Challenger Tour Round-Up: Mohamed and El Torkey Win Florida and Finland Titles

Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash 2024

Farida Mohamed claimed her second title of 2024, and her eighth overall on the PSA Tour, beating Lucy Beecroft in an accomplished display at the Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash final. 

The two players are separated by just five spots in the world rankings, but Mohamed had won all five of their previous encounters, and raced into a 3-0 lead in game one here. 

Beecroft found her feet and levelled at 5-5, but Mohamed wrestled back control and soon had four game balls after going 10-6 up on a delicate backhand drop. 

The Englishwoman saved the first with a cross-court backhand that found the nick, and was back within two points after a stroke decision down the right-hand side. 

Mohamed, though, closed out the game with another backhand drop, this time flicked cross court to send her opponent the wrong way. 

Game two followed a similar pattern, with Mohamed moving 10-6 up only for Beecroft to threaten a comeback by winning the next two points, before being stopped in her tracks by a brilliant backhand kill. 

Determined to keep momentum on her side, the No.1 seed continued to control proceedings early in the third, establishing a 5-1 lead with another backhand drop, a shot that continued to serve her well. 

A high backhand volley kill made it 8-3, and Mohamed soon had five match balls when an ambitious Beecroft drop found the tin from deep in the court. 

Just as she had in the first two games, Beecroft battled to the end, threatening another comeback by reeling off the next three points, but she would ultimately fall short, as Mohamed found the nick on a backhand return of serve to clinch victory.

Result: 
[1] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt [2] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 3-0 : 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 (25m) 

Omar El Torkey claimed his second successive Challenger Tour title, beating top seed Hafiz Zhafri in the Hollolan Kuntokeidas PSA final. 

El Torkey – the No.7 seed – is the lower-ranked of the two players, but arguably came into this matchup as the favourite, having not only won the Aldi Hinckley Challenger last week, but also reached this final without dropping a game. 

Zhafri, in contrast, had come through a 91-minute, five-game marathon to beat Louai Hafez in the quarter-finals, before beating Manuel Paquemar 3-1 in the semis. 

That difference in court time perhaps proved decisive, as El Torkey eased his way to a 3-0 victory in just half an hour, winning 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. 

Victory not only clinches a second straight Challenger Tour title for the Egyptian, but also extends his remarkable record this calendar year, having won four consecutive Satellite tournaments before his two most recent triumphs. 

Result: 
[7] Omar El Torkey (EGY) bt [1] Hafiz Zhafri (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (31m)