World No. 1 Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini defeated world No. 3 Paul Coll and world No. 2 Nolan Gohar, respectively, on final night at the University of Chicago Club, and Walter – Won the 2024 Windy City Open presented by the family.
Farag defeated Col in the 2020 Windy City Open final, winning 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 15-13 and lifting silverware once again under the chandeliers of University Club's Cathedral Hall. Ta. He won his sixth PSA title this season.
Farag has appeared in the finals of all eight tournaments he has played this season, and 2022 Windy City Open champion Col is the only man to beat him. These wins came in the finals of the US Open and Hong Kong Open, making this the third time the two have met in a platinum-level final.
But it was the Egyptians who got their revenge tonight in Chicago. With the score set for one game each, Farag geared up and began pulling cols across the court to test the New Zealander's retrieval abilities. Coll turned over five championship balls in the fourth, but ultimately could not stop Farag from winning the 39th PSA title of his career.
Farag said after the match: “I'm very relieved because I missed the chance to finish the game.”
“It's a testament to Paul's character, he never gives up until the end. I think he calmed down a little bit and played a little bit better as he was preparing for Game 5. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the way he improves his game.
“The University Club has produced many great battles and great memories. Thank you to all our sponsors over the years. Even though the Walter family is away this year, they have shown great support for our sport. And that's one of the reasons we're going to have the Olympics in 2028. Thank you to them and everyone who put this effort together.”
El Sherbini also defeated Gohar by a scoreline of 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 to win his sixth tournament of the season and his second Windy City Open trophy. Obtained.
The Egyptian pair will meet for the 30th time on the PSA Tour, with El Sherbini having won 21 of their previous 29 meetings, including the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions final over a month ago.
In this match, El Sherbini fought back from a 2-0 deficit to prevent Gohar from winning his first title since returning from a torn plantar fascia in his heel. This time it was a more controlled performance from the reigning world champion. It was a dominant performance that earned him his 40th career PSA title, but a wobble in the second game was the only drawback.
“I'm glad I was able to play the squash I wanted to play today,” El Sherbini said.
“This is one of the best seasons. [in her career]. I've been playing very well since the beginning of the season and I don't think I've ever won so many tournaments in one season, but I still can't say this is my best season. I'm satisfied, but I want to stay motivated for the rest of the season.
“A lot has happened for me this past week and a lot of things have been on my mind. I’m glad I got rid of them and I tried to focus on today’s match. I almost lost in the second round, so I wasn't satisfied with my performance. Nolan had been playing great since the first match, so I just tried to enjoy it, and I'm really happy that I played well today.”
El Sherbini and Farag's victories are especially special considering the Windy City Open turns 40 this week, and the opening day of the tournament also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Squash Players Association, which later became the Professional Squash Association. It was a commemoration (PSA).
The next stop on the PSA World Tour is the PSA World Tour Silver event, the Canadian Men's Open presented by Air Sprint Private Aviation, to be held at Calgary's Bow Valley Athletic Club from March 3-7. The event will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV.
Results – Men’s Final: 2024 Windy City Open Presented by Walter Family
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [3] Paul Coll (New Zealand) 3-1: 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 15-13 (73m)
Results – Women’s Final: 2024 Windy City Open Presented by Walter Family
[1] Nour Elsherbini (EGY) bt [2] Nolan Gohar (Egypt) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 (50m)
