20 Facts About Ramy Ashour

Ramy Ashour became the youngest player to reach number one in the world since the 1980s, as well as the first ever two-time World Junior Squash Champion.

En route to the final, Ramy Ashour defeated world number 10 John White, world number 3 Thierry Lincou, and world number 2 David Palmer.

Ramy Ashour won his first major professional title in January 2007, by defeating Palmer in 32 minutes, in the final of the Canadian Squash Classic.

Also in 2007, Ramy Ashour was invited to the ATCO World Series Squash Finals event, where he competed against the other seven top points earners of the season.

Ramy Ashour played Nick Matthew at the 2009 Saudi International Open, the outcome of which would determine not only the winner of the championship but the next world number one.

Ramy Ashour won the match, his longest ever on the PSA tour, in a gruelling 110-minute, 5-game battle.

Ramy Ashour slipped behind Matthew again in early 2011, but Ashour then won the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions title for the second time since 2008, beating Matthew in the final match.

At the 2011 Australian Open, Ramy Ashour beat Matthew, the tournament's defending champion, in another five-game match.

Ramy Ashour furthered his attempt toward reclaiming his world number one ranking by defeating Matthew once more at the 2011 Rowe British Grand Prix, winning the match 3 games to 1.

At the Allam British Open in May, Ramy Ashour missed the opportunity to be the first Egyptian title holder, after Abou Taleb in 1966, by losing to his old rival and defending champion Matthew.

Ramy Ashour then went undefeated in the second half of 2012, winning all four tournaments in which he took part.

Ramy Ashour added two PSA world tour titles to his resume within two weeks.

Ramy Ashour beat his long running rivals, Willstrop and Matthew, in the semi-final and final of the North American Open in Richmond, Virginia, claiming his second North American Open title.

Twelve days later, Ramy Ashour won his 30th tour title by taking the Kuwait PSA Cup.

Ramy Ashour defeated defending champion Willstrop in the final, and extended his run of consecutive major PSA titles to seven.

In May, Ramy Ashour clinched his first British Open championship, becoming the first Egyptian to win the tournament since Abou Taleb in 1966.

Ramy Ashour extended his unbeaten run to 41 matches, with his last previous loss taking place at the 2012 British Open final in London, exactly a year previously.

An unfortunate turn of events left Ramy Ashour plagued with a chronic hamstring problem at the peak of his career.

Ramy Ashour was known for his unique playing style, often referred to as 'The Artist'; he was regarded by many, to be one of the most naturally gifted players to ever play the game.

Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 2017 world champion, once commented after losing in two world finals to him, as Ramy Ashour being 'the best of the best'; Jonah Barrington, one of the Squash greats, ranks him as equal to Pakistani legends Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan who dominated the game in the 1980s and 1990s.