Farag and El-Sherbini win the Paris Open

Under the marquee of the Palais de Tokyo, the world’s best squash players, thanks to a glass court installed a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, enjoyed a rich and successful week. Even the cup ceremony, kitsch but fun. On Saturday evening, I saw Philippe Auguste in fancy dress, accompanied by Napoleon Bonaparte, General Leclerc and Joan of Arc, eloquently congratulating the finalists: “Your zeal in battle has led you to victory. Receive this trophy that honors you!”

The two tables (48 men and 48 women) achieved the best possible performance in the final, between the No. 1 and 2 seeds. As for women, logic was not respected since Nour El-Sherbini, who was trained by French legend Gregory Gauthier, was aggressive and precise enough to knock out his compatriot and world number one Nouran Gohar in four matches (7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11). -5).

In the men’s category, Ali Farag, who defeated the last Frenchman in the quarter-finals, Victor Karawan (11-5, 11-5, 11-9), had to do his best to overcome “Puma”, the Peruvian Diego Elias. , nicknamed for the flexibility and strength of its feline feet. The lanky Egyptian triumphed in these French international matches thanks to better management of the end of the match in the second and fourth sets (2-11, 13-11, 11-1, 11-9). Elias, who had been impressive for a long time in this final, through his volleys or court coverage, broke his racket in frustration late in the third game, managing to save two match points before giving up another surgical Federer squash shot. “.

The Parisian week was a real success, from the point of view of the fans, the spectacle and the exposure to this amazing and world-class sport, which the Olympic authorities have strangely shunned. The five matches were completed at the end of the suspense, and the quarter-final match between Elias and Welshman Joel McKean and the semi-final match between Faraj and New Zealander Paul “Superman” Cole will remain among the craziest matches in the tournament.

If he notices some small flaws that need to be corrected in the organization and logistics of the event, the tournament president, Eric Nizard, is happy to bring world squash back to Paris and noted the happiness of the players and spectators who discovered it. Yourself in the French capital: “ We needed a beautiful place, somewhere special, and we got it. My goal is to keep this championship alive. » It is already scheduled on the international calendar for the next two years. It is a great pleasure for the French-speaking laureate Ali Farag, grateful despite the accumulated fatigue: “ The most beautiful sport in the world deserves to be played in the most beautiful city in the world. Eric (Nazard), Philip (Senorette, Tournament Director), Camille (Cermi, tournament ambassador and former world number two), Thank you for making this dream a reality. »

Replay of the final, semi-final, quarter-final (evening session + Victor Karawan vs. Ali Farag) is available on the L’Equipe live platform at the following address :lequipe.fr/tv