Yasshmita Jadishkumar (right) defeats World No.20 Farida Mohamed.(Photo PSA)
Unseeded duo Ruqayya Salem and Yasshmita Jadishkumar continued their career-best runs at the Egyptian Open squash championships, recording upset wins over Tinne Gilis and Farida Mohamed to reach the last 16 of the Diamond-level event in Cairo.
World No.62 Yasshmita staged a dramatic comeback to continue her superb run in the Egyptian capital, coming from 2-0 down to defeat World No.20 Farida Mohamed.
Malaysia’s Yasshmita, who received a position in the main draw as a Lucky Loser, continued to take full advantage of the opportunity presented to her, overcoming Mohamed 3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 to set up a third-round tie with World No.6 Satomi Watanabe.
“I’m honestly so speechless,” Yasshmita said after the match. “I don’t know what to say. I cannot believe I won that.
“If I can beat Farida today, I don’t know what else I can do, so I’m just going to give my all.”
Eighteen-year-old Qualifier Ruqayya, who won three matches to even secure her place in the main draw, delivered a performance of impressive maturity to defeat World No.9 Gilis 17-15, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 and advance to the last 16.
The World No.55, who finished runner-up to Anahat Singh at this year’s World Junior Championships, will face off against former World No.1 Nouran Gohar for a place in the quarter-finals. Victory would also earn Salem the opportunity to compete in front of the iconic Great Pyramids of Giza.
“I’m exhausted first of all; it was really physical,” Ruqayya said after the match. “Of course, never in a million years could you have told me I’d be in the third round of the Egyptian Open.
“I’m very excited to play Nouran [Gohar] tomorrow. She just came back on tour, and I think it’s going to be a tough one. I’m looking forward to it – I’ll just try to produce the best squash I can.”
Elsewhere, men’s World No.5 Victor Crouin battled back from 2-0 down, match ball down, to survive a huge scare against India’s Velavan Senthilkumar.
The Frenchman, a recent finalist at the Qatar Classic, had to draw upon all his reserves to come through the dramatic second-round encounter by an 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 scoreline after 78 minutes of play.
Defending champions Mostafa Asal and Hania El Hammamy also got their title defences underway with well-earned wins on the stunning all-glass court at O West Sporting Club.
Asal battled past a spirited showing from Malaysian Qualifier Joachim Chuah in four games, while El Hammamy overcame a sluggish start to defeat compatriot Nadien Elhammamy 13-11, 12-10, 11-4.
Results: Women’s Round Two
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 3-0: 13-11, 12-10, 11-4 (43m)
[10] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (24m)
Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt [15] Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-2: 3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (53m)
[5] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
[7] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Anahat Singh (IND) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-6 (46m)
[12] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 13-11, 8-11, 11-5 (44m)
[11] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-4 (66m)
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Nadia Mahmoud (EGY) 3-1: 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (36m)
[3] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (23m)
[14] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (26m)
[Q] Ruqayya Salem (EGY) bt [9] Tinne Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 17-15, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 (51m)
[6] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Tomato Ho (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (27m)
[8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (28m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt [13] Salma Hany (EGY) 3-2: 11-8, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 (65m)
[16] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Hana Moataz (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 3-11, 11-3, 11-8 (41m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Amina El Rihany (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (24m)
Results: Men’s Round Two
[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Joachim Chuah (MAS) 3-1: 11-3, 11-6, 6-11, 11-3 (46m)
[11] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Sam Todd (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 (42m)
[10] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Juan Vargas (COL) 3-1: 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-1 (56m)
[6] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 13-11, 11-8 (63m)
[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (29m)
[12] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Declan James (JAM) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-6 (66m)
Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt [9] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 3-1: 12-10, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9 (78m)
[4] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-1, 11-6 (39m)
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bt Patrick Rooney (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (31m)
[13] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Veer Chotrani (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (34m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [15] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-1: 9-11, 7-4 ret. (20m)
[7] Joel Makin (WAL) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 0-0 ret. (41m)
[5] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) 3-2: 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 (78m)
[14] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Marwan Assal (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9 (47m)
[16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (48m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (37m)
