‘I am happy to say to everyone that I’m back’
By MATT COLES

Egypt’s Fares Dessouky and Nouran Gohar shocked World No.2s Mohamed ElShorbagy and Nour El Sherbini, respectively, as the quarter-finals of the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament drew to a close on a thrilling night of action at the Abu Tig Marina.

Dessouky, who currently sits at World No.42, beat compatriot ElShorbagy for the first time in four attempts, having lost the previous three to the former World Champion, to reach his first Platinum semi-final since he tore his ACL in November 2017.

The 24-year-old was given a wildcard spot for the tournament and will appear in the semi-finals in El Gouna for a third time after winning 15-13, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9.

“I’m happy to say to everyone that I’m back playing at a high level,” said Dessouky.

“Mentally as well, I was good today, I feel I’m playing better than before. I’m really happy to beat Mohamed today, it was a really tough match, especially after 14 months out injured.

“I love playing in Egypt, I feel like the people here love me, and I give my best here. I’m playing in front of my family and friends, this is something incredible, and I’m happy to be here in El Gouna one more time to play on this beautiful court.”

Dessouky’s win guarantees a new men’s champion, and he will take on 2017 runner-up Karim Abdel Gawad for a place in the title decider.

Former World No.1 Gawad, who claimed top spot when reaching the final in El Gouna two years ago, ended the title defence of men’s champion Marwan ElShorbagy as he claimed an 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 triumph.

A year ago to the day, ElShorbagy got the better of Gawad in the quarter finals en route to winning his maiden Platinum final, but this time, it was the World No.6 who took the victory in straight games.

“It was very tough. 3-0 against someone like Marwan means a lot to me as he is a very tough opponent. I am really happy to see him back and really happy with my performance today,” said Gawad, who won the last Platinum event held in Egypt, December’s Black Ball Open

“I have very happy memories [of Gouna]. Reaching the finals and reaching World No.1 here in Egypt is a huge memory for me that I can never forget. Playing in Egypt is always different for me, wherever it is, in Gouna or Cairo. It is a great thing for me and I am always happy to playing a tournament here in Egypt.”

In the women’s draw, Gohar is into the semi finals of the El Gouna International after she beat World Champion El Sherbini for the first time since 2014.

Gohar had lost nine straight matches to El Sherbini since then, but played her best squash to win 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, securing a match-up with France’s Camille Serme in the last four.

“It feels amazing. The only other time I beat her was our first meeting and that was in Egypt as well, it is my lucky place,” Gohar said.

“I am really pleased with it. It was a really tough match which could have gone either way. I gave my best and she gave her best so I am really pleased with it. I expected her to come back. She was not going to leave it like that, even when I was 9-5 up in the last game. I was sure she was going to get everything and she was playing as if it was 0-0 or something. She is a true fighter and I really respect her for that.”

World No.4 Serme won the opening match of the night in a high-quality four-game encounter with England’s World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry.

The pair had met nine times on the PSA World Tour previously, with the Frenchwoman having won seven of those. Serme fell behind after losing the first, but battled back to win the next three against a spirited Perry, who is still continuing her return from an elbow surgery.

“I knew I had the right tactic because I was leading in the first game, but I tried not to panic. Of course, she came back strongly but I knew what I had to do and I tried to stick to it,” Serme said.

“It was a big battle physically. I think physically, I could feel that she was getting tired with long rallies, so I was trying to force myself to have long rallies even though I was losing them. I had to try and make her tired, and maybe that helped in the end.”

The action continues today (Thursday) as the semi finals take place at Abu Tig Marina. Play will start at 18:30 local time (GMT+2), with four matches set for tomorrow evening.

Matches from the glass court will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (Indian subcontinent only). Play starts at 18:30 local time (GMT+2).

El Gouna International Open 2019, Abu Tig Marina, El Gouna, Egypt.

Men’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half):
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 (43m)
[WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-1: 15-13, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9 (61m)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half):
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 12-14, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 (61m)
[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10 (74m)

Men’s Semi Finals, Thursday April 25:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY)

Women’s Semi Finals, Thursday April 25:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [13] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) v [8] Nouran Gohar (EGY)  

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Northampton Saints have agreed a deal to sign scrum-half Henry Taylor from Premiership rivals Saracens.

The 25-year-old will move to Franklin's Gardens for the start of next season following four years at Allianz Park.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to join a club like Northampton Saints," he said.

