CIB Egyptian Open QFs: El Sherbini Beats Chinappa to Ensure All-Egyptian Finals

World Champion Nour El Sherbini has earned her spot in the semi-finals of the inaugural women’s CIB Egyptian Open after a comfortable 3-0 victory over India’s Joshna Chinappa in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

El Sherbini had eased into the quarter-finals after spending just 49 minutes on court, which was 10 minutes less than the length of Chinappa’s third round encounter with Egypt’s Farida Mohamed.

The pair’s first meeting came 11 years ago when El Sherbini was just 14 and Chinappa 23, with the latter winning in five games. The two matches since have gone the way of the Egyptian and she made it three on the bounce courtesy of an 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 victory.

Sublime squash from @noursherbini

Many would have opted not to play for safety, but not the ‘Warrior Princess’, who just slots this one into the nick#SquashByThePyramids pic.twitter.com/H9EVSiKNpW

— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) October 15, 2020

‘The Warrior Princess’ hit immaculate lines to bury Chinappa in the back corners and struck winners at the front of the court with aplomb.

El Sherbini, who won the PSA Women’s World Championship on this court 11 months ago, will take on either World No.4 Nour El Tayeb or World No.10 Salma Hany for a place in the final.

“It was very hard conditions, and playing a very experienced player, you have to be ready!”@noursherbini is into the semi-finals, and this is what she had to say after her clash with @joshnachinappa in Giza#SquashByThePyramids pic.twitter.com/dMyOQMhQvW

— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) October 15, 2020

“They’re very hard conditions here and when you’re playing a very experienced player you have to be ready,” said El Sherbini.

“Joshna played really well in the last two games and it was very close until the end, but I’m really happy that I closed it out.

“People have different styles, of course I’m glad that I have many shots that I can play, I always try to use them and try to improve these shots as much as I can. Hopefully next time it will work even better than today.

“They [El Tayeb and Hany] are two top Egyptian players and I’m sure they are going to have a tough match. I don’t mind playing either of them, so I just hope it will be a good match and I will wait for the better player tomorrow.”

Result
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (34m)