Squash: Kiwi Paul Coll survives epic five-set battle to book semi-finals spot at world champs

  • 20/05/2022

Kiwi squash star Paul Coll has prevailed in an epic duel with Egypt's Tarek Momen in the quarter-finals of the World Squash Champs at Cairo on Friday (NZ time).

The world No. 1 needed five sets to overcome the sixth-seeded local hero in a brutal two-hour contest to book his spot in the semi-finals, winning 11-8 13-11 10-12 2-11 11-9 in sweltering conditions in the Egyptian capital.

Coll shot to a two-set lead, before Momen clawed his way back to win the thirds, then dominate the fourth, before the Greymouth product closed it out with a hard-fought fifth set win, when he benefitted on a controversial stroke decision to take match point.

The 30-year-old said he was relieved to get over the finish line, after a torrid encounter.

"It was a tough match," he said. "It's very hot out here and he was taking me into all corners of the court and wasn't missing. I'm just very happy to claw my way out of that one.

"[Tarek] can make you do so much work. He's got the softest touch in the world and if he's not missing, then you just end up going into all four corners of the court. It's absolutely brutal. 

"If he’s on his day, he’s one of the hardest players in the world. He makes you do a tremendous amount of work, just due to his great hands and his soft touches.

"It's the battles, that’s what we come here for, it's what we love."

Coll advances to face rival and former world no. 1 Mohamed ElShorbagy in the semi-finals on Sunday.