Amr Shabana
Encyclopedia
Amr Shabana (born 20 July 1979, in Cairo
) is a professional squash
player from Egypt
. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.
first showed his promise when he was the runner-up (to compatriot Ahmed Faizy) in the British Under-14 Open in January 1993. Four years later he reached the final of the British Under-19 Open, where he again lost to Faizy.
A PSA
member since 1995, Amr claimed his first Tour title with the help of Bryan "Griffin" Knight in July 1999, winning the Puebla Open in Mexico
. Seven days later he grabbed his second, the Mexico Open, again by beating Australia's Craig Rowland
in the final.
Amr Shabana crowned a remarkable year in 2003 when, as ninth seed, he forced his way through a star-studded field in the World Open in Pakistan
. He despatched title-holder David Palmer
, the third seed, in five games in the third round. He then went on to take out Palmer's Australian team-mate Anthony Ricketts
in the last eight. After defeating Karim Darwish
(the Egyptian No 1) in a four-game semi-final, Shabana clinched the historic title by beating Thierry Lincou
in the final 15–14, 9–15, 15–11, 15–7, to become Egypt's first winner of the sport's premier title.
But after a disappointing following year, in which his only final appearance was in the British Open Squash Championship
in England
, losing to David Palmer
in four games 10–11 (4–6), 11–7, 11–10 (3–1), 11–7, Shabana stormed back to the top of his game in 2005. Over a short period, he acquired a new coach, Ahmed Tahir; a new manager, the former Egyptian international Omar Elborolossy; and a wife, Nadjla. "All I have to worry about now is playing my matches – everything else is looked after for me now", said Shabana. And the effect was plain to see as a week after winning the Heliopolis Open in his home town Cairo
, the seventh-seeded Shabana beat David Palmer and James Willstrop
, before defeating Anthony Ricketts in the final to claim the St Louis Open crown in the United States.
The next event saw the in-form Egyptian brush aside all opposition in the Hungarian Open in Budapest
, winning his third title in as many weeks after beating Grégory Gaultier
in the final. But the World Open in Hong Kong
confirmed his renaissance beyond doubt. Seeded five, Amr crushed fourth seed Lee Beachill
in the quarters, Peter Nicol
in the semis, and, in his third successive straight games victory, powered past David Palmer 11–6 11–7 11–8 in the final to become the first player since the heyday of the Khans to win the World Open title for the second time.
The new year brought continuing rewards for Shabana with victories in the Canadian Classic in January, followed by the Tournament of Champions
in New York
in March, and the Bermuda
PSA Masters
in April – bringing his PSA Tour title tally to 12, and then in April 2006, Shabana became the first Egyptian player to reach the world number 1 ranking.
In 2007, Shabana was crowned world champion for the third time in five years at the World Open in Bermuda and later in January 2009, Shabana's 33-month reign as World No. 1 was ended by his countryman Karim Darwish
.
Note: (ret) = retired, min = minutes, h = hours
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
) is a professional squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.
Career overview
The talented left-hander from CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
first showed his promise when he was the runner-up (to compatriot Ahmed Faizy) in the British Under-14 Open in January 1993. Four years later he reached the final of the British Under-19 Open, where he again lost to Faizy.
A PSA
Professional Squash Association
The Professional Squash Association is the governing body for the men's professional squash circuit. The body operates in a similar fashion to the ATP for tennis. The PSA World Tour involves over 100 tournaments annually all over the globe...
member since 1995, Amr claimed his first Tour title with the help of Bryan "Griffin" Knight in July 1999, winning the Puebla Open in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Seven days later he grabbed his second, the Mexico Open, again by beating Australia's Craig Rowland
Craig Rowland
Craig Rowland is a squash coach and former professional squash player from Australia. As a player, he reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 7 in 1996. He won a Gold Medal in the mixed doubles at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, partnering Michelle Martin...
in the final.
