British Open: Rodriguez wrote history

Published : 2018-06-02 21:33:49
Categories : Squash news around the world

This was the moment when Miguel Angel Rodriguez realized he won the British Open ... (Photo credit: SquashSite / Steve Cubbins)

Main story: Rodriguez and Elsherbini win the British Open

The British Open - last World Series event of the season - took place in Hull, England a few weeks ago. If World No.1 Nour Elsherbini extended her stranglehold on women's squash, Colombia's Miguel Angel Rodriguez's victory was a massive upset.

Let's call a spade a spade: thanks to his epic win over World No.1 and reigning World Champion Mohamed Elshorbagy in the 96th British Open final, Miguel Angel Rodriguez wrote a new chapter of squash history a few weeks ago in Hull. The Colombian became the first South American player ever to win a PSA World Series tournament, and was also the first unseeded player in the modern era to win the iconic event. The 32-year old prevailed in a 102-minute and 5-game battle against Elshorbagy, who prior to the final had spent almost an hour longer on court than his opponent during this tournament and fought through the fatigue to take a 2-1 lead. But the Egyptian took just two points in the fourth as he recharged his batteries for one last push in the fifth. What followed was a stunning display of squash from both players, with Elshorbagy sinking to the floor due to sheer exhaustion after a particularly gruelling rally in the latter stages. The reigning World Champion fought on manfully but he couldn’t deny his opponent and the Colombian converted his first match ball with a deceiving and well-disguised boast. “I think everything was mental, I dreamed it,” said Rodriguez after the biggest title of his career. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity to win this major tournament, the greatest of all time. I’m so proud of myself, this is for my parents, my family and Colombia. It’s huge, no one in South America has achieved this before, I’m a legend I think I can say. I can’t believe that I am 32 years old and I just won the British Open.” After having belonged to the top 5 for a good part of 2015 and 2016 - during which he'd featured in 4 World Series semi-finals - Rodriguez had gone through a rough spell in 2016-2017, dropping to 25th in the world rankings. Although he had already launched a comeback earlier in 2018, reaching the quarters in Chicago and El Gouna, it was hard to imagine he could create such an upset in the so-called Wimbledon of squash, especially since he was facing Ramy Ashour in the opening round. But he beat the three-time World Champion as well as three other Egyptians: Mosaad, Farag, and finally Elshorbagy. Rodriguez had also ended the run of giant-killer Raphael Kandra in the semis. The German #2 had ousted Marwan Elshorbagy in the quarters and before that made the headlines after ending Nick Matthew's career - until the "Wolf" got a new lease of life (see below June Squash Hotspots). "The truth is, despite the mind being still willing, the body started to consistently let me down a few months ago," said Matthew after the match. "Today told that tale. I fought to the end as always, but I am gutted I didn’t at least make the weekend here in my last British Open. I just wanted to share a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me both near & far, on social media and in person over the last 20 years. It’s been a genuine privilege to receive such love and support. I am now looking forward to the next chapter with England Squash, and I hope I'll be able to contribute to the flourishing of the next generations."

Nick Matthew ended his squash playing career at the British Open ... or at least he thought so! (Photo credit: SquashSite / Steve Cubbins)

Women’s World No.1 Elsherbini made it two British Open titles out of three finals after the 22-year-old put in a scintillating performance to overcome compatriot and World No.2 El Welily in straight games, avenging her defeat to the 29-year-old in the final of last month’s El Gouna International. The pair were meeting in a fifth major final of the season with each player taking two wins apiece prior to today’s final. Elsherbini became the first female Egyptian to win the British Open in 2016 and had also reached the final in 2012 at the age of just 16, while 29-year-old El Welily was contesting the title decider of the iconic tournament for the first time in her career. And it was the younger Egyptian who prevailed in Hull as she played an immaculate brand of squash to record an 11-6, 11-9, 14-12 triumph in 47 minutes to win her 16th PSA crown. “The British Open is the biggest tournament on tour, it was an honour to win it once and now I have two and I’m really proud,” Elsherbini said. “We always have very tough battles, it’s never an easy 3-0 and I’m really glad it’s ended this way. “I’m glad I came back and won the third. Every time we play, it gets harder. We’re really good friends and I learn from her a lot and she is a role model to any player. I hope this battle continues and we keep playing each other in the finals.”

