
Mohamed Elshorbagy (Photo: Courtesy of Allam British Open Squash Championships official website)
Egypt's squash players march on in the 2015 World Squash Championships as eight of the thirteen Egyptian players, who started the tournament, booked their places in the tournament's third round that kicks off on Thursday.
Mohamed El-Shorbagy, the world’s number one squash player, who is bidding to lift his first ever world squash title, will face the world number 24 and former world number 1, Englishman James Willstrop in the third round on Thursday.
The top seed El-Shorbagy has failed to lift the World Championship title as he lost out to fellow Egyptian Ramy Ashour in both the 2012 and 2014 finals.
The 24-year-old squash star, El-Shorbagy needed only 31 minutes to beat English player Tom Richards 3-0 in the second round, booking a place in the third round in a bid to achieve his target.
"I thought that Tom was playing really well in the first game. I was always behind him and I was lucky to take the first game," El-Shorbagy said after the game.
Brother of Mohamed El-Shorbagy, Marwan also defeated his English foe Daryl Selby 3-0 to reach the third round of the World Championship.
"Well, it’s funny how the Shorbagy family seems to be condemned to finish the night! Me twice, last night, my brother as well," Mohamed added.
The world number 9 squash player, Marwan El-Shorbagy will face the world number two English star Nick Matthew in the third round.
"I played Daryl four years ago, in the World Champs as well, I was 18 at the time, and he was the seeded player, and I was the up and coming, it was a big upset that I got to the final 16." Marwan El-Shorbagy said after the game.
"I made it to the top ten a few weeks back, it was a great achievement for me, at my age in particular. I have been working very hard on my game, training very hard, trying to improve every aspect of my game," he added.
Elsewhere, Ramy Ashour, the world number 4 has defeated his fellow countryman Mohamed Abouelghar in the second round 3-0 in 63 minutes to book a place in the third round.
"Abouelghar never stops. He goes for every shot and you’ve got to be on your toes, you never know where the ball is going or coming from, he wants to do something different with his shots all the time, he reminds me of something I know… He is not easy to beat, he plays so well in the four corners, he makes work for every point you win." Ashour said after beating Abouelghar in the second round.
The three-time world championship winner Egyptian Ramy Ashour will face another fellow countryman Karim Abdel Gawad, the world number 10, in the third round on Thursday.
"In the 3rd, I was just testing, my muscles haven’t been tested or stretched to that extent for a long time. I’m trying to stay positive, but until I have a whole year without injury, or limping out of court, I will never relax," Ashour added.
Thirteen Egyptian squash players started this year's World Championship while only eight players reached the tournament's third round.
Along with El-Shorbagy's brothers, Ashour and Karim Abdel Gawad, four players are representing Egypt at this year's World Championship third round - Tarek Momen, Omar Mosaad, Karim Ali Fathi and Ali Farag.
The 2015 World Championships started on 13 November with the first qualifying round. The tournament will finish on the 22nd of the same month.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: