Featured News
Windy City Open 2024 presented by The Walter Family: Day Three Player Reaction
Round three of the Windy City Open 2024 presented by The Walter Family begins today at the University Club of Chicago, with the first eight matches taking place.
All eight matches will be played on the glass court, and you can watch live on SQUASHTV from 12:00 (GMT-5).
We will have post-match reaction from today’s winners throughout the session below, as they bid to earn a place in the quarter-finals.
Order of Play
Gawad Edges Dramatic Rodriguez Showdown to Cap Off Day Three
Karim Abdel Gawad and Miguel Rodriguez put on a show for the Chicago crowd in the final match of day three, with the Egyptian running out a 3-2 winner after 82 minutes of play.
Fans inside the Cathedral Hall at the University Club of Chicago could hardly have asked for a better matchup to end the day, with the shot-making prowess of Gawad up against the extravagance and eccentricity of the Colombian.
They did not have to wait long to be entertained, either, with Rodriguez’s ‘disco-time’ style on full display from the opening point, which he won with a well-disguised forehand flick.
He followed that up with a no-look backhand drop which had one member of the audience on his feet on just the third point of the match, and even Gawad joined in with the theatrics soon afterwards, hitting a behind-the-back shot.
It was the Colombian who was playing with more accuracy, though, and he took game one 11-6 after drilling a forehand down the middle which was too hot for Gawad to handle.
The tide turned in game two as Gawad took control and reduced his error count, hitting some exquisite winners of his own to take it 11-4, including a backhand boast from close to the front wall on game ball.
The trick shots were dialed down in game three but the entertainment value was not, as tensions increased. Both players used up their reviews, and it looked as though Gawad was heading for the lead when he feathered a forehand drop in – with almost no backswing – to make it 9-7.
But back came Rodriguez, saving a game ball at 10-9 down before winning the next two points to put himself within one game of victory.
Defying his age, the Colombian Cannonball appeared to get faster as the fourth game wore on, tearing around the court in some brutal rallies to put himself 6-5 on top.
Gawad, though, showed all his experience, keeping his composure to move back in front and clinch game four, as the match ticked past the hour mark.
That composure – a trademark of Gawad’s career – carried through to game five, with the Egyptian rarely looking flustered despite falling 6-3 behind.
From that 6-3 deficit, he won six points on the bounce as the traffic issues mounted and the referee became heavily involved, with almost every point ending in a dispute.
9-6 became 9-9 as Rodriguez threatened to complete the upset, but he would ultimately fall just short, with Gawad hitting a forehand nick at the perfect time on match ball, completing a dramatic, if somewhat scrappy, 3-2 victory.
“That was a tough one, especially against someone as experienced as Miguel,” said Gawad.
“I’m pleased with the way I pushed until the end of the match. Even though I was 9-7 up and he came back to 9-9, I’m glad I kept calm and played as if it was the beginning of the match. My squash wasn’t the best, the ball was too short and in the middle, but I’m pleased with the mental side today.
“Everyone knows how Miguel plays, he enjoys himself on court. I was expecting this and I tried to keep the ball tight to the wall and tried to read him as much as possible. It’s hard, of course, but I’m glad I found a way.”
Result:
[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-2: 6-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9 (82m)
Sobhy Sinks Turmel to Set Up ElSherbini
Sabrina Sobhy reached her first Windy City Open quarter-final, beating England’s Lucy Turmel 3-1 to set up a quarter-final matchup with World No.1 Nour ElSherbini.
The American came into this match on the back of her first ever win over Nour El Tayeb in round two and carried that momentum into game one, taking just six minutes to win it 11-2.
Fortunes were reversed in game two, as Turmel used her backhand drop well to establish a comfortable lead, while Sobhy grew frustrated at some of the decisions.
A forehand drop into the tin from Sobhy handed the Englishwoman the game 11-4, locking the score at one game apiece after just 14 minutes of play.
