Strong start of the season for Egypt

Main squash story: El Shorbagy back in winning mode

September was the opportunity to ease into the 2017-2018 season for the world top players, with a couple of tournaments in Asia and in San Francisco this week. For those who were wondering, Egypt is still the squash powerhouse, and their players will hard to beat at the US Open which starts next weekend in Philadelphia.

Egyptian players got their hands on most of the main titles in September (Photo credits: www.psaworldtour.com)

Mohamed El Shorbagy made no secret he was disappointed with the way he played in 2016-2017. But the former World No.1 had ended it on a positive note, winning the World Squash Series Finals in Dubai. He carried the momentum forward for his opening tournament in 2017-2018 at the NetSuite Open ($100,000) - where seed number 1 Grégory Gaultier had to pull out at the last minute because of an ankle injury. Like his opponent in the final - compatriot Karim Abdel Gawad - El Shorbagy had a tough 5 setter in the previous round but he was able to back up with a brilliant performance, dispatching the reigning world  squash champion in 3 games (11-9, 11-6, 11-3). “I’m really happy," he said after the match (Source: wwww.psaworldtour.com). "When I was World No.1 for 28 months, all of the players studied me every single day but, coming into this season, I’m studying everyone. I’m coming in really hungry and there is nothing in my mind apart from getting back to World No.1.” In the women’s $50k event, Sarah-Jane Perry confirmed she will be a contender for the major titles this season. The Englishwoman successively beat Laura Massaro and Nicol David, both times in 5 games, to clinch her first title since February 2015 and biggest one to date. "I reached my first World Series final last year, and winning here has kickstarted my season," she said after a final where she denied David a match ball in the fourth game. "Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for the rest of the year.” One of the other squash heroes of the week was undoubtedly 20-year old Diego Elias. The Peruvian has had a very good 2016-2017 season, climbing from 34th to 17th in the world, but he seems ready to go one step further: after convincingly beating Fares Dessouky and Nick Matthew, he took a 2-game lead against Gawad in the semis, before surrendering 11-9 in the fifth.

Joelle King enjoyed two of her greatest wins in the space of two days in China (Photo credit: www.psaworldtour.com)

Earlier in September, the China Open ($100,000) in Shanghai saw the victories of Ramy Ashour and Nour El Sherbini. "I always seem to play well in the Far East, I’m not sure why but I feel comfortable in this part of the world." said Ashour - who turned 30 yesterday - after beating compatriot Ali Farag in the final. Having had an horrendous run with injuries for a few years, he hadn't won a tournament since Hong Kong in August 2016. Another Egyptian double came in Macau ($50,000), thanks to Mohamed Abouelghar and Nouran Gohar, who was also runner-up in China. After winning two gold medals at the World Double Championships, New Zealander Joelle King enjoyed one of the best weeks of her career in Shanghai (first ever wins over Laura Massaro and Nicol David) before reaching the final in Macau.

Other squash news

--- Two weeks ago, Nick Matthew announced on his own YouTube channel that the upcoming season would be his last one on the professionnal squash tour. The 37-year old - nicknamed "The Wold" for his sheer determination - already displays a track record that puts him right at the top of the sport's history: 3-time World Champion, 3-time British Open winner and 3-time gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games. Not to mention 116 caps with the England squad, during which he has won 3 World and 10 European Team Championships, as well as 19 months occupying the world number 1 spot. “I’ve decided, after a lot of thought and talking with family and friends, that this is going to be my last season on the PSA World Tour,” said Matthew. “But it’s not sad, I’m really excited by the opportunity ahead in my last squash season on the Tour. We’ve got the World Championships in Manchester and I’ve got some amazing memories of the 2013 event. Then there are the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April 2018. It’s one of my favourite events ever and I’ll be doing everything in my power to win a fourth Gold medal. Potentially my last tournament ever will be the British Open so what a way that would be to finish, in my home country with one of the most traditional titles in squash." After David Palmer, Thierry Lincou and Amr Shabana, another squash legend of the 21st century will hang his racquet in a few months. “A big thank you to all the squash fans out there who have supported me throughout my career at home and abroad." he added. "I've been playing since the age of eight and have made so many friends around the world. Hopefully I'll see you this year if you can come to watch me in my last season. But you won't get rid of me that easily as I'll be involved in squash forever. I've started my squash academy in the UK and US, the Nick Matthew Academy, to help produce the next generation of talent as well as to grow our amazing sport that's given me so much." There were a lot of reactions within the squash world following the announcement, that was reported in all the big media in the UK. Matthew - who has been awarded an Order of the British Empire and was carrying the English flag at the CW Games in 2014 - is considered as one of the greatest sportsmen of the modern era in his country.

