Joachim Chuah (Photo PSA)
Malaysian duo Joachim Chuah and Yasshmita Jadishkumar both celebrated their maiden Diamond-level victories on the PSA Squash Tour getting past their opening opponents at the Egyptian Open in Cairo.
Qualifier Chuah, who recently graduated from college and is competing in his first full season on the PSA Squash Tour, backed up his recent NASH Cup title win with a comprehensive three-game victory over Swiss veteran Nicolas Mueller. The 22-year-old’s opponent in tomorrow’s second round will be World No.1 Mostafa Asal.
Lucky Loser Jadishkumar, meanwhile, defeated Egypt’s Mariam Metwally by an 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 scoreline.
Egyptian 18-year-olds Marwan Assal and Ruqayya Salem scored a pair of major seeding upsets on the opening day, defeating Baptiste Masotti and Rachel Arnold respectively.
Other notable winners on the opening day in Cairo were Patrick Rooney and Yannick Wilhelmi, who came through tense five-game encounters with Curtis Malik and Toufik Mekhalfi, respectively.
Lucky Loser Assal claimed his first-ever World Events victory on the PSA Squash Tour after the World No.90 fought back from a game behind to stun World No.20 Masotti by a 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-6 scoreline.
Assal, the younger brother of current World No.1 Mostafa, had suffered a gruelling 96-minute defeat to Ibrahim Elkabbani in the qualifying finals earlier this week at O West Sporting Club. However, he made the most of his second opportunity to set up a second-round tie with No.14 seed Yahya Elnawasany.
“I’m feeling so happy right now. I played some super squash today,” Assal said after the match.
“I’m really exhausted from this match, and before yesterday in qualifying I had such a tough match, 96 minutes, and I’m a Lucky Loser from that!
“Lucky Loser means a lucky shot.
“I played very well today and I’m so happy with my performance. I’m really looking forward to my next match.”
Meanwhile, World No.55 Salem secured her second win from as many meetings with the in-form World No.22 Arnold, who recently pulled off a major upset over eight-time Nour ElSherbini at the Qatar Classic.
The Egyptian teenager replicated her four-game win over the Malaysian at last year’s British Open with an equally impressive victory today, coming from a game behind to seal her spot in the second round by an 12-14, 11-9, 14-12, 11-4 scoreline.
Results
Men’s Round One
[Q] Joachim Chuah (MAS) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (26m)
Sam Todd (ENG) bt Adham Roshdy (EGY) 3-1: 13-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7 (71m)
Juan Vargas (COL) bt Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 11-5 (65m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Matias Knudsen (COL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (32m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Ivan Perez (ESP) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (65m)
Declan James (JAM) bt Alex Lau (HKG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5 (46m)
Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt [Q] Yassin Shohdy (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5 (52m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Balazs Farkas (HUN) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 (24m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Curtis Malik (ENG) 3-2: 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10 (65m)
Veer Chotrani (IND) bt Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (33m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [Q] Seif Refaay (EGY) 3-2: 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9 (75m)
Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [WC] Ismail Amr Abdellatif (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 (28m)
Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 (28m)
[LL] Marwan Assal (EGY) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-1: 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-6 (55m)
Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 13-11 (44m)
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-2: 11-8, 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 11-9 (86m)
Women’s Round One
Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) bt Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (30m)
Grace Gear (ENG) bt Katie Malliff (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-2 (38m)
[LL] Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 (35m)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Habiba Hani (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-2, 9-11, 11-2 (39m)
Anahat Singh (IND) bt [WC] Habiba Rizk (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 16-14 (44m)
Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Nardine Garas (EGY) 3-1: 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (37m)
Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-1: 8-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 (42m)
[WC] Nadia Mahmoud (EGY) bt Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 6-11, 11-5 ret. (38m)
Kenzy Ayman (EGY) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 (21m)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) bt [Q] Nour Khafagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 13-11 (37m)
[Q] Ruqayya Salem (EGY) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 3-1: 12-14, 11-9, 14-12, 11-4 (44m)
Tomato Ho (HKG) bt Aira Azman (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-4 (40m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt [Q] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) 3-1: 11-9, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5 (41m)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt [LL] Tanvi Khanna (IND) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)
Hana Moataz (EGY) bt Marta Dominguez (ESP) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (34m)
Amina El Rihany (EGY) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 11-2, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8 (59m)
