SEREMBAN: Two Egyptian squash icons, Karim Abdel Gawad and Nour El Tayeb, emerged as champions in the Ace Malaysia Cup 2023 after defeating their respective opponents in the final matches at the Squash Complex here today.
Karim, 32, who is currently the world number six and the second seed here, defeated his compatriot Mostafa Asal 11-8, 12-10, 11-5 in 50 minutes to pocket US$51,500 (RM 242,462) for the victory.
He said that overall, he was satisfied with his performance today and throughout the season and pledged to remain competitive for upcoming championships.
“I’ve been playing very well since the beginning of the season, I just came back from an injury, was out for a whole year. I’m surely very grateful for being back on court and enjoying every moment. I’m looking forward for the upcoming championship in Hong Kong by the end of this month,“ he told reporters after the trophies and prize presentation ceremony.
The trophies were presented by Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.
In the women’s final, Nour El Tayeb, who is the top seed in the championships, took only 18 minutes to defeat national player, Rachel Arnold in straight sets 11-2, 11-4, and 11-4, and secure US$ 51,500 (RM242,462) for the victory.
The world number six acknowledged that Rachel is a player with skills but did not show real competition in today's final.
“She’s a player with good skills and a bit tricky, perhaps some of her moves weren’t as good today, but I believe she will play better in the upcoming match in Singapore, next week,“ she added.
Meanwhile, Rachel admitted that she did not deliver a strong performance in today's final but remains optimistic about improving her performance in the next tournament in Singapore.
“Obviously it’s not my best. I felt that, I think maybe I pushed my leg throughout this whole week...after the first set my right leg felt a bit weird. So I was trying, but I think I just couldn’t push. It was pretty good until today, but I’m still happy that I made it. I think this is my biggest achievement so far in my career, so I’m happy with that,“ said Rachel. -Bernama