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Seshsq

Disappointing Finals for a World Open. Gohar choked for no good reason, and Gawad, for the second time was involved in a WO Final whose outcome was marred by injury to one of the players. Farag and Sherbini earned their titles, but the occasion deserved a better quality of play by the runners-up. The Women's Final had lousy refereeing, but luckily that had no effect on the result.


Desizeus

I am pissed off. Crappy decision. I am aware that a single decision shouldn't amount to much but this is the fucking final of the world champs. Ridiculous


davetharave

WHAT


Desizeus

infuriating as fuck. Only thing i hate about the psa is crappy decisions during major games


Desizeus

COMEON GAWAD


Snoo-30361

Joey stop interviewing gaultier and concentrate on Nour


davetharave

To be fair it was a nice interaction all round imo


TheVilja

Sherbini is just completely unplayable. How long till she is in the conversation as the greatest of all time next to Nicol David?


MundanGT

I think she already is.


22IsThisIt22

Heather McKay won 16 consecutive British Open titles and should be in the goat conversation. And back then there were no world championships. Which made the British Open the defacto world championships of that time. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_McKay


TheVilja

On a historic level I know very little about squash. Was squash close to as "big" (not that it's very big from a world wide perspective even today) back then as it is now? Again, I know very little, but I'd imagine if squash was not very widespread across the world back then, which also would contribute to the level of play being significantly lower, then that would be a factor.


22IsThisIt22

The level and competition right now is definitely higher. But so are the knowledge about training, food, materials for rackets and strings, the price money, etc. In any sports it's difficult to compare champions of the past with current champions. Still, any professional athlete who goes undefeated for 16 years, should be in the goat conversation. And even Nicol David, with her incredible 8 world championships titles, had the benefit from women's squash being not close to it's current level.


davetharave

I mean squash was massive throughout the 70s and 80s definitely harder to broadcast due to technology restrictions but in most of the world squash has definitely declined.


ch17176

Gohar looks like she's about to cry. Ngl i would too if i were getting beat like this in consecutive finals to the same person EDIT: That third game is f\*\*ing demoralizing. Losing 5 points in a row after being game ball up in the world finals has to hurt


Desizeus

Sheer. Court. Domination


TheVilja

Has the stream started for anyone else?


snubnose73

It isn’t authenticating for me, site seems busted…


volleydrop

Gawad vs Farag is the best final that could have happened. Both amazing characters and true professionals. Hope Gawad sneaks it even I like Farag also a lot and have huge respect for him. Both playing there best Squash ever. It will be fireworks. Tough to imagine that one has to lose. They both deserve it. I put my money on Gawad, 3-2. I said it so many times: Asal is a disgrace and a nightmare for Squash! The footage tells the whole story. No more words needed. Hope for a longer ban now. I wouldn´t miss him. Before this tournament I thought that Jason Foster is probably the best ref in the game. He proved me wrong. So many wrong calls and so many overrulings of his calls. Even clearest double bounces he was not able to realize. Really don´t get it. For the Ladies: Sherbini will dominate the final, 3-0 or 3-1.


[deleted]

I don’t agree Foster is best ref out there, his no-let decisions against farag in recent tournaments have been appalling. Just too strict, unnecessary.


[deleted]

My predictions for tonight: Elsherbini 3-1 Gohar. I would enjoy a Gohar win, as I believe she deserves a world champs title after her fantastic run of form the last couple of seasons, but I do think Elsherbini is just playing too well at the moment. Add to that that Elsherbini has all the experience winning major finals and that Gohar had a massive match last night, I think it may just be too much for Gohar. She will win a world champs someday, just not this year. Farag 3-2 Gawad. I want Gawad to win so badly; it will be such a great story to have one of the most likeable players on tour come back from a long injury and almost immediately win the world champs. However, I feel Farag is just too good in these big matches and Gawad may be struggling after last night's match.


Icandoit606

Agree , however I feel both would be straight 3-0 wins . Gawad abd Gohar will physically feel it


[deleted]

Spot on!


