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Bengals' Green ready for anything at deadline
CINCINNATI -- Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green is ready for all potential outcomes as the trade deadline gets closer.
In an interview with the team's website, the injured 31-year-old said that although he hasn't heard of any potential moves and certainly isn't lobbying to leave Cincinnati, he's aware of the possibility.
"I'm prepared for anything," Green told Bengals.com. "A trade's not going to change who I am. I'm still going to play. I'm still going to be A.J."
Green is in the final year of his four-year, $60 million deal. The No. 4 pick in the 2011 draft is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered on July 27 during the team's first practice of training camp.
The Bengals' top player hasn't practiced since the injury and has already been ruled out of Sunday's game at Baltimore (3-2). It will be the 19th game he has missed over the past three years.
The trade speculation comes during Cincinnati's 0-5 start to the season, its worst since 2008. First-year coach Zac Taylor, the spokesperson for the team's front office, said the contract negotiations between the Bengals and Green are similar to those of others on the roster. Earlier this week, Taylor affirmed Green's value to the franchise.
"He obviously means a lot to this organization," Taylor said. "It's something we continue to talk through."
Green is second in franchise history in total receptions (602) and receiving yards (8,907) and third in career touchdowns (63). Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson holds the records in all three categories.
Although it's unclear whether the Bengals and Green can find a suitable long-term contract after this season, Green told the team's website he understands the value of playing his entire career with one team, much like Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald.
"I want the team records," Green told Bengals.com. "I want more Pro Bowls. I want all that so when I leave there is going to be a standard."
NBA game in China played with some restrictions
SHANGHAI -- A tumultuous week for the NBA made a shift back toward normalcy with an actual basketball game played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
The Nets beat the Lakers 114-111 in the first of two exhibition games scheduled for the 2019 China Games. It tipped off at Mercedes-Benz Arena despite a string of cancellations in the past 72 hours calling the main event into question. The game was a temporary reprieve as the league continues to deal with the fallout from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's since-deleted tweet supporting protests in Hong Kong.
While the basketball was familiar, there were still stark reminders of the situation that exists in China. Approximately 3½ hours before tipoff, an NBA spokesman informed reporters there would be no media availability of any kind for either team and that commissioner Adam Silver's previously scheduled pregame news conference was canceled.
The stipulation, sources said, was at the behest of the Chinese government, which also had a hand in canceling two NBA Cares events, an NBA 2K League logo unveiling and a fan appreciation event in the days leading up to the game, causing many to question if the Lakers and Nets would make the lengthy trek and never even get a chance to face one another.
While many of the staples of a typical NBA game were on display -- such as hip-hop music blasting over the public address system and dance teams taking the court during timeouts -- there was no mistaking how different this was.
Many of the capacity crowd of 15,992 entered the arena toting hand-held Chinese flags that were being distributed outside. Before the starting lineups were announced, there was no singing of the national anthem -- not the American "Star-Spangled Banner" nor the Chinese "March of the Volunteers."
But it wasn't completely foreign.
Whatever unrest existed in the days leading up to the game was not reflected by the crowd during pregame warm-ups, as cheers erupted in the stands with every LeBron James dunk. And there were plenty of them, as the Lakers forward was clearly putting on a show.
Dwight Howard tried to get in on the act too, throwing an alley-oop off the backboard to himself that caused as much amusement from his teammates as delight from the fans when Howard's warm-up pants fell down to his ankles when he landed on the floor after the throwdown.
On the Nets side of the court, Kyrie Irving -- whose preseason debut was short-lived as he was ruled out after just one minute of playing time because he aggravated the facial fracture he suffered in an offseason pickup game -- had fans holding their cellphones in their outstretched arms, trying to capture his dribbling display on video.
James continued to elicit adulation once play started, receiving boisterous approval after scoring the first bucket of the game on a layup and later hearing "MVP!" chants when shooting free throws during the first quarter.
Of course, when James backpedaled downcourt after the free throws, he walked across a rough patch on the hardwood where a logo needed to be scrubbed from the surface in the days leading up to the game after a corporate sponsor pulled its commitment -- another reminder this wasn't just any other game.