Perhaps unsurprisingly after two one-sided games, game three was a far tighter affair in the opening rallies, with Turmel even drawing applause from her opponent after ripping a forehand into the nick.
She followed that up with an improvised forehand drop which she picked up from her shoelaces to make it 4-4, but Sobhy ran away with the game from there.
She took game three 11-5, displaying the speed that underpins her game, and cruised through the fourth for the loss of just three points, drilling a backhand kill down the line to put the icing on the cake.
“I think the stakes were high for both me and Lucy in this match, it was a good opportunity,” Sobhy said.
“There was pressure and tension and I tried my best to stay composed. Yesterday there was no pressure and it was free-flowing, but this was a little bit more tense and testy, so I was pleased I was able to recover from the second game, reset and find my length again.
“What helped me yesterday and today was not really saying too much [to herself between games]. I could easily have beaten myself up after the second game, but that wouldn’t have done me any good.
Looking ahead to her encounter with the World No.1, she added: “Everyone knows what ElSherbini’s capable of. I’m just going to try and carry on with how I’m playing right now into Sunday.”
Result:
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-1: 11-2, 3-11, 11-5, 11-3 (40m)
Farag Sees Off Stubborn Cardenas
Ali Farag saw off a stubborn Leonel Cardenas to book his spot in the quarter-finals, needing four games and 46 minutes to get past the Mexican.
After spending more than an hour on court in yesterday’s 3-1 win over Iker Pajares, Cardenas was fired up from the off in this one, determined to make the most of his opportunity against the world’s best player.
A backhand into the tin handed Farag game one 11-9, but Cardenas had certainly showcased some of his best squash, matching the Egyptian throughout.
He got his reward for the quality of his play in game two, reeling off 10 points out of 12 to take the game 11-6 having been 4-1 down.
Farag made seven errors in that game, but it was the relentless retrievals of Cardenas that forced the Egyptian’s hand, showing his attacking prowess as well with a slammed backhand into the nick.
The Mexican then repeated the trick twice more in the opening rallies of game three, drawing cheers from the audience as Farag looked on in disbelief.
That disbelief would soon disappear and parity would be restored, though, as Farag finally took control, slowing the pace down with a more passive approach to play, which took the wind out of Cardenas’ sails.
By the end of game three, Farag was pulling Cardenas around the court with an abundance of lobs and drops, putting some serious work into the Mexican’s legs as he wrapped up the game 11-5.
Game four was a similar story, with Cardenas fighting hard but always on the back foot, going down 11-4 when Farag himself drilled a backhand into the nick.
“Leo was very solid all the way through,” said Farag afterwards.
“In the third I started playing longer rallies. I thought he was getting tired, but he kept on pushing and he never gave me any easy points. It’s a good lesson for me to learn that I should start playing like that from the very beginning. I was trying to go for too many shortcuts and too many quick winners.
“You can’t get away with that at this level of squash, so I’m very happy that I managed to come back strong in the third and continued that until the end.
“Usually, I like to play at a fast pace and stand in front of my opponents, but because I didn’t start well it’s impossible to go from that to playing your best. I felt the lobbing and stretching him was working, so I thought why change a plan that was working? He never gave it away easily, but thankfully once I got a lead, I regained confidence again.
Speaking on the court, he added: “This year I feel like the court is more dead than it usually. I like that but I tried to take advantage of that too soon and I was penalised for it.
“He’s hit incredible nicks to be fair, especially at the beginning of the third when I was trying to come back and get some momentum. I was trying to pin him behind me, but whenever he had an opportunity he went for it, but I didn’t panic because I knew nobody can hit 22 nicks. I was calm and then when I had the opportunity I went for it.”
Result:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-1: 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4 (46m)
ElSherbini Overcomes Slow Start to Avoid Major Upset Against Mohamed
Nour ElSherbini overcame a slow start to beat fellow Egyptian Farida Mohamed in four tight games at the University Club of Chicago.
