Local Quartet Advance to Hong Kong Open Second Round

The Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open has returned to the PSA World Tour calendar for the first time in four years, with a quartet of local players – Tsz Kwan Lau, Tomato Ho, Ka Yi Lee and Tsz-Wing Tong – claiming wins on day one of the Platinum event earlier today.

Men’s World No.64 Lau has claimed the biggest win of his career after he came back from a game down to record an 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-3  victory over Egyptian veteran Mazen Gamal at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.

Cheered on by his home fans, 26-year-old Lau didn’t let an opening-game defeat deter him as he played at a fast pace to book his spot in the last 32 of the Hong Kong Open for the first time. Lau’s reward is a fixture with Scotland’s Greg Lobban.

“It feels amazing to win at home and get the support of the home crowd,” said Lau.

“It feels so good. It’s been four years [since the Hong Kong Open was last held] and it is my first time in the main draw. I’m really looking to performing well and I hope I can get another win in front of my family and my friends. I couldn’t sleep well last night!

“I won’t be thinking about it [reaching the latter stages], I will just be trying to put my opponent under huge pressure.”

There were three other local players in action in the men’s draw today – Henry Leung, Tang Ming Hong and Chi Him Wong – with all three seeing their tournaments come to an end.

Leung came closest to a win as he took World No.67 Juan Camilo Vargas to five games, but the Colombian narrowly claimed an 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 victory to score his first Platinum triumph.

“I was three match balls down and mentally it was tough to stay in it,” said Vargas, who will play Spain’s Iker Pajares Bernabeu next.

“It was very physical, the last game especially, as we both really wanted to win, but I’m glad I managed to stay composed to play better to win. Henry’s a very tough player physically and he’s very strong, so I knew it was going to be tough. Mentally, I was prepared for a long battle, and I’m glad it went my way.”

Portugal’s Rui Soares is through to the last 32 after fighting to a 3-2 win over Canada’s David Baillargeon, while Spain’s Bernat Jaume and Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen have achieved their maiden Platinum wins after beating Scotland’s Rory Stewart and Hungary’s Balazs Farkas, respectively.

In the women’s event, World No.36 Ho – the highest ranked player from Hong Kong competing in the draw – has claimed her first Hong Kong Open victory since 2016 as she completed a comfortable 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 victory over compatriot Ching Hei Fung. The win means she will take on World No.1 and 2016 champion Nouran Gohar in the next round.

“Even though I’m the No.1 seed in Hong Kong [at this event], my draw is not good,” said Ho.

“In the second round I will play with the World No.1. I think there is no pressure on me. I expect she [Gohar] will play at a high speed. She is very powerful, so hopefully I can stay longer on court and maybe hit some good rallies for the audience.”

World No.45 Lee has achieved her maiden win at her home event, overcoming Egypt’s Zeina Zein in four games to set up a last 32 fixture against World No.3 Hania El Hammamy.

“It’s really encouraging because it’s my first time to enter the second round of the Hong Kong Open,” said Lee following her 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 11-2 victory.

“I tried to have a better performance here on my home court for the Hong Kong people supporting me and the other Hong Kong players. I hope to have another good performance tomorrow and hopefully the crowd will support me.”

Ho and Lee will be joined in the second round by fellow Hong Kong player Tsz-Wing Tong after she ousted Egyptian Salma Eltayeb. Elsewhere, World No.64 Katie Maliff has claimed her first ever win at a Platinum event after she took out fellow English player Julianne Courtice in a gripping five-game battle.

The second round of the Hong Kong Open takes place tomorrow (November 29) as defending champions Mohamed ElShorbagy and Joelle King begin their tournaments. Play begins at 12:00 and will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.

For more on the Hong Kong Open, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Results – Men’s First Round: 2022 Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open

Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt [WC] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)

Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Khaled Labib (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-8, 12-10 (48m)

Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-2: 11-8, 13-15, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (86m)

Rui Soares (POR) bt David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-2: 2-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 13-11 (73m)

Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt [WC] Wong Chi Him (HKG) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10 (73m)

Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Henry Leung (HKG) 3-2: 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 (75m)

Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Balazs Farkas (HUN) 3-2: 14-12, 6-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-0 (55m)

Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Curtis Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (54m)

Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-1: 12-10, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5 (40m)

Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (23m)

Faraz Khan (USA) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-3 (32m)

Nick Wall (ENG) bt Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 (56m)

Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Martin Svec (CZE) 3-1: 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 (44m)

Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-1: 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3 (46m)

Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 (49m)

Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Charlie Lee (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10 (51m)

Draw – Men’s Second Round: To Be Played November 29th

[2] Diego Elias (PER) v Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY)

Patrick Rooney (ENG) v Moustafa El Sirty (EGY)

Auguste Dussourd (FRA) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)

Rui Soares (POR) v [8] Youssef Soliman (EGY)

[6] Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)

Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) v Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)

Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)

Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG)

[4] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Leonel Cardenas (MEX)

Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)

Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v Faraz Khan (USA)

Nick Wall (ENG) v [7] Victor Crouin (FRA)

[5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)

Shahjahan Khan (USA) v Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA)

Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v Greg Lobban (SCO)

Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v [1] Paul Coll (NZL)

Results – Women’s First Round: 2022 Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open

Tomato Ho (HKG) bt [WC] Ching Hei Fung (HKG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)

Aira Azman (MAS) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 8-3 retired (16m)

Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) 3-1: 11-2, 11-9, 12-14, 11-3 (45m)

Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Chan Yiwen (MAS) 3-1: 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6 (48m)

Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Nadia Pfister (SUI) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2 (34m)

Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (29m)

Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Yee Xin Ying (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 (21m)

Ka Yi Lee (HKG) bt Zeina Zein (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 11-2 (36m)

Lucy Beecroft (ENG) bt Nardine Garas (EGY) 3-1: 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (30m)

Hana Moataz (EGY) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (22m)

Katie Malliff (ENG) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 (64m)

Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt Saskia Beinhard (GER) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-6 (23m)

Jana Shiha (EGY) bt [WC] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (20m)

Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-1 (20m)

Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (23m)

Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt Salma Eltayeb (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 (53m)

Draw – Women’s Second Round: To Be Played November 29th

[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v Tomato Ho (HKG)

Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v Hana Ramadan (EGY)

Aira Azman (MAS) v Satomi Watanabe (JPN)

Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v [6] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)

[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v Millie Tomlinson (ENG)

Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v Zeina Mickawy (EGY)

Aifa Azman (MAS) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)

Ka Yi Lee (HKG) v [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)

[4] Joelle King (NZL) v Lucy Beecroft (ENG)

Hana Moataz (EGY) v Katie Malliff (ENG)

Lisa Aitken (SCO) v Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)

Jana Shiha (EGY) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

[8] Salma Hany (EGY) v Yathreb Adel (EGY)

Georgia Adderley (SCO) v Nele Gilis (BEL)

Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) v Low Wee Wern (MAS)

Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)