It’s a third Squash World Championship for the main main, Ali Farag. He retains the title having won it last year. He did in front of a home crowd AND the win takes him back to the world number 1 spot on the PSA World Rankings – echoing the first World Championship Farag won in which he also crowned himself as world no.1 in the process. He will return to the Number 1 spot in the June rankings.
It was no easy task for Farag though – he came from 2-1 down against 2017 World Champion ElShorbagy to triumph 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-2 in 74 minutes.
Speaking after the final, Farag said: “I’m really happy to be done with the tournament; the pressure we live through every day. I didn’t come into this week with that pressure, but then the week started and I felt the pressure.
“I’m super proud of my week, I had to go through a very tough draw. I had to go through a lot of tough players to reach the final and today, I’m playing against the greatest of our generation. I have a lot of people around me who, if I’m being honest, wrote Mohamed off after the past few months and I told them there’s no chance Mohamed’s going to go away without a fight. He’s going to come back smarter and harder and he did. It’s inspiring how every time he faces a challenge he comes back stronger, we saw it yesterday and here today. I’m extremely blessed to come out as the winner today.”
Celebrating with his new born baby and his wife Nour El Tayeb, who herself had made the semi0finals of the event. It’s hard not to be envious of the world beating Squash couple.
No rest for the Squash world though as the next stop on the PSA World Tour will be the El Gouna International Platinum event on May 27th.