El Gouna International 2024 Day One: Afternoon Roundup

We’re halfway through day one of the El Gouna International Squash Open, read on to catch up on everything that’s happened so far at Squash Complex El Gouna.

In a thrilling five-gamer, Portugal’s Rui Soares saved two match balls to upset Egypt’s Yahya Elnawasany and reach the second round of a Platinum-level event for the first time since the 2022 Hong Kong Open.

World No.64 Soares started well against the World No.38 and took the opening game 11-9, only to go 1-2 down as Elnawasany fought back.

Soares regained his composure in game four to force a fifth game with another 11-9 win and looked to be coasting through when he opened up an 8-3 lead.

Elnawasany, who beat Soares 3-0 at last year’s Czech Open, came back brilliantly and earned two match balls against the Portugal No.1.

In a gripping finish, Soares saved both, before clinching the victory with a 13-11 win.

Afterwards, Soares said: “It’s my first Platinum for over a year so I was a bit nervous start with but also quite relaxed because he was obviously the higher ranked player, so he was the one under pressure.

“I loved playing on court today, and it was such a relief to win that fifth game because it was looking so good, and then I got nervous mid-way and he came back and had match balls and I’m proud to win!”

Soares was not the only player to record an upset win, with Hungarian World No.46 Farkas Balazs upsetting World No.32 Omar Mosaad in straight games.

“It’s not easy to play against any Egyptian players in Egypt!  I had played Mosaad a few years ago and he beat me 3-0. So I learned from that match,” Farkas said.

Elsewhere in the men’s event, England’s Curtis Malik won a five-game epic with Spain’s Bernat Jaume and Germany’s Raphael Kandra beat USA’s Faraz Khan in just 13 minutes, while Sebastien Bonmalais, Iker Pajares, Nicolas Mueller and Leonel Cardenas all recorded 3-0 wins.

In the women’s event, Wales’ Tesni Murphy and Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold both came back to record wins over Canada’s Nicole Bunyan and England’s Alicia Mead, respectively.

Murphy, who at World No.21 is ranked some 26 places higher than Bunyan in the PSA World Rankings, got off to a disastrous start when the Canadian clinched the opener 11-9.

The Welsh No.1 hit back to take the lead with comfortable 11-7, 11-3 wins, only for Bunyan to take the match to five with an 11-8 win.

Murphy, however, was able to reset in the decider, taking it 11-6 to set up a second round clash with Nele Gilis.

“I was losing matches like that last season. Sometimes you just have to grind it, find a way to win on the day and I think I did that today and I don’t think I was last season,” Murphy said afterwards.

Arnold, meanwhile, found herself a game down to Mead – a late entry in the tournament after Hania El Hammamy’s withdrawal yesterday – but came back strongly, eventually recording an 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 win in 35 minutes.

Elsewhere, Egypt’s Nadine Shahin beat Egyptian compatriot Haya Ali in five games, while England’s Katie Malliff recorded a five-game victory of her own over Hong Kong’s Tsz-Wing Tong.

Tong’s compatriot Tomato Ho faired better, with the Hong Kong No.1 beating Finland’s Emilia Soini 3-1, while Jasmine Hutton, Mariam Metwally and Zeina Mickawy moved through after 3-0 wins.

The evening session of day one of the El Gouna International Squash Open begins shortly, watch the action live on SQUASHTV.

For updates on the El Gouna International Squash Open 2024, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Results – Women’s RD1: El Gouna International Squash Open 2024 

Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Haya Ali (EGY) 3-2: 11-5, 12-10, 2-11, 8-11, 11-6 (37m)

Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Alicia Mead (ENG) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (35m)

Tomato Ho (HKG) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5 (42m)

Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt [WC] Salma Elalfy (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (23m)

Katie Malliff (ENG) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-2: 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4 (55m)

Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)

Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 (28m)

Tesni Murphy (WAL) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-2: 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6 (54m)

Results – Men’s RD1: El Gouna International Squash Open 2024

Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4 (63m)

Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 13-11, 11-6 (38m)

Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (44m)

Iker Pajares (ESP) bt Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-2 (31m)

Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (13m)

Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 (39m)

Rui Soares (POR) bt Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11 (48m)

Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt [WC] Seif Tamer (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-9 (35m)`