While Karim Darwish will certainly be the man to beat in the PSA portion of the event, he still faces first time major semifinalist Gregoire Marche. Marche has had a memorable run in this edition of the event, but he will have his most severe test yet in Darwish. Darwish's pace, precision and footwork are all complimented by his strength of mind on the court. Darwish held the World #1 ranking for several months in the past three years and hasn't dropped out of the top 5 in years. A consistent player, Darwish is heavily favored in his semifinal matchup with Marche.
Mohamed El Shorbagy, the second seed, will face fourth seed Mohd. Azlan Iskandar in a clash of styles. Shorbagy is flashy and streaky on court, and should you leave the ball lingering shoulder height, you'll be digging it out of the opposite wall's nick. The Jonah Barrington disciple is very capable of playing a more traditional length game and will likely take that route this evening against Iskandar. Expect lengthy, tight exchanges on the backhand where both players will look to test each other's patience and tempt the other to open the court with the casually timed cross. There is a genuine respect Shorbagy has for his opponent, and likewise, Iskandar knows Shorbagy is strong and that the two-time World Junior Champion is only beginning his career on the senior tour... ranked #9 in the World.
In this case, the rankings mean nothing more than the quality of squash you will see. May the best man win.
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