2015

Shabana secures TOC semi-final spot!

January 21, 2015 • Tags: Amr Shabana, Mohamed Elshorbagy, New York, PSA, Tournament of Champions, USA • Categories: all posts, players, tournaments

Defending champion Amr Shabana (ri) kept alive his hopes of repeating his last year’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions title, as he beat compatriot Tarek Momen (le), the World No.7, in an 85 minutes in 4 games 11-6, 17-19, 11-8, 11-9 in New Yorks’s Grand Central Terminal.

The 35-year-old 4-time World Champion, who became the oldest ever PSA World Series winner with his 2014 triumph, withstood a ferocious challenge from 8-year-younger Momen, to secure his semi-final spot after a nail-biting encounter.

Shabana will now take on another Egyptian, current World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy, in the semi-finals. Elshorbagy booked his place in the last 4 with a dominant 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 victory over World No.12 Borja Golan.

Semi-finals:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [4] Amr Shabana (EGY)

Quarter-finals:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [6] Borja Golan (ESP) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (52m)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [7] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-6, 17-19, 11-8, 11-9 (85m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [8] Simon Rösner (GER)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)

2nd round:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-3, 5-11, 15-13, 11-6 (62m)
[6] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) w/o
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 (55m)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (60m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 7-11, 15-13, 11-6, 13-11 (94m)
[8] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-13, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (75m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [5] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-6, 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 (120m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (43m)

1st round:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [WC] Todd Harrity (USA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (37m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-9 (59m)
Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [Q] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-6 (99m)
[6] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [Q] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 12-14, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (76m)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-5, 11-7, 14-12 (42m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 (49m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 12-10, 11-13, 11-8, 12-10 (79m)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (31m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 12-10, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 (70m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 11-3, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (66m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [Q] Diego Elias (PER) 11-3, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 (68m)
[8] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 10-12, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 (87m)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (47m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (51m)
[Q] Tom Richards (ENG) bt Alister Walker (BOT) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (37m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Max Lee (HKG) 11-1, 11-7, 11-2 (44m)

Diving King Rodriguez downs Barker in New York!

January 20, 2015 • Tags: Greg Gaultier, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, New York, PSA, Tournament of Champions, USA • Categories: all posts, players, tournaments

29-year-old Colombian World No.8 Miguel Angel Rodriguez became the 1st ever South American player to reach the quarter-finals of a PSA World Series event after wearing down England’s Peter Barker in a 120-minute titanic battle at the J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions.

Two of the fittest and most fluid movers on tour, the duo served up a titanic battle of attrition that was packed with lung-bursting rallies as they tried to break each other down but it was Rodriguez, the highest ranked South American player of all time, who managed to edge it, taking the match 11-6, 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 and record his first ever win over the World No.6.

“This is one of the best wins of my career so far because it is the 1st time I have beaten him on the PSA Tour and also the 1st time I’ve made it to the quarter-finals at one of the major events,” said Rodriguez.

In the other action, only French World No.2 Greg Gaultier came up with a straight games win in round 2, while all other seeds needed 4 games in between 55 and 94 minutes.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [6] Borja Golan (ESP)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [7] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [8] Simon Rösner (GER)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)

2nd round:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-3, 5-11, 15-13, 11-6 (62m)
[6] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) w/o (injury)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 (55m)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (60m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 7-11, 15-13, 11-6, 13-11 (94m)
[8] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-13, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (75m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [5] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-6, 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 (120m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (43m)

Top seeds into 2nd round in New York!

January 18, 2015 • Tags: New York, PSA, Simon Rosner, Stephen Coppinger, Tournament of Champions, USA • Categories: all posts, players, tournaments

All top 8 seeds have moved passed their opponents in the 1st round of the Tournament of Champions at New York’s Grand Central Station. German No.8 seed Simon Rösner (ri) faced the biggest problems as he needed 4 very intense games to shake of South African fellow Stephen Coppinger (le). Two of the most physically imposing players on the PSA World Tour, the duo tested each other to the brink in an mammoth 87-minute battle that saw them trading points in a continuous series of brutal, energy-sapping rallies.

There were also victories for Omar Mosaad, Mathieu Castagnet, Peter Barker and Miguel Angel Rodriguez while English qualifier Tom Richards pulled off the biggest upset of the day to knock out Alister Walker, the former world No.12 from Botswana, in straight games.

2nd round:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[6] Borja Golan (ESP) v Chris Simpson (ENG)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[8] Simon Rösner (GER) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Q] Tom Richards (ENG)

Shabana to defend Tournament of Champions title!

January 14, 2015 • Tags: Amr Shabana, Greg Gaultier, New York, Nick Matthew, PSA, Tournament of Champions, USA • Categories: all posts, players, tournaments

Four-time World Champion Amr Shabana (ri) says he is relishing the prospect of returning to New York for the 2015 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions to defend his last year’s title at Grand Central Terminal.

The 35-year-old Egyptian, dubbed the ‘Maestro’ by his peers, got past current World No.4 Nick Matthew and World No.2 Gregory Gaultier en-route to the 2014 title and he’s hoping to find his rhythm again in 2015. “Starting the new year at the TOC is very exciting especially because it is the first major of the year and I have had some good memories there over the years there,” said Shabana.

“Winning the TOC title in 2014 was very important for me. I had been putting in a lot of time training leading up to that point, with no real success, and that win was a reminder for me that hard work does pay off,” the Champion added.

Shabana goes into the 2015 edition ranked World No.3 and is scheduled to meet World No1 Mohamed Elshorbagy (le) in the semi-finals.

1st round draw:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [WC] Todd Harrity (USA)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [Qualifier]
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [6] Borja Golan (ESP)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [Qualifier]
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [4] Amr Shabana (EGY)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Daryl Selby (ENG)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [Qualifier]
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [8] Simon Rösner (GER)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Qualifier]
Alister Walker (BOT) v [Qualifier]
Max Lee (HKG) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)