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Sat 26th Mar - SEMI-FINALS
Historic all-Egyptian finals set for
Hull
For the first time ever it will be four Egyptians contesting the
finals of the British Open, after a dramatic semi-final day at
the Airco Arena.
 In
the women's semis Nour El Sherbini made it four wins in a
row over five-time champion Nicol David as she reached her
fourth World Series final in a row.
She'll meet Nouran Gohar, the reigning world junior
champion, who dethroned Camille Serme in a five-game battle that
couldn't be closer.
 In
the men's semis former champions Ramy Ashour and Gregory
Gaultier did battle with Ashour letting a two-game lead slip
before recovering from 1-6 in the fifth to maintain his
impressive record over the Frenchman.
Defending champion and world #1 Mohamed Elshorbagy was in
control of his match with Karim Abdel Gawad from start to finish
as moved back into the final.
[4] Nour El Sherbini (Egy) 3-1 [2] Nicol
David (Mas)
11/6, 2/11, 11/9, 11/6 (43m)
[8] Nouran Gohar (Egy) 3-2 [5] Camille Serme (Fra)
12/10, 11/9, 9/11, 9/11, 11/9 (80m)
[5] Ramy Ashour (Egy) 3-2 [2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
11/6,
12/10, 8/11, 9/11, 11/7 (74m)
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (Egy) 3-0 Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy)
11/8, 11/7, 11/7 (45m)
The semi-finals in 60 seconds
Shorbagy sails through to
final
 Top
seed and defending champion Mohamed Elshorbagy returned to the
final with a solid straight game win over Karim Abdel Gawad.
Gawad, playing his fourth successive Egyptian opponent, competed
well enough but never managed to get in front and never
realistically looked like ending his losing streak against the
world #1.
"Karim played so well to get to the semi-finals for the first
time," said Shorbagy. "To have four Egyptians in the finals,
especially with the tournament being sponsored by an Egyptian,
is special."
Gohar dethrones Serme
 World
Junior Champion Nouran Gohar came through a high-qualify,
high-intensity, nothing to choose between them five game
encounter to dethrone Camille Serme and ensure that there will
be two all-Egyptian finals in Hull.
 All
five games could have gone either way, but it was the young
Egyptian who got the better of the closing stages of the first
two, and the Frenchwoman who recovered from 6-8 in the third and
8-9 in the fourth to set up a decider.
 Gohar
again started well, led 6-3 and although Serme pulled that lead
back, levelling at 6-all and 7-all, it was Gohar's more powerful
game and relentless pace that prevailed in the end.
"Even the first two games were close," said Gohar. "She gave
it everything she had, I gave it everything I had. I was so
tired at the end.
"Its my biggest achievement so far - I was in the British
Open Junior final just two months ago and now Im in the final
of the senior tournament, it's amazing!"
Ashour wins a thriller
 When
Ramy Ashour took a two-game lead over Gregory Gaultier, it
looked as though the Egyptian would extend his already
impressive H2H advantage over the Frenchman with something to
spare.
 Outplayed
in the first, Gaultier really should have taken the second, but
errors at the very end cost him. He recovered well though,
leading the third and fourth games, although he needed Ashour
errors to take the third and finished the fourth with a volley
that Ramy's dive couldn't reach.
 At
5-0 and 6-1 in the third a full comeback looked likely, but it
was Ashour's turn to recover, and by the time he'd reached 5-6
there only looked one winner - and sure enough after 74 minutes
Ramy Ashour claimed his place in the final, to the rapturous
applause of the packed crowd.
 "I
was nearly handing my key in at reception after my first match,"
said Ashour, "so to win another five-setter against a great
competitor such as Greg and to reach the final of this historic
event again feels really special."
 Gaultier
reflected:
"I was not expecting anything coming here, and being able to
play over an hour against somebody like Ramy, and nearly beat
him, means the world to me."
Sherbini does it again
 Nour
El Sherbini made it four World Series finals in a row as she
beat Nicol David for the fourth time in a row in the first
semi-final.
 Well
on top in the first, Sherbini looked set to continue her recent
dominance, but it was five-time champion David who powered
through the second, and led 8-5 in the third.
From there on it was the Egyptian who resumed control and David,
making more unforced errors than we're use to seeing from her,
couldn't break the spell.
 "Since
I played Nicol in the 2012 final I've been trying to hard
to get back to the British Open final," said Sherbini, "but I
kept losing in the early rounds! I'm so pleased to finally make
it.
"I always try to play the perfect shot, at the perfect time.
That way, I can finish it quickly!"
Preview
 Semi-finals day in Hull
with the titles in the 'Wimbledon of Squash' now within sight
for five Egyptians, two French and one Malaysian.
The first session features both second seeds as five-time
champion Nicol David takes on young Egyptian Nour El
Sherbini in a repeat of their 2013 final at the O2 in
London. David won that time, but it's 4-all in the H2H with the
young Egyptian having won the last three,
Then it's two-time British Open and current world champion
Gregory Gaultier against Ramy Ashour, champion in
2013. Here the H2H is 27-7 in Ashour's favour, and he's won the
last three as well.
 The
evening session sees both defending champions in action.
Camille Serme and Nouran Gohar both produced stunning
upsets yesterday and while Serme will be eyeing a successful
defence the world junior champion is hungry for a first major
senior title. This will be their third meeting, it's one apiece.
Last up is an all-Egyptian match between world #1 and defending
champion Mohamed Elshorbagy and Karim Abdel Gawad,
who will be playing a compatriot for the fourth time in a row
having already beaten Omar Mosaad, Fares Dessouki and Marwan
Elshorbagy. Shorbagy has won all six of their meetings, three
BJO matches and three on the senior circuit.
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Semi-Final
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