Karim Abdel Gawad
 Karim Abdel Gawad at the 2017 Men's World Team Squash Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Baby Faced Assassin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Cairo, Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 30, 1991 Alexandria, 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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| Last updated: July 2020. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Karim Abdel Gawad (born July 30, 1991, in Alexandria) is a professional squash player who has represented Egypt. He is a former world champion and world number 1.
Career[edit]
In 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 Ramy 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 Ali Farag but Gawad became the first unseeded player since Rodney Martin in 1991 to reach the world final.[5] It completed a remarkable comeback from the injury he suffered the previous year.
Titles and Finals[edit]
Major Finals (11)[edit]
Major 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]
Qatar Classic[edit]
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2016 | Mohamed El Shorbagy |
12–10, 13–15, 11-7 |
Hong Kong Open[edit]
| 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 |
Al-Ahram International[edit]
| 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 Abdel Gawad at PSA (archive) (archive 2)
- Karim Abdel Gawad at Squash Info
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