PSA Longest Matches – Where Does Gohar & El Hammamy’s El Gouna Battle Rank?

Two mammoth matches took place last night at the El Gouna International, with Nouran Gohar coming through a 107-minute clash with Hania El Hammamy and Mostafa Asal beating Mohamed ElShorbagy in 110 minutes.

The match between Gohar and El Hammamy is the fifth-longest women’s match in PSA history and the longest four-game women’s match ever. The pair took chunks out of each other physically throughout the whole match to reignite their feisty rivalry, with both pulling no punches as they battled for a spot in the final.

Gohar managed to hang tough despite many conversations with the referee and closed out the first and third games in tiebreaks, winning 15-13 and 17-15. El Hammamy’s resistance was fading in the fourth game, which allowed the World No.2 to run away with it, eventually sealing the victory with an 11-7 triumph.

The Egyptian pair also have another entry in the top 10 longest matches, as they recorded a 105-minute 3-2 match in the recent PSA World Championships, with Gohar winning that day too.

Here’s the current list of longest matches:

10 Longest Women’s Matches

1. Samantha Teran (MEX) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 3-2: 11–6, 4–11, 11–6, 7–11, 16–14 (120m) – Liberty Bell Open 2008
2. Natalie Grinham (NED) bt Rebecca Macree (ENG) 3-2: 9-3, 8-10, 9-6, 9-10, 9-7 (110m) – Irish Open 2004
3. Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 3-2: 13-15, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 16-14 (110m) – Irish Open 2011
4. Park Eun Ok (KOR) bt Dianne Desira (MLT) 3-2: 9-7, 5-9, 9-5, 3-9, 10-8 (109m) – Crocodile Challenge Cup 2006
5. Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 15-13, 9-11, 17-15, 11-6 (107m) – El Gouna International 2023
6. Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-2: 12-14, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11, 11-7 (105m) – PSA World Championships 2014
7. Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 3-2: 10-12, 11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (105m) – Winnipeg Open 2015
8. Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-2: 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 14-12 (105m) – PSA World Championships 2023
9. Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Laura Massaro (ENG) 3-2: 9-6, 7-9, 9-5, 4-9, 9-6 (104m) – Kuwait Open 2007
10. Natalie Grinham (NED) bt Alison Waters (ENG) 3-2: 6-9, 9-4, 6-9, 9-7, 9-3 (102m) – Hong Kong Open 2006

Despite the 110-minute effort by both Asal and ElShorbagy in last night’s second semi-final, the match does not feature in the top ten men’s longest matches. In fact, it falls short by a whole half an hour.

Take a look at the 10 longest men’s matches here:

10 Longest Men’s Matches

1. Leo Au (HKG) bt Shawn Delierre (CAN) 3-2: 11–6, 4–11, 11–6, 7–11, 16–14 (170m) – Holtrand Gas City Pro-Am 2015
2. Jahangir Khan (PAK) bt Gamal Awad (EGY) 3-1: 9–10, 9–5, 9–7, 9–2 (166m) – Chichester Festival 1983
3. Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 3-2: 11–13, 12–10, 14–12, 4–11, 14–12 (157m) – National Capital Open 2013
4. Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 3-2: 9–11, 8–11, 11–7, 13–11, 11–5 (150m) – Baltimore Cup 2008
5. Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt Joshua Larkin (AUS) 3-2: 6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11 (149m) – Shepparton International 2015
6. Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Adrian Grant (ENG) 3-2: 12–10, 11–3, 3–11, 7–11, 13–11 (146m) – Hong Kong Open 2006
7. Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-2: 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5, 10-12 (143m) – Indian Challenger No.7 2007
8. Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 3-2: 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, 18-20, 11-5 (140m) – Houston Open 2006
9. Nafizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-2: 12-14, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10 (140m) – Hibiscus Gardens Open 2012
10. Declan James (ENG) bt Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) 3-2: 7-11, 14-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 (140m) – Rochester Pro-Am 2013