Ramy Ashour - Career Overview

Career Overview

Ashour won his first major international title in 2004, when he became the youngest player ever to win the Men's World Junior Squash Championship at just 16 years old. He also led Egypt to a second-place finish in the team event in 2004, losing to Pakistan in the final. In July 2006, he became the first player in history to win the World Junior Championships twice, defeating his junior compatriot Egyptian Omar Mosaad. He also led Egypt to a 2–1 victory over Pakistan in the final of the team event. By his victories, Egypt captured the first three positions in the individual players' event and the team event title, which was a feat no team had ever accomplished in the history of the tournament.

Ashour reached his first major final at the Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Squash Open in 2006, where he lost to the eventual world number one fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana. En route to the final, he beat World number ten John White, world number three Thierry Lincou and World number two David Palmer.

Ashour won his first major professional title in January 2007, when he defeated David Palmer (11–7, 11–3, 11–4) in 32 minutes for the Canadian Squash Classic. In April 2007, Ashour won the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open, the richest squash event in the world, by defeating his Egyptian compatriot Amr Shabana, 11–5, 11–3, 12–10, in 34 minutes, after a 10-6 deficit in the third, and then won the Qatar Classic in Doha by again dispatching David Palmer with a score of 8–11, 11–9, 11–9, 11–6, in 66 minutes.

Also in 2007, Ramy won the ATCO Super Series Finals event, held in August, by competing against other top points winners of the season. Only the top eight players are invited to this prestigious event. The only player to go undefeated in his first three matches, Ramy then met French sensation Grégory Gaultier in the final. After a 62-minute battle, Ramy took the title 3–1 (12–10, 11–8, 4–11, 11–4).

To quote squash legend and writer Malcolm Willstrop, "Ramy Ashour is something else - his movement is better than anyone in the game, and allied to his unique racket skills and vision, he lights up the sport. Not only that, but his modesty, and engaging smile make him a rare commodity."

The season ending 2009 Saudi International Open saw Ashour beat Nick Matthew in a final where the winner would become the next world Number one. Ashour won the 110-minute battle (his longest ever on the PSA tour) in a grueling 5-game match.

Ashour's older brother, Hisham Mohd Ashour, also plays on the PSA tour and has a career high ranking of No. 11 in the world, achieved in February 2012.

After losing his world number one ranking to English rival Nick Matthew in June 2010, Ashour reached the final of the new PSA World Series Australian Open in August, then battled to a 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 win in 90 minutes over Grégory Gaultier in the Hong Kong Open final two weeks later to ensure his return to the top of the rankings in September 2010. But despite again slipping behind Matthew in the first 2011 rankings, Ashour started his New Year campaign in brilliant style, winning the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions title for the second time since 2008 after overcoming the Englishman in the New York final. It was his comeback tournament after recovering from a 2010 hamstring injury. A month later, he was back again in a PSA World Series final at the North American Open in Virginia – but this time it was Matthew who prevailed in an epic five gamer. Ramy came back, however, at the 2011 Australian Open, defeating defending champion Nick Matthew in another epic five gamer. Their rivalry continued as they played for their country in the WSF 2011 Men's World Team Squash Championships in Paderborn, Germany. Ramy (and Egypt) went on to win that encounter. Ramy further consolidated his push towards world #1 defeating Nick Matthew again at the 2011 Rowe British Grand Prix 3 games to 1.

Ashour's 2012 campaign was the most successful one in his career; he became the first player to make the final of every tournament in which he competed since Pakistan legend Jansher Khan. After coming back from the long injury break in February 2012, Ashour once again demonstrated his brilliant racquet skills and headed to the final at the North American Open 2012, though losing to the world number one, James Willstrop and finishing second. However, at the El Gouna International in April, Ashour avenged his former defeat and collected another major title in front of his home crowd, after James Willstrop pulled out of the final in the third. At the historic Allam British Open in May, he nearly missed the opportunity to be the first Egyptian title holder after Abou Taleb back in 1966 by losing to his old rival and defending champion Nick Matthew. Ashour's performance during the latter half of 2012 was even more magnificent; he was undefeated and won all four tournaments he participated in, including the Qatar World Open, two World Series Events (US Open and Hong Kong Open), and the Australian Open. He defended his Australian Open title in August, and gathered the US Open and Hong Kong Open titles in October and November respectively, by defeating Grégory Gautiler and James Willstrop in the finals. However, his greatest achievement in 2012 came at the Qatar World Open in December; by beating Nick Matthew in the semi-final, he reclaimed the world number-one spot in the January 2013 ranking and by defeating his fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy in the final after a grueling five-game match, he gathered his second world open title after the first one back in 2008.

Though opting out of the ATCO World Series final because of hamstring injury sustained in Qatar World Open, Ashour proved himself to fully deserve the world number one spot at the first world series event in 2013, the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions. With his right leg heavily strapped, Ashour showed his great fighting ability, as well as his well-known extraordinary shot-making ability, throughout the entire tournament; in the final match against Grégory Gautlier, he recovered from a 2-0 down deficit and staged an epic comeback. By claiming another TOC title after the last one back in 2011, he became only the third player to win the prestigious PSA series title a third time since British legend Peter Nicol in 2004.

Ashour added two PSA world tour titles to his astonishing resume almost within two weeks; By beating his old English rivals James Willstrop and Nick Matthew in semi-final and final of North American Open in Richmond, Virgniam respectively, Ashour, who made the fifth consecutive final since 2009, gained the revenge for his former defeat in final (against Matthew in 2010 and 2011, and Willstrop in 2012) and claimed a second North American Open title; Ashour reached the milestone in his career, 30th tour title, at Kuwait PSA Cup (former Kuwait Open) only 12 days after his success at North American Open. He defeated defending champion James Willstrop at the final and clinched 3rd Kuwait Open title, extending his consecutive major PSA titles to seven.