Egyptian squash stars Nour el-Sherbini and Mostafa Asal have been crowned champions of the Paris Squash 2024, continuing Egypt’s impressive legacy in the sport. The duo secured their titles with respective wins over current women’s World Champion Nouran Gohar and men’s World No.1 Ali Farag, showcasing their skill and determination on the courts.
Both Asal and El Sherbini extended their unbeaten streaks to ten matches each for the 2024/25 PSA Squash Tour. Their victories at the spectacular Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione followed their triumphs at the Diamond-level CIB Egyptian Open earlier this month, underscoring their dominance in the sport.
El Sherbini’s Tenacious Victory
The evening began with a thrilling match where Nour el-Sherbini, known as ‘The Warrior Princess,’ fought back from 2-1 down to claim victory over her fierce rival, Nouran Gohar, in a five-game thriller. The match saw both players reaching peaks and valleys in their performance, but it was El Sherbini who emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4.
After a slow start riddled with unforced errors, El Sherbini bounced back, leveraging her strategic play and deceptive hitting to dominate the final game. Reflecting on the match, El Sherbini praised her opponent, saying, “Nouran always makes it challenging. She always tries to change things and improve, and she takes the edge for a while. Then I try to figure it out and take the edge for a while, so we keep teasing each other. It’s one of the best matches, and, hopefully, it’s always going to be like this.”
Asal’s Remarkable Triumph
In the men’s final, World No.2 Mostafa Asal overcame the defending champion Ali Farag with an 11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7 victory. Despite both players facing physical challenges—Farag from a grueling 94-minute semi-final and Asal with bruising from his own semi-final—Asal’s aggressive yet controlled gameplay secured his win in just 55 minutes.
Speaking after his win, Asal revealed the extent of his struggle, saying, “I was almost not going to play the match. My hand was just unbelievably bruised. I came here at 15:30, and I couldn’t hit the ball at all. I want to thank my team, including James Willstrop – they just pushed me all the way. Having someone in your corner, a former World No.1, who’s dealt with all of these things before, is amazing.”
For all four finalists, the focus now shifts to the Platinum-level Q-Terminals Qatar Classic 2024, scheduled to take place from September 30th to October 5th at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Nouran Gohar, who delivered a powerful performance to reach the Paris final by defeating Hania el-Hammamy in four games, will be looking to bounce back. Gohar, who has consistently shown dominance on the PSA Tour, expressed respect for her rival, saying, “Hania is such a fighter. I think I played really well in the first game and I was hitting my targets really well, my shot game was on point.”
Egypt’s continued success in the world of squash not only highlights the country’s deep talent pool but also its dedication to the sport. With champions like El Sherbini and Asal leading the way, the future of Egyptian squash looks incredibly bright.