Birthday Delight for El Tayeb After Dominant Display over Whitlock

Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb progresses to the semi-finals of the Squash in the Land after a commanding performance over Wales’ Emily Whitlock.

The Egyptian looked dominant from the outset, scoring winners across the court with her athleticism. El Tayeb pushed on from 3-2 to a resounding 11-5 win.

The trend continued into the second game, and after an acrobatic stretching winner at 1-1, the World No.8 carried on her momentum in brutal fashion and took the second game with a backhand drop to the front right corner.

Whitlock looked exhausted in the third game, and was unable to keep up with the pace of El Tayeb as the Egyptian scored eight unanswered points, encapsulated by an outrageous fan shot with top spin at 6-0.

The Welshwoman avoided being on the receiving end of an 11-0 after an error from the former World No.3 to make it 1-8, but El Tayeb converted her crushing lead 11-1 to take the third semi-final place in the women’s draw.

“It was far from easy,” said El Tayeb after the match.

“Emily and I have been playing since juniors and we know each other’s games well. You don’t want to get stuck with her slow paced lobs and drops, it’s very hard for me to be in that game because I don’t feel comfortable. I tried to play at a faster pace so it disturbs her slow game, and I’m still trying to catch my breath now, even though the game has been over for a couple of minutes.

When asked about International Women’s Day, the Egyptian said, “Each generation of women inspires the generation after. I’ve been lucky and blessed to be inspired by a lot of Egyptians and professional athletes. Hopefully I can carry on the torch and inspire the next generation, this should be the goal.

“I’m away from my daughter and I miss her so much. This mum guilt is always there, and I’m still trying to figure it out.”

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Squash in the Land Presented by Greater Cleveland Squash 2024 Women’s Quarter-Final
[2] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [6] Emily Whitlock (WAL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 (27m)