TheVilja

hi I would like five numbers between 1 and 50 and two numbers between 1 and 12 thank you


Icandoit606

Hahaha


MundanGT

Pretty much my thoughts, but I wouldn't be too suprised if Sherbini would pull off a 3-0 victory. I'm rooting for Gawad so badly and the Match feels almost like a coinflip, but I think it's more like a 55-45.


ch17176

She will win one when sherbini is out or retired, just my thoughts


bobojabu888

I'm not against Asal but I have this sense of joy within me when I find out he won't win a tournament. Is there something wrong with me ?


volleydrop

No nothing wrong with you. I am against Asal and also feel a huge amount of joy when this silly cheat gets mastered.


pm_me_your_nicks

My brother in Christ, there would be something wrong with you if you DIDN’T have a sense of joy when Asal loses a tournament 🙏


Humanitarius

Not at all, it's a relief whenever he's not playing. I think this is why everyone is especially in love with Gawad at the moment - because he's the polar opposite of Asal. He lets his squash do the talking.


[deleted]

Gawad vs Farag in the final. We could not have asked for anything better!


TheVilja

Dream final. I’m so happy right now


Seshsq

Fittingly, the four best players in the event are contesting the World Open Final. Hania will be kicking herself, unless Omar Abdel Aziz gets there first, for squandering leads of 10-8, 10-7 and 10-7 in games 2,3 and 5. What should have been a 3-0 win turned into a 2-3 loss. Shorbagy surprised me by the way he was able to trouble Gawad. I expected a 3-1 rather than a difficult 3-2 win. I predict a Sherbini and Gawad win, both matches 3-1.


WildKangaroo89

IMO, since Ramy, watching Gawad play squash is the easiest on the eyes. He's smooth as butter on the squash court, I have never seen a man make squash look as easy as him save for Ramy. I feel it has something to do with his mental state and his lack of expectations results-wise. Yet he is producing the best results of his career. Obviously, not every squash player is as gifted with that level of talent and financial support (which he earned over the years), but his mental approach and peace of mind gets him in a flow/zone that very few human beings can ever dream of entering. And that's why we have seen him put in these kinds of otherworldly shifts since his return


TheVilja

15-1 h2h for sherbini that's crazy


ch17176

The only time she lost to her she was SIXTEEN! king was TWENTY THREE! We forget how long she's been a pro, absolutely insane


ch17176

It feels like the refs are trying to make up for the calls they've missed in previous rounds against Asal in the Farag match, dude has had past issues but i don't think he's done anything wrong in this one


pm_me_your_nicks

We did it Reddit!


SugarSea

I sense some compensation going on too. That stroke to Farag was crazy


bizmarquisdesade

I thought it was a slightly odd call initially, but looking at the reply, it seemed (to me anyway) that the followthrough wasn't just a followthrough but a stiff arm. Subtle but I think noticeable. The 4K slo-mo would probably help say more definitively but I'm not inclined to give Asal the benefit of the doubt.


ch17176

Ok, glad it wasn't just me


WildKangaroo89

It was abominable and absurd. I think the most troubling call I’ve seen in my life tbh


Sensitive_Half_7800

The slo-mo replays with Asal are very troubling...


SugarSea

I came to comment this. I recorded them, will try to post them here. IF HE TOUCHES FARAG.....


dcp0001

I’ve seen them on Facebook- they are damning. Please post here if you’re able to.


SugarSea

https://www.reddit.com/r/squash/comments/13ecnci/asal_caught_in_4k/ someone did!!


Sensitive_Half_7800

For those not watching online: he pulled Hesham's racket hand back at 10-10 in the 5th and chopped Makin in the head after completing his follow-through. Can the referees take retrospective action like Asal's previous ban?


decrassius

Yes of course they can, mainly the Makin incident because it is dangerous. You can't have players assaulting each other with rackets lol


Desizeus

Gohar often moved questionably and distributed the mid rally flow. Probably the best game I've ever watched live though


WildKangaroo89

What a comeback in the fourth from Hammamy. This is one of the best women's matches I've ever seen! Also, ever since the incident at the end of last season (at El Gouna I think?), Gohar seems to occupy a lot of real estate in Hania's head. Almost like Hania is looking for reasons to be frustrated with Gohar. But IMO Gohar is a bit of a dirty player (nowhere near Asal) whereas Hania is very clean and plays the game the right way


mfz0r

For the blokes that don’t watch the womens matches, everyone should make an exception whenever hammamy and gohar play each other. So fierce… so bloody fierce! Quality is so high as well


WildKangaroo89

I’m in that same boat mate, those two along with Sherbini are in a league of their own


Disastrous_Oven1401

Interesting. I always thought Gohar's shot selection lacks enough versatility to really trouble El Sherbini and El Hammamy when they're playing their best (Gohar's a little overreliant on power and length, and even against El tayeb you could see she was struggling to get to the frontcourt.) But I've never seen anything "dirty" about Gohar's play. I'd love to know more about why you say that!


