Soares and Azman Upset the Odds as El Gouna International Squash Open 2024 Begins

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 2022 as the 2024 El Gouna International Squash Open got underway.

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 in the decider.

Elnawasany, who beat Soares 3-0 at last year’s Czech Open, then 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: “I was a bit nervous to start with but also quite relaxed because he was obviously the higher ranked player, so he was the one under pressure.

“It was such a relief to win that fifth game and I’m proud to win!”

In the women’s event, Aira Azman overcame the odds and injury as the Malaysian World No.41 got the better of Egyptian World No.30 Hana Ramadan to pick up a win on her El Gouna debut.

The 19-year-old came flying out at the beginning of the encounter, with her attacking gameplan paying off as she took a 2-0 lead after hard-fought 13-11, 11-6 wins.

The Malaysian’s progress was checked in game three, however, with Azman needing lengthy injury treatment to her knee before Ramadan took the game 12-10.

In a nerve-wracking finale, Azman held her never to complete the upset – after seeing one match ball saved – to the cheers of her sister Aifa, who was watching from the stands after beating Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim 3-1.

“[My knee] is a bit swollen but my physio is here so it should be fine, I’m in good hands!” Azman said.

“[Aifa] came over right after her win, so I felt much better, I felt the support, and that’s support meant a lot to me.”

Round two gets underway tomorrow (20 April) at the El Gouna Squash Complex, with play beginning at 12:00 (GMT+2) live on SQUASHTV as the seeds enter the draw.

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 

Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Alicia Mead (ENG) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (35m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Haya Ali (EGY) 3-2: 11-5, 12-10, 2-11, 8-11, 11-6 (37m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 (28m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt [WC] Salma Elalfy (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (23m)
Tomato Ho (HKG) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5 (42m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
Tesni Murphy (WAL) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-2: 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6 (54m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-1: 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4 (36m)
Aira Azman (MAS) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 12-10 (58m)
Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 3-2: 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-4 (57m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10 (48m)
Melissa Alves (FRA) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-2: 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4 (55m)
Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-1: 13-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-8 (41m)
Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt Salma Eltayeb (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (26m)
Hana Moataz (EGY) bt [WC] Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 14-12 (61m)

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)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (13m)
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)
Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 (39m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt [WC] Seif Tamer (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-9 (35m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt Aly Hussein (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 (31m)
Rui Soares (POR) bt Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11 (48m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-1: 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4 (64m)
Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG) bt Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 3-2: 11-6, 5-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 (61m)
Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [WC] Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 (68m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-0: 15-13, 11-5, 12-10 (50m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (30m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 11-13, 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (52m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Andrew Douglas (USA) 3-1: 11-5, 11-7, 4-11, 13-11 (42m)

Draw – Women’s RD2: To be played 20 April

[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) v [8] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
[7] Tinne Gilis (BEL) v Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) v Tomato Ho (HKG)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v Salma Hany (EGY)
Tesni Murphy (WAL) v [3] Nele Gilis (BEL)
[4] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v Sana Ibrahim (EGY)
Aira Azman (MAS) v Georgia Adderley (SCO)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) v Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Melissa Alves (FRA) v [6] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[5] Olivia Weaver (USA) v Katie Malliff (ENG)
Aifa Azman (MAS) v Malak Khafagy (EGY)
Hana Moataz (EGY) v Amina Orfi (EGY)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) v [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Draw – Men’s RD2: To be played 20 April

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v Curtis Malik (ENG)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Raphael Kandra (GER)
Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
Iker Pajares (ESP) v [6] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG)
[8] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Farkas Balazs (HUN)
Joel Makin (WAL) v Leonel Cardenas (MEX)
Victor Crouin (FRA) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v [3] Diego Elias (PER)
[4] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Rui Soares (POR)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG)
Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) v Leandro Romiglio (ARG)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v [7] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)
Greg Lobban (SCO) v Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)