Worlds Update: Farag Foils Frost In Worlds Debut

Rising Egyptian star Ali Farag got off his first ever appearance at the Men’s World Squash Championship off to the perfect winning start, downing Danish challenger Kristian Frost Olesen in straight-games to move into the second round.

The 23-year-old from Cairo, who moves around the court with an effortless grace, proved too much for his opponent who is ranked almost 30 places below him at No.62. It took just 34-minutes for the Harvard graduate to complete the victory, using his accuracy, variation and precise length hitting to great effect in a victory that will see him take a huge level of confidence into his second round encounter with either Greg Lobban or Max Lee – where he will be eyeing a potential third round berth.

“I was very nervous, very very very nervous,” said Farag. “It’s not a question of an opponent, it’s a question of playing my first ever World Champs and realising how BIG this tournament is for me.

“I never felt comfortable today. Now that the nerves are gone, maybe I’m going to enjoying it a bit more.

“Last time I played him was in India last year and I was 2/0 down before coming back to win 3/2 and I learned a few things from that match. I know how strong he is around the middle, and on the forehand side, so I tried and take that away from him.

“I also tried to be more effective than last time. I have a tendency to just move my opponents around instead of killing the ball, so today, I just tried to play with more intent and that made the difference.”

Result:
Ali Farag (EGY) bt [Q] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 (34m)