2024/25 Season kicks off with CIB Egyptian Open Qualifying at Cairo’s OWest Complex
The first major event of the 2024/25 season – and the first ever PSA Diamond level event – began today at the OWest Complex in Cairo’s 6th of October region with 32 Qualifying First Round Matches on four of the complex’s traditional courts. Three wins are required to earn entry into the 48-player main draws, with four spots available in each of the men’s and women’s $330k draws.
There was heavy home interest, with Egyptian winners in 15 of the matches, with a good number of upsets and hard-fought battles along the way.
The biggest casualty came in the first set of matches, as France’s Women’s Qualifying top seed Enora Villard crashed out in straight games to wildcard Barb Sameh. Not long afterwards, second-seeded Finn Emilia Soini—who won Bronze at the European Individuals last weekend—also went out, as Habiba ElShazli came from a game down to advance.
Elsewhere in the women’s matches Nour Heikal gave herself a fright against French Lauren Baltayan, up 2/0, she saw her opponent clawing back 2/2, then up 10/4 in the decider, only managed to clinch the last game 11/9.
“I was 10/4 in the 5th, I don’t know what happened, my mind just goes places” confessed a very relieved Egyptian… “It’s been happening a lot in the pre-season training, being up 2/0, then losing the match. But happy that I got through it today, that I didn’t lose the match.”
England’s Saran Nghiem also needed all five games to advance at the expense of Malak Fathy.
“Just mentally tough for me, I wasn’t concentrating all the way through, but I was happy that the physicality backed it up a bit” admitted the young English girl. “I felt that that’s where my base was because my shots were not as great, and I couldn’t see my options today, which is hard and happens to everyone.
“I’m glad I was able to get through it and change some things in the end…”
In the men’s matches, second-seeded American Shahjahan Khan lost to Colombian Matias Knudsen in four games.
Freshly graduated from American College, Knudsen explained “I think I was able to put everything together quite well today. I’ve been training really hard this off-season. It’s the first off-season I’ve had since graduating from Drexel University. I spent five years of my life there, got my Master’s, and always knew I wanted to go on the Tour.
“I worked in Barcelona, with Victor Montserrat for a month, a little break to go to Peru for the Pan Am Games, and then here in Cairo for a couple of weeks, I stayed with my friend Moustafa Elsirty, who I’m actually playing tomorrow!”
Czechia’s Viktor Brytus and Egyptian wildcards Khaled Labib and Ziad Ibrahim both advanced at the expense of seeded players.
Ibrahim is involved in a section of the draw featuring three of the world’s top juniors of recent times – the wildcard beat England’s Jonah Bryant in four games and now meets compatriot Mohamed Zakaria who won in a battle of World Junior Champions over Dutchman Rowan Damming.
“I thought I closed these games better than I have in the past in those situations” stated the World Junior Champion. “I’ve been working with my coach Ahmed Shohayeb to stay as little time as possible on court. Maybe I’m not the best now, but I’m sure I’m on the right track.”
The longest match lasted 82m, for only 4 games, and saw Spanish Ivan Perez take out seeded American Spencer Lovejoy.
“First time in Egypt, I normally don’t get the chance to get into those tournaments” explained the Spaniard. “Spencer is really a strong opponent. I never played him but I watched him a lot in the bigger tournaments that he gets to play, as his ranking is better than mine.
“I got on court with the feeling and the belief I could beat anyone, if I can play focused the whole match, which I nearly did today!
“I really wanted this win, I really need this win. I had a really tough season last season, not playing my best squash, so I wanted to start this season better.”
Round Two takes place on two courts on Tuesday, with the finals on Wednesday.
Qualifying Round One Results :
Women’s :
[3] Cindy Merlo (Sui) 3-1 Salma El Alfy (Egy) 11-1, 11-2, 5-11, 11-9 (65m)
Nour Khafagy (Egy) 3-1 [11] Amina El Rihany (Egy) 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 (41m)
[10] Rana Ismail (Egy) 3-0 Sofia Mateos (Esp) 11-9, 11-3, 11-9 (22m)
[7] Asia Harris (Eng) 3-1 Ingy Hammouda (Egy)11-2, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[15] Hannah Craig (Irl) 3-2 Nour Ramy (Egy) 5-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-7 (36m)
[9] Menna Walid (Egy) 3-2 Ali Loke (Wal) 11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 8-11, 11-4 (36m)
Barb Sameh (Egy) 3-0 [1] Enora Villard (Fra) 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 (24m) [wc] Habiba ElShazli (Egy) 3-1 [2] Emila Soini (Fin) 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (36m)
Kiera Marshall (Eng) 3-0 [12] Sarah Cardwell (Aus) 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 (29m)
[wc] Jana Swaify (Egy) 3-0 [13] Nadia Pfister (Sui) 11-5, 11,9, 11-2 (23m)
[8] Nour Heikal (Egy) 3-2 Lauren Baltayan (Fra) 11-4, 11-9, 5-11, 10-12, 11-9 (48m) [5] Marina Stefanoni (Usa) 3-0 Elise Romba (Fra) 11-6, 11-3, 11-3 (24m)
[14] Alison Thomson (Sco) 3-1 Jacqueline Peychar (Aut) 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (41m)
[wc] Ruqayya Salem (Egy) 3-0 [16] Lowri Roberts (Wal) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (22m)
[4] Torrie Malik (Eng) 3-0 Lojayn Gohary (Egy) 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 (25m)
Men’s :
[1] Rory Stewart (Sco) 3-0 Edwin Clain (Fra) 11-7, 11-2, 11-7 (31m)
[5] Toufik Mekhalfi (Fra) 3-0 Finnlay Withington (Eng) 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (26m)
Viktor Byrtus (Cze) 3-2 [10] Sanjay Jeeva (Ind) 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 5-11, 11-7 (61m)
[6] Ibrahim Elkabbani (Egy) 3-1 Seif Shenawy (Egy) 11-1, 6-11, 11-2, 11-3 (36m)
[wc] Ziad Ibrahim (Egy) 3-1 [9] Jonah Bryant (Eng) 7-11, 15-13, 11-9, 11-7 (57m)
[14] Emyr Evans (Wal) 3-0 Yannik Omlor (Ger) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
[3] Cesar Salazar (Mex) 3-0 Perry Malik (Eng) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (34m)
(61m) [4] Ryunosukue Tsukue (Jpn) 3-0 Aqeel Rehman (Aut) 11-3, 11-2, 11-2 (21m)
[16] Yassin Elshafei (Egy) 3-0 Martin Svec (Cze) 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 (28m)
[wc] Khaled Labib (Egy) 3-2 [13] Mazen Gamal (Egy) 11-2, 7-11, 8-11, 18-16, 11-1 (74m)
[7] Aly Hussein (Egy) 3-0 Yehia Essam (Egy) 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (35m) [5] Yannick Wilhelmi (Sui) 3-0 Hazen Hossam (Egy) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (33m)
Ivan Perez (Esp) 3-1 [12] Spencer Lovejoy (Usa) 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 (82m)
[11] Moustafa El Sirty (Egy) 3-1 Owain Taylor (Wal) 11-4, 11-9, 3-11, 11-3 (46m)
Matias Knudsen (Col) 3-1 [2] Shahjahan Khan (Usa) 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6 (50m)
