Ibrahim Stuns No.4 Seed Gilis On Day Two Of CIB Egyptian Open

Egyptian World No.32 Sana Ibrahim provided the first major shock of the new PSA Squash Tour season as she gatecrashed the third round of the 2024 CIB Egyptian Open with a stunning win over Belgian World No.4 Nele Gilis in a four-game fight at Club O West, Cairo.

The second-round match appeared to be going to seeding when No.4 seed Gilis took the opening game 11-8, only for Ibrahim to launch a brilliant counter attack, levelling with an 11-6 win.

From here, the 21-year-old threw Gilis off her rhythm with relentless pressure, explained afterwards by Ibrahim as part of a renewed focus on building up her own stamina.

This proved extremely effective, with Ibrahim taking game three 11-8 and, after saving Gilis’ game ball at 9-10, clinching the victory as she converted her third match ball for a 14-12 win in game four.

“I feel confident. Every time I played her and I lost, I never deserved to win because she works really hard and I wasn’t working really hard before. But I made up my mind, to be in my home in my country, I’m going to win,” Ibrahim said.

Also through today was USA’s Amanda Sobhy, who returned to the tour after almost nine months out with injury to defeat Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold 3-1.

Among those joining Ibrahim and Sobhy in the next round is 20-year-old Nour Heikal, who, after coming through a brutal three-match qualifying run to reach the main draw, battled back from two games down to get the better of Egyptian compatriot Malak Khafagy 13-15, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 in an at times bad-tempered contest to set up a third round clash with Ibrahim.

Ibrahim and Heikal were just two of ten players to launch comebacks today, with Lucy Turmel, Sivasangari Subramaniam and Georgia Adderley all coming from behind in the women’s event to secure wins.

In the men’s draw, England’s Marwan ElShorbagy impressed as he inflicted the sole men’s seeding casualty with a 3-2 win over No.6 seed and former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad.

ElShorbagy looked in trouble when he went 0-2 down, but found a way to battle through, digging in to take the next three games 11-6, 11-2, 11-7.

Through alongside Marwan was his brother, Mohamed ElShorbagy, who came through an all-English encounter with Nathan Lake to secure a 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 win.

In the final match of the day, France’s Victor Crouin survived an epic five-gamer against 16-year-old qualifier Mohamad Zakaria. Crouin made the better start, taking the opener 11-8, before Zakaria fired back to draw level with an 11-9 win and then pull ahead with an 11-5.

Crouin, however, held out, taking the match to a fifth game with an 11-6 win in game four before taking a contentious final game 11-3.

Round three of the CIB Egyptian Open begins tomorrow (Sunday 01 September) from 12:30 (GMT+3).

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Results: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Women’s Round Two

[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 14-12 (38m)
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Marina Stefanoni (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-7 (34m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-1: 15-13, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7 (41m)
[6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (28m)
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) w/o Melissa Alves (FRA)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-2: 15-13, 9-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-4 (55m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-9, 11-5 (28m)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 12-10 (31m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt [4] Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 14-12 (63m)
Nour Heikal (EGY) bt Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-2: 13-15, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (68m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5 (53m)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [8] Joelle King (NZL) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (40m)
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Salma Eltayeb (EGY) 3-1: 11-1, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY): 3-2: 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (52m)
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 3-1: 11-3, 5-11, 11-5, 11-3 (32m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Barb Sameh (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-2 (25m)

Results: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Men’s Round Two

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Curtis Malik (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 (40m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 3-2: 11-7, 11-7, 2-11, 3-11, 11-5 (51m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-9, 11-1, retired (30m)
[5] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 13-11 (68m)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (57m)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 (32m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) 3-1: 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 4-0 ret. (56m)
[4] Diego Elias (PER) bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 (34m)
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (53m)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 3-1: 11-3, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7 (64m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (34m)
[8] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-1: 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (39m)
Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) bt [6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (60m)
Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) 3-2: 11-8, 9-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3 (74m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Iker Pajares (ESP) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (49m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 (27m)

Draw: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Women’s Round Three

[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) v Amina Orfi (EGY)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [6] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
[5] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v Lucy Turmel (ENG)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v Nour Heikal (EGY)
Nada Abbas (EGY) v Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Georgia Adderley (SCO)
Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Draw: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Men’s Round Three

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v [5] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [4] Diego Elias (PER)
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [8] Mohamed Elshorbagy
Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) v Victor Crouin (FRA)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)