Diego Elias (Photo PSA)
Four-time champion Diego Elias survived a quarter-final scare at the DR21 Motor City Open, with the top seed holding off a five-game comeback from fellow South American Miguel Rodriguez to advance to the last four of the Silver-level event.
Elias, who has lifted the title in Detroit in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, is playing his first event since getting injured at the Egyptian Open last September, and the World No.3 was made to work extremely hard to overcome 40-year-old Rodriguez by an 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 2-11, 11-5 scoreline.
Despite a slow start to the match, in which Elias fell 5-2 down, the ‘Peruvian Puma’ began to find his marks as he took the first game 11-8 and had soon after doubled his advantage after 27 minutes of play.
At this point, Elias looked well on course for a routine straight games win, but saw former British Open winner Rodriguez show impressive resolve to win three straight points from 9-8 down in the third to reduce the deficit to 2-1. A quick-fire five-minute fourth game followed which Rodriguez raced through by an 11-2 scoreline, before Elias rediscovered his levels when he most needed them to hold off the World No.24 in the decider and wrap up the win after 64 minutes of play.
Elias will face No.8 seed Yahya Elnawasany for a spot in the title decider, after the Egyptian ended the run of unseeded Ramit Tandon in straight games. The 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 win saw the World No.34 advance to the semi-finals of a Silver-level event for the first time in his career.
In the bottom half of the draw, No.2 seed Marwan ElShorbagy and No.4 seed Dimitri Steinmann set up a semi-final meeting after the pair claimed victories in their respective quarter-finals against Timothy Brownell and Karim El Hammamy.
England’s ElShorbagy continued his search for a first title of the 2025/26 PSA Squash Tour season after seeing off Egypt’s El Hammamy 11-5, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6 after 66 minutes of play.
Steinmann, meanwhile, defeated U.S. No.1 Brownell by an 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 scoreline to reach his first semi-final of the 2025/26 season.
Quarter Final Results: [1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [5] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-2: 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 2-11, 11-5 (64m); [8] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (31m); [4] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt [7] Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (38m); [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6 (66m)