Amr Shabana crowned a remarkable year in 2003 when, as ninth seed, he forced his way through a star-studded field in the World Open in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He despatched title-holder David Palmer
David Palmer (squash player)
David Palmer is a professional squash player from Australia. He won the Super Series finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No...
, the third seed, in five games in the third round. He then went on to take out Palmer's Australian team-mate Anthony Ricketts
Anthony Ricketts
Anthony Ricketts is a former professional squash player from Australia.Ricketts won the British Open in 2005, beating James Willstrop in the final 11-7, 11-9, 11-7...
in the last eight. After defeating Karim Darwish
Karim Darwish
Karim Darwish is a squash player from Egypt.-Career:Earlier in 2008, Darwish finished runner-up at the World Open, losing in the final to fellow Egyptian player Ramy Ashour...
(the Egyptian No 1) in a four-game semi-final, Shabana clinched the historic title by beating Thierry Lincou
Thierry Lincou
Thierry Lincou is a professional squash player from France. He reached the World No. 1 ranking in January 2004...
in the final 15–14, 9–15, 15–11, 15–7, to become Egypt's first winner of the sport's premier title.
But after a disappointing following year, in which his only final appearance was in the British Open Squash Championship
British Open Squash Championships
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, losing to David Palmer
David Palmer (squash player)
David Palmer is a professional squash player from Australia. He won the Super Series finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No...
in four games 10–11 (4–6), 11–7, 11–10 (3–1), 11–7, Shabana stormed back to the top of his game in 2005. Over a short period, he acquired a new coach, Ahmed Tahir; a new manager, the former Egyptian international Omar Elborolossy; and a wife, Nadjla. "All I have to worry about now is playing my matches – everything else is looked after for me now", said Shabana. And the effect was plain to see as a week after winning the Heliopolis Open in his home town Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, the seventh-seeded Shabana beat David Palmer and James Willstrop
James Willstrop
James Willstrop is a professional squash player from England.-Biography:Willstrop is recognised as a young squash talent with a big future ahead of him...
, before defeating Anthony Ricketts in the final to claim the St Louis Open crown in the United States.
The next event saw the in-form Egyptian brush aside all opposition in the Hungarian Open in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, winning his third title in as many weeks after beating Grégory Gaultier
Gregory Gaultier
Grégory Gaultier is a professional squash player from France. He won the British Open in 2007, and finished runner-up at the World Open in 2006 and 2007....
in the final. But the World Open in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
confirmed his renaissance beyond doubt. Seeded five, Amr crushed fourth seed Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill
Lee Beachill is a former World No. 1 squash player from England.Beachill reached the World No. 1 ranking in October 2004. He also finished runner-up at the World Open that year....
in the quarters, Peter Nicol
Peter Nicol
Peter Nicol, MBE , is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking...
in the semis, and, in his third successive straight games victory, powered past David Palmer 11–6 11–7 11–8 in the final to become the first player since the heyday of the Khans to win the World Open title for the second time.
The new year brought continuing rewards for Shabana with victories in the Canadian Classic in January, followed by the Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (squash)
The Tournament of Champions is an annual international squash championship held in New York City. In recent years, the event has been held at New York's Grand Central Terminal, in a specially-constructed four-walled glass court in the Vanderbilt Hall....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in March, and the Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
PSA Masters
PSA Masters
The PSA Masters is a prestigious squash tournament which is one of the premier events on the Professional Squash Association Tour. It is the only PSA Tour event which is open exclusively to the top 32 players in the world rankings, and is part of the PSA World Series.From 2000-01, the event was...
in April – bringing his PSA Tour title tally to 12, and then in April 2006, Shabana became the first Egyptian player to reach the world number 1 ranking.
In 2007, Shabana was crowned world champion for the third time in five years at the World Open in Bermuda and later in January 2009, Shabana's 33-month reign as World No. 1 was ended by his countryman Karim Darwish
Karim Darwish
Karim Darwish is a squash player from Egypt.-Career:Earlier in 2008, Darwish finished runner-up at the World Open, losing in the final to fellow Egyptian player Ramy Ashour...
