HSC Houston Men’s Squash Open/Squash On Fire Open – Semi Finals: Previews & How To Watch Live

It’s semi finals day in both the HSC Houston Men’s Squash Open and the Squash on Fire Open today as players look to earn places in their respective finals.

The action starts first in Washington D.C for the Squash on Fire Open at 13:00 (GMT-5), while in Houston, play begins at 15:00 (GMT-6).

Action from both events is available to watch live on SQUASHTV.

Order of play: Squash on Fire Open semi-finals

Amina Orfi v Sabrina Sobhy

The first match of semi-finals day sees Egypt’s Amina Orfi take on USA’s Sabrina Sobhy. The Egyptian had a strong start to the tournament, knocking out Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani in round two before defeating her previous opponent’s compatriot Rachel Arnold in the quarter-finals.

A strong performance from Sobhy in round two saw he defeat Salma Eltayeb, while the quarter-final saw the American edge a tight affair against Malaysia’s Aira Azman.

The two players have played twice before, winning a match each. The Egyptian won their most recent meeting, a 73-minute battle in last year’s Squash On Fire Open semi-final.

Yourself Ibrahim v Youssef Soliman

The first men’s semi-final of the 2023 Squash on Fire Open pits fellow Egyptians Youssef Ibrahim and Youssef Soliman against each other.

Ibrahim’s route to the semi-final saw wins against France’s Lucas Serme and Scotland’s Greg Lobban, while Soliman fought to a 3-0 win over India’s Velavan Senthilkumar in round two, and beat home favourite Todd Harrity 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

The pair have only played twice, with the 27-year-old winning on both occasions, most recently in an 89-minute thriller during round two of the Tournament of Champions.

Tinne Gilis v Tomato Ho

Top seed Tinne Gilis faces Hong Kong’s Tomato Ho in an exciting semi-final match-up at the Squash on Fire Open.

The Belgian earned her place in the semi-final with 3-0 and 3-1 wins over Egypt’s Haya Ali and Hana Moataz respectively, while her opponent has yet to drop a game in her wins against Egyptians Menna Hamed and Menna Walid.

The match marks the first meeting of the two players on the tour.

Victor Crouin v Iker Pajares

Rounding off the semi-final action, No.1 seed Victor Crouin takes in Spain’s Iker Pajares. The Frenchman both his round two match against Ben Smith as well as his quarter final match against Saurav Ghosal 3-0. The Spaniard has had a more testing route to the semi finals, beating Bernat Jaume in four games and surviving a comeback scare from England’s Nathan Lake.

The pair have met twice before, winning one apiece. Their most recent encounter in last year’s Squash on Fire Open semi final saw Crouin win 3-0.

For more information on the Squash on Fire Open 2024, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 

Order of play: HSC Houston Men’s Squash Open semi-finals

Ali Farag v Karin Abdel Gawad

An all-Egyptian clash begins the semi-final action in Houston as World No.1 Ali Farag faces 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad.

The top seed reaches the final after a 3-1 victory over Tarek Momen in his quarter-final, while the World No.5 secured his last four spot with a dramatic five-game win over Aly Abou Eleinen.

The pair are no strangers to playing each other, having played 22 times on tour, but Farag has got the better of the head-to-head, winning 12 of their encounters. The No.1 seed has also won in the last four occasions the players have met, most recently in the 2023 U.S. Open.

Mazen Hesham v Mohamed ElShorbagy

The second semi-final sees an exciting match-up as Egypt’s Mazen Hesham is takes on England No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy.

The Egyptian earned his place in the semi-final after a dramatic 3-2 win over World No.4 Mostafa Asal. ElShorbagy progressed with a decisive win over Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez.

The Englishman has a strong lead on the head-to-head record, winning all but one of their past 12 meetings. However, Hesham’s one win came in their most recent match as he pulled off an upset in their 2023 Qatar Classic quarter-final match, despite a controversial end to proceedings.

For more information on the HSC Houston Men’s Squash Open 2024, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.