Four more quarter-final matches from the bottom half of the Quilter Cheviot British Open at The Rep this evening, and one big upset …
Women’s Quarter-Finals (bottom) :
[6] Satomi Watanabe (Jpn) w/o [4] Olivia Weaver (Usa) Olivia w/d injured
[2] Nour ElSherbini (Egy) 3-0 [9] Gina Kennedy (Eng) 11-9, 11-4, 11-5 (32m)
Men’s Quarter-Finals (bottom) :
Yahya Elnawasany (Egy) 3-1 [4] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 11-9 (84m)
[2] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-0 [11] Aly Abou Eleinen (Egy) 13-11, 11-6, 11-2 (56m)
Elnawasany does it again, Coll ends Eleinen run
The finals two quarter-finals were both men’s matches, starting with Karim Abdel Gawad against surprise package Yahya Elnawasany in an all-Egyptian matchup. In beating Marwan ElShorbagy, Elnawasany had used his extra fitness reserves to take control after a long opening game. Here the play was more even throughout, but it was the unseeded Elnawasany who held his composure better at the end of the games – including the 37-minute third – to record another stunning upset.
The final spot in the semis went to two-time champion Paul Coll, who ended the run of Aly Abou Eleinen, saving game ball to take a tight opening game opening game before pulling away in the next two games.
Satomi walkover, Sherbini supreme
The evening started with the Women’s matches – or at least one of them. Once Japan’s Satomi Watanabe had been introduced to the packed crowd the MC introduced USA’s fourth seed Olivia Weaver … who didn’t appear, to everyone’s confusion.
Shortly the message got through that Olivia had injured herself warming up at the top of the stairs, and was unable to play. Walkover to Satomi, who looked just as confused as everyone, expressed her sympathy for Olivia but pleasure at reaching the semi-finals.
Next up it was Gina Kennedy – backed wholeheartedly by the crowd – against four-time BO Champion Nour ElSherbini, who held a 12-0 record over Gina in previous meetings.
Sherbini started strongly, but Gina battled back to level at 7-all before losing the first 11-9. Sherbini took control of the next two games to notch up her 13th straight win over Gina and reach her 7th British Open semi-final.
Preview
Four more quarter-final matches from the bottom half of the Quilter Cheviot British Open at The Rep this evening.
It’s the women’s matches first as Olivia Weaver, looking to reach a second British Open semi-final, against first-time quarter-finalist Satomi Watanabe. Then four-time champion Nour ElSherbini meets Gina Kennedy, the last remaining British hope who hasn’t beaten ElSherbini in twelve previous attempts.
The first men’s match is an all-Egyptian affair between Karim Abdel Gawad, looking to reach a third semi-final in this his 14th appearance, against unseeded surprise package Yahya Elnawasany, followed by two-time champion Paul Coll against Aly Abou Eleinen, like Elnawasany a first-time quarter-finalist.
You can Watch Live on SquashTV, follow on Live Scoring and Socials, and we’ll have results right here, with photos going into the Gallery and a roundup at the end of the day.
Over at Solihull Arden and West Warwickshire the British Open Masters also reaches the Quarter-Final stage.
