QF: [1] Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-1 [6] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY)

Rory   Quite happy with a win, I wish I could have done it in 3 games. He is a good player, and I know how good he is.

I have been feeling quite comfortable out there this week, I felt I was able to control all the games I played so far. I felt I made him do a lot of running, you could see in the second and third how tired he was.

I feel that my physicality has been a key this week, I use my hold quite a lot, sometimes it can be terrible, and sometimes it can be very effective, but they have been working quite well this week.

But it’s difficult out there, playing an Egyptian in Egypt, I’m not sure what the nationality the referee is, to be fair, I probably got the better calls towards the end, but as soon as he got tired, or started losing, that’s when he started a bit of his body on the ball. I think in the past I would have moaned and groaned about it. Don’t get me wrong I did moaned and groaned today….

But I thought stuff it. If he wants to behave like… oh well… it’s not the way I want to play squash. But at the end of the day, sometimes you need to win squash games like that, to earn points and better your ranking and I don’t think there was much love lost today.

I played those qualification matches the whole season, I spent 6 years grinding this round to get to the bigger events on the Tour, I’m in the World Tour for a year and they change the format. And I’m back on the Challenger Tour….

I know the level I can play at, I think I deserve to be in the bigger events, but my ranking says different. So going to try to get in there, and win matches. I’m happy I won my position.

Tomorrow a day of rest, not sure what I’m going to get up to, but it’s funny. At the tournament hotel, I had to change room today, and I’m now rooming with Greg Lobban, 17 in the world, and the room is SO MUCH BETTER… Don’t know if they put us qualifiers in the worst rooms… but they are sure keeping the better rooms for the better players!!! 🙂