[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-1 [4] Joel Makin (WAL) 5-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (67m)
And Fram got it wrong again… I called 3/1. I got the score right mind you. Only the wrong winner.
Joel is in the man in form for me at the moment. And Karim is one of the greatest but he didn’t have such a great season, and my money was on Joel. WRONG!
First game I thought, yep, I’m right. Joel was in control, patient, and Karim was being Karim at a start of a match, tinning ball after ball (6 UE) in the first game alone. 11/5 in 12m. That’s very short for Joel.
But a complete change in the second, Karim back with more patience, flair, accuracy, and the game is close from 1/1 to 7/7, but then Gawad gets up a gear and it’s 11/8 for the BFA. Very long rally, 22m.
Yeah, that’s so good for the Welsh, me thinks. He’s going to be in control physically now. Yeah right. 11/3 in 7m for the Egyptian.
And the 4th, a good battle again! Score yet again is a liar, 11/6, you think, easy. Well that was 20m game. Not sure what Karim is on at the moment, but whatever is on, I want some.
Incredible performance, which reminded me what Mohamed Shorbagy told me years ago: “Ramy kills you because of the shots he plays, but Karim kills you with the way he combines the shots together…”
So good from @karimabdelgawad 🤩
📺 https://t.co/bCa0MRqdqf #EgyptianOpen pic.twitter.com/0oTQs1tIic
— PSA Squash Tour (@PSASquashTour) September 16, 2025
“I feel great. I had a very good pre-season this summer
“I focused on a lot of things that my coaches and I felt I wasn’t as good at in years before. We had a chat before the pre-season and we worked on it. I feel much more confident in these points and I’m really hungry to play good squash this season and try to win.
“Not just to play good squash, but to be a better, stronger person on court.
“Playing in Egypt is something different for me and I just give everything 100 per cent on court but if I lose then at least I put 100 per cent in on court.
“I won the Egyptian Open in 2016/17 and 2019 so I have very good memories here and I will never forget coming here as a kid eight years old to watch Barada playing and all the legends. I wanted to be on court like that at that time and just have one shot on the glass court. To win it twice is something that I will never forget and I’m very happy to achieve.
“I want to reach the end and lift another trophy in front of the Pyramids.
“It feels great playing in front of your idol. Amr Shabana is someone I was very lucky to share a court with in the tournaments and also in practice. I was lucky to live close to him so I was lucky to be his training partner. I shared a room with him and I learned lots of things on and off the court. He’s very down to earth, everything he achieved was down to earth and everyone loves him.
“Playing in front of him is a great pleasure.”
