Mohamed and Raneem win San Francisco Finals

Finals: 1st title for Raneem, 2nd for Mohamed

[1] Raneem El Welily 3-0 [3] Nour El Tayeb     11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (23m)
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy 3-2 [2] Tarek Momen  11-5, 11-13, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4 (70m)

Raneem/Nour

Raneem needed just 23 minutes to complete the victory, her 13th over El Tayeb on the PSA World Tour, although the World No.5 did seem to be carrying some sort of shoulder issue throughout the match.

The first game was tight in the opening exchanges, but El Welily was able to find her game in the cold conditions in San Francisco to reel off six straight points to take the first 11-6.

She then started the second in the same imperious form, but the Nour was able to fight her way back into it. However, the World No.1 reeled off a string of points again, five this time, to take the second game by the same scoreline.

The third game went much the same as the first, with a tight start to it before El Welily was able to power on to victory. She completed a hat-trick of 11-5 game wins to take the 3-0 victory, clinching the Oracle NetSuite Open title for the first time.

In winning the title, the World No.1 took revenge for losing in the final in San Francisco last year, and also on El Tayeb after missing out on the China Open title earlier this month.

Raneem
I definitely felt good out there today! I just was trying to play all the way to the end and not to give any loose shots or give any cheap points. I wanted to try as hard as I could and I think that was what kept me going through to the end.

Nour is a great shot maker and I know she goes for shots anytime. Whenever you give her a loose shot, she just kills it straight away so knowing that, I could not be relaxed on court. You are always on your toes to try and get up as far as possible, before moving quickly back to retrieve whatever she does next.

It is not an easy job against someone of Nour’s calibre, of course, but I am happy that I managed to do that. I know that I always give Tarek problem before his match, but hopefully I made it easier for him today and he will be focused for his match.

Whenever I think about the word revenge, it does not do me good. I try to keep that out of my mind and keep calm. I try to just play, no matter what happened in the past. I try not to think about it too much because it never brings any good. Especially me, I tend to overthink too much anyway!

We are all trying to do our best every tournament. Everyone is fighting out there, and I am just glad to be a winner out there today, and maybe she will be next time.

Mohamed/Tarek

Tarek got the better start, but Mohamed was able to fight back quickly to gain the momentum in the first game, taking it 11-6 in just nine minutes. Mohamed also had an advantage in the second game at 6-3, but the Momenator won seven of the next eight points to sit pretty at 10-7. However, ElShorbagy was able to save all three game balls to push it into a tie-break, setting up a game ball of his own. Still Tarek got over the line to win it 13-11 to tie the match.
The third game was a reverse of the second, with the World No.3 having to save several game balls. ElShorbagy, though, was able to get over the line 11-9 to go 2-1 up in the match.

Momen had control throughout the fourth game, in his quest to send it into a decider. He won it 11-7, but he was unable to keep his levels of performance up in the final game, and ElShorbagy claimed his second Oracle NetSuite Open title, following his 2017 victory.

Mohamed
Thanks to Nenad Barackov for all the work on my body everyday this week, especially the late night ones:) Always great to have a physio working on your body that you trust.

The way Tarek has been playing, the consistency he has had is unbelievable. I think the way the match went. It was cat-and-mouse. We both kept doing different things and luckily I won the first game so I had the advantage.

Matches like this, when they go to a fifth, anything can happen. Whoever has the better start in the fifth usually pulls through. Luckily, I had that better start today. We are going to play a lot this season and hopefully we will some more amazing matches for the fans to enjoy.

Happy to win title number 39 in my career and my 2nd this season in San Fran. Off to Philly tomorrow for the US Open, can’t wait to try and defend my title there!

Semis

[1] Raneem El Welily 2-0 [8] Joshna Chinappa (Ind) 11-5, 11-7 (15m)
[3] Nour El Tayeb 2-0 [2] Camille Serme (Fra) 11-7, 7-11, 11-6 (33m)
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy 2-0 [5] Marwan ElShorbagy 11-4, 17-15 (41m)
[2] Tarek Momen 2-0 [4] Miguel Rodriguez (Col) 11-6, 11-3 (23m)

Raneem/Joshna
World No.1 Raneem El Welily is through to the final after she defeated India’s Joshna Chinappa in just 14 minutes. The Egyptian had won six of the seven previous clashes between the pair, and she came firing out of the blocks to start this one, winning ten of the first twelve points to start the match.

Chinappa tried to fight back, saving three game balls, but El Welily got over the line in the first, taking it 10-5. She found herself trailing in the second at several points, but the World No.1 was able to fight back to take it 11-7 to finish the match off in just 14 minutes.

Raneem now goes through to face Nour in a repeat of the China Open final form earlier this month and will look for a revenge…

Raneem
I am happy to be in the final again. I have had good results so far and hopefully I can go one further tomorrow. It is still too early to think about that but I am happy with how I played today. I have been playing with Joshna since we were kids, we go way back. She has always had those killing shots out of nowhere and she can play them at any time. Obviously, I was prepared for a strong opponent, but I just had to be sharp today.