James finished with a team-high 20 points in 25 minutes and waved to the crowd as he made his way back to the locker room after the final buzzer, stopping briefly to toss his rubber bracelets and sweat-soaked headband to fans as souvenirs.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, starting for the second time this preseason, missed a potential game-tying 3 as time expired, leading to a collective groan from the fans rooting for an overtime session.
Spencer Dinwiddie paced the Nets with 20 points, helping Brooklyn's reserves outscore L.A.'s bench 81-41. Taurean Prince, acquired in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Hawks, led all Nets starters with 18 points.
Rajon Rondo added 18 points and six assists for the Lakers, and Anthony Davis had 16 points and five assists.
The Nets and Lakers will travel to Shenzhen to play again Saturday.
A league official told ESPN he was unsure if the same media ban would be in place then.
Kyrie plays 1 minute after aggravating injury
Kyrie Irving's preseason debut was cut short, as the Brooklyn Nets guard played just one minute against the Los Angeles Lakers in Shanghai on Thursday after aggravating the facial fracture he suffered in an offseason pickup game before training camp.
Irving was wearing a mask for the game and was guarding the Lakers' Rajon Rondo along the sideline. Rondo appeared to inadvertently hit Irving in the face with his arm while shielding the ball.
Irving immediately took off his mask, winced and signaled to the bench that he was coming off the floor. He has been ruled out for the rest of the game.
Phils fire Kapler after 2 seasons without playoffs
When he was introduced as Philadelphia Phillies manager in 2017, Gabe Kapler said his goal was to bring a World Series title to team owner John Middleton.
After two seasons without a playoff berth, the Phillies on Thursday fired Kapler, whose team (81-81) underachieved even with the addition of big-money free agent Bryce Harper and whose nontraditional, analytical style irritated many of the franchise's passionate fans.
"Several years ago, I promised our loyal fans that I would do everything in my power to bring a world championship team to our city," Middleton said in a statement. "I will never waver from that commitment. ... I have decided that some changes are necessary to achieve our ultimate objective. Consequently, we will replace our manager.
"I am indebted to Gabe for the steadfast effort, energy and enthusiasm that he brought to our club, and we are unquestionably a better team and organization as a result of his contributions."
For your passion and dedication to the Phillies and the city of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/e5t6XomuxF
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 10, 2019
Kapler is the third consecutive Phillies manager to be fired after no more than two full seasons, joining Pete Mackanin and Ryne Sandberg. Middleton said general manager Matt Klentak will lead the team's search for a new manager.
The Phillies are the eighth team seeking a new manager this offseason, joining the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Padres, Pirates and Royals.
"I have tremendous respect for this organization, this franchise and this city," Kapler said in a statement. "We came into 2019 with very high hopes. We fell short of those, and that responsibility lies with me. The next Phillies manager will inherit a team of talented, dedicated and committed players. There has been nothing more fulfilling in my professional career than the opportunity to work with the players on this team.
"... As I move on, I know that this organization is in a great spot and will see a lot of success going forward. My hope is that I helped contributed to a developing culture in the organization that flourishes in the years to come."
Philly took a gamble when it made Kapler the 54th manager in team history in November 2017, hoping a former big leaguer short on managerial experience -- he previously had managed only one season in the minors (2007) -- could lead them back to October baseball for the first time since 2011.
But the Kapler era in Philadelphia never took off.
In his first game, the Braves rallied from a five-run deficit, winning on a three-run home run in the ninth inning. Kapler faced immediate scrutiny for lifting starter Aaron Nola with the Phillies up 5-0 and one out in the sixth inning. When Philly returned home after a season-opening 1-4 road trip, Kapler was booed resoundingly by Phillies fans.
They ended up 80-82 in 2018, finishing third in the NL East and 10 games behind the first-place Braves.
"I was to thank Kap for his tireless commitment to the Phillies over the last two years," Klentak said in a statement. "When we hired Kap, it was our goal to develop a positive, forward-thinking and collaborative culture throughout the organization that would allow us to compete with the best teams in the league year in and year out.
"While we have fallen short in the win column for the last two years, I can confidently say that Kap's efforts have established a strong and sustainable foundation for this organization moving forward."
