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Mike Chan

France’s top squash player Victor Crouin said smarter scheduling over the next few seasons could be the key to challenging Egypt at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Victor Crouin was two points away from beating Ali Farag as the two countries battled it out in the men’s semi-finals of the World Team Championships in Hong Kong on Saturday, before the Egyptian bounced back to take the match 1-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6.
Reigning Hong Kong Squash Open champion Mostafa Asal then delivered the winning point over Baptiste Masotti to seal Egypt’s seventh straight world championship final appearance on Sunday.
And world No 12 Crouin had nothing but praise for his opponent after swallowing a “tough” loss.
“In the third game I could feel the adrenaline, I could feel the finish line and I try and stay cool, but Ali just kept fighting and was a bit better in the last few rallies of that game,” he said. “I lost quite quickly [in the fourth] but I came back with a lot of intention in the fifth.

“He’s world No 1 for a reason, and obviously I can learn a lot from this match and be proud of myself, especially for those first two games and hopefully I can use that to my advantage in the second half of the season. I’m quite happy to have fought hard until the end for the team and to have been close.”
The 25-year-old from Marseille also said playing fewer tournaments leading up to the Games could be the key to “narrowing the gaps” with the Egyptians.
“We’ve already thought a lot about the process of how to get ready and how to get to our peak at the Olympics,” he said. “We don’t know if we’ll still be in the Olympics in 2032 so we might not get another shot. We know how historic and important it’s going to be.
“I think the goal is to try and play fewer events so that we have more time to train and to keep building up and developing ourselves as players and get to the Olympics with a healthy body, not being just tired of having played four seasons full on without any rest.
“There’s a balance right between training hard and then competing around the globe, we tend to end up competing a bit too much and as we get older you need to think about just recovering and training and trying to keep the body sane and healthy.”
In the second semi-final at the glass court positioned on Hong Kong Football Club’s main pitch, England edged out Switzerland by taking the first two matches to set up a sixth straight final against Egypt. England have only come out on top once, in 2013, in the past five finals.


Hong Kong Squash Open: Egypt stars Nour El Sherbini and Mostafa Asal crowned champions

Hong Kong Squash Open: El Sherbini ‘not done yet’ after toppling world’s best El Hammamy

Hong Kong Squash Open: Japan’s Watanabe summons grit to shock teenager Orfi

Hong Kong Squash Open: Mostafa Asal 2 wins from title but misses facing retired Farag

Hong Kong Squash Open

Egypt’s squash rivals will need to work smarter to beat world’s best in LA, Crouin says

France’s Victor Crouin (right) was two points away from beating Egypt’s Ali Farag in the men’s semi-finals of the World Team Championships: Instagram /wsfworldsquash

Mostafa Asal (left) got the better of Baptiste Masotti. Photo: World Squash Federation

El Hammamy pays tribute to Nour El Sherbini, as imperious Egypt maintain world title quest

Hania El Hammamy is aiming for her second World Squash Team Championships title with Egypt. Photo: Edmond So

Nour El Sherbini (right) is acting as the ‘big sister’ in a formidable Egypt team. Photo: Jonathan Wong

US star Olivia Weaver explains why squash belongs on ‘greatest stage’ of Olympic Games

Olivia Weaver (right) is set to return to action after recovering from the back injury she suffered in her Hong Kong Squash Open semi-final match against Nour El Sherbini. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Weaver (left) is confident squash will thrive on sport’s greatest stage at the Olympic Games. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Egypt’s men in finals of the World Team Squash Championships for seventh straight tournament, and seem destined to win Olympic gold in 2028


Egypt’s men in finals of the World Team Squash Championships for seventh straight tournament, and seem destined to win Olympic gold in 2028.


Egypt’s squash rivals will need to work smarter to beat world’s best in LA, Crouin says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Egypt’s men in finals of the World Team Squash Championships for seventh straight tournament, and seem destined to win Olympic gold in 2028

Egypt’s men in finals of the World Team Squash Championships for seventh straight tournament, and seem destined to win Olympic gold in 2028