Squash Inspire – Women’s Open: Fouts into First Final, Garas Fights Back to Beat Baltayan

Caroline Fouts booked a spot in her first PSA Tour final, beating Danielle Ray in the semi-finals of the Squash Inspire – Women’s Open presented by Expression Networks LLC & Play Squash Academy. 

Fouts has enjoyed an impressive start to 2024, reaching the British Junior Open final before beating World No.20 Melissa Alves at the J.P. Mogan Tournament of Champions, and has followed that up with a run to the final here in Maryland, where she will play Nardine Garas. 

The 18-year-old American had reached the semi-finals of five Challenger Tour events in 2023, but a maiden final had eluded her up to this point. 

That changed with an impressive win over Ray, though, in which Fouts won game one on a tie break, 14-12, and then took the next two 11-6, 11-9, to secure a straight-games win. 

Egypt’s Garas, meanwhile, is into her second PSA Tour final, after staging an impressive fightback to beat talented young Frenchwoman Lauren Baltayan. 

Baltayan had showcased her talents in beating Yasshmita Jadish Kumar and Menna Walid to reach this stage, and found herself on the brink of another impressive win at 2-0 up in this one. 

Getting over the line and into the final would prove to be one step too far, though, with the more experienced Garas overturning the two-game deficit to win 3-2 in just shy of an hour. 

The Squash Inspire – Women’s Open final will be broadcast live on the Play Squash Academy Instagram channel.

Results: Women’s Semi-Finals 

[3] Nardine Garas (EGY) bt Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-2: 9-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 (59m) 
[5] Caroline Fouts (USA) bt Danielle Ray (CAN) 3-0: 14-12, 11-6, 11-9 (38m)