El Shorbagy seals spot in last 16 with fighting win
England’s Waller fails to drive home advantage against top seed; Abouelghar sees off tough challenge from Leo Au.
Egypt’s Mohammed El Shorbagy carried too much firepower for Adrian Waller in the PSA World Squash Championship. Photo: Qatar PSA World Squash Championship/ TwitterEngland’s Waller fails to drive home advantage against top seed; Abouelghar sees off tough challenge from Leo Au to progress.
Results
- Paul Coll (4, New Zealand) bt Borja Golan (Spain) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8;
- Omar Mosaad (Egypt) bt Syed Azlan Amjad (Qatar) 11-5, 11-2, 11-6;
- Zahed Salem (Egypt) bt Mostafa Asal (Egypt) 11-8, 6-11, 11-2, 11-7;
- Miguel Rodriguez (8, Colombia) bt Alan Clyne (Scotland) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6;
- Mohamed Abouelghar (7, Egypt) bt Leo Au (Hong Kong) 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 12-10;
- Marwan El Shorbagy (9, Egypt) bt Nicolas Mueller (Switzerland) 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6;
- Saurav Ghosal (10, India) bt Lucas Serme (France) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5;
- Mohamed El Shorbagy (1, Egypt) bt Adrian Waller (England) 13-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Egypt’s Mohammed El Shorbagy rebuffed a strong challenge from England’s Adrian Waller to seal his place in the last 16 of the PSA Men’s World Squash Championship on Sunday.
At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the top seed El Shorbagy won the 48-minute encounter 13-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Waller tried as hard as he could to drive home the advantage at various points in the match but El Shorbagy’s experience came to his aid. The Egyptian produced some clever play to stump Waller. Had Waller won the first game where he stretched the former world champion to the limit, the course of the match would have changed. El Shorbagy was careful enough to not hand such an advantage to his rival.
With no psychological edge to start the second or third game with, Waller was left with no choice but to give it his all. While it worked to an extent, it was not enough to stagger El Shorbagy who carried too much firepower for Waller’s liking.
El Shorbagy now plays tenth seed Saurav Ghosal of India. Ghosal defeated Lucas Serme of France 11-8, 11-5, 11-5.
Other leading seeds earned their place in the last 16 with seventh seed Mohamed Abouelghar of Egypt the only one to be pushed to five sets.
Abouelghar was pitted against Hong Kong’s Leo Au and having won the first two games, the Egyptian looked set to close out the match in the third. That was when the Hong Kong player resisted and won the game at 11-8. Abouelghar seemed to have lost momentum in the fourth as well and surrendered tamely. Au must have fancied his chances of an upset. But Abouelghar was a different man in the final game. He fought hard, dug deep into his reserves and emerged a 12-10 winner.
Qatar’s Abdullah Al Tamimi will take on third seed Tarek Momen of Egypt in the round of 16 on Monday and the 6pm encounter is sure to draw the former’s supporters in large numbers.
