Elshorbagy and Gaultier Through to $175K El Gouna Final by Nathan Clarke photos WSF
April 28, 2016
- World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy and World Champion Gregory Gaultier
will go head-to-head for the sixteenth time, and first since the 2015
Qatar Classic final, when they line up for the final of the 2016 El
Gouna International - the final PSA World Series tournament of the
2015/16 season - tomorrow in the Red Sea resort.
25-year-old
Ehsorbagy has dominated the PSA World Series throughout the season,
winning five of six possible titles on offer so far, and underlined his
credentials as the man to beat once again as he swept past Colombian
World No.6 Miguel Angel Rodriguez 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 in just 35 minutes
to move into a third consecutive El Gouna International final - where
he will aim to better his runner-up finishes in this tournament in 2014
and 2015.
After pulling off a huge upset victory over World
No.4 Omar Mosaad in the quarter-finals Rodriguez appeared to be a touch
off his usual blistering pace and while he stuck with Elshorbagy during
the opening game, he was powerless to resist as the Egyptian motored
through the gears to put the high-flying South American to the sword.
"I am really happy to be able to win this match today," said Elshorbagy.
"Miguel
has been in great form this tournament and he showed how good a player
he is by beating Mosaad yesterday. I knew I had to play my best squash
to beat him and I though I played my best squash of the week today.
"It
has been a great season for me so far but I don't want it to stop now,
especially because I am playing in my home country. I want to try and
win this title in front of everyone here - the crowd have been
great."
Elshorbagy trails the Frenchman 10-6 on their
head-to-head record but will be hoping to close the gap in that
statistic tomorrow after Gaultier saw off unseeded Egyptian, and
tournament surprise package, Fares Dessouki.
Competing in
his first ever World Series semi-final the 21-year-old got off to a
flying start, playing some of the best squash he has put together on
Tour inside the past 18 months as he caught Gaultier by surprise to
take the game to the Frenchman, forcing the pace and profiting to take
the opener 11-7.
But the tenacious 33-year-old came back
fighting in the second and, following a bizarre passage of play during
which an exchange of words took place between the two which riled the
man known as the 'French General', it was Gaultier who took the bit
between his teeth to storm back and take three consecutive games and
secure a 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 victory.
"Today was the
first time that he managed to take a game against me and I think that
is the best he has played against me," said Gaultier, the World No.2.
"In
front of his home crowd he surprised me in the first so I was more
aware and on my toes in the second to try and make it tough and tire
him. When I was 2-1 up I gave it a big push in the first few points in
the fourth - moving up on the T and pressuring on him - and I felt my
movement and confidence was getting better.
"It was tough, and the conditions were tough, but I think it was better than yesterday and we managed to deal with it.
"I
had a great 2015 season, being World Champion and being World No.1, and
I was in a great dynamic before the injury (sustained in January) which
broke up my rhythm and my season. I was unlucky and missed a few
tournaments and I'm trying to come back as best as I can now."