Nick Matthew announced a few weeks ago that 2017-2018 would be his last season on the professional tour (Video: Nick Matthew Squash YouTube Channel)

--- Is the awarding of the 2024 Olympic Games to Paris good news regarding a possible inclusion of squash? Only time will tell, but a few factors make the squash community - left heartbroken after three failures for 2012, 2016 and 2020 - relatively hopeful. "I am reasonably confident," said World Squash Federation's president Jacques Fontaine, who is also a member of the French Olympic Commitee, a few weeks ago to Inside the Games during the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. "I honestly think squash deserves to be an Olympic sport. We just have to acknowledge that the past is the past and concentrate on the new bid we are preparing which, I hope, will bring a better result. I was elected on a programme which included a new bid for the Olympics and to build close relationships with the professional sector of our sport." As a matter of fact, the WSF and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) have signed a partnership agreement just a few days before the Lima announcement. Central to the partnership will be the development of a global strategy, focusing on objectives such as securing a place on the Olympic Games programme. Another factor that could play in squash's favor is that since 2014, the IOC has decided to give more power to the host cities in the decision making process: Tokyo has chosen skateboarding, surfing, climbing, karate and baseball/softball for 2020. The French sport authorities have already stated they would be aiming for 80 medals in Paris, so squash could be an asset if France maintains its position in the world top 3 nations, alongside Egypt and England. Denis Masseglia, president of the French Olympic Committee recently said to the newspaper L'Equipe that "(they) have until 2021 to make (their) decision as far as new sports are concerned. Traditionnal French sports such as snooker or pétanque have already expressed interest, but there is also squash and water-skiing. In any case, we'll wait for the 2020 Games in Tokyo before moving forward." In the meantime, squash will make his first appearance as a showcase sport at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2018. Campaign is on ...

 Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, alongside co-president of the Paris bid for the 2024 Olympics Tony Estanguet (Photo credit: www.lexpress.fr)

--- Mulhouse has put an end to 7 years of German supremacy at the European Club Championship in Paderborn. Even without their captain Mathieu Castagnet - injured in Nantes a few days before - the French side (Alan Clyne, Olli Tuominen, Baptiste Masotti, Yann Perrin) beat the host team in the final on games countback, partly thanks to an impressive straight game win from their Finnish veteran over Raphael Kandra. It was the first ever Men's European crown for Mulhouse, who also clinched the bronze in the Women's event. Despite the performance of new signing Nour El Tayeb, Paderborn also lost in the final against England's Edgbaston Priory, who kept the title won in 2016.

The ladies of Edgbaston Priory held their title at the European Club Championship (Photo credit: www.squashsite.co.uk)

October squash hotspots

--- The next few weeks will be packed with big squash events. First World Series tournament of the season, the US Open starts next weekend in Philadelphia. The men's tour has such strength in depth at the moment that the contenders are numerous, and we will be treated with mouth watering clashes in the first round. Such as Gaultier v Pilley, Lee v Elias and above all Gawad v Coll. If things go according to seedings, the quarters will be the following: Gaultier v Willstrop, Farag v Matthew, Mohamed El Shorbagy v Ashour and Marwan El Shorbagy v Gawad. In the women's squash draw, world number 1 El Sherbini could clash in the quarters with in form SJ Perry but the Englishwoman will have to previously overcome Nour El Tayeb, who's beaten her twice recently. Other potential showdowns in the last 8 are Massaro v David (who've met 31 times in PSA) and all-Egyptian affair Gohar v El Welily. Last year's winner Camille Serme may have a tough second round against in form Joelle King.

Contenders are numerous but Mohamed El Shorbagy and Camille Serme will be looking to keep their title at the US Open (Photo credit: US Open Squash)

12 of the world top 20 male players will be featuring in the Channel VAS Championship ($100,000) at St George's Hill in mid-October. Among them, 6 Egyptians including top seeds Mohamed El Shorbagy and Ali Farag. The spotlight will move towards the Middle East at the end of September for the Qatar Classic. Hot spots of the first round are Willstrop v Elias, Coll v Marwan El Shorbagy and Gawad v Golan. But the match everybody is already talking about is a possible Ashour v Matthew in the second round: the two 3-time World Champions have never met in such an early round in their entire career (26 matches)!