Rivals on court and friends off the court, Egyptians Nour Elsherbini and Raneem El Welily have dominated the women's tour in 2017-2018 (Photo credit: SquashSite / Steve Cubbins)

Source : PSA World Tour

Other squash news in May

--- RODRIGUEZ BACKED UP IN GUATEMALA

Every player knows it is tough to back up after a major win, especially when you play such a physical and emotional final. One could therefore wonder how the "Cannonball" would perform in Guatemala - where he had to play his first round three days later - after a 5500 km and 16 hour flight, not to mention the 7-hour jetlag. Not only Miguel Angel Rodriguez won his first two matches fairly comfortably, but he then overcame a tough test against Paul Coll, beating the Kiwi in 4 games after losing the first one. In the final, the Colombian confirmed his edge over fellow South American Diego Elias, whom he dispatched in under 40 minutes. It was Rodriguez 28th title (in 38 finals), and his second in 6 days after a 39 month dry spell. Thanks to this dream week, he's back to the world top 10, close to his highest ranking (see below JUNE WORLD RANKINGS: RODRIGUEZ BACK IN THE TOP 10).

After his sensational week in England, Miguel Angel Rodriguez (in the middle) backed up in Guatemala (Photo credit: www.elespectador.com)

--- EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: FRANCE AND ENGLAND SHARE SILVERWARE

For the fifth year in a row, England and France contested both the men's and women's finals in the European Team Championships - the outcomes remaining the same, with France successfully defending the men's title in Wroclaw, Poland, and England retaining the women's trophy for the eighth successive year. Seeded one and two in the men's draw, France and England duly lined up in the final for the 11th time since 2008 - former world number ones Gregory Gaultier (France), James Willstrop and Nick Matthew (both England) celebrating their 18th, 15th and 12th appearances in the annual event, respectively. 37-year-old Matthew was unable to mark his farewell appearance in the event with a win, however, going down to career-long rival and close friend Gaultier, as France took a 2/0 lead over their perennial regional rivals, after Castagnet had beaten Willstrop in straight games. Daryl Selby reduced the deficit by beating Frenchman Lucas Serme in straight games - but when Frenchman Baptiste Masotti clinched the second game against Declan James in the fourth and final match (having needed to either take a game or win 18 points), that was enough to give France the title for the third time in four years. "It wasn’t to be today but we gave it an unbelievable effort as a team," Matthew said. "France were worthy winners but what drama Daryl and Declan created with amazing performances in the last two matches. It's been an absolute honour to play for England alongside this team and all the other players I’ve played with since 2003. Special mention for our physio Jade Leeder who worked tirelessly on my body, allowing me to pull on the England shirt for one last time when yesterday it looked highly unlikely that I’d be fit enough to play. There was no way I wanted to sit out this one. It's now time to pass the England squash baton on to the next generation as a proud captain."

France and England held their title at the European Team Championship (Photo creditEuropean Team Championship Divisions 1&2 2018)

With all four squad members boasting world top 15 rankings, England were firm favourites to triumph in the women's event - but had to come from behind in the final when France's six-time European Individual champion Camille Serme beat England number one Laura Massaro in straight games in the opening match. Undaunted, Massaro's team-mates Alison Waters and Victoria Lust soon restored order for the favourites, beating Coline Aumard and Melissa Alves, respectively, in straight games to keep the trophy in English hands. Both Bronze medalists had much to celebrate: Spain achieved 3rd place in the men's event - their highest-ever finish in 40 appearances in the championship since 1979 - while Belgium, led by sisters Nele Gilis and Tinne Gilis, outshone their previous best 4th place finish in 2004 in the women's event.

Source: www.squashinfo.com

--- ONE TO WATCH FOR ...

Although he did not quite break the record of the youngest tour winner held by fellow Egyptian Ahmed Barada, Mostafa Asal made a huge impact during the South American tour in May - his first tournaments outside of his country. The U17 British Junior Open champion won 3 titles in 4 events, going through qualifying in every one of them. In total, he won 23 matches in four weeks, his only loss being against veteran Olli Tuominen, 22 years older than him! Obviously these results drastically boosted his ranking, which rose from #194 to #75 in the world. The 17-year old is now the youngest player in the squash top 100, and is among the nominees for the Young Player of the Year award. No doubt he will also be a force to be reckoned with at the World Junior Championship (18-23 July in Chennai, India).

17-year old sensation Mostafa Asal left three trophies in May (Photo credit: Marcelo Zambrana / CBS)

--- JUNE WORLD RANKINGS: RODRIGUEZ BACK IN THE TOP 10

Following his historic win at the British Open, Miguel Angel Rodriguez rose eight places to World No.6, just two places below his career high recorded in 2015. Despite his defeat in the final in Hull, Mohamed Elshorbagy maintains his position at the summit of the squash World Rankings ahead of Ali Farag (No.2), younger brother Marwan (No.3) and Tarek Momen, who moves up to a career-high No.4 ranking – marking the first time in history that Egyptian players have taken the first four spots on the men’s rankings. Simon Rösner also enjoys a move up to a career-best ranking as he rises a spot to become the first German player in history to reach the world’s top five. Meanwhile, Rösner’s compatriot, Raphael Kandra, has risen 14 places to a career-high No.23 ranking courtesy of a breathtaking run at the British Open which saw him battle through qualifying before shocking the likes of three-time World Champion Nick Matthew and Marwan Elshorbagy en route to a maiden World Series semi-final. Frenchman Gregory Gaultier has dropped out of the top five for the first time since October 2011, with the 35-year-old falling three places to No.7, which is his lowest ranking for almost 12 years.