"It's clear that the side has made brilliant progress this season and they are playing a brand of rugby I have always loved."

Taylor is a former England Under-20 international and made his Premiership debut for Saracens in 2017.

Worcester have signed hooker Matt Moulds from Super Rugby side Blues in an undisclosed-length deal.

The New Zealander is the seventh new signing announced by the Warriors ahead of next season.

"To be able to live in the UK and play in the Gallagher Premiership, at a great club, with great people is an amazing opportunity for me," the 27-year-old said.

"I am really looking forward to working with everyone."

Moulds also plays for Northland in New Zealand alongside wing Melani Nanai, who will also join Worcester for the 2019-20 campaign.

"My current focus is to finish a strong campaign here with The Blues," Moulds added.

"It is going to be hard to leave, but I am excited to further myself as a player, building on all that I have learned here in NZ, in this new phase of my career."

Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons said: "It is fantastic news for the club that we have been able to secure the services of Matt who has been part of the Blues Super Rugby squad for the past five seasons.

"He is an experienced hooker with a strong set piece and great mobility around the park. I have no doubt that he will add huge value to the team."

Darren Cave will captain Ulster in Saturday's Pro14 derby against Leinster to mark his retirement from the game.

Cave, 32, is retiring at the end of the season after 13 years at the club and will lead the team out at Kingspan Stadium for the last Conference B game.

Head coach Dan McFarland said it will be "a huge day" for the outside centre.

"It means a lot to Darren to represent this province, to have played for one club throughout his career," he said. "He's so proud to have done that."

Cave has made 226 appearances for the province, three short of all-time record holder Andrew Trimble.

As well as earning 11 caps for Ireland, he was part of the Ireland Under-20 side that won the Grand Slam 12 years ago - when his current club boss was coaching their forwards.

"I've known Darren since 2007," said McFarland. "There were a lot of players in that team who went on to have great careers and Darren is one of them.

"I've got a lot of time for him and one of the things I've noticed, he's a smart fella. He doesn't mind speaking his mind.

"He's going to be successful. He's confident and he's got opinions.

"In terms of what he's done with the squad this year: a lot of the charity work that's done in the background, Darren has a leading hand in that.

"We've got plenty of people who can captain that team but Darren is a good leader of men. He'll do a good job as the captain.

"I think that will add to the performance but there's also the aspect that he's playing at Kingspan when he's retiring at the end of the year. It's a great honour to do that."

Ulster and Leinster are expected to rest many of their established regulars for what is essentially a dead rubber on Saturday, with both teams already guaranteed a place in the Pro14 play-offs.

Connacht will travel to Belfast for a quarter-final on 4 May but McFarland will demand a performance from his side against Leinster this weekend, even if there appears to be nothing at stake.

"Momentum is important definitely, but it will really test our squad," said the head coach.

"That's what [Leinster] do all the time, that's how they run their squad. We're not there yet but we want to get there, utilising your whole squad throughout the year.

"We've used 47 players in the Pro14 this year; that will probably go up over 50 this weekend. Clearly, you need that."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The American Flat Track title contenders will jump right back into the fight this weekend as the series arrives at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., for the Law Tigers Arizona Super TT presented by RideNow Powersports on Saturday.

The Super TT earns its title with a layout primed for drama – featuring multiple jumps and a variety of right- and left-hand corners – and a primetime schedule with the main events set to be contested at night under the Musco lights.

Reigning AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines champ Jared Mees comes in fresh off his victory in the Texas Half-Mile and eager to build up the sort of crushing momentum he rode to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. While he may have originally made his name on the half miles, he’s proven to be a threat at the TTs in recent seasons as well, scoring two wins and two runner-ups in the discipline since ‘17.

However, current points leader Briar Bauman is similarly accomplished, scoring a pair of TT wins, a second, and a third over that same time span.

No one in the history of the sport can rival the career TT record of Henry Wiles, who boasts a remarkable 19 career TT Main Event triumphs.

Two other riders to keep close tabs on are Estenson teammates Jake Johnson and J.D. Beach. The race is set near Estenson’s headquarters and the venue was a popular test locale for the team prior to the end of the track testing window for the 2019 season. Beyond that, Johnson is a five-time TT winner himself, while Beach has demonstrated mammoth potential on TT circuits where his roadracing chops serve him exceptionally well.

