more intelligent in that regard and I stuck in with him. At the end it was a little bit scrappy with the decision and I had to keep the ball warm so he wasnât going to steal a point right away.
“I had to play a long rally and I was telling myself that and even if I lose it and itâs 10-all, at least I can put a bit more work into his legs.”
Result
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [7] Victor Crouin (FRA)Â 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (43m)
El Sherbini Bounces Back To Clinch Semi-Final Spot
Nour El Sherbini came from one game down against Nour El Tayeb to confirm her place in the semi-finals.
Good friends off court, the two Egyptians were going into their 25th meeting on the PSA World Tour, with El Sherbini winning 18 times.
El Sherbini made the better start to the first but El Tayeb battled back from 8-6 down, notching five points without reply to nudge in front.
Seven-time World Champion El Sherbini then landed the perfect riposte to going behind, bagging five unanswered points of her own to restore parity.
El Sherbini was settled on court as she began to dictate most of the rallies with El Tayeb clinging on. With El Sherbini finding her range, the ‘Warrior Princess’ moved into a 2-1 lead.
The hand went up for a new ball from El Tayeb at the end of the third, but it didn’t come to her aid in a decisive fourth game as El Sherbini powered through to an 11-8 win and a semi-final place in the bag.
âAt this time of my career weâve [El Sherbini and Nour El Tayeb] have been playing many, many times and we kind of separated. We are really good friends off court and it makes things easier on court,” said El Sherbini.
“We have a lot of respect, weâve been growing up together and weâre really good friends. It was a very clean match with not many issues and I think this helped. You want to win but I think this makes it easier, especially for me.
âI love it on court, itâs a perfect court for me. The shots are dead and they donât come back which works for me.
âWe played in the World Tour Finals and it was our first match for a long time. Playing her in the first tournament of this season and the last one of last season, it wasnât easy last time and I had to change my game plan, I tried to stick to it and even when I lost the first game I tried to focus more on my targets and build more rallies. Winning the second made a huge difference.â
Result
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)Â 3-1: 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (52m)
Elias Triumphs In Mammoth 100-Minute Battle
Diego Elias is into the semi-finals of the Paris Squash 2023 after coming out on top in a mammoth 100-minute battle with Joel Makin.
Elias had to go the distance with Makin, edging the match 3-2 to continue his run in the French capital.
The Peruvian drew first blood when he battled back from 6-3 down, but Elias didn’t make the ideal start to the second when he made four unforced errors in succession as Makin moved into a 5-1 lead.
Elias roared back once more, but Makin kept his opponent at arm’s length to level. The flow of the match started to becoming fragmented in the third with court service required on several occasions to resolve the surface of the court.
Long rallies tested the fitness of both players, with Elias finding his range to regain his advantage. But Makin wasn’t done in the fourth – as the momentum swung back in the Welshman’s favour to make it two apiece.
One hundred minutes of squash drew to a close in the fifth as Elias managed to hold off Makin, who was hanging tough in the decider. Elias will take on either Mohamed ElShorbagy or Mazen Hesham tomorrow.
âJoel [Makin] is such a fighter â I had to win the points so many times. Iâm still not happy with a lot of things I did today but I was happy being on court again after a couple of months. I was enjoying it and hopefully match by match I can get better,” said Elias.
âI wasnât happy with my fitness today. He was really fast, volleying a lot, I was under pressure from the start and I didnât expect that.
“I got a bit nervous and those things can get you a bit more tired. Iâm just happy I could stay there and win.â
Result
[2] Diego Elias (PER) bt Joel Makin (WAL)Â 3-2: 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 (100m)
Kennedy Reaches First-Ever Platinum Semi-Final
Gina Kennedy is into a semi-final of a Platinum-level event for the first time in her career as she came from 2-1 down to overcome Sabrina Sobhy 3-2.
Englishwoman Kennedy was in for a tough encounter with Sobhy, an opponent she knows well from their Harvard University days, after the American knocked out World No.3 Hania El Hammamy yesterday.
And Sobhy picked up where she left off yesterday against El Hammamy, making a fast start which gave her five game balls. Kennedy saved one, but it was second time lucky for Sobhy to take the opener.
Kennedy responded superbly well with an 11-8 win to level proceedings, but Sobhy was back ahead after taking the third where she was pushing Kennedy into the back of the court and asserting her dominance in the middle.
Both players were serving up entertaining squash throughout, and as the ball softened, Kennedy pounced to make it all square once more.
The previous four games with Kennedy – along with a magnificent performance over El Hammamy yesterday – seemed to have taken the wind out of Sobhy’s sails as Kennedy charged into a 6-2 advantage. The Englishwoman pressed on with five unanswered points to secure her maiden Platinum semi-final.
âShe [Sabrina Sobhy] clearly started feeling it in the fifth game. Weâve been training together since the beginning as we played at the same club and we were saying our bodies were hurting from the harder courts,” said Kennedy.
“That was a brutal match and weâve had brutal matches since we were playing together at uni.
âI rarely came out on top in those challenge matches as well [against Sobhy]. Iâm happy to come out on top this time.
âBritish Nationals I didnât play how I wanted to. It knocked my confidence with my first tournament of the season I felt like she was outplaying after that first game and even between games I felt like I wasnât doing much wrong, Iâm trying to make it as tough as possible but sheâs just too good.
“Iâm so proud how I managed to get her off the tee and find a way.â
Result
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA)Â 3-2: 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-2 (53m)
ElShorbagy Cruises Into Final Four
Mohamed ElShorbagy booked his semi-final place with a convincing victory over Mazen Hesham.
ElShorbagy’s accuracy level was high throughout as Hesham had no answer to the efficiency of the World No.3.
While ElShorbagy delivered an excellent performance, errors from Hesham’s racket didn’t help the Egyptian’s cause.
ElShorbagy has an excellent record against Hesham – winning all 10 of the previous matches – and he was determined to keep that run intact.
The 32-year-old was faultless to get himself into the semi-finals, taking all three 11-5, 11-5 and 11-4 in just under half an hour.
âIâm happy with the performance but Iâm not happy with the scheduling,” said ElShorbagy post-match.
âI donât think Iâve been a player who has made complaints, Iâve always been straightforward with what I think. Itâs almost 12am and my competitors are in bed. How am I going to wake up tomorrow and perform like this again?
âIâm going to do it because itâs who I am and Iâm going to fight. Itâs time to think about the playerâs recovery if you want a good product.â
Result
[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt [6] Mazen Hesham (EGY)Â 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