.
Career statistics
Listed below.PSA Titles (26)
All Results for Amr Shabana in PSA World's Tour tournamentEWLINE
|
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score in final | Minutes played |
| 1. | July 4, 1999 | Puebla Open |  Craig RowlandCraig Rowland Craig Rowland is a squash coach and former professional squash player from Australia. As a player, he reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 7 in 1996. He won a Gold Medal in the mixed doubles at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, partnering Michelle Martin... |
11–15, 15–7, 15–7, 15–9 | Unknown |
| 2. | July 11, 1999 | Mexico Open | Craig Rowland |
8–15, 15–7, 15–4, 15–13 | Unknown |
| 3. | January 23, 2001 | El Ahly Open |  Karim DarwishKarim Darwish Karim Darwish is a squash player from Egypt.-Career:Earlier in 2008, Darwish finished runner-up at the World Open, losing in the final to fellow Egyptian player Ramy Ashour... |
15–12, 15–12, 17–15 | Unknown |
| 4. | June 29, 2003 | Spanish Open | Karim Darwish |
15–13, 13–15, 15–14, 8–15, 15–13 | 1 h 24 min |
| 5. | December 21, 2003 | World Open |  Thierry LincouThierry Lincou Thierry Lincou is a professional squash player from France. He reached the World No. 1 ranking in January 2004... |
15–11, 11–15, 15–8, 15–14 | 1 h 13 min |
| 6. | September 12, 2005 | Helioplis Open | Karim Darwish |
11–10(2–0), 2–0 (ret) | Unknown |
| 7. | September 20, 2003 | St. Louis Open | Anthony Ricketts Anthony Ricketts Anthony Ricketts is a former professional squash player from Australia.Ricketts won the British Open in 2005, beating James Willstrop in the final 11-7, 11-9, 11-7... |
11–10(2–0), 11–8, 11–7 | 56 min |
| 8. | October 2, 2005 | Hungarian Open | Grégory Gaultier Gregory Gaultier Grégory Gaultier is a professional squash player from France. He won the British Open in 2007, and finished runner-up at the World Open in 2006 and 2007.... |
6–11, 11–2, 11–7, 8–11, 11–5 | 1 h 6 min |
| 9. | December 4, 2005 | World Open | David Palmer David Palmer (squash player) David Palmer is a professional squash player from Australia. He won the Super Series finals in 2002, the World Open in 2002 and 2006; the British Open in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008; and the Australian Open in 2008. He attained World No... |
11–6, 11–7, 11–8 | 40 min |
| 10. | January 14, 2006 | Canadian Classic |  Jonathon PowerJonathon Power Jonathon Tyler Power is a retired professional squash player from Canada. In 1999, he became the first North American squash player to reach the World No. 1 ranking... |
11–9, 11–8, 11–5 | 37 min |
| 11. | March 3, 2006 | Tournament of Champions Tournament of Champions (squash) The Tournament of Champions is an annual international squash championship held in New York City. In recent years, the event has been held at New York's Grand Central Terminal, in a specially-constructed four-walled glass court in the Vanderbilt Hall.... |
 Nick MatthewNick Matthew Nicholas Matthew is a professional squash player from England who won the British Open in 2006 and 2009 and is the reigning World Champion. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in June 2010... |
11–6, 11–9, 11–4 | 40 min |
