‘His mum and my mum are hanging out with each other in Alexandria right now’
By SEAN REUTHE in Hull

The quarter-finals of the men’s 2019 Allam British Open will see Colombia’s World No.7 Miguel Rodriguez and Egypt’s World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy go head-to-head in a repeat of last year’s blockbuster title decider after both players secured round three wins at Hull’s Allam Sport Centre earlier today.

Rodriguez overcame ElShorbagy in a thrilling 102-minute final last May as he became the first South American in history – and the first unseeded player of the modern era – to win the iconic PSA Platinum tournament, which is the longest-running event in squash.

The 33-year-old from Bogota booked his place in the quarter-finals of this year’s British Open as he prevailed in a captivating four-game battle with Mexico’s Cesar Salazar, winning 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8 in 61 minutes.

“It was like an exhibition match,” said Bogota-born Rodriguez. “This is our kind of Latin style. We know each other’s game, he is very talented, and he is a top 10-15 player when he is at his best. I think maybe the experience paid off at the end. We are good friends on and off court, it was a great match and is maybe the squash we should play every day. I’m very grateful and happy to win this match.

“This is a special tournament for me. Last year I won my biggest title here in Hull and I’m taking it one match at a time and will enjoy my match tomorrow again.”

ElShorbagy, a British Open champion in 2015 and 2016, ended English interest in the men’s draw as he followed up a second round win over three-time runner-up James Willstrop with a 3-0 victory against World No.20 Daryl Selby.

The 28-year-old from Alexandria had won seven of their nine previous matches on the PSA Tour and put in an extremely accurate performance to record an 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 win in just 22 minutes. ElShorbagy and Rodriguez will meet for the fourth time this season, with the Egyptian winning all three.

“Both of us had a great battle last year. I was very disappointed to lose, but at the same time he was a great winner,” said ElShorbagy of last year’s defeat to Rodriguez.

“We are really good friends, and his mum and my mum are actually hanging out with each other in Alexandria right now. Even the families are good friends with each other, so I was happy for him last year. We have met four times already this season, and I’m sure this one will be another great one.”

World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.5 Simon Rösner will do battle in the quarter-finals after respective wins over Egyptian duo Zahed Salem and Omar Mosaad.

The women’s draw will feature a Belgian quarter-finalist for the first time after World No.24 Nele Gilis defeated younger sister Tinne 3-1 to book a place in her maiden last eight berth at a Platinum tournament.

The Mol-born sisters were meeting for the third time on the PSA Tour – with 23-year-old Nele winning both of their previous matches – but it was the first time they were competing against each other on the glass show court.

Nele, who is two years Tinne’s senior and ranked 15 places above her in the PSA World Rankings, won 11-2, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3 in 54 minutes to set up a match with France’s World No.4 Camille Serme in the last eight. “We’ve played each other many times over the years but never on an occasion like this, it’s a very special day for both of us to play here at one of the biggest events,” said Nele (right in the picture).

“I’m so proud of my sister for how she did, it was so tough on me, but I’m so happy that I got through. I’m so excited [for the quarter-finals], I’ve been watching this tournament from when I was a little girl, when I could only dream of competing at the British Open. To be in the quarter-finals, I’m speechless.”

Serme, the 2015 British Open champion, defeated Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans 11-8, 11-5, 11-13, 11-5 to reach the last eight, while England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry will join Gilis and Serme in the last eight after beating India’s Joshna Chinappa in four games.

Birmingham’s Perry, who is the final British player left in the tournament, saw out the match by an 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8 margin as she looks to go one better than her runner-up finish in 2017.

“Joshna has been playing really well,” said 29-year-old Perry.

“You could see that anything loose she was putting away, so I had to be really disciplined. Unfortunately, at the start of the second, I lost that discipline and she played some really good squash. I had to fight back and find a way back into the match, which I did, so I’m really pleased.”

She will clash with defending women’s champion El Sherbini for a place in the semi-finals, with El Sherbini defeating Perry’s compatriot Victoria Lust 3-0 in 22 minutes. Perry beat El Sherbini in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open in November, but required elbow surgery after the tournament, which put her out of action for three months. 