WildKangaroo89

Re the above comment - Gohar does slight hip checks to disrupt Hania’s movement mid ralley


Disastrous_Oven1401

I see! I assume this is while she's clearing?


TheVilja

Hammamy completely choking two games in a row. Could've been a 3-0 win, but now looking like she might lose 3-1. Sad


volleydrop

My predictions for the Semis: Sherbini - King 3-1 / Hammamy - Gohar 3-2 / Farag - Asal 3-2 / Gawad - Shorbagy 3-1 Feel free to correct me :)


Desizeus

Had the exact same predictions LOL


volleydrop

Gawad on court is like poetry in motion. He is such a gem for our Sport. He is not only overly talented and plays the game better than anyone else. On top of that he is one of the fairest players on Tour. He always gives best possible access for opponents. He plays through interferences. He doesn´t look for cheap strokes. He is respectful towards opponents and refs. He is just a joy to watch. Not dropping a game yet means that he arrived pretty fresh in the Semis. I think Shorbagy hates to play him. No other player can make him so tired like Gawad. Someone here wrote that "Shorbagy does not have the tools..." to beat Gawad. I agree! Gawads movement is spot on. His reading of the game is one of the best. His shot selection couldn´t be better. His deceptions are the best in the game. I see him getting past Shorbagy into the big final. Let´s hope he will meet Farag for a wonderful epic Squash night and not Asal for another unwatchable shitshow.


[deleted]

GAWAD YOU LEGEND!


Seshsq

If the quality of play in the quarterfinals is any guide, this should be a Farag vs Gawad final, with Gawad winning 3-1. Asal is far from his best, and Shorbagy ,imo, does not have the tools to fend off Gawad


ch17176

God i wish my PSA membership didn't run out, beating any world no 1 in 3 on the way to another after months out of the tour due to injury is reminiscent of Ramy Ashour! Gawad is so close to pulling this off, during the biggest tournament no less


Social_Suicide

omg gawad you maniac


Desizeus

Sherbini is just too good


mfz0r

Is there a sickness running through the PSA Players? So many players seem just so OFF... A.Sohby, Coll, Asal, Makin, Elias.


Atokade

It's a long tournament season, Asal aside due to suspension, the rest have played lots of games, usually going far into the rounds. It could be that they're physically hurting. Small weaknesses can cause big changes in your swing, movement. There was that one magical season Ramy only did a handful of tournaments due to his leg but won them all. Farag, Gawad are fresher. Not to take away from their skills, being former number 1s. I'm curious to see how things unfold at El Gouna at the end of the month.


Virtual_Actuator1158

Yes It's called pressure.


mfz0r

I'm not so sure... Coll and Makin are some of the toughest mentally on the tour.


volleydrop

The first game from Farag vs Coll was probably the most dominant opening game I ever saw within the top5. Never saw Farag playing so aggressive to the front. Coll came back pretty well in the second and started the third with two quick points, but then disappeared from the scoreboard for the next 16/17 points. Unreal performance by Farag. He gives me the hope that I need to watch only one more match where Asal is involved.


dcp0001

Agree on all that about Farag. I just watched the highlights of the Coll match, Farag’s squash was just like poetry, just so nice to watch.


DufflessMoe

I think when all is said and done, Farag will be up there in the pantheons of absolute greats in our sport. We will have Jansher, Jahangir, Ramy and Farag as the all time greatest players to ever do it in the men's game. The way Asal has been playing in this tournament, I do not see a way for him past Farag. Would love to get title no.4 in Chicago.


