Shorbagy p12-13_3 Column Left 18/01/2013 12:56 Page 1

FEATURE West is best for Shorbagy

Rod Gilmour talks to surprise World Championship runner-up about his stunning displays and how the Egyptian has found an ideal base in the West Country

ohamed El Shorbagy wasn’t always although he stressed: “It was mighty “I had a feeling this was going to be destined to grace a court. close.” Nevertheless, the shortness of the the worst final in world history, that I was MThe slim Egyptian had to swim Darwish match saved the Egyptian’s going to lose in 20 minutes,” Shorbagy continual lengths as a youth, until his energy and was a significant factor in his recalled. “I kept thinking my head is tired, racket skills were deemed good enough thrilling 3/2 victory over Willstrop in the I can’t do anything. But my brother said: for him to concentrate on squash. The semi-final. ‘You can’t talk like that. How many people thought of it! So how did Shorbagy manage to wish they were playing the final today “I hated swimming,” he says. “It was defeat two such experienced players? The instead of you?’ From then on, everything my mother who forced me to do it every previous problem, he says, was that every turned on its head.” day. Luckily, when I won the under-11 time he saw an opponent tire, Shorbagy Though the two had never met nationals (squash), she realised there was went off the boil. He would say to himself: competitively, Shorbagy had a plan for no way back. I have a tough mother!” “I’ve got you now”. Ashour, but he still had to combat the Tough, yes, but fortunately Mrs world no.1’s dazzling attacks and change Shorbagy realised how talented her son of pace. At first, he couldn’t defend was and now, 11 years on, the 22-year- against Ashour’s shot-making. But his old older brother of world junior champion length increased and suddenly Shorbagy Marwan is talking about about his I never imagined“ I would found himself with a lead in the fifth – sensational week in Doha, . after a brilliant rally in the fourth that will There, in December, he carved his take Ramy to five surely go down as one of the finest in way through the World Championship recent times – before Ashour found draw to finish runner-up behind Ramy enough resolve to become a double world Ashour. The world top-10 regular from champion. Alexandria suddenly found the formula to Everyone congratulated Shorbagy get within three points of lifting the title. “Darwish has ”such good hands that afterwards on his tournament, but, a Shorbagy’s build-up to Doha was far he can go for his shots and the match month on, those three points still rankle. from ideal, though. He fell ill in Hong could have slowly slipped away from me,” “I had never lost a junior British or world Kong, seemingly leaving his Qatar hopes he revealed. “So I tried not to look at his final,” he says. “I would have preferred in tatters. That in turn led to anger face, not even for a second. I would look losing to Willstrop than how I went down towards the Professional Squash at my brother for motivation.” in the world final. I never imagined I would Association for scheduling two major Contrast that with his comments on take Ramy to five.” tournaments a week apart. “I knew I the Willstrop match. “I was completely There are few things in sport as couldn’t peak in HK and then in Doha. I dead and cramping all over. At 2/1 up in thrilling as seeing rare talent emerge like just wasn’t happy that they were so close games and 4-1 up, I couldn’t push this. The possibility of potential and a together. It wasn’t right for the PSA to do anymore. I said to myself ‘You’re acting seismic shot in the arm for the sport that,” he said. like a girl. You have to push it.’ In the fifth fluctuate through the mind. In recent Shorbagy’s form still gave him a good game I looked at James’ face and it kept years there has been the chance in Doha, but his hopes hinged on me going.” rise of Ashour. That has a last-eight meeting with compatriot When Shorbagy woke up the next now been followed by . “I already had a win morning, though, his body wouldn’t Shorbagy’s emergence. against Darwish and I got close to him respond. His mindset – he was now facing Mentored by the twice last year,” he recalled. “Matches a final against Ashour – was shot, too. great Jonah Barrington with him have always been close and The routine was still there, so the two since he was 15, whoever won that match was going to be Shorbagys went for their usual morning Shorbagy rose to so tired the next day. So I had to plan it hit. However, Marwan could sense a shift prominence in 2008 at really well and make sure my tournament in momentum and not even brotherly love the World Open in didn’t just stop against .” could lift Mohamed, so they cut Manchester, Shorbagy ran out a 3/0 winner, short the practice. becoming

Ramy Ashour 12 THE SQUASH PLAYER Shorbagy p12-13_3 Column Left 18/01/2013 12:56 Page 2

