All posts by U.S. Pro Series

King Tops World Champion El Welily in Cleveland Classic Final

Champion Joelle King (center) and finalist Raneem El Welily (second to right) with tournament organizers. (image: Andrea Dawson Photography)

Competing in her first Cleveland Classic in four years, New Zealand’s Joelle King upset world champion Raneem El Welily to claim her first PSA title since 2016 Monday night at the Cleveland Racquet Club in Ohio.

King spent majority of 2014 and 2015 on the sidelines following a severe Achilles injury, but has been resurgent in the past two season, returning to the world’s top ten and a strong fall of 2017 that saw the world No. 9 reach the Macau Open final, U.S. Open semifinals and Carol Weymuller final.

King met Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy in the semifinals after the Harvard graduate upset two seed and world No. 7 Sarah-Jane Perry in the quarterfinals. King would go on to defeat Sobhy in three games, but gave her opponent credit in what was just her second PSA tournament after her own ten-month Achilles injury layoff.

“I think Amanda did a fantastic job in only her second tournament back after her injury,” King said after the semifinals.

In the final, King recorded just her second career victory against world No. 2 El Welily in their fourteenth career match up. After defeating El Welily for the first time in four games at the Carol Wemuller this fall, King went one better in the Cleveland final, winning 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 after thirty-five minutes.

The $50,000 Cleveland Classic title is King’s eleventh career PSA title, and third career U.S. Pro Series title.

Marwan Elshorbagy Wins Motor City Open in Five-Game Thriller

The 2018 MCO final between ElShorbagy (l) and Coll. (image: Bryan Mitchell for MCO)

The nineteenth Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection fittingly concluded with one of the best matches in tournament history, when Marwan ElShorbagy took down Paul Coll 11-9 in the fifth Sunday in Birmingham, Michigan.

A packed Birmingham Athletic Club gallery witnessed an intense ninety-six minute final between ElShorbagy, the top seed and new world No. 4, and Coll, world No. 13, who both reached their first career final appearance in Detroit.

The Egyptian edged his Kiwi opponent at the very end of the match converting on his first championship ball to win 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9.

“It was a tough match,” ElShorbagy said. “It was the longest of my career. It doesn’t get any tougher than beating Paul on this court with how it plays. The points never ends. I had to be very strong mentally.”

The match was decided on a difficult stroke call that left both players initially unsure of what the call was.

“It’s a tense part of the match and anything can happen,” Coll said. “I was scrambling. It probably was a stroke, but I’m obviously disappointed to lose like that. I forced a few things at times. He made me a bit edgy on my backhand volley because I could feel him behind me trying to get a stroke.”

The title marks ElShorbagy’s eighth career PSA Tour title

“I’m really pleased to win my first-ever Motor City Open,” ElShorbagy said. “This is great for me, it’s amazing. I’m so happy. To come back here next year and see my name on the wall will mean a lot to me.”

For more tournament coverage visit www.themotorcityopen.com.

Blatchford and Sobhy Set For Cleveland Classic Main Draw

Amanda Sobhy (r) in the 2018 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions

Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Blatchford enter the 2018 $50,000 Cleveland Classic main draw as the five and six seeds, respectively, this weekend at the Cleveland Racquet Club in Ohio.

The eighth women’s Cleveland Classic has drawn Egypt’s world champion and world No. 2 Raneem El Welily as its top seed, while 2016 and 2017 champion Camille Serme does not return to Cleveland to defend her title.

Sobhy is set to make her second PSA tournament appearance since returning from a ten month injury hiatus. The former world No. 6 has dropped to world No. 28 as a result of her injury layoff, but a pinned ranking of world No. 11 has earned her the five seed. The Harvard graduate will take on a qualifier in the first round Friday, February 2, at 7:15pm ET. Should the American advance, Sobhy could face two seed and world No. 7 Sarah-Jane Perry in the second round.

U.S. champion Blatchford will face Egypt’s world No. 24 Hania El Hammamy in their first career match up. Blatchford, world No. 13, will take on the seventeen-year-old Friday at 5:45pm. A victory would potentially set up a Cleveland rematch between Blatchford and two-time finalist Alison Waters.

World No. 50 Haley Mendez is bidding to join her U.S. teammates in the main draw in qualifying. The Harvard graduate has a first-round bye and is predicted to face American Reyna Pacheco in Thursday’s qualifying finals.

