QOC
Second-seed Tarek Momen will take on fourth-seed and World No. 5 Paul Coll in the final match of Men's World Squash Championships on Friday.
Momen made it into the World Championship final for a second successive season with the 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6) semi-final victory over Germany's Simon Rosner at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha on Thursday.
"I'm happy to have reached the final of the World Championship for the second time. It is a dream come true and also the result of several months of hard work. I played against a very strong opponent in Rosner and I must admit that he gave me a very hard time especially in the first and second games. Now that I'm in the final, the dream is to finally lift the trophy and have my name etched in the annals of history. I look forward to what tomorrow holds," he said.
Paul Coll, against all odds, prevented what could have been another all-Egyptian final at the World Championship as he once again showcased relentless burst of energy in his defeat of Marwan ElShorbagy to book a place in the final of the $335,000 total prize money tournament which ends on Friday.
The 27-year-old New Zealander triumphed 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7) after yet another grueling match that lasted the whole of 84 minutes inside the glass court of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Of all the four players in action on Thursday, Coll was expected to be the more fatigued of the lot considering the arduous task he faced getting to this stage especially after coming through a brutal 119-minute epic match against 2015 runner-up Omar Mosaad in their pre-quarters clash on Tuesday.
The New Zealander, however, once again shrugged off any inkling of tiredness as he staged a comeback twice to force the game into a tie-breaker where he eventually triumphed against the World No. 10 Marwan, the younger of the ElShorbagy brothers. Marwan had ensured that the hope of his brother, the World No.2 Mohamed, getting a World Championship title in Doha remains a dream, despite appearing in the final twice in Doha, as he stopped him in the quarters on Wednesday.
“The match was tough but what kept me going was the belief I had in my game. I remained composed under pressure and it shows in the end. Now that I'm in the final, my next aim is to win of course and I'm determined to give it all it takes. I intend to attain the World No.1 and tomorrow's match is another step in that direction but for now, I'm going to relish the fact that I'm in the final," Coll said.