Sameh Downs Top Seed As Qualifying Gets Underway At CIB Egyptian Open 2024

The 2024-25 PSA Squash Tour season got underway yesterday as 64 players looked to advance in the qualifying event at the CIB Egyptian Open 2024.

In the women’s event, Egypt’s Barb Sameh downed French top seed Enora Villard in the biggest upset of the day. Sameh used the home setting to her advantage as she dominated proceedings to win 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 in just 24 minutes. Sameh will now face compatriot Menna Walid, who needed five games to move past Wales’ Ali Loke.

They were just two of eight Egyptian winners on the opening day of qualification. Three wildcards claimed surprise victories as Habiba ElShazli, Jana Swaify and Ruqayya Salem all moved through to the second round to give them a chance of being one of the four players to make it through to the main draw.

Seven European players booked spots in the women’s second round, including No.6 seed and Manchester Open quarter finalist Saran Nghiem. The Harvard student came through a tough hour-long contest with Malak Fathy to move into round two. There, she will face Ireland’s Hannah Craig who also needed all five games to defeat Nour Ramy. English trio Asia Harris, Torrie Malik and Kiera Marshall were also joined by Scotland’s Alison Thomson and Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo in advancing.

In the men’s event, talented Colombian Matias Knudsen produced the result of the day as he beat USA’s No.2 seed Shahjahan Khan in four games. The 24-year-old found himself level at 1-1 but managed to pull away well from Khan to win 11-4, 11-6 in the final two games. A clash with Moustafa Elsirty is next for Knudsen after the Egyptian defeated Wales’ Owain Taylor in four games.

In a section full of young, exciting talent, reigning World Junior Champion Mohamed Zakaria defeated former World Junior champ Rowan Damming in straight games. He was set to play Jonah Bryant in the following round, before Bryant fell at the hands of Egyptian wildcard Ziad Ibrahim in four games. Khaled Labib was the other Egyptian wildcard to advance after beating the experienced Mazen Gamal in five games.

Two European players scored the only other seeding upsets on day one. Czech Republic’s Viktor Byrtus managed to hold off a spirited comeback from Sanjay Jeeva to win 3-2. Further down the draw, Spain’s Ivan Perez downed USA’s Spencer Lovejoy in a lengthy 82-minute four game clash.

The second round of qualifying is currently underway, with action live on SQUASHTV.

For more information on the event, follow PSA Squash Tour on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. 

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)

[6] Saran Nghiem (Eng) 3-2 Malak Fathy (Egy) 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 (61m)
[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)

[8] Mohamed Zakaria (Egy) 3-0 Rowan Damming (Ned) 11-5, 12-10, 13-11 (55m)
[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)

[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)