All matches are streaming live below:
Court 1 live stream
Court 2 live stream

Follow live scores and view the draw on www.usprosquashseries.com.

Hong Kong’s Lee Wins Twelfth PSA Title in Pittsburgh

(l-r): Steven Baicker-McKee, Max Lee, Duilio Costa

Hong Kong’s world No. 30 Max Lee claimed his twelfth career PSA Tour title—and first career U.S. Pro Series title—when he lifted the $25,000 Three Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open trophy this weekend at the Rivers Club.

The first round included a number of major upsets. Egyptian qualifier Karim El Hammamy upset Scotland’s one seed Alan Clyne in four games. 2011 Pittsburgh Open champion Alister Walker returned to the Steel City as the Wild Card and made the most of the opportunity with a first-round upset against Campbell Grayson, and just falling short in the quarterfinals against three seed Tsz Fung Yip, 14-12 in the fifth.

England’s Ben Coleman began his surprise run to the final with a first-round upset against Qatar’s four seed Abdulla Al-Tamimi. Coleman, world No. 51, then dispatched Team USA’s eight seed Todd Harrity in the quarterfinals, and reached the final courtesy of another upset against six seed Joel Makin.

Lee progressed through the draw as the two seed, including a difficult four-game semifinal against Hong Kong teammate Yip. in the final against England’s Coleman, it was Lee who decisively claimed the title 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 in forty-three minutes.

The Pittsburgh Open concludes a busy week of squash in western Pennsylvania following the SDA Pittsburgh Golf Club Challenger the previous weekend. The Pittsburgh Open was first held in 1993.

Harrity Enters Pittsburgh Open as Eight Seed

Todd Harrity (r)

Team USA’s Todd Harrity enters his second PSA tournament of 2018—the $25,000 Three Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open—as the eight seed this weekend at the Rivers Club in western Pennsylvania.

Last year, the Princeton graduate pulled off a first-round upset against Karim Ali Fathi to reach the Pittsburgh quarterfinals. Now world No. 50, Harrity is predicted to reach the finals again, but first but get past England’s world no. 60 Richie Fallows in the first round, Thursday, January 25, at 5:20pm ET.

Should the American advance, he is predicted to face Qatari four seed Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi in what would be a rematch of the 2017 quarterfinals.

U.S. teammates Chris Hanson, Chris Gordon, Faraz Khan and Dylan Cunningham all failed to progress through qualifying and join Harrity in the main draw. Columbia graduate Ramit Tandon was one of four qualifiers and will face Hong Kong’s three seed Tsz Fung Yip in the first round.

Follow live scores throughout the weekend on www.usprosquashseries.com/live.

Scenic City Squash Announces PSA Closed Satellite Bourbon Trail Series

Richard Millman and Lee Scott in partnership with and Scenic City Squash and the Louisville Boat Club have announced a PSA Closed Satellite tournament series, the Bourbon Trail Series, in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The three $1000 events will be held over the course of January and February 2018. The first event will be held in conjunction with the Outdoor Elevation Burns Night Open, January 19-20, at Scenic City Squash in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The second event will again be held at Scenic City Squash, February 9-10, and will be sponsored by the MF Restaurant group of Scenic City Squash owners Mike and Taylor Monen. The third event will be held at the Louisville Boat Club in Kentucky, February 16-17.

“Scenic City Squash is proud to support up and coming, committed squash players and is grateful to the PSA for creating this type of entry level tournament to allow a new club to get involved in the PSA program,” Millman said. “We are also extremely grateful for the support of US Squash and their continuing commitment to the growth of the game. Finally, without the consistent generosity of our wonderful local sponsors such as Martin Daniel and Elevation Outdoor Advertising, Blue Moon beer, The MF Restaurant Group, Clay Watson and the Mtn View Automobile group, The Clemens Family Fund and several other anonymous generous sponsors—none of this would be possible.”

These will be sixteen person draws and organizers will endeavor to help players traveling to play in the events with accommodation. To enter these tournaments please email Richard Millman at millmansquash@gmail.com.

Hanson Wins Second Career PSA Title in Boston

U.S. Champion Chris Hanson earned his second career PSA Tour title this weekend, the inaugural $5,000 Boston Open at Equinox Sports Club in Massachusetts.

