SF: Nouran 3-0 Gina
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 3-0 [4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (31m)
The analysis of the match is extremely simple. Look at the length of the games: 9m. 8m. 9m.
Gina was never allowed to breathe, Nouran was strangling her nicely, shooting like only her know how. If against Nour El Tayeb, Gina was allowed time on the ball, against Nouran, she never stood a chance tonight.
But Gina is a fast learner. Let’s see what next battle between the two friends brings.
Nouran
“I’m obviously very happy. First, Gina is one of my closest friends on tour. She’s an amazing competitor and we go way back. We’ve known each other since we were kids. We were very innocent at that time!
“It’s a nice feeling to see people you grow up with, playing against them. It’s always good to play against her because it’s free-flowing squash. Yesterday she played incredibly well. She hit some unbelievable drops and boasts and I was really on my toes today because she hit a couple of good ones!
“If I play anything at the front, she’s a rocket on to it.
“At this tournament I think I got one of the toughest draws. I was playing from the first round people who you might face in a Platinum final!
“It really prepared me mentally to switch on and be sharp for the beginning. I wanted to stay fresh for tomorrow’s final because as they say it’s a classic between me and Sherbini and we really want to give a good show to the crowd tomorrow.”
Gina
Nouran is so nice talking about me like that!
It’s such a different animal playing Nouran. I haven’t been on court against her for about a year. If even though I had good results that might have built my confidence again, I played well against the likes of Sherbini and Hania, I haven’t been tested against Nouran.
I’m so aware she is completely a different animal. The way I want to play, she takes away all the weapons, I want to be able to cut it off, and taking it in short, and I just can’t.
So I try to going into a length game but her quality is too good and she cuts me off. I feel confused, I feel I have no solutions. So I try and focus on each point, on how to win each point.
I’m used to be the one hitting hard, and players playing soft pace against me, which is the opposite with Nouran.
Her quality of length is just so good, the kills she hits, you are constantly on the back foot. I’m annoyed I really wanted to sneak a game but she can get quick points and running away with the score, and you just can’t stop her.
But the positive is last year when I played her in June, I was like ‘Oh my God, I am dead’ after the first game, which was frustrating, but today, I felt fine on there.
It’s just a question of finding a way to win a point!!!
