THE Today's Matches Presented By
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What to look for in Today’s Matches Friday THE ER January 10, 2020 Noon: Mathieu Castagnet (France, age 33, rank 25) vs. Eain Yow Ng (Malaysia, age 21, rank 34) In contrast to his 2019 two-hour first round match on the glass, Castagnet decisively took out Arturo Salazar in twenty-six minutes on Thursday. The 2016 semifinalist will be favored on paper in this vein of form in their first match up on the PSA World Tour. Eain Yow, the 2016 world junior champion, nearly pulled off a top 25-ranked second round upset last year on the glass and will hope to go one step further against Castagnet today. 12:45: [5] Paul Coll (New Zealand, age 27, rank 5) vs. Abdullah Al Tamimi (Qatar, age 25, rank 39) Al Tamimi had a slow start to his first round match Thursday, coming back from 2-0 down to win in five. The Qatari will need to come out firing on all cylinders against Paul ‘Superman’ Coll, who has won all three of their previous encounters. The Kiwi reached the PSA World Championship final in November and will be hungry for his first PSA Platinum title this week. 2:00: Youssef Soliman (Egypt, age 23, rank 37) vs. Baptiste Masotti (France, age 24, rank 42) 2020 TOC APPAREL Both players will view this match as a rare opportunity to reach a PSA Platinum round of sixteen. Masotti pulled off a surprise ON SALE AT THE TOC quarterfinal run in November’s Egyptian Open next to the Pyramids in his only previous Platinum appearance. Soliman will be PRO SHOP confident after a convincing upset over Nicholas Müller Thursday going into what will be their first career match up. ¼ Zip Pullover $69 2:45: [8] Mohamed Abouelghar (Egypt, age 26, rank 9) vs. Mostafa Asal (Egypt, age 18, rank 21) Commemorative T $29 The first of three blockbuster all-Egyptian matches on Friday surprisingly presents a first-time PSA match up between the two GCT Clock T-Shirt $29 Cairo natives. The eighteen-year-old starlet will hope to prove his ability against a top ten player, and someone who many ToC Cross® Pen $49 consider to be one of the tour’s most talented on his day. After a first-round bye, Abouelghar will need to be sharp from the Commemorative Pin $10 first point on and limit opportunities for Asal. Squash Books $20 5:00: Tom Richards (England, age 33, rank 32) vs. Leo Au (Hong Kong, age 29, rank 22) For two journeymen who have been on the professional tour for nearly fifteen years, they have only met once in their Friday presents a lineup of J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions men’s second WELCOME TO THE TOC careers—a seventy-minute Richards victory in 2014. Au will need his legs to recover from his five-game win over Todd Harrity round matches on paper, but has the quality of a PSA Platinum quarterfinals day Friday night in order test the former world No. 12 to the fullest. including three top-ranked all-Egyptian battles, three world champions and two CitySquash world championship finalists. World No. 1 Ali Farag (left) begins his title defense 5:45: [4] Tarek Momen (Egypt, age 31, rank 3) vs. Marwan ElShorbagy (Egypt, age 26, rank 8) It’s not often a random draw produces a top-ten showdown in the second round, but here we are. Momen—the recently and 2009 ToC champion Grégory Gaultier (right) makes his long-anticipated return Lycée Français crowned world champion and 2018 ToC finalist—holds a 5-2 career record against the younger ElShorbagy brother, including to the PSA World Tour after a fifteen-month injury hiatus. their last three PSA encounters. After suffering a first-round upset last year, ElShorbagy will hope to produce one of his own against Momen. NOON SESSION Today’s Matches Eain Yow Ng (MAS) vs. Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 7:30: [1] Ali Farag (Egypt, age 27, rank 1) vs. Mazen Hesham (Egypt, age 25, rank 17) [5] Paul Coll (NZL) vs. Abdulla Al Tamimi (QAT) The world No. 1 opens his title defense with a stern test Friday night against one of the tour’s great personalities, the ‘Black Presented by Falcon’. Hesham has only defeated Farag once in six attempts, which came in 2015, but can dazzle even the best players with 2:00 PM SESSION his flair and shot-making. Farag was able to remain disciplined in their two encounters last year, winning both three, and will Baptiste Masotti (FRA) vs. Youssef Soliman (EGY) need to be on top of his game again to get 2020 off to a winning start. [8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) vs. Mostafa Asal (EGY) 8:15: Grégory Gaultier (France, age 37, rank 12 [PR]) vs. Omar Mosaad (Egypt, age 31, rank 16) 5:00 PM SESSION Squash fans around the world circled this match when the ToC draws were released last month. Two former top five players Tom Richards (ENG) vs. Leo Au (HKG) and a rematch of the 2015 World Championship final, but more importantly the ‘French General’s first PSA appearance in 15 [4] Tarek Momen (EGY) vs. Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) months following a devastating knee injury. Gaultier, the 2009 ToC champion, made his initial comeback last month at the Men’s World Team Championship, and managed wins against the likes of James Willstrop and world No. 49 Ivan Yuen. Facing 7:30 PM SESSION the ‘Hammer of Thor’ will be no easy task, but he does enter the match unbeaten in ten appearances against the Egyptian. [1] Ali Farag (EGY) vs. Mazen Hesham (EGY) Grégory Gaultier (FRA) vs. Omar Mosaad (EGY) @tocsquash tocsquash.com #ToC20 Alan Clyne (SCO) [1] Ali Farag (EGY) Round 3 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Coline Aumard (FRA) [1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) Round 3 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Thurs. 1/9 – 5:30 HC Fri. 1/10 - 7:30 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 4:45 NYAC Sat. 1/11 – 5:00 GCT [17/32] Mezan Hesham (EGY) Hesham (EGY) 6, 9, 7 [17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) Sun. 1/12 – 12:45 Mon. 1/13 – 2:45 GCT [17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) Soliman (EGY) 3, 9, (8), 5 [17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) GCT Fri. 1/10 – 6:15 NYAC Sat. 1/11 – 5:30 PC Thurs. 1/9 – 12:00 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 2:00 GCT [WC] Marina Stefanoni (USA) [11] Annie Au (HKG) Youssef Soliman (EGY) Masotti (FRA) (11), 7, 8, 4 Melissa Alves (FRA) Tues. 1/14 – 5:00 GCT Baptiste Masotti (FRA) Richards (ENG) 2, (9), 1, 3 Tues. 1/14 – 8:15 GCT Fri. 1/10 - 5:30 NYAC Sat. 1/11 – 1:45 HC Thurs. 1/9 – 4:45 HC Fri. 1/10 – 5:00 GCT [17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) [16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) [17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) Au (HKG) 5, (7), 7, (6), 8 [17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) Mon. 1/13 – 2:00 GCT [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG) Al Tamimi (QAT) (4), (11), 4, 9, 7 Sun. 1/12 – 2:00 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 4:00 NYAC Sat. 1/11 – 2:00 GCT Thurs. 1/9 – 7:00 HC Fri. 1/10 12:45 GCT Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) [5] Camille Serme (FRA) Thur. 1/16 – 5:00 Karim El Hammamy (EGY) [5] Paul Coll (NZL) Thur. 1/16 – 8:00 Tze Lok Ho (HKG) [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) GCT Todd Harrity (USA) [8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) GCT Fri. 1/10 – 12:15 HC Sat. 1/11 – 7:30 GCT Thurs. 1/9 – 7:45 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 2:45 GCT [17/32] Emily Whitlock [17/32] Leo Au (HKG) Asal (EGY) 8, 3, 7 [17/32] Nada Abbas (EGY) Mon. 1/13 – 8:15 GCT [17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA) Grégory Gaultier (FRA) Sun. 1/12 – 5:00 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 1:00 HC Sat. 1/11 – 12:15 HC Thurs. 1/9 – 12:45 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 8:15 GCT Rachel Arnold (MAS) [13] Alison Waters (ENG) Abdulla Al Tamimi Omar Mosaad (EGY) Danielle Letourneau (CAN) [10] Hania El Hammamy Tues. 1/14 – 7:30 GCT Ramit Tandon (IND) Eain Yow (MAS) 6, 9, 7 Tues. 1/14 – 5:45 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 2:45 HC Sat. 1/11 – 1:00 HC Thurs. 1/9 – 4:00 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 12:00 GCT [17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY) Women’s [17/32] Mostafa Asal (EGY) Castagnet (FRA) 7, 2, 3 Men’s Championship [17/32] Rachael Grinham Mon. 1/13 – 4:00 GCT Championship [17/32] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) Sun. 1/12 – 5:45 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 2:30 HC Sat. 1/11 – 12:00 GCT Thurs. 1/9 – 4:00 NYAC Fri. 1/10 – 5:45 GCT Alexandra Fuller (RSA) [3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) George Parker (ENG) [4] Tarek Momen (EGY) Arturo Salazar (MEX) Lucy Turmel (ENG) [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) Thurs. 1/9 – 2:30 GCT [3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) Fri. 1/10 – 7:00 HC Sun. 1/12 – 2:45 GCT Fri. 1/17 – 7:00 Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) Sat. 1/11 – 12:45 GCT Fri. 1/17 – Follow [17/32] Donna Lobban (AUS) GCT Bernabeu (ESP) 8, 10, (5), 9 GCT [17/32] Nadine Shahin (EGY) Tues. 1/14 – 12:45 GCT Ivan Yuen (MAS) Yip (HKG) 9,(10),10,7 Mon. 1/13 – 5:30 GCT Fri. 1/10 – 5:30 HC Sun. 1/12 – 2:00 River Club Thurs. 1/9 – 5:30 NYAC Sat.