[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 2-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (38m)
Last time those two played were in the British Open, and Nouran executed Raneem 3/0 in 36m…
An excellent start for Nouran in the opener, blasting her way to the back of the court, mixing it nicely with lovely boasts dying at the front, and it’s 6-1, 11-2 in 6m, 4 errors from Raneem.
The second sees a completely different Raneem stepping out of court. Planted on the T, she dispatches the shots and keeps the rallies very short, stunning Nouran more than once, and from 4/4, the world number 1 is in control, 8/4, 9-5, 11/7 in 11m.
The next game will be on the same pattern actually, 8/3, 9/5 and 11/7 in 11m… Raneem looks very comfortable and relaxed in that game and Nouran seems a bit running out of solutions to put her opponent under pressure.
And it only accentuates in the last game, Raneem completely in control, and although Nouran doesn’t give up, she doesn’t seem to move as well as she normally does: 7/2, 8/3 11/5…
Raneem in her 4th world champs final…
Raneem
“I don’t really think I did anything wrong that first game. I was sharp, I was prepared, I knew what I was doing but it just wasn’t working the way I wanted. She was on fire obviously, but I’m very pleased to back it up in the second game and to manage to find a way somehow and not look back.
“She hits it hard and now she lobs as well. She’s varying the pace and mixing it up, so it’s not about the hard hitting anymore, it’s about adjusting to whatever she is firing at you. Her variety of shots has gotten so much better than last season, even though last season she was playing well. She’s playing well this season and I’m just pleased to be through. Thanks to preparation of my coaches, I was able to prepare well today.