A historic contract given to Harper and big trades for catcher J.T. Realmuto and infielder Jean Segura didn't help much in 2019. Although they spent much of April and May in first place, a seven-game losing skid in June stalled any momentum. And while they stayed in the NL wild-card race, they lost eight of nine in late September and ultimately were eliminated from the postseason by Harper's former team, the Nationals.
Kapler, 44, hit .268 in 12 major league seasons as an outfielder with Boston, the Texas Rangers and four other clubs. Before the Phillies, he spent several years as the Dodgers' director of player development.
Britain's Watson claims biggest win in two years
Britain's Heather Watson earned her biggest win in more than two years by thrashing China's world number 22 Wang Qiang in the Tianjin Open second round.
Watson, ranked 103 places below Wang, won 6-3 6-0 against the number two seed in one hour 18 minutes in China.
The 27-year-old had not beaten an opponent ranked as high as Wang since victory over world number 19 Anastasija Sevastova at Wimbledon in 2017.
Victory was only Watson's second in a WTA tournament this year.
She will play Poland's Magda Linette or Japan's Kurumi Nara in her first WTA quarter-final since reaching the Hobart Open semi-finals in January 2018.
Wang, 27, was ranked as high as 12th earlier this year, after losing in the US Open quarter-finals to Serena Williams.
Djokovic eases past Isner to reach Shanghai quarter-finals
World number one Novak Djokovic produced another high-quality display to ease past American John Isner in the Shanghai Masters third round.
Serb Djokovic, 32, did not face a break point as he won 7-5 6-3 against the big-serving 16th seed.
Defending champion Djokovic, who won the Japan Open last week, has not dropped a set in seven matches since injury forced him out of the US Open.
He faces Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Pole Hubert Hurkacz next.
"I'm very happy with the way I am playing. This is one of the best serving matches I've played," said Djokovic, who won 85% of his service points.
Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev saved five set points in the first set before squeezing past Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil.
The US Open runner-up, who won the St Petersburg Open last week, earned a 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 victory to extend his record to two defeats in his past 24 matches.
Those losses came against Spanish world number two Rafael Nadal, who is not playing in Shanghai, in the US Open final last month and the Rogers Cup final in August.
Medvedev, 23, will play 10th seed Fabio Fognini in the last eight after the 32-year-old Italian beat Russian seventh seed Karen Khachanov 6-3 6-5.
Italian 11th seed Marco Berrettini progressed with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, boosting his chances to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in London next month.
Host nation revels in five-game tie
Nina Mittelham and partner Petrissa Solja gave their fans in Bremen plenty to cheer about as they were locked in a pendulum battle with Thailand’s Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawettabut.
In a match lasting 46 minutes, the German duo took an early lead of two games but were held back by the Asian pair. Eventually, in the final game Mittelham and Solja put together some stunning shots and got the win 3-2 (11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 14-16, 11-9).
Indian challengers unable to budge Chinese elite
Manika Batra and Archana Girish Kamath displayed a gritty performance against China’s Chen Meng and Gu Yiting, but it was to be in vain, as the Indian pair could not register more than the one game in their 25 minute encounter.
The match resulted in a 3-1 (12-10, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5) win for Chen and Gu, where the scoreline was not too kind on their opponents. Similarly, the mix pairing of Adriana Diaz from Puerto Rico and Romanian Elizabeta Samara who lost out to Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee and Haeun Yang by 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4).
Lee and Jeon imperious, Harimoto-Hayata thrill
Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu and Jeon Jihee were a powerful duo in Bremen, as they won in straight sets against , Romanians Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs (11-5, 11-7, 12-10).
“No, it was no surprise that we lost. They are a very good pair. In the Asian Championships they almost beat Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen, were 2-0 and 10-8 in the lead. Be believed in our game but they were the better players today. We will try again at the next tournament.” Ovidiu Ionescu
Meanwhile, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata were involved in a thriller with Germany’s Patrick Franziska and Petrissa Solja which ended in the Asian pair winning 3-1 (8-11, 12-10, 12–10, 11-9). The match was a feast for the fans with elite athletes engaging in a lot of rallies.
