QF: Nada so close, but Nouran prevails

[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 3-1 [5] Nada Abbas (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (60m)

WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM THE MINI CHAMP!

Incredible match today from Nada. Yesterday, she explained that the change she made in her team – she is now working with Kika Ahmed Effat – made the whole difference for her. Funny as it’s exactly what Farida said in Gouna about him for her too! Must be something he does right then!

Nada has always been like “the one coming up”, with some great wins here and there, but never consistently. But I see her stepping up the mark recently. And today, she was close to lead 2/0 against the World number one…

Nouran might be feeling the “Chicago effect”, like so many others who were at the Worlds, as it’s very unusual to have a big event on the back of the Worlds – especially at the other side of the world. And boy did Nada took full advantage of it. She twisted and turned the Terminator, preventing her from striking her shots her usual destructive way, and forced a few strokes as well.

The first game is a masterclass in intelligent squash from the MiniChamp, boasting away, volleying constantly, and making Nouran cover a heck of a lot of ground.

Still, from 5/5, we have a few calls against Nada, who loses a bit her focus and concentration, Nouran takes the opportunities that are offered, and zooms to 9/5. But now it’s Nouran’s turn to be penalised with strokes, and Nada will score 6 points in a row, 11/9, 15m of hard work.

The second is the crucial one. Nouran seems a bit lost at see. Supported by friends and family, Nada is flying, and again, Nouran is penalised with several stroke. Boast, height, volley drop shots, the mixing of shots is putting the World number one under so much pressure, 6/3 to Nada.

Nada starts to tire a bit, the work she has to produce to keep Nouran far away from the ball is taking its toll, and we are level, 7/7, 8/8, 9/9. And the turning point: out of the blue, whereas she has been hitting the ball at an unusual soft-ish pace, she BLASTS a quick backhand drive that surprises her opponent, accompanied with a huge scream.

10/9. She thinks she won the point, goes off court, is being called back at Nada asked for a review, Nada’s shot is called good, but as the point is replayed, Nouran gets a very quick stroke, 11/9 in 18m.

Nada is still fighting but pretty dead for a game and a half, Nouran taking the third 11/5. But Nada gets her second wind at 3/3 in the 4th, 5/5, even 7/5 for the Minichamp! Her support group starts to believe a 5th is on the cards, but Nouran is just a point ahead, and a tired Nada will make 3 errors in 4 points, finally bowing 11/8…

NOURAN : “All credit to Nada, she played really amazingly, she’s been playing really well.

“I wasn’t really feeling myself on court today but what I’m happy about is that even if I’m not playing great, I still find a way. In the past, maybe I’d fade away, but today it was like even with the worst squash I’m playing, I was still trying to find some solutions.

“Obviously, she was firing everything really well, so it was a bit of both, but I’m happy I got through it all.

“I’m happy I’ve got a rest day tomorrow, I think I really needed that. I’m not really thinking about the negatives today. I’ll just try to find some positives and take it for the next match and try to improve because I definitely need that for the next match.”