It feels good to have Tarek and I in the final but we are just enjoying our time, trying to give our best on court. It is not about making it to finals, just trying to give it your best.

Nour is playing well so far this season and she has had good results to start it, so obviously it will be a tough match, but I am going to be prepared for sure.

NOUR/CAMILLE

The pair had met eleven times on the PSA World Tour prior to this clash, with El Tayeb holding the 6-5 advantage coming into San Francisco.

This battle between the pair started off in a very tight fashion, with neither player able to break away. However, it was the Egyptian that eventually broke loose, winning the last four points of the game to take it 11-7.
Serme came back fighting in the second game, moving out into a quick-fire 6-2 lead. El Tayeb managed pull herself back to within a point, but the Frenchwoman had enough firepower to take it 11-7, forcing a decider.
The third game was always under control for the Egyptian, though, as she got an early lead and never looked like relinquishing it. The World No.5 secured the victory in just over half an hour, booking her spot in a second consecutive final (China) to start the 2019-2020 campaign.

Nour
First of all, it is nice to win a match on this court. I haven’t been here for the last three years, so I am happy to come out with a win in the semi finals. I have played a lot of squash over the last couple of days. I played for an hour this morning.

I just wanted to have a little bit of soreness, like Camille, who was probably feeling a little bit sore from yesterday. I wanted to feel like I have muscles, you know. I have been resting for over 48 hours without a match but it was worth the wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tarek/Miguel

The pair had met six times on the PSA World Tour prior to this clash, with both having won three times, but they had not faced each other for over a year.

The Momenator raced out into a four-point lead in the first game, one that soon became six at 8-2. Although the World No.9 attempted to fight back, Momen took it 11-6. The second game was even more impressive from the Egyptian, as he restricted Rodriguez to just three points, as he clinched his spot in the final in San Francisco.

Tarek
I am obviously very pleased to get through as quickly as I did. You never usually get that sort of win against someone like Miguel. The best-of-three obviously helped a little bit, but I am pleased to get through quickly so I can be fresh for tomorrow and to be well prepared.

It was not as cold as yesterday. That was brutal! Today was just about the right temperature for me. Things were okay on court, but it was not too bouncy so I could put away some shots. I think the conditions suited me more than him tomorrow.

I am also looking forward to helping Raneem tomorrow and I am just hoping she does not give me a heart attack.

Mohamed/Marwan

Third San Francisco final for third consecutive year for Mohamed. The pair had met 16 times on the PSA World Tour, with the older Mohamed holding the 13-3 advantage, and he continued that momentum into the first game, as he restricted the World No.11 to just four points.

The second had more ups-and-downs in it, as Mohamed took a 3-0 lead, before Marwan reeled off five straight points to lead 5-3. Mohamed then did the same to lead 8-5, before the pair became deadlocked at 10-10 as Marwan saved two match balls.

The tie-break would go all the way to 17-15, with neither player giving an inch to their sibling on court. Mohamed eventually took the victory with his seventh match ball.

Marwan (on twitter)
Hamdollah🙏🏽.. Not the result I wanted but happy with where I am.
First World Series event of the season will be next week in Philadelphia. Looking forward to be back playing there.

Mohamed
I am really happy to reach the final for a third consecutive year. It is not easy and it is a very different tournament this year with the best-of-three. You have to play with a very different tactic for each match. Matches are short and sharp, especially in the colder conditions. I am really happy with how I played and I always think the top guys have a way of adapting and here we are, myself and Tarek, the top two seeds are in the final together.

Years ago, the sport was different and guys used to use a lot of tricks, but now the sport has changed and we have all had to change at some point. We all play a different sport now. He is now training with Nick Matthew and I am happy that Marwan has someone like that with him now.

Tarek is one of the most inspiring players I have ever come across because he has worked on himself year on year He was a very good junior, you expect things to happen once you go to the pro tour. That did not happen with him, but he kept working hard until it started happening for him and I respect that a lot about him. We are good friends off court, but we go hard at each other on the court and that is what everyone will want us to do tomorrow and hopefully we can give everyone a good match.

Oracle Netsuite San Francisco : it’s Shorbagy and Welily

Quarters

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy 2-0 [8] Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) 11-5, 11-6 (20m)
[5] Marwan ElShorbagy 2-1 Raphael Kandra (Ger) 12-10, 10-12, 13-11 (45m)
[2] Tarek Momen 2-1 [6] Joel Makin (Wal)  7-11, 11-5, 11-7 (46m)

[1] Raneem El Welily  2-0 [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (Eng)  11-8, 11-8 (21m)
[3] Nour El Tayeb 3-0 [6] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) w.o.

