Egyptian squash players Nour El-Sherbini and Mohamed El-Shorbagy have each won the top titles in the 2016 Tournament of Champions, an annual international squash championship held in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal.
In front of a sold out crowd at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, El-Sherbini, 20, defeated New-York raised 22-year-old Amanda Sobhy, the highest ranking American ever in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings.
“Nour came out firing from the very start,” said Sobhy referring to her 20-year-old Egyptian opponent.
El-Sherbini, who was born in Alexandria, is the second Egyptian woman to win the Tournament of Champions. Last year, Raneem El-Weleily clenched the throne after defeating the UK’s Alison Waters.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s weird and amazing and incredible,” said El-Sherbini, who became the youngest ever Tournament of Champions winner.
Meanwhile, El-Shorbagy, the world’s top male squash player, won the Tournament of Champions for the second year running after defeating three-time world champion Nick Matthew.
“I knew that I had to beat Nick tonight. He had already beaten my brother Marwan and I didn’t want him to beat both of us in the same tournament,” said El-Shorbagy after his victory.