Meanwhile, in Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneysaction, the early-season title leaders are expected to resume their battle up front. The top four riders in the points – Atlanta Short Track winner Dalton Gauthier, Texas Half-Mile runner-up Mikey Rush, Daytona TT winner Jesse Janisch and reigning class champion Dan Bromley – are all established TT standouts.

Last weekend’s top performer – Shayna Texter – looks for another chance to exhibit her extensive off-season TT training in hopes of solidifying her position in the championship hunt.

That Estenson home-track advantage could come into play on the undercard with 2016 AFT Singles champion Ryan Wells being well motivated to get his title campaign on track.

History has repeatedly shown that TT’s play to the strengths of series part-timers with versatile skill sets developed in other forms of motorsports. Don’t overlook the chances of legends Ryan Sipes and Jeff Ward.

CONCORD, N.C. – Jerry Savoie isn’t sure how many events he will race during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

There are, however, two definite locations on his list and two races he wasn’t going to miss. The first was the four-wide race in Las Vegas, while the second is this weekend’s 10th annual NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran has thoroughly enjoyed the unique races at the pair of Bruton Smith-owned tracks, and the 2016 world champion enters this weekend as the defending event winner of the Charlotte race. Looking to get his season on track on his White Alligator Racing Suzuki, a trip to the Bellagio of dragstrips for the biggest spectacle in drag racing might do the trick.

“Vegas and Charlotte are the two best tracks in the country,” Savoie said. “The preparation of the tracks, the shutdown areas, there should be no stress for anybody. This track, it’s the best of the best and it’s a total package as a racer. For me, I like the four-wide. It’s a chance to see the best of the best actually screw up. I think it’s pretty neat and it just comes down to mental preparation. If you’re mentally prepared for this race, you’ve got a good shot at winning.”

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), and Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners. It is the third of 16 events during the Pro Stock Motorcycle season for Savoie, who is seeking his 10th career victory in the class at the 10th anniversary one of the most unique experiences in motorsports.

Savoie enjoys the sometimes-chaotic pace on the starting line during this weekend, staying focused on an approach that has worked well for him over the years at zMAX Dragway. With a pair of quarterfinal appearances this year, Savoie, who is currently fifth in the points standings, is looking to take the next step this year. The team, led by standout tuner Tim Kulungian, has been searching diligently for more power and Savoie hopes that work starts to pay off in Charlotte.

“We’re still having some problems, but the guys are working hard and we’ll get it straight,” Savoie said. “We’re down on power, but when we find it, everybody will know. It’s just evolution. We’ll figure it out. If you qualified No. 1 every time and won every race, it’s basically not a challenge, so when you fall behind and then catch up, it’s pretty rewarding.”

It also adds a great deal of joy when that work leads to a trip to the winner’s circle. That’s the goal this weekend in Charlotte for Savoie, but he’ll have to get past a talented group of riders that includes points leader Andrew Hines, who won in Gainesville, Vegas winner Hector Arana Jr., Eddie Krawiec, defending world champion Matt Smith and Joey Gladstone. Savoie hasn’t been able to match the class frontrunners so far this year, but he remains confident that will come.

“I say give it a couple more races and we should have it figured out,” Savoie said. “Tim has been working his butt off and everyone is working hard. I think we have what it takes to do it. I believe that strongly or I wouldn’t have come out this year. It’s just a matter of putting the parts and pieces together, but Tim is definitely one of the best crew chiefs in the industry. We’ll get it figured out.”

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Race team owner and former champion race car driver Bobby Rahal will be honored on June 27 by the International Motor Racing Research Center as the winner of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports.

The award will be the sixth presented by the IMRRC. Chip Ganassi was the inaugural recipient in 2014. Richard Petty and Roger Penske were honorees in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Mario Andretti was cited in 2017 and Jim France and the France Family were honored in 2018.

Rahal is co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, along with David Letterman and businessman Michael Lanigan. In an 18-year race-driving career spanning Formula One, Can-Am, Le Mans, IMSA and CART, Rahal notched three CART championships, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500 win, and victories at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races.

He helped bring Honda into North American open-wheel racing in the early ’90s, and, after retiring from driving in 1998, he joined Jaguar’s F-1 effort. He returned to the U.S. in 2002 to be the interim boss of CART.

The team is in its 28th year of competing in open-wheel racing and so far has notched 27 wins, including the 2004 Indianapolis 500 from pole position with Buddy Rice.