Wong-Doo tested, but move on
The most in-form duo across mixed doubles this World Tour season, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem were tested early on as they faced Serbians Aleksandar Karakasevic and Izabela Lupulesku.
Despite losing the first game, the Hong Kong duo returned into the match with a strong showing of mobility across the table and went through to the quarter-finals in style, winning 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-3).
Let the main draw begin!
Following last week’s Swedish Open in Stockholm, the ITTF World Tour has shifted to the northern German city of Bremen, where several star players are battling it out for coveted points to reach the 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Zhengzhou, China.
This week’s German Open (main draw 10th – 13th October after two days of qualifying) is the penultimate Platinum World Tour event of the year, offering more points than regular events. Meanwhile, November’s Austrian Open in Linz represents the final opportunity for players to seal their spots for December’s annual showpiece. The top 16 places in the men’s and women’s singles competitions and the top 8 in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles categories will be lining up in Zhengzhou between 12th – 15th December.
Boll is back! Gauzy vs Xu Xin rematch, and more…
German table tennis legend Timo Boll returns to action on home soil. For the four-time German Open champion to win his first title at the tournament since 2009 would of course be the stuff of dreams. First and foremost, the 38-year-old is looking to accrue enough points to confirm his place at this year’s ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Zhengzhou. By competing in Bremen, Boll will have met the pre-requisite of five World Tour events during 2019, but currently occupying 15th place means he will not be taking any chances to avoid missing out on the top 16.
Boll could face Fan Zhendong (CHN) in the quarter-finals, with the world no.2 still looking for his first World Tour title of a below-par calendar year so far. Meanwhile, Germany could again be pitted against top Chinese opposition with Dimitrij Ovtcharov in line to face Liang Jingkun and Patrick Franziska against Lin Gaoyuan in the round of 16.
With reigning German Open champion Ma Long absent in Bremen, Xu Xin completes China’s seeds in the men’s singles draw. The world no.1 locks horns with Frenchman Simon Gauzy in the first round today for a rematch of arguably the most entertaining contest of this year’s World Championships in Budapest (and even the year as a whole) when Gauzy triumphed 4-2.
– Simon Gauzy
The winner between Xu and Gauzy could meet Hugo Calderano (BRA) in the quarter-final, although both Wong Chun Ting (HKG) and Lee Sangsu (KOR) will be battling hard in that section of the draw for much-needed World Tour points. They currently sit in 16th and 18th places respectively.
Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) also returns to international action for the first time since winning August’s Czech Open. He could face another man desperately searching for points in 19th-placed Koki Niwa (JPN), while Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) could be taking on Liam Pitchford (ENG) in the last 16.
Chen Meng wants milestone win; can Mima Ito trouble Chinese again?
China’s and the world’s no.1 women’s player, Chen Meng is out to make history in Bremen. The 25-year-old took her tally to four women’s singles titles on this year’s ITTF World Tour after victory at the Swedish Open. Further honours in Germany would see her equal the record of five women’s singles gold medals in the same calendar year, held since 2003 by Chinese great Zhang Yining.
Japan’s Mima Ito is also enjoying a rich vein of form: the 18-year-old defeated two of China’s brightest female stars in Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha last week in Stockholm, before losing out to the more established and experienced Chen Meng.
The difficulty in overcoming Ito, however, was certainly not lost on the world no.1, who had this to say after completing a spirited fightback from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in the final:
– Chen Meng
Ito, a German Open champion in 2015, could be set to face last year’s winner and Japanese team-mate, Kasumi Ishikawa, in the quarter-finals, while a potential rematch against Chen Meng would follow in the semi-finals.
On the other side of the draw, Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha are favourites to cross paths in the last four, although they will have to navigate their way past a few potential banana skins along the way:
In the first round, Wang faces Chinese chopper Liu Fei, who impressed on reaching the semi-finals in Sweden and, positioned 20th in the World Tour standings, is eager to add to her points tally in a bid to reach the World Tour Grand Finals. Also featuring in that half of the draw are this summer’s Czech Open finalists, Miu Hirano (JPN) and Chen Xingtong (CHN), the latter winning women’s singles gold both in Bulgaria and Czech Republic.