2019 Allam British Open, University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, Hull, England.

Men’s Third Round (Bottom Half):
[3] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-1: 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 (63m)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Zahed Salem (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4 (41m)
[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8 (61m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (22m)

Women’s Third Round (Bottom Half):
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [9] Tesni Evans (WAL) 3-1: 11-8, 11-5, 11-13, 11-5 (50m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Tinne Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 11-2, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3 (54m)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [15] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8 (47m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [13] Victoria Lust (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (22m)

Men’s Quarter-Finals (May 24):
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) v [4] Paul Coll (NZL)
[3] Simon Rösner (GER) v [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)

Women’s Quarter-Finals (May 24):
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [7] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
[5] Joelle King (NZL) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) v Nele Gilis (BEL)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA PR and Media Manager). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Wales and Scotland internationals based in England will be available for all pre-World Cup training after changes to World Rugby's insurance policy.

Premiership clubs had threatened not to release players because of World Rugby's "false and unfair" regulations.

But World Rugby has increased the compensation if a player is seriously injured on international duty.

It means the likes of Wales' Dan Biggar and Scotland's Sean Maitland will be released for camps.

Premiership Rugby stated in December that unless changes were made they would only release players under World Rugby Regulation 9. This would stop some players from linking up with their international side until as late as mid-August.

However World Rugby has more than doubled the compensation from £225,000 to £500,000.

The clubs' threat did not apply to England internationals, who are covered under the agreement between Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union.

"This announcement is more than a regulatory change, it is a statement of commitment to players, unions and clubs," said World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

The insurance changes were approved at Wednesday's World Rugby Council meeting in Dublin, where the proposed Nations Championship was also discussed.

Following a period of due diligence, the cash guarantee offered by sports marketing giants Infront has been increased from £5bn to £6bn, which World Rugby hopes will convince unions to commit to the new concept.

Sources also feel progress has been made over the divisive issue of promotion and relegation.

Talks will continue, with a final decision expected in June.

ANDERSON, Ind. – Defending Pay Less Little 500 champion Kody Swanson will lead the field to the green flag from the pole position Saturday at Anderson Speedway.

Swanson was one of the first cars to make a qualifying attempt on Tin Plate Pole Day on Thursday and set the mark to beat with four laps in 45.005 seconds at 79.99 mph.

The 15 fastest cars locked into the starting field with the remainder of the 33-car field for the 71st running of the Little 500 being set Friday.

Thirty-six cars took times on Thursday, with rookie Joey Schmidt currently sitting 33rd.

Swanson immediately left Anderson Speedway after setting his fast lap to compete in the final Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

It was Swanson’s first pole for the Little 500. He has won two of the last three Little 500 events.

While Swanson was driving back and forth between Anderson and the Indiana State Fairgrounds, two-time Little 500 race winner Chris Windom had a more hectic day.

Windom qualified 10th for the Freedom 100 Indy Lights race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday afternoon and then took a helicopter to Anderson Speedway to qualify for the Little 500 in a car fielded by Anderson-based Goucher Racing.

Veteran driver Jerry Coons Jr. practiced and helped set up the car for Windom, who qualified fourth for the Little 500. After qualifying at Anderson Windom left the track to join Swanson at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the Hoosier Hundred.

Kyle Hamilton, who won the 2017 Little 500 and then missed last year’s race with a number of mechanical issues, qualified in the middle of the front row.

“It’s a big deal for the team,” Hamilton said. “We’re happy with the run today, we put last year behind us.

“We rebuilt the whole car and we’re back to where we belong,” he said. “We were shooting for a top ten qualifying run, but you always want to be on the front row.”

Hamilton said his car was consistent throughout the practice and qualifying session. Tyler Roahrig will start on the outside of the front row.

Donnie Adams Jr., returning to the Little 500 after missing a year, posted the 15th fastest qualifying time and was the final driver to lock himself into the Little 500 field.

“Our goal was to be in the top 15,” he said after riding that bubble for a lengthy period of time. “I turned four consistent laps, but left a little on the table. The car is faster than we qualified.”

There was an interesting twist as the time limit approached for qualifying. Shane Hollingsworth withdrew his earlier time that was sitting 30th on the speed charts and with just minutes remaining jumped into a back-up Gene Nolen owned car.
Hollingsworth qualified 17th.

