International Squash Magazine reviews the highlights from a thrilling 2022/23 PSA World Tour season

June 19 2023

International Squash Magazine reviews the highlights from a thrilling 2022/23 PSA World Tour season
On the eve of the season ending CIB PSA World Tour Finals which start tomorrow at the newly constructed EDNC SODIC venue in Cairo, International Squash Magazine reviews the highlights from a thrilling 2022/23 Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour season.

The 2022/23 World Tour squash season kicked off in Cairo with the CIB Zed Open Bronze event in August. However, many top players chose to start their season a few weeks later in Qatar for the Qatar Classic Platinum event. Youssef Soliman emerged as the champion in the CIB Zed Open Bronze, defeating Victor Crouin in the finals. In the women's division, Nour El Tayeb won her first title since becoming a mother by defeating Salma Hany.

In the Qatar Classic Platinum event, Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's title, beating Victor Crouin in the final. This marked ElShorbagy's 45th PSA title and his first platinum triumph in 15 months. In the women's event, Nouran Gohar claimed the title by defeating Nour El Sherbini.

Following these events, the South Western Gold tournament took place in Houston for the women, while the Open De France Bronze event occurred in Nantes where both men and women competed. Nouran Gohar emerged victorious in Houston, defeating Nour El Tayeb in the final. Nele Gilis won the Open De France Bronze, defeating her sister Tinne Gilis in the final. Victor Crouin won the men's event by defeating Marwan ElShorbagy.

The mammoth CIB Egyptian Open Platinum event took place in Cairo, where Ali Farag claimed his first title of the season by defeating Paul Coll. In the women's event, Hania El Hammamy defeated Nouran Gohar to win the title.

In October, the San Francisco Netsuite Silver event took place, with Mohamed ElShorbagy winning the men's title by defeating his brother Marwan ElShorbagy. Amanda Sobhy emerged as the women's champion, defeating Farida Mohamed in the final. In the US Open Platinum event, Diego Elias won the men's title after Ali Farag withdrew from the final due to injury. Nouran Gohar claimed her second title of the season by defeating Nour El Sherbini. Sabrina Sobhy caused an upset by defeating Hania El Hammamy.

The Grasshopper Gold event in Zurich saw Nour El Sherbini winning her first title of the season by defeating Hania El Hammamy in the final. Marwan ElShorbagy won the men's event by defeating Mostafa Asal in the final.

The November events included the New Zealand Open Bronze, where Joelle King won the women's title, and Mohamed ElShorbagy emerged victorious in the men's event by defeating Paul Coll. The Singapore Open Gold saw Mohamed ElShorbagy and Joelle King once again winning their respective divisions.

The North American Tour in early 2023 featured events such as the Carol Weymuller Bronze and the Houston Gold. Georgina Kennedy won the Carol Weymuller Bronze for the women, while Asal claimed victory in the Houston Gold for the men. The Tournament of Champions Platinum event took place at Grand Central Terminal, with Diego Elias winning the men's title and Nour El Sherbini winning the women's title.

In February, the Motor City Silver event in Detroit saw Diego Elias winning the men's title and Olivia Fiechter winning the women's title. The Cleveland Classic Silver was won by Diego Elias and Georgina Kennedy.

The Pittsburgh Open and DAC Pro Squash Classic took place in February as well. Victor Crouin won the Pittsburgh Open for the men, while Tinne Gilis emerged victorious in the DAC Pro Squash Classic for the women. Olivia Fiechter won the Detroit event for the women.

The North American leg of the squash World Tour concluded with the Squash On Fire Bronze in Washington, D.C., and the Chestnut Hill Bronze in Philadelphia for women. Victor Crouin continued his success in bronze events, reaching the final against surprise finalist Mohamed ElSherbini in Washington. ElSherbini had defeated Steinmann, Mosaad, and Ghosal to reach the final. Crouin claimed the victory, adding to his Open De France title from September. In the women's event, top seed Tinne Gilis secured her first World Tour title by defeating a wildcard entrant in the final. This tournament also introduced 15-year-old Amina Orfi, who impressed with her performances against Sivasangari Subramaniam, Nada Abbas, and Sabrina Sobhy. Amina would feature again at the World Open in Chicago.

Olivia Clyne, from New York, reached her third consecutive final but couldn't secure the main prize in Philadelphia. She defeated top seed Nele Gilis but lost to a dominant Olivia Fiechter, who also reached her third final of the year.

In early March, Mostafa Asal held the top position in the men's world rankings, followed closely by Diego Elias, while Nouran Gohar maintained her number one ranking in the women's list.

