Amr Shabana has to take his 1st ever defeat (13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8) against fellow Egyptian countryman Hisham Ashour (photo: Steve Cubbins, SquahSite). The 1st 4 matches of the 2nd round in the El Gouna International have been played on the traditional courts. 8th seeded Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema met speedy Egyptian Tarek Momen. Both shared the 1st 2 games but Anjema had more energy left to close out the match 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7.
The next match was featured by 21-year-old Mohamed El Shorbagy and 36-year-old Thierry Lincou. The Frenchman was 7-5 ahead in the decider as Shorbagy got back to take the 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 victory.
In the all-Egyptian affair, it was the 1st time in 10 meetings that Hisham Ashour (ri) beat four-time world champion Amr Shabana (le) 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8. Hisham’s 1st reaction: “I feel like crying, man …”.
Ramy Ashour made it 3 for Egypt in the session as he beat England's Adrian Grant in 4 fast and furious games 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-1.