Doubles specialists back on show
The return to action of Lin Yun-Ju sees the Chinese Taipei prodigy partner Liao Cheng-Ting as top seeds in the men’s doubles, while German duo Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska link up again, looking for further glory after famously claiming gold at this year’s China Open.
Also on show are mixed nationality pair, Ovidiu Ionescu (ROU) and Alvaro Robles (ESP), who lit up the World Championships in Budapest by winning silver. For Korea Republic, Jeoung Youngsik teams up with Jang Woojin, instead of usual partner Lee Sangsu, who face Iranian brothers Nima Alamian and Noshad Alamiyan – strong performers in September’s Asian Championships – in the first round.
Chinese pairs Fan Zhendong & Lin Gaoyuan and Xu Xin & Liang Jingkun are in the same half of the draw, with the latter facing Brazilian up and coming stars Vitor Ishiy and Eric Jouti in the first round.
In the women’s doubles, world champions Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu are the top seeds and could meet compatriots Chen Meng and Gu Yuting in the final. Japanese second seeds Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki start their campaign against Poland’s Natalia Bajor and Olympian / Paralympian star Natalia Partyka.
Mixed nationality pairs are out in force: Barbora Balazova (SVK) with Hana Matelova (CZE), Sofia Polcanova (AUT) with Bernadette Szocs (ROU), and Elizabeta Samara (ROU) with Adriana Diaz (PUR):
– Elizabeta Samara
China has sent no mixed doubles pairs to Bremen, meaning the top three seeds are as follows: Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem (HKG), Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching (TPE) and Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito (JPN). World Championships bronze medallists, Patrick Franziska and Petrissa Solja (GER) will be looking for another strong showing in front of home support.
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Roma Ping Pong Fest: TTX engages Europeans with fun!
The “Roma Ping Pong Fest” was a 360° all-rounded TTX Experience for a host of participants, featuring a three major sections at Via dei Fori Imperiali: “TTX tournament”, a “Celebrity tournament”, and fun zones comprising of music, shows and even more…
Participants who arrived simply picked up a racket with family & friends to enjoy games of TTX at their pleasure. Smash it, play it freestyle and hustling their way to glory, and score extra points with wildcards and winners – this unpredictable game was exciting and fun till the last second of the event.
Success in Roma, made for the world
Organised by the ITTF and FITET (the Italian Table Tennis Federation), in collaboration with SG Plus Ghiretti & Partners, and with the support of the Lazio Region, the Municipality of Rome, CONI and the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), the Roma Ping Pong Fest will be the first of its kind to be launched in Italy, showcasing the new format of table tennis that aims to make the sport more youthful.
“We are excited to see TTX take off in Rome. The energy of the streets of Denver and the iconic Via dei Fori Imperiali and Colosseum have provided the perfect backdrop for TTX, a ‘sport for all,’ combining the fun and competitive elements of ping pong in a simplified and social context. “Smash Street by TTX” and the “Roma Ping Pong Fest” are just the start as we continue to explore new opportunities to expand the reach of our amazing sport worldwide.” Gordon Kaye, ITTF Managing Director of Product Innovation.
Set against the iconic backdrop of the Colosseum, the Roma Ping Pong Fest was designed to be more of a showcase for the ‘TTX Experience’ to a broader audience. And as the event of TTX itself remains front and centre, there were kids, celebrity, and adult tournaments amongst all-day performances taking place all over the venue.
Speaking more about the venue decision, Gordon goes on to say the focus was heavily on the social aspect:
“We wanted Denver to have a ‘grittiness’ to attract the urban young professional crowd, while Rome is really more based on the iconic and central location to attract a wider audience. With that being said, both events were heavily focused on the fun and social aspects of the sport, with a little competition to go along!” Gordon Kaye
The competitive numbers of fun
Quite simply, whilst competition is the very essence of sport, enjoyment and fun are the heart of the matter. Just as in Denver and Varberg, in Roma everyone could compete, there were no restrictions.