The players traveled to Cairo once again for the Black Ball Open Gold event. The quarterfinals witnessed some seeding upsets, including Amanda Sobhy's remarkable victory over Nour ElSherbini in a thrilling 3-2 match. Fearless Fares Dessouky defeated Mostafa Asal, Joel Makin overcame Paul Coll and Marwan ElShorbagy, and Mohamed ElShorbagy won against his long-standing rival, Ali Farag. The semifinals showcased epic battles, with Hania El Hammamy defeating Amanda Sobhy 3-2, Mohamed ElShorbagy beating Diego Elias 3-2, and Tarek Momen overcoming Joel Makin 3-2 to reach his first final of the season. In the women's event, Nouran Gohar prevailed over Hania El Hammamy in their customary intense battle, winning 3-1. Mohamed ElShorbagy defeated Tarek Momen in the final to claim his fifth title of the season.

In the Canary Wharf Classic Gold in London, many top men participated, and Joel Makin fought his way to the final by reversing previous losses against Diego Elias, Tarek Momen, and Mostafa Asal. Paul Coll continued his success at this event, winning the final against Joel Makin in a grueling 3-1 match and securing his third tournament victory. Paul Coll showed signs of rediscovering his top form after losing the World No.1 spot and dropping down to No.5 in the rankings.

The Optasia Gold Championships took place in Wimbledon, with notable upsets occurring in the early rounds. Mohamed ElShorbagy suffered a surprising loss to local wildcard Charlie Lee, while other notable wins included Masotti defeating Marwan and Joel, Yow defeating Crouin, and Mazen defeating Ali Farag in a thrilling 12-10 fifth game. Youssef Soliman reached the final by defeating Hesham in the semifinals. Additionally, the former World Champion and World No.1, Karim Gawad, showed a return to top form after being away from the tour for a season. Gawad won the tournament, marking his third event since his 10-month layoff.

During the same period, the women competed in the Canadian Open Bronze in Toronto, where the top two seeds, Amanda Sobhy and Salma Hany, reached the final. Amanda Sobhy emerged as the winner.

The prestigious British Open Platinum took place in Birmingham in April. In the women's draw, Amanda Sobhy caused an upset by defeating Hania El Hammamy in the quarterfinals. The final was contested between Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar, with El Sherbini dominating and comfortably defeating her rival to claim victory. In the men's tournament, Karim Gawad's impressive win over Mohamed ElShorbagy in a fantastic spectacle electrified the event. However, Gawad couldn't maintain his momentum against a formidable Mazen Hesham. Ali Farag, still regaining his top form, reached the final with consistent 3-1 victories and faced Diego Elias. Ali Farag claimed his first British Open title with a 3-1 win.

At the World Open in Chicago, held from 3rd-11th May, Ali Farag aimed to join the ranks of Amr Shabana and Geoff Hunt as a four-time World Champion. Diego Elias, Mostafa Asal, and Tarek Momen also aspired to secure their first titles, while Nour El Sherbini, Hania El Hammamy, and Nouran Gohar sought their maiden victories. Saurav Ghosal came close to an upset against World No.1 Diego Elias, leading 2-0 and holding two match balls in the last game, but couldn't convert. The top players demonstrated excellent form, including Karim Gawad's victory over Marwan ElShorbagy in a 3-0 match. In the women's event, the top players progressed through the draw, with Hania El Hammamy narrowly defeating the 15-year-old sensation Amina Orfi 3-2. The women's quarterfinals proceeded smoothly, resulting in the top four seeds advancing. In the men's quarterfinals, the only 3-0 victory was Karim Gawad's win over Diego Elias. Ali Farag, Mohamed ElShorbagy, and Mostafa Asal also secured their spots in the semifinals. Gohar and Hania engaged in an extraordinary match, lasting 105 minutes, with the top seed saving three match points to emerge victorious, making it the longest women's World Championship match of all time. In the other semifinal, Nour El Sherbini defeated Joelle King. Mohamed ElShorbagy continued his success against Tarek Momen, while Ali Farag comfortably defeated Mostafa Asal to reach the final. Ali Farag achieved the remarkable feat of winning his fourth consecutive tournament by defeating Mostafa Asal in the final, reclaiming the World No.1 ranking.

In the women's final, Nour El Sherbini moved closer to equalling Nicol David's record of eight World titles by defeating her rival Nouran Gohar 3-0. With this win, Nour El Sherbini reclaimed the World No.1 ranking.

The season continued with the Manchester Open Silver event in England, where Ali Farag and Karim Gawad once again reached the final. Ali emerged as the winner with a 3-1 victory. In the women's event, Nour El Tayeb faced surprise finalist Nele Gilis, who had defeated top seed Joelle King. Nele's impressive run continued, but Nour El Tayeb ultimately claimed her second tour title of the season. Notably, the tournament witnessed a unique occurrence as a husband and wife duo, Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb, both took home the winners' trophies.