| 12. | April 8, 2006 | Bermuda Masters | Peter Nicol Peter Nicol Peter Nicol, MBE , is a former professional squash player from the United Kingdom, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK to hold the World No. 1 ranking... |
9–11, 11–6, 11–7, 2–11, 11–8 | 1 h 5 min |
| 13. | October 22, 2006 | Hong Kong Open | Ramy Ashour Ramy Ashour Ramy Mohamed Ashour is a professional squash player from Egypt. He reached world No. 1 in January, 2010, after beating Nick Matthew in the final of the 2009 Saudi International Squash Tournament. At 22 he became the youngest player to achieve world No. 1 since the Khan era, having previously been... |
11–10(3–1), 3–11, 11–5, 11–10(3–1) | 48 min |
| 14. | December 20, 2006 | Saudi International Open | Grégory Gaultier |
11–7, 11–9, 11–4 | 1 h 13 min |
| 15. | January 23, 2007 | Windy City Open | Anthony Ricketts |
11–8, 11–8, 11–10(5–3) | 53 min |
| 16. | March 2, 2007 | Tournament of Champions | Anthony Ricketts |
7–11, 11–3, 8–4 (ret) | 26 min |
| 17. | October 28, 2007 | Saudi International Open | Ramy Ashour |
11–5, 11–5, 1–11, 11–9 | 50 min |
| 18. | November 3, 2007 | Qatar Classic | Grégory Gaultier |
11–4, 8–11, 11–6, 11–5 | 52 min |
| 19. | November 11, 2007 | Hong Kong Open | Grégory Gaultier |
10–11 (1–3), 11–3, 11–6, 11–10 (3–1) | 1 h 1 min |
| 20. | December 1, 2007 | World Open | Grégory Gaultier |
11–7, 11–4, 11–6 | 42 min |
| 21. | April 27, 2008 | Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open | Ramy Ashour |
11–9, 11–7, 13–11 | 52 min |
| 22. | November 23, 2008 | Hong Kong Open | Grégory Gaultier |
11–7, 13–15, 8–11, 11–2, 11–3 | 1 h 16 min |
| 23. | August 1, 2009 | Malaysian Open | Nick Matthew |
5–11, 11–9, 11–6, 11–4 | 51 min |
| 24. | September 6, 2009 | US Open | Ramy Ashour |
11–7, 11–2, 7–11, 12–14, 11–8 | 57 min |
| 25. | October 18, 2009 | Hong Kong Open | Grégory Gaultier |
11–8, 9–11, 11–3, 5–2 (ret) | 48 min |
| 26. | November 7, 2009 | World Open | Ramy Ashour |
11–8, 11–8, 11–5 | 50 min |
Note: (ret) = retired, min = minutes, h = hours
PSA Tour Finals (Runner-Up) (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score in final | Minutes played |
| 1. | May 17, 1998 | Italia Open |  John WhiteJohn White (squash player) John White is a former World No. 1 squash player.White finished runner-up at both the World Open and the British Open in 2002. He won the PSA Masters title in 2003 . He also won the British National Championships in 2004... |
Unknown | Unknown |
| 2. | May 3, 2003 | Pakistan Circuit | Karim Darwish |
12–15, 7–15, 2–6 (ret) | 22 min |
| 3. | November 6, 2004 | British Open | David Palmer |
11–10(6–4), 7–11, 10–11(1–3), 7–11 | 1 h 29 min |
| 4. | January 25, 2005 | Windy City Open | John White |
7–11, 8–11, 4–11 | 40 min |
| 5. | January 30, 2005 | Dayton Open | Peter Nicol |
6–11, 10–11(1–3), 2–11 | 28 min |
| 6. | November 16, 2006 | US Open | Grégory Gaultier |
5–11, 11–7, 4–11, 9–11 | 1 h 1 min |
| 7. | April 11, 2007 | Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open | Ramy Ashour |
3–11, 5–11, 10–12 | 34 min |
| 8. | February 16, 2008 | Canadian Classic | Ramy Ashour |
2–11, 9–11, 11–8, 8–11 | 38 min |
| 9. | April 20, 2008 | Hurghada International | Ramy Ashour |
10–11(0–2), 11–9, 7–11, 11–9, 10–11(0–2) | 1 h 17 min |
| 10. | October 31, 2008 | Qatar Classic | Karim Darwish |
4–11, 5–11, 3–11 | 29 min |