Greenwich Open QF: Tarek and Elbarbary Set Up Surprise Semi-Final

Egypt’s Marwan Tarek and Karim Elbarbary are both unseeded, but will meet in the semis of the Greenwich Open on Saturday after taking down two of the top three seeds.

Tarek is featuring on Tour for the first time in a year, and caused an upset on Thursday when he got the better of No.8 seed Hamza Sharif. The former World Junior Champion then took down India’s Abhishek Agarwal in the last eight. The young Egyptian defeated the No.2 seed in straight games to book his spot in the semi-finals.

He will face compatriot Elbarbary on Saturday afternoon after his fellow Egyptian defeated No.3 seed Ricardo Toscano. The World No.288 needed just 27 minutes, dropping only 12 points, en route to a straight games victory over the Guatemalan.

Top seed Andres Herrera will continue to lead the draw, after getting the better of Carlos Vargas in the quarter finals. The Colombian will now face another Egyptian, in No.6 seed Abdelrahman Nassar, after he received a walkover through his last eight tie with Nigerian Babatunde Ajagbe.

In the women’s draw, Emma Trauber delighted the home crowd as she beat Noa Romero to make the last four. The American fell behind after three games, but fought back to win in five against the Spaniard, taking the fifth game 11-8 to win in 55 minutes.

Trauber will now face No.2 seed Wen Li Lai, while top seed Alicia Mead will meet Ukraine’s Alina Bushma in the semis. Mead needed two tie-breaks in a straight games victory over compatriot Margot Prow, while the Ukrainian downed Hana Ismail in half an hour to advance.

Men’s Quarter Final Results: Greenwich Open
Marwan Tarek (EGY) bt [2] Abhishek Agarwal (IND) 3-0: 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 (29m)
Karim Elbarbary (EGY) bt [3] Ricardo Toscano (GUA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-1 (27m)
[6] Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY) bt [4] Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR): Walkover
[1] Andres Herrera (COL) bt Carlos Vargas (MEX) 3-1: 8-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-1 (58m)

Men’s Semi-Final Draw: To Be Played Saturday, October 29
Marwan Tarek (EGY) v Karim Elbarbary (EGY)
[6] Abdelrahman Nassar (EGY) v [1] Andres Herrera (COL)

Women’s Quarter Final Results: Greenwich Open
[1] Alicia Mead (ENG) bt [7] Margot Prow (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-9, 13-11 (34m)
[4] Alina Bushma (UKR) bt Hana Ismail (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (30m)
Emma Trauber (USA) bt Noa Romero (ESP) 3-2: 11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 (55m)
[2] Wen Li Lai (MAS) bt [6] Ninon Lemarchand (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 (23m)

Women’s Semi-Final Draw: To Be Played Saturday, October 29
[1] Alicia Mead (ENG) v [4] Alina Bushma (UKR)
Emma Trauber (USA) v [2] Wen Li Lai (MAS)