The World No.1 has not failed to reach the quarter-finals of a World Tour event since 2015, but that record looked under serious threat midway through this encounter, as she needed to save game balls in each of the three games she won having lost the first.
The rallies were fast and furious in the opener, with both players taking the ball in short whenever they had the opportunity, and Mohamed volleying the ball early to limit ElSherbini’s movement.
The 22-year-old took game one 11-8 on a backhand drive down the line and had game ball in the second at 10-9 when drama occurred. ElSherbini caught her opponent with her swing, causing a cut to Mohamed’s cheek that required treatment for the blood.
When the players returned to court, ElSherbini saved game ball with a cross-court forehand winner and then benefitted from a pair of Mohamed forehands into the tin to close out the game.
Anyone watching who thought ElSherbini would run away with things from there was in for a surprise, as the two players went toe-to-toe throughout game three, heading into another tie break as tensions rose.
Mohamed hit a ruthless backhand into the nick from the ElSherbini serve to bring up another game ball at 11-10, only to be denied on a stroke, bringing a groan from the crowd who were sensing an upset.
The younger of the two Egyptians had further opportunities in that tie break with ElSherbini far from her best, but the top seed finally found a touch of magic when it mattered, hitting a delightful backhand flick to send Mohamed the wrong way and close out the game.
ElSherbini opened up a 8-4 lead in game four – the biggest advantage she’d had all match – but Mohamed was not ready to throw in the towel, closing the gap back to 7-8 with a brilliant forehand winner down the line, wrong-footing ElSherbini. She then smashed a forehand winner into the nick and got herself to 9-9 with the help of a tweener moments later.
Another tie break followed as ElSherbini saved game ball at 10-9, and she finally clinched victory two points later, despite having fallen over as Mohamed hit the tin.
“It wasn’t an easy second round,” said El Sherbini afterwards.
“Farida is a very good player and an attacking player. She fights until the end, and I wasn’t very happy with the way I was playing. I haven’t played her for a long time, so it took me a while to get used to her game.
“I’m happy that I won and I’ll try to play better in the next round.
“It was a very tight match and they were tight games. I was leading by two or three points in every game but then that disappeared. I try not to think when I’m game ball down, I just play as if it’s 7-7 or 8-7.”
Discussing the impact of having squash legend Grégory Gaultier in her corner, she added: “Having Greg is always the best support. He’s always pushing me and giving me the right advice. He tells me how to be positive, how to focus and what I should be doing to be able to win.”
Result:
[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 12-10, 15-13, 12-10 (59m)
Impressive Elshorbagy Beats ElSherbini to Set Up Hesham Rematch
Two-time champion Mohamed Elshorbagy continued his quest for glory with an impressive 3-0 win over Mohamed ElSherbini.
The Beast won this event in both 2016 and 2018 and has looked in imperious form so far this week, following a 3-0 win over Youssef Soliman in round two with another dominant display against ElSherbini.
It took Elshorbagy just nine minutes to take the opening game, playing high up the T and changing the pace of play well, gluing the ball to the side walls on numerous occasions.
The 11-7 scoreline was perhaps not reflective of how comfortable Elshorbagy was in game one, but 11-4 in game two certainly was, with ElSherbini given very few opportunities to get himself going.
Elshorbagy continued to control play in the early exchanges of game three, showcasing his skills with a brilliant dropshot volley on the backhand side, but he opened the door for ElSherbini with a couple of uncharacteristic errors.
At 9-8 down, The Beast successfully reviewed a front-court pick-up from ElSherbini and brought up match ball on the following point, only to tin a backhand to send the game into a tie break.
The next point was arguably the best of the match, with a brutal rally finally ending on a perfectly-weighted Elshorbagy lob, and he didn’t have to wait much longer for victory, hitting a short forehand volley that was out of Elsherbini’s reach on his second match ball.
“We just played in October at the U.S. Open at the Specter Center, and it was a very tough four games,” Elshorbagy said after his win.
