ISSUE01-2018InternationalSquashMagazine

J.P. MORGAN
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
SIMONRÖSNER&NOURELSHERBINI
LIFTTOURNAMENTOFCHAMPIONSTITLES
Simon Rösner and Nour El Sherbini prevailed on finals day at the 2018
J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, beating Egyptian duo Tarek
Momen and Nour El Tayeb respectively under the chandeliers of Grand
Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall in New York to take one of squash’s
most prestigious titles.
Rösner became the first ever German
player to win a Professional Squash
Association (PSA) World Series
tournament after he followed up a
stunning semi-final upset over Gregory
Gaultier to take an 11-8 11-9 6-11 11-5
victory over Momen in 71 minutes.
The 30-year-old German No.1 played
with precision and guile to go two
games up and then showed the grit
and determination that took him to his
maiden World Series final in the fourth
game as he recovered from dropping
the third and become the first non-
Egyptian male to win the Tournament of
Champions since England’s Nick Matthew
in 2012.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said
Rösner. “Coming here this week, I didn’t
expect to win the championship, but this
is what you work for every day. To play
on this kind of stage is the reason you
wake up, train hard, stay disciplined and
go through all of that. And for that to
pay off, in New York, in Grand Central
Terminal, with the Tournament of
Champions title - it’s unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, El Sherbini lifted her second
Tournament of Champions title, and
her third consecutive World Series title,
after twice fighting back from a game
down against U.S. Open Champion Nour
El Tayeb.
The 22-year-old was appearing in her
fifth successive PSA World Tour final,
a run which included World Series wins
at the Saudi PSA Women’s Masters
and Hong Kong Open, but suffered a
disastrous start as she took just two
points in a one-sided opening game.
Both players then took a game each, until
El Sherbini came into her own in the final
two games to triumph 2-11 11-6 4-11 11-7 11-7
and claim her fifteenth PSA World Tour
title and her fifth of the season.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling right now, I
cannot describe it,” said El Sherbini. “I’m
extremely happy, I couldn’t have asked
for a better start to 2018. I’ve been
playing well and this is my fifth final in a
row. I worked really hard in the summer
and have been trying to enjoy playing
when I’m out there and that hard work
is paying off right now. Hopefully I can
keep this momentum going for the rest
of the season.”
J.P. Morgan
Tournament of Champions,
New York, USA
Men’s Final:
Simon Rösner (GER) bt
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY)
11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5
Women’s Final:
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt
[8] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
2-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7
INTERNATIONALSQUASHMAGAZINE April 2018 | 19
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