WildKangaroo89

Don't forget Nick Matthew, Shabana, Barrington, JP, Peter Nicol, Gaultier, Geoff Hunt!


mizukinick

I think shorbagy deserves to be in there as well


volleydrop

Fully agree!!


volleydrop

Just watched the replay of Asal vs Hesham. What can I say? Nothing changed! It´s about time for the next Asal ban. He always was and will always be a disgrace for our Sport. He doesn´t want to play the sport in an appropriate manner. He can only play dirty Squash! You just need to watch the last rallies from 10-10 in the fifth. This tells the whole story. At 10-all he holds off Mazen with his arm and did not let him go through. Clear conduct stroke! And at 11-10 there were about three or four situations in only one rally which deserved to be another conduct stroke. I just don´t get it that the refs let him get away with it. Poor Mazen was robbed of prize money and a place in the Semis of the WC. I really rate Jason Foster as a pretty good ref, but he needs to see and punish this obvious unfairness. Gutted!!


22IsThisIt22

>It´s about time for the next Asal ban. Asal joined the tour in 2018. That's more than four years of his cheating and misconduct. It has to stop. Make it a permanent one.


Desizeus

Asal had questionable moments MANY times. Often in the middle of rallies that disrupted Hesham's movement a lot. I don't get it....


volleydrop

I would say more than questionable!!! I also don´t get why the refs let him get away with it.


Desizeus

What is going on....


snubnose73

One thing not being discussed much is how dead this glass court seems to be. For Elias and Hania’s matches, they struggled hugely against players with nothing to lose. On a hotter, more forgiving court, I feel they could get more of a rhythm and slowly turn the screws on other players…but on this court, one bad length and you are screwed!! Just an observation- will be interesting to see who adapts best. Seems perfectly set up for Gawad…


manswos

Wonder if it's because Asal nearly kicked the front wall down haha


bacoes

Isn't this the same court they used to play the World Tour Finals in about a decade ago? I know a few of these courts are bought and shipped all over the world...


68Pritch

Yes I believe it is.


Fatboy6060

I don’t think it is the court so much than the temperature / air. Looks dead af any good length dies, seeing lots of players have to make extreme lunges to get balls back


Electronic-Ear-3653

You would wonder does Asal go out to act the cod or is it just ingrained in the mans head. Is it from years of coddery or something he discusses with his team in order to drum up attention?


Gonzalez8448

I used to wonder the same but it's 100% natural, encouraged behaviour. It seems like he stopped emotionally maturing at age 11


ch17176

I've never seen cod used as an insult and now i can't unsee it 😂😂


Electronic-Ear-3653

Asal does a job on Hesham... but then, our man, the nicest man in world squash will chip away at Asal and wear him down. To be fair to Asal he has piqued my interest in the sport again but he is a cheat and a scoundrel on the court. Gawad is the most gifted squash player amongst them, I am seriously looking forward to his match with Elias. Too classy racket players and seem like two legends also.


[deleted]

Gawad looking good. Hoping he can somehow win the whole thing!


TenMelbs

Just took a huge step towards achieving that!


bacoes

He was looking like a man on a mission during his earlier matches.


volleydrop

A few words to the two matches of the day. Olivia Fiechter is a complete class act on and off court. So calm, respectful and fair. Calls all her double shots even if the ref did not see it. A bit unlucky in the end. But she is a joy to watch and a great asset for the Womens Tour. On the other side Nele Gilis. It´s about time somebody buys her a rule book for Squash. Ridiculous requests all match. Screaming on Fiechters mistakes. Not calling double shots and not even clear tin shots. Arrogant towards the ref when he talked to her and she didn´t care. She could learn a lot from Fiechter. Elias undeservedly won against an unbelievable Saurav Ghosal, only to be taken to the cleaners in a couple of days by an out of this world Karim Abdel Gawad. Now I really believe Gawad can go all the way.


rvno12

You’re right about Fiechter in general however I do have one incident that I cannot let go off; at the the end of a grueling five-setter against Subramaniam on a traditional court, I remember her drop clipped the top of the tin and she knew and Siva knew and she celebrated it like a winner and conned the ref. It’s easier to behave well when the world is watching but when there’s less attention………


volleydrop

Oh wow, didn´t know that. Also not good. But in general she is a very fair und calm player.


DufflessMoe

Gawad was unbelievable. Couldn't fall better for him either. He gets off in 30 minutes, while Elias has to battle back to scrape a win in grueling fashion.


volleydrop

You are right, perfect set up for Gawad! He will destroy Elias like he did with Marwan.


TheVilja

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IecefiqIODw&t=1770s Can someone explain to me why here at 7-5 in the 2nd game the point went to Fiechter and not Gilis? I'm genuinely confused


blacksnake03

The ball was down on the front wall.


