[2] Nouran Gohar (Egy) 3-0 [7] Rowan Elaraby (Egy) 11-7, 11-9, 13-11 (53m)
Fram’s thoughts
One good thing about that match is the fact that Rowan was not stressed. And that my friends, doesn’t happen much.
Her length at the start of the match was astonishing and took Nouran by surprise. Of course, it then took Tinkerbell a game to get used to the court. I see that most of the players come from traditional courts while their opponents have already had matches on the glass. And Rowan was no exception, giving 5 points to her opponent in that opener.
She will be disappointed not to close the second one though. Up 6/2, 8/5, she couldn’t stop the Terminator come back, and level we were again, 8/8, 9/9. A lovely crispy winner from Nouran and an error from Tinkerbell later, it was 11/9 to the World Champion.
Weirdly enough, Nouran seemed a bit tired at 8/3 in the third game, losing 7 points in a row, she found herself game ball down, 10/8. But a strong wake up squash from NouNou, as her camp calls her, and it’s 13/11, Nouran saving 2 game balls and clinching the match on her second attempt…
One thing I’ve noticed today, which I also noticed in several other matches, in particular when Nouran plays Nour El Sherbini or other top players, the World champion seems to be just a bit in the way of the ball, not enough to get a let but just enough to stop her opponent. I’m not sure it’s deliberate, it could be a way to move off the ball, I don’t know. But I again saw it today against Rowan.
PSA report
Reigning world champion Nouran Gohar eased into the semi-finals of the Egyptian Open with a win against No.7 seed Rowan Elaraby.
Gohar, who ended the 23/24 season in the form of her life, has started the 24/25 PSA Squash Tour season in the same vein, with her famed power matched by excellent shot selection and accuracy. In a high-quality first game, Elaraby caused Gohar problems early on, but once the World No.2 settled she dominated, putting together two scoring runs to take the opener 11-7.
Game two was closer, with Gohar edging a physical but entertaining encounter as she moved from 5-8 down to an 11-9 win.
‘The Terminator’ continued to push in game three, and with Elaraby appearing to drop off Gohar was able to build an 8-3 lead.
Despite appearing completely comfortable, Gohar suddenly began to waiver, and Elaraby played her best squash as she wrestled back the momentum to go 10-8 up and earn two game balls.
When it mattered most, Gohar finally got out of her slump, saving both game balls to take it into a tie-break. After seeing her first match ball at 11-10 saved, Gohar made no mistake at the second time of asking, closing out 13-11 after surviving a video review request from Elaraby on match ball.
Rowan : It’s hard to tell what I feel right now.
I felt good on court, I felt I got her every game, but it’s those crucial points. You know she is the World Champ, it’s not for no reason.
I didn’t execute my game plan in the crucial points. I was trying to get her to make mistakes, but she wouldn’t make any… I should have gone for the win every time I was up, and I didn’t. I was a bit too passive.
I was trying not to take many risks, she is such a player, she has the experience, I don’t think my mental set up was right today, even if I played ok.
All the positives I’m taking out of this one, I saw myself playing well, I saw myself doing the stuff I’ve been working on. I’m disappointed by the loss, especially as I had the win last time. And it was in the back of my mind. And that’s why I was trying to defend too much, trying not to lose instead of trying to win.
It’s a lesson I need to digest now…
Nouran :
“I felt I was playing really well until 8-3 in the third. I was im my rhythm and it seemed like she was getting tired. But then a few silly mistakes and I’m just pleased. There were patches that I played well, patches that I played really well but that’s ok and I was more happy that, even if I’m not playing well, digging in and finding myself through.
“That’s the mentality I was more pleased with today and I think I can build on that and improve even more in the next rounds hopefully.
“Obviously [coming back in the second game] was crucial. It’s a cliche, we always say it, but it’s true. There’s a very big difference between 1-1 and 2-0. 2-0 makes your life easier, in the way you’re thinking you play more freely and can go for your shots.
“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about winning the game, I was thinking ‘even if I lose this one, I need to break up the momentum’ and it just got the pressure off a bit and made me play even better.”
On the match between Sana Ibrahim and Nada Abbas, he said: “I think it’s a huge moment for both of them and I’m happy for them, new names in the quarter-finals of a Diamond event and it’s huge for either of them to reach the semi- final. I think they will have a belter, which I’ll be very happy with! And I’ll watch them and create a plan with my coaches and be ready for tomorrow.”