TAREK/MAKIN

World No.3 Momen came from behind in his last eight clash with Wales No.1 Joel Makin to take the victory. The pair had only faced off once before on PSA, with that meeting coming in the quarter finals of last year’s Qatar Classic, a match that the Egyptian won.

However, it was Makin that took his opportunities in the first game of this clash. He ran out into a 10-6 lead and although Momen saved one game ball, the Welshman was able to clinch the game to take the lead in the match.

Tarek came out fighting to start the second game though, as he won the first four points to take control. Makin battled back to level it at 5-5, but six straight points for the Egyptian sent the match into a deciding game.

Once again, it was Momen that took the early advantage in the third, running out into a 5-1 lead. However this time it would not be one he would relinquish, as he went on to take the victory, booking his place in the semi finals.

Tarek
At the end of the game, it seemed like I could not put the ball away. Wherever I put it, he just dived and got it. It made me a bit edgy. The one at 9-6, I thought I had won it. I don’t know how he got those two balls back and all of a sudden we are playing a let. It was a tough match because Joel has been a rising star on the tour. His physicality is unbelievable and he has been improving his game which makes him harder to beat.
I am happy with the way I played after the first game. It is best-of-three and you cannot lose focus. I did not start as sharp as I wanted, but I am very happy to have been able to have got back into a rhythm, and it was a pretty exciting match for the crowd as well.
It is always a pleasure to make it all the way. Raneem and I are still looking for that double final appearance, but let’s just take it one day at a time!

 

RANEEM/SJP

It was REVENGE TIME in San Fran as if those two met ten times on the PSA Tour, their last meeting was SF 2018 final, with SJ taking a five setter.

If the beginning of the first game was tight score wise, it would be the World No.1 that would go on to take it 11-8, after reeling off a string of points in the latter stages of the game.

From the start of the second game, it looked as if it would be finished in an instant, as El Welily took the first four points with consummate ease. However, Perry fought back to take a 7-5 lead, only for the Egyptian to go on another run of four straight points to take the game and match on the same score than the first game.

Raneem
It just shows how strong the women’s tour is. Everyone is such a strong contender to win every tournament and everyone has chances to win. I had to be prepared today because SJ is never an easy match, but I am glad it was 2-0. I almost lost that second game but I recovered well to get off in two.

The court is a little dead so hitting it hard is one way to get it to the back. It is not the only way but this is what I tried to do today and I am glad it worked. 

MOHAMED/CUSKELLY
The pair had met five times previous on the PSA World Tour, with both players having won one of the previous two encounters, while the Egyptian had the 4-1 advantage. Cuskelly had beaten the tournament’s No.1 seed at the Tournament of Champions in January 2018, and ElShorbagy had studied that match to get the upper hand over the left-hander.

He came out firing, winning the first five points of the match, to take the opener 11-5. Cuskelly tried to fight back in the second game, and went out into an early lead, but it was not to be, as ElShorbagy came firing back to take the victory in just 20 minutes, setting up a clash with his younger brother, Marwan, in the last four on Sunday.

Mohamed
He is a great player, he hits the ball really nice and at the Tournament of Champions when he beat me, he played such unbelievable squash to beat me.
There are times when you lose matches because you have not played very well, but there are also times when you lose matches because your opponent has got the right tactics. I had to study that match to work out what happened, so I am happy that I was able to beat him today.
Marwan and I played each other in Shanghai, we have played each other so much, in so many venues, but this will be the first time we play against each other in this venue and I hope it will be a good match.

MARWAN/KANDRA:

The pair had met three times before on the PSA World Tour, most recently at the British Open in May, where the Egyptian took the spoils, but they had never faces off in a best-of-three format.

The first game was tight and gruelling, but if Marwan took the opener on a tiebreak 12/10, the German led the second game 9-5. Marwan chose that moment to play his best squash, winning five straight points to give himself match ball, saved by Kandra, who went on to take it by a reverse scoreline of 12-10, forcing a decider.

The third game then ebbed and flowed, with both players having leads of at least two points at different stages. ElShorbagy was able to save three match balls from 10-7 down to come back and win the third 13-11 to move into the last four of the tournament.

Marwan
I just fought. I was 10-7 down and I told myself, I only remember everything that I went through last season. This is the only thing that pushes me mentally and it is the only thing that came into my mind.
I was thinking that I went through so much and if I can handle that, I was sure that I could handle coming back from 10-7. I am proud of the way I handled it but I am not happy with the way I played at all. I could have played a lot better, but great credit to Raph because he played really well.
I played my brother in Shanghai and lost 3-1 in four games and if I get to play him then it is another opportunity to play one of the best. My brother is already one of the greats of all time and every time I step on court with him I learn something new.

Stats
Mo Shorbagy/Cuskelly  | Raneem/SJP  |  Ma ElShorbagy/Kandra

Play moves to the glass court  in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza for the quarter finals and onwards.