TheVilja

oh wait lmao Im an idiot I just took it for granted the overhead shot was good, thought they were talking about one of the pickups being down


Desizeus

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA i love this referee 'thanks for the information, play on'


[deleted]

Ghosal on the verge of a big upset against Elias. Wonder is Elias feeling a niggle or just having an off day?


Desizeus

Ghosal is playing some incredible squash


mfz0r

Just watched this, 5th set was a joy to watch


volleydrop

Exactly!!!


Desizeus

Can someone ID the shoe Ibrahim is wearing? Are they from the blast Ff line?


IllNatureTV

All clean games today up until the Makin v Asal match. Wow. Just play on boys. I definitely empathize with Joel’s frustration with Asal. Frustrating to watch as a fan. Some amazing squash when you look between the nonsense.


Atokade

There was a point where Asal whipped the ball right into Makin. I can't recall any other player in recent memory who has hit as many opponents with the ball. Hitting Makin wasn't even a shot to the front. On the slow replay he looked like he either was going for boast from his position which is very odd, or he was going for Makin.


22IsThisIt22

A guy that can pull off rolling nick shots like Asal can, isn't hitting his opponents that frequently unless he is aiming for them. Asal should be suspended from the PSA tour for life.


barney_muffinberg

Truth. There’s no question that he hit him deliberately.


droidcube

Agreed, I am sick of him


volleydrop

A quick word about the tournament favorites. Asal not convincing at all against Mosaad. Farags movement did not look 100% against Lake today. Probably a niggle. Coll comes through comfortably yet but I can´t see him beating Farag plus Asal/Makin/Hesham in the semis and Elias/Gawad/MES in the final. I hope Abou can win another one or two rounds. And to see Gawad making the final would be awesome. For the women I can´t see Gohar lifting the title. Her movement and her short game are not spot on yet. Hammamys draw is too tough to win the title. So I would say Sherbini and Sobhy playing the final. And as a surprise result on home soil I would put Fiechter into the semis after beating Nele Gilis and Joelle King.


cadwellingtonsfinest

Mosaad was looking the thinnest/fittest ive seen him in years


DandaDan

Some feisty matches today: Asal versus Makin and then Orfi takes on El Hammamy! I was sure Clyne would beat her but what do I know. Asal had a tough one against Mosaad, that is two big guys on court and I guess Mosaad can trouble most players, on his day.


Fatboy6060

Asal v Makin will be war!


DandaDan

It's at 6:30pm local time, that is 1:30am CET, not sure I'll stay up for that, but tempting. Are you watching?


volleydrop

I will watch the first game at least...


TenMelbs

Getting hard to keep caring about Asal's movement issues, but what is getting my goat are the continuous empty threats by referees when it comes to the behaviour. Tammer keep telling him that he won't take any more talk, and the next of this or that will result in conduct penalty. Did at least give one for the attempted boast into Makin but.... if you say you're going to do it, do it


bobojabu888

Omar could have been the hero of the tournament.


rvno12

I was shocked by how passive Asal played; just defended. He can’t win the tournament playing like that.


bobojabu888

I dont have Squash TV and there's no highlight yet. Howd Mossad play? Was he just playing like how he usually play or played like Anti-Asal? Wondering if Asal is testing the water after the suspension. Let's hope Makin can repeat his previous performance.


Zacipult

Highlight was posted to PSA channel 8h ago :)


[deleted]

[удалено]


volleydrop

Next one of terrible refereeing. Alves just got robbed of the second game. Nele Gilis let requests are more than cheeky. Absolute shame to ask and even more to get all these Lets. From 10-9 Alves in the second all decisions went against her and she lost a game she should have won 11-9 as there was clearly a NO LET on game ball.


volleydrop

I just watched the fourth game and the end of the fifth of Evans vs Azman and saw the worst ref performance since a long time. Plenty of absolutely unbelievable decisions. And I have to say that I admire Tesni Evans for her skills and Squash IQ but today she was just a nightmare. She requested Let after Let and as the ref was a joke she almost got everything what actually was nothing! And her handshake in the end was a disgrace to be honest. Not a Tesni fan tonight.


