The final day of Pool matches in Toronto saw Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and Wales’ Joel Makin grab the last remaining semi-final places, while Mostafa Asal, Nouran Gohar and Olivia Weaver made it three wins out of three.
Semi-Final Lineups :
[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [7] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)[4] Joel Makin (WAL) v [2] Diego Elias (PER) [1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN)
[2] Olivia Weaver (USA) v [7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG)
Reports & Reaction :
Watanabe Halts Sivasangari to Stay 2nd in Group B
World No.7 Satomi Watanabe is still in with a chance of becoming the first Japanese player to reach the semi-finals of the SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals after she came back to beat Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam in the day’s opening match.
Sivasangari had won all six of her previous matches against Watanabe coming into today’s encounter and she stormed out of the traps to take an 11-8 lead.
The entertainment continued into the second game, but this time it was Watanabe who started strongly, playing the big points well and finding her accuracy to draw level.
That ended Sivasangari’s qualification ambitions – the Malaysian required a 2-0 win at a minimum to reach the semi-finals – and Watanabe pushed through in the third to secure the win.
She will reach the last four if Fayrouz Aboelkheir fails to beat Olivia Weaver by a 2-0 margin in the final match in Group B.
“All credit to her, she showed herself on court until the end, but it’s really hard to keep the motivation once you know you might not have a chance [to qualify],” said Watanabe afterwards.
“I’m just really happy with the way she turned up in the last game, but I knew the second game was really crucial. I was 6-3 down, so I’m very happy to turn it around.
“I’ll watch the next match, no matter the result they are both great players and there is a lot to learn from both of them. That’s how I gain my knowledge of playing squash.”
Result : [4] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [5] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 2-1: 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 (39m)
Weaver Beats Aboelkheir to Top Group B
United States No.1 Olivia Weaver booked her spot in the semi-finals after coming from behind to beat Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir 2-1.
Weaver qualifies top of Group B ahead of Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and will play either World No.1 Nouran Gohar or World No.10 Georgina Kennedy for a place in the semi-finals.
Aboelkheir required a 2-0 win to qualify for the next round and was good value for her opening game victory as she took the match to the American and hit her targets at the front of the court.
Weaver was able to steady the ship though in the second and took control of the rallies the longer the match went on to seal the win.
“I just want to play positive squash, enjoy my game out here and execute the things that I’m working on,” said Weaver.
“Parts of that match were hot and cold and the circumstances weigh on you a little bit once you’re out here. It wasn’t the best round of squash of the week, but you don’t always know what you’re going to get. I’m really happy I was able to find a way through.
“It’s been a long season and I want to keep building on the way I’ve been playing recently. It’s the cherry on top at the end of the season and if you get the chance to play all the best players it’s really exciting.
“I’m proud to be through and hopefully my squash can improve as the event progresses.”
Result : [2] Olivia Weaver (USA) bt [8] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 2-1: 6-11, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
Asal Downs Soliman to Make it Three Wins from Three
World No.1 Mostafa Asal continued his 100 per cent record as he beat fellow Egyptian Youssef Soliman 11-5, 4-11, 11-6 in 35 minutes.
Asal had already qualified top of Group A heading into today’s match and he played without pressure, going for shots through the legs, behind the legs and aiming for the nick whenever he could.
That approach had mixed results in the first two games until – with the scores poised at one game apiece – he put in a number of accurate shots in the third game to secure the win.
Asal will play 2019 champion Karim Abdel Gawad in the semi-finals as he continues his attempts to win a fourth PSA Squash Tour Finals.
“Youssef is a solid player and he retrieves every single ball,” said Asal.
“He makes me do some hard work and I had to be sharp. I’m really pleased with this performance.
“It was a casual match and I was enjoying myself on court today. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, Karim is a good friend and I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m happy to share a big stage with him tomorrow.”
