Squash: Year In Review 2009Article Free Pass
The highlight of 2009 was to have been acceptance of squash into the program for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. A strong bid had been mounted accentuating the universality, competitive structure, and other benefits that made squash a contender. In the end, however, only golf and rugby sevens were accepted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2016 Games; as a result, squash would need to wait another four years to try again.
On court the year saw a near monopoly of titles by Egyptian players. When the men’s world team championship took place in Odense, Den., in October, Egypt took the title for the second time, with a squad featuring three of the top-four-ranked players. In a tight final Egypt beat third-seeded France 2–1. Defending champion England lost to France in the semifinals and to Australia in the play-off for the bronze medal. One month later in Kuwait, there was an all-Egyptian final in the men’s World Open; Amr Shabana won his fourth World Open title when he beat defending champion Ramy Ashour 11–8, 11–5, 11–5.
Malaysia’s Nicol David, who was based in Amsterdam, won the women’s World Open, held in that city in September. She beat Australian-born Natalie Grinham, who had recently gained Dutch citizenship, 3–11, 11–6, 11–3, 11–8 in the final. This was the fourth World Open title in five years for David, the sport’s number-one-ranked woman since 2006.
At the junior level there was an Egyptian double in the world under-19 individual championships staged in Chennai (Madras), India, in August. The women’s title went to 13-year-old Nour El Sherbini, who became the sport’s youngest-ever world champion when she beat countrywoman Nour El Tayeb in the final. (A week later El Sherbini also led the Egyptian women to the under-19 team title.) Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 18-year-old top seed from Alexandria, successfully defended his men’s individual title, defeating second-seeded Ivan Yuen of Malaysia 11–9, 12–10, 11–2.
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