ElShorbagy Survives Steinmann Onslaught To Reach PSA World Championships Quarters

Former world No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy produced a battling comeback from two games down as he overcame Switzerland's Dimitri Steinmann to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family in Chicago.

ElShorbagy, the 2017 World Champion, was outplayed in the opening two games by Steinmann, who was bidding to become the first Swiss player in the history of the sport to reach the last eight of the sport's most prestigious tournament.

However, ElShorbagy dug into his energy reserves and battled back to draw level, before holding Steinmann at bay in a gruelling fifth game to earn his spot in the last eight for the ninth year in succession.

"He's been to Bristol to train with me a few times and I've never seen him play this well before," said ElShorbagy.

"The first two games I couldn't stop him and Greg [Gaultier] was telling me I need to slow it down. I kept telling him that I was trying and he kept on rushing me and he was so accurate. He didn't give me an error or two in the first three games that I could play with.

"The only one I can remember is when I was 2/0 down, at 9-9, he had a chance to win it and I was in big trouble there. I'm just really happy, I can't remember the last time I was 2/0 down and came back to win 3/2, it gives me physical confidence. I'm happy to be through to the quarters and I look forward to my rest day tomorrow."

World No.1 Mostafa Asal advanced to the quarter-finals of the men's event after a comfortable win against Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng. He will play 2016 World Champion Karim Gawad next. Gawad's match with world No.12 Aly Abou Eleinen was cut short, with Eleinen limping off court with a knee injury after conceding the second game.

Meanwhile, world No.9 Sivasangari Subramaniam has become the first Malaysian since the legendary Nicol David in 2017 to reach the World Championships quarter-finals after a sublime performance against US No.2 Amanda Sobhy.

Sivasangari had only made it as far as the third round on one previous occasion but produced some of her best squash to outplay the world No.8 at Chicago's Lakeshore Sport & Fitness to win 11-8, 14-12, 11-6.

US No.1 Olivia Weaver will be Sivasangari's quarter-final opponent after the world No.4 defeated Egypt's Salma Hany by a 3/1 margin.

"The last two times I've played Amanda it's been 3/2 and I won the last one, but she's a fighter with what she's been through and she's come back much stronger," Sivasangari said afterwards.

"I'm really pleased to be winning in three and that reaction [celebration] showed how much it means to me as I've never been in the quarter-finals of the World Championships. I barely make it into the quarter finals of Platinum events.

"I'm happy with how I performed today."

Seven-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini continued her attempts to lift a record-equalling eighth PSA World Championships trophy with victory over fellow Egyptian Farida Mohamed. Her last eight match will be against England No.8 seed Georgina Kennedy, who advanced after her opponent - world No.10 Rowan Elaraby - suffered an ankle injury in the second game of their clash, resulting in her pulling out in the next game.