Challenger Tour Round-up: El Sirty Beats Top Seed in Madeira, Unseeded Duo to Meet in Elles de l’Est Semis

International Tournament Madeira Island 

Top men’s seed Bernat Jaume and defending women’s champion Katerina Tycova both went out on quarter-finals day at the International Tournament Madeira Island. 

Jaume was beaten by 2021 winner Moustafa El Sirty, who won 3-0 in 46 minutes to set up a semi-final clash with Ben Smith, after his comfortable 3-0 win over Lwamba Chileshe. 

El Sirty’s win means the last two champions are through to the final four, with 2022 winner Rui Soares also in semi-finals action. 

Portugal’s Soares was beaten by El Sirty in the 2021 final before lifting the trophy himself 12 months ago, and will take on Mazen Gamal for a place in a third straight final. 

Speaking after the match, El Sirty said: “I am glad to win in three. Bernat is a good player and was No.1 seed.  

He had a lot of pressure on him, and I am glad to be in the semis. I am going to go in and try to be as consistent and disciplined as I can, play my squash and see the result.” 

Tycova, meanwhile, saw her title defence come to an end at the hands of Tessa ter Sluis, in a 3-1 defeat that last nearly an hour. 

Two of the four games went to a tie break, with Tycova keeping herself alive in a remarkable third game, which saw the German save four match balls and squander six game balls of her own, eventually winning 20-18 to send the match into a fourth. 

Ter Sluis, though, came out on top in the end, winning five points in a row from 6-6 in the fourth to book her spot in the semi-finals. 

BKY Technologies Open 

Top two seeds Perry Malik and Salah Eltorgman both recorded 3-0 victories over French opponents to reach the BKY Technologies Open semi-finals. 

No.1 seed Malik opened the day’s proceedings by beating 20-year-old Brice Nicholas, ensuring there would be no extended birthday party for the Frenchman, who had turned 20 on quarter-finals day. 

Malik ran out a 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 winner and will now play No.6 seed Abdelrahman Nassar for a place in the final. 

Should be reach that final, he could play Eltorgman for the second event in a row, after facing the young Canadian in the Vancouver final last week. 

Eltorgman knocked out eighth seed Laszlo Godde 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 in his quarter-final, and will take on the unseeded Leo Chung in the semi-finals. 

Les Elles de l’Est 

There will be an unseeded Egyptian in the Les Elles de l’Est final, after both Nadien Elhammamy and Jana Swaify won their quarter-final matchups in France. 

Neither player has dropped a game so far in the competition, with Elhammamy beating Klara Møller in the last eight, before Swaify knocked out No.2 seed Elise Romba 11-7, 11-9, 11-2. 

The pair will now go head-to-head for a place in the final, where the winner of the first semi-final between No.1 seed Lauren Baltayan and third seed Kiera Marshall will await. 

PI Constructora IlI Open Colombiano La Pradera 

No.2 seed Felipe Tovar was the biggest casualty on day two of the PI Constructora IlI Open Colombiano La Pradera in Bogota, losing his quarter-final matchup to fellow Colombian Sebastian Rodriguez Rayo. 

All eight players in the quarter-finals were Colombian, with top seed Edgar Ramirez and No.3 seed Ronald Palomino both recording 3-0 wins, before Rayo upset Tovar to reach the last four. 

Rayo’s semi-final opponent will be Jose Santamaria, who knocked out unseeded Alejandro Martinez in straight games. 

You can stay up to date with all the results on the PSA Tour here.