June PSA World rankings (Photo credits: PSA World Tour)

France’s Camille Serme has returned to the world’s top five for the first time since February. Her semi-final finish at last month’s British Open made her overtake Egypt’s Nouran Gohar to sit at No.5. Meanwhile, British Open champion Nour Elsherbini celebrates her 26th successive month at World No.1 as she extends her lead over runner-up Raneem El Welily, who remains at No.2. Nour El Tayeb stays at No.3, while New Zealand’s Joelle King is the other player featured in the top five. Except for Serme and Gohar exchanging their positions, there were no change in the top 10, but England’s Victoria Lust and Egypt’s Salma Hany moved up to career-highs at No.13 and No.15, respectively.

Source : PSA World Tour

June squash hotspots

--- The PSA Dubai World Series Finals - closing event of the 2017/2018 season - take place next week at the Emirates Golf Club from June 5-9. Egypt’s World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy is back to defend his title after a strong season that has seen him win three World Series titles. He is drawn in Group A along with compatriot Tarek Momen, Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez and England’s Nick Matthew. The three-time World squash Champion thought he had made his final appearance at the British Open, but Marwan Elshorbagy withdrawal - due to a hamstring injury - has handed the Englishman one last chance to bow out in a blaze of glory. In Group B, we find Egyptians Ali Farag and Karim Abdel Gawad along with Germany’s Simon Rösner and France’s Gregory Gaultier. In the women’s tournament, former World No.1 Laura Massaro will be looking to keep hold of her World Series crown for the third year in a row as she is drawn in Group B with Egypt’s Raneem El Welily, compatriot Sarah-Jane Perry and France’s Camille Serme. The women’s Group A contains World Series Standings leader Nour Elsherbini and fellow Egyptians Nour El Tayeb, Nouran Gohar along with New Zealand’s Joelle King. The World Series Finals features a round robin, best-of-three games group stage format, taking place between June 5-7, while the semi-finals are due to take place on June 8 and the finals on June 9.

Nick Matthew will make his last appearance at the European Team Championship and the British Open in May (Photo credit: Philippe Rochais)

Besides, PSA Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year will be crowned on Monday June 4 during the annual PSA Awards Dinner, which takes place on the eve of the World Series Finals. The annual awards ceremony recognises the outstanding achievers of the season across a multitude of categories, as chosen by the PSA Awards Committee – a group consisting of selected influential former players, members of the media, tournament promoters and PSA Board representatives – PSA players and an online fan vote. This year’s awards will also see squash fans contribute directly to the outcome of the prominent Player of the Year awards, with a dedicated social media vote set to count alongside the selections of the PSA Awards Committee members – while other awards such as the Shot of the Year and Match of the Year will be decided exclusively via an online fan vote. A Services to Squash award – chosen by the PSA Foundation’s Board of Trustees following the creation of the PSA’s official charity last year – will also be re-introduced to celebrate an outstanding commitment and service to the sport during the past 12 months. The full list of honours to be presented is as follows: Men’s and Women's Young Player of the Year, Spirit of Squash – Men’s and Women's, Services to Squash, Shot of the Year - Men and Women, Match of the Year – Men and Women, and of course Men’s and Women's Player of the Year, whose nominees are Mohamed Elshorbagy Simon Rosner, Marwan Elshorbagy, Miguel Angel Rodriguez (men) and Nour El Tayeb, Joelle King, Nour Elsherbini and Raneem El Welily (women). Two of those players will succeed to France's Grégory Gaultier and Camille Serme. 

Source: PSA World Tour

Main results

PSA

  • Allam British Open 2018 (Hull, England) - $165,000 (Men's) + $165,000 (Women's)

Winners: Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Colombia) and Nour Elsherbini (Egypt)

  • Sporta Guatemala XI Torneo Internacional PSA 2018 (Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala) - $50,000 (Men's)

Winner: Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Colombia)

Others

  • European Team Championships Divisions 1 and 2 (Wroclaw, Poland) - Men and women

Winners: France (Men's Division 1), England (Women's Division 1), Switzerland (Men's Division 2), Spain (Women's Division 2) 

  • European U15/U17 Team Championships (Malmö, Sweden)

Winners: England (-15 and -17) 

Schedule

PSA

  • ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals 2017-2018 (Dubaï, United Arab Emirates) - 5th to 9th of June - $160,000 (Men's) + $160,000 (Women's)

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