Shock defeat for Sarah-Jane Perry but Jasmine Hutton and Lucy Turmel win through 
By ALAN THATCHER and SEAN REUTHE 

Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng has claimed another major landmark victory, with a shock win over World No.9 Mostafa Asal at the New Giza Sporting Club sending him through to the third round of the CIB Egyptian Open.

The World No.18 has shown some fine form in recent weeks and his win over former world champion Karim Abdel Gawad at the Allam British Open last month helped him break into the top 20.

But Asal, the reigning CIB PSA World Tour Finals champion, was the heavy favourite going into this PSA World Tour Platinum event second round match.

However, Eain Yow did not allow himself to be affected by the fervent home support in Asal’s favour and kept his focus during occasional stoppages in play from his opponent, closing out an 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 victory in 50 minutes.

“My team and I believed I could do it, but I know that everyone believed he would be the winner,” said Eain Yow, who will face Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez next.

“He is playing the best squash in the last few months. The way he was playing is at the top of our game, so I had to believe in myself. That is the biggest difference this season.

“I actually believe in myself, and I’m not afraid to play anyone. I believe that I can beat anyone on the day and that’s the difference, the gain in confidence in my own game. I just did my job.”

World No.7 Fares Dessouky also saw his tournament come to an end after he was forced to retire from his fixture with USA’s Shahjahan Khan due to a back injury.

Even from game one, Dessouky was clearly not comfortable on court and walked gingerly in between rallies, but his shot-making skills were so potent that he was still able to take a 2-0 lead.

He then held three match balls to put himself on the brink of a gritty victory, but he was unable to finish off a tenacious Khan off as the World No.45 rattled off five points in succession to halve the deficit, before Dessouky eventually shook hands in the fourth.

“He had issues before the match as well,” Khan said. “I didn’t see it at the start but as the match went along, I realised something was wrong. I tried to move him around just to expose his movement. It’s a shame that the match had to end that way as he is a great player.”

Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy also got his tournament under way with victory against Frenchman Baptiste Masotti, while defending champion Ali Farag also beat French opposition in Gregoire Marche.

In the women’s event, Egypt’s Farida Mohamed followed up her shock win against World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry at last year’s CIB Egyptian Open with a 3-1 win over the English player today.

However, there were two superb victories for England to celebrate, with Jasmine Hutton and Lucy Turmel reaching the third round with victories over Liu Tsz-Ling of Hong and Cindy Merlo of Switzerland respectively.

Mohamed memorably claimed a huge upset at this venue last year when she overcame Perry in straight games, and the 19-year-old ensured that lightning struck twice as she put in another powerful display to take out one of the top seeds.

“I just tried to move her as much as I could,” said Mohamed. “I don’t think I was blocking or on the way, I was just actually trying to keep her away from me as much I could to be able to play as she is very tall. She pushed me more than once, I don’t mind because I’m sure she didn’t mean it, it’s part of the game. I was satisfied with my movement today, I don’t think I did anything and the ref didn’t mention anything.”

Mohamed’s compatriot, Jana Shiha, will appear in the third round of a Platinum event for the first time after the World No.55 completed a surprise victory against World No.14 Nadine Shahin.

Shiha’s round one over France’s Enora Villard was a relatively one-sided affair, but this time around the 20-year-old had to dig in and hold her nerve to complete an 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12 victory in 42 minutes. Shiha’s reward is a clash with No.7 seed Salma Hany.

“I was a couple of match balls up in the last game I think and then I did a lot of tins,” Shiha said.

“I’m pretty happy with the way I did it today. In the fourth game, she got that one eventually, but for the rest of the match I was tougher than usual, I played steady, at least at the end. I’m happy and I’m proud of myself today with the way I played.”

Defending champion Nour El Sherbini made a winning start with a 3-0 win against Wales’ Emily Whitlock and she will take on Canada’s Danielle Letourneau in the last 16. No.2 seed Nouran Gohar was also in action as she overcame World No.17 Hollie Naughton in straight games.

Scotland’s Lisa Aitken ensured a further British presence in the third round when her victory over Hana Ramadan lined up a tough battle against No.3 seed Camille Serme of France.

Round three of the CIB Egyptian Open begins tomorrow at 12:45 (GMT+2). Action from the the New Giza Sporting Club will be shown live on the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour and the PSA SQUASHTV YouTube Channel.

2021 CIB Egyptian Open.

Men’s Second Round:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (33m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5 (77m)
Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 (39m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [8] Mostafa Asal (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (50m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt [7] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-2: 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 4-1 retired (35m)
Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-0: 11-6, 14-12, 11-6 (34m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 14-12 (61m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-1: 5-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (39m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 (49m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-1: 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (58m)
[5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (37m)
[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-2: 10-12, 12-10, 13-11, 13-15, 11-4 (89m)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt [WC] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-3, 1-11, 12-10 (44m)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 3-1: 8-11, 4-4 retired (25m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (38m)

Men’s Third Round (Top Half, September 12):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v [9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v [9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)

Men’s Third Round (Bottom Half, September 13):
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) v [9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)

Women’s Second Round:
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Emily Whitlock (WAL) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-5 (31m)
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-2 (23m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Cindy Merlo (SUI) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (21m)
Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10 (36m)
[8] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Olivia Fiechter (USA) 3-1: 15-13, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 (49m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 3-1: 12-10, 9-11, 11-3, 13-11 (33m)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 (30m)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Yathreb Adel (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (17m)
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (25m)
Olivia Clyne (USA) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10 (60m)
Jana Shiha (EGY) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12 (42m)
[7] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 3-1: 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (41m)
[6] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 (27m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Donna Lobban (AUS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (31m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-1 (58m)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 (29m)

Women’s Third Round (Top Half, September 12):
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [9/16] Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) v Farida Mohamed (EGY)
[8] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [3] Camille Serme (FRA)

Women’s Third Round (Bottom Half, September 13):
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA)
Jana Shiha (EGY) v [7] Salma Hany (EGY)
[6] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL)
Nada Abbas (EGY) v [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Pictures courtesy of PSA