The 2017 J.P. Morgan Squash Tournament of Champions, celebrated on Thursday its final matches, in New York, US, where France’s Camille Serme won the women’s final, while Egypt’s Karim Abdel Gawad won the men’s final.
It was a great battle between Serme and England’s Laura Massaro. The first game ended in Serme’s favour by 13-11. Massaro fought back by winning the following two games by 11-8 and 11-4.
However Serme was determined to emerge victorious saying “After my third game my coaches tried to wake me up, they said the right things and they told me to try and play like I did at the US Open so I went out there in the fourth game like I was going into a boxing ring. I just had to fight and fight for it.”
Serme won the fourth and fifth games by 11-3 and 11-7, respectively, ending the match in her favour by 3-2, and snatching the championship’s title from her opponent.
Moving to the men’s final, Abdel Gawad did not permit another French victory.
The battle between Abdel Gawad and France’s Gregory Gaultier was tough as the Egyptian champion said that “matches with Greg are always tough and can change at any moment. He has beaten me so many times before that I know even in match ball he isn’t beaten.”
Last battle between both was in Texas, US, in a 132 minute-friendly match on 7 January, where Abdel Gawad won by 4-2 (8-11/11-9/7-11/11-9/11-6/11-7).
At the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions men’s final, the match began with a victory for Gaultier who won the first game by 11-6. Abdel Gawad won the following game also by 11-6.
Third game was the toughest one and went to 12 points. However the Egyptian champion did not surrender and won it by 12-10.
Abdel Gawad snatched the championship’s title by winning the fourth game by 11-7, ending the match 3-1 in his favour.
“Winning the Tournament of Champions, here in this venue, is an amazing feeling and I feel absolutely fantastic right now,” Abdel Gawad said after his victory.
Gaultier did not regret his loss, saying “I had a great week here and I gave it all that I could. I gave beyond 100 percent.”
