Karim Gawad (born 30 July 1991) is an Egyptian professional squash player. He is a former world champion and world number 1.
 Karim Abdel Gawad at the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Karim Abdel Gawad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Baby Faced Assassin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 July 1991 Alexandria, Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Cairo, Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | Active | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right Handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Hisham El Attar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Harrow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (May 2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 10 (December 2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final(s) | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on July 2020. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
editIn November 2016, he won the 2016 World Open Squash Championship in Cairo in Egypt against Ramy Ashour. He became the third Egyptian to win the World Championship after Amr Shabana and Ashour. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in May 2017.[1][2]
In 2020, he suffered a major injury during the final of the 2020 Manchester Open. He damaged his heel, which eventually led to ten months out of squash and his world ranking plummeted as a result.[3]
In May 2023, he reached the final of the 2023 PSA Men's World Squash Championship, after defeating second seed Diego Elías in the quarter final and third seed Mohamed El Shorbagy in the semi final.[4] In the final he lost to compatriot Ali Farag but Gawad became the first unseeded player since Rodney Martin in 1991 to reach the world championship final.[5] It completed a remarkable comeback from the injury he suffered the previous year.
Titles and Finals
editMajor Finals (11)
editMajor tournaments include:
- PSA World Championships
- PSA World Tour Finals
- Top-tier PSA World Tour tournaments (Platinum/World Series/Super Series)
| Year/Season | Tournament | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hong Kong Open | Ramy Ashour | Loss (1) | 9-11 11-8 6-11 11-5 6-11 |
| 2016 | PSA World Championships | Ramy Ashour | Win (1) | 5-11 11-6 11-7 2-1 (retired) |
| 2016 | Qatar Classic | Mohamed El Shorbagy | Win (2) | 12-10 15-13 11-7 |
| 2017 | Tournament of Champions | Grégory Gaultier | Win (3) | 6-11 11-6 12-10 11-6 |
| 2017 | El Gouna International | Grégory Gaultier | Loss (2) | 6-11 8-11 7-11 |
| 2018 | Black Ball Open | Ali Farag | Win (4) | 11-6 13-11 7-11 11-8 |
| 2019 | El Gouna International | Ali Farag | Loss (3) | 9-11 10-12 3-11 |
| 2018-19 | PSA World Tour Finals | Mohamed Abouelghar | Win (5) | 12-10 11-6 5-11 8-11 12-10 |
| 2019 | Egyptian Open | Ali Farag | Win (6) | 11-6 11-8 11-8 |
| 2019-20 | PSA World Tour Finals | Marwan El Shorbagy | Loss (4) | 6-11 5-11 3-11 |
| 2022-23 | PSA World Championships | Ali Farag | Loss (5) | 10-12 6-11 6-11 |
World Open final appearances
edit| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Cairo, Egypt | Ramy Ashour |
5–11, 11–6, 11–7, 2-1 (retired) |
| Runner-up | 2023 | Chicago, USA | Ali Farag |
10–12, 6–11, 6–11 |
Major World Series final appearances
edit| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
12–10, 13–15, 11-7 |
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2016 | Ramy Ashour |
11–9, 8–11, 11–6, 5–11, 11-6 |
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Ali Farag |
11–4, 11–7, 11-5[6] |
References
edit- ^ "PSA Player Profile". Archived from the original on 2015-01-01. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
- ^ "SquashInfo Player Profile". Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ^ ""Four Months in a Wheelchair" – Gawad Discusses Return From Injury Hell". PSA World Tour. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "2023 World Championship draws". PSA. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "FINALS : Sherbini and Farag retain titles". World Squash. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "PSA World Tour, Al-Ahram: Gawad and El Welily crowned champions". Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
External links
edit- Karim Gawad at the Professional Squash Association (archive) (archive 2)
- Karim Gawad at Squash Info