A surprise was that Aaron Pierce qualified 21st on Thursday and Bobby Santos posted the 24th fast time. Both drivers normally qualify in the first three rows.

CONCORD, N.C. – Michael Self will start from the pole in Thursday night’s ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Self turned a lap of 29.686 seconds (181.904 mph) with the No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota during General Tire Pole Qualifying. Self also won the pole at the most-recent series race at Toledo Speedway.

“I have won four poles in something like 100 career stock car starts and two of them have been the last two weeks so maybe I am figuring this qualifying thing out,” Self said. “I actually thought I left a lot on the table on that lap. I came on the radio and apologized to my guys and they came back and said, ‘Why are you saying you’re sorry? You’re the fastest one so far.’”

Self is a two-time winner so far in 2019, with wins at Five Flags and Salem, and leads the series standings by 30 points over Travis Braden.

Reigning NHRA Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion Tanner Gray will start alongside Self on the front row after a lap of 29.802 seconds (181.196 mph) with his No. 54 Durst/Valvoline Toyota.

Gray scored his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win two weeks ago at South Boston Speedway.

Daytona winner Harrison Burton qualified third at 29.855 seconds (180.874 mph), while Codie Rohrbaugh qualified a career-best fourth at 29.864 seconds (180.820 mph) and Nashville winner Christian Eckes qualified fifth at 29.916 seconds (180.505 mph).

Bret Holmes, reigning series champion Sheldon Creed, Ty Majeski, Riley Herbst and Joe Graf Jr. rounded out the top 10 qualifiers.

The 20-minute timed session was interrupted twice by accidents, first involving Willie Mullins (No. 3 Crow Wing Recycling Ford) and then moments after the session resumed by C.J. McLaughlin (No. 09 SciAps Chevrolet).

Both teams are attempting to make repairs in time for the start of the race.

The Indianapolis 500 isn’t called The Greatest Spectacle in Racing for no reason. Every year 33 of the greatest racers in the world converge on Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete for the honor to be called Indianapolis 500 champion.

Everyone remembers the winners – Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and more – but we don’t always remember the drivers who competed in the Indianapolis 500.

Today we take a look at 10 more drivers you may have forgotten competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Indianapolis 500.

CONCORD, N.C. – William Byron gave the local fans something to cheer about Thursday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Byron, a native of Charlotte, N.C., earned the pole for the 60th Coca-Cola 600 during qualifying Thursday. His 29.440-second lap at 183.424 mph made him the youngest driver to win the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

“It’s a dream come true to qualify on the pole,” said 21-year-old Byron after his second pole of the season. “I grew up coming to this race as a kid, and it’s unbelievable now to be back here and on top after qualifying, knowing we’re going to lead the field to green on Sunday night. This is pretty cool and I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend.”

The sophomore driver, who wheels the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is in his first year working with crew chief Chad Knaus, who guided Jimmie Johnson to four Coca-Cola 600 wins before moving over to Byron’s team this season.

Byron noted that he feels like the duo is beginning to find their stride.

“Just the dialogue that Chad and I have, in the hauler and the transporter … and everything that we go back and forth on is where the speed is coming from,” Byron noted. “That continues to get better and the cars continue to get faster as well, and when you have that it really shows, for sure.”

Aric Almirola qualified second for Stewart-Haas Racing, falling .057 of a second short of Byron’s lap. Kyle Busch, the defending Coca-Cola 600 race winner, qualified third fastest in his Toyota.

Austin Dillon, the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner, qualified fourth for Richard Childress Racing. Kevin Harvick gave Stewart-Haas Racing two cars in the top-five with his fifth-place qualifying effort.

Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Daniel Hemric completed the top-10 in Cup Series qualifying.

For the fourth time this season, a full field of 40 cars were on hand to attempt to qualify.

CONCORD, N.C. – Ty Majeski didn’t have the fastest car in Thursday night’s General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but he put himself in the right place at the right time to capture his first ARCA Menards Series win.