The equally playing restrictions were removed because TTX rackets have no artificial covering. When playing a TTX tournament, there are no limiting rules for serving, just hit the ball, make it bounce once at your side of the table and then hop over the net, and you are all set. Each match can be as many odd numbered games as you wish, each game being timed to two minutes.
These rules were learnt by approximately 60,000 people, who attended the 9-hour event in Roma. Italian citizens, tourists and many curious people were able to closely observe this new format that makes “Ping Pong” even more modern, simple, inclusive, available to everyone and for everyone. Those present also had the chance to admire the many shows and performances held on the central stage of the village.
The TTX village, set up for the occasion, was visited by about 6000 people, most of whom decided to pick up a racket and try TTX for the first time ever. Many challenges in tournaments were dedicated to members – Under 10 and Under 14 boys – and employees of Sport and Salute SpA.
The winner of the “1st TTX Trophy – City of Roma” was Tijani Jusuff Adewale, a FITET member. There was great participation seen also in the “Celebrity Tournament”, coordinated by the actor and table tennis champion Alessio Sardelli, which was eventually won by the actor Pietro Sermonti.
A worthy cause to enjoy the Sun
If there was a need for more reasons to love TTX, the event in Roma supported the “Città della Speranza” Foundation and research into Paediatric Oncoematology – research that covers many psychological and social aspects, linked to the difficult experiences of having a tumor during childhood or adolescence.
The “Roma Ping Pong Fest” thus became a solidarity. In the entertainment area, when the street artists and writers had transformed the TTX tables into their canvases: these tables were then put up for auction and the proceeds were entirely donated to the “Città della Speranza” Onlus Foundation , for scientific research in the pediatric blood oncology.
By coming to the “Roma Ping Pong Fest” people were also helping out our charity partners and their amazing work to spread the word about an important research that would benefit millions around the globe.
Read more about them here.
Special guests light up event
A special city like Roma always will have special people gracing an event like this. And no wonder, there were many guests of “Roma Ping Pong Fest” which lit up the event with their presence.
To name a few, the Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi, the city councilor for Sport Daniele Frongia , the President of the Istituto Sportivo Andrea Abodi , the Board of Directors of Sport and Health SpA Francesco Landi and Roberto Tavani representing the President of the Lazio Region Nicola Zingaretti carried out exchanges at TTX together with the President of the Italian Table Tennis Federation Renato Di Napoli and Massimo Costantini, High Performance Elite Coach for ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation).
“The Imperial forums on Sunday were the theatre of an event open to all citizens: the Roma Ping Pong Fest, with the first European stage of the TTX tournament, a new format, more fun and dynamic, of the discipline of tennis table. There were numerous ping pong stations for all and tournaments of TTX but also entertainment with street art performances and writing and live music, not forgetting the social aspect. For the occasion, a fundraiser was organized in favour of scientific research in the field of pediatric oncoematologia. The intent of this festival collects an important challenge: launch a different discipline, closer to the amateur audience, and therefore more inclusive, with different rules and more versatile materials. The goal remains to involve a more youthful audience and make sport more social and closer to new generations on any game table. And what better city than Rome to launch this important challenge?!” Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi (translated)
The spokespersons at the event were the Azure women tennis athletes Chiara Colantoni and Giada Rossi, who became #1 in the world Class 2 classification. The two FITET athletes were protagonists at the Imperial Forums in the company of the Paralympic Technical Director Alessandro Arcigli and the champion Clara Podda. Their presence revamped the way people approach TTX and added an even more authentic feel to the event.
We are very happy to see this response to TTX across the world. Follow our journey in the future right here on ITTF!
Peru’s Diego Elias topples Karim Gawad to score historic US Open triumph
Diego Elias celebrates his victory over Karim Abdel Gawad
First South American to reach US Open semi-finals
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent
IntroPeru’s World No.7 Diego Elias will become the first South American to appear in the semi-finals of the FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships after he came back from a game down to overcome World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad at Philadelphia’s Drexel University.
The 22-year-old Elias had not beaten Gawad on the PSA Tour prior to tonight – losing all five of their previous meetings – but he played with maturity to defeat the Egyptian 4-11, 12-10, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, earning a spot in only his second major semi-final.