“Even though we grew up together in Alexandria and played as kids, I still had to study him. I did the work with my team today and to win in three is always a bonus. I’m really happy to make it through to another quarter-final.
Elshorbagy’s reward is a quarter-final matchup with Mazen Hesham, who beat him in a five-game thriller at the HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open last week.
Looking ahead to a rematch of that encounter, Elshorbagy said: “This is the best season that I’ve seen Mazen play, he’s been really consistent.
“I beat him 11 times in a row, then the last two times he has beaten me. I’m not very happy with that and I cannot wait to be on court with him in two days.”
Result:
[4] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 12-10 (33m)
Gilis Overcomes Dangerous Watanabe in Four
Nele Gilis saw off the dangerous threat of Satomi Watanabe, winning 3-1 to set up a quarter-final clash with Georgina Kennedy.
Tipped by some to make a splash at this tournament, Watanabe could hardly have made a better start, finding herself 5-1 up inside three minutes.
But from 5-1 up she was quickly 8-5 down, making five errors in those first 13 points, with Gilis remaining patient and playing deep in the court.
Patience would prove to be the difference in the closing stages of game one too, with Watanabe wasting a golden opportunity to level at 10-10 after saving the first two game balls, tinning a forehand volley with her opponent scrambling.
Errors continued to plague the Japanese player’s game in the second, as Gilis increased the pressure and began to relax, closing out game two 11-6 when another Watanabe backhand hit the tin.
The 25-year-old provided a timely reminder of the threat she still posed with an outrageous forehand smash into the nick at 2-0 down in the third, and she had the crowd on her side after levelling at 4-4 with another forehand winner, this time a more delicate flick.
A rare error from the Gilis racket handed Watanabe an 8-6 lead and she converted that into 11-8 to keep the match alive, with her accuracy dialed in.
The dying ball had undoubtedly helped Watanabe towards the end of game three, so it was little surprise to see Gilis request a new one at the start of game four, and that decision proved to be fruitful.
The Belgian established a 7-3 lead in just six minutes and wrapped up victory a few rallies later, hitting a backhand drop to close the door on match ball.
“Satomi is a very dangerous player and she’s proven that she can challenge any of the top girls,” said Gilis afterwards.
“I was focused from the get go. I’m glad I was able to stick to my game plan and I was ready for a long, tough player.
“I tried to be more patient, I tried to take a bit of pace away from her and slowed it down a little bit. I know she thrives at a fast pace and she’s very dangerous. I knew I had no chance if I played at her pace.
“I thought if I could make it physical it would go in my favour and with a dead ball and the shots she was putting in, I could have booked my plane ticket back home, so I wasn’t going to let that happen.”
Result:
[4] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 3-1: 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6 (60m)
Hesham Fights Back to Beat Dessouky
Mazen Hesham came from a game down to beat Fares Dessouky 3-1 in an all-Egyptian round-three clash.
The World No.7 had cruised past his compatriot 3-0 when they faced off at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month, but there would be no repeat here, with Dessouky winning game one on a cross-court backhand winner.
Hesham began to discover his range and rhythm in game two, with very little height being used as both players pounded the ball hard and low in search of winners.
A trademark forehand flick gave the Black Falcon an 8-5 lead and he brought up game balls at 10-7 with a stroke, colliding with Dessouky in the process.
Dessouky appeared to be in pain after that collision, clutching his back as he crouched in the corner, and he lost game two moments later, seeing a yes let overturned to no let on review after stopping in his swing when Hesham had cleared.
At 7-1 down in game three, Dessouky was then denied an injury break for the blow suffered in game two, but he didn’t have to wait long for treatment as Hesham wrapped up the game just a couple of minutes later.
The only highlight for Dessouky in that game had been a slammed forehand into the nick, and he opened game four with the same shot, now moving much more freely than he had done in game three.
He was unable to capitalise on that start, though, with his head appearing to drop as Hesham opened up an 8-3 lead. Dessouky got back to 8-5 but that was as close as he got, with a lung-busting rally on match ball ending when Dessouky hit the tin.