The season concluded with the El Gouna Platinum in Egypt, where Ali Farag aimed to win his fourth consecutive event and regain the World No.1 ranking. However, Mostafa Asal, Mohamed ElShorbagy, and Diego Elias were also contenders for the top spot. Nouran Gohar had a chance to reclaim her No.1 ranking in the women's event. The tournament saw an early clash between Diego Elias and Karim Gawad in the first round, with Diego avenging his World Championship defeat. In the men's semifinals, Asal defeated ElShorbagy in a grueling 110-minute match, while Ali Farag defeated Diego Elias after a tough battle. In the final, Ali Farag continued his dominant form and defeated Mostafa Asal, securing his fourth consecutive title and reclaiming the World No.1 ranking. In the women's event, three of the top four seeds advanced to the semifinals, with Nele Gilis producing exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Nele continued her impressive run by defeating Nour El Sherbini in the semifinals. The other semifinal between Nouran Gohar and Hania El Hammamy also showcased their endurance, lasting 107 minutes in just four games. Nouran Gohar emerged victorious and carried her strong performance into the final, defeating Nele Gilis 3-0.

In summary, Ali Farag's extraordinary run of winning four consecutive tournaments after returning from injury propelled him back to the World No.1 ranking in June. Nouran Gohar, who held the top position for the majority of the season, also regained the World No.1 ranking.

2022/23 PSA World Tour - summary of the events and notable results:
CIB Zed Squash Open Bronze (Cairo, Egypt): Youssef Soliman won the men's event, and Nour El Tayeb won the women's event.
Qatar Squash Classic Platinum (Doha, Qatar): Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's event, and Nour El Tayeb reached the final in the women's event but lost to Nouran Gohar
South Western Squash Open Gold (Houston, USA): Nouran Gohar won the women's event.
Open De France Squash Bronze (Nantes, France): Nele Gilis won the women's event, and Victor Crouin won the men's event.
CIB Egyptian Squash Open Platinum (Cairo, Egypt): Ali Farag won the men's event, and Hania El Hammamy won the women's event.
San Francisco Netsuite Squash Open Silver (San Francisco, USA): Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's event, and Amanda Sobhy won the women's event.
US Squash Open Platinum (Philadelphia, USA): Diego Elias won the men's event, and Nouran Gohar won the women's event.
Grassshopper Squash Cup Gold (Zurich, Switzerland): Nour El Sherbini won the women's event, and Mostafa Asal won the men's event.
New Zealand Squash Open Bronze (Tauranga, New Zealand): Joelle King won the women's event, and Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's event.
Singapore Squash Open Gold (Singapore): Diego Elias won the men's event, and Joelle King won the women's event.
Malaysian Squash Open Bronze (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): Mazen Hesham won the men's event, and Nele Gilis won the women's event.
Hong Kong Squash Open Platinum (Hong Kong): Hania El Hammamy won the women's event, and Mostafa Asal won the men's event.
Hong Kong Football Club Squash Open Bronze (Hong Kong): Marwan ElShorbagy won the men's event, and Mazen Hesham won the women's event.
Carol Weymuller Squash Open Bronze (Brooklyn, USA): Georgina Kennedy won the women's event, and Mostafa Asal won the men's event.
Tournament of Champions Platinum (New York, USA): Diego Elias won the men's event, and Nour El Sherbini won the women's event.
Motor City Squash Open Silver (Detroit, USA): Diego Elias won the men's event, and Georgina Kennedy won the women's event.
Cleveland Squash Classic Silver (Cleveland, USA): Diego Elias won the men's event, and Olivia Fiechter won the women's event.
Pittsburgh Squash Open Silver (Pittsburgh, USA): Victor Crouin won the men's event.
DAC Pro Squash Classic (Detroit, USA): Olivia Fiechter won the women's event.
Squash On Fire Bronze (Washington DC, USA): Tinne Gilis won the women's event, and Victor Crouin won the men's event.
Chestnut Hill Squash Open Bronze (Philadelphia, USA): Olivia Fiechter won the women's event.
Black Ball Squash Open Gold (Cairo, Egypt): Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's event, and Nouran Gohar won the women's event.
Canary Wharf Squash Classic Gold (London, UK): Paul Coll won the men's event.
Optasia Squash Open Gold (Wimbledon, UK): Diego Elias won the men's event.
Black Ball Squash Open Gold (Cairo, Egypt): Mohamed ElShorbagy won the men's event, and Nouran Gohar won the women's event.
Canadian Squash Open Bronze (Toronto, Canada) Amanda Sobhy won the women’s event.
British Squash Open Platinum (Birmingham, England) Ali Farag won the men's event, and Nour El Sherbini won the women's event.
World Squash Open (Chicago, USA) Ali Farag won the men's event, and Nour El Sherbini won the women's event.
Manchester Squash Open (Manchester, England) Ali Farag won the men's event, and Nour El Tayeb won the women's event.
El Gouna Squash International Platinum (El Gouna, Egypt) Ali Farag won the men's event, and Nouran Gohar won the women's event.