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Hurghada Squash International, Cairo and Hurghada, Egypt

 

Men's final:

[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [1] Amr Shabana (EGY)   11-10 (2-0), 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-10 (2-0) (79m)

 

Women's final:

[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG)       9-1, 9-4, 9-2 (34m)

 

Ashour & Kawy In Hurghada Home Double

 

Second seed Ramy Ashour and third seed Omneya Abdel Kawy, both from Cairo, produced a popular home double in the Hurghada Squash International in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada after upsets over higher-ranked opponents in contrasting finals.

 

In a thrilling climax to the men's $61,250 5-star PSA Tour event, world No2 Ashour faced his illustrious compatriot Amr Shabana, the world number one appearing in his sixth successive Tour final.

 

It was a seesaw encounter - with 20-year-old Ashour twice taking game leads before his experienced opponent came back to draw level.

 

In a close decider, the young pretender had two match balls from 10-7.  But Shabana saved both and delighted the packed crowd when he drew level at ten-all. 

 

But Ashour made no mistake with his third chance, striking a superb low drive glued to the forehand wall to clinch a sensational 11-10 (2-0), 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-10 (2-0) victory after 79 minutes.

 

The triumph marked the ninth PSA Tour title of Ashour's career - and his second win over Shabana this year.

 

"The season is still young.  There are plenty of opportunities to win matches and tournaments," an upbeat Shabana told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards.

 

In the final of the women's $26,200 WISPA World Tour event, Kawy took on Jenny Duncalf, the No2 seed from England who had dropped only one game en-route to the climax.

 

Kawy the 22-year-old from Cairo who beat Australia's defending champion Rachael Grinham in the semi-finals to reach the final for the fifth year in a row, was in commanding form - racing to an 8-0 lead in the first game before winning it 9-1.

 

Duncalf led 4-1 in the second - but Kawy reclaimed the advantage to romp to a 9-1, 9-4, 9-2 victory in just 34 minutes.

 

"It was so nice to hear people chanting my name," said Kawy after her second title triumph at Hurghada.

 

IOC Member (Egypt), General Mounir Sabet,
with the WISPA finalists

 


 

Men's semi-finals:

[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [3] Karim Darwish (EGY)                      8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 (49m)

[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [4] Wael El Hindi (EGY)                       9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (58m)

 

Women's semi-finals:

[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS)       5-9, 9-2, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 (84m)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [6] Raneem El Weleily (EGY)             9-1, 9-3, 10-9 (42m)

 

Shabana & Ashour In Dream Hurghada Final

 

The world's top two players Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour will contest a dream all-Egyptian men's Hurghada International final after prevailing in similar four-game semi-finals in the $61,250 5-star PSA Tour squash event in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

 

Both players faced determined opposition from fellow countrymen:  Shabana, the world number one and top seed from Giza, got the better of third seed Karim Darwish, beating the 26-year-old from Cairo 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 in 49 minutes to reach the 29th Tour final of his career - and the sixth in succession since October.

 

Ashour, the 20-year-old world No2, conquered a fired-up fourth seed Wael El Hindi 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 in 58 minutes and will now contest his ninth PSA final in 15 months.

 

The men's climax will mark Shabana and Ashour's seventh Tour meeting since their first in October 2006 - and the fourth in a row in PSA event finals.  Shabana currently leads the head-to-head tally 4/2.

 

The final of the women's $26,200 WISPA World Tour event will be the first since 2002 not to feature Rachael Grinham.  The top-seeded Australian, going for her fourth title in five years, was beaten 5-9, 9-2, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 in 84 minutes by Egyptian rival Omneya Abdel Kawy - after failing to convert two match-balls in the fourth game.

 

Kawy, the 22-year-old third seed from Cairo who won the title two years ago, is celebrating her 15th WISPA final.

 

Her opponent will be England's second seed Jenny Duncalf, who put paid to a second all-Egyptian final in Hurghada by beating Raneem El Weleily, the sixth seed from Alexandria, 9-1, 9-3, 10-9.

 

Duncalf, the 25-year-old world No6 from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is marking her sixth Tour final appearance - and her fifth WISPA meeting with Kawy since 2003.  Omneya leads the head-to-heads 3/1.

 

Both finals will take place on Sunday.

 


 

Men's quarter-finals (bottom half of draw):

[4] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [8] Omar Mosaad (EGY)                 11-10 (3-1), 11-5, 11-9 (52m)

[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)             11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (27m)

 

Women's quarter-finals (bottom half of draw):

[6] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [4] Engy Kheirallah (EGY)       9-3, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-6 (72m)

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [5] Sharon Wee (MAS)                 3-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-2 (37m)

 

El Weleily Conquers Kheirallah In Hurghada Upset

 

Egyptian teenager Raneem El Weleily upset her higher-ranked compatriot Engy Kheirallah in five games in the women's quarter-finals of the Hurghada International to earn a third successive appearance in the semi-finals of the $26,200 WISPA World Tour squash event in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

 

The 19-year-old sixth seed took the opening two games - but the experienced Kheirallah, seeded two positions higher, regained the upper hand thereafter to force the match into a fifth game decider.

 

Inspired by the presence of her family and her coach Sherine Adel, Raneem led 5-2 in the decider and resisted a fight back by her opponent before recording a mighty 9-3, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-6 victory in 72 minutes.

 

El Weleily will now face her first non-Egyptian in the event when she meets England's Jenny Duncalf for a place in the final.  Duncalf, the No2 seed, recovered from a game down to beat Malaysia's fifth seed Sharon Wee 3-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-2.

 

In the all-Egyptian men's quarter-final line-up in the $61,250 5-star PSA Tour event, rising star Ramy Ashour made short work of Omar Abdel Aziz, beating the qualifier 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in just 27 minutes.

 

The 20-year-old second seed from Cairo - playing for the first time in Hurghada - will now face fourth seed Wael El Hindi, who took out Omar Mosaad, the eighth seed, 11-10 (3-1), 11-5, 11-9 in a close-fought 52-minute battle.

 


 

Men's 1st round (top half of draw):

[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Amr Mansi (EGY)                      11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-8 (29m)

Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [6] Ong Beng Hee (MAS)        2-11, 11-10 (2-0), 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 (88m)

[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA)                11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 (61m)

[5] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Omar Elborolossy (EGY)           11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (38m)

 

Shorbagy Ensures All-Egyptian
Last Eight Line-Up In Hurghada

 

Unseeded Alexandria teenager Mohamed El Shorbagy pulled off a remarkable upset over Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee, the world No12, on the second day of first round action in the Hurghada International to set up a surprise all-Egyptian quarter-final line-up in the $61,250 5-star PSA Tour squash event in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

 

Shorbagy belied his 17-year age as he twice recovered from game deficits against his sixth-seeded opponent to record a stunning 2-11, 11-10 (2-0), 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 win in 88 minutes.

 

"In the fourth, I was 2/1 and 8/3 down, and very tired - so I told myself no more risk, don’t play any shots near the tin, be very patient," Shorbagy told www.squashsite.co.uk.  "And the incredible happened - he lost his concentration completely.  It was very strange.