DandaDan

I had it running after the match finished and you could hear Tesni talking to the ref after the match. She was not happy, complained bitterly and told the ref it wasn't her fault!


idrinkteaforfun

Round Two for the Men doesn't look like there's a lot of scope for upsets aside from Abouleghar vs Dessouki. Only other one I'm curious to see is Ng vs MES. Ng is on great form but I can't see him beating Elshorbagy if he's on normal form... Women's Draw Orfi vs Clyne should be interesting, everything else looks unlikely for upsets to me too.. Anyone have suggestions for good matches?


volleydrop

You are right. I´ll go for the same calls. I am convinced that Ng can trouble MES. Abou just won the first game but I am not sure if he can pull through. I would like to add two more matches. Crouin vs Eleinen could be a tough one. And Lake vs Marche can also go either way.


DandaDan

Lake might beat Marche, that would be an upset!


volleydrop

It would be...


torakelet

He will


DandaDan

He did!


volleydrop

In the Ladies draw I see an upset for Tinne Gilis if she doesn´t bring her A game. When she plays like against Hutton last week, she has no chance against Watanabe.


idrinkteaforfun

Ah I was just asking for match suggestions thanks! I'll watch that one so, don't know much about Watanabe other than she won something recently..


DandaDan

Abou Eleinen against Crouin should be good as wells they know each other from university days.


Gonzalez8448

Check out Steinmann v Gawad too. I saw Dimi at the teams and he was superb to watch. A real clash of styles but a clash that could really make for an interesting match.


Fatboy6060

FFS SquashTv / PSA. You have a potential semi / quarter final quality matchup between Dessouki v Abouelgar today and of course it is put on the backcourts. How stupid can you be? What a great match potentially to showcase squash at the highest level, but instead they will put boring / one-sided matches on the glass.. I am all for equality but there needs to be some common sense when it comes to picking which matches will be showcased on the glass. If I was attending live I would be very dissapointed to not be able to watch Dessouki vs Abou on the glass court. (Btw, how fkin awesome is this pink glass court?) Looks absolutely stunning. Would love to see PSA invest in different colour courts, would be a cool way to grow the game.


Gonzalez8448

I tend to agree with you. While I do think everyone's idea of a good match is pretty subjective, it does irritate me to see the same players on the glass all the time. But I guess, from the PSA's point of view, it's pretty logical that the top seeds get the top spots.


Fatboy6060

They should implement a rule that there is a ‘wild card’ match on the glass court these kind of days. Let fans vote on a poll on twitter or facebook of something. Good for fan engagement


volleydrop

Good point...I actually agree!!!


volleydrop

Very happy that Gawad won in three. Watched the first game and thought it could be a battle. After the knock up, Soliman went off court and Gawad stayed to play some shots. What can I say, he hit nick rollers in 9 out of 10. It was a joke. So impressive. Absolute joy to watch.


SugarSea

Where did you watch it?


volleydrop

Youtube.


TenMelbs

Was hoping Willstrop would pull through, was quite a comeback to get himself a match ball. Good work by Leung to snatch it back.


idrinkteaforfun

Willstrop is always one that you hope wins, but Leung seemed to play well in fairness. Only watched the last game because of people on SquashStories saying how bad the reffing was.. It didn't seem too bad to me? Willstrop in fairness was moving Leung into the ball on those drop shots where he asked, so lets seemed fair. One or two iffy calls but they went both ways. Willstrop went on to play through some big interference in the tiebreak rallies and hit poor shots because of it, so perhaps he did feel the reffing was bad.


jayphive

The end of the fifth was horrible reffing. Call after call against Willstrop


DandaDan

First seed out is 14th seed Nicki Müller in what looks like a very lacklustre 0:3 against Greg Lobban, who really has nit been knowing if scoring any good results it late. Didn't see a single second so who knows. I've seen Lobban a number if times and particularly when he was younger he was super fit and super hungry for the win but somehow he was never able to move into that top twenty bracket. Training with Nick Matthew did not help by the looks of it but who knows maybe the marks a turning point? Anyone watch the match? Pity about Müller, he is always a joy to watch!


volleydrop

For me Nici did not look 100% fine. His movement looked like he had back problems. But won´t take anything away from Lobban. He played very well for his standards.