Speaking on court after his victory, Hesham was quick to praise his opponent.
“It’s extremely tough to play Fares,” he said.
“We go all the way back to juniors and he puts you in uncomfortable situations. The way he hits the ball is amazing and it’s all in the sweet spot on the racket. I had to work him a lot in all four corners to feel better in the last few games.
“I have to say that I’m sorry to him as well. I had no intention of touching him in the back, I’m the last person who would want to injure people as I know how it feels. I hope nothing happens to him and he’s fine.
“We need him to play more tournaments and I’d really like to play him again in much better conditions.
“This is a new week, and everyone is going to come firing. Anybody can beat anybody, I just need to be ready for whoever I’m going to play. I’ll take it every match at a time.”
Result:
[7] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-1: 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (53m)
Kennedy Beats Subramaniam in Five to Reach Last Eight
Georgina Kennedy became the first player to book her spot in the quarter-finals, kicking off round three with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Sivasangari Subramaniam.
Both players had come through in five games to reach this stage, with Subramaniam having saved three match balls in her round-two win over Tesni Evans, while Kennedy had overturned a two-game deficit to beat Aira Azman.
Kennedy’s win had taken almost half an hour less than Subramaniam’s, but it was the Malaysian who made the faster start here, opening proceedings with a winning boast and quickly finding herself 4-0 up.
Kennedy got herself on the board with a cross-court backhand winner, but was unable to close the gap on her opponent, losing game one 11-7 in just 10 minutes.
The opening game featured several errors from Kennedy’s racket, but she cut those down in game two, with her athleticism and movement on full display as her shot selection improved.
From 4-4, the Englishwoman played some of her best squash in reeling off seven straight points to level the score, and she carried that momentum into game three.
A lovely hold on a backhand drop gave her a 3-2 lead, which soon became 6-2, but the Malaysian was not done yet.
A sublime backhand flick from deep in the court wrong-footed Kennedy and drew appreciation from the crowd, and the score was quickly level at 7-7 as Kennedy hit the tin.
That point prompted a loud roar from Subramaniam, but Kennedy was back on top before long, bringing up two game balls on a forehand smash across court, taking the first after a video review on a Subramaniam pick-up.
At 5-3 up in the fourth, it looked as though Kennedy might be heading for the last eight without needing a decider, but a pair of back-to-back errors opened the door for her opponent.
Subramaniam raced through the remainder of the game, taking it 11-7, but the English No.1 regained her composure in game five, making some bold decisions in attacking the front of the court.
A forehand drive brought up four match balls for Kennedy, but she only needed one, with a backhand drop sealing her place in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve had a couple recently before the New Year or even at the ToC where I’ve been 2-1 up and ended up losing 3-2,” said Kennedy afterwards.
“I was scared that the same thing was going to happen today after Siva pulled that fourth game back. I felt on the back foot again and I’m really happy I was able to stick to my game plan and convert that fifth. Sport is such a roller coaster, there are so many highs and lows and recently I’ve felt like I’ve been on the lower side.
“I felt like I really needed a good result and to beat Siva, one of the most talented players on tour, is definitely up there with one of my best wins, so I’m really chuffed.
“I felt like a couple of years ago when I was first coming onto the scene, I was such a good starter, from the first rally I was on it. I don’t know why, but recently I’ve been a bit laboured in the first game. I’ve not been too confident with the tactics.
“I do normally end up being able to turn it around, but going forward in this event I want to try and get my starts a bit better. In the second and third I was able to read her, I played some of my best squash and I felt a lot more comfortable out there.
“I wanted to take it to her. If I start playing passively against Siva, she has me on a string and she’s making me do so much work. I needed to be patient and hit the back wall but also take it in when it was there because if I didn’t then she would. She’s probably more skilled in that area than I am, so I wanted to attack the front wall and see what happened.
“I’m really proud and happy that I was able to come out on top.”
Result:
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 3-2: 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6 (61m)
