Shabana and Ashour put on an unforgettable show during their match. Both players displayed great energy as they entertained a large audience with some thrilling rallies.
Egyptian world number one Ashour appeared out of sorts during his initial two games but soon returned to form to defeat England’s Nick Matthew 11-8, 5-11, 11-5.
Egypt
Ramy Ashour, one of the greatest male squash players ever seen in action, made an unforgettable sight at Egypt. Playing in the final of the 5-star Hurghada International tournament held on a stunning glass court by the Red Sea promenade, Ashour triumphed 11-10, 9-11, 11-9 in just 79 minutes to take victory and claim first place.
Hard to believe, Ashour was only ranked third in 2006 but in only two years became world champion and dominated the sport. His fluid and classical strokes mesmerised audiences on court.
In 2008, Ashour returned to his rightful position of world number one following a string of victories that culminated with him defeating rival Nick Matthew in the ATCO World Series Squash Finals event final. That match marked Ashour’s breakthrough into greatness; its outcome proved pivotal.
2009-10 was another banner year for Ashour, as he won three tournaments including the Tournament of Champions and Canadian Classic titles, reaching the North American Open final against his English rival Matthew and losing in five-game match play. Though Ashour temporarily fell back behind Matthew again in 2011, he rebounded by winning JP Morgan Tournament of Champions New York over his rival Matthew in its final.
He continued his outstanding run into 2012, winning the Kuwait PSA Cup over Willstrop in May to increase his total number of PSA World Tour titles to 30.
Even through adversity, Ashour was still able to remain dominant in 2013. He won the French Open and Hong Kong Open titles as well as reaching the final of Dubai World Super Series Platinum tournament. At season’s end he secured nine titles consecutively while increasing his unbeaten run to 45 matches.
Ashour stands a strong chance at adding another British Open title to his impressive trophy cabinet, as he is in the same group as reigning champion James Willstrop, three-time Tournament of Champions winner Karim Darwish, Gregory Gaultier and Thierry Lincou.
Shabana and Ashour have an exciting rivalry that has long captivated spectators of tennis. We will soon learn exactly what each means to each other and their fans; until then, we can look forward to more battles between these legendary Egyptians in this year’s British Open tournament. We wish them both best of luck.