Challenger Tour Round-Up: Sameh Joins Exclusive Club with Gibraltar Crown; Thomas & Nasser Claim Second Titles

Gibraltar Open 2024 

16-year-old Egyptian Barb Sameh added her name to the history books by winning the Gibraltar Open, becoming the latest to join an illustrious list of players to claim glory in their maiden Challenger Tour event.

The Cairo-based teenager took current World No.86 Lauren Baltayan to a fifth-game tiebreak at the British Junior Open in January, but had not played on the Challenger Tour before this week. 

She has, however, reached the final of all four Satelite events she’d played so far in 2024, and knocked out a trio of fellow rising stars to reach this final in Gibraltar, beating Hana Ismail, Amelie Haworth and Kara Lincou. 

Standing in her way on finals day was Ireland’s No.8 seed Breanne Flynn, who recently gave up her day job to play squash full-time. 

Flynn herself had knocked out Spanish junior champion Ona Blasco and No.2 seed Katerina Tycova to make the final, but was outclassed by Sameh on the day. 

Starting as she meant to go on, Sameh glued a backhand tight to the left-hand wall to win the match’s opening point, and was one game in front inside 10 minutes, taking the first 11-5. 

From there, she barely looked back, losing only 10 points across the next two games, slamming a backhand winner past her opponent on match ball. 

Victory for Sameh was followed later in the day by an Egyptian win in the men’s final, as top seed Moustafa Elsirty saw off the threat of unseeded Italian Yuri Farneti, though not without having to earn it. 

Former World No.22 Elsirty had not dropped a game in reaching this final, and was facing an opponent ranked 270 in the world, albeit due to the fact he had not played much on Tour this season. 

Despite the gap in rankings, Farneti took the game to Elsirty and might have had the Egyptian worried after splitting the first two games, both going to a tiebreak. 

Elsirty then edged game three 11-9 but the Italian kept battling, even threatening to force a decider at 6-3 up in the fourth. 

But the Egyptian upped his game when it mattered, winning seven of the next eight points to bring up three match balls, firing an audacious backhand into the nick to clinch victory in style. 

Results: 
Barb Sameh (EGY) bt [8] Breanne Flynn (IRL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (34m) 
[1] Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) bt Yuri Farneti (ITA) 3-1: 12-10, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7 (58m) 

Skillzea Open 2024 

Elijah Thomas upset Lwamba Chileshe to claim his second Challenger Tour title, winning the Skillzea Open. 

Third seed Chileshe had battled past his younger brother Temwa in a five-game marathon in the semi-finals, a match that had lasted 124 minutes, the longest of the year so far, while Thomas had seen off the threat of 15-year-old Egyptian talent Adam Hawal. 

That match had lasted only 66 minutes, and perhaps that difference in court time took its toll on Chileshe in the final. 

After winning the first two games by the same 11-8 scoreline – showcasing some impressive retrieval skills along the way – Thomas dominated game three, racing into a 10-3 lead before crunching a backhand serve return down the line to seal glory. 

Victory for Thomas represents his second Tour title after winning the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open in 2023, while also ending a three-match losing streak against his fellow Kiwi. 

Result:
[4] Elijah Thomas (NZL) bt [3] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 

Open International Vendée Squash 2024 

Mohamed Nasser wrapped up his second successive Challenger Tour title, beating home favourite Joshua Phinera to win the Open International Vendée Squash. 

Nasser had never won a Challenger Tour event before last month, but now has two trophies in his collection after completing a dominant week in France. 

The 20-year-old had not dropped a game all week and continued that trend in Saturday’s final, beating the Paris-born lefty 12-10, 11-5, 11-9. 

Result: 
[1] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) bt [5] Joshua Phinera (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 

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