Challenger Tour Round-Up: Scianimanico & Hylland Win Down Under; Shohdy Joins Yee in Malaysian Glory; Gobbi Cruises to Hometown Victory

ACE Challenger 6K 2nd Leg 2024 

Yassin Shohdy denied the home crowd a Malaysian double on finals day at the ACE Challenger 6K 2nd Leg, beating top seed Mohammad Syafiq Kamal 3-0 to clinch his second PSA Tour title. 

A Malaysian winner was guaranteed in the women’s final, but it was the men who stepped on court first, with Shohdy seeking his first event win outside of his native Egypt. 

Syafiq Kamal was targeting his first title since 2019, but in truth, he was ouplayed from start to finish, with Shohdy hitting a perfectly-weighted backhand down the line on match ball, wrapping up a 3-0 win after little more than half an hour. 

The women’s final that followed was won in similarly quick fashion, as Xin Ying Yee got the better of No.3 seed and compatriot Sehveetrraa Kumar. 

Kumar has had a stellar second half to the season, reaching the final of all five events she’s played, and was eyeing a third consecutive tournament victory here. 

Yee, however, had other ideas, making sure it was in fact herself who claimed a third straight title. 

A student at Cornell, Yee had not played on the Tour since October, but did win her last two tournaments, and capped a dominant week here in Malaysia – in which she only dropped one game – by racing to a 3-0 win in 27 minutes. 

Victory for Yee repressents her fourth career title overall, but her first on home soil in Malaysia. 

Results: 
[4] Yassin Shohdy (EGY) bt [1] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (34m) 
[8] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) bt [3] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (27m) 

Victorian Open 2024 

French teenager Melvil Scianimanico claimed his maiden PSA Tour title at the Victorian Open, while Norway’s Madeleine Hylland continued her sensational summer with victory in the women’s event. 

19-year-old Scianimanico helped France to team glory in the European U19 Squash Championships earlier this year, but was still awaiting his first individual trophy on the PSA Tour coming into this event. 

But an impressive 3-1 win over former World No.35 Nasir Iqbal in the semi-finals gave him a shot at glory here, with Malaysia’s Bryan Lim standing in his way. 

Lim has enjoyed plenty of success on Australian shores, winning his last two events Down Under, but he fell behind early in this final, losing games one and two 11-5, 11-6. 

The No.1 seed found his feet in game three to keep himself alive, taking it 11-9, but that was simply delaying Scianimanico’s corronation, as the Frenchman won game four 11-6 to get his hands on the silverware. 

Scianimanico’s victory followed a comeback win for the in-form Hylland in the women’s draw, as she battled back from 2-1 down to beat top seed Amina El Rihany. 

Going into the month of June, Hylland had never won a Challenger Tour event, but a stunning run of form has seen her capture three titles in four events, including this one in Victoria. 

She had to do things the hard way, though, finding herself on the back foot at 2-1 down despite winning game one 11-8, as her Egyptian opponent controlled the next two games. 

But Hylland rediscovered her form when it mattered most, holding her nerve to win game four 11-9, before racing through the fifth for the loss of just four points. 

Results: 
[2] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt [1] Bryan Lim (MAS) 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 (43m) 
Madeleine Hylland (NOR) bt [1] Amina El Rihany (EGY) 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4 (49m) 

2nd Cay Open 2024 

Diego Gobbi cruised to a hometown victory in the 2nd Cay Open, beating Rhuan Sousa to secure his third Tour title. 

The Brazilian No.1 had not looked troubled en route to this final, and was facing a player in Sousa who he had beaten twice before on Tour. 

Both players were playing in their hometown of Sao Paulo, with Sousa hoping to defy a 116-place difference in the rankings by causing an upset, but he hopes would prove to be futile. 

After winning the first two games 11-4, 11-8, Gobbi stormed through game three for the loss of only two points, erasing any hopes of an unlikely comeback. 

Result: 
[1] Diego Gobbi (BRA) bt [2] Rhuan Sousa (BRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (33m)

Photo credit: Fédération Française de Squash