FEATURE PSA World Championship CLOUDY LINING TO EGYPTIAN TRIUMPH Richard Eaton reviews Egypt’s domination of the flagship event in men’s squash in Cairo, crowned by Karim Abdel Gawad’s first world title The ‘baby-faced assassin’ was a tongue-in-cheek but over-used description of Karim Abdel Gawad during Eurosport’s coverage of the 2016 PSA World Championship. However, it gained fresh meaning in Cairo in November, when Gawad eliminated the three best-known contenders to become an elegantly lethal new world champion. The epithet suggested that what you saw to another injury-afflicted halt in the final Much of this suggested that Gawad had in wasn’t at all what you got with Gawad. In while an unusual new champion blossomed fact been a top contender for some while. some ways that seemed apt as the smooth- luxuriantly. It hinted too that he might have been playing skinned, gentle-mannered Egyptian killed better than anyone even before his triumph Calm to the verge of dreaminess, Gawad the hopes of Nick Matthew, Mohamed in the Egyptian capital. was nearly always dangerous with his ElShorbagy and Ramy Ashour. short game. He was also strong with His achievements are nevertheless rare. But it was also a little misleading. Emerging his parallel driving, particularly on the Only one player has ever been seeded qualities had been evident in the 25-year- backhand. Together, his equanimity and lower than the sixth-rated Gawad while old Gawad for several weeks. A climax skills were captivating, and his slightly winning a world title and only one had ever to that process came amidst savagely awkward-looking physique was deceptive, done it whilst beating more than three conflicting emotions at the Wadi Degla for he moved smoothly and had a good higher-rated players. In both cases that Club, where Ashour stumbled painfully engine. was Amr Shabana, his ally and advisor. SQUASHPLAYER.CO.UK 17 The most tumultuous tournament in the event’s four decades Karim Abdel Gawad outwits Mohamed ElShorbagy with a backhand drop in the semi-finals A quarter of a century ago Rodney Martin match in a 13-11, 10-12, 11-13, 11-2, 11-5 he would like and quite obviously less loved beat Jansher Khan, Chris Dittmar and victory, despite having to retrieve a 2-9 than Ashour. At Giza, in the Al-Ahram Jahangir Khan in a week of Australian deficit in the first game, letting slip a 5-0 International, ElShorbagy called out to the delight in Adelaide. But Gawad’s successes lead in the second and losing the third crowd: “I’m an Egyptian too”. In Cairo there – against a runaway world no.1, the most after having a game ball at 10-9. was no great wave of patriotism upon successful player of the past five years and That point had felt pivotal. Instead, which he could surf. a remarkable three-time world champion momentum shifted utterly the other way. – were at least comparable to Martin’s. Gawad’s situation in the final was When ElShorbagy found he was unable to similar and he embraced it. The comparisons with Shabana were bully Gawad with his hustle, he lost some more appropriate, though. Shabana and of his accuracy and Gawad punished him Ashour, Egypt’s first two world champions, skilfully, tearing through the fourth game “ Everyone knows Ramy have seven titles between them – yet no in just five minutes. and everyone watches Egyptian had won it in front of a home crowd ElShorbagy went straight to his mobile, before. A long time afterwards Gawad was squash because of Ramy, apparently to call his mentor, Jonah ” still muttering: “I can’t believe it. I just he acknowledged. Barrington, while his mother, Basma, can’t believe it.” Karim Abdel Gawad hurried courtside – but in the decider he He had appeared not too affected by the gave off anxious vibes. When Gawad Sure enough, Ashour entered the arena to pressure. Margins of success, however, reached 5-1 with a penalty point, earned the week’s most thunderous acclaim. But are sometimes much tighter than they by a lovely backhand drop, the match was once again Gawad was unafraid to move seem. Gawad’s tremendous challenge hurtling towards a sensational finish. his opponent forward, lethal though Ashour almost did not ignite at all. He was 8-9 That was briefly delayed by a three-minute has sometimes been there. Egypt’s star down in the final game against Mohamed time out, when ElShorbagy, troubled by an hope was jerked about with increasing Abouelghar in the second round and Achilles strain probably exacerbated by the discomfort to a sudden, silencing 5-11, two games down against Nathan Lake, constant forward and backward movements, 11-6, 11-7, 2-1 retired defeat. a qualifier, in the first. sought a last-ditch respite. But he no longer Briefly, Ashour had seemed