Challenger Tour Round-Up: Nghiem Back from the Brink to Beat Roberts in Florida

Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash 2024 

Saran Nghiem saved a match ball on her way to a thrilling win over training partner Lowri Roberts on day two of the Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash. 

England’s Nghiem recently won the National Collegiate Women’s Individual Championships, beating Harvard teammate Marina Stefanoni in the final, but it was her teammate from back in the UK standing in her way this time. 

After taking the first 11-4, Nghiem soon found herself on the cusp of defeat, as Roberts won the next two games 11-5, 11-4, and then moved 9-7 up in the fourth. 

The 20-year-old reeled off four points on the bounce to overturn that deficit and keep her hopes alive, but she had her back against the wall once more in the fifth, facing a match ball at 10-9 down. 

Once again, though, she turned the tide when it mattered most, winning the next three points to claim a dramatic win. 

No.3 seed Stefanoni was also in action on day two, and was made to work hard early on by young Egyptian Salma Elalfy. 

Elalfy took the opening game 11-6 as Stefanoni took a little time adjusting to the court, but it was largely one-way traffic from there, with the American dropping only 11 points across the next three games to secure a quarter-final berth. 

The rest of the top seven seeds all made it safely through, with Farida Mohamed, Lucy Beecroft and Caroline Fouts all impressing in quickfire 3-0 wins, while Danielle Ray came through a tricky test against Ireland’s Hannah Craig. 

There is, however, no place in the quarter-finals for No.8 seed Laura Tovar, who suffered a big upset at the hands of World No.166 Taba Taghavi, losing 3-1. 

The quarter-finals of the Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash begin at 12pm ET/4pm GMT today, streaming live on the SQUASHTV Live Streaming YouTube channel. 

Hollolan Kuntokeidas PSA 2024 

The top eight seeds all progressed through to quarter-finals day at the Hollolan Kuntokeidas PSA in Finland, with six of the eight matches finishing 3-0. 

Home favourite Henrik Mustonen was one of the two players who was taken to four, dropping game two against England’s Paul Broadberry before taking a tense third-game tiebreak 13-11, eventually closing out victory by winning the fourth 11-7. 

Meanwhile, No.2 seed Laouenan Loaëc was also given a scare by India’s Jaideep Singh Sethi. 

Sethi is ranked outside the world’s top 100, but made life tricky for the French lefty, eventually going down 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7 in 35 minutes. 

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