CIB Egyptian Open Day One: Afternoon Roundup

We’re halfway through day one of the first ever PSA Squash Tour Diamond-level event, with the CIB Egyptian Open underway at O West, Cairo.

Today’s first session featured a number of epic comebacks and five-game battles, with six matches going the distance.

In an epic Pan American derby, Colombia’s Juan Camilo Vargas fought back to get the better of Argentina’s Leandro Romiglio. Romiglio went in as the slight favourite, ranked eight places above his opponent at World No.32, and made a strong start, taking the opening game 11-7.

Vargas came back impressively though to level with a hard-fought 12-10 win, before falling behind again as 2022 Pan American Champion Romiglio took game three 11-8.

Once again, Vargas hit back and this time did not let the momentum slip, dominating game four 11-1 and then eking out a nerve-shredding fifth game 13-11.

In another big fightback, Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas came back from match ball down to defeat Hungary’s Farkas Balazs. Farkas looked the more confident player early on and came agonisingly close to recording a first round upset when he went 10-9 up with a 2-0 lead.

Cardenas, however, clung on desperately, finding his targets as he clawed his way back from the brink by winning game three 12-10 and then taking the next two games 11-5, 11-4.

“I calmed down a bit, tried not to be anxious. Of course, he’s a great player and was making good shots and it was hard to find a way to win but I fought and I think I played the better points,” Cardenas said afterwards.

In another five-game comeback, Karim ElHammamy recovered from 0-2 down to overcome US No.1 Timothy Brownell 7-11, 2-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-3 in 71 minutes.

Elsewhere, English World No.39 Curtis Malik upset Scotland’s World No.17 Greg Lobban as the Englishman survived a nervy ending to avenge his defeat to Lobban at this year’s British National Championships with a straight-games victory.

“I think I was a lot more mentally stable today…I was [extremely worried] when he got back to about 5-7 from 0-7 in game three because I’d done really well until that point,” Malik admitted.

In the women’s event, Nadine Shahin overcame a trio of setbacks to get beat Canada’s Nicole Bunynan. Shahin, originally scheduled to face England’s Jasmine Hutton, was forced to adapt her gameplan after changes to the draw following Salma Hany’s withdrawal. This, coupled with a nasty injury eye injury after being caught by Bunyan’s racket, caused the Egyptian problems as the World No.40 found herself trailing 2-1 to the World No.47, before a determined display saw her flip the momentum as she recorded a hard-fought 15-13, 3-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6 win.

Afterwards, Shahin said: “The eye is better now. It’s a lot better, and I’m glad that I managed to come back because when I was 2-1 down I got caught up [with the injury to my eye] for a bit. It’s the first match of the season: it was all nerve wracking!”

On playing a different opponent due to the change to the draw, Shahin said: “For two weeks now I’d been watching Jasmine playing because I had to play her and then, three hours before the match, you know, the draw changed. I’m like, Okay, it’s it’s good, because you have to adapt to every situation: a last-minute gameplan change and a bit of nerves! 

Also through in five was World No.45 Menna Hamed, who twice came from behind to defeat Egyptian compatriot and World No.37 Nour Aboulmakarim.

Melissa Alves was another player who was forced to come from behind, with the French World No.25 surviving a scare against Hong Kong, China’s World No.42 Ka Yi Lee in the opening match of the day. Lee went a game up and led in game two, before Alves struck back, with the 30-year-old impressing as she recorded a 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 win in 39 minutes.

“It didn’t start off in the best way, but when you remember that you chose to be there, you have to go all in!” Alves said.

Results: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Women’s Round One (Afternoon Session)

Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Habiba Hani (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 (24m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Hannah Craig (IRL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
Melissa Alves (FRA) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-1: 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 (39m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-2: 15-13, 3-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6 (58m)
Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt Nour Megahed (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (32m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-3 (50m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (33m)
Menna Hamed (EGY) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-2: 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 (60m)

Results: 2024 CIB Egyptian Open Men’s Round One (Afternoon Session)

Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (37m)
Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt Omar El Torkey (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (29m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Farkas Balazs (HUN) 3-2: 7-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-4 (59m)
Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 3-2: 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-1, 13-11 (72m)
Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 (42m)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (39m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [-1] Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 (68m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-2: 7-11, 2-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-3 (71m)

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