Open des Bretzels SF: Unseeded Hammouda and Baltayan Guarantee First-Time Winner

The unseeded duo of Ingy Hammouda and Lauren Baltayan will meet in the final of the Open des Bretzels on Sunday afternoon, with a first-time winner on Tour being guaranteed.

Baltayan took on the tournament’s top seed, Elise Romba, on Saturday in Mulhouse. The unseeded Frenchwoman had already knocked out the No.3 and No.7 seeds en route to making the semi-finals of the Challenger 5 level competition.

Her match with Romba would last just 25 minutes, with the 16-year-old, who lives in Cairo, coming through in straight games. All three games were close, but Baltayan was able to take each one of them, securing an 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 victory to advance to the final.

She will now take on Egypt’s Ingy Hammouda in the final on Sunday. The Egyptian got the better of France’s Lea Barbeau, despite being ranked 40 places below the Frenchwoman. Hammouda also won in straight games, spending just a minute longer on court than Baltayan did.

The final of the Open des Bretzels, between Baltayan and Hammouda, will take place on Sunday, May 7. The match will be streamed throughout the week on the PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel, where you can watch Challenger Tour action, and interviews with rising stars.

You can keep up to date with daily updates from the tournament on the PSA Challenger Tour’s Twitter and Facebook. Live scores are available on the PSA World Tour website here.

Semi-Final Results: Open des Bretzels
Ingy Hammouda (EGY) bt [4] Lea Barbeau (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-8, 11-5 (26m)
Lauren Baltayan (FRA) bt [1] Elise Romba (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (25m)

Final Draw: To Be Played Sunday, May 7
Ingy Hammouda (EGY) v Lauren Baltayan (FRA)