In 2009, BMW Team RLL was formed and went on to win the 2010 GT team and manufacturers’ championships in the American Le Mans Series. The team swept the top two spots in the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring, earning the 2011 ALMS GT drivers’ championships for Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller. Most recently, the 2019 season brought a GTLM class win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. To date, BMW Team RLL has earned 20 wins, 26 poles and 75 podium finishes.

Rahal operates Bobby Rahal Automotive Group, a string of car dealerships in Pennsylvania, is President of the Road Racing Drivers Club, former Chairman of the International Motor Racing Research Center Governing Council at Watkins Glen (2015- 2018) and is active in the community through the Bobby Rahal Foundation. He was Chairman of the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Foundation from 2012-2016.

Rahal will receive the Argetsinger Award at a gala dinner presented by Sahlen’s, NASCAR, International Speedway Corp., Watkins Glen Int’l and IMSA. The dinner, which is open to the public, will be at the internationally renowned Corning Museum of Glass in nearby Corning, N.Y.

The dinner precedes the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen IMSA weekend at Watkins Glen Int’l.

Sahlen’s, familiar to race fans in the Northeast, is a family-owned producer of quality meat products since 1869 in Buffalo, N.Y.

“We at Sahlen’s are proud to support the IMRRC and this year’s dinner honoring Bobby Rahal,” said Joe Sahlen, company president. “Bobby owns a remarkable racing record, and has shown outstanding leadership as the outgoing IMRRC Chairman and as a team owner in two dynamic racing series.”

“Bobby Rahal has always been a difference maker in our sport,” said Watkins Glen Int’l President Michael Printup. “From his accomplishments while in the driver’s seat as an Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar champion to his many contributions since. It is an honor and a privilege to call him a friend, and I’m so glad that we are taking the opportunity to give him the recognition he so deserves. It’s going to be a special night, and one that we’re all looking forward to very much.”

“While Bobby Rahal certainly and deservedly made the biggest name for himself in IndyCar racing, he’s part of an exclusive group to have achieved success as an open-wheel driver as well as at the highest levels of sports car racing with victories at both Daytona and Sebring,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “What moves him even further into rarefied air is his additional success as a team owner in both IndyCar and IMSA sports cars. Just this year, his team managed to duplicate his achievements as a driver in sports cars, adding a Rolex 24 At Daytona win to previous victories at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, along with multiple IMSA team championships. It’s been my honor to know and work with Bobby for more than three decades, just as it is an honor to extend – on behalf of IMSA – our sincere congratulations to Bobby as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Cameron R. Argetsinger Award.”

“Having been fortunate to know Bobby Rahal throughout my career, I’ve always considered him one of the true gentlemen in our industry,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “He’s also a true ‘racer.’ Bobby has won championships as a driver and team owner in open wheel and sports car competition, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona in both capacities. He’s as solid as they come – and a most deserving recipient of the Cameron  R. Argetsinger Award.”

Other supporters of the dinner include Corning Enterprises and Foundation, Team Penske, Gregory G. Galdi, Archie Urciuoli/Larry Kessler/Bob Newman, American Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, Hilliard Corp., BMW of North America, Porsche Cars North America, Gorsline Company, SCCA Inc. and Foundation, Welliver, Elmira Savings Bank, and Glenora Wine Cellars.

The award memorializes Cameron R. Argetsinger, founder and organizer of the first races at Watkins Glen 70 years ago.

“The IMRRC is proud to honor our former Chairman and a racing legend, Bobby Rahal, with this award,” stated IMRRC Chairman John Saunders. “Bobby is one of only a handful of individuals who have won the Indy 500 as both a driver and a team owner. His driving career spanned more than two decades and he continues as an IndyCar owner dedicated to developing young talent and growing the future of our sport. Bobby Rahal is more than deserving of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The National Motorsports Appeals Panel has upheld a penalty against NASCAR K&N Pro Series East crew chief Kevin Reed Jr.

Reed was working as crew chief on the No. 19 Toyota driven by Hailie Deegan at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on April 6. He became involved in an altercation with a NASCAR officials after being given a directive by NASCAR.

As a result of the confrontation, Reed was fined $2,500, his NASCAR license was revoked and he was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

National Motorsports Appeals Panel decided that Reed violated the rules set forth in the penalty notice and upheld the original penalty. The Panel consisted of three people – Chuck Deery, Bill Mullis and Dale Pinilis.

Reed has the right to appeal the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer in accordance with Section 15 of the NASCAR Rule Book.