[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 3-0 Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (31m)
Today, Nouran wanted to send a message. Not only to Fayrouz, but to all the hungry players on the Tour, young or less young, that she was back and meant business, and that if she wobbled a bit during the Ramadan, it was the last day of Eid…
Nouran gave an impressive performance today against an opponent who is afraid of nobody, especially not of Nouran’s pedigree or track record! From the first rally, even when she was 2/0 down and 4/0 down, she was still fighting as if it were the first point of the match.
There were some lovely attacks, long drop shots, or volley drop shots, but again, Fayrouz was penalised with no let for going to the body of her opponent instead of the ball a few times. This is a shame, as I believe this 18-year-old will be, along with Amina Orfi, of course, the future of Egypt. She needs to stay focus on her match, on the shots, on the ball, not on whatever is happening with the ref… But what do I know….
A clinical Nouran, a Fayrouz that lost a bit her way – even if some of the decisions were a bit wobbly – and we have a 31m 3/0 victory for Nouran, a good start for the lady from the neighbourhood!
Nouran winners today er game: 8, 6 and 9. Fayrouz 3, 4, 2.
Nouran
“Obviously, Fayrouz is a very talented player. I wanted to put in a good performance—not just a win but one I can build on for the rest of the week. I’m glad with a lot of things, but I can focus more on a few tweaks. Overall, I’m happy today.
“At this level it is just about small adjustments, but even these can make a big difference. So many players have very good hands, are very physical now. Everyone has trained really hard so it’s about the small details.
“I keep coming back and winning here because I love the people here, as simple as that. Can you see a crowd like this anywhere else for the second round? I live five minutes away from here, train here, and it feels like home. My club is PalmHills, but I’m happy to come here as well. They have pushed me big time in big matches in the past, and I am hoping they can do that this week because I will need their help!”
