[8] Miguel Rodriguez -09- (COL) def Youssef Soliman -40- (EGY)
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-check-circle”] Round-1 Score: 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 (73m)
Match recap from Squash Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the 2019 PSA Mens World Championship.
This was the first Tour-level meeting between the Colombian Cannonball and the young Egyptian. They did face-off 2 seasons ago at the Canadian Invitational. Miguel Rodriguez won that match in 3-games.
Tonight was a different story.
Competitive from first-serve, Soliman was determined to keep his unblemished 1st-Round record at the PSA World Championship. Before tonight, Youssef had never lost a 1st-Round match in his 3 previous World Championship appearances. In fact, last year he upset Karim Abdel Gawad in the 1st-Round.
The win’s a rewarding Round-1 victory for Miguel, who’s been dealing with injuries since his Semifinal-run at the NetSuite Open in September. While he’s thankful simply to be back on court, able to run and compete – tonight’s victory affirmed his renowned mental, as well as physical stamina.
Announcer Corner | Player Introductions
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[8] Miguel Rodriguez -09- (COL)
Ranked as high as World #4, he is the highest-ranked South American player in the history of the game – and has been formally recognized by his country as the greatest Colombian Squash Player of all time. In 2018, he made history again by winning his debut Platinum title, becoming the first South American ever to capture the British Open. He owns 3 Pan American Games Gold Medals – including his first Mixed Doubles Gold last Summer at the Pan Am Games in Peru. A 39-time Finalist on Tour, last year he capped the season by winning his 300th career match, defeating Diego Elias in Guatemala to win his 29th career title. Competing is his 13th PSA World Championship, he is a 3-time Quarterfinalist. Ready, aim, fire! This is the Colombian Cannonball – Miguel Angel Rodriguez.
► Rodriguez has had it rough in Doha for the past 4-years. He hasn’t won a match since his 1st-Round Qatar Classic victory in 2015. Since then, he’s lost 3 very tight matches on this court – to Cuskelly, Mossad, and Makin last year.
► Made his World Championship debut in Giza back in 2006. As a 20-year-old, ranked outside the top-50, he was up 2-0 against World #29 Joey Barrington in Round-1 of Qualifying, but lost the match in 5-games.
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Youssef Soliman -40- (EGY)
At 22-years-old, he is competing in his 4th PSA World Championship – and has never lost a 1st-Round match at the sport’s most prestigious event. In fact, last season in Chicago – down 2-games-to-love – he came-back to upset World #4 Karim Abdel Gawad, sending the 2016 World Champ packing in the 1st-Round. Last season, he captured 2 titles, won his first two career Platinum matches at the Tourmament of Champions and El Gouna – and by April, reached the PSA’s top-30 for the first time. He now owns 8 PSA Tour titles in all, has reached 11 career Finals, and comes into this year’s World Championship on the heels of reaching his 20th career Semifinal at the Malaysian Open. From Egypt – this is Youssef Soliman.