FEATURE

the first qualifier for 22 years to reach the father was one that if he had £100 left in quarter-finals when he beat compatriot the bank and we needed that for squash, Hisham Ashour. There was even talk of he would pay for that.” the then 17-year-old breaking Jansher According to Shorbagy, his mother 's record of holding both the world never missed a training session when he junior and senior titles in the same year, was growing up: “She was hard at the before proved a step too far. right times, soft during tournaments. She The path to his finding Barrington is knew how to deal with me really well. an intriguing story too – one that has “Would you ever find a mother who ended up with half the Shorbagy family has watched matches on Squash TV on moving to the West Country. It is certainly future opponents and then passed on a far cry from that swimming pool at the advice and tips on how to beat them?” Smouha Sporting Club in Alexandria. After Awad died, there was a period It wasn’t until Shorbagy started when Shorbagy travelled to and playing squash, aged 10, that life began worked under different coaches. It didn’t to change, though. Although his uncle work and, anyway, Shorbagy says he is Mohamed El Shorbagy with his devoted parents was an amateur squash player at the the kind of player who shouldn’t be mixing club, Shorbagy’s love for the game had and training with fellow players. “I Six years on and both brothers are yet to flourish until he came across the shouldn’t be that open. Training should be now living in Bristol, thanks to best player to come out of Alexandria, your secret and I think this is the right scholarships at the West of former pro Gamal Awad, who was way,” he reasoned. University. Their flat is a minute’s walk coaching at the club for a month. Then came the World Open in 2006. from the gym, track and physios, while He saw Shorbagy play for 20 minutes Shorbagy’s mother pushed him to speak local coach Hadrian Stiff is also on hand. and was so impressed that he asked the Shorbagy describes the conditions as club if he could take Shorbagy under his “just perfect”. wing for the next month. That period Sometimes the brothers will go back stretched to the next three years as to Millfield to spend the weekend with Awad, who contested the longest match My mother“ knew how to Barrington senior. They are enjoying it so of all time with (two hours much that they are house-hunting. They 46 minutes in 1983), concentrated on deal with me have connected with Bristol’s cultural life. Shorbagy. There are concerts to attend and friends It was during one Ramadan, however, to go out with at the weekend. They don’t that life took another turn for Shorbagy. really drink, so the enjoyment comes from The two had spoken on the phone late music. Shorbagy admits that “a really late one night, but an hour later, at 3am, Awad to players to play ”with him, but he was night is 2am after a little dance”. died of a heart attack. The first two people too shy and didn’t succeed. It is a far cry from those his wife called were Shorbagy’s parents. However, he did hit it off with one claustrophobic days in . I then ask “He put all the strong basics into me player, Joey Barrington, by telling him he Shorbagy if there are any other memories. from an early age, not squash tactics, but was at French school in Alexandria and had He pauses, then raises a smile. “I had a personality and how to push and beat any won the British juniors. One week later he lot of fights with the then Egyptian player of any age,” Shorbagy recalled. found himself being offered a scholarship Federation,” he says, who were against “‘You have two hands, two legs, so what to Millfield School, where he would come him travelling to England. else do you need to beat people’ he used under the tutelage of Joey’s father. It was a He will never forget one tournament in to say to me.” whirlwind period, with the whole family the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis, one that To train with Awad, Shorbagy moving over to Britain where they rented a best highlights Shorbagy’s combative continues, was to enter his private life, flat two minutes from the school. streak and why there is currently a never- too: “He used to have lots of fights with Crucially, Barrington didn’t try to ending production line of young his wife and I knew everything there was change Shorbagy’s game. He improved Egyptians, who can fight and soak up to know. He was the person who taught his Egyptian game and then morphed the pressure in equal measure. me everything, until I went to Jonah.” English style into it, the mantra being that “When I was 11 or 12, I remember Most squash observers will also know patience and accurate length are crucial if three Cairo clubs would come to support how tight-knit the Shorbagy family is. the flair part is malfunctioning. their player against me,” he recalled. Mother and father, who reside in Saudi “He understands me mentally, just by “There must have been 200 people there Arabia, travel to most of the major the sound of my voice,” Shorbagy said. “I and only my brother in my corner. I won tournaments. After all, they have invested am still learning and it is an unfinished 9-6 in the fifth. I used to get a lot of joy by so much. experience for me. He is like my second going there and beating a Heliopolis player “My mother always tries to find the father and just by playing under his name in his home camp. It has made me stronger best in everything,” says Shorbagy. “My has given me loads of confidence.” today. I used to love it, really love it!”

THE SQUASH PLAYER 13