El Shorbagy & Abouelghar To Contest World Final In Belgium
by Howard Harding
July 17, 2011 - Mohamed Abouelghar and Marwan El Shorbagy will contest the final of the WSF Men's World Junior Individual Squash Championship at the Flemish Squash Centre in Herentals in Belgium in the second successive all-Egyptian final of the World Squash Federation championship in its 18th year.
Abouelghar, a 5/8 seed, produced the upset of the tournament when he beat top seed Amr Khaled Khalifa 9-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 70 minutes - denying the defending champion the chance to become only the third player in history to win the title for a second time.
"I'm very happy, but I really cannot really let my emotions out, as there is still tomorrow to play," said the delighted 17-year-old from Cairo. "In the beginning, I was over excited, I really went for my shots too early, and made too many errors. Then I started playing serious squash, and I was accurate at the back.
"My dad told me right before the fourth to keep the ball going, that I had nothing to lose, and that's what I did. I told myself not to make any errors until I reach five. But at 5/2, my mind was too much set on winning, winning, and that led to play too early again.
"This was a match where fitness was really important, so I want to thank my fitness coach, Fery, and my Dad."
A downcast Khalifa said: "It's so hard, that pressure, you have to be number one, if you are number two, you are nothing. He played better than me today. I worked so hard in the first game, running after his shots. In the fifth, I didn't have much left."
Marwan El Shorbagy is one match away from making squash history by becoming the first brother of any world individual title to become a world champion.
The 17-year-old from Alexandria - whose older brother Mohamed El Shorbagy is a two-time winner of this trophy - took just three games to despatch fellow Egyptian Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry, a 9/16 seed, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 in 34 minutes.
"I spoke with everybody - Mum, Jonah (Barrington), my brother, Ian - and I knew I had to be relaxed today, play squash, not talk to the ref, that's all I had to do," explained the exuberant No2 seed.
"I think I played the right game, I didn't go for silly shots, I was patient, and was waiting for him to make errors, as he goes for a lot of shots.
"He is extremely talented, definitely one of the most talented juniors in Egypt, and I'm pretty sure he'll put his name on the trophy one day.
"I'm so happy I'm in the final for the first time. Everybody wants the title, I'll have to be at my 100%, but above everything, I'll try and play my best squash, and enjoy the moment."
The final will be a repeat of the 2010 British Junior U17 Open climax, won by El Shorbagy.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championship, Herentals, Belgium
Semi-finals:
[5/8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt [1] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) 9-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 11-9 (70m)
[2] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [9/16] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (34m)
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