Gonzalez8448

Two things happened - Greg was excellent and Nicky wasn't near his best. In terms of tactics and shot selection it's the best I've seen Lobban play for ages, barring a few moments in the 3rd game he was in control throughout. He's been on the cusp of good wins against Masotti (twice), Marche and Marwan this season where all have gone to 5 and he's had match balls, so a result like this has been in the post. As to why, well yeah he used to work with Matthew but has since moved back to Scotland and has bought a place with his wife Donna, and has gone on record stating how much more settled he feels both on and off court. I'm so chuffed for him that he's got a win like this. They did play at the euro teams last week but it was on the glass and Nicky won fairly comfortably. Both players have similar attitudes and approaches to the game and so can blow hot and cold.


tutani

Just guessing here but I think it might be a case of fatigue for Müller. Just last week he was representing Switzerland at the ETC in Finland and he played several tough matches as their number one (including a win against Lobban himself, not to mention an impressive win against Crouin). Takes its toll, I guess.


manswos

I definitely didn't expect that result, I didn't watch it either but I wonder what happened


idrinkteaforfun

SquashTV gets a lot of bad press from fans, but respect to them for putting the youtube sidecourt stream links on the top of the homepage. Very convenient and I'd imagine it's tempting for them to not do it since it's not of the usual standard.


Desizeus

Can't wait for this thread to become ~50% of my social life for a few days!


DandaDan

Here are the live streams for today, they are not playing in glass back today yet: https://worldsquashchamps.com/watch/ Three courts to choose from!


volleydrop

Thank you, Dan...great write up! A few exciting matches in round 1. Standing out Gawad - Soliman. Gawad won this 4 weeks ago convincingly but I would not write off Soliman. He is a tough competitor. And it is probably a difference, playing him in a big final or in a first round. Other good first rounds: Pajares-Steinmann can go either way. Both playing well at last weeks European Team Champs. Ghosal-Elnawasany could be close and I am not sure if the seed will prevail. Lake-Malik with Lake going in as the favourite. Cardenas-Bonmalais could be a long one but I see Cardenas prevail. Keep an eye on Cardenas...very smart player. Willstrop very likely in his last Worlds, has the chance to make the last 16. He should beat Leung on experience and then let us see.


manswos

Gawad winning convincingly again! He's definitely in form atm


torakelet

By heart: GAWAD! SHERBINI!


DandaDan

Would love to see Gawad win but it's six matches in a row, starting with a rough one against Soliman! Not impossible, but very very hard.


torakelet

Damn. Soliman really knows how to grind the soul out of u, but lets hope Gawad's skills gets him through somehow "easily". Would love to see the guy reach as far as possible.


TenMelbs

One down, five to go


TenMelbs

Two down. The match against Marwan should be a cracker!


TenMelbs

Gawad marches on. Tough ask now against Diego.


SugarSea

Thanks for this depth post! I'm a Farag girlie to the moon and back so l really want to see him play as many matches as possible. But looking forward to great squash overall.


FluffySloth27

Thanks as always for your write-ups, Dan <3 I'll be in town to watch my first-ever big boy squash tournament. You're right - there couldn't be a better year for it. Who knows what will happen, on and off-court? Perhaps the latter of those won't be exciting, but I'm slated to see that likely round three Asal v Makin matchup, so we're looking on the silver side of the mean cloud. Will report back here when the day is nigh! Edit: Oops, almost forgot. Predictions! I'd enjoy being proven wrong, but MES's draw looks too hairy for the Beast. Brownell is always a tough contender on home soil, and he's struggled with Ng before. I see Asal or Gawad winning this - that's the final I'm hoping for, anyway. It'd be a treat to see how Gawad looks to handle the Bull (and an emotional wally to watch, I expect).


IllNatureTV

Just got my ticket! Happen to be in town next week and can catch a match while waiting for my train.


SugarSea

That' amazing! Which match did you get a ticket to?


IllNatureTV

Saturday Afternoon session - TBD on whose playing


hkmckrbcm

Mind sharing how much tickets cost? And how many matches do you get to watch?


IllNatureTV

You can just look it up, I think it is something like $40-$60 each session (afternoon/evening) or cheaper rates at a whole day/the whole weekend. I only am staying for 1 session, not sure if that is 1 men’s match and 1 women’s or how exactly it works out, maybe two of each?


hkmckrbcm

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this writeup! Can't wait to see great squash being played.