Result : [1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [8] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 2-1: 11-5, 4-11, 11-6 (35m)
Gilis Beats Sobhy to Finish Third in Group A
Belgium’s World No.6 Tinne Gilis has claimed her first ever win at the PSA Squash Tour Finals after an impressive triumph over USA’s World No.9 Amanda Sobhy in the penultimate women’s match of the group stage.
With neither player able to qualify for the semi-finals, there wasn’t much riding on this match aside from pride and it was an entertaining match as both players went for winners often.
There were frequent smiles from both players who put on an exhibition for spectators at Revival Film Studios and Gilis emerged with an 11-9, 11-7 victory after 23 minute of action.
“We were just chatting and laughing before the match and we knew it would be fun,” said Gilis.
“It’s our last match of the season and we just wanted to enjoy it and give it everything we had left in the tank, which wasn’t much. I’m happy with the way I played, to beat Amanda I had to play my ‘A’ game and if I wasn’t hitting my targets then I wouldn’t have won the match.
“This is my first win at the Squash Tour Finals, so I’m happy to end this season with a win.
“I wanted to do better at this tournament, so I’m not very satisfied with my week. Best of three is tough to get into and you play the best eight players straight away. I need to get some rhythm to get my started tournament, but it was straight in and I didn’t feel too comfortable from the start.
“But it’s the same for everyone. I’ll celebrate when I get home, but for now I’m just trying to survive the rest of the day.”
Result : [3] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt [6] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 2-0: 11-9, 11-7 (23m)
Makin Through to Semis for First Time Since 2020
Welsh World No.4 Joel Makin has reached the semi-finals of this tournament for the first time since 2020 after he overcame fellow Briton Marwan ElShorbagy in the final men’s group stage match.
It was a 25-minute first game with lengthy rallies and plenty of quality. ElShorbagy caused Makin lots of damage on the forehand side with some feathered drops putting points on the board.
However, he found the tin too often and Makin’s superior consistency saw him edge the opening game. Makin struggled with an ankle problem during his match with Asal yesterday, but it didn’t look to be holding him back as he added the second game to his collection to take second place in Group A.
Makin will go up against British Open champion Diego Elias next as he bids to become the first Welshman to reach the final of this tournament.
“When we play I really enjoy the dynamic,” said Makin.
“He’s clever, he’s sneaky, he’s quick at the last minute and he’s tricky. It was a nice free-flowing match, good squash that was played in the right way. It’s unusual to lose yesterday and then have another go today, so it’s another thing mentally you’ve got to deal with.
“I’m bored of saying that I’m not happy with my squash. I think there have been about three matches in my life that I’m happy with, but it’s not been the best week.”
Result : [4] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) 2-0: 11-9, 11-4 (38m)
Gohar On-Form In Third Round Rout
Egypt’s Nouran Gohar showcased some impeccable squash to top Group A in a flawless 2-0 win over England’s Georgina Kennedy.
Kennedy had already qualified for the semi-finals from her wins over Belgium’s Tinne Gilis and USA’s Amanda Sobhy – the first Englishwoman to do so since Laura Massaro in 2017 – but the first place spot in Group A came down to last group stage match.
The Egyptian took no time at all to fire in winners, with Kennedy unable to keep up with the blistering pace implemented by the World No.1 as she stormed to an 11-6 first-game win.
The 2024 World Champion brought up the level in the second game, refusing to give her opponent a way back into the match, conceding just two points and earning the top spot in the group meaning she will face Japan’s Satomi Watanabe.
“Gina has been playing really really well, and it was just perfect to be playing her in the final match of the pools. She definitely deserves to be through. Obviously I was very conscious of this.
“Best-of-three or best-of-five, it doesn’t matter I just want to win every single game, but obviously I knew she was going to go for it more and more. I was just happy with the way I performed. Looking forward to a better performance tomorrow hopefully.”
Result : [1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt. [7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 2-0: 11-6, 11-2 (18m)