capable of He needed to take stock. “I spoke to Amr had the mobility to prevent the dagger snatching another barely believable world (Shabana) and he told me to focus just on thrusts which earned Gawad four of his title from his competitive wilderness. Four taking baby steps,” Gawad said. “Focus on last six points at the front of the court. exciting winners helped him take the first one before moving to the next.” The outcome was probably influenced by game and he moved eagerly to 6-5 ahead in It worked so well that it carried Gawad ElShorbagy’s mind as much as his body. the second. towards his career-best win, against He had been exceptionally pumped up in But his physical difficulties became ElShorbagy, in the semi-finals. All seven the first game, which may have used a lot obvious when a silky drop-lob combination previous encounters had been won by of emotional energy. There may have been caused him to tumble and took Gawad to the favourite, but the eighth became a other less tangible factors too. 8-6. Quite soon Ashour was told to make stunning reversal. ElShorbagy has sometimes felt less more effort to get to the ball, which was Gawad dominated the later stages of the appreciated by Egyptian spectators than followed by a crucial penalty point 18 SQUASHPLAYER.CO.UK PSA World Championship conceded while failing to clear adequately turvy, tumultuous tournament in the event’s frustrated by the referee repeatedly telling from a counter-drop. four decades. The tremors rumbled from him to play the ball. Ashour was not the start, as two seeded Australians, Ryan “clearing up”, he retorted. This was That gave the second game to Gawad, who Cuskelly and Cameron Pilley, departed followed by an argumentative tiebreak, in looked much more assured in the third. He immediately. which Dessouky failed to convert three lengthened the rallies and surged into a game balls and got a conduct warning four-point lead, with Ashour merely They were followed to the exit by Omar for dissent. hanging on, his movement far less elastic. Mosaad, the Egyptian hero who reached Four rallies into the fourth game Ashour last year’s final. This time the third-seeded Dessouky took still greater offence at the clutched suddenly at the hamstrings of his Mosaad let slip a 9-4 lead in the final game penalty point, which, despite a video review, left leg. against Nafiizwan Adnan and missed put him match point down. Informing a match point at 10-9 in a 6-11, 11-8, Ashour that he was fed up with the A three-minute injury break was little more 12-10, 1-11, 12-10 loss to the Malaysian. decisions, he shook hands and departed. than a hopeful ritual. It was over, the anti- A stunned crowd could barely believe it. climactic outcome repeating the painful “That was very stressful, definitely,” Ashour tale that has punctuated many of Ashour’s Later the ninth-seeded Mathieu commented, adding: “I don’t want to get last five frustrating years. Catrsagnet was ousted in straight games into too many details, but I just felt that by the admirably enduring Daryl Selby and God was giving me something when we Gawad sat glumly amidst near silence. It the sixth-seeded Ali Farag needed five were playing.” was an incongruous atmosphere considering games to survive against another long- spectators had witnessed the first Egyptian lasting Englishman, James Willstrop, to capture the world title on home soil. afterwards claiming he had found a way Not till Gawad was jostled by his coaches, out of a psychological mire. Mohammed Abbas and Omar Abdel Aziz, did he break into a smile. He managed that, Farag said, because “so many people were here talking to me – my Ashour reckoned there wasn’t parents, Nour (El Tayeb), my brother much to say – before words, as Shabana.” The Wadi Degla club was usual, came tumbling out. indeed bubbling with togetherness, but tensions below the surface appeared too. “Sometimes the universe works Ramy Ashour fires a winner in his stormy They were manifested after Farag, Gawad, quarter-final against Fares Dessouky in a way you can’t understand,” ElShorbagy and Ashour were joined by he observed. Momen and Fares Dessouky in the last He concluded, with typical philosophy: “Whatever happens at the end of my life, eight, swelling Egyptian survivors to six. “I found it a challenge because life is not I have to accept it. Many things happen in No country had done that before. fun; it’s supposed to be a burden. When a mysterious way and I accept that. things happen that way, I accept it and With a sick Matthew and a faltering I go through it.” “I thank my mind for being there for me and Gaultier the other challengers, a historic keeping me sane, my legs for supporting Egyptian triumph was virtually assured.