In the absence of actual squash, we’re running polls on each round where you can predict your winners.
Welily and Farag scrape home in Fantasy Finals
Raneem El Welily and Ali Farag are the Fantasy Grasshopper Cup Champions after both collected the majority of the votes cast with 3-2 the favourite scorelines.
World #1 Welily, who had enjoyed 90%+ victories in earlier rounds, was taken the distance by World Champion Nour El Sherbini, prevailing with 66% of the votes cast. Second seed Farag produced one of the few seeding upsets in the men’s event, securing the title with a 71% verdict.
The next tournament will be the Fantasy El Gouna International, where we’ll be involving readers in making the draw as well as predicting the results … stay safe and stay tuned …
SEMIS : The Fantasy Grasshopper Cup finals will be fought out between to top two men’s and women’s seeds after Mohamed ElShorbagy, Ali Farag, Raneem El Welily and Nour El Sherbini came through their quarter-final tests.
Welily was an emphatic 3-0 / 93% winner over surprise semifinalist Tinne Gilis while Sherbini overcame Sarah-Jane Perry 3-1 with an 83/17 margin. The men’s semis , between the world’s top four, saw ElShorbagy triumph over Tarek Momen 3-1 on an 82% vote, Farag overcame Karim Abdel Gawad, also in four games with a 73/27 verdict.
QUARTERS : No surprises in the men’s quarters as the top four seeds – all Egyptian – made it through to the semis. The most emphatic winner was Tarek Momen with an 86% margin over Simon Rosner, while Marwan ElShorbagy came closest to an upset with a 46/54 loss to Karim Abdel Gawad.
In the semis Momen meets top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy, who was pushed to a 55/45 margin by Mohamed Abouelghar, while Momen meets Ali Farag, a convincing 84/16 winner over Paul Coll.
The top three women’s seeds – the only ones left after round two’s carnage – all made it through to the semis with contrasting margins : top seed Raneem El Welily powered past compatriot Mayar Hany with a 99.5% verdict (just one vote for Mayar!), Nour El Sherbini overcame Nele Gilis by a 63/34 margin, and Sarah-Jane Perry confirmed her British Nationals victory over Millie Tomlinson with a 91/9 verdict.
Both semis will be Egypt v Europe affairs with Sherbini meeting SJ and Raneem taking on Belgium’s Tinne Gilis, who emerged with a 55/46 victory over Hollie Naughton.
Women’s Round Two : No shortage of upsets in the women’s draw, with only the top three seeds of Raneem El Welily, Nour El Sherbini and Sarah-Jane Perry surviving to reach the quarters!
Belgium’s Nele and Tinne Gilis both produced 3-0 upsets, over Tesni Evans and Olivia Blatchford Clyne, while Mayar Hany, Hollie Naughton and Millie Tomlinson also upset seeds. SJ’s was the most resounding win at 92% while Tinne edged home with a 51% verdict over Tesni.
Men’s Round Two :Â No upsets as the eight seeds move through to the quarters, but a couple of close shave and surprises :
Omar Mosaad comes closest to an upset with 47% of the votes against Mohamed Abouelghar … Karim Abdel Gawad comfortable with 68% against Greg Marche but most surprisingly went for 3-1 … Mostafa Asal loses to Paul Coll 62/38 but single biggest poll was 3-0 for Mostafa … Ali Farag thrashes Mathieu Castagnet with a massive 99% poll overwhelmingly 3-0 (the next biggest was Mohamed ElShorbagy on 78%).
Men’s Round One : Home interest bows out as Mathieu Castagnet produces the only seeding upset. Women’s Round One : all to seeding as the 9/16 seeds advance/
