[5] Simon Rösner -06- (GER) def James Willstrop -18- (ENG)
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-check-circle”] Quarterfinal Score: 14-12, 11-6, 11-3 (46m)
Match recap from Squash Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the 2019 PSA Mens World Championship.
Tonight, Simon Rösner earned his 300th career PSA Tour victory to reach the World Championship Semifinals for a second straight season. The icing on the cake? It was a 3-game win over a surging James Willstrop, who was on fire after dispatching 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad the day before.
Huge.
Since his Platinum breakthrough in 2017, the German Tree Chopper feels at home on the court. Two seasons back, he defeated Marwan Elshorbagy to reach his fist career Platinum Semifinal. It was a lighting-bolt moment. Two months later, he claimed his first Platinum title at the Tournament of Champions.
Last season, he reached the Qatar Classic Final – just a month after reaching the championship match at the US Open. This frigid ice-box is the catalyst that lifted Rösner to new heights. He’s no longer a hurdle for the game’s top talent, he’s the hurdler.
Unfazed by Willstrop’s tremendous victory in the Round of 16, Simon simply imposed his will on the 2010 World Championship Finalist. After earning game-1 in a tiebreak, the German channeled the obvious adrenaline-boost into a mentally-focused and determined 3-game victory. It’s what champions do.
All eyes on Rösner. He’s locked-in, and competing on one of his favorite courts.
Rösner and Willstrop have a history in Doha
Over the past 8-years, these two champions have met 13-times on the PSA World Tour. James Willstrop has won 9 of those matches. Their first Tour-level meeting happened right here in Doha, in the 2nd-Round of the 2011 Qatar Classic. James Willstrop earned the win in 3-games and ultimately reached the 2011 Final. Before tonight, their most-recent PSA Tour meeting ALSO happened here in Doha, at last season’s Qatar Classic. Simon Rösner won it in three – and he too ultimately reached the Final.
► Nov 2019 | Rösner def Willstrop | QF World Championship – Score: 14-12, 11-6, 11-3 (46m)
► Apr 2017 | Rösner def Willstrop | *European Team Championship – Score: 13-11, 11-6, 11-6
► Nov 2016 | Rösner def Willstrop | R2 Qatar Classic – Score: 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (45m)
► Oct 2016 | Willstrop def Rösner | QF NetSuite Open – Score: 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 12-10 (79m)
► May 2016 | Rösner def Willstrop | *European Team Championship – Score: 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-2 (44m)
► Jan 2016 | Rösner def Willstrop | R2 Tournament of Champions – Score: 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 16-14 (80m)
► Mar 2015 | Rösner def Willstrop | QF Canary Wharf Classic – Score: 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 (36m)
► May 2014 | Willstrop def Rösner | R1 British Open – Score: 5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (72m)
► Apr 2014 | Willstrop def Rösner | QF Grasshopper Cup – Score: 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (61m)
► Dec 2013 | Willstrop def Rösner | R2 Hong Kong Open – Score: 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (52m)
► Oct 2013 | Willstrop def Rösner | QF US Open – Score: 11-5, 11-2, 8-11, 11-9 (59m)
► May 2013 | Willstrop def Rösner | R2 British Open – Score: 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 (41m)
► Jan 2013 | Willstrop def Rösner | RR World Series Finals – Score: 11-4, 11-8 (29m)
► May 2012 | Willstrop def Rösner | R1 British Open – Score: 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 (49m)
► Oct 2011 | Willstrop def Rösner | R2 Qatar Classic – Score: 11-5, 11-2, 14-12 (47m)
► Jul 2009 | Willstrop def Rösner | *World Games – Score: 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3 (48m)
► May 2008 | Willstrop def Rösner | *European Team Championship – Score: 3-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-5 (48m)
Announcer Corner | Player Introductions
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[5] Simon Rösner -06- (GER)
A Semifinalist last season at the World Championship in Chicago, this 32-year-old overcame Ben Coleman in Round-1 – endured a tight, physical battle with Declan James in Round-2 – then played his best squash of the season to take-out World #12 Joel Makin on Monday. With those three victories, he’s back in the Quarterfinals of the World Championship for a second time. Ranked as high as World #3, he captured his first Platinum title at the 2018 Tournament of Champions, is a 3-time Platinum Finalist, and owns 9 PSA titles in all. From Germany, he is World Games Gold Medalist – the German Tree Chopper – Simon Rösner.
► Last season, he reached back-to-back Platinum titles at the US Open and Qatar Classic
▲ R3 — def [11] Joel Makin -12- (WAL) | Score: 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (47m)
▲ R2 — def Declan James -22- (ENG) | Score: 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 (70m)
▲ R1 — def Ben Coleman -53- (ENG) | Score: 12-10, 4-11, 11-2, 11-2 (55m)
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James Willstrop -18- (ENG)
This 36-year-old requires no introduction. One of the most gifted shot-makers in the history of the sport, he was a Finalist at the 2010 PSA World Championship…and has reached the Semifinals in 6 of his 16 World Championship appearances. His road to today’s Quarterfinal included wins over George Parker, Youssef Ibrahim – and on Monday, a masterclass performance against World #4 and 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad – his biggest victory since winning Commonwealth Games Gold 2-Summers back on Australia’s Gold Coast. He owns 8 PSA Platinum titles, is a 19-time Platinum Finalist, and held the sport’s top-ranking for 11-months. From England – He is the Marksman, James Willstrop.
► During his last World Championship appearance in Doha (2012), James reached his 5th of 6 career World Championship Semifinals.
► Now in his 21st-season on Tour, he has been ranked inside the top-10 for astounding 10-years and 8-months.
► This was his 49th match in Qatar
▲ R3 — def [3] Karim Abdel Gawad -04- (EGY) | Score: 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10 (71m)
▲ R2 — def Youssef Ibrahim -43- (EGY) | Score: 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 (24m)
▲ R1 — def George Parker -42- (ENG) | Score: 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 (44m)
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