Ali Farag
Reigning World Champion and World No.1 CIB Ali Farag comes into the event looking to capture his first Black Ball title. Recently losing out to Paul Coll in the Canary Wharf Classic final, Farag will be looking to extend his lead at the top of the rankings ahead of Coll.
Ali already has three tournament wins to his name in 2021 and with British Open winner Paul Coll in hot pursuit of the World No.1 position, Farag will be looking to assert his dominance over the role.
Tarek Momen
CIB Tarek Momen has reached the semi finals on the previous three occasions at the Black Ball Sporting Club and is definitely a strong contender in this years event. His attacking style paired with his electric movement makes him a dangerous opponent for any player in any event.
Tarek’s last win came back in February 2020 at the Canada Cup in Toronto. The unique skill of Momen will undoubtedly earn him silverware again very soon, and he will certainly be In the mix again here.
Mostafa Asal
The most talked about player of the year makes his final appearance of 2021. Asal has attacked the world’s top 10 this year, claiming some breakthrough wins against the world’s best players as well as claiming his first Platinum event win at the US Open.
Asal loves a home crowd and will be hoping to entertain the Cairo fans and use their support to make another big statement on the PSA World Tour.
Marwan ElShorbagy
The World No.7 CIB Marwan ElShorbagy is a previous winner at The Black Ball Sporting Club, picking up the Platinum event title in March this year. Renowned for his court craft and accurate squash, ‘The Controller’ is always a danger in big tournaments.
Having had some staggered performances since that victory, El Shorbagy will be determined to finish the year strongly and get back towards his highest world ranking of three, which he achieved back in 2018.
THE LADIES
Nour El Sherbini
The reigning World Champion won the platinum event at the Black Ball Sporting Club in March this year, and will be hoping to recreate that performance in this years Gold event.
Her mix of power and skill, has earned her 26 World tour titles to date and she’ll be looking to add to her impressive trophy haul again this week.
Nouran Gohar
Having won her last two events (The US Open & DAC Pro. Classic), CIB Nouran Gohar comes into this event in great form, right after getting married.
She was disappointed in last year’s event as she lost out in the quarter finals to Joelle King. However, having featured in the final of five of her last 6 events, she is certain to be in the mix for the title in this years event.
Hania El Hammamy
It was at the Black Ball Platinum event In 2020 where CIB Hania El Hammamy claimed her first platinum event win, beating the dominant El Sherbini in the final. Having tasted victory in this venue already is sure to fill her with confidence for the event.
She recaptured some good form in the US Open in October, losing out in the final to a strong Nouran Gohar in four games and will be determined to go one better in this event.
And of course, the return of …
CatWoman Nour El Tayeb
One to watch in this event is the return of World No.9 CIB Nour El Tayeb. The talented Egyptian returns to the PSA World Tour for the first time since the arrival of her first child Farida.
The last time El Tayeb appeared in a PSA World Tour event was in October 2020, at the Egyptian Open. Coming back from so much time off can be extremely difficult for squash players, but with the natural skill and ability of El Tayeb, who knows what she will be capable of.