Hanson pulled off a perfect tournament without dropping a game all tournament to fulfill his top seeding.

Hanson, the world No. 78, defeated surprise finalist and qualifier Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari in the final 11-8, 11-5, 11-7. Bukhari had upset American two seed Dylan Cunningham in the quarterfinals and four seed Vincent Droesbeke on his way to the final.

The result marks Hanson’s second career U.S. Pro Series title in addition to the 2015 Kiva Club Open.

Camacho Claims Betty F. Griffin Memorial Life Time Florida Open

Number five seed Jesus Camacho came out on top in the Betty F. Griffin Memorial Florida State Florida Open final after a straight games win over David Baillargeon.

The victory sees Camacho claim his second U.S. Pro Series title in two weeks after he prevailed in the Securian Open  in Minnesota at the beginning of December.

The Mexican, who came through a hard-fought five-setter in the semi-finals to defeat England’s Joe Green, had no such problems in the Florida final, defeating the Canadian fourth seed Baillargeon 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.

Result – Life Time Florida Open 2017 final
[5] Jesus Camacho (MEX) v [4] David Baillargeon (CAN)11-6, 11-6, 11-7

Mohamed El Sherbini Begins Professional Ascent With Largest Title in Cleveland

Egypt’s Mohamed El Sherbini claimed the largest PSA Tour title of his career—the $10,000 Cleveland Skating Club Open—Sunday, October 28, in Ohio.

El Sherbini, the cousin of women’s world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini, started playing PSA Tour events consistently for the first time this year at twenty-five years old.

Now based in Washington D.C., El Sherbini claimed four 5k PSA titles in the spring of 2017, and claimed his first career U.S. Pro Series title in his first professional tournament this fall.

The unseeded world No. 112 upset two seed Vikram Malhotra in a three-game semifinal, and defeated Canada’s Shawn Delierre in the final 9-11, 11-6, 11-1, 3-11, 11-3 in sixty-six minutes.

The 2017 Cleveland Skating Club Open was the third edition of the U.S. Pro Series event.

El Sherbini Becomes First Player to Win Three Straight Carol Weymuller Opens

l-r: Nour El Sherbini, Linda Elriani, Joelle King (image: Kelley Holmgren)

Egypt’s world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini made history Monday night by becoming the first player in the Carol Weymuller Open’s forty-four years to win three consecutive titles at Heights Casino in Brooklyn, New York.

Twenty-one-year-old El Sherbini dispatched three compatriots on her way to the final including U.S. Open presented by Macquarie Investment Management champion Nour El Tayeb in the quarterfinals and Salma Hany in the semifinals.

In front of a packed Heights Casino gallery, El Sherbini defeated New Zealand’s world No. 10 Joelle King in a clinical performance, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3, in thirty-three minutes.

(image: Kelley Holmgren)

“I think it’s my best match since I’ve been in the U.S. for the last two weeks,” El Sherbini said. “My shots were working, I was moving well and I was thinking not to finish everything too quickly. I felt confident going for my shots. I think it was my day! Joelle has been killing it the last two weeks. I think that she has beaten most the top 5 now, Nour, Raneem, Nicol, Laura, everyone. I’m glad it wasn’t my turn. Thank you and see you next year!”

El Sherbini has now defeated King in two of her three Carol Weymuller finals. King concludes a run stateside that saw her reach the U.S. Open semifinals.

“With Nour you just have to blind on,” King said. “I wasn’t seeing the ball quite as sharp and my decision making was not quite as crisp and I was kind of behind the whole way, maybe it was a bit of fatigue. But credit to her, she just did not give me anything and played great squash. The last six weeks have been amazing. It’s been a great block. A couple of weeks of training and then onto Hong Kong.”

The Carol Weymuller Open is one of the longest-established events on the professional tour and is the namesake of Heights Casino pioneer Carol Weymuller.

“Carol started the junior squash program here at The Heights Casino many years back with her late husband Fred, and it has obviously grown and expanded along with the sport,” said Linda Elriani, Heights Casino Pro and Tournament Director. “We always like to thank Carol for all her hard work and dedication back at the start, as we wouldn’t be where we are today with our program if she had not been forward thinking enough to develop squash in this area.”

Watch replays of Carol Weymuller Open matches here.

For more images and reports visit www.carolweymulleropen.com.