Wael El Hindi
Encyclopedia
Wael Hatem El-Hendy, (born June 25, 1980 in Giza) is a professional squash
player who represented Egypt
. A PSA member since 1999, Wael El Hindi has long been regarded as one of Egypts most talented players - first making his mark in the USA in 1998 when he reached the final of the World Junior Championship as a 5/8 seed. Steady progress on the Tour saw the 28-year-old from Giza - who currently divides his time between Egypt and England
- rise to a career-high world number 9 position in the world rankings in December 2007 after securing five PSA Tour titles from 10 final appearances.
at the Trofeo Aquarius Open in October 1999 - but it was a further two years later, in the same country, that he claimed his maiden title at the Spanish
Open in Tenerife
, in September 2001. Early the following year, he won his first trophy on home soil at the El Ahly Open in Cairo
.
In 2004, El Hindi began a love-affair with Malaysia where he won the Kuala Lumpur
Open in February - then went on to reach the final of the Malaysian Open later in the year, and again in 2005, in both cases exceeding his seeding. His standout achievements in 2006 included home country success in the Heliopolis Open in August 2006 - when he made his breakthrough after beating Finland
's second seed Olli Tuominen
in the quarter-finals. The following month, unseeded, he burst into the last eight of the World Open - also in Egypt - after beating seeded compatriot Karim Darwish
and England's Nick Matthew
.
El Hindi began 2007 by again beating higher-seeded Darwish en-route to a semi-final berth in the Canadian Classic in January. In April, he produced impressive performances in both the Kuwait Open and Qatar Classic
(in Doha, featuring upsets over Anthony Ricketts
and Lee Beachill
) which saw him leap four places to make his top ten debut in May. In July, he successfully defended his Heliopolis Open crown after overcoming fellow Egyptians in each round - Mohd Ali Anwar Reda
, Omar Elborolossy and Mohammed Abbas
, then Karim Darwish
in the final.
El Hindi's 2008 campaign began with a quarter-final berth in the Tournament of Champions
in January, then the following month he exceeded his seeding in the Canadian Classic in Toronto
, where he beat Australian Cameron Pilley
to set up a surprise all-Egyptian semi-final line-up. In May, Wael made his debut in the Super Series Finals in London
, where he beat Ong Beng Hee en-route to recording a sixth-place finish. El Hindi credits his recent success to working on his fitness with British squash legend Jonah Barrington in England. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 8 in November 2008.
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 who represented 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...
. A PSA member since 1999, Wael El Hindi has long been regarded as one of Egypts most talented players - first making his mark in the USA in 1998 when he reached the final of the World Junior Championship as a 5/8 seed. Steady progress on the Tour saw the 28-year-old from Giza - who currently divides his time between Egypt and 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...
- rise to a career-high world number 9 position in the world rankings in December 2007 after securing five PSA Tour titles from 10 final appearances.
Professional career
El Hindi reached his first Tour final in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the Trofeo Aquarius Open in October 1999 - but it was a further two years later, in the same country, that he claimed his maiden title at the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Open in Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, in September 2001. Early the following year, he won his first trophy on home soil at the El Ahly Open in 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...
.
In 2004, El Hindi began a love-affair with Malaysia where he won the Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
Open in February - then went on to reach the final of the Malaysian Open later in the year, and again in 2005, in both cases exceeding his seeding. His standout achievements in 2006 included home country success in the Heliopolis Open in August 2006 - when he made his breakthrough after beating Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's second seed Olli Tuominen
Olli Tuominen
Olli Tuominen, is a professional squash player who represented Finland. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 13 in February 2006.- External links :*...
in the quarter-finals. The following month, unseeded, he burst into the last eight of the World Open - also in Egypt - after beating seeded compatriot 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...
and England's Nick Matthew
Nick 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...
.
El Hindi began 2007 by again beating higher-seeded Darwish en-route to a semi-final berth in the Canadian Classic in January. In April, he produced impressive performances in both the Kuwait Open and Qatar Classic
Qatar Classic
The Qatar Classic is an annual international squash tournament that takes place in Doha, Qatar in October. The event was re-established in 2001. The tournament features both men and women, the men's event is part of the PSA World Series and the women's event is part of the WISPA World...
(in Doha, featuring upsets over 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...
and 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....
) which saw him leap four places to make his top ten debut in May. In July, he successfully defended his Heliopolis Open crown after overcoming fellow Egyptians in each round - Mohd Ali Anwar Reda
Mohammed Ali Anwar Reda
Mohammed Ali Anwar Reda, is a professional squash player who represented Egypt. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 25 in December 2010.- External links :...
, Omar Elborolossy and Mohammed Abbas
Mohammed Abbas
Mohammed Abbas, is a professional squash player who represented Egypt. He reached a career-high international ranking of World No. 13 in April 2007.- External links :...
, then 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...
in the final.
El Hindi's 2008 campaign began with a quarter-final berth in the Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions
The Tournament of Champions may refer to:* H&R Block Tournament of Champions, one of the four major bowling tournaments on the PBA Tour* Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, a tournament of past major winners in the game show Jeopardy!...
in January, then the following month he exceeded his seeding in the Canadian Classic in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he beat Australian Cameron Pilley
Cameron Pilley
Cameron Pilley is a professional squash player from Australia.Pilley was born in Grafton, New South Wales. From 2001 to 2005, he attended the Australian Institute of Sport on a squash scholarship, where he trained under Geoff Hunt and Rodney Martin.As a junior player, Pilley won the Australian...
to set up a surprise all-Egyptian semi-final line-up. In May, Wael made his debut in the Super Series Finals in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he beat Ong Beng Hee en-route to recording a sixth-place finish. El Hindi credits his recent success to working on his fitness with British squash legend Jonah Barrington in England. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 8 in November 2008.