Gawad raced out of the traps to take a one-game lead, but three tins from the 28-year-old towards the end of the second game proved costly as Elias levelled. Gawad continued to hit too many errors as Elias added the third, but was back on top in the fourth to set up a decider.
However, he had few answers to Elias’s guile as the No.7 seed kept him at arm’s length to close out a win which will see him take on World No.1 Ali Farag for a place in the final.
“I’m just so happy with my performance today,” said Elias. “I think I like this place – it was my first quarter-final here and now my first semi-final here. I’m just really happy to have my dad here and [former World No.1] Jonathon [Power], he has been helping me for so long and I’m really happy that this is happening.
“I’m feeling really confident, now I have to recover. I always have good matches with Ali, so I want to be at 100 per cent to play well and have another great match with him.”
Farag was slated to take on Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez in the final match of the day, but a calf injury saw Rodriguez withdraw from the fixture, meaning 2017 champion Farag receives a walkover into the last four.
The women’s semi-finals will feature a repeat of the 2017 women’s final as World No.1 Raneem El Welily and World No.3 Nour El Tayeb both booked their last four spots after respective wins over England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and two-time World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby.
El Welily and El Tayeb contested the final of this tournament two years ago, with El Tayeb claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory to lift her first PSA Platinum title.
That win came before husband Ali Farag overcame World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy to capture his first major title, meaning they became the first married couple in sporting history ever to win the same major sports title on the same day.
El Welily (pictured) and El Tayeb have already met in back-to-back finals at the first two PSA World Tour events of the season – the J.P. Morgan China Open and the Oracle NetSuite Open – with both players collecting a win apiece.
El Welily, who dismantled El Tayeb in just 23 minutes in the Oracle NetSuite Open final, earned her spot in the semi-finals of this tournament after beating Perry 11-6, 14-12, 11-8.
“I’m so far away from defending my title,” said 30-year-old El Welily after claiming her 350th PSA Tour win.
“It used to be very hard for me mentally to play the same person again and again, but since the years have passed, I think I have got used to it.
“We play one week after the other, and it’s very common that we play the same person back-to-back. It’s just another match, I don’t think of it as a repeat of something that has happened before, it is just a new match and a new opportunity.”
In the battle of the two former World Junior Champions, it was El Tayeb who came out on top against Elaraby, with the 26-year-old winning 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 in 26 minutes.
The 19-year-old Elaraby, the World Junior Champion in 2017 and 2018, caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far when she dispatched World No.6 Joelle King in round three, and she began the fixture with El Tayeb well, showing no fear as she surged into a 4-0 lead in the opening game.
But from there, it was all El Tayeb as the World Championship runner-up hit her stride and played an array of winners to book her place in the last four. She is currently 13-7 down on the head-to-head record against El Welily and has won one of their last four meetings.
Nour El Tayeb powers past Rowan Elaraby to reach the last four
“I’m feeling great on the court and I’m very pleased with how I’m playing,” El Tayeb said.
“I can’t wait to get back on here for the semis and hopefully reach another final. I’m happy that I’m reaching the stage where I’m playing Raneem. It’s been a great season so far, she is the best in the world for a reason, but I can’t wait to get on there and play a good match.”
The quarter-finals continue on Thursday October 10. Play begins at 17:30 (GMT-4) and will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan).
FS Investments US Open 2019, Daskalakis Athletic Center, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA. (PSA World Tour Platinum. Equal prize money: $185,500 for both men and women).
Men’s Quarter-Finals (Top Half):
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) w/o
[7] Diego Elias (PER) bt [4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-2: 4-11, 12-10, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7 (80m)
Men’s Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half, today):
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [5] Simon Rösner (GER)
[6] Paul Coll (NZL) v [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Men’s Semi-Finals (Top Half, tomorrow):
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [7] Diego Elias (PER)
Women’s Quarter-Finals (Top Half):
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 14-12, 11-8 (34m)
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Rowan Elaraby (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (26m)
Women’s Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half, today):
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [8] Tesni Evans (WAL)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)
Women’s Semi-Finals (Top Half, tomorrow):
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.
Pictures courtesy of PSA
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