Throwback Thursday: Story of the 2016 Women’s Hong Kong Open

The Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open gets under way next week when the top players across both the Men’s and Women’s Tours battle it out for more points on the PSA World Series Standings.

Join us as we take a look back at the story of the 2016 Women’s Hong Kong Open.

Results – Round One
[12] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Victoria Lust (ENG) 3-2: 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 14-16, 12-10 (94m)
[16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 3-2: 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-7 (60m)
[8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (25m)
[10] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [Q] Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-3, 11-6 (26m)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-1: 4-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (28m)
[11] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (44m)
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (29m)
[13] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (36m)
[15] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [Q] Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 (31m)
[WC] Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) bt [14] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 3-2: 1-11, 4-11, 11-7, 18-16, 11-7 (52m)
[9] Joelle King (NZL) bt [Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (44m)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [Q] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (30m)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-2: 11-6, 9-11, 15-13, 7-11, 11-3 (60m)
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) 3-2: 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-6 (52m)
[4] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Tesni Evans (WAL) 3-2: 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-5 (68m)

Tournament wildcard Ho Tze-Lok stole the headlines as she knocked out former World No.2 Jenny Duncalf in a huge upset.
Ho rallied from 2-0 down to send Duncalf out of the tournament at the first-round stage for the second year in a row.

The Englishwoman looked on course for an easy win after taking the first two games 11-1 and 11-4 but the wildcard fought back, slowing the game down take Duncalf out of her rhythm and it paid off as she took the next three games to win the match.

Defending champion Nicol David also avoided a scare in round one as she came through a tough 68-minute encounter with Wales Tesni Evans.

Meanwhile, England’s Sarah Jane Perry came through a brutal, 94-minute encounter with compatriot Victoria Lust.

Perry was in complete control during the opening stages of the match, opening up a two-game lead, but was dragged into a battle by Lust as she upped her game in the third to take the next two games. However, Lust couldn’t find the crucial killer touch in the fifth, losing to a relieved Perry.

Results – Round Two
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [12] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (41m)
[8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [10] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 (24m)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [13] Alison Waters (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (40m)
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [WC] Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (25m)
[16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 (37m)
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [11] Annie Au (HKG) 3-1: 18-16, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7 (45m)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [15] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-2 (39m)
[4] Nicol David (MAS) bt [9] Joelle King (NZL) 3-2: 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 (62m)

Egyptian Nour El Tayeb stole the headlines in round two as she defeated best friend and number three seed Raneem El Welily.

El Tayeb played some of her best squash to overcome her compatriot as she held her nerve to win 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.

Malaysian icon, David, faced another testing five-game encounter, this time against New Zealand’s Joelle King.

The eight-time World Champion was forced to come from 2-1 down against the Kiwi to keep her hopes of an 11th consecutive title alive.

Results – Quarter-Finals
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [16] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (27m)
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 (20m)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [2] Laura Massaro (ENG) 3-2: 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 14-12 (80m)
[4] Nicol David (MAS) bt [6] Camille Serme (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2 (49m)

World Junior Champion Nouran Gohar secured a semi-final berth after coming through a brutal five-game encounter with England’s then-World No.2 Laura Massaro.

Gohar took a 2-0 lead before Massaro showed her famous resilience that has epitomised her career to come back and level the scores. However, it was Gohar who was able to hold her nerve in the fifth to take the match on a tie-break.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s David made sure she celebrated her 33rd birthday in style as she saw off the threat of Frenchwoman Camille Serme to reach the semi-finals. Whilst America’s Amanda Sobhy saw off the threat of Egypt’s El Tayeb in straight games.

Results – Semi-Finals
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 (33m)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [4] Nicol David (MAS) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9 (57m)

18-year-old Gohar followed up her quarter-final victory with another strong performance to end David’s unprecedented 10-year winning-streak at the Hong Kong Open.

Before that match, David had gone an astonishing 58 matches unbeaten at the PSA World Series tournament, a streak that extended back beyond 2006 but the Malaysian icon came unstuck against a ferocious hitting Gohar who outmuscled David to reach the final.

Meanwhile, Sobhy came from 4-0 down in the first game to then save five game balls as she saw off World No.1 and top seed Nour El Sherbini in straight games.

Result – Final
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-1: 6-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 (43m)

Gohar got off to a slow start against American Sobhy, quickly falling behind and losing the first game by an 11-6 margin.

However, the Egyptian teenager managed to lift her game and turn the match around by saving four game balls in the second to snatch it 12-10. From that moment on, Gohar was in complete in control and dominated the court to secure the title courtesy of a 6-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 win.

“I can’t believe it,” said Gohar following her title win.

“I was 1-0 down and 10-7 down in the second game and I was just trying to stay on court and not be beaten 3-0 in the final.

“I tried to fight for every point and it paid off in the end. I told myself it is a final and you have to give everything to win and I’m so happy – it’s an amazing feeling to win a World Series tournament.”