Visiting stars lead push to the Pyramids
By NATHAN CLARKE in New Giza
The closing day of qualification action at the 2016 Al Ahram Squash Open NewGiza saw a quartet of international players dash local hopes as all four Egyptian representatives in the Women’s finals bowed out – while their male counterparts were denied a clean sweep of victories by Scotland’s Greg Lobban.
Australian former World No.1 Rachael Grinham, Welsh star Tesni Evans, Malaysian Low Wee Wern and England’s Fiona Moverley all came through to defeat local players Mariam Metwally, Hana Ramadan, Nadine Shahin and Salma Hany Ibrahim to reach the main draw of the lucrative $100k tournament – offering equal prize money across the Men’s and Women’s draws – which will see live squash return to Egypt’s iconic Great Pyramids of Giza for the first time in a decade.
Grinham and Evans came through their encounters with relative ease but Wern and Moverley were forced to dig deep into their reserves to come through tough five-game battles with Shahin and Ramadan – with Moverley in particular impressing as she rallied from two-games down to seal the win and set up a first round encounter with Nicol David in a match that will take place on the stunning all-glass court situated in the shadow of the Great Pyramid.
In the Men’s event Lobban upset the seedings to take out fancied Egyptian talent Mohamed Abouleghar and prevent a local clean sweep in qualification, with Omar Abdel Meguid, Karim Ali Fathi and Mohamed Reda all moving into the main draw.
After the withdrawal of French top ten player Mathieu Castagnet this morning due to a calf injury, Egypt’s Zahed Mohamed will now also compete in the main draw as a lucky loser, and will face Spaniard Borja Golan.
2016 Al Ahram Squash Open, NewGiza, Cairo, Egypt.
PSA W100 Women’s Qualifying Finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [6] Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (27m)
[3] Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-2: 6-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 (53m)
[4] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [7] Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-2: 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 5-11, 11-7 (57m)
[2] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [8] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (37m)
1st qualifying round:
Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (23m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Jana Shiha (EGY) 11-7, 11-9, 11-1 (23m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (40m)
Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt Amina Yousry (EGY) 10-12, 13-11, 11-4, 11-6 (40m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 (53m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Kanzy Emad El Defrawy (EGY) 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bt Hana Moataz (EGY) 11-7, 16-14, 11-9 (39m)
Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11 (55m)
Draw – Women’s First Round:
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [Q] Rachael Grinham (AUS)
[Q] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [6] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
[8] Alison Waters (ENG) v Victoria Lust (ENG)
[WC] Nour El Tayeb v [4] Touran Gohar (EGY)
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[Q] Tesni Evans (WAL) v [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) v Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[Q] Fiona Moverley (ENG) v [2] Nicol David (MAS)
PSA M100 Men’s Qualifying Finals:
[6] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt [4] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3 (60m)
[3] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt [8] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 (34m)
[5] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt [2] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-3 (26m)
[7] Mohamed Reda (EGY) bt Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7 (51m)
1st qualifying round:
Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) 11-3, 4-1 ret.
Mohamed Reda (EGY) bt Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-2, 11-13, 11-4, 11-6 (40m)
Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt Karim Magdy (EGY) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (37m)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 14-12, 7-11, 11-1, 11-9 (45m)
Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt Marwan Tarek Abdelhamid (EGY) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (24m)
Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Shehab Essam (EGY) 11-4, 13-11, 11-5 (42m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 10-12, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 (60m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 14-12, 12-10, 11-3 (39m)
Draw – Men’s First Round:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[WC] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v [7] Simon Rösner (GER)
[8] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [5] Ali Farag (EGY)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [Q] Greg Lobban (SCO)
[Q] Mohamed Reda (EGY) v [6] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Borja Golan (ESP) v [LL] Zahed Mohamed (EGY)
[Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) v [2] Omar Mosaad (EGY)