Egyptian Duo Elshorbagy and El Sherbini Lift British Open Titles by Sean Reuthe photo squashpics.com
March 27, 2016
- Women’s World No.5 Nour El Sherbini and Men’s defending champion
Mohamed Elshorbagy have captured the 2016 Allam British Open, PSA World
Series, titles after respective victories over fellow Egyptians Nouran
Gohar and Ramy Ashour in Hull’s Airco Arena - with El Sherbini becoming
the first female Egyptian to lift the coveted title.
El
Sherbini's match with Gohar saw the lead change hands multiple times
throughout the 75-minute encounter with both players trading points
with gusto in a tightly-contested and highly-charged battle. El
Sherbini eased to the opening game before Gohar, playing with a
maturity that belied her youth, fought back to go a game ahead and put
herself within touching distance of the famous crown.
But
El Sherbini came back at her and showcased the credentials that has
seen her surge to the upper echelons of the Women’s game, taking the
match 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 to become the tournament’s second
youngest winner at just 20 years of age after New Zealand’s Susan Devoy
in 1984.
"It was a really tough match," said El Sherbini.
"Nouran
is just 18 and she brought out all of the squash I had today. I really
had to do all I could to win, it was really close. The last two points
were really hard, I’m speechless.
"I’m really proud to be
representing Egypt anywhere so to be the first Egyptian to win the
British Open is a huge thing for me. I’m really proud to be one of the
four finalists today. I’m really happy that Egypt is proud of me and I
want to keep making them proud."
Meanwhile, Elshorbagy has
made it five World Series titles in a row after a strong display saw
him end a four-match winless streak against fierce rival Ashour.
The
man from Alexandria was in fine fettle against 2013 winner Ashour,
whose movement looked inhibited, and powered to victory in the first
two games before seeing off a resurgent Ashour in the third to close
out an 11-2, 11-5, 11-9 triumph.
"I’m really happy to be able to defend my title and win my second British Open," said Elshorbagy.
"It’s
been a crazy season for me. Last season, when I won four World Series
titles, I was telling my mother and my brother that I didn’t know how I
was going to keep up with that next season but I’ve won five already so
this is a dream for me. I’m just really proud of what I have been
achieving this season.
‘I have to be thankful to my team,
they are the ones that are keeping my body healthy because our matches
are just something different. We give something different to our sport
and I really hope we keep playing for the future and we have such a
great rivalry. It’s great to have him [Ashour] back here again."