Majeski ran inside the top three for much of the night, but it wasn’t until a restart with nine laps left – when race-long leader Michael Self stumbled on older tires – that he was able to capitalize and make his move.

As Self faded, Majeski climbed to third, while Bret Holmes assumed the point ahead of Riley Herbst.

With two fresh tires, Holmes found himself at a bit of a disadvantage as the laps would down, with both Herbst and Majeski on four fresh tires and closing quickly. Herbst got to Holmes’ bumper with seven laps left, but found himself shuffled out two laps later when Majeski roared past for second on the outside.

Once he got to the runner-up spot, Majeski noted that Holmes was “a sitting duck,” and proved it coming to four to go when he charged inside the No. 23 Chevrolet to take command of the race.

Though he never lost the top spot after that point, Majeski did have to endure a double-overtime finish before parking his No. 22 Chad Bryant Racing Ford in victory lane.

A hard shunt for Riley Herbst, sparked by contact with Sheldon Creed going down the backstretch with three laps left, set up the first overtime and put Majeski and Holmes on the front row for the restart.

Majeski got away quickly, but another caution for Codie Rohrbaugh crashing down the backstretch waved just after the leaders took the white flag, leading to a one-lap dash with Majeski and Gus Dean on the front row.

Dean nailed the restart and stayed with Majeski through turns one and two, but Majeski got an assist from Creed down the backstretch to clear Dean and cruised home by three car lengths for the win.

With his triumph, Majeski became the seventh driver in ARCA history to win their first series race at Charlotte, and the first to do so since Jeff Fultz in 2002.

“This is unbelievable. I can’t even believe this,” said Majeski in victory lane. “From losing my ride to this year, it was like January or February before we finally put this deal together. Chad took a chance on me, and obviously we both have a lot to prove. This is a great win for everybody.

“Honestly, this is freakin’ awesome. We have the Quickie colors on. That’s where I cut my teeth in late-model racing and it really jump-started my career. For it to come full circle, for us end up in victory lane and to have the chance to do a Polish victory lap … it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Critical to Majeski’s success late in the race was the call to take four tires prior to the final restart with nine laps to go, though the eventual winner believed that clean air would actually trump fresh rubber.

“We actually made a bad adjustment earlier on,” Majeski said of his second pit stop. “I don’t know if it was the scuff tires that we qualified on and then going to stickers that freed the car up, but we were way too free. We got a caution there at the end and Paul (Andrews) made a great adjustment.

“Restarts were crazy tonight,” Majeski continued. “Clean air is king. The 23 (Holmes) had two new tires and was able to hold off the 18 (Herbst) who had four tires … all because he had clean air. I worked the top and worked the top and was able to make up some ground and get around him.”

Creed, who copped a speeding penalty on his final pit stop at lap 92, tried to get to Majeski’s outside to challenge for the win in turn three, but came up short and had to settle for second.

The Alpine, Calif., young gun was .269 seconds adrift of Majeski at the checkered flag.

Dean completed the podium ahead of Harrison Burton, who was making his first ARCA start since winning the season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February.

After leading the first 91 laps from the pole and being out front by as much as half a lap at one point, Self’s race came unraveled late in the going, first by a slow oil drip onto the headers and then when he slapped the wall to bring out a caution with 15 to go.

Self stayed out under the yellow despite damage to the rear of his No. 25 Sinclair Toyota, and his older tires shuffled him out of contention down the stretch. He pitted for tires before the first overtime and rallied back to fifth at the finish, maintaining the points lead as a result.

Christain Eckes, who slapped the wall on lap six after cutting a left-front tire, crossed the line seventh but was taken to a local hospital due to elevated carbon monoxide levels from a broken crush panel.

The finish:

Ty Majeski, Sheldon Creed, Gus Dean, Harrison Burton, Michael Self, Tanner Gray, Christian Eckes, Bret Holmes, Travis Braden, Thad Moffitt, Andy Seuss, Joe Graf Jr., Bryan Dauzat, Scott Melton, Tommy Vigh Jr., Codie Rohrbaugh, Willie Mullins, Jason Miles, Riley Herbst, Brandon McReynolds, Devin Dodson, Con Nicolopoulos, Brad Smith, Dick Doheny, C.J. McLaughlin.