Marwan ElShorbagy, who plays number one for Cardiff-based Welsh Wizards, is running into sizzling form on the PSA World squash tour.
Bristol-based Egyptian Marwan earned one of the most significant wins of his career earlier in Doha, Qatar when he defeated older brother Mohamed to qualify for the World Championship semi-finals.
Marwan led Wizards to victory against St George’s in their last Premier Squash League home match and the Welsh team are now preparing for a home clash with London club Coolshurst.
Former World number three Marwan, now at 10, is intent on climbing the rankings and has been working with one of Mohamed’s biggest rivals – retired three-time World Champion Nick Matthew – since the summer and said the 37-year-old, alongside coach Haitham Effat, was one of the key reasons for his superb form in this tournament.
“I have so much experience in my corner here, in Haitham and Nick and the way they speak to me between games, it motivates me and pushes me,” says Marwan.
“Mohamed and I played five games in less than an hour, but it was really tough mentally for me. Mohamed is one of the most experienced players in the draw.
“He has played against so many different generations, so I knew it was going to be really tough mentally much more than physically.
“At the end it was all mental, and I gave it everything I had.”
Marwan went out after a momentous five-game semi-final against New Zealand’s Paul Coll, who won 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 and played Egyptian Tarek Momen in the final.
World number three Momen produced a sublime display to beat Coll and earn the World title crown. Momen and wife Raneem El Welily have become the first married couple in sporting history to become World Champions in the same sport.
The ElShorbagy brothers became the first brothers in history to contest the World Championship final when they went head-to-head in the final decider in Manchester during December 2017.
Mohamed won the championship and had beaten Marwan 14 times in 17 clashes between the siblings before their quarter-final.
In Dohar, though, the younger ElShorbagy came out on top in just under an hour to win 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8.
https://twitter.com/welsh_wizards/status/1185234738824568832?s=20
Marwen fell short of lifting the trophy, but he is in the best form of his career right now and looks certain to play for Wizards against Coolshurst at the Sport Wales National Centre on Tuesday, November 26.
The next home fixtures for Wizards are against Coolshurst on Tuesday, November 26 and Warwick on Tuesday, January 7.
The format is three men and two women. World number nine Tesni Evans is Wizards’ first string women’s player.
Tickets for Welsh Wizards next two home fixtures:
Tue 26 Nov 2019, 7:20PM
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Tue 7 Jan 2020, 7:20PM
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Welsh Wizards website – www.welshwizards.com
Wizards squad – men:
Marwan ElShorbaggy
World ranking: 11 (highest 3)
Born: Alexandria, Egypt
Residence: Bristol, England
University: UWE, Bristol
Age: 26
Omar Mosaad
World ranking: 13 (highest 3)
Born: Cairo, Egypt
Residence: Cairo, Egypt
Club: Heliopoli
Age: 31
Edmon Lopez
World ranking: 59 (highest 54)
Born: Barcelona, Spain
Residence: Barcelona, Spain
Age: 23
Peter Creed
World ranking: 65 (highest 50)
Born: Caerphilly, Wales
Residence: Caerphilly, Wales
University: University of Wales, Cardiff
Club: Rhiwbina SRC
Age: 32
Emyr Evans
World ranking: 114 (highest 112)
Born: Cardiff, Wales
Residence: Cardiff, Wales
Age: 22
Elliott Morris Devred
World ranking: 251 (highest 227)
Born: Birmingham, England
Residence: Barry, Wales
Club: Leamington plus Cardiff SRC
Age: 21
James Peach
World ranking: 228 (highest 223)
Born: Doncaster, England
Resides: Bristol, England
University: UWE, Bristol
Age: 22
Moustafa Asal
World ranking: 29 (highest 29)
Born: Cairo, Egypt
Resides: Cairo, Egypt
Age: 18
Todd Harrity
World ranking: 47 (highest 44)
Born: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Resides: Bristol, England
University: Princeton
Age: 29
Women:
Tesni Evans
World ranking: 9 (highest 9)
Born: Cardiff, Wales
Resides: Rhyl, Wales
Age: 26
Joshna Chinappa
World ranking: 13 (highest 10)
Born: Chennai, India
Resides: Bristol, England
Age: 33
Rachael Chadwick
World ranking: 53 (highest 53)
Born: Chester, England
Resides: Chester, England
Club: Neston Cricket Club
Age: 29
Milou van der Heidjen
World ranking: 32 (highest 29)
Born: Veldhoven, Netherlands
Resides: Helmond, Netherlands
Age: 28
Anna Kimberley
World ranking: 76 (highest 76)
Born: Ipswich, England
Resides: Colchester, Essex
University: Trinity
Age: 24
Anna Serme
World ranking: 66 (highest 63)
Left-handed
Born: Krnov, Czech Republic
Resides: Creteil, France
University: Paris-Sorbonne
Age: 28
Welsh Wizards
Professional Squash League fixtures
October
Tuesday 1
Warwick v Welsh Wizards
Round two
Tuesday 15
Welsh Wizards v St George’s
Round three
November
Tuesday 5
Wizards – no game
Round four
Tuesday 26
Welsh Wizards v Coolhurst
Round five
Tuesday 10
RAC v Welsh Wizards
Second Half fixtures
Round six
January
Tuesday 7
Welsh Wizards v Warwick
Round seven
Dates to be arranged
St George’s v Welsh Wizards
Round eight
Wizards – no game
Round nine
Coolhurst v Welsh Wizards
Round 10
Dates to be arranged
Welsh Wizards v RAC
Semi-finals and final to be arranged
2019-20 Tables
