Category Archives: Recent News

Abouelghar Marches to Twentieth Anniversary Motor City Open Title

Mohamed Abouelghar (r) against Diego Elias in the Motor City Open (image: Bryan Mitchell for BAC)

Report courtesy of Matt Schoch

As he had all week, Mohamed Abouelghar took the long, tough road on Saturday to win the championship of the 2019 Motor City Open presented by the Suburban Collection.

Abouelghar needed five games to top Peru’s Diego Elias in the finals, completing a week where the Egyptian won four matches in 18 games in the Professional Squash Association World Tour event.

Third-seed Abouelghar topped #4-seed Elias in a thrilling, high-quality, 63-minute final, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8 – becoming the seventh Egyptian to win the MCO in the past 10 years at the Birmingham Athletic Club.

Veteran referee Mike Riley called it one of the five best matches he has ever called.

“I’m very, very happy and proud to put my name on the trophy with so many legends,” Abouelghar said. “It’s very special.”

Despite the long week, the 25-year-old Abouelghar showed off his endurance in the final.

“It was hard, man,” Abouelghar said. “Diego is such a great player. Sometimes he makes you work so much, you have to grind yourself out. He moves the ball very well around the court. At some point, you just have to retrieve and get the ball back.”

In Game #1, Elias raced through seven of the last eight points to win, 11-5.

Abouelghar came out aggressively in the second game. He took a 7-2 lead and won 11-6, then dominated Game #3 for an 11-3 triumph. Elias recovered the win the fourth, 11-4, setting up a dramatic finish.

“It was a tough match, he played well,” said Elias, 22, who also reached the MCO semifinal in 2017. “It was really close, but I felt it was right in front of me this time.”

The pair played to a tie at 8-8 before Abouelghar won the final three points to raise the trophy.

“I doubt if it gets harder than that,” Abouelghar said. “We’re going to play many more battles. I’m happy I got this one, and I’m sure he’s going to come at me next time.”

 (Image: Bryan Mitchell for BAC)

Tournament organizers praised the champion’s resilience and also recognized Elias as an up-and-comer to watch.

“I’m confident that within the next 12-24 months, he’s going to be right up there near the top, in the top five in the world,” MCO co-chair Peter Schmidt said. “It’s great to have a fantastic final.”

Added Derrick J. Glencer, co-chairman of the MCO: “This happens a lot at our tournament, and a lot of people who end up winning our tournament go on to being world No. 1 and I can absolutely see (Elias’) future. It was a brilliant battle tonight.”

Watch a replay of the MCO final on YouTube below. Match starts at 01:19:48)

Malhotra Lifts Twentieth Anniversary Atlanta METAL Open Title

(l-r) champion Vikram Malhotra, Life Time Grand Prix Director Andre Maur, finalist Mohamed Reda.

The Atlanta METAL Open celebrated its twentieth year with its first Indian champion–Vikram Malhotra–who captured the $10,000 title Sunday at Life Time Athletic Sandy Springs in Georgia.

Malhotra, a Trinity College graduate, has now won six PSA titles since returning to the Pro Tour in 2015 with the Atlanta METAL Open representing his third U.S. Pro Series title following the 2015 Betty F. Griffin Memorial Florida Open and 2016 Charlotte Open.

In Atlanta, Malhotra progressed through the draw as the two seed, enduring a five-game semifinal against Mexico’s Edgar Zayas, which Malhotra pulled off 11-9 in the fifth. The twenty-eight-year-old only needed three games in the final, however, against Egyptian top seed Mohamed Reda, who also made it through a five-game semifinal against Portugal’s Rui Soares.

In the final, Malhotra twice needed overtime against Reda to prevail in three games 13-11, 11-9, 15-13.

“It feels great to win, but I’m more relieved than anything,” Malhotra said. “Two of the three games went to to extra points and I really had to dig deep to win today. Very happy that my training, fitness and coaching all paid off and made the difference.”

The Atlanta Open was first held in 2000.

“This was my twentieth Atlanta Open,” said Andre Maur, Life Time Grand Prix Tour Director and Atlanta Open founder. “It’s the flagship of all of our events. It’s where it all started and it’s grown in both prize money and the amateur player involvement and this tournament set the tone for the rest of our Life Time events that we’ve added to the tour since 2012.”

View all results here.

Urquhart Wins Second Career U.S. Pro Series Title in Cincinnati

(l-r): Sponsors Susie and Vere Gaynor, Victoria Lust, Donna Urquhart, tournament director Nathan Dugan

Australia’s Donna Urquhart earned her second career U.S. Pro Series title and eleventh career PSA title in a flawless weekend of squash at the second annual Bahl & Gaynor Cup hosted by the Cincinnati Country Club in Ohio.

Urquhart, world No. 15, captured the $25,000 title without dropping a game all tournament, culminating in a three-game final victory against England’s two seed Victoria Lust. Egypt’s unseeded Rowan Reda Araby caused the biggest surprise in the sixteen-player draw, upsetting one seed Emily Whitlock in the first round before reaching the semifinals where Urquhart ended her run.

“You dream of weeks were it all comes together and you keep playing at the top of your game,” Urquhart said. “I just can’t believe it happened here, I am so happy”

Urquhart matches her biggest career title in Cincinnati, equaling her $25,000 Monte Carlo Classic triumph in December 2017. The result marks Urquhart’s second title on U.S. soil, following up the $10,000 Seattle Open in 2015.

The 2018 Bahl & Gaynor Cup saw a $15,000 increase in prize money from the inaugural $10,000 Bahl & Gaynor Cup in 2017.

View all results here.

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.

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.

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 and King to Contest Carol Weymuller Open Final

King (l) against El Welily in the Carol Weymuller semifinals. (image: Kelley Holmgren)

The 2017 Carol Weymuller Open final will be a rematch of the 2015 final between Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini and New Zealand’s Joelle King Monday night at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn.

World No. 1 Nour El Sherbini is on the brink of tournament history with a potential record of three consecutive titles in Brooklyn. After bowing out of the U.S. Open presented by Macquarie Investment Management in the quarterfinals earlier this month, El Sherbini appears to be back on form. El Sherbini avenged her quarterfinal loss against U.S. Open champion Nour El Tayeb by dispatching her compatriot in a four-game quarterfinal.

In Sunday’s semifinals, El Sherbini defeated her third Egyptian opponent of the tournament, Salma Hany, in three games to advance to her third consecutive Carol Weymuller final.

“I’m feeling good and playing much better, feeling my shots and attacking more,” El Sherbini said after her semifinal victory. “In the final it will be tough one with whoever wins–whether it’s Raneem or Joelle—it’ll be tough. I’m looking forward to another Weymuller final.”

King, world No. 10, pulled off her first career win against Egypt’s world No. 3 Raneem El Welily in their thirteenth career matchup. King avenged her recent U.S. Open semifinal loss against El Welily 11-6, 3-11, 11-9, 14-12 to advance to her second career Carol Weymuller final.

“Finally! I’ve never beaten Raneem ever, not even since the juniors,” King said. “Through juniors she was the player that we all idolized. It was one of those matches where I didn’t know what the score was really. I just tried to play every point the best I could. In the fourth I just tried to take the ball as early as possible and I think from 10-10 we both played some great squash. Tomorrow is just another day, just going to try and recover and play my game and to be ready from the first point.”

In the 2015 final, El Sherbini defeated King 11-5, 11-6, 11-3.

Follow live scores and streaming of the final Monday night from 7:30pm ET on www.usprosquashseries.com/live.