ElShorbagy Ready To Give Everything For World Championship Triumph by Sean Reuthe
photo squashpics.com
October 25, 2016
- World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy says he is ready to make amends for his
shock third round exit in the 2015 PSA Men’s World Championship and
will give everything to claim the title when the 2016 iteration of
squash’s most significant tournament gets underway at Cairo’s Wadi
Degla Club this Thursday (October 27).
The 25-year-old has won nearly every other major title in the sport,
including an impressive six consecutive World Series tournaments during
the 2015/16 season, but the World Championship crown has so far
remained elusive - with last year’s third round defeat to James
Willstrop coming as a particularly disappointing result.
But with over 100 players from around the world coming together to
contest the crown it is ElShorbagy, who has ranked as World No.1 for 24
of the past 25 months, who will be hoping to finally live up to his top
ranked status and lift the iconic trophy to make amends for his defeats
in two previous finals.
“Last season was the best season of my life - winning six World Series
titles - and I think I had just one bad day during the whole season,”
said ElShorbagy.
“Unluckily for me that day was at the World Championship. But one tough
day like that gives you a test of character to see how you deal with
situations like these, and I am proud of how I came back stronger after
that loss and with how my season went after that.
“And knowing that the World Championship is the only major title left
for me to win in my career when I am still 25 makes me smile and be
proud of what I have achieved so far.”
After a stuttering start to the 2016/17 season saw him lose out in the
second round of the Hong Kong Open and semi-finals of the Al Ahram
Open, the Bristol-based Egyptian returned to timely form last week when
he clinched the 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open title - the only
World Series title he failed to collect during the 2015/16 campaign.
“The U.S. Open was very important for my confidence especially just
before the Worlds,” said the man who lost out to compatriot Ramy Ashour
in both the 2012 and 2014 World Championship finals.
“For a period, because of the amount of matches I played last two
season, I felt that I had been fighting my body on court before dealing
with who I have to play.
“In Philadelphia, that was the first time I felt free on court this
season. I now feel fresh and like I am moving well and I feel I am
playing better each tournament and hopefully that means I’m peaking
going into this week.
“Winning it would mean so much - but I only feel peace when I know I did my best on court whether I win or lose.
“And I want to finish it this year knowing I gave it everything.”
