World Champion Marwan Moves On In Cairo
by Howard Harding
26 July 2011 - Competing on home soil for the first time since winning the world junior title earlier this month in Belgium, Marwan El Shorbagy upset India's Siddharth Suchde in the inaugural Sportsmax Open to claim an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at the American University in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
The 17-year-old from Alexandria, a qualifier, despatched Suchde, ranked 64 in the world, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 and will now face third seed Aamir Atlas Khan for a place in the semi-finals.
Khan, inspired by his surprise appearance in the Malaysian Open final last week, battled to an 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 victory in 43 minutes over Englishman Robbie Temple.
There will be domestic interest in all four quarter-finals - led by event favourite Omar Mosaad, the world No14, who defeated Cairo-born Italian qualifier Amr Swelim 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.
Omar Abdel Aziz and Omar Abdel Meguid secured surprise places in the last eight after their opponents suffered injuries. Aziz faced fellow countryman Mohammed Abbas, a former world No13 who took the opening game.
But Abbas dropped the next two games and had to withdraw in the fourth to give 27-year-old Aziz the match.
Qualifier Meguid had played just two points when opponent Amr Khaled Khalifa, the former world junior champion, was forced to concede the match.
Aziz and Meguid will line-up in the quarter-finals to guarantee home interest in the last four.
RESULTS: PSA International 25 Sportsmax Open, Cairo, Egypt
1st round:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [Q] Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (44m)
Stephane Galifi (ITA) bt Islam El Fiky (EGY) 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 11-0 (43m)
[Q] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)
[3] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Robbie Temple (ENG) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (43m)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [4] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 7-11, 11-1, 12-10 ret. (42m)
[Q] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) 2-0 ret.
Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt [Q] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (72m)
[2] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-4
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Stephane Galifi (ITA)
[3] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v [Q] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) v [Q